Hello everyone,

I just thought I might post another little sneak peek to the sequel today. I have made quite some progress but it will take me some more time to write a few more chapters, revise and close an embarrassingly high number of gaps (I really envy all those structured writers with a clear concept... sighhhhh). I have a lot of job-related travel coming up, so I hope you will all bear with me for another while. I'm literally using each and every free minute to write - my family is considering disinheriting me, my friends think I've gone missing and the pizza delivery guy is about to include me in his will - so thank you for being so patient! :)

And a big thank you to all the guest reviewers who have commented on Dungeons lately - your reviews were so lovely! THANK YOU!

So here comes the sneak peek - please enjoy, I do hope you will like it! :)

XX

Klaus kept his word over the following days, trying to reduce his storm trooper hours to the times Caroline was attending her college lectures and delegating some of his obscure missions to Elijah. Following her discussion with Klaus, she had had a lengthy conversation with her brother-in-law. As always, Elijah had been the voice of reason and temperance, explaining to her that his younger brother could be expected to have some trouble adjusting to his new priorities and that she should keep him on his toes. "At the bottom of his heart," Elijah had said, "Niklaus knows what is the right thing for him to do. For you both. And he knows that the day will come when he has to make a choice. Trust me, sister – he will make the right choice. There might be some turbulences on the way, but do not lose your confidence. When the fog lifts, you are all that matters to him."

This afternoon, her friends from Mystic Falls had finally arrived, and Caroline was overjoyed to see them all. As predicted, Klaus and Damon had started to bicker the minute they had laid eyes on each other, making Caroline and Elena grin broadly behind their men's backs. After dinner, the women had agreed to go out, and none of the men wanted to stay behind despite a hefty display of eye rolling. Klaus had suggested Rousseau's, one of Marcel's favourite haunts. Caroline knew he wanted to keep an eye on things, and even though she would have preferred Remy's, she didn't truly mind as long as he was with her.

Rousseau's was a big, crowded, noisy place, packed with Marcel's vampire minions and a large number of unsuspecting humans. Jazz was blaring from the oversized speakers, and the atmosphere was gaudy and cheerful. When they entered the place and spotted Marcel surrounded by a group of claqueurs, Caroline noticed a flicker of something on Klaus' face, and she couldn't quite believe her eyes. It was envy. She grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. Cupping his cheek, she jerked her head in the direction of the boisterous group.

"He will never have this," she gestured between the two of them. "Not even close. And you have a true family who loves you. Turn around and look at Marcel for a minute. Then tell me, Niklaus – is that what you really want?"

Klaus gazed down at her for a moment with an unfathomable expression, then he did as she asked and watched Marcel and his flunkies for a while, never letting go of her. When he faced her again, he was smiling.

"You are very wise, my love. And I adore the way you know what I think from just one look at my face." He buried his hands in her hair and gazed into her eyes very intently. "And the answer is, no. It is not what I want, not anymore. It has been for a very long time, and I do suppose that old habits die hard. What I truly want is right here. You are the one who makes me whole, Caroline."

Everything around them seemed to just vanish as the butterflies paraded through her stomach. They stared at each other and were about to completely forget where they were when Damon's voice came up behind them.

"Guys, I don't mean to sound like a prude, but can you save the eye fuck for later? It's disgusting!"

Klaus lowered his head to place a kiss on her lips before he turned around. "Do I detect a tad of envy there, mate? Making a woman happy is a privilege for the truly gifted, but I feel magnanimous enough to drop a few hints to the clueless and the ignorant. All you have to do is ask."

Damon snorted and folded his arms over his chest. "Excuse me? Just because you have lived for a billion years does not mean you know the first thing about women. It is not about quantity but quality, Papa Doc."

A very broad grin split Klaus' face. "You will be in a position to know. But do not fret, lack of quantity is no longer considered a stigma these days. Or so I've heard."

Rolling her eyes and suppressing a giggle, Caroline left the two to their snapping and went to join the women at the bar. Rebekah had ordered a round of shots which was gone in a nanosecond. At the other end of the counter, Caroline could see Marcel flirting with the bartender, a rather pretty blonde human in her early twenties. The woman seemed to be flattered by his advances, although she didn't give the impression of being too overwhelmed. Clever girl. Pick someone better, there are millions out there. When Marcel left the counter, a few drinks in hand, the woman's gaze wandered over to linger on someone behind Caroline. She was curious to see who had caught the bartender's fancy and inconspicuously turned around to see the girl was looking at none other than Klaus who was still heatedly bickering with the older Salvatore brother. Caroline's eyes narrowed. Over my already dead body, missy!

"Care, what is it?" Elena asked curiously, noticing her black scowl.

She motioned towards the bartender. "That bitch is staring at Klaus," she growled, murder in her eyes. Elena, Rebekah and Silv turned to look at the woman, then back at Caroline. With a light grin, Silv covered her hand with hers.

"If anyone on this planet has no reason to worry about her man tasting forbidden fruit, it is you. Klaus has no idea other women even exist," she said soothingly.

Rebekah nodded vehemently. "Much as I hate to even notice, but my brother has spent the last minutes multitasking – simultaneously shouting at Damon and ogling your ass!"

All of them chuckled, and Caroline started to feel better. She cast another quick look at Klaus, indeed catching her husband staring at her hungrily. Winking at him, she turned back to her family, not without inconspicuously looking at the bartender once more. The woman's eyes were still on Klaus. Not that I blame her. "She so much as puts one finger on him and I will kick her freaking butt all the way to Cuba!"

Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate. Who was texting her now?

You are incredibly adorable when you are jealous, my love.

Shaking her head in amusement, she decided not to turn around and look at him.

You weren't supposed to notice. Just go back to staring at my butt, you pervert. Okay, I'll rephrase. You sweet and damn sexy pervert.

Happy to. And you can already start thinking about what I am going to be doing to said backside later tonight.

Now she did turn around, biting her lip and giving him a lewd look. If he was going to make her suffer – well, two could play at this game!

Will that be before or after you thrash under me, begging me not to stop practicing my French?

He gave her a lopsided grin, flashing his dimples.

Right after I repeat what I did to you this morning. I just loved the way you pleaded with me to stop… not to stop… to stop… never to stop again…

"Why are you suddenly turning vermilion?" Elena demanded, shoving another shot glass into her hand.

Silv scrutinized Caroline's face and the mobile in her hand, then she looked over to where Klaus was standing and smirked. "She is making sure the hooks she's got in her man are fixed. But it would seem Klaus is giving her a taste of her own medicine."

"Oh shut up," Caroline mumbled, still flaming red at the memory of the heated morning hours. Her mouth on him… while his mouth was on her… oh God, it had been insanely hot! She noticed him watching her, and she knew he could see exactly where her thoughts were right now. A taste of my own medicine? Here you go, my Niklaus!

Look at me. I will close my eyes in a minute. When I do, you will know that right now, in my head, I am coming for you like I did this morning.

She lowered the phone and stared straight into his face. Then she slowly closed her eyes and relived the moment her climax had stormed all through her and how he had not been able to stop moaning until it had been over. Her lips parted slightly and she inconspicuously reached for the counter to steady herself. A second later, she opened her eyes again to find him gone. In the very same instant, her phone vibrated.

Outside. Now.

"Be right back," she muttered, quickly downing the shot and making her way towards the door, ignoring the jabs from the others. Her stomach was contracting, and the butterflies were going ballistic inside her. The minute she stepped outside, she was pulled into a sideways alley and slammed against the wall.

"How can you do that to me in a bar full of people when I won't be able to touch you for hours?" Klaus growled, but she could hear the humour in his voice and saw the smile twinkling in his eyes.

"Hey, I didn't start this," she giggled. "Besides, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

His mouth assaulted hers greedily, and for a few minutes, they both gave themselves over to their insatiable hunger for each other. Then Klaus gradually slowed their heated kissing and cupped her face tenderly.

"Did I ever tell you just how perfect you are for me, my beautiful love?"

Caroline smiled and silently touched his Signum.

See you all soon, I hope! Oh, and I promise - no love triangles in the sequel! I'm sooo tired of that! :)

XX