A/N: Yes, yes, I know. I said early May, and it's almost late May. Sorry for the wait! Real life caught up with me. I moved back home, I work full time, and I actually have a social life now that I'm not currently in school. Thus, I haven't had as much time to write. Again, my apologies!
As usual, I need to thank my wonderful beta, livingdeadblondegirl for being such a huge help and getting this chapter beta'd so quickly! She's amazing!
I'll stop talking now. I hope you enjoy the update!
Waking up every early morning this week and having to leave the bed they now shared was torture for her.
All she wanted to do was stay curled up beside him. She enjoyed feeling his skin against hers, or his arm around her waist. She hadn't quite expected Klaus to be one for such intimacy – and he really wasn't – but inevitably his arm always found its way around her in the middle of the night.
She liked it. Having been in a long distance relationship with Tyler throughout college, this was never something she experienced – always having your lover at arm's length. It was nice. It felt safe. It felt right. It felt right with Klaus.
Still half asleep Klaus would groggily offer to get up with her, but she'd insist he stay in bed.
When their hands weren't busily preoccupied with one another, they still had their normal routine to carry on with.
Really, not much had changed, except that now after Grayson was all played out and put to bed, they themselves would head to bed for some play time of their own.
She knew it was mostly because they were so new to each other, but she couldn't get enough of him. Once was never enough, she always needed more, and Klaus was all too willing to indulge her. Every morning this week she had woken up a very sated, but exhausted girl as a result of the night before.
Aside from mid-morning, she had learned that one of Klaus's favourite times to paint was in the middle of the night. On several occasions he would stay with her until she fell asleep, getting up to immerse himself with his artwork in Elijah's study. He claimed that she inspired him, that rather than exhaust him, she invigorated him. At first she was concerned that maybe he was still having second thoughts and his work was an easy excuse, but when he got out the creativity he needed to on his easel, he returned to bed.
Normally today Grayson would stay at home with Klaus, but because they would be leaving later for their trip up to the lake house this weekend, Klaus was in charge of running down the list of last minute errands she had written up and they would be easier to achieve if Grayson went to daycare. Considering they were set to meet with Grayson's teachers and caregivers at the daycare this afternoon before their small trip, having Grayson there for the day made sense.
So, she had to wake up a little earlier this morning to accommodate the schedule change. On top of getting Grayson ready, she still wanted to go out for her morning run and there was last minute packing she wanted to do for the trip up to the lake house.
Still, despite her early morning to do list, she succumbed to the temptation of her snooze button and closed her eyes for a little longer, enjoying the feel of Klaus's chest pressed warmly against her back.
And so she was the one to blame when she had to cut her run short to make up the time and rush through a quick shower so she could get ready.
She was busy removing curlers from her hair when the door to the bedroom opened. Her eyes diverted their attention over to Klaus who entered clad only in a pair of boxers. She was envious over how good he looked in the morning as she admired his lean frame, the scruff on his face, and the mussed hair she had tugged on last night when his head was buried between her legs.
"Good morning, sweetheart," he rasped in his morning voice.
He had that look in his eye – the one she had learned to pick up on quite well this past week – the one that oozed lust and demanded her surrender.
"Morning," she said simply, trying to avoid his approach.
Shifting her gaze, she ignored the small shiver that trickled down her spine as she continued to play with her hair in the mirror.
"You got up early this morning?" he inquired, stepping behind her closely.
She nodded.
"I have to take Grayson to daycare this morning, remember?" she told him.
A look of realization crossed Klaus's features as he recalled the plan they had made for the day.
He ran the palms of his hands up her robe covered back, resting them on her shoulders as a smile played on his lips.
"Does that mean you have some time to spare?" he inquired suggestively, gliding one of his hands over her neck.
"No, I'm just on time," she said, trying reluctantly to shirk from Klaus's touch. "I have to get Grayson up soon."
He brushed some of her hair to the side, exposing her neck, grazing his lips over her skin.
"This will only take a few minutes, love," he purred, referring to how easily he could make her come undone.
Her eyes closed as she briefly allowed herself to indulge in Klaus's hypnotic touch.
"Hmm?" he pressed, pulling the opening of her robe to the side so he could kiss her collarbone.
His other hand was drawing patterns on the outside of her bare thigh.
When she opened her eyes, her knees weakened at the sight of them together in the mirror.
She watched as Klaus's lips moved up the length of her neck, tickling her earlobe.
His hand descended over the silk robe she was wearing, brushing briefly against her breast.
She held back a small whimper as she felt him touch her already stiffening nipple through the material.
"Just give me a few minutes?" he asked innocently, though his actions were anything but.
While his one hand rose higher on her thigh, the other began to loosen the tie around her waist.
Once the tie was loose, his hand moved back up her torso, slipping underneath the robe to gently cup her breast.
She exhaled sharply, unable to hold in her expression of desire for him as she continued to watch his movements through the mirror.
"I think you want to," he teased, pinching her nipple lightly, causing her to whimper under her breath.
So distracted by the feeling of his fingers taunting her breast, she flinched when she felt his other hand cup her already throbbing centre. Two of his fingers outlined her slit before sliding over her clit.
"In fact, I know you do," he mused, clearly referring to how wet she was for him.
Her legs felt like jelly as he began to swirl his finger in slow circles around her sensitive button. She extended a hand toward the counter for support.
"Mmm," she uttered involuntarily.
"This feels good?" he inquired, applying a bit more pressure between her legs while he cupped her other breast.
She nodded, biting the inside of her lip in protest as the rational part of her brain was trying so hard to resist his sensuous torture.
"Do you like it when I touch you like this?" he pressed further, intent upon her giving him a verbal response.
"Yes, I love it when you touch me like this," she blurted out, every stroke of his fingers pushing her closer to the brink.
He pressed his lips to her neck once more as he watched the two of them as intently as she had been.
They made eye contact through the mirror and her stomach muscles clenched excitedly.
"You're so beautiful, love. Especially when you come," Klaus said lowly into her ear. "You should see yourself," he encouraged, nodding towards the mirror.
She moaned appreciatively when Klaus sunk a finger inside of her.
"Oh god," she murmured, feeling her walls clench around the welcome intrusion.
As much as she was enjoying this, she knew they had to stop. Klaus's tantalizing teasing would never just end with her getting off to the sinful movement of his hand. Once she got off she would be putty in his hands, demanding that he fuck her, regardless of the time and how late she would be. She'd been fantasizing what it would be like to have him take her over a countertop.
"Klaus," she murmured. "I need to finish getting ready."
"You look stunning just like this," he said quickly, dismissing her concern, continuing to kiss along her collar bone as he fondled her breasts and pumped his hand evenly, stroking that sweet spot inside of her every time.
"I need to get Grayson up and ready. He's going to daycare today...we have that meeting with his teachers," she reminded him.
"I'll take him," he said.
"I would still be la-te," she countered, faltering on the last word as he brought her closer to release.
"You're the boss," he retorted flirtatiously, the continuation of his movements suggesting that he was urging her to take advantage of her own employment status to give herself a more flexible schedule.
And though she was tempted, her phone began to buzz against the counter. She peered down at it begrudgingly to see a text from Camille. There was a broken pipe in her apartment and she was waiting for her landlord to arrive.
"Looks like Camille has the late card this morning," she sighed. "I really need to get ready," she said disappointedly.
She had been so close to her orgasm, but her mind's distractions and her phone moved it out of her grasp.
Klaus groaned in complaint, but removed his talented hands from her body, nevertheless.
"Sorry," she said apologetically, kissing him chastely on his bottom lip.
"I'm the one who should be sorry," he shrugged. "I'm the one sending you off to work only half-finished," he pointed out.
She shook her head and gave him a small grin.
"Well, you'll just have to finish me later then," she suggested, deepening the kiss just a little to give him an idea of what she meant. Glancing down, she noticed a bulge in his boxers."Looks like we'll both have to finish later," she concluded.
"You can count on it, sweetheart," he assured her.
She tapped her foot impatiently against the hardwood floor of the back room of her store as she waited for one of her material suppliers to put her off hold and speak to her.
They had been purposely avoiding her all day.
The delivery of material she ordered weeks ago had still not arrived. She had ordered it especially for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant dresses she was making and if the material didn't arrive soon some of the girls would not have dresses to wear for the day of the pageant.
"Ugh," she groaned in annoyance as the silence on the phone persisted.
She had contemplated ending the call – there was other work she should be doing – but she had already waited this long. If she gave in now, they wouldn't call her back until she called them again.
Today had been stressful from the moment she had to take a construction detour to the hospital to drop Grayson off at daycare and then getting Grayson settled before she left him. The stress continued once she stepped into work. Camille was late and April wasn't in that day, so she was forced to juggle both the front of the store and all her behind the scenes responsibilities at the same time. Not to mention the fact that Klaus had wound her up pretty tightly this morning before she had even walked out the door.
The store wasn't overly busy with customers on a Friday morning, but it always seemed one would arrive when she was trying to focus on writing an e-mail or sketching a design.
She wanted to hug Camille once she arrived.
It allowed her to take her focus off the front so she could concentrate on all the other tasks she had to get done before she left for the afternoon to meet with Grayson's caregivers and teachers at the daycare and then for the weekend to the lake house.
Still, she seemed to be encountering endless roadblocks to getting her work completed.
Whether she was trying to make a phone call or someone was trying to call her, the distractions seemed endless.
The fact that Klaus wouldn't leave her mind didn't help matters either.
Her attention was constantly diverted to thoughts of him and their short little tryst in the bathroom this morning; she had been aching ever since. She had been in desperate need of relief all morning.
The hands on the clock couldn't move fast enough. All she wanted was for the day to be over with – for work to be done, the interview with Grayson's teachers over, and the trip to the lake house completed. She couldn't wait to be settled in for the weekend and Grayson to be asleep. Klaus would be hers for the rest of the night.
His low and sexy voice hung in the air, just behind her ear, the way he had spoke to her earlier. She could still feel his lips on her neck, his hands on her breasts and in between her legs.
She shivered faintly at the vivid memory before scowling at the phone in her hand and the continued silence on the other end.
"Pick up, dammit!" she complained sourly.
"Miss Forbes?" a voice on the other end finally answered.
She sighed in frustrated relief.
"Yes I've called several times about a late order," she said sternly.
"Our apologies for the delay. I verified your order, and unfortunately we won't have it for another month."
Her eyes bulged in anger.
"I placed that order a month ago!" she gasped.
She needed that material now. She couldn't wait another month.
"Like I said, we are sorry for the delay, Ms Forbes. Worker unrest at our supplier has caused us many delays recently. We are working hard to rectify the situation. We fully intend to give you your order free of charge when it becomes available..."
As she listened to the man's unacceptable excuses, Klaus entering the back room caught her attention. He was standing there with a paper bag from the Grill in hand and a curious expression on his face as he watched her.
"I don't think you understand. I need that material asap. I have dresses to make!" she grumbled angrily to the man.
Klaus held up the bag and pointed towards her open office door before making his way there.
"I pay you good money for that material and I'm a loyal customer," she continued, following Klaus towards her office.
She stopped at the entranceway, leaning against the doorframe with a bitter hand on her hip.
Klaus had boldly sat down at her desk, feet up on the clear surface.
His hair was somehow neatly mussed, and he was dressed in a black collared button up shirt and dark blue jeans.
He looked good. He was distracting. She could smell his cologne and body wash in the air.
"We're very sorry Ms Forbes but this out of our hands at the present moment. We will ship the material to you once it becomes available," the man continued.
She scowled in frustration.
"That's not good enough," she stated sternly. "Don't bother sending me the material. I will take my business somewhere else."
She cancelled the call before she could listen to the man's protests.
Taking a deep breath, she put her phone on silent as the supplier attempted to call her back.
"Ugh! I'm so done with today," she groaned.
Staring at Klaus who was looking back at her with a mischievous and amused glint in his eye, reminded her of the way he had looked at her this morning.
Another shiver rushed down her spine as her mind switched gears from angry thoughts over late material orders to memories of Klaus removing certain material from her body earlier.
She felt a familiar dull throb between her legs, recalling their intent to finish what they started.
After the day she had had so far, waiting to finish what they started any longer was not an option. She needed to release some of the tension, and she wanted Klaus to make good on his word and help her out.
Just the suggestive thought was enough to make her tingle with want for him.
"Maybe your favourite wrap from the Grill would help?" Klaus suggested, nodding towards the paper bag.
Getting a naughty idea, she closed her office door, locking it behind her.
"Actually, I know something else that would help," she said, "...and it's not a wrap from the Grill."
Klaus's eyebrow arched curiously.
"Oh?" he wondered, clearly playing dumb.
"You left me hanging this morning," she reminded him.
A playful grin crossed Klaus's lips.
"Well, you're the one who left," he pointed out.
"You knew I had to leave," she scoffed, her eyebrows furrowing.
Klaus shrugged innocently.
She unbuttoned her light pink blouse and reached under her grey skirt to pull down the black thong she had on underneath.
"Anyways, I think you should finish what you started," she said boldly as her panties dropped to her ankles.
Klaus's jaw went slack as the chair moved backwards, causing his feet to fall from the desk.
"Here?" he asked in surprised, looking around the office.
She nodded as she kicked off her underwear and let her blouse fall to the floor.
"But..."
"Camille is busy in the front. She won't disturb us unless she really has to...and the door is locked," she said, sauntering towards him desirously.
"What if someone hears?" he questioned as she stepped in between his legs in nothing but her heels, skirt, and bra.
She placed a finger over his sexy lips.
"I'm sure we can be quiet," she smirked.
Klaus murmured under his breath, clearly intrigued by the idea. His interest was confirmed when he drew her index finger into his mouth.
"So you want to play at work?" he asked upon releasing her finger. "Naughty girl."
She blushed, feeling a gush of arousal between her thighs.
"I've been aching for you all morning," she admitted as she ran her hand up his thigh, noticing the large bulge already present in his jeans.
"Do you know how sexy you sound when you're bossy?" he growled. "I've been hard for you ever since I overheard you on the phone."
Smiling at Klaus's revelation, she climbed onto the chair. Straddling his lap, she fully intended on playing the part and having her way with him, finally.
"Mmm. I want your hard cock to make me come," she tried to say as confidently as she could, rubbing her palm over the crotch of his pants as Klaus's lips met her cleavage.
Klaus gasped in surprise at her dirty request.
She reached behind her, releasing her bra from its clasps.
Klaus pulled it eagerly down her arms, revealing her swollen breasts to him.
He cradled them in his hands, kissing each of her nipples lightly.
"God, you're so sexy," he groaned before drawing one of her nipples into his mouth as his hands wandered down her back to cup her ass.
She felt her pussy throb.
"I want to make you come, sweetheart," he breathed as his lips closed over her other nipple.
She whined at the amazing sensations, rolling her hips against his covered erection.
Tugging on the hair at the base of his neck she pulled his face back to crash her lips against his. He reciprocated with enthusiasm, batting his tongue pleasurably against hers. His kisses drove her wild.
Hell, she could probably get off just like this – kissing him, rocking her hips against him, while he thumbed both of her nipples. She could already feel her orgasm building, but she wanted more.
She wanted him to fill her, to feel him stretch her, to have her walls clench around him as she finally came crashing down.
Unbuttoning his pants as they continued to indulge in each other's lips, she freed his cock from the confines of his jeans.
"Make me come," she panted, eager to have her way with him.
One of his hands slid down over her ass, over her thigh and between her legs, and ran along her wet folds.
He groaned under his breath at the contact and she only grew wetter – the idea of him being so aroused by her need for him turned her on like nothing else.
His fingers circled around her clit and she bucked her hips against his hand.
As much as she wanted to just give in to the strokes of his fingers, she found herself shaking her head.
"I don't want your hands," she breathed, slowing her hips to prevent her body from reacting. "I want you to fuck me," she pleaded, pressing herself downwards against his bare cock.
Klaus sighed in frustration through gritted teeth.
"I can't," he hesitated, removing his hand from between her legs.
She arched a displeased eyebrow.
"Why not?" she questioned, her breathing ragged, as she grinded her hips against the shaft of his manhood once more.
"Unless you keep condoms at your desk..." he said.
She mirrored his frustrated expression.
"No...don't you have a spare in your wallet or something," she sighed exasperatedly.
He laughed through bated breath.
"As you are well aware, love, lately I've been staying in to satisfy my baser desires," he mused.
While one part of her was elated at his small gesture of commitment to her, the other was beyond annoyed that he had decided to give up the habit of carrying a condom around with him so quickly.
"...But perhaps I'll have to start carrying them again now that I know you have an exhibitionist streak in you," he teased.
She nodded, kissing him eagerly again, not giving up yet.
"Sit on the edge of the desk and spread your legs for me, sweetheart," Klaus instructed in between another frenzied exchange of kisses.
Her stomach clenched excitedly, but she remained in her position perched atop him defiantly, sliding herself against him once more, feeling the soft head of his cock press against her swollen clit.
"Caroline," he warned, digging his fingertips into her hips. "You know we can't...it's too risky."
"Please," she whined, wanting nothing more than to disregard the risks in that moment. "Let me feel you...just for a minute," she pressed. "I'm so close," she added, continuing to circle her hips against him. "Just don't come," she told him desperately.
Klaus groaned between his clenched lips.
"Do you even realize what you're asking me to do, sweetheart?" he complained. "You're asking me to do the impossible," he grunted. "How am I supposed to hold back..." he sighed as the tip of him kissed her opening, "When you feel so damn good," he muttered.
She leaned in, kissing his neck.
"I'll make it worth your while," she said seductively, lowering herself a little more so he entered her further. "Please."
When Klaus relented with a sigh and pushed her hips downwards, she smiled.
Wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck, she groaned contentedly as she allowed herself to sink in his lap, filling herself with him entirely.
"Mmm... you feel so good," she whimpered, moving her hips slowly, revelling in the way he felt buried inside of her completely bare, stretching her.
"So do you, love," Klaus growled torturously, before clenching his jaw together and digging his fingers into her bottom. "Too good."
She started to grow lightheaded as her cheeks flushed, her breathing grew ragged, and her heartbeat quickened.
The slow steady movements caused him to stroke all the sweetest spots inside of her perfectly, while her swollen clit and aching breasts rubbed against him.
"I'm almost there," she panted, the familiar feelings of her orgasm beginning to overtake me. "Just a little longer," she moaned.
"Shhh," he hushed her, his eyes glancing quickly to her closed office door.
She grinned, burying her face in his neck to stifle her ecstatic sounds.
Klaus was completely tense, holding back his own noises as he tried to resist the urge to indulge completely.
"Love, I can't do this much longer," Klaus winced in pleasurable agony as he dug his hands into the arms of her office chair.
"Just...a...bit...longer..." she strained, letting go on the last syllable and movement of her hips. "Oh my god...yes...mmm," she mumbled into his skin as her body began to convulse and unravel as her orgasm consumed her.
Using what remained of her strength, she lifted herself off of him – so as not to prolong his torture anymore – before her body went slack against his as she tried to regain her composure.
She kissed his neck and curled her fingers in his hair intimately as her breathing began to slow.
"That was incredible," she sighed.
He chuckled as his hands glided up her back shakily.
"That was torture," he commented with a pout
Lifting her head, she examined his constrained expression, noting how tense his entire body still was, feeling him still hard underneath her.
She sucked on his bottom lip and ran her hand down her torso before he could protest.
"I told you that I would make it worth your while, remember?" she said teasingly as she climbed off of him and dropped to her knees in front of him on her office floor.
Klaus gave her an intrigued look as her hands moved up his thighs.
"Well, this is a good start," he remarked cheekily.
She pressed her index finger to her lips.
"Just try to keep it down," she mused as she grasped his length in her hands.
His stiffness was still glistening with evidence of her satisfaction.
He grunted and bucked his lips as she began to stroke him.
"This probably isn't going to take long," Klaus hissed with an embarrassed smirk as he looked down at her with half-hooded eyes.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she smiled, leaning in to kiss the tip of him.
She parted her lips and took him in her mouth slowly, letting her tongue slide around his head.
His hands buried themselves in her hair while hips lifted instinctively to meet her mouth, eager for more contact.
Running her tongue up the length of him, she followed it with her hands.
"I want to make you come," she said, looking up at him. "Come for me."
"Mmm, put your mouth on me, sweetheart" he practically begged. "Don't stop."
Deciding she had already delayed his gratification enough, she wasn't going to hold back now.
She took him in her mouth completely, allowing her tongue to touch every inch of him. Her hands weren't left idle very long either, stroking him as her tongue and lips circled him.
The fact that they were in her office in the middle of the day and she could still taste herself on him made this even sexier.
She worked her mouth up and down with her hands mimicking the movements of her lips.
Klaus's body was completely rigid. One of his hands was still in her hair, while the other was latched around the arm of her chair.
He was panting heavily and she could even see a bit of sweat on his forehead.
"I'm gonna come," he said through gritted teeth warningly.
Her mouth and hands persisted, caressing him ardently.
A heavy groan escaped his lips as his body began to shake.
"Ahhhh!" he moaned louder, his cock pulsing as warm thick spurts of his juices were released onto her tongue.
She swallowed with a triumphant smirk playing on her lips as she watched him begin to relax and catch his breath.
This was not where she expected to be a few months ago – hell, this wasn't where she expected to be with him earlier this morning – but she couldn't imagine being anywhere else now.
It wasn't just because of the amazing sex they could have; it was the comfort level she had with him; it was the confidence he instilled in her; it was the intimacy she felt with him. She never had that before; she knew that now.
"That was definitely worth my while," Klaus concluded with a smug grin as he leaned back contentedly in her chair, reaching down to tuck a strand of lose curls behind her ear.
She stood and began to collect her discarded clothing items so she could put them back on and make herself look somewhat presentable for their meeting with Grayson's teachers and caregivers at his daycare.
"Do you have to get dressed?" Klaus asked disappointedly.
Rolling her eyes amusedly, she nodded as she put her underwear back on.
"We need to leave for that meeting in less than five minutes," she reminded him, fixing her bra and her blouse in place.
Standing in front of the full length mirror on the back of her door, she straightened out her hair and attempted to retouch some of her makeup that had been a casualty of her and Klaus's little adventure.
As her mind drifted away from thoughts of Klaus to their upcoming meeting, she couldn't help but grow a little nervous.
She heard Klaus stand up from the chair.
"I guess we can take this food to go," he said, referring to the uneaten lunch still in the bag on the desk.
"Did you finish packing everything for the lake house that was on the list I made?" she asked him as she continued to make sure her skirt and blouse fit just right.
"Yes," Klaus said as she watched him straighten out his own shirt and do up his jeans.
"Grayson's stroller? The portable crib? Some toys? All his food and formula?" she reminded him.
He nodded.
"Yes, it's all there, love," he mused, somewhat annoyed by her micromanagement as he came up behind her. "And, you look beautiful."
He kissed her neck hesitantly, something else seemingly on his mind.
"You know...we can't make a habit out of what we just did," he said.
"You mean sex in my office?" she asked innocently.
He shook his head incredulously.
"You know what I mean," he persisted. "I am all for the sex in your office...just..."
"...not without a condom," she finished his sentence.
"Yeah," he said awkwardly. "It's nothing...personal," he continued reluctantly, "I just don't want anything to happen that we're not ready for."
She felt a weird vibe happening between them and she wanted to do her best to disregard it.
"I understand, neither do I," she said quickly.
That was the truth. She wasn't an irresponsible woman, and she couldn't afford to be now that she had Grayson to consider and a new relationship to nurture. An unexpected pregnancy was not conducive to either of those things. She couldn't even begin to imagine the trouble and stress that would bring. And though she and Klaus were on the same page in that respect, she couldn't help but still feel a little disconnect, but she shrugged it off. She felt like there were things left to be said, but she didn't know exactly what.
"I was planning on asking Meredith for a prescription this weekend at the lake house," she explained, "for the pill."
"I'm fine with using condoms," Klaus assured her. "You don't have to, if you don't want to...don't feel obligated."
She shrugged.
"I was on them before..." she said, stopping so as not to mention Tyler, though her relationship with him was an obvious explanation. "It's not a big deal. It's just easier...for times like these... and they help with my periods anyways."
"Okay," Klaus agreed, kissing her cheek. "Are you ready to go?"
She turned away from the mirror and sighed anxiously as she began collecting her things.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said. "I suppose if we can handle CPS, we can handle this meeting. I asked for this one after all."
"You're a glutton for punishment, sweetheart," Klaus smirked suggestively. "But, I think you're right. So shall we go get it over with so we can get out of here for the weekend?" he proposed.
Smiling, she accepted his suggestion and walked towards her door.
Klaus opened it for her, his hand lightly on her back as he followed her through.
In the back room, Camille and Carol Lockwood entered hurriedly and unexpectedly, taking them off guard.
"Caroline has been busy all day," Camille said.
"She will make time for me," Carol stated, looking over, noticing her and Klaus standing in the doorway.
Both she and Klaus froze as if they had been caught red-handed.
Klaus's light touch on her back was now burning into her skin.
He tried to remove his hand discreetly, but for all she knew, the damage had been done. If Carol hadn't noticed Klaus's hand on the small of her back, then she had probably noticed how close they were regardless.
"Well, she doesn't seem very busy," Carol snipped at Camille, who did her best to nod politely before returning to the front of the store.
If only she knew just how busy she had been ten minutes ago...
"Carol," she greeted anxiously, as Klaus turned to shut her office door.
She could feel Carol's eyes studying both her and Klaus suspiciously.
"What brings you by?" she asked curiously, not sure she wanted to know.
"I was hoping I could talk to you about one of the dresses for the pageant? One of the girls had to drop out, so we're bringing in a replacement last minute. Her measurements are completely different and I don't think the colour or design of the dress will be flattering on her figure," Carol explained.
On the inside of herself, she wanted to scream in frustration over Carol's significant last minute request. How could she change everything now? The material was likely already received, unless it was the material she had spent most of the day trying to track down. Though she was unsure which dress Carol was referring to specifically, she and Camille had probably already started to work on it.
"I'm sorry Carol, but I can't really meet with you at the moment," she winced, waiting for Carol's disappointed reaction. "Klaus and I have a meeting with Grayson's teachers and caregivers at his daycare to get to."
"Is everything all right?" Carol inquired, still eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
"Everything is fine," she assured her. "It's just a meeting I arranged with them to check in and make sure Grayson is doing okay. It's hard to know if the absence of Elijah and Elena has affected him at all."
Carol nodded understandingly.
"I assume you'll be returning to the store after your meeting?" Carol asked. "We could meet here again."
She winced again, knowing she would have to reject Carol's suggestion.
"Actually...I am busy after that as well," she said cryptically.
That type of explanation was never good enough for Carol Lockwood though. She needed details. She needed to know exactly why someone was too busy to put her first.
"After the meeting, the three of us are heading up to Elijah and Elena's lake house for the weekend," she informed her reluctantly. "We will be renting it out for the summer and we need to make a trip up there to remove all the personal items," she said, hoping that legitimated her excuse and quelled Carol's sixth sense regarding her and Klaus. "Stefan and Meredith will be coming to help us," she added, unsure of whether that helped or hindered her case.
"Oh, I see," Carol said somewhat disappointedly.
She cursed Carol Lockwood's innate ability to make her feel guilty. She felt even guiltier now that she knew Carol likely suspected something between her and Klaus.
"We can meet first thing next week," she suggested. "In the meantime, you could email me a photo of the new girl, along with her measurements and any suggestions you might have in terms of colour and style, and that could help me put some ideas of my own together over the weekend?"
Carol vacillated over the alternative option for a moment.
"I guess that will have to do," Carol said, still annoyed that she could not be put first. "I will contact you next week," she said, almost rudely, staring at her and Klaus. "Enjoy your weekend, Caroline," she said with an obvious fake smile, seemingly ignoring Klaus, save for glare she shot him.
Klaus nodded at her politely nevertheless.
"Talk to you then," she said to Carol as politely as she could before Carol stormed out of the back room, trying her best not to look like she had just been defeated.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair stressfully.
"I guess she's still not over the spat I got into with Tyler," Klaus shrugged. "That was quite the death glare."
"That or she saw your hand on my back," she worried. "She noticed...and if she didn't, she at least suspects something. I know that look of hers."
Klaus chuckled.
"I think you're being paranoid, love. For all she knows, my hand on your back could have been nothing more than friendly," he reasoned.
She looked at him incredulously.
"Even so, that wouldn't stop Carol Lockwood from gossiping about it," she said. "It will spread like wildfire. I'm sure the first two people she'll be talking to will be your parents."
This fact seemed to suddenly dawn on Klaus as a concerned look etched on his face.
"Let them find out about us," he shrugged, cradling her face in his hands before kissing her. "CPS already knows. They can't really use our 'secret' relationship to their advantage or as leverage against us," he noted. "What have I promised you from the beginning, sweetheart?"
She looked up at his serious blue eyes.
"That you wouldn't let them take Grayson from us," she answered.
He nodded.
"You have nothing to worry about," he told her as they entered the front of the store.
Camille was tidying up one of the displays when they entered and she looked at them anxiously.
"Sorry! I tried to tell Mrs. Lockwood you were busy, but she insisted and practically pushed me out of the way," Camille apologized.
"It's okay, Camille," she reassured her. "You weren't interrupting anything anyways," she said, trying to hide her guilty expression.
Klaus took her things from her.
"I'll go put this in the car," he offered, nodding to Camille. "Thanks for looking after the store this weekend for Caroline," he said.
"It's not a problem," Camille smiled as Klaus exited the store.
Camille turned back to her, giving her an alarmed look.
"I hope Mrs. Lockwood didn't notice the fact that your blouse is buttoned up crooked," Camille pointed out with a smirk.
In a panic, she looked down at her blouse to notice the buttons did not line up.
"How the hell did I not see that?" she panicked, quickly fixing her blouse before any customers walked in.
"I take it by the uneaten food in your hand, you and Klaus had a good lunch?" Camille chuckled.
She scowled as her cheeks turned red.
"I'm just teasing you Care...and who cares what Mrs. Lockwood thinks of you two together?" Camille said, echoing Klaus's sentiment. "You better get to that meeting before you're late," she reminded her.
She nodded, trying her best to agree with Camille's point of view.
"Thanks so much for looking after the store tomorrow. Make sure you put that sign up before you leave today about being closed on Sunday. Add this to the list of things I owe you for," she said appreciatively. "If you have any problems, call me immediately," she told her.
"Will do, Boss!" Camille smiled.
They arrived at the hospital daycare five minutes late.
She hated being late for important meetings like this. She didn't want it to reflect poorly on them.
"We're already late, love. There's not much we can do about it now," Klaus said, following behind her frantically clicking heels on the parking lot pavement.
She glared at him over her shoulder and he raised his hands in defence.
"You're the one who decided to jump me in your office," he smirked. "I only intended to eat lunch."
Rolling her eyes, she turned back for the side building of the hospital which housed the daycare.
Out front, there was a large fenced in area that contained an outdoor playground.
Children were outside playing – laughs, screams, and cries echoed throughout the air.
She searched over the fence curiously for Grayson.
"Gray's over there," Klaus said behind her, pointing across the playground.
Under the supervision of one of the daycare attendants, Grayson and a few of the younger children were crawling around in the grass under the shade of a tree.
Grayson's head was shielded from the sun by the brown newsboy hat. His adorableness was enhanced by the baby blue polo shirt and jean shorts. She'd picked out the outfit the other week...one of the first she had purchased for him as he was growing out of most of the clothes Elena and Elijah had for him.
"He looks like he's having fun," Klaus mused as Grayson attempted to climb over another one of the children.
"Using the other kids as a jungle gym?" she snorted. "I hope he has his sunscreen on," she said worriedly.
Klaus laughed.
"Always the worrier," he observed. "I'm sure these people who have been trained to take care of young children have it covered," he assured her, extending his hand towards the door, encouraging her to step inside.
Inside the colourful foyer, Grayson's main teacher and daycare organizer for the younger children – Ms. Bailey, or Jane as she insisted on being called – was talking to a mother – still dressed in hospital scrubs - who appeared to be just about to leave with a sick child in her arms.
"Let's hope Grayson doesn't catch whatever she has," Klaus frowned.
They waited patiently as Jane and the mother exchanged goodbyes and she walked by them towards the exit.
She had never seen that mother before in all the times she had dropped Grayson off and picked him up.
"Caroline...Klaus," Jane greeted. "Thank you for waiting," she said appreciatively.
"Thanks for setting side time to meet with us," she responded.
From what she knew from Elena and her own experience here, Jane was a middle aged woman and had worked with children ever since she started babysitting as a teenager.
Jane shook her head as she led them into one of the main rooms – where the younger children were cared for.
"Nonsense," she shrugged. "I think this meeting was a wonderful idea. It's reassuring to know that you're both so concerned for Grayson's development and wellbeing."
She smiled proudly and found Klaus making a similar expression.
"We want to do whatever we can to make sure this time and transition for Grayson is as easy for him as possible," she continued. "It's good to know that we're all on the same page."
Both she and Klaus nodded in agreement.
"So, as you know, this is where Grayson spends his time here," Jane said, as she let them inspect the room more closely, unlike the times they had come to drop him off and pick him up.
Her eyes scanned the large room. It was painted in lots of child friendly bright colours and the room boasted lots of windows to let in natural light. Most of the room was carpeted and covered in a play mat of the alphabet and numbers. The room contained dozens of toys suitable for children Grayson's age and was outlined with a large shelf full of books and posters of familiar characters, shapes, letters, and numbers.
The room off to the right was where the babies slept.
Jane took them through another door beside it, which led to a corridor with entrances to other rooms she assumed were for staff.
She opened a door at the end of the hall.
"This is my office," she explained, encouraging them to enter ahead of her.
Her office was tidy and organized – something she wished she could maintain in her own office.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Jane offered politely.
Both she and Klaus shook their heads. They both hoped this meeting wouldn't take long. If the meeting ran long, that probably didn't bode well for their newly acquired parenting skills – or lack thereof.
Jane motioned towards the chairs in front of her desk as she sat down in what appeared to be a very comfortable office chair.
She was just about to cut to the chase and ask Jane how Grayson was doing while at daycare since the tragic loss of his parents, but she was interrupted by a short knock on the door and it opening.
Looking behind her, she saw one of the daycare attendants she had yet to be acquainted with holding Grayson in her arms.
He looked visibly upset with rosy tear stained cheeks.
"See look who's here," the young female attendant said in a sing-song voice. "Mommy and daddy are here to see you, Grayson."
Those names made her shift in her seat and her stomach clench faintly as she gave them a happy but concerned expression. Obviously, this new employee was not aware of their circumstances.
A small smile began to form on Grayson's lips as he began to mumble and extend his hands towards her.
"Hey Grayson!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, reaching up to take him from the attendant.
He latched onto her blouse pretty quickly, seemingly instantly contented as she sat him on her lap.
"Sorry to interrupt," the new female attendant apologized. "Grayson wasn't too happy when one of the other boys took the ball he was playing with. Adam recognized the two of you when you arrived and suggested I bring him in here to see you."
Adam was one of the male teachers at the daycare centre. He had been here for a few years. Elena had said when he first started several of the parents had made a fuss about a male working with young children, but he had proven himself to be quite amazing with children. She didn't see an issue with it. Male children needed male examples in their lives. She thought that was important – so had Elijah and Elena.
"That's okay," she said.
"You have to learn to share, Gray," Klaus said, reaching over to tug on Grayson's hat.
"Vanessa, this is Klaus and Caroline," Jane introduced her to them.
They both nodded.
"I hope Gray hasn't been giving you too much trouble," Klaus smirked.
Vanessa shook her head.
"No, not at all. Overall, he's very well behaved. He's also quite the charmer," Vanessa told them, smiling as she patted Grayson on the head and gave him a small hug.
"That he is," she said in agreement, thinking it had to be genetic, as she peered over at Klaus.
"Well, I should get back out there," Vanessa said. "It was nice meeting you," she added before slipping out the door and shutting it behind her quietly.
As the excitement of the interruption died down, she and Klaus focused back on Jane, waiting nervously for her to speak.
It had only been seconds, but she couldn't handle the suspense.
"So...how do you think Grayson is adjusting?" she rambled out quickly.
Jane laughed.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing...I was also going to ask how the two of you have been adjusting?" Jane questioned.
She and Klaus exchanged eye contact as they tried to read each other's minds about who would answer and what they would say.
"Caroline was around Grayson more...back when Elijah and Elena..." Klaus hesitated, "were still alive. So she's probably the better judge of how he's doing," Klaus concluded.
Jane looked at her expectantly and she shrugged.
"I...haven't really noticed a difference," she admitted. "I mean, in the beginning it seemed like he sensed something wasn't right, but that could have been because he had been sick; he was just starting to teeth, and we were throwing him into a new schedule. Other than that, he seems happy, although as of late he doesn't really like being separated from us," she added.
"At this age, separation anxiety is common in children Grayson's age. A little bit of separation anxiety is a good sign," Jane said. "It means he has an emotional connection with the two of you. He associates the both of you with safety and comfort."
She felt reassured by Jane's words, though she couldn't help that nagging feeling of guilt from creeping up on her. That sense that she and Klaus were replacing Elijah and Elena for Grayson entirely.
Grayson pulled her out of her thoughts as he struggled to get down from her lap. She quickly gave in to him, if only to make the meeting run more smoothly for all of them, and set him on the floor.
"It's nothing to feel badly about," Jane said, as if she sensed that the two of them harboured some guilt over the fact that they had basically replaced Elijah and Elena and erased them from Grayson's memory. "This is what's best for Grayson. He's forming healthy attachments with those he's closest to. He needs that. Think of how hard it would have been for him if he was somehow capable of holding onto his attachments with Elijah and Elena..."
While she always wanted Grayson to have a connection to Elijah and Elena, she knew Jane had a point. If Grayson had to have both parents taken from him, then this was the best time for it to happen – as horrible as it sounded.
"Is he keeping to his routine? Eating and sleeping as usual? Regular bowel movements at home?" Jane inquired. "He's definitely a good sleeper and eater here...and goes through more than enough diapers," she laughed.
"He's definitely a grump when something throws him off his routine," Klaus said. "Caroline and I can't give him enough food and formula, and I think we're constantly running out of diapers."
She laughed in confirmation.
"That's good!" Jane said happily. "How are the two of you adjusting to your new roles?"
"Better now that we've established a routine," she answered.
"Eating and sleeping normally...regular bowel movements," Klaus joked.
She glared at him disapprovingly but he just shrugged with a smile. She wanted to smack that smirk off his face for the embarrassment he was causing her, but she refrained self-consciously.
"That's great news!" Jane laughed, playing along with his joke. "And the two of you are getting along?"
They both hesitated, vacillating over how they should answer this, recalling the disaster with CPS.
"Yes...we are," she said simply, thinking about just how well they got along in her office earlier.
Her cheeks flushed and she stared down at Grayson who was crawling around their chairs curiously.
"Better than either of us expected," Klaus added, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it.
Tensing immediately, she did her best not to react extremely in either direction. They were going to keep their relationship as quiet as they could. Klaus's small display of affection completely disregarded that and seemed unlike him. She wasn't exactly upset by his impromptu gesture, just surprised.
Her cheeks flushed as she waited for Jane to recover from her own surprised reaction to give them something judgemental.
Jane smiled as Klaus continued to hold her hand. Her palm was sweating and she wanted to pull away.
"Maybe there is some light to be found at the end of this dark tunnel?" Jane said optimistically, referring to their recent relationship.
"We've kind of been keeping our relationship quiet, since it's a recent development," she admitted. "We just want to affirm that we have Grayson's best interests at heart."
"I'm not here to judge you," Jane shrugged. "It's obvious the two of you love Grayson very much and letting that guide you is what matters most. It's important for all three of you to be comfortable in this new situation. You can't be expected to sacrifice all of your goals and desires for Grayson. You just might just have to take a detour here and there to pursue them, but your happiness is important too. If you're happy, Grayson will be happier because of it."
Her breathing and heart rate steadied with Jane's reassuring words.
She was waiting for a judgemental reaction premised upon what was best for Grayson, but it never came.
"We are happy," she said tentatively, eyeing Klaus anxiously. "Well, as happy as we can be considering..."
Klaus nodded in agreement.
"It's okay to be happy," Jane told them. "You don't have to feel guilty..."
She knew Jane was right, but a tiny voice of guilt was always there.
"I only knew Elijah and Elena for a short time, but I think they would want the three of you to be happy," Jane added convincingly.
"I think you're right," Klaus confirmed.
Jane clasped her hands together.
"So, I guess the two of you will have some decisions to make soon about where you'll be in a few months," Jane pointed out.
They nodded, though neither of them really had any clue about where they would be.
"We don't really want to get ahead of ourselves," she said as she pulled her hand slowly away from Klaus's. "I mean...we won't know whether or not we have permanent custody until September. We don't want to make any big plans for them not to come to fruition on the basis of a court order."
"That's understandable," Jane accepted, "But you also don't want to let it hold you back either," she pointed out. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. From what I can tell, the two of you are becoming wonderful parents to Grayson. Any judge will see that."
"Are we?" Klaus asked self-consciously. "We were both thrown into this with little experience between the two of us...there's only so many online articles about parenting and childhood development you can read before they start contradicting one another and you end up more confused and unsure than before you started," he continued.
She looked at him curiously. They had never really voiced that concern directly to one another. She didn't even think Klaus had paid any mind to the countless articles she directed him to, or did any of his own reading. She found it comforting that they both had that mutual insecurity.
Jane laughed understandingly.
"All first time parents are thrown into this with very little experience," Jane pointed out. "I'm all too familiar with those contradictory articles," she sighed. "Most of them are written by arm-chair psychologists or 'professional moms' with very poor research methods to substantiate their claims. Try not to worry too much about what they say, or compare Grayson to other children his age," Jane warned. "All children develop uniquely. There is no definite answer."
"But what do you think?" she asked, needing a definite answer even if there wasn't one to be had as she eyed Grayson by Klaus's feet tugging on his pants for attention as Klaus told him 'No no' quietly.
"Grayson is growing and developing just fine," Jane told them. "I think he's well on his way to saying his first words soon with the way he babbles at me and the other staff. He's sitting by himself. He's crawling well. He loves to explore and drop and throw things, and he certainly has emotional connection to the two of you. He's eating and sleeping well. I would say he's a normal happy baby."
"Who can apparently stand up all by himself now!" Klaus exclaimed, prompting her and Jane to turn their attention from each other down to where Klaus was looking with amusement.
"Oh my god!" she gasped with an excited smile.
Holding onto Klaus's jeans for dear life – but standing on his own nonetheless – was Grayson looking at the three of them with a confused expression on his face.
"Well, if you wanted my attention Gray, that was certainly a good way to go about it," Klaus chuckled.
She scurried for her phone in her purse to snap a quick picture.
"Hold on, Grayson," she said as she pointed the phone towards him. "Look at you!" she said encouragingly as she took a few photos.
Before she could snap any more photos, his tiny hands let go of Klaus's pants and he fell back on his bottom.
The surprise of the fall and the subsequent impact prompted him to start crying.
"Klaus!" she scolded worriedly.
"I didn't know he was going to let go!" Klaus mused innocently in his defence as he scooped Grayson up from the floor. "You're alright little guy. It was just a little tumble," he said, bouncing Grayson on his leg to get him to forget about it. "Caroline is overreacting, isn't she?" he laughed as Grayson seemed to calm down.
She scoffed lightheartedly, relieved the fall didn't seem to faze Grayson too much.
"Those falls will be happening a lot more often now," Jane said happily. "They will probably make you more upset than Grayson. Try not to worry too much."
Klaus looked at her smugly.
"What did I say about overreacting?" he teased.
She rolled her eyes at him.
"Well, unless you have any more questions for me, I think you should go enjoy your weekend. You are both doing fine with Grayson and have absolutely nothing to worry about!" Jane said. "Right Grayson?" Jane asked, peering over her desk at him.
Grayson mumbled something that resembled agreement.
"Thank you so much for this...and for everything you have done for Grayson...letting him continue to come here even though Elijah and Elena no longer work at the hospital," she told Jane appreciatively as she stood up with Klaus and Grayson.
Klaus repeated her gratitude.
"You don't have to thank me," Jane insisted. "Knowing that Grayson is in good hands when he leaves here at the end of the day is good enough for me. Besides, this is my job," she explained as they got ready to leave. "Oh!" Jane said, stopping them from turning to leave. "I do need to thank Klaus for suggesting those baby safe paints. I got a deal on some online. It saves us from having to make our own!"
"You're welcome," Klaus smirked proudly.
"See you next week, Grayson," Jane said to him as they said their goodbyes.
Lifting Grayson's hand, she encouraged him to wave as they left Jane's office.
When they emerged from the daycare, the sun couldn't shine any brighter than the smile on her face, and as she glanced over at Klaus with Grayson in his arms, she noticed he was doing the same.
After stopping by the house to drop off her vehicle and pick up some necessities Klaus forgot to pack in his, it was very late in the afternoon by the time they started their drive up to the lake house.
It was sure to be a longer drive as they'd be encountering everyone else driving up that way with the same idea for their weekend plans. Luckily, they had eaten quickly before they left and she had packed bottles for Grayson during the drive.
"Are you sure we aren't moving up to the lake house, rather than vice versa?" Klaus questioned, nodding towards the back, which was nearly full of Grayson's things.
She shrugged, trying to hold back an embarrassed smile.
"I just want to make sure we have everything we need for Grayson while we're away," she reasoned. "Better safe than sorry."
"I bet we won't even use half of what we brought, love," he mused. "You're lucky we have Stefan and Meredith's SUV to pack what we need to bring back from the lake house."
She glared at him, warning him that he was beginning to push her buttons – though he seemed to get a thrill out of it. He said she was cute when she was angry.
"Stefan called me earlier...told me he and Meredith would be up tomorrow around noon," he informed her, flipping the vehicle's signal light to make a left turn.
"Good," she nodded. "That will allow us to get a head start on packing what we need to before they arrive. I don't want to spend their entire weekend helping us pack and sort through things. I want them to enjoy their time," she told him.
That wasn't the only reason, but it would suffice to hopefully satisfy Klaus.
"I don't really want them there when we go through some of the more personal items, either," Klaus admitted, seeing right through her excuse.
He looked over at her seriously, no hint of amusement in his expression, and she nodded in agreement.
She gazed out the window for a few more seconds at the very small town they were entering.
"How do you think the meeting went today?" she asked curiously.
"I wish she was our CPS caseworker," Klaus snorted. "We probably wouldn't even have to wait the six months."
She laughed.
"You're probably right," she concluded.
"How do you feel about it?" Klaus inquired.
She sighed and leaned back against the passenger seat.
"I feel relieved," she confessed. "It went better than I expected it would. Grayson seems to be doing great at daycare...and if a highly experienced woman in child development thinks that Grayson is growing and progressing as he should, then I'm satisfied we're doing something right," she decided.
"Who knows what," Klaus shrugged with a chuckle.
"Pretty soon he's going to start walking," she noted, amazed by how quickly time passed, smiling at the thought of Grayson standing on his own with the help of Klaus's pant leg.
"I don't know if we should be excited for that day to come or not," Klaus commented, a fearful look on his face. "Think about all the more mischief he'll get up to."
A quick flash of all the trouble Grayson might cause once he started to walk on his own entered her mind and suddenly she wasn't so excited for him to start walking anymore. Plus, it would mean he would start becoming more independent, and she didn't know if she was ready for that yet.
"For now, I think he's content to lie back in his car seat," Klaus observed, nodding back to Grayson in the backseat. "He's had a busy day."
The mirror attached to the backseat showed Grayson passed out in his rear facing car seat.
"Eyes on the road," she warned Klaus, who had his eyes on Grayson a little longer than she was suddenly comfortable with.
"Love, it's an open country road. It's okay," Klaus assured her, placing his eyes back on the road.
She relaxed and stared out the window some more.
"I know, it's just..."
"You were thinking about them, weren't you?" Klaus guessed.
She nodded as her eyes scanned the shoulder of the road anxiously.
"It happened somewhere along this road...their accident," she said with a hard swallow. "I can't even imagine how horrible it must have been for them...the pain," she continued shakily, covering her mouth with her hand as she became visibly emotional and upset. "They only wanted some time alone..."
Klaus grasped her hand that was clenching the jean capri pants she had changed into.
"Do you want me to pull over for a minute?" he offered. "I would have taken another way, but this is the easiest way to get there," he added.
She shook her head. She didn't want to stop on this road. It wouldn't give her any kind of catharsis to remain in the place where Grayson had lost his parents and she had lost two close friends. It would only enhance the ache and sadness she felt in her heart for them.
"Keep going," she murmured, wiping a tear from under her eye.
"Just close your eyes, sweetheart," Klaus suggested. "Think about the happier memories you have of this place. I'm sure that's what Elena would want you to think of."
Attempting to follow Klaus's advice, she leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Trying to overcome one painful memory with dozens of good ones was easier said than done. It was so hard to think about all the times she and Elena had spent travelling this road as a kid, playing car games and picking on Jeremy, without the nagging sense of pain and loss she felt.
She was thinking about the time Elena's father had threatened to make the three of them walk the rest of the way to the lake house after their bickering in the backseat with Jeremy, when Klaus's phone began to sound from his pocket.
They were on a winding part of the road, preventing Klaus from reaching for it to silence it.
"Eyes on the road," she reminded him, as Klaus made an effort to retrieve it.
"I just don't want Grayson to wake up," Klaus said as his ringtone continued.
Realizing Klaus had a point, she leaned over, reaching her hand across to his pocket closest to the driver's side door.
"Twice in one day," Klaus joked with his eyebrows raised, referring to her suggestive position, leaning into him, her hand over his lap reaching for his phone. "I could get used to this."
She rolled her eyes at his lewd joke as she grabbed his phone and looked at the display.
"Who is it?" he asked.
"It's Marcel. Should I let it go to voicemail?" she wondered.
"I haven't heard from him in a while. Would you answer it for me?" he requested.
She swiped her finger across the screen to answer the call on speaker.
"Hello?" she said.
"Uh...do I have the wrong number? Because I know Klaus's voice does not sound as gorgeous as yours, angel," Marcel, Klaus's friend and business partner said on the other end.
She was blushing instantly by his smooth talk and Klaus looked rather annoyed.
"I'm driving, mate. What do you want?" Klaus asked.
"Was that Caroline? That was Caroline, wasn't it?" Marcel pushed enthusiastically.
"That was Caroline," Klaus confirmed begrudgingly.
She couldn't help but smirk at Klaus's seemingly embarrassed expression. By the tone of Marcel's voice, Klaus and Marcel had discussed her before.
"Now I know why you haven't called me in nearly a week," Marcel mused. "Too distracted..."
"Marcel," Klaus said warningly.
"Whoa, chill out. Kol's in town. He stopped by the studio the other day. We went out for a few drinks. He filled me in on what you've been up to in Mystic Falls recently – or should I say whom?" Marcel mused. "I have to admit, I'm a little offended that I didn't hear the news from you first hand, but congrats on finally getting the balls to make a move," Marcel continued.
Klaus's eyes widened.
"You're on speaker phone, Marcel!" Klaus scowled.
"I know. I could tell," Marcel said indifferently. "I guess I can forgive you for being absent lately. I can't blame you...with a cute voice like that...I can only assume she's gorgeous too."
Her cheeks turned a darker shade of red as Marcel continued to pile on the charm.
"My boy Klaus better be treating you right, Caroline," Marcel told her.
"He is," she affirmed.
"So when is he going to bring you and Grayson to New York to meet me?" Marcel inquired. "Kol tells me you and his girl are friends from Mystic Falls?"
"We are," she told him. "As for when we're going to make a trip to New York, we haven't really discussed it. It might not be for a while..."
"Well, it could happen sooner than you think if Klaus likes the news I have for him..."
A/N: Oh! So Marcel and Caroline have sort of finally 'crossed paths' I wonder what news Marcel has...what do you think?
Coming up: expect the next chapter to have all your favourite things...er well, my favourite things that I hope you enjoy reading about: family moments, Elijah and Elena memories, Grayson moments, Klaroline moments...possibly some more smut...and Meredith and Stefan... all at the lake house!
Review me maybe? I miss you all!