Author's note: Thank you so much for all of the great reviews and kudos you've sent my way with my latest drabbles! It's such a wonderful boost of confidence to hear that you're enjoying my work.

Also, big news! My original work has been published on Amazon. It's called Twice Burned. I've included the synopsis at the end of this chapter.


Klarosummer Bingo Prompt: Campfire

This one gets a bit smutty. :)


It was when Caroline saved Klaus from drowning that he finally stopped being an asshat. They'd been working together for almost two weeks and he'd barely acknowledged her with more than the occasional grunt or irritated sigh whenever they needed to compare underwater scans and other seismic data as they searched for the Loch Ness Monster.

She'd noticed his tense frame every time they went out on the boat, but it never occurred to her that it was because he couldn't swim. However, the moment he fell overboard with a terrified yelp, she immediately dove in after him, deftly navigating the murky water to grab his flailing body and hoist him back onto the boat's small deck.

"Thank you," he'd gasped, coughing up water and shivering.

Caroline rolled him to his side, making sure the water didn't settle in his lungs. "Probably not the best time of year to go for a swim in the Scottish Highlands," she joked, noting the thick fog that had settled on the surface.

"You're quite the swimmer, sweetheart."

With an enigmatic smile, she replied, "I grew up in the water."

She'd made a campfire when they returned to shore, wanting to make sure that Klaus stayed warm. They sat together with a large blanket wrapped around them, enjoying a comfortable silence that hadn't been there before.

"I apologize about before. The way I behaved — it was unprofessional." He sighed, staring into the bright orange and red flames, "Experience has taught me to be wary of anyone who shows an interest in my research. As you know, cryptozoology is looked upon with derision in most scientific circles, and when you suddenly appeared with your impressive credentials, I unfortunately assumed you were here on a lark to mock my life's work."

She shook her head, quickly telling him, "Klaus, I'm here because I want to be. I was fascinated by the work you've published and wanted to know more."

He looked at her in awe, a childlike wonder in his voice that she found endearing. "I've just never met anyone who was as drawn to the myth of Nessie as I am. The legends, dating all the way back to the Picts' stone carvings — it's intriguing how similar the sightings have been throughout the centuries."

"I've always been partial to the St. Columba accounts from 565 AD where the creature was depicted with a bit of humanity. It must be a lonely existence," she said quietly.

He appeared thoughtful, threading his fingers through hers unexpectedly. "All the years I've been searching for Nessie, I've never considered that. You have a tender heart."

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "No one's ever said that about me." She leaned in, close enough to see the tiny curls at his temple, and felt the heat of the fire as it warmed his skin. She'd always known he was attractive, but hadn't succumbed to his allure until now. She had a sudden urge to taste him. Judging from the darkening of his eyes, it appeared Klaus wouldn't mind.

She'd meant to barely brush her lips to his, waiting to gauge his reaction, but instead he surged forward, eagerly exploring her mouth with his tongue that both surprised and delighted her. She pushed the blanket from their shoulders, following his body to the ground as she helped him remove his soft Henley. She gasped at the feel of his hands pulling off her jeans, his impatience to touch her skin making her shiver.

"I enjoy your form," she purred, tracing the hard planes of his chest and abdominals. As she bent to take an experimental lick, he groaned, tightening his hold on her thighs.

"Likewise, love."

She rocked against him, tracing the outline of his bulge against her damp core. Curious to understand the growing heat she felt between them, she quickly unzipped his pants, fumbling a bit before she managed to free his cock. That first press of him left her breathless, an unearthly whine at the back of her throat as she caught onto the sensual rhythm he seemed to like best.

Klaus bucked his hips with a strength that she found immensely appealing. She allowed a bit of her true strength to push through, gauging his reaction. Surprisingly, it seemed to spur him on, his strokes becoming wild as he moaned his approval.

A brilliant reptilian yellow bled into Caroline's eyes as she admired her lover.

She'd chosen well.


Klarosummer Bingo prompt: The Hamptons

The ring was lovely — a simple band of delicate pink and cream, and as Klaus slipped it on Caroline's finger, she realized that he'd carved it from the conch shell they'd found that first night they walked on the beach. Damn him.

The blue button-down he wore brought out his eyes, and he'd rolled up the sleeves to reveal those impressive forearms. The first time she saw him, she thought he looked like he'd been sculpted from marble — and was just as cold. She had no idea that underneath that cocky exterior was such a tender, passionate heart. She looked at the world differently because of him.

"Sweetheart, you and your sunshine heart took me by surprise; I never expected to feel this way. You showed me that I deserve something special," he told her, his voice faltering a bit as he added, "something real."

She felt her lip tremble. Damn it — you can do this. Just keep it together. "Klaus, I..." she trailed off, her throat tight with unshed tears. She knew that what she told him would be her truth, but it also would be a lie. Instead, she surged forward, putting everything into the kiss that she was too afraid to say.

She didn't start crying until she went back to the beach house she shared with Katherine and Bonnie.


Three months ago

"Christ, it's hot as balls out here," Katherine muttered under her breath as she casually dabbed at the sweat along her temple.

Caroline took a small sip of her Limoncello Collins, keeping her pleasant smile plastered on her face as she inwardly scoffed at the fact that the liquor in her cocktail cost more than her rent when she first got out on her own. But that was a long time ago. As she quietly took in the gorgeous gleam of diamonds, pearls and platinum adorning the elite residents of the Hamptons, she couldn't help but smile at how easy this would be. "Do you see them yet," she whispered to Bonnie, who leaned against the yacht's railing, her sharp green eyes carefully studying the crowd on the lower deck.

Before Bonnie could reply, Caroline caught sight of their targets. Achingly beautiful, enigmatic, and fabulously wealthy — the Mikaelson brothers had caused quite the stir when they arrived in the Hamptons. Klaus, Elijah and Kol were the first marks she and her friends had targeted that actually lived up to their hype. From their careful research, they knew the brothers came from old money, their family rumored to have established powerful connections in numerous political circles — both stateside and globally.

They were the culmination of everything Caroline and her friends had worked for — conning even a fraction of the Mikaelsons' wealth would set them up for life — it was the final score they needed to secure their financial future. When she saw that dimpled smirk Klaus flashed at one of the servers, she did her best to ignore the strange fluttering sensation she experienced. "Dibs on Klaus," she quickly muttered to Katherine and Bonnie, not caring that they both favored her with amused grins.

Katherine shrugged, eyeing the impeccably tailored Isaia that Elijah was wearing, and shrugged with a naughty lilt to her voice as she said, "Who knows? Underneath that gorgeous suit might be a good time waiting to happen."

"Fine. I guess all that babysitting I did will come in handy with that one," Bonnie grumbled as she nodded toward Kol, who had plucked two bottles of the Bollinger special reserve from the sterling buckets and was racing up a narrow ladder to the observation deck above.

Targets acquired, the women scattered to start what they hoped to be the last con of their lives.


Caroline let out a wet sob, jarring her from her memories. She opened the door to the beach house, barely resisting the urge to throw her heels. Stupid, uncomfortable heels that she had to carefully measure each step she took to keep from wobbling because she hated wearing heels. She glanced down at her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles of the perfectly fitted floral sheath dress. She hated florals. And dresses.

The man she'd accidentally fallen in love with didn't even know that she preferred jeans with ragged holes in both knees and faded rock t-shirts. And she was sick of champagne that cost more than her first car. The rare vintages tasted like ashes now. She missed good old cheap beer — it had been ages since she'd had a Corona.

"Well, you look like shit," Katherine drawled, surprising her when she flicked on a small lamp in the foyer.

Caroline wasn't surprised by her friend's tone — she'd grown increasingly bitchy as the summer months had passed. At first, Caroline and Bonnie assumed it was because she hated to feel tied down to one place and wanderlust had set in, but the more they discussed each other's strategies with the brothers, the angrier she'd become. Wild, unpredictable Katherine miraculously had grown protective of the stuffy older brother. Caroline would laugh if it wasn't so depressing. A grifter falling for her mark had tragedy written all over it.

"And you're still the same manipulative bitch who doesn't think anyone will ever love her."

The brunette raised an eyebrow, replying dryly, "My, my, I haven't seen you this rattled since the Donovan job. That sweet little cattle baron had you tied up in knots with guilt. Don't tell me we're dealing with that shit again."

"That's not what this is," Caroline replied with a low growl. She realized she'd been unconsciously toying with the ring Klaus had made for her, running her finger along the polished edge over and over. She recalled the warmth she heard in his voice, his expressive eyes that showed too many emotions for her to register.

She angrily swiped at a stray tear as she said, "Don't act like you don't know what this is, Kat. Bonnie fumbled the Anchor con she tried to run on Kol the other night. We've watched her do it a hundred times without fail but she couldn't even get through the first step. And you're a complete bitch anytime we start pushing you to work your connection with Elijah."

Katherine froze, her beautiful features suddenly an ugly mask of fear and insecurity. "Goddamn it! We caught feelings."

The women shared an awkward, commiserating look, unsure of where to go from there.


Caroline was restless, finally tired of tossing and turning in her bed. She impulsively took a walk on the beach, heading away from the rows of gaudy mansions and toward the small fishing pier. Taking advantage of the low tide, she ducked underneath the worn planks, leaning against one of the mossy posts as she watched the waves lap at the shore.

"This is bollocks, Nik!"

She startled, realizing that was Kol's voice she heard carry over the water. She peered into the dark, squinting at the familiar outline of Klaus and his younger brother.

"Don't tell me this is just another job for you," Klaus replied angrily, "You got too close to Bonnie and Elijah's all but forgotten the rest of the world exists thanks to Katherine."

Kol scoffed, "And Caroline? I saw that ring — don't think I'm not aware of what that means to you."

Caroline's heart thudded in her chest as she waited for Klaus' reply. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

After all, a grifter falling for her mark had tragedy written all over it.


As I mentioned earlier, my original work has been published on Amazon. It's called Twice Burned. Here's the synopsis:

"I've been burned as a witch before. It didn't stick, obviously." As one of the most respected and powerful voodoo priestesses in New Orleans, Susannah had weathered a long, stormy existence over her two centuries, and wasn't about to let something as inconsequential as being burned at the stake get her down. Besides, she was far too busy being an elementary school teacher, ignoring the advances of an overconfident werewolf, and harnessing the forces of voodoo loa to protect the innocent — just the typical hassles of everyday life in the volatile, supernatural hotspot of New Orleans.

And then there's Nashóba, the alpha pack leader of the Choctaw wolf clan — also known as the overconfident werewolf who has no problem mixing business with a little pleasure. He initially approaches Susannah to form an alliance against a mysterious dark force. While trying to protect his sister who is next in line to be medicine woman and fighting creatures of Choctaw folklore, he still finds the time to try to seduce the argumentative, passionate voodoo priestess who's caught his eye.

Together, they'll unravel the mystery behind the dark force, in between exploring an intriguing blues club underneath the Mississippi, a hidden werewolf village and torturing enemies conveniently locked away in invisible rooms. Nash may have initially offered Susannah a taste of real power, but he'll soon learn that it pales in comparison to the power of her loyalty and above all, her heart.