A/N: Hi again! I'm sorry for the delay. It's been a busy summer. This chapter is un-beta'd because I wanted to post the update asap, so I hope it reads okay. :) Enjoy!
Her face flushed red with embarrassment as she pulled up the straps of her shirt and bra and attempted to conceal the fact her shorts were undone by yanking her shirt down.
This was not how she pictured meeting one of Klaus's good friends. What a great first impression, she imagined.
"I thought this was an art studio…not a porn studio," Marcel said with amusement in the tone of his voice.
"Marcel," Klaus acknowledged with a hesitant half smile, clearly also somewhat embarrassed by
Marcel's interruption. "I didn't think you would be back," he explained.
"Clearly," Marcel chucked, his sparking eyes and beaming grin looking her over with curiosity as he stepped closer.
She didn't even want to know what her hair and makeup looked like, she thought to herself self-consciously.
"I'm guessing you're Caroline?" Marcel smirked, extending his hand to greet her.
She wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
Nodding, she extended her hand to shake his.
"That's me," she said shyly.
"This is Caroline," Klaus confirmed, somewhat apprehensively, seemingly anxious for Marcel's reaction. She was anxious too. She wanted Klaus's family and friends to like her. "Caroline, this is Marcel," Klaus introduced.
Marcel took her hand, giving her a flirtatious wink with his unfaltering smile.
She blushed and smiled back faintly, unsure of his gesture.
"Well, well," Marcel chimed. "You are even prettier in person, Caroline."
Again, she blushed.
"Thank you," she said modestly.
"Guess I can't blame you for getting busy in the studio, Mikaelson," Marcel teased, impliedly giving his seal of approval.
"We're very sorry, we didn't mean for you to walk in," Caroline apologized.
Marcel laughed and shook his head.
"No need to apologize. It's not like I haven't done it before," he chuckled.
Klaus's eyes narrowed at Marcel.
Marcel held his hands up in his defence.
"I'd say we're even Mikaelson," Marcel pointed out.
A look of guilt crossed her face once more and Marcel appeared to notice.
"Don't feel bad Caroline, I know Klaus is a bad influence," Marcel assured her.
Klaus rolled his eyes.
"Or maybe it's the other way around?" Marcel wondered as he winked at her playfully.
She shrugged, playing along with Marcel's suggestion to keep him guessing.
"Nah…I think you've been a pretty good influence on my man here," Marcel affirmed, patting Klaus on the back. "He needs a good woman to keep him in line."
"Speak for yourself," Klaus retorted, playing into Marcel's friendly banter.
Marcel shrugged off Klaus's comment and turned his attention back to her.
"I'm glad you made it out the Big Apple for the gala tomorrow," Marcel said to her. "I think Klaus is pretty happy about it too," he added in an attempt to embarrass Klaus some more.
She smiled, curious to know what Marcel and Klaus talked about when she wasn't around.
"I didn't want to miss it. It was a good excuse to come back for a visit," she explained, feeling a bit more relaxed with Marcel given his effort to make casual conversation with her despite what he had walked in on.
"That's right. Klaus said you went to school here," Marcel recalled.
"My friend Bonnie lives here too," she said, her mind drifting to Bonnie, Rebekah and Grayson, wondering what they were up to and if Grayson was okay.
"It's a great city," Marcel concluded. "Not sure how Klaus has survived living in small town Virginia," he laughed, glancing at Klaus.
"You forget that I lived there for a time when I was younger," Klaus reminded Marcel.
"Yeah I guess, but that was only because of your old man," Marcel conceded. "Then again, if half the girls in Mystic Falls are as pretty as you, Caroline, then I guess I could survive living there too," he grinned.
She found her cheeks reddening once more and she shook her head.
"There are also millions of women in this City Marcel, I don't see why you need to flirt with Caroline," Klaus scowled.
Marcel shrugged in defence.
"Hey, now, I'm not flirting…just being friendly. I know she's your girl," Marcel said with a playful grin. "In the spirit of being friendly, why don't I take you guys out for food and drinks tonight?" he proposed. "I'd like to get to know the woman who somehow managed to find and capture Mikaelson's heart," he explained.
Marcel's comment made her smile and her stomach flutter with a sense of happiness.
Glancing over at Klaus, she noticed he seemed a little embarrassed by Marcel's assertion. He never was one to wear his heart or his emotions on his sleeve. It had even taken her a while to break through the barriers he had built up, so she understood his hesitation.
"Come on Mikaelson. You need to stop overthinking tomorrow night and relax. Your work speaks for itself," Marcel urged Klaus, sensing his reluctance.
She wanted to inform Marcel of their plans, but she thought she would wait for Klaus to explain.
"Actually," Klaus started, "Caroline and I have other plans tonight."
Marcel seemed puzzled for a brief moment before a look of realization and his infamous smile emerged on his face.
"Oh, that's right," Marcel acknowledged. "I remember you mentioning last night you had something romantic planned," he said to Klaus with his lingering grin.
She gave Klaus an intrigued look, wondering what he might have planned.
Klaus's face reddened at Marcel's reference to romance as he nodded reluctantly.
"Say no more," Marcel mused. "I'll let you two love birds get to it then," he said with another wink.
She noticed Klaus roll his eyes at Marcel's obvious attempts to bother him.
"I'll meet you here bright and early tomorrow morning so we can run everything over to the museum," Marcel reminded Klaus.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow," Klaus replied in agreement.
"It was nice to meet you, Caroline," Marcel smiled. "Take care of my boy, help him relax a little tonight, if you know what I mean," he chuckled as he moved towards the backroom door. "I'll see you two tomorrow."
It was impossible not to blush at Marcel's comments.
"It was nice to meet you too," she said politely, amused by her first unexpected encounter with Klaus's friend and business partner.
"How is Grayson?" Klaus asked, peering over her shoulder as she texted both Bonnie and Rebekah for an update – though it had only been an hour or so since they had parted ways.
"He slept all the way back to Bonnie's apartment," she explained, raising the phone closer to her so Klaus could catch a glimpse of a picture of Grayson still passed out in his stroller.
"Busy day," Klaus remarked.
"I'll have to give them a call to check in once we get back to your apartment," she said, still feeling anxious about being separated from Grayson.
Given that Klaus had spent the entire day working in the studio, and she had spent much of the day outside in the sun heading from store to store, they decided to return to Klaus's apartment first to shower and change.
Having forgotten about the afternoon rush, they found themselves standing in a crowded subway car.
She didn't mind. It brought back memories from her time in the City when she attended school here, and she tried to focus on that rather than worrying about Grayson.
She remembered how intimidated she was at first by the transit system, and how worried her mom had been about her. It took her missing her stops on a few occasions for her to get the swing of things.
As she thought about her transportation mishaps, she smiled to herself, realizing how naïve and sheltered she had been back then. New York had definitely changed her. She grew here.
She lost herself in those memories as she clutched the metal pole in front of her for support. Given the cramped nature of the subway car, Klaus found himself behind her and so it was difficult to talk to him without being face to face.
They didn't need to talk to each other to communicate, she soon discovered as she noted the way his arm tightened around her waist protectively as the train would come to a stop and people would pile off and on the car. When they resumed motion, his grip would loosen and she'd feel his fingertips drawing patterns on her hip.
The movement of his fingers lulled her away from her consciousness and she found herself relaxing against his chest, her head propped up by his shoulder.
She could feel his hot breath on her neck and it sent a pool of heat downwards to her core.
Her thoughts drifted back to earlier when the two of them were alone together in Klaus's studio.
The things they could do if they weren't in a subway car, she thought to herself as she felt his torso press firmly against her back.
She griped the pole tighter at the feeling of his lips sweep against her neck discreetly.
"When is our stop?" she murmured curiously, almost desperately, hoping Klaus heard her.
"Almost there," he replied, his voice stifled by the noise of other riders and the subway car's commotion.
Still, her bones tingled at the suggestive tone of his voice.
She was aching for the moment they arrived back to Klaus's apartment. She needed to feel his touch and have Klaus finish what he had started earlier with her. She didn't think she could wait for after their night out to have him how she wanted.
It felt like the train was moving in slow motion, and she cursed how long it seemed to take for riders to step off and on at the next couple stops.
"Next stop," Klaus told her.
She nodded in relief, eager for the ride to end, to be alone with Klaus. Her impatience was making her feel claustrophobic.
When the train arrived at the next stop, she led the way, pushing through the other people on the subway car with her purse and shopping bags acting as a shield, as Klaus clasped her hand lightly, following close behind.
As they ascended the stairway to the street above, she was hit by a thick blanket of humid heat.
She let Klaus take the lead as they crossed at the nearby intersection. While the surroundings seemed vaguely familiar to her from earlier in the day when she had been this way with Bonnie and Rebekah, she wasn't quite sure how to make it back to Klaus's apartment. The last thing they needed was her getting them lost by her attempt at a detour. Luckily, she knew they weren't far.
To her surprise, she realized Klaus was still clasping her hand as he guided them along the sidewalk of people. His pace was brisk and she wasn't sure if it was because he was eager to return to his apartment with her, or because this was New York where everyone moved quickly. She grinned to herself, preferring to think it was the former.
Once they arrived at Klaus's building, they took the stairs up to his apartment, preferring not to wait for the elevator.
She waited impatiently as Klaus fumbled with the keys to his apartment before unlocking the door. She was barely over the threshold when he grabbed her desirously, pushing her up against the wall as he closed the door beside them.
He stole a hungry kiss from her lips.
She dropped her things to the floor. Her body was tense with anticipation.
They kissed in a frenzied fashion, their tongues parting each other's lips as they intensified their embrace.
It was like they hadn't seen each other in months.
She needed him though, it had been what felt like forever. She was already throbbing.
His hands roamed over her frame, focusing on her curves as his mouth traced over her collarbone.
Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer. She didn't want to let him escape.
She weaved her hands through his hair, tugging it gently as his teeth grazed the skin on her neck.
"We should clean up," she breathed, realizing that neither of them had the opportunity to as they had planned for.
Klaus shook his head as he kissed his way up her neck before kissing her deeply.
"No," he said lowly in between another passionate kiss.
She moaned against his lips with excitement, feeling his leg pressed between her legs.
"I need you now," he rasped, while his hands wandered over her breasts and onto her hips before pulling her tank top over her head.
Klaus tossed her shirt to the ground, quickly immersing himself in her cleavage exposed by her bra.
She shivered as he licked and sucked.
He pulled the straps of her bra down before expertly unclasping it from the back, impatiently.
Despite the excitement and pleasure that was rushing through her, she couldn't help but think about whatever Klaus had planned for the night.
"We should probably get ready," she sighed as he kissed his way along her collarbone while his hands palmed her breasts softly. "Our plans…" she trailed off, her eyes closing as his fingertips teased her nipples.
"Sweetheart, fuck the plans," he murmured, his lips grazing her ear lobe. "There's been a change of plans," he smirked.
Her core throbbed with delight at his suggestive tone.
He picked her up as he had at the studio and she wrapped her legs tightly around his torso.
She giggled and gripped his neck tighter as he stumbled over one of Grayson's toys on the floor as he guided them towards his bedroom.
"Klaus!" she shrieked instinctively, scared that he would drop her.
"I've got you love," he chucked. "Oops, maybe not," he teased as he dropped her back onto the bed.
She rolled her eyes, scoffing at him playfully.
He pulled off his shirt and she helped him by sitting up to undo his jeans.
"Eager are we?" Klaus mused, stepping out of his pants and boxers.
Rather than reply to answer his question, she reached up to pull him down towards her.
"Come here," she whispered, revelling in the feel of his naked body against her hands.
He climbed onto the bed over top of her, his eyes locked with hers, his breath heavy with lust.
It wasn't long before he was tugging at her shorts, taking her underwear with them as he lifted her hips and slid the material over her knees and down her calves.
Once her bottoms were off, they were quickly forgotten on the floor somewhere.
He climbed back over top of her, leaning in to press his lips against her hip bones.
She whimpered, somewhat annoyed when his mouth moved towards her stomach as opposed to between her thighs.
Her head was spinning with wanton desire and she needed him.
"Mmm, Klaus," she murmured pleadingly, her hands kneading the curls of his hair as he worked his way over her tender breasts.
She dug her fingernails into his shoulder blades in an effort to bring him closer. She succeeded, consuming him in another kiss.
While their tongues played and teased eagerly, she took the opportunity to change their positions, pinning Klaus to the bed and climbing astride him.
"This is more like it," Klaus sighed with approval, a sexy grin appearing on his lips, his warm hands resting on her hips.
She rolled her eyes playfully as his hands clutched her ass.
"I think you're an ass man," she teased.
He shrugged.
"Just your ass," he mused.
"Good answer," she stated seriously, before breaking into smile.
She lowered herself closer to him. Her breasts grazed his chest while their lips touched.
Her thighs quivered at the feeling of his cock pressed to her centre and she couldn't help but whimper with delight as she rolled her hips harder against him.
She needed more.
They kissed more fervently, their bodies desperate for one another.
"Sweetheart," Klaus rasped pleadingly in between their passionate exchanges, grabbing her hips to slow her seductive gyrations against him.
She craved the friction and continued to grind against him, practically on the verge of release from the simple movements alone.
"Let me feel you," Klaus urged as they continued to kiss eagerly, like a pair of hormone consumed teenagers. "I need to be inside of you."
She nodded, but hesitated when she realized they were missing something.
"The nightstand drawer," Klaus told her, having understood the cause of her sudden reluctance.
She leaned over and reached into the drawer to find what she was looking for.
While she was much too consumed by lust to give much thought to the fact that Klaus had several condoms tucked away in his nightstand, it was a reality that caused a small unexplained knot of emotion to twist in her stomach briefly before it dissipated as she tore the package open.
As she rolled the condom over his firm erection, she made a mental note to really get on making an appointment with her doctor for birth control.
She scolded herself for letting her mind wander and leaned forward to kiss Klaus once more, bringing her back into the moment.
Lifting her hips, she guided him inside of her slowly, her body consuming him readily. The ache inside of her was quenched as he filled her.
Placing her hands on his chest to steady herself, she began to roll her hips.
The pleasure and satisfaction were instant.
"Don't stop love," Klaus begged breathily, clearly trying to hold back from allowing the physical sensations to overwhelm him completely.
She sped up her pace, needing it harder and faster. Her head fell back in pure ecstasy, unable to concentrate on anything besides the feeling of him sliding in and out of her as she lifted her hips up and down.
Klaus's hands moved from her hips to her breasts.
As his palms brushed over her nipples it sent pleasurable shocks down to her core.
Klaus propped himself up on his elbows to meet her lips with his as she leaned forwards.
She continued to ride him, chasing after the peak she knew was just upon the horizon. Klaus's hips were pumping upwards to meet her movements.
The pleasure was intoxicating and before long she let out a cry of relief as she tipped over the edge and came completely undone.
"Oh my god, yes!" she gasped, panting for air.
Klaus fell back against the mattress, his hands giving up their support upon his own impending release.
She collapsed on top of him, still continuing to move her hips, drawing out his climax.
When he couldn't take it anymore, his hands griped her sides to hold her in place, and he stifled his own moans of bliss by burying his face into the crock of her neck.
They laid like that for some time as they both struggled to catch their breath.
She could hear Klaus's heart beating rapidly with her ear against his chest.
"Wow," she sighed, feeling completely satisfied.
That feeling was like no other, she thought.
Lifting her head, she was pleased to find that Klaus appeared to be as completely satiated as she felt.
"You're amazing," he said, still breathless.
His hands guided her neck, bringing her lips closer to his. They kissed some more, this time lazily and not as frantically as they had during their love making.
"I know!" she replied with a smirk, feeling cheeky.
Klaus grinned, feigning amusement with her small joke as his fingerprints drew circles on her back.
Laughing teasingly, she climbed off of Klaus, her legs somewhat stiff from being in the same position and from the physical exertion. This was the only time she could even come close to enjoying an exercise that remotely resembled a squat. Her thighs would be killing her later on, she mused as she fell back on the bed beside him. The gym hadn't exactly been her top priority since Grayson.
As she came down from her high, all of her senses began to refocus.
Their bodies were sweaty and the room smelt of their lust, all evidence of their late afternoon tryst.
It was then that her stomach broke the silence between them with a painful growl.
"What was that?" Klaus questioned as he erupted into laughter.
Her face grew hot with embarrassment, but she couldn't help but laugh along with him.
"It's a demand that wherever you're taking me tonight better involve food," she chuckled.
A/N: Thoughts? :) Next up: Klaus and Caroline go on their date, but will everything go according to plan? Stay tuned!