Disclaimer: If I owned Vampire Diaries it would be X-rated and everything that happens in my fics would happen on the show ;)
Chapter 8: Riding With Damon
Horseback riding!
Elena still can't believe it. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, considering the only pastimes she's ever seen Damon indulge in have been drinking, womanizing, and making cutting or suggestive remarks; so when he drove them out here seemingly in the middle of nowhere she'd been a little surprised, not to mention a little apprehensive.
Damon was no doubt and expert rider. After all, he'd been born in a time when horses and carriages were the most common mode of transportation. Elena, on the other hand, hadn't ridden since she'd been a child, though she doubted the pony at the local carnival even counted.
What if she made a complete fool of herself in front of him?
She watches a safe distance, from the entrance to the stables, as Damon talks with the owner of the ranch. The older man nods his head, gesturing for Damon to take his pick of the large animals in their pens.
One in particular catches her eye; a great black stallion, larger than the rest of the horses, and bearing a striking resemblance to the horse in "Black Beauty", a movie she'd watched as a little girl.
Unlike with Black Beauty, however, Elena isn't exactly dying to ride this one.
He looks a little too big for her; especially since she isn't even sure she can handle a horse at all.
The small white mare in the far end corner looks gentler; she might be able to manage this if she rides her.
Not surprisingly, however, Damon chooses the black one immediately; his face lighting up with excitement upon spotting it.
"I'll take this one!" He announces, turning to look back at the timid girl still standing in the doorway.
He'd never figured Elena for the type to be nervous around horses. He finds it adorable.
He nods his head, gesturing for her to stand next to him.
"They won't bite," he coaxes her. Smirking devilishly he adds, "That's my job!"
As the groom prepares their horse, Elena looks up at Damon, worry in her eyes.
"Damon, I love that you put so much effort into our date, but I've never even ridden a horse before."
She glances over at the stallion thrashing slightly in impatience as he's being harnessed.
"This one looks a little…wild for me."
"What can I say, I like my horses like I like my women," he winks.
At the look of apprehension on her face he smiles reassuringly and takes her hand in his, lifting it briefly up to his lips in an effort to distract her.
"Relax," he says. "This one only looks mean; nothing I can't handle. Trust me?"
She finds it impossible not to when he looks at her like that.
His perfect blue eyes shine with such tenderness, such warmth. He laces their fingers together; stroking the patch of skin between her thumb and fore-finger, rubbing in soothing circles with his thumb.
She shivers in response, suddenly wishing they weren't under the watchful eyes of the grooms and stable owner at the moment. Clearly their hours of passionate sex this morning and earlier this afternoon have done nothing to satiate her desire for him.
It's almost like he's her drug now; a very addicting, delicious drug.
The tense feeling leaves her as he continues to stroke her softly, reassuring that he will keep her safe.
She takes a deep, calming breath. She can do this.
The horse is led out, and Damon watches its eyes with intensity, his expressions calm.
Elena can feel herself tense up again as the animal draws closer, but Damon squeezes her hand gently, his thumb working to soothe her.
"You have to relax, Elena," he tells her softly. "Horses are more in tune with human emotions than you might think."
As if to prove his point, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out an apple, holding it out in his open palm.
She watches in amazement as the horse comes up to take the offered treat right from Damon's hand. Damon moves to stroke its black mane.
"Good boy," he croons. Turning his eyes back to Elena, he grins. "See? He's not so scary once you get to know him."
Elena can't help but smile and shake her head in amazement. Not only could he charm the women of Mystic Falls, but his talents also apparently extended to the animal kingdom.
She giggles slightly, suddenly picturing Damon cuddling up with a bunch of furry black kittens.
It wasn't such a stretch since he does love pussy.
"What's so funny?" he asks her.
She shakes her head and replies, "Nothing," a little too innocently.
She knows he wouldn't think the soft image of him as amusing as she does, especially after her earlier confession in bed when she'd told him that he was cute, like a big fluffy puppy dog trying to look mean and threatening.
Damon eyes her warily, but doesn't push for her to tell him.
She's gotten into this habit of teasing him lately and he's sure she's picturing something as equally threatening to his tough guy image as the "cute puppy" comment earlier.
Yes, he happens to have a soft side, but that doesn't mean he wants it advertised to the rest of the world.
He has an image to keep up, after all.
Still holding her hand, he guides her closer to the step set in place for her to climb up onto the horse.
She still looks a little hesitant, so he gives her his most winning smile and helps her step up onto the small platform. She bites her lip, still unsure of just how she's expected to climb up onto the horse without startling it and having him throw her off.
She doesn't have to worry because suddenly she feels Damon's hands at her waist as he effortlessly lifts her onto its back, quickly leaping up to sit behind her.
Taking the reins he glances back down at the obviously compelled owner.
"We'll take it from here, thanks," and with that they're leaving the stables behind.
Damon guides the horse at a gentle pace, but Elena is still a bit shaky. She doesn't exactly know what she's supposed to hold onto.
"Lean back into me," he instructs her.
She does as he asks, shifting her hips back a bit, nestling herself comfortably between his legs.
Her pulse starts to race when his thighs press into hers, his arms brushing her sides as he grips the reins tighter. Elena finds that it's easier to keep her balance in this position, not to mention it feels incredibly intimate.
She has to wonder at his romantic courtship of her.
Thus far, he has taken her to what could only be considered a resort hotel with a 19th century theme, and now they're on horseback together! It's almost as if he's giving her a taste of what dating him would have been like had she been alive in 1864.
As he leads them down one of the trails into the canopied forest of trees, he sighs happily.
"I've really missed this," he says. "I haven't had the chance to ride with a lady since I was human. I forgot how nice it can be."
"You used to ride often?" she asks, surprised.
"Oh yeah." Damon smiles in remembrance.
"Before the war we had a huge stable full of horses, all pure-bred too. Mine was the best, Nightmare, I called him. He was dark, sort of like this one," he explains, gesturing to their mount.
"He must have been beautiful," Elena says, curious to hear more about Damon's life.
"He was," Damon grins. "Fast, too! I could out-race anyone, and of course I did; used to trick the younger boys into placing bets, promising them ridiculous amounts of money if they could beat me."
He frowns. "It nearly killed me the day my father made me sell him; he said it was to help the "cause" but I still think he only did it because he didn't want anything distracting me from my contributing to the war, or he assumed I'd do something stupid like take off on Nightmare and become a deserter."
He smirks at that. "Can't say I wasn't tempted," he admits.
Elena turns her head, arching her back slightly so he's still able to see over her shoulder.
"You know, I'd never really pictured you on a horse," she says.
Damon laughs, amused. "Are you kidding? Back when I was your age horses were like our cars."
Elena giggles. "I sometimes forget that you're ancient," she teases.
"Who are you calling ancient?" he says with mock-indignation. "I'll have you know I don't look a day over twenty five!"
She laughs at that. "The years have treated you very well then," she winks.
Damon growls playfully. "You're just lucky we're on this horse, young lady, otherwise you'd be in big trouble."
"Promise?" she purrs back at him.
Damon feels the tightening in his loins and groans low in his throat as Elena wiggles her hips against him cheekily. She knows exactly what that sexy voice of hers does to him and she's teasing him on purpose, the vixen.
"Keep that up and I won't be responsible for my actions," he warns.
Elena wiggles against him again. Her hand reaches behind to slide brazenly up his thigh to cup the growing bulge in his jeans.
"If you didn't want me to tease you, then you shouldn't have gone commando," she purrs again, licking her lips.
It's becoming difficult for Damon to concentrate as her fingertip trace over his hardening length. He knows that if they don't find a place to stop soon he will likely lose all control and take her against any one of the many trees surrounding them.
He scans their surroundings, using his heightened senses to locate the perfect spot for them to rest.
It isn't far, thankfully, and by the sounds around him it's also quite secluded. They would have complete privacy.
He turns them off the path, using his own senses to guide them to their destination.
Elena looks up at him questioningly.
"I know where I'm going," he says, answering her question before she can even ask it. "One of many advantages to being an ancient vampire with a heightened sense of direction," he winks.
Elena believes him. After all, he'd probably been miles away from where her car had crashed last year, and yet he'd still known it was her and had come to her rescue. So who was she to doubt whether or not Damon knew where they were headed?
The trees grow thicker the further they travel, and Elena starts to wonder just how good that sense of direction of his really is.
It's then that she notices a small gap between thick trees, just large enough for them to pass through. It leads to a small clearing in direct sunlight. She can hear the trickle of running water coming from a small stream. She realizes that Damon had picked up on the sound and had simply followed it.
Vampire hearing certainly did have its advantages.
She feels him let go of the reins and he slides down to the ground with a soft thud. He holds out his arms to her as she tries to slide down the same way. Her foot catches when she attempts to lift her leg over and she falls sideways, landing not-so-gracefully into his arms.
She blushes in embarrassment at her clumsiness, but he surprisingly acts like a gentleman and pretends he hadn't noticed. Instead he shifts her in his arms, sliding her slowly down his body as he lowers to the ground.
Elena's hands are flat against his chest, feeling the taught muscles beneath his shirt.
She's suddenly tempted to reach her hands into the neckline and tear it open. She can feel every inch of him pressed against her as his hands grip her hips to keep her close; not that she has any intention of escaping him.
The dull ache is already building up between her thighs as Damon tilts his head down to her, brushing his lips tenderly over hers.
Her hands snake up his chest to tangle in his hair, silently pleading with him to deepen the kiss. She opens her mouth to him, moaning softly as his tongue slips inside to brush against her own.
As his lips move over hers, everything else around them melts away until all she's aware of is Damon.
His hands, his mouth, the spicy scent of his cologne mixed with the leather of his jacket; her senses are consumed with him.
She's barely aware of him backing them up slowly, leading her further into the clearing. She breaks their kiss, her hands sliding down to push his jacket from his shoulders.
She wants him, and she wants him now.
Her nails rake over his chest through his shirt, tracing over his chiseled stomach and down his tempting treasure trail.
Damon watches her every move, eyes dark with passion.
She meets his smoldering gaze with one of her own as she slowly sinks to the grass on her knees. Her fingers dip lower, under the waistband of his jeans. She traces a line across the V of his hips before slipping her hand out again to quickly work on freeing him from the confines of his tight jeans.
As soon as his massive erection springs forth, she licks her lips hungrily; giving him a naughty look, as if she can't wait to taste him.
"Holy shit, Elena," he gasps at the first stroke of her tongue against his swollen head.
She closes her lips around it, slowly pushing him into her mouth and cradling him with her tongue. She takes him as deep into her mouth as she can. Her throat tenses up a bit and she pulls back reflexively.
Elena closes her eyes, willing herself to relax. She can do this, she tells herself.
She wants to do this for him.
She wants Damon to scream her name and lose that control he's been holding onto since their shower this morning. She wants to drive him as out of his head as he's driven her.
Breathing deeply through her nose, she pushes herself forward again slowly, feeling him at the back of her throat.
Instead of gagging this time, she forces herself to swallow around him; it's a weird feeling, but it thrills her knowing that she has complete control at this moment.
She draws back, sucking him hard even as she pulls him from her mouth, until she's kissing the tip.
Damon shivers, his hands grasping her hair convulsively, letting her know she's hit a good spot.
"Oohh, Elena," he moans. "Fuck…so good…"
She flicks her tongue out to gather the drops of fluid at his tip. It's a little salty, but she doesn't mind the taste.
He lets out a sharp, gasping cry as she explores him further. Her tongue circles around him, flicking over every inch of his head until she finds the little crease above his shaft.
She smiles in triumph as Damon's hands tunnel through her hair, his cock twitching as she teases her tongue under the head.
He growls low in his throat, but she isn't satisfied yet.
She wants him screaming.
Without any warning at all, she envelops him once more, taking him deep and swallowing back against his head.
Her hand grips his shaft tightly, her thumb rubbing him in circles as she works him at a steady pace. She can feel his fingers curling in her hair, trying to pull her off him.
She holds on, the nails of her other hand raking over his skin as she grips his firm ass and pulls him to her.
"Fuck, Elena…" Damon growls in warning as his hips began to jerk wildly. If she doesn't pull away soon, he's going to lose it.
Elena can feel the rush of fluid filling his shaft and sucks him hard, her tongue pressing roughly up the underside of his length, coaxing him to let go.
She's throbbing painfully now, her panties soaked through to her jeans. She rubs her thighs together trying to relieve the ache.
She needs him to come now.
She works him with everything she has, forcing him to scream her name; it's loud, primal and music to her ears.
The hot, sticky fluid shoots down her throat and she swallows convulsively, milking him of everything he has to give her. She barely even notices the taste; too busy eliciting the growls and moans and shouts of her name from his lips to care.
All she can think about is getting them both naked as she lets him finally pop out of her mouth. He's still semi-hard for her and she moans, wanting to feel him deep inside.
She rises to her feet, limbs shaking slightly as she slips her hands under his shirt to stroke his chest. It's like touching velvet over steel, his skin hot to the touch.
She wants to feel it against her.
She slides her hands down to his stomach, bunching up the material of his shirt and raising it. She takes in a shuddering breath, taking in the beautiful sight of him.
His chiseled abs, his perfect pecs, and tantalizingly hard nipples just begging for her attention. She can't resist flicking her tongue over one of them, delighting in Damon's surprised reaction to her touch.
Elena nips his sensitive flesh before pulling away to rid him of the last piece of his clothing.
He helps her pull the shirt over his head, dropping it into the now growing pile of clothes before moving his hands to her waist.
She wishes he would just tear the damn thing off her, but considering it's the only shirt she has with her at the moment that probably wouldn't be the best idea.
As soon as her top joins the pile, he captures her lips in a searing kiss that leaves her knees shaking and sends fire straight to her core.
Her head is spinning as he slowly lowers her down onto their discarded clothes, shifting them around with his free hand until they resemble a patchwork quilt large enough to provide an adequate barrier between the ground and her skin.
Damon can taste himself on her lips and it's driving him into frenzy for her. Apart from biting her, he's essentially marked her as his, or rather she's marked herself.
He can't help feeling possessive of her, especially knowing that she's never shared such intimacies with his brother.
Stefan is too big of a pussy to allow such a thing; he'd probably have been too afraid of hurting her.
Damon mentally rolls his eyes. Elena has too much passion in her to waste on his pathetic, innocent little brother. Now that she's his, he's determined to unleash it.
He's going to wring every ounce of passion from her, make her scream his name until his brother is only a fleeting thought not worth remembering.
He draws back from her mouth, trailing heated kisses along the side of her jaw bone, nuzzling the sensitive patch of skin just below her ear.
She shivers in his arms, her fingers raking through his hair.
He loves when she does that. He loves everything about her.
The way she holds him close to her, the sounds he can pull from her hot little mouth, the way she says his name, the way her face lights up when she laughs…hell, even the fire in her eyes when she's pissed about something, he can't remember loving any woman as intensely, not even her.
Yes, Elena has Katherine's fire, her physical appearance, but he realized a long time ago that she is a far better woman than Katherine could ever be; and he loves her for that too.
He savors the taste of her skin, placing slow open mouthed kisses down her neck to her chest. He can feel her pulse racing; can hear her shallow breaths and soft whimpers as his fingers work the front clasp of her bra. He's glad he'd chosen this one for her.
He can't resist suckling her through the red satin first before he slowly removes it from her body, determined to draw this out as long as he possibly can; determined to worship her.
He may not be ready to say the words just yet, but he will make damn sure that she feels them.
Elena bites her lip, overwhelmed by her need for him. The ache inside is bordering on painful and the crotch of her jeans is now visibly damp. She's sure he can feel it as he grinds his hips into her steadily, trying to ease the pressure as he feasts on her breasts; it's not enough.
"Damon," she pleads, grasping for his hand like she'd done last night in his car.
He complies with her demands, popping the button of her jeans and slipping his fingers down into her warm heat.
"See what you do to me?" she moans as he strokes over the tight bundle of nerves, bringing her closer to nirvana.
"Fuck, Elena, you're so wet," he moans against her skin as his mouth leaves her breast, lips grazing her quivering belly.
The heady, sweet scent of her arousal is driving him crazy; he can't wait to taste her again, knowing she'll be dripping wet for him by the time he finally gets her panties off.
"Yes…please, Damon…I want it so bad…" she moans, lifting her hips up to help him as he slowly slides her jeans down her perfect legs.
"God you're beautiful," he whispers, taking in the sight of her.
Her long dark hair is all tangled in "sex-hair" curls, her eyes blazing with passion and hooded with lust as she fights to keep her eyes on him. Her skin is covered with tiny goose-bumps, her stomach and thighs quivering as he slides his hand up to press against wet satin.
Her nipples immediately pucker into hard little pebbles at his touch and he moves up to nip at one with his blunt teeth. He hooks one finger into her panties, drawing them to the side to stroke her again; he had been right, she is dripping wet and her juices coat his fingers as he slides two of them inside, curling them against her front wall.
He brushes his lips over her chest, leaving a hot trail down to the curve of her hip bone.
Her fingers rake through his hair, massaging and scratching his scalp as he builds up her anticipation.
He places his mouth on her through the fabric, feeling her tight little bud pulsing beneath the silk. He runs his tongue over it, feeling her shudder beneath him.
"Oh God, Damon…please…" she whimpers, bucking her hips against his mouth.
She plants her feet firmly on the ground, trying to lift her hips up to him.
Her legs are shaking too much, actually bouncing in her efforts to keep them up. She lets out a whine of frustration when he pulls his mouth and fingers away to draw her panties down her legs.
As he removes the last barrier between them he licks the moisture from her thighs, slowly moving inward toward her weeping core.
He moans at her taste, dipping his tongue between her folds to gather more of her sweet honey into his mouth.
Elena's legs are shaking convulsively as she tries to keep them up and spread for him.
Damon slides his hands down, lifting her legs up to hook over his shoulders.
He massages her thighs, soothing her tense muscles as he flicks over her clit with the tip of his tongue, not wanting to over-stimulate her.
Elena knows she's practically screaming his name and that anyone on the other trails might hear her, but she doesn't care; what he was doing to her feels too amazing to hold back her cries.
His lips close in on that sensitive little bud and she writhes against him, her thighs gripping him, her heels digging into his back.
She's aware of nothing but the intense pressure, the shocks of pleasure shooting down her thighs, up her spine, straight to her nipples.
She can actually feel them tightening up, tingling with her excitement.
It's like their first time, but better.
She's certain that if he doesn't let her come soon, she will never recover her senses.
She can't decide whether that would be a bad thing or not, she's feeling too good at that moment to care.
A more powerful shock goes through her as Damon sucks her harder, using his lips and tongue in such a delicious way that she isn't even sure how he's doing it.
"Da…Da…Damon…" she gasps out breathlessly.
She can hardly form the letters of his name on her tongue.
Damon has effectively rendered her speechless; that part of her brain having shut down for the moment at least.
All she can do is cry out as he gives her the most intense pleasure she has ever experienced.
"More…"
She's crying now, so overwhelmed with sensation that she can't even get her voice to work for her anymore.
She grips his head, tugging and clawing at him desperately; unsure whether she's begging for him to let her come now or to take her higher.
His fingers slip past her tight walls and push up against her G-spot, causing that deep rush of pleasure to shock through her system.
She comes hard; her nails digging almost painfully into his skin, her spastic thighs clutching his head in a vice-grip.
Her juices coat his hand as he strokes her insides, coaxing her right into another fit of spasms.
Elena lets out a high-pitched scream as wave after wave of delicious tingles shock through her like an orgasmic roller-coaster; just when she thinks she's coming down, he shoots her right back up to the height of pleasure all over again.
She's beginning to lose count, her orgasms becoming so continuous that they have begun to blend together into one mind-numbing explosion of pure ecstasy.
He pulls back, sucking her nectar from his fingers before carefully extracting himself from her death-like grip.
Her thighs are still trembling as he gathers her in a tender embrace, his hand at the small of her back as he brings her up into a kneeling position.
Her arms automatically wrap around his neck as he gently pulls her forward to straddle him.
He slides her down onto him slowly, resisting the urge to impale her on his throbbing cock and just lose himself in her velvet heat; he doesn't care if it nearly kills him, he is determined to make it last.
He wants to feel every inch of her envelop him; wants to draw out every gasp, every moan, and every shiver of pleasure; wants her to feel his love for her in every cell of her beautiful body as he brings them both to a spectacular climax.
Elena gasps at the feelings he's evoking within her; it's almost too beautiful to describe.
He holds her tightly, as if he's afraid she will disappear; his fingers stroking her hair as his lips brush over hers in a tender kiss.
It's different this time; slower, sweeter, and far more intimate.
One hand slides back down to rest at the small of her back as he rocks his hips up slowly to stroke her sweet spots.
She closes her eyes, nuzzling into his neck and breathing him in, feeling their connection in her very soul; this isn't sex, this is love.
Her heart soars at the revelation; he loves her. She can feel it in the way he holds her, in his tender kisses, the way he lifts her up to slide down onto him at such a tantalizing, slow pace.
He draws back from her lips, suckling gently at the side of her neck, nuzzling her ear.
"Elena," he whispers, drawing back slightly. "Look at me, baby."
He lifts her hips, drawing almost all the way out.
As soon as her eyes meet his, he slides back into her.
It's too much; she shatters around him as the sensations and emotions he's evoked consume her.
She feels the tears springing to her eyes as she shudders in his arms, her heart swelling with unexpressed feelings as he holds her, stroking her skin softly.
He kisses her shoulders, her neck, her face; any part of her his mouth can reach without releasing her from his tight embrace.
She rocks her hips against him; determined to bring him to the edge with her as the waves of pleasure course through her.
Damon bites back the words of love he wants to say, instead he lifts her hips up and down his length in quick, shallow thrusts until neither one of them can take it anymore.
With one last deep thrust of his hips, he pours everything he has left into her as she pulses around him.
Elena slumps forward against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder as she nuzzles him and whispers incoherently against his skin.
Damon simply holds her, placing soft kisses into her hair and stroking her back lovingly.
He can sense her body weakening as she finally succumbs to her afterglow and he slowly slides out of her.
She lets out a small whimper, mourning the loss of him inside her.
He turns her around so her back is pressed against his chest, laying them both down to their make-shift "blankets".
She sighs happily, snuggling into him as she closes her eyes.
It's a while before she opens her eyes again, having drifted into that state of post-coital unconsciousness that's inevitable after truly mind-blowing sex with the one you love.
Damon is stroking his fingers through her hair; she wonders how long he's been doing it.
"Is this your new thing, watching me sleep?" she teases.
"No," Damon makes a scoffing sound; she can just picture him rolling his eyes at her.
"I was just waiting for you to wake up so I could have my way with you again. You have this annoying habit of passing out on me."
"Hey, cut me some slack here," she pouts. "I'm not exactly used to coming so many times in one day. I don't exactly have your vampire stamina, you know."
"Apparently neither does Stefan," Damon quips; he could never resist an opportunity to make fun of his little brother. "I still have to wonder how in the hell he managed to get the girl both times; at least you came to your senses."
He regrets the words as soon as he says them, feeling her stiffen in his arms at the indirect reference to Katherine.
"Sorry," he says. "That came out wrong."
"It's okay, Damon, I know you loved her too," she sighs.
Now that he's brought it up, she realizes that there are things she desperately needs to know. Damon had been obsessed with getting Katherine back for over a century, after all; if she was going to truly be with him, then she had to know she wasn't just the consolation prize.
He shrugs noncommittally. "I thought I did," he tells her. "I was so sure that it was real back then that I was willing to change my entire life for her. I was willing to die for her; but it wasn't real, not for her anyway," he says bitterly.
Elena bites her lip, remembering the pain in his eyes the night he'd discovered she hadn't been sealed in the tomb; that she could have come to him at any time, but hadn't even cared enough to give him the closure he'd needed to move on.
"She had to have felt something for you," Elena says. "Otherwise, why would she turn you in the first place?"
Damon chuckles darkly.
"I don't think she actually meant to; after all, it wasn't in her plans for Stefan and I to die that night. She'd already struck her little deal with George Lockwood and hadn't counted on us trying to rescue her. Bet that pissed her off."
She can tell he's smirking. "Anyway, that's all ancient history; water under the bridge and all that."
"Is it?" Elena asks him seriously.
"Yes," he assures her.
She doesn't say anything, but he can tell she's biting her lip again; worrying over nothing.
He rolls his eyes. "You don't believe me," he states.
Elena sighs.
"Can you blame me?" she asks, a little defensive.
"You spent 145 years trying to free her; used Caroline to hunt down Emily's crystal; attacked Bonnie when it was destroyed; threatened to turn me when Stefan wouldn't hand over the grimoire; and snapped Jeremy's neck after Katherine mind-fucked you, and you honestly expect me to believe you're over her just like that?"
Damon turns her to face him, staring seriously into her eyes.
"You have to understand," he pleads with her. "I thought she loved me," he whispers sadly.
She does understand; despite all his bravado, deep down all Damon has ever wanted was to love someone, and have that love returned.
It finally dawns on her that the reason he hasn't told her isn't just because she'd been with Stefan, but because he doesn't think he's worthy enough for her to love him; she wants to tell him just how wrong he is.
"Damon, I…" she starts, but he places a finger to her lips.
"You don't have to say anything," he tells her; misunderstanding her intentions.
"And you don't have to worry about me falling back into old patterns; I've realized now that I never loved Katherine, not for who she really was. She lied to me from the very beginning, pretending to be sweet and loving when all she really cared about was herself. Besides, I know what real love is now…"
Elena waits with bated breath, knowing he's about to say the words she's been waiting to hear for too long now.
Unfortunately the sky has darkened considerably during their time together without either of them noticing, and a few droplets of rain suddenly hit her bare shoulder, chilling her skin.
Damon groans at the terrible timing of the weather.
Quickly they gather their discarded clothes, shaking the dirt off as much as they can before slipping them back on.
Elena doesn't even bother with her bra or underwear; wanting to get her clothes on quickly before the air cools too much.
Damon places his jacket over her shoulders and tucks her bra and panties into one of his deep pockets before lifting her into his arms and racing back to their horse.
Just as he drives them both out of the clearing and back onto the trail, the heavens open up above them.