A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out my story. Here is chapter 2. Let me know if you like it; what you want to see more of/less of. Thanks & enjoy :)

Heartbreaker

Chapter two

Caroline reached up to stretch her arms and pushed back her chair from the desk to extend her legs. Stefan was laughing, probably at how ridiculous she looked, from his chair on her right, but soon joined in on the post-meeting stretch.

"Well, thank God that's over with. Longest Saturday we've had in a while," he said.

"Yeah," Caroline snorted, "Who knew people in the city worked weekends these days? Man, I sure am going to owe you a lot of drinks when this deal goes through."

Stefan chuckled before jokingly suggesting she should give him a raise as well. She scoffed playfully at her personal assistant; she had already been planning to wow him with a nice raise and bonus at the end of the quarter. But when were men ever patient?

"Anyway," she said, smiling in his direction, "Let's get out of here. I know we have this amazing work relationship and all, but I have seen way too much of you this week, Stef."

Stefan finished sorting some documents and set them into his leather messenger bag before meeting her gaze. "And I only get one day this week to recover from your crazy antics. Yup, you definitely owe me!" She waved him out of the room, uttering a "yeah, yeah" before gathering her own things together and headed toward the elevators. They got onto the elevator together and thankfully it was a short ride as the building was mostly empty for the day.

"Your wife must hate me for keeping you to myself so much, Stef. Should I stop by with some wine or send her flowers for being so understanding?" she whined as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way through the lobby.

"No, no. You know Lexi; she hates flowers and her drink of choice is gin, not the latest cab/merlot blend," he said and then looked thoughtful for a moment before again speaking, "She might like to be included in those dinners you keep promising me though." Caroline brightened immediately at his idea; her eyes sparkled as imagination took over and she started drawing together the perfect evening for them.

"Stef, you're so wise! That sounds like the perfect thing to do. Thanks for thinking of it!" She exclaimed.

"No worries, Care. You know me—I'm your second brain. C'mon, let me hail you a cab," he replied.

"Aw, such a gentleman. I've got it though, go on; I'm sure Lexi is not the kind of woman who likes to be kept waiting, which I can totally relate to! And by the way, quit with the creepy brain jokes! You're going to end up giving me nightmares," she said laughing in mock disgust.

Stefan pretended to be offended, "Hey, Lexi likes my brain jokes!" She raised both eyebrows at the double meaning. "Oh yeah, I'm sure she does!" she said and burst into giggles. He caught on quickly and put a hand to his face. "OK, I'm going to walk away now before I say something more embarrassing than that."

"Go on brain-boy; enjoy the rest of the weekend," Caroline said, still laughing.

She watched him turn and start walking down the sidewalk, quickly disappearing into the crush of people. The city streets were already filled, amping up for a busy Saturday night. Caroline picked out a cab in the street and easily waved it over. Sitting down in the back, she told the driver her address before settling back into the worn out seat. She hadn't rested her eyes closed for longer than a minute before her cell started vibrating from within the light spring coat she was wearing. Groaning as she noticed she was going to be stuck in traffic for at least the next twenty minutes, Caroline accepted the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey Care. It's Ty—how have you been?" said a masculine voice she recognized as her most recent fling.

"Oh hey," she replied, not really in the mood to chit-chat, "I've been good, really busy, but good. What about you?"

"Same goes for me; it's been a crazy few weeks. Sorry I haven't called recently," he said apologizing. He really did sound sincere, which was a major deal-breaker for Caroline. She couldn't stand pathetic apologies from men. Trying not to sigh in boredom into the speaker, she allowed her silence to speak for itself.

"But, listen. I was wondering if you're free tonight—" he started and Caroline heard a beeping noise, alerting her to another call coming in.

"Uh, hold that thought, Ty" she said interrupting him, "I got another call coming in. It's super important, so I'll just answer it real quick." Honestly, she had no idea who was on the other line, but it had to be more worthy of her time than the cliché conversation she was having with Tyler.

"Yes, hello?" she said, transferring to the second call.

"Care!" It was Elena; oh God, what had Bridezilla cooked up now?

"Oh, hey Elena," she greeted hesitantly, "What's up? Before you start, I already talked to the caterer. So if there are any more changes your fiancé wants to make to the menu, he can call them himself!"

Her best friend laughed lightly at her comment before easing her worries, "No, nothing like that, Care. Don't you know what day it is?"

"Uhh..." Caroline replied, her mind stuttered trying to come up with something, "Sorry, Elena, you're going to have to give me a hint. My goose is cooked." Damn, Stefan really was her second brain—where was he when she needed him?

"It's Saturday night, silly! And we're going out. Vickie is in town this weekend, so you, me, Bonnie, April, and Vickie are having a girl's night out!" Elena said excitedly.

"Oh gee, Elena, I really would love that, but—" she began to excuse herself, but it was her turn to be cut off.

"Alright, well before you say no, ask yourself the last night out we had? With all the wedding preparations and work, when have we had time to actually enjoy our friendship? You know I was thinking about it the other night while we were in bed, and then I turned over to ask what—"

"Elena, hold on, stop feeling guilty," Caroline spoke, "I am enjoying the extra time we're spending together with the wedding stuff. You know event planning is right up my alley and who better to plan for than my best pal from diaper days. And asking your man for girl advice is a big no-no; you know how easily they get lost in the realm of girl problems."

Elena carried on, completely ignoring her attempts to be funny, "Well, I'm not taking no for an answer—and all your drinks are on me tonight! I want to have a stress-free, fun night out with my girlfriends; and before you say anything, my bachelorette isn't until August! So cancel whatever plans you had with your couch and tub of Ben & Jerry's tonight, because if you don't show up at my place by nine o'clock sharp, we will come to drag you out with us, rooster pajamas and all."

Caroline scrunched up her nose at her friend's threat, knowing that with Vickie tagging along it was pretty lethal. The last thing she needed was world exposure of her cute rooster pj's. The cab suddenly stopped at a red light and Caroline jerked forward against the driver's seat, dropping her phone to the floor of the cab. The driver quickly apologized, to which she did not respond, so frantically searching under the filthy seat for her phone. Finally, her fingers wrapped around it and brought it back to her ear after ensuring it wasn't too dirty to be near her face.

"OK, fine, you talked me into it, I'll come out," she huffed into the speaker.

"Well don't sound too excited, Care, it's only floor seats to your favourite band," came Tyler's voice unexpectedly. Her eyes widened in surprise—damnit, how could the line have been switched back to his call without her noticing? How was she supposed to wiggle out of this one? Think fast, she told herself, panicked. The last thing she wanted was to spend some quality time with Tyler. Did her seriously get floor seats to her favourite band?! Was he always this desperate? It hardly seemed possible since he was such a successful businessman. Thankfully pulling a little white lie using her second brain as an excuse, she said, "Oh sorry Ty, dropped my phone, ha ha. I was just talking to Stefan 'cause we're sharing a cab. He finally convinced me to go out tonight with some of my colleagues to celebrate a successful merger. What a great guy—always looking out for me! Anyway, what were you saying?"

There was a pause on the other line and Caroline waited, holding her breath and hoping to all that was holy that he bought her rushed cover up. "Oh, it was nothing, Care. Just wanted to see how you've been. We should catch up soon, let me know when you can," he said sounding disappointed. Caroline nearly jumped out of her seat, thanking her lucky stars. Now the ball was in her court, exactly where she wanted it to be—being the control freak that she was. Saying a quick goodbye to Tyler, with a promise to keep in touch, she ended the call. Great; one down, now she had only to deal with Elena.

Caroline tried her best to sound apologetic, "So, Elena, I know you're really excited for tonight and all, but the thing is—"

"Listen up, Forbes," a deeper, female voice full of authority came on the line—definitely not Elena, "You're coming out with us tonight, and before you try to convince Elena otherwise, let me just say this: I'm already working on a buzz, so don't make us come drag you out, because I'll be sure to cause a scene!" Oh wonderful, it wasn't even seven thirty and the party had started. If Vickie was already getting her drink on, Caroline was sure a scene was going to be made. Now she absolutely had to go or else said scene would occur at her condo instead of the club where at least she could pretend she didn't know Vickie. Resigned to her fate, she wondered why she couldn't seem to have one night to herself—take a bubble bath, put on a face mask and read a book for pleasure. Maybe snack on the Ben & Jerry's hiding in the back of her freezer? Was it really too much to ask for? Apparently so!

"Alright, I'll come, Vickie. Only because I know you are such a crazy bitch that you would actually show up at my place, completely smashed and embarrass me. And tell Elena she's the biggest coward ever for handing you the phone!"

"Whatever, bumpkin. Just get your ass over here by nine or else!" Vickie warned and then abruptly hung up.

Caroline groaned and hit her head on her phone repeatedly, trying to decide whether she wouldn't have had a better time pretending to have fun with Tyler and at least enjoy the band. Was it too late to call him back and change her mind? It wasn't like she blatantly ignored his offer or anything. Oh well, she'd just have to make the most of this girl's night out. She could use a night of letting loose with her girlfriends.

She was still half-dreading the night to come as she walked into the elevator leading to Elena and her fiancé's penthouse condo. Laughing at the idea of the other girls already holding Vickie's hair while her head was buried in Elena's pristine toilet bowl, she made it to the top and stepped outside, ready to face the music. She could hear loud music and high-pitched voices by now and wondered vaguely how Elena's soon-to-be husband was letting this happen in his place. The door was unlocked and she let herself in, calling out her arrival and setting her dress bag on a hanger in the front closet. The commotion in the other room paused for only a second before resuming and heading straight for her. All four of the other girls were ready to pounce on her as she took off her spring coat, still wearing her suit from earlier.

"It's nine-oh-five, Care. You're lucky you got her because Vickie was ready to call a cab to your place. I managed to persuade her to hold off an extra ten minutes," Bonnie greeted her with a smile.

"Ha-ha. Well thank goodness for that," she replied, giving Bonnie a quick hug, "Good to see you Bon!" April was next, hugging her warmly as was her typical way of doing, "Ready for tonight?" she said. Caroline nodded, and tried to look enthused.

"Care, I'm sorry we dragged you out, but I promise you won't regret it; we'll have so much fun!" Elena said with an excited grin and Caroline had to admit to herself it had been a while since their last girl's night out.

"Oh shit, Elena," Vickie yelled out, making her voice heard as well, "Stop apologizing to her already. She came; she clearly wants to have a good time, too." She looked over to Caroline, "What the hell? Tell me you're not wearing that to the bar," she openly criticized.

"I think you look great, Caroline. You always look so well put together," April praised, evidently trying to avoid a conflict. Caroline flashed her a smile of appreciation.

"Thanks, April. Coming from a top designer, that's a real compliment," she replied, before fixing Vickie with a sharp gaze, "And no, bitch, I brought something else to wear tonight. But considering I got bombarded on my way home from work today, I barely had time to get something to eat before heading over here." No one responded, mischievous smiles on all of their faces, knowing she spoke the truth. Satisfied, Caroline finally said with a false air of haughtiness, "Now, who is going to fix my hair and makeup? You all already look gorgeous, and I need to catch up! Vickie, I dub thee barmaid! Get me a drink, pronto!"

Vickie didn't even blink twice before breaking out in a toothy grin and rushing into the kitchen, ready to get the party going again. "My pleasure, country lass," she threw back over her shoulder.

Soon after having a few bevies, Caroline felt herself begin to relax, ready to have a good night. Elena had just applied the finishing touches to her wand-curled hair and her makeup looked Victoria Secret model worthy. All that was left before they headed out to the club was for her to change into her little black dress and steal a pair of pumps from her best friend's closet. Stepping out of the bathroom, she found the perfect pair was already waiting for her; Elena knew her style too well. Grabbing herself another drink, she went to sit with the others.

"So, Tyler called you earlier?" Bonnie asked, turning the conversation to include her.

"Ugh, yes. I swear the guy can't take a hint," she complained, with a roll of her eyes.

Elena jumped to his defense. "Well I think he was being really sweet! It's hard to find a guy these days who's willing to go so far to get your attention," she said.

"Caroline's not interested in getting a rock on her finger though, 'Lena. Watch, I guarantee when we get to the bar, she'll have at least five guys ask for her number. She's just in it for the fun! Can't say I blame her..." Vickie threw in, unexpectedly on her side. If it was one thing they could agree on it was against long-term relationships.

"Thank-you, Vick!" she exclaimed, "Ty isn't a bad guy. We've had a ton of good times together. But it's gotten to the point where he wants more from me, and even though I explained that I'm not willing to be in a relationship, he's still trying to convince me otherwise. It's annoying!"

"Oh no," Vickie teased, "Stage-nine clinger?" They all laughed.

"Mmm, no I'd stick him in the stage-five category," she joked. "Seriously, it's too bad because he is an animal in bed," she said with a sigh.

"Well, it seems like Ty just isn't the one for you, Care," April said empathetically before sharing a knowing smile with Elena, "You'll meet the right guy soon enough!" Of course the two engaged women would team up against her.

"Yeah, let's hope so," Vickie snorted, "I mean you're almost thirty!"

"We're all almost thirty, Vickie," Bonnie pointed out, laughing.

"Ok! Enough talking about my lack of relationship, which I am more than happy about, or my age—low blow, Vickie!" Caroline said loudly, "Anyway, how the hell did you get your man to agree to this, Elena? I can't see him being gung-ho for girl's night at his place." She looked around the wall-to-wall windowed condo that was already a cluttered mess. He seemed like way too much of stickler to allow a party at his place.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Caroline," Elena said secretively, "I've got it covered. He's out of town this weekend anyway, on business."

"Ew, Elena I so don't want a mental image of you and your hubby! He's hot and all, but it's something I definitely don't want to picture!" Bonnie shrieked.

"Oh, like you sleeping with my baby brother is any better! I still haven't recovered from the time I accidentally walked in on you two—Gross!" Elena said playfully. Caroline sank back into the couch and smiled; more and more she was glad her friends forced her to come along. As tired as she felt, she desperately needed girl time and some fun. What better way to kill two birds with one stone? Caroline felt herself becoming excited about going out and dancing the night away. Bottle service in the VIP lounge courtesy of Elena wouldn't hurt either.

"Alright, my bottle of wine is now empty, so before I start sobering up, let's go!" Vickie said loudly, already struggling to stand and grab her purse.

"She's right, we should go" Elena said looking at the time. "It's already eleven! We can get a cab when we get downstairs," she said.

Less than fifteen minutes later, their little entourage pulled up to a club, called Mystic. It looked really busy and Caroline could see the line up was already half a mile long. Thankfully, with Elena's connections, they didn't have a problem getting inside. The bouncer gave a nod before waving the five of them inside. The girls came in through the entrance and Caroline could feel the beating of a familiar pop song, bass pounding heavily. The club was packed with people, all along the bar and on the dance floor. Making their way to the VIP section, they grabbed fresh drinks and Caroline began to feel the buzz of alcohol more intensely. She turned to the others and shouted, "Let's go dance!" before grabbing Elena's hand and leading them down to the centre of the dance floor.

After what felt like an hour of dancing, taking shots, and playing hard to get with any guy who came too close to their posse, Elena told them she had to run to the bathroom. April and Bonnie quickly disappeared together with her into the mob, leaving Caroline and Vickie on their own. Being the huge slut that she was, Vickie was dancing up close with her, trying to catch the attention of some guy she had pointed out earlier. It seemed to be working, too, because he was looking over at them more than the girl he was already grinding on. Going with it, because she was pretty drunk, Caroline threw her head back and let her hips sway to the beat. She looked to her left, gazing at the bar and that was when she saw him. The hottest man she'd laid eyes on all night and there he was, taking a shot with his friend and throwing it back with ease. His friend clapped him on the shoulder before walking to the other side of the bar to talk to a girl who was waiting to order a drink. The man, who she was convinced by now was a decedent of Adonis, was left by himself, leaning up against the bar. He looked up from the fresh drink in his hand and straight into her eyes.

Caroline felt her buzz completely leave her and a tingling started down her body from head to toe. She had to stop herself from openly staring so she could focus on dancing with Vickie. Gee, now who is acting desperate, she criticized herself, not sure if it was the booze or a blush lighting her face on fire. Or maybe it was the intense look in his eyes that burned her. Caroline had to admit she hated to be the one who showed the initial interest; she enjoyed being chased, teasing ruthlessly, and playing hard to get. Even if he had noticed her and even if he looked like sex-on-a-stick, she would never allow herself to seem needy enough to talk to him after being caught red-handed staring like a deer in headlights.

She was still dancing with Vickie when a pair of male hands grabbed the girl from behind and spun her around. Clearly, not much of a wing-woman, Vickie eagerly began dance with him and completely forgot about Caroline. It really could not have gotten any worse for her, really, because the others hadn't found them yet and now, here she was, standing alone in the middle of a crowded dance floor. Moving off to the side, Caroline sent a quick prayer of thanks that she avoided complete loss of dignity. She took a scan the crowd looking for her three lost friends, but couldn't sight them anywhere in the bar. She let out a sigh, hoping she wouldn't regret what she was about to do, and turned around making her way toward the bar and the man she'd been looking at.

He was still standing there a little ways down, talking to the woman behind the bar. She felt relief that he hadn't noticed her creep up. Caroline snuck a brief glance in his direction, unable to stop herself. What? She could always say she was looking for her friends—it was at least partially true. Dear God, but he was even more gorgeous up close; sandy blonde hair and full lips. He laughed at something the bartender said, causing perfectly adorable dimples to come out of nowhere and nearly melt Caroline on the spot. Another bartender came up to her and took her order. After paying for her drink, she took one last peek at the man who oozed sex appeal, before turning away to face the crowd. How was it fair that his shirt clung perfectly to his obviously muscular arms and shoulders? She let out a frustrated huff; what was she getting herself all worked up for? Sure, he was hot stuff, but had it really been that long since she'd been with a guy that she had to act like a drooling canine? Caroline did her best to shake it off, again, looking for her friends and this time not even able to spot Vickie.

"Do you need some help there, love?" a deep, masculine voice came from behind her.

Caroline counted to three slowly, taking a deep breath before turning around and seeing her Greek god standing mere inches away.

"Huh?" she asked, surprised. He had a British accent? Of course he did!

"It just seemed to me that you look a bit lost," he said teasingly.

"Oh," she said lightly, "I got separated from my friends, that's all." She was trying not to stare at him, but it was so hard. And was he maybe trying to flirt with her?

"Right. Well, sweetheart, why don't we let them find you, and in the meantime, join me for a drink?" he suggested, showing off a dimpled smirk.

"It's Caroline, not love or sweetheart," she corrected, trying to sound aloof.

"Caroline, is it? I'd wondered how long it would take to earn your name," he said.

"What does that mean, exactly?" she said, eyes narrowing on him. Screw sexy-as-hell, if he was an asshole, Caroline was ready to give him a piece of her drunken mind.

"Just that I've seen how you refused the other advances you've received tonight and I have to question what makes me so special," he replied, "My name is Nik, by the way. So now that we're on a first name basis, why don't you indulge me in a drink?"

She was sure he knew perfectly well what made him special. Had he been watching her then? It would seem so. Suddenly, she didn't feel so humiliated at being caught openly checking him out. Now that he was asking her to have a drink with him, nothing was standing in her way.

"I would love to indulge you, Nik, but I really should find my friends," Caroline said smiling. She had to know how badly he wanted to talk to her. She was Caroline Forbes, damnit—hot or not, she always loved to make a man work a little for her attention.

She looked up at his face, expectant, but was caught off guard by the deep blue eyes that stared intently back at her. She felt star-struck just looking at him.

"Really? Is that why you came all the way over here? To find your friends, love?" He pushed. Stupid pet names, stupid staring contest, stupid man. But he was so sexy and the alcohol had siphoned all rational thought from her mind. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but his hand was suddenly touching her forearm and her lips closed—unable to deliver a comeback.

"Take a chance, love. I dare you," he said with a clear seductive undertone.

Quickly, Caroline recovered. "Alright, one drink," she said, "But if you call me anything but Caroline, you're going to find yourself with that drink in your face," she said irritated that he was winning their battle of words and she was too intoxicated to do anything about it. He only chuckled darkly in response and waved over the bartender.

Three, or was it four, drinks later, Caroline found herself dancing with Nik. He was the perfect dancer; more than able to move to a beat. She liked the feeling of his big hands on her hips, bringing her close enough that she could smell his expensive cologne. His breath tickled her ear and she tried her best not to shiver in response. He had set all her senses on fire. She wanted to with him tonight so she could carry out every dirty fantasy she was having about him; so he could make good on how well he was teasing her with his body as they danced. Her arms were around his neck, and she pulled back to look at him. The stormy look in his eyes told her he was thinking the exact same thing.

"I guess I don't regret joining you after all, Nik," she said, not breaking eye contact.

"I didn't think you would, Caroline," he said, making slow circles over her hips with his thumbs, driving her half-way to insanity.

"I hope you won't take this to mean the wrong thing," he continued, "What would you say to the two of us moving this party to my place?"

"Yes," she said without thinking, "I don't think I would regret that either." Her breathing was coming in heavier now that the deal was sealed and she would get to see what the muscles under his shirt looked like. Immediately broken out of her trance when a set of sharp finger nails dug into her right shoulder, successfully ripping her from Nik's arms, she turned to face Vickie whose face was etched in worry. She considered Nik momentarily before grabbing both of Caroline's arms.

"There you are, Care! I'm so sorry to interrupt," she said, "But Miss Goody-Goody drank too much. She's been puking for the past half-hour and she looks kinda shitty. You fix everything, so I'm leaving this to you. I think we should probably get her out of here..." She looked between Caroline and Nik, waiting for a response that didn't come.

"Anyway, I'm going to call a cab. The other two are still with her in the bathroom. Meet us out front in five if you're coming," Vickie said before hurrying off. Caroline watched her go and let out a sigh before turning back to the sexiest man she'd ever almost slept with.

"Listen, Nik. I really didn't expect this to happen, but my best friend needs me," she said, "So I have to go."

"It's alright, sweetheart. As you Americans say—'shit happens', right?" he said, still looking at her as if he wanted to devour her on the spot. She didn't know if she should be offended or relieved that he was taking it so well. Caroline fixed him with a playful glare at the resurfacing pet name. "Yeah, I guess we do say that," she said.

He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, again rubbing slow circles into her skin. Leaning his face down to hers, Caroline thought he was going to give her a kiss goodbye. Her eyes fluttered shut, expecting their lips to meet. She felt his breath tickle her ear.

"It was nice to meet you Caroline," he whispered.

She felt her eyes open again as he backed away. Only able to nod dumbly in return, she forced herself to turn and walk to the exit where she hoped her friends were waiting.

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! Drop me a review to let me know what you thought :)

Until next time!