First of all, wow! 100 reviews-thank you guys! I was just hoping maybe someone would read this so I could get some feedback. I'm so grateful for you guys! Let me answer a concern several people have voiced to me. Don't worry, Elena still has her guard up but that doesn't mean she isn't tempted. I mean, it IS Damon we're dealing with here. ;) Plus, she was in love with him-still is if you ask me. So, she's putting her toe in the water and wading in but she's not jumping off the high dive. Swimming reference-can you tell I'm glad summer is here? So, here we go. Hope you enjoy!

I have been rudely interrupted from a delicious dream by my cell phone announcing a call.

"If you are calling at this time of morning you either A don't know me or B do know me but are desperately trying to ruin my day," I grumbled into the phone.

"You're back with him for how long and already you're talking like him!"

"And good morning to you, Caroline." I was surprised she'd made it this long without calling.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she asks.

"I think I'm the one who is more in the position to ask that question! What are you thinking calling me at this time of morning? I'll have you know, you interrupted a very good dream at a rather inopportune time." I bantered back.

"Eww! Stop!" I have to giggle at her grossed out response. "Wait, inopportune time? Is Damon there?"

"What? No, he's not here! He dropped me off at home right after we saw you last night. What did you think; I was just going to pick right up where we left off before?"

"With him, I never know."

"He was a perfect gentleman. Care, I don't want to do this over the phone. Can we meet later?"

"That sounds good. Klaus is taking the kids to a baseball game so I'm free for the afternoon. Want to come over for lunch? Say around noon?"

"Sure. See you then."

Several hours later, I am sitting on the patio with Caroline enjoying a salad.

"I've waited as long as I'm going to wait. Spill. What's going on with you two?" Caroline asks.

"I've decided to give him another shot." I see Caroline inhale and cut her off before she can say anything. "Wait. Let me finish. Caroline, I, of all people, know how badly it ended last time. But I also know how happy he made me before that. I was an unconfident, doubting, meek girl. Now, I'm a successful, confident woman who deserves the opportunity to be happy."

"Elena, I want you to be happy but I don't ever want to see you go through what you went through back then. My God! You were in therapy for goodness sakes!"

"Yes, therapy that eventually allowed me to believe that I could be a strong person and stand on my own!"

"But now, after learning to stand on your own two feet, you want to fall back on him?" she counters.

"Care, I'm not falling back on him. I just want to have someone to go out with—you know, someone that I can have fun with."

"You have me!"

"Care, baby, as lovely as you are, you are sooo not my type!" I smirk.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" she laughs.

"You have Klaus. There's no way you can understand." My voice drops almost to a whisper.

"What about Tyler?" she offers. "You guys always have a great time and I've long suspected that he might have a little thing for you."

"OK, first of all, you were the one he was interested in before Klaus came along. I was only ever his friend. Second, I don't know that I'm going to be hanging out with Tyler much anymore."

"Why?" She sounds shocked and not surprisingly as long as Ty and I have been friends. Without speaking I take off the cardigan I'm wearing so that she can see my arm. "Elena! What happened?"

"Tyler was at Suite last night too. He flipped out when he found out I was with Damon and tried to make me go with him." I explain.

"Oh, Elena, I'm so sorry. How did you get away?"

"Damon got in between us and threatened to rip his arm out its socket."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but thank God for Damon."

"I know. Care, he was such a good guy last night. We went out to dinner, danced at Suite and then he delivered me home. I tried to get him to come in but he reminded me that I wanted to take things slowly."

"He turned you down and offered to leave? Huh." She looks shocked.

"Yeah, when I agreed to see him I told him that I needed to go slow and he was OK with that. Care, please, don't fight me on this. Be happy for me," I plead.

"Does he know that you know?" she asks hesitantly.

"Know what?"

"About Rebecca. About the baby."

"No and I want to keep it that way," I quickly say.

"Elena, you're starting out this relationship with a lie. Is that really wise?" she questions.

I don't know how to respond. She's right. It's not a good idea but I just cannot bear the thoughts of talking to him about it. If he is part of the child's life, I'll know soon enough. But what if Rebecca didn't tell him? What if he then wants to find her to ask about the baby-his child? Could I withstand that? I don't know that I could.

"You're right. It's not wise but it's the only choice I've got."

~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~

It is two weeks later and things are going well with Damon and me. We've spent lunches together, grabbed dinner, played tennis and done everything we can to avoid being behind closed doors just the two of us. Ric and Damon have become close friends and tonight we're going to dinner at Jenna's. We're standing on the front porch and I'm about to ring the doorbell if Damon will stop distracting me my kissing neck.

"Damon, stop," I breathe.

"You didn't sound like you meant that," he chuckles as he slips a hand under the front hem of my blouse. Reaching back I grab his other hand which I've forgotten is holding a bottle in a gift bag. "Easy, killer, don't want to mess up the gift for the host."

I turn around to face him. "I told you I was bringing a bottle of wine. You didn't have to bring on too, babe."

"I didn't," he smirks. "This is bourbon for Ric."

"Most people bring wine or dessert." I laugh.

"Most people don't have my taste," he says before kissing me.

"Mmm…you can say that again."

With his lips lightly brushing mine, he murmurs, "Most people don't have my taste." He slips his tongue into my mouth and deepens the kiss just before Ric opens the door.

"Don't people usually stop breathing before needing mouth to mouth?" Ric asks.

"Ric, you're timing sucks!" is Damon's response.

I duck into the house to find Jenna. I'm fairly certain I'm the same color as my red blouse. Finding her in the kitchen, I offer to help carry stuff to the table. "Jenna, dinner smells wonderful!"

"Well, you know I can't cook so you need to tell Ric. He's the cook around here."

"And how often is he around here?" I ask.

"Let's just say he has his own section in the closet," she smiles.

"Jenna, I'm so glad things are working out between you. You deserve to be happy!"

"How about you and Damon?"

"Everything's good. We're taking it slow, you know?"

"Really? Didn't look like you were taking it too slow by the show we just got on the front porch," she laughs.

"Oh my God! You saw that?" My cheeks are on fire.

"Oh yeah. We could see you perfectly out the window. Ric thought he'd wait until just the right moment to bust it up."

"I guess you two think you're hilarious." I give an embarrassed chuckle.

"No. Hilarious would've been waiting on the cops to show up and arrest you for public nudity," she banters.

"Ha ha ha," I deadpan.

"I'll say this. You two definitely have some chemistry. Where is lover boy?"

"He and Ric headed for the living room. Damon brought him a bottle of bourbon."

"Those two are ridiculous. They have a regular little bromance going on." We head into the living room to find the guys. "Dinner is served!" Jenna announces with a little flourish of her hand.

"Ric's already told me he cooked so at least I know I don't have to worry about food poisoning." Damon shoots a teasing grin in Jenna's direction just before she pops him in the head. Hmm. I had no idea they'd been around each other enough to joke like that. Of course, I was so busy trying to keep Damon at arm's length I guess I missed out on the friendships he was developing during that time.

Ric's lasagna was delicious followed by even yummier cannoli. The evening had gone well and Damon was walking me to my door.

"Well, I guess I better head home," he gently cradles my face in his hands and slips his fingers into my hair before lightly kissing me. My resolve where he is concerned had vanished over the course of the last few weeks; so, when he starts to pull away, I wrap my arms around him and pull him towards me.

"Don't go just yet. Come inside." I whisper. I turn to let us into the apartment and lead him to the couch.

"Lena, are you sure this is such a good idea?" he asks as I turn and put my legs across his lap. "I don't want to do anything that's going to make you question what's happening between us."

"What is happening between us?" I ask.

"I hope we're rebuilding a relationship. Lena, this isn't a throw away thing for me. I don't want to ruin this by moving too fast."

"Then don't. Just hold me for a while," I answer.

"I've got a better idea," he says, reaching for the remote. "Let's watch a movie."

"Umm, OK." I scrunch up my nose. "That's not exactly what I had in mind," I mutter as he surfs the stations until runs across Highlander.

"What do mean? It's a classic!"

"I thought we agreed that Casablanca is a classic."

"It is but it's a classic that you watch. This is a classic for what I have in mind," he explains.

"And what's that?"

"Watch and you'll find out," he says. I turn my head toward the TV just as a guy chops off another guy's head causing me to flinch and scoot even closer into Damon's embrace. "See, perfect," he says.

"And how is that perfect?" I shudder while gesturing towards the TV.

"It's just gory enough to get you to snuggle close and you don't care about the plot so you won't mind if I do this," he explains as he begins planting light kisses from my collar bone up my neck and to my lips. "And you really won't mind if I do this," he adds as he slips his hand under my blouse and teases my breast with his finger. When I reach to unbutton my top, he pulls back. "Ah, ah, ah…Miss Gilbert. We've got to keep it PG-13 or we'll be tossed from the theater," he chides.

"Damon," I pout.

He's suddenly more serious. "Lena, I'm not going to push you. We'll know when the time's right. I let you down before. I need to know that I have your trust and you need to know that I won't abuse your trust before I'll even consider sleeping with you again. And, baby, if that shirt comes off, I know the rest will soon follow. I don't have that much self control. So, no," he adds sternly before relaxing into a teasing smile. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah, right about here," he says just as he tweaks my nipple through my bra. I was dying to have him but I knew he was right. Besides, there's something to be said for a good make out session.

AN: Don't get me wrong. I love Highlander but it has served as a good make out movie in the past. So, Elena finds Damon tempting. Can you imagine? And with all that trust talk, do you think Damon knows the whole story? Speaking of trust...Oh, Elena, a lie of ommission is still a lie. Rocky waters may lie ahead. Another water reference? I need a pool! Don't forget to review and follow! Thanks! :)