Chapter 9

The next time Jessenia saw Damon was on Saturday.

Just as Alaric suspected, Jessenia stayed out of school for the rest of the week, just trying to adjust to her surroundings. Meredith was also afraid she would run off at the mouth, just wanting her to relax, so she decided to take Alaric's offer. Jessenia didn't do much, just read a few books and stayed in the house, appreciating the warm weather Mystic Falls offered.

Alaric brought her the schoolwork she missed, which Jessenia appreciated, though she was still hesitant around him. He did murder her biological father, Jessenia couldn't just forget something like that in the blink of an eye. Jessenia did her homework and then started cleaning the house out of sheer boredom, refusing to step foot outside.

Saturday arrived and Jessenia had all the windows open, letting the warm breeze fill the house. She wore a simple white tank top and matching cotton Capri's, her feet bare with her hair piled up on top of her head. Currently, she was in the kitchen chopping up some pineapple, making a fruit salad and poured some apple juice. The radio played soft country music, something she always did with her mother on Saturdays in Maryland.

"I always did love pineapple."

Jessenia jumped out of her skin and whirled around, still holding the knife, staring into the aquamarine eyes of the man that threatened and manhandled her. The man that helped Alaric murder her father, even though Meredith explained to her about Logan being a vampire when he died. That still didn't stop the panic from consuming her, especially knowing what Damon was now. He had consumed her dreams ever since that night, most of them filled with sex that followed him biting her.

"Get out." Jessenia demanded, backing away from him slowly and held the knife up in a half-ass threat.

Damon smiled, letting her put the space between them because he could stop her if she tried running. "Figured I'd stop by, see how you're doing. You know, after I nearly popped your head off like a dandelion."

"How did you even get in here?" Meredith also explained to Jessenia that a vampire could not enter a human home without being invited first. "I-I didn't invite you…"

"Oh but you did." Damon countered, taking a piece of pineapple and popped it in his mouth, not stopping his slow predatory advancement. "You don't remember?"

His arrogant voice angered her and Jessenia really wanted to sink the knife right into his chest, breathing erratically. "No, why don't you stop being an asshole and enlighten me?" She shot back, gritting her teeth and didn't take her eyes off of him for a second.

"With pleasure." Damon sped over to where she stood, plucking the knife out of her hand and dropped it, pushing her gently against the wall. "When I picked you up for dinner…"

"No…" Jessenia shook her head, jade eyes widening as the memory overtook her, her mouth dropping open.

Damon smirked, reaching out to push her jaw up. "Flies will get in." He turned around and walked over to the kitchen island, popping a grape in his mouth this time. "So, what are we making?"

"I want you to leave." Jessenia slowly pulled away from the wall, maintaining her distance. "I know what you are and I don't want any part of it. I told you what you wanted to know. What more do you want from me?"

"Good question." Damon thought about it for half a second, snapping his fingers. "I've noticed you haven't left this house since that night. Take a walk with me." He extended his hand to her, having a feeling she would hesitate. "I give you my word I won't hurt you again, Senia."

"And why would I take a vampire's word? Or go for a walk with a vampire for that matter?" Jessenia demanded with a snort of derision, walking around the kitchen island cautiously.

Raising a black eyebrow, Damon was pleased to see her spunk and fire hadn't been snuffed out by what he did. "Because it's a beautiful day outside and you need to get out. Also, I need to talk to you about what happened." If those weren't two honest answers, Damon didn't know what else to say.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Jessenia gasped when Damon was suddenly in front of her, using that inhuman speed only vampires had, trapping her against the counter. "Get away from me, Damon."

"Or what?" He ran a finger down her cheek to her chin, his eyes searching hers. "Give me one day. A whole twenty four hours to prove to you I'm not as bad as you think. At the end of the twenty four hours, if you really truly never want to see me again, you won't."

Jade eyes narrowed slightly as Jessenia considered his offer, folding her arms in front of her chest, not pulling away from his touch. "Twenty four hours?" When he nodded, Jessenia slowly turned around so she was looking out the kitchen window, hesitant for several reasons "I'll go with you…on one condition." Jessenia turned back around to face him again, fingering her necklace.

"And what might that be?" He asked in a low voice, lowering his head to where his lips hovered over hers, staring at her intensely.

"There will be no biting, no manhandling, no threatening and you have to give me your word you won't hurt me." Jessenia stated, laying down her stipulations and watched as his black eyebrows furrowed.

"No kissing?" Damon couldn't resist, watching as her cheeks flushed a deep crimson red.

His egotism definitely wasn't winning him points with her, but Jessenia couldn't help thinking about that kiss they shared. It's all she could think about, even when she tried pushing it out of her mind. She could still feel the tingling sensation on her lips, the passion and fire that spread throughout her body completely igniting every part and nerve-ending.

"No kissing, unless I say otherwise." She added as another stipulation, wondering if he would agree to all of this.

"Alright, deal." Damon's eyes suddenly narrowed, his hands moving to gently grab her waist, pressing their bodies together. "But I also have a stipulation."

Her folded arms were pressed against his chest, preventing him from getting closer, though she didn't push his hands away. "Depends on what it is."

"You don't get to attack me unless I provoke you." Damon stated, tempted to grip her ass, dying to know if it was as firm as it looked.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Fine, you have a deal." Jessenia agreed, watching him step back to extend his hand and hesitantly took it, shaking it firmly. "Just so you know, if you decide not to keep your word about any of my stipulations, I will defend myself."

"Noted." Damon released her hand, smiling. "Let's go." Turning, he started for the front door, but stopped to turn his head back to stare at her. "We're going into the woods, so if you don't want your pretty white clothes to be destroyed, I suggest you change. Your time with me starts when you walk out this front door too."

The woods? Jessenia didn't like the sound of that, looking at the fruit on the table that was only halfway cut up. Sighing, Jessenia grabbed some plastic containers, refusing to let the fruit go to waste.

"Come on, Senia, the day is passing us by!" Damon called over his shoulder in the house, standing on her porch waiting impatiently.

Closing her eyes, Jessenia hoped she didn't regret this and finished cleaning up before heading upstairs to change her clothes. She decided on blue jean Capri's with a black tank top that had a silver design splashed on it. She slipped her steel toed black boots on since they were probably going hiking in the woods and they could also be used as a weapon if she needed protection. She redid her hair, pinning it back a little more and grabbed her keys, cell phone and vervain mace, which Meredith also told her about.

"Senia! You can't back out on our deal!" Damon called up the stairs, tapping his fingers against the wooden railing and smirked when she appeared at the top of them. "That definitely suits you better. Better grab a sweater and a change of clothes, you won't be back for twenty four hours."

"What?"

Damon walked up the stairs, going deliberately slow and could hear how fast her heart pounded, aquamarine eyes twinkling, until he stood right in front of her at the top. "We agreed that I had you for the next twenty four hours once you step outside this house. It's already going on three o'clock. That means," He paused briefly, gently running his finger down her chest. "You belong to me until three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"That wasn't…"

"Yes it was part of the deal." Damon cut her off smoothly, turning her around and giving a gentle nudge. "Now, go get a change of clothes and a sweater. Unless you prefer to stay over naked?"

Jessenia shot a glare over her shoulder at him, not amused and stalked back to her bedroom to do what he asked. "Asshole." She muttered, grabbing the nearest bag she could find and put what she needed for the night inside of it.

"I heard that. Not very nice, Jessenia." Damon clucked his tongue, shaking his finger at her while leaning in the doorway.

"It's the truth." Jessenia smiled back at him, though it didn't reach her eyes and zipped up her bag, tossing a zipped sweatshirt over her shoulder. "I'm ready now. Remember, the deal is off if you break your word."

"I already told you I wouldn't." Damon stated, extending his hand to her and saw the hesitation in her eyes again. "I'm not going to hurt you, Senia."

Jessenia wasn't sure of that, especially after what he did to her, but for some odd reason she was willing to spend twenty four hours with him. "I hope not." She said, slipping her hand into his and let him guide her downstairs, just as Meredith walked in.

"Oh hey!" Meredith blinked at the sight of Damon Salvatore in her house, hand in hand, with Jessenia, blocking the doorway. "Where are you going?"

Jessenia chewed her bottom lip nervously and flashed a half smile, clearing her throat. "I'm going to stay over at Damon's tonight with Elena." She half lied, hoping Damon went along with the story. "Damon was just coming to get me. Is that okay?"

Meredith looked between the two, trying to tell if either of them were lying. "Right. You haven't been at school though…"

"Elena said she's been missing me and wants to hang out. They want to have a real dinner gathering because the first one didn't go so well." Jessenia pulled her hand out of Damon's, keeping the smile on her face. "I'll be back tomorrow at-"

"Three o'clock." Damon finished, heading for the door and stopped to glance at the clock, smirking. "Make that three thirty-five." He corrected, patting Meredith's shoulder. "Good seeing you, Meredith, tell Ric I said hi."

Meredith nodded, looking at Jessenia and had a feeling something was going on. "Have fun, tell Elena I said hi." Meredith stopped her cousin before she could go out the door, keeping her voice down so Damon didn't overhear. "Protection?"

Jessenia nodded, patting her hand reassuringly. "I promise." She walked out of the house and looked at the blue Camaro, taking a deep breath.

"Tick tock." Damon tapped his wrist, sitting behind the wheel and watched as she slowly made her way to the car, reaching across the seats to open the passenger door. "Come on, Senia, in you go."

Stepping into the car, Jessenia closed the door and buckled up, placing her bag on the floorboard. "So, the woods then?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Just sit back and relax." Damon put the car in reverse, pulling out of the driveway and headed down the road, the windows down.

"That's a little easier said than done after what happened, don't you think?" Jessenia retorted, leaning back against the seat and lulled her head back, closing her eyes. "We're not leaving Mystic Falls, are we?"

Damon just slowly turned his head to smirk at her. "Not too far away from Mystic Falls, that's all you need to know."

"So what do you expect to accomplish by doing this?" Jessenia questioned and felt his thumb caress her hand almost lovingly, completely confused. "What do you hope to gain?"

"Can't you ever just go someplace without a ton of speculation and questions?" Damon rejoined, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "You really need to have a little more faith and trust…"

"And pixy dust?" She shot back sardonically, refusing to look at him. "You won't have my faith and trust in you until you prove to me you're a half decent person."

"Fair enough."

Jessenia sighed resignedly, opening her eyes to stare out the window and jumped slightly when Damon grabbed her hand. She didn't pull away as much as her mind was screaming at her to do so, her heart telling her something completely different. The next twenty four hours were her chance to get to know Damon Salvatore.

Damon pulled over about twenty minutes later and cut the engine, looking over at his company for the next twenty three and a half hours. "We're here." Stepping out, Damon walked around the car and opened the passenger door, extending his hand, smiling.

"Damon…"

"A deal is a deal, Jessenia." He reminded her, waving his fingers and watched as she slowly took his hand, shutting the door. "You can trust me."

Gazing into his eyes, Jessenia didn't say anything and let him guide her into the woods, feeling him lace their fingers together. She had no idea what Damon had in store for her, hoping she wasn't making a mistake by going with him. He was dangerous and drank human blood to survive; he could easily rip her limb from limb. Still, something told her to go with him and Jessenia refused to have what if's in her life.

Her scent was appetizing and delicious, though Damon wouldn't dare feed on her. He did have some humanity left him in, knowing how to hurt and love just like a regular human. There were two women in his life that broke his heart, Damon refused to let it happen a third time. He would stake himself before that happened, especially after what happened with Elena.

Damon didn't know why she agreed to go with him and thought she was a little too trusting. He wasn't going to hurt her, he liked her too much. Of course, he would never admit that to anyone, keeping it as one of his many secrets. Just like Jessenia, Damon couldn't get that kiss out of his mind and hoped they shared a few more during this time together.

He wasn't hoping, more like counting on it.