A/N: this chapter picks up right where the last one left off ;)

GREED: PART II

When Elena walked back into Damon's office, she knew that she looked ridiculous. The dress itself was amazing, but her hair was tied into a messy bun, she had no makeup or jewelry—and she was wearing fluffy purple slippers on her feet.

Damon, however, only glanced up briefly from his desk. "I told you that you'd look hot," was all he said, putting down his pen and standing up. "Ready?"

"Save it, Damon," Elena huffed, "I know I look like a train wreck."

"Modesty," he nodded approvingly, "Good tactic. Stefan will love that. What else you got?"

"Wha—that wasn't a tactic," she said helplessly, feeling very much out of her league as Damon casually took a seat on the edge of his desk so that he was facing her. "You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea..."

"Okay, first of all," Damon interrupted calmly, "Take a deep breath." When Elena obliged, he continued. "Second, remember that I'm here as your friend...not your employer," he shrugged, "In fact, you're supposed to be pretending that I'm Stefan so technically we don't even know each other. Alright? Feel better?"

No.

Elena sighed, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. Maybe if she played along with this charade, she'd be able to convince him that he didn't need to go through with this plan; that he didn't have to stoop down to Stefan's level.

With this in mind, she walked over to him, trying to mimic the way that Caroline often sashayed up to guys that she was interested in. Damon raised an eyebrow as his gaze drifted to her hips momentarily before looking back up at her with an impassive expression.

"Hi," Elena said brightly, holding out a hand towards him. "You must be Stefan...Damon has told me so much about you."

Damon hid a grin and shook hands with her jovially, "Has he now? Only good things, I hope?"

"Of course," she smiled as she briskly brushed the shoulders of his suit, pretending to admire the fit of it. "You must have had a long flight," she went on, her hand lingering on his arm for a tad longer than was strictly necessary, "Is there anything that I can get you?"

He glanced down at her hand before flashing her a grin, "My brother didn't tell me there would be such a welcoming reception. If I had known, then I would've visited years ago."

Elena played right along and leaned forward slightly, "I think I would've enjoyed that."

Surprise flickered across Damon's face.

She smirked at him and then moved across the room to his liquor cabinet. "How about I get us something to drink?" she offered, pulling out a bottle of wine. Damon watched in silence as Elena strode back over to the desk and expertly poured two glasses. Then she held one out to him, her lips curving upwards, "Can I tempt you?"

He took the glass without looking at it, his eyes darkening as he picked up on the double meaning behind her words. "I think you already are," he muttered under his breath. He then shook his head to clear it, "You said your name was Elena? How long have you been working for my brother?"

"Three years," Elena replied promptly, perching herself on the edge of his desk so that their arms brushed tantalizingly against one another. She could feel the heat radiating off his body and had to compose herself before continuing. "When was the last time you saw him?"

Damon's gaze was fixated upon a spot on the floor. "Four years," he answered in an oddly strained voice, "I guess that explains why I've never met you."

Elena studied his expression for a minute before placing a hand over his wrist, "You haven't tasted the wine yet, Mr. Salvatore."

His posture relaxed as he grinned at her, "Trying to get me drunk, Miss Elena?"

"Not at all," she purposefully crossed her legs as she took a sip from her own glass, smiling to herself when she saw Damon glance at her before quickly looking away. "So," she drawled, "Your brother tells me that you're here to make some sort of business deal?"

Damon nodded and turned back to her, apparently glad to be back on subject. "That's right. When these papers get signed, this company will be half mine and half his. Just the way that our father always intended it to be."

Okay, now was the part where she was supposed to convince "Stefan" not to make the deal. Elena hesitated, thinking. But maybe she could convince Damon, too...

"Hmm," she considered, tilting her head. "But where's the fun in owning the family business?" She let her voice drop as she stood up and carefully placed her now-empty wine glass on the desk before shifting so that she was standing directly in front of Damon. "I'd say it would be much more impressive to go out there and build your own business from the ground up..." Elena placed a hand on Damon's chest, giving him a coy smile, "Don't you think?"

He blinked several times, looking like he was trying to regain control of the situation. "You make a good point, Elena, but—" He broke off when she slid her weight forward and his knees parted instinctively until she was positioned directly between them. Damon's gaze flicked to her lips, which were inches away from his own. He cleared his throat, "As I was saying..."

Elena slid a hand around his neck, drawing herself even closer. "Do we really have to say any more?" she murmured, leaning towards him until her lips brushed once against his. Damon wasn't aware of when exactly he stood up and wrapped one arm around her waist while his other arm snaked upwards to tangle in her hair, nor was he aware of when exactly he deepened the kiss, their tongues dueling for dominance.

It was only when they were both stumbling backwards and Elena let out a gasp as her back hit the door that he realized what was happening. Damon drew back sharply and nearly groaned out loud when he caught sight of her flushed face. "Oh god—I am so sorry, Elena—I didn't...I don't know what—"

"Hey," she cut him off, a smile on her lips, "Does this mean that my seduction skills pass the test?"

"What?" Damon ran a hand over his face, willing himself to snap out of whatever stupor he was in. "Yeah," he managed to say, "Your skills are definitely...yeah. It'll work for tomorrow."

"Great," Elena opened the door and called over her shoulder, "Have a good night, Mr. Salvatore."

.

The next day went off without a hitch. Elena had been unable to fall asleep after the events of the previous night, so she was already wide awake by the time Caroline showed up at her door (6 AM sharp, as Damon had promised). Being a stylist was apparently Caroline's true calling, as she prattled on about skin tones and eye creams and how to "accessorize."

Elena walked into Damon's apartment at 10:30 AM, wanting to be early to prepare herself for Stefan's arrival. The place was bustling with activity, and more than one person stopped dead in their tracks as they laid eyes on her.

"Oh my god!" Bonnie rushed over to Elena, "You look amazing! That dress—those heels—how are you walking in those?"

"With extreme difficulty," Elena admitted, glancing down at her silver stilettos. The turquoise dress fit her like a glove, hugging her curves in all the right places—as Caroline had told her repeatedly. Her hair had been curled elaborately and rested on her shoulders, framed by sparkling diamond earrings. "How long until Stefan gets here?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? His flight landed an hour early, so he's already here," Bonnie lowered her voice to a whisper, "We showed him to the guest room upstairs...you can go on up, if you're ready."

Elena hesitated before straightening her shoulders, "As ready as I'll ever be. Where's Damon?"

"Out," Bonnie shrugged as she hurried to get back to work, "Good luck!"

"Thanks," Elena muttered as she made her way through the rooms, searching for a staircase that would lead her to the guest room. Five minutes later, she finally found it.

And Stefan was walking down the stairs at the same time.

He stopped when he saw her, a smirk crossing his lips. "Ah, so my brother brought out the prized jewel for my visit. How considerate."

"Mr. Salvatore," she greeted smoothly, "My name is Elena. I hope your flight went well. Did you get a chance to freshen up?"

"I did," Stefan leapt down the final few stairs, catching her off guard. For some reason, she had expected him to be another version of Damon (designer suits, refined attitude, expensive taste), but the younger Salvatore seemed surprisingly down-to-earth. "I had a very refreshing shower," he added, "Though it would've been even better if you had joined me..."

Elena didn't let this faze her. "Perhaps next time," she leaned casually against the banister, "How about I take you out on a little trip around town instead?"

Stefan's gaze grew serious, "Sorry, Elena. I'm strictly here on business. Where's Damon?"

"He'll be back soon. At least let me give you a tour of the apartment while you wait for him?"

Stefan eventually agreed, though he looked displeased. As Elena led him through all the rooms, he barely commented and she even caught him glance at his watch once or twice along the way. "And here we have the library," she announced, arriving at the well-maintained room that looked eerily like the library back at the Salvatore boarding house.

For the first time, Stefan looked interested as he strode across the room to examine the books. "My brother and I have always shared a love for literature," he informed her, sliding a book from the shelf and flipping through the pages. "Do you like to read?"

"I do," Elena held a hand out invitingly towards the plush armchairs, and was gratified when he sat down next to her and listened attentively while she went on to talk about her favorite books.

"I'm impressed," he said after they had talked at some length about Shakespeare. "Forgive me, Elena. I thought that Damon had only hired you to distract me from making this business deal. But it is obvious that is not the case." He looked at her seriously, "You are clearly an intelligent woman...and I hope you'll stay on with the company even after I take part ownership."

Her smile faltered—something that Stefan noticed.

He leaned back in his chair, "Ah, but I'm sure Damon has painted me as the villain of the story?"

"Er, Katherine..."

"Played us both," Stefan's voice was harsh, "I made a mistake, and I know that Damon lost everything because of me...but I lost a lot too, Elena."

She chewed on her lip, "So you're not with her anymore?"

"With Katherine?" he laughed bitterly, "No, that's been over for a long time. She moved on to the next best opportunity, and I was left with nothing. Just like Damon."

Elena frowned, "If there's so much bad blood between you two then why are you trying to make this deal? Wouldn't it be better to leave well enough alone?"

Stefan considered her for a moment, "Do you have a brother, Elena?"

Startled, she answered truthfully before she could stop herself. "Yes, I do. A younger brother."

He nodded, looking away from her. "And have you ever had an argument with him—and I don't mean something petty and insignificant—I mean a real fight...Something that you thought neither of you would ever walk away from? Something unforgivable?"

'I lied. I was wrong. But you're my brother, Jer, and I love you. And I have to fix it. So… just tell me. What can I do?'
'You can go to hell, Elena.'

Stefan studied her expression carefully. "Then you understand why I have to do this...Why I need us to be brothers again." His voice broke, "Why I thought that if we were partners of the family business, then—"

"Elena."

She jumped, turning around to see Damon standing in the doorway. His arms were crossed and he looked distinctly angry. "Excuse us for a moment, Stefan. I must speak to Elena privately."

"Of course."

Elena quickly stood and followed Damon to the hall outside, shutting the door firmly behind her. "I'm sorry," she blurted out, "I tried to..but it didn't work..a-and—"

"Hey," Damon cut her off, cupping her face with both hands as he gazed down at her with a concerned expression. "You look upset...what happened? Did my brother say something to you?"

She shook her head, "Damon, I think...he's truly sorry for everything that happened...he only wants to reconcile."

"So?" A muscle ticked in his jaw, "I don't care if he wants to apologize, Elena. That doesn't change what he did!"

"No, it doesn't," she agreed, placing a hand on his arm, "But that doesn't mean that you have to hurt him like he hurt you, Damon. If one of you doesn't stop, then it'll just be a vicious cycle...why not end it all right now?" Elena looked up at him earnestly, "Why not be the better man?"

A myriad of emotions flew across Damon's face before he closed his eyes, "After what he did to me, I deserve this company, Elena...and he deserves nothing."

"I have a brother," she whispered, her hand reaching down to clasp Damon's. "And there was a point in time when I thought he wouldn't forgive me for something I had done...so I know what you're both going through. I do." He opened his eyes and she gave him a small smile, "I just don't want you to do something you'll regret, Damon."

He was silent for a few moments, and Elena held her breath hopefully.

Eventually, he heaved a sigh. "You're right," he finally admitted, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I have to put what happened behind me, and move on."

Immensely relieved, Elena reached over to envelop him in a tight hug. "I knew you could be the better person," she murmured in his ear, her cool lips brushing against his cheek.

However, he caught her in his arms as she began to step back and covered her mouth with his, giving her such a spine tingling kiss that she moaned when he pulled away. "So," he muttered as he kissed a path down to her neck, "You didn't seduce my brother?"

Elena let her head fall back against the wall in pleasure as his lips moved to nibble her ear. "I guess...my skills...only worked...on you," she managed to gasp out as Damon's hands ran up and down her dress searchingly.

"Good to know," he murmured, "So, would you mind terribly if I ripped this dress off you right now?"

She let out a startled laugh, pushing him away teasingly. "Not until you work things out with your brother," she said in a mock-stern voice, raising an amused eyebrow when he pouted.

"Oh alright," Damon agreed dramatically, darting forward quickly to kiss her once more before reaching out to open the door. He held his arm out to her, "Shall we?"

Elena smiled back at him, linking her arms with his as they walked back into the library. As soon as she stepped in, however, the darkness overtook her and she was pulled away into yet another dimension.

*three sins down, four to go! btw, thank you for all your awesome reviews :) OH and if you followed me on twitter and I havent followed you back yet, it's because I didn't know you were from this site...so just let me know, and I'll add you! xoxo.