Hello there!

Thanks to all who is reading this, I really hope you're liking this story and that you enjoy this chapter. My muse is back and I've been working really hard on this story. Huge thanks to Lorena for being my beta for this.

Now please,

Enjoy.

There she goes in front of me
Take my life and set me free again
We'll make a memory out of it

We finally fall apart and we break each other's hearts
If we wanna live young love we better start today

Not today

.

A dark summer night stared at him from the canvas, stars twinkled in the sky and the moon reflected on the lake. A couple sat on the porch stairs, his arms around the woman as they looked with loving eyes towards the four young people playing in the lake shore. Fireflies danced in the dark night and a little blonde girl chased them with a bottle.

"It's breathtaking" Damon murmured as he continued admiring the work on the canvas. The painting evoked something deep inside him, a longing and nostalgia he hadn't felt in a while

"You really think so?" Elena asked in a hopeful voice. It really meant a lot to her that he thought her work was actually good. "It's a little lake house my parents own near Mystic Falls" She whispered

Damon moved his head and stared at her with amazement in his eyes before returning his stare towards the painting "We used to go during the summer and mom would always let Matt Caroline tag along" She explained

He continued to stare at the picture before him with wonder, his eyes moving towards the brunette girl with her long hair blowing behind her. Elena Gilbert had an amazing way of surprising him.

"It's incredible, Elena" He told her, finally tearing his attention away from the painting "It's such a shame I have to get rid of it" He shook his head " I almost wish I didn't… but it is for a good cause" He moved towards his desk and pulled a little check book out of his drawer "Now, tell me. How much is it?"

"Oh God no" Elena stared at him in horror "I'm not charging you, like you said, it's for a good cause"

Damon smiled slightly "Yes but it has to be something I own. And this is your work, you have to get paid for your work"

"And maybe I will someday but not today. Like I mentioned before, I can't charge you for this, and it is yours. It's a gift" She smiled triumphantly and saw his eyes flash with mischief.

"I insist"

"Nope, it's a gift and that's final"

He smirked and moved closer to her, Elena felt her pulse starting to race and her body slightly trembling at his proximity "You are something else Elena, you aren't like anyone else I've met before" He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and heard the faint catch of her breath "What are you doing to me?" He whispered

"I could ask you the same question" She answered as her eyes moved lower towards his lips. They looked so soft and just the memory of the feel of them against hers was enough to make her body tremble with delight.

He moved forward and brushed their noses together, his lips slightly parted. His minty breath caressed her face and she closed her eyes at the feeling. "Damon" She murmured and he groaned, his mouth moving towards her cheek and placing a soft kiss there

"You make me feel so out of control" He admitted before dipping his head and latching his lips onto her neck.

Elena sucked in a breath and clutched his hair with her right hand as she gripped his bicep with the other. His arms sneaked around her waist and kept her in place as she moaned at the sensation of his lips on her skin.

"Damon…" She whispered as he moved his kisses towards her collarbone. There was no doubt that this man would be the death of her and she would gladly give herself to such a fate right now if it was in his arms.

One of the hands at her waist skimmed lower and pressed softly on her butt, forcing her forward so she could be in complete contact with his erection, her mouth opened in a silent moan and she threw her head back as Damon kissed her breasts through the fabric of her dress.

A knock on the door made them spring apart "Shit" Damon muttered as he fixed his hair and walked behind his desk so he could hide the massive hard on he was sporting.

"Damon?" Elena stared at the door feeling mortified as Bonnie's voice came through the door and prayed to God that the young woman couldn't see her flushed cheeks or imagine what was happening behind the closed door.

Damon looked at Elena to reassure himself that she was already composed and licked his lips when he saw the beautiful flush covering her cheeks and neck. He lifted an eye brow as if to ask if she was ready and she nodded in response.

"Come in" Damon spoke and Bonnie walked in

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were alone" She told them while giving Damon an apologetic look. Elena looked at the floor, full of embarrassment, because she was almost sure that Bonnie knew exactly what they were doing.

"No, it's okay" He said in a clipped tone

"It's just that Mr. Rowland is already here, you know for the meeting" She explained and Damon cursed softly. "You totally forgot right?"

"Yeah I did" He muttered "But that's okay, I'll see him in a moment"

"And I think I should go" Elena offered shyly without meeting his eyes

"Of course, of course" He said and stared at her, forcing her to meet his eyes but when she didn't he just sighed and stared at the different papers scattered around his desk.

"Is this yours Elena?" Bonnie asked "I've heard you like to paint but I didn't know you were this good" Elena gave the other woman a timid smile and nodded. All of that occurred while her head continued to spin with the knowledge that Damon had talked to his friends about her.

"I gave it to Mr. Salvatore as a gift, for the auction"

"Oh it's such a shame this has to go somewhere else"

"I said the same" Damon said and smiled when Elena finally met his eyes.

"Well I'll better get going" Elena headed towards the door "I'll see you later Mr. Salvatore" She said before disappearing through the door and Damon groaned mentally as he impossibly got even harder. He honestly couldn't wait anymore to have that delightful woman under him… or above him, it really didn't matter.

"You have it bad" Bonnie told him, a teasing tone in her voice and mirth in her eyes

"Oh shut up" Damon muttered with a smile gracing his lips, he honestly couldn't think about his current nanny and not smile.

"I think maybe for the first time Enzo is actually going to beat me on a bet" She said and Damon ignored her comment entirely.

"Please send Mr. Rowland in" He told his assistant with a grin on his lips, his face almost splitting in two.

"You do have it bad" Bonnie joked before heading towards the door.

He couldn't deny that his friend was right, he had it bad for Elena Gilbert and he was not going to do anything to change that. He had suffered a rough couple of years and finally deserved some happiness, and right at this moment nothing made him feel happier than that brunette girl with the doe eyes.

Elena walked hand in hand with the elder Salvatore girl, picked up Briar from Ballet lessons and agreed to meet Stefan and Violet in the mall to have an early dinner. Briar had been silent the whole ride to the mall and had been acting a bit strange since she arrived from school so Elena looked at her with a frown trying to think what could be troubling the younger girl

"Briar Rose, are you all right?" Elena asked as they stopped on a bench so they could wait for Stefan's text telling them where he was. "You've been silent all afternoon"

"Are you going to leave us?" The little girl asked softly

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked as they both sat, Briar's legs dangling in the air.

"Nancy said you'll leave"

"And who is Nancy?" Elena asked with a frown and placed her hand under the girl's chin, forcing her head to the side so she could meet her eyes.

"A girl in my school"

"And why does Nancy think that"

Briar looked down once again and started fidgeting with the hem of her blue dress "We had to make a drawing about our favorite person in the whole world and talk about why we loved them so much…. I chose you"

Elena felt her throat closing with emotion as the words left the girl's mouth, it almost made her want to cry. Who would have thought that she would end up loving her job so much?

"And afterwards Nancy said that it was stupid that I chose you, because you are only my nanny and one day you'll leave" Briar chocked up on the last few words and Elena knew she was about to cry so she gathered her in her arms.

"You don't listen to anything that horrible girl has to say okay?" She whispered softly into the girl's hair. Sometimes she wondered how little kids could be so mean to each other "I'm not going anywhere"

"But one day you will, and you'll get married and have children" Briar said "Why can't you stay with us forever? Don't you want to marry my daddy?" She looked up and stared at Elena with big sad eyes.

"Things aren't as simple as that Briar Rose" Elena answered and wiped the few tears the girl had shed "But even if one day I stop working for your father it won't mean I'll stop caring about you or visiting you"

"You promise?"

"Of course, you me and Violet, we're friends now" She said with a small smile and pressed her forehead against Briar's "And friends don't abandon friends"

Briar gave Elena a kiss on the cheek and then hugged her tightly "I love you so much Elena" She murmured

"I love you too darling"

Elena's phone chirped and she pulled out to find a text from Stefan "Look who it is!" She told the girl "Come on, let's get some food in us" Elena smiled down at the girl who returned her smile with new found happiness.

They stood up and continued their path together, Briar's little hand gripping Elena's tightly.

Damon stood in front of the big window leading to the garden and watched as they climbed out of the car, the four of them laughing. It had been so long since he had seen his girls be this happy, Elena had arrived into his house and had changed everything, made it brighter; he couldn't imagine a day in his life where she wasn't present anymore.

A strange and nasty feeling formed inside him when he saw the way she smiled at his brother. He knew Stefan had no intention of persuading her and that she had no feelings other than friendship towards his brother but still he couldn't stop the irrational part of his brain that told him that Stefan would be a better match for her. After all, Stefan didn't carry all the emotional baggage he had on his back, Damon hated that part of his brain.

"Honey we're home!" Stefan shouted once the door was opened and Damon could hear the girlish giggles that followed his comment

"Daddy!" Violet ran towards him the minute she spotted him and he picked her up into his arms "Uncle Stefan bought us chocolate cake" She beamed. Damon gave his brother an annoyed look, giving Violet chocolate at night only meant that she would be awake for hours before finally going to bed.

"I couldn't fight her charms, I truly couldn't" Stefan said with an apologetic look as he raised his hands in the air in front of him

"Don't worry" Elena said with a small smile "I didn't let her have too much so I think she'll be fine"

God, only the sound of her voice could make him want to devour her. He smiled back at her as Stefan rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face "Come on girls, I'll put you to bed, your daddy has things to discuss with Miss Elena"

It amazed Damon sometimes how Stefan could be so attuned to his emotions; Damon kissed the girls and promised to go to them in a while. As Stefan walked away he turned around and mouthed an obscenity before giving him a thumbs up. Damon ignored him and focused his entire attention on the girl in front of him.

"You had fun with Stefan?" He asked

"Yes, we all had fun"

"He's good looking right? My brother? He's also fun" He said almost nonchalantly and Elena suppressed a laugh at his attitude

"Is there anything you want to ask me Damon?" She said with a quirked eye brow and a smile on her lips.

"No, no" He laughed under his breath and shook his head. He truly was making a fool of himself tonight, he thought bitterly "But I did want to speak with you"

"What is it that you want Damon?" Elena asked in a timid voice

"You, I want you Elena"

She stared at him with her mouth open, her face showing clear shock at his bold words but he couldn't regret them. "I want us to be together"

"I… I don't know what to say" She said breathlessly "I mean… I think it's more than obvious that I want you too but… would it be wise?" She asked recalling her earlier conversation with Briar, if things didn't work out between them she didn't want her relationship with the girls to go sour.

"Maybe not" He said shrugging "I would be lying to you if I told you that I know what I'm doing because I'm not but I really want to give us a chance" He walked towards her and Elena felt her pulse racing "It's been so long since I've felt this happy Elena"

The strain in his voice and the hurt look in his eyes broke her heart into a million pieces, she knew he probably suffered a lot after his wife's death and to imagine this wonderful man being so alone made her heart ache "With your arrival at the house it's like a whole new world I didn't know of opened itself in front of me… you bring so much color into this house and I'm tired of living among gray things"

He heard the catch in her breath when he stroked his hand down her cheek, her eyes closing involuntarily and her body leaning into his "Say yes Elena, I know we can make this work"

She wanted to say yes, she wanted to more than anything in the world. She understood what he was saying; she had been living among dark things for so long too. A part of her always wished for something like the love her mother and Ric shared but she had never imagined that it would be possible, especially with a man like Damon... with Damon she knew she had a real chance at getting it.

"I have one condition" She murmured and opened her eyes, finding those dark blue pools staring back at her with an intensity that made her weak in the knees

"Anything" He answered

"Can we keep this a secret?" She asked "Not forever… but just for the time being… I don't want the girls to get their hopes up if…"

"If…" He murmured as he dropped his forehead into hers. It wasn't ideal, the non-rational part of him wanted to go all caveman on her and shout to the whole world that she was his but he also understood where she was coming from. Just yesterday night Briar had asked him if he would like to marry Elena. It would be unfair to give the girls hope if there was even a small chance that things wouldn't work out in the end "All right"

"Really?"

"If it's what you want"

Elena beamed at him and he smiled back before dipping his head and pressing his lips onto hers. She closed her eyes and moved closer, lacing her fingers behind his neck and pressing her body closer to his.

They kissed for what it felt like hours, just the two of them in the parlor as the night's light entered swiftly through the windows. They would probably need to be more careful if they wanted to keep it a secret but at the moment all thoughts left their minds as their lips found each other again and again. Hands touching, discovering each other's quirks, breathing in each other and enjoying the newfound happiness of finally being together.

Review please?