Chapter 5

Damon sat on the beach, scooping up handfuls of sand and letting it fall between his fingers. He'd never thought that his honeymoon would be filled with so much damn introspection, but here he was, sitting alone on the beach, watching the sun setting over the water and thinking about how he'd never screwed up anything as badly as he'd screwed up his marriage to Elena.

After one week in paradise, he hadn't gotten any further with her than when they first arrived. He'd taken her to one of his favorite places in the world, Tahiti. Being rich had afforded him the luxury of visiting many different places, and he definitely thought Tahiti was heaven on earth. He owned a property in Toahotu that he'd never shared with anyone else. He liked his privacy and space, but he'd wanted Elena to share it with him. He thought that the relaxation might do her good. Even if it just meant her sitting on the beach day in, day out.

To be fair, at the time he'd also been thinking about him and Elena sipping cocktails, watching the sunset, and perhaps skinny dipping. That was before he knew he would have to threaten her to get her to walk down the aisle. He sipped at the glass in his hand.

After the wedding, she'd had something akin to a breakdown. She'd called him morally bankrupt and a controlling egomaniac. Normally he didn't give a damn what anyone thought of him, but he hated that Elena thought he was those things.

He'd done things he regretted before; he'd made mistakes, but never one like this. Blackmailing Elena was about the worst thing he'd ever done and now it looked as if she intended to make him pay for a very long time. She was miserable, and he in turn was miserable.

He'd severely overestimated his ability to win her over. He had no idea what to do with her. She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't talk to him. Hell, she wouldn't even look at him most of the time.

He was starting to worry. No, he was more than worried. At moments he'd had thoughts of coming clean and telling her he never would have hurt her family, but the damage was done. Besides, would she really think of him in any better light if he told her the truth? He could see it now, 'So Elena, you remember how I told you I'd take everything away from your family if you didn't marry me, well I lied. I lied to get you to marry me.' Yeah, he didn't think it would go down much better than the threat itself.

The most concerning thing was that she wouldn't eat. She looked like she was losing weight; something she could not afford to do. He didn't know how to get her to eat, short of forcing food into her mouth or threatening her. Neither of those options appealed, but nothing else was working.

He'd tried charming her and he'd tried keeping his distance. He'd been nice and polite, but that was getting him no where fast. He had to change track. Anything was worth a go at this point. Perhaps he had to say goodbye to the idea of her liking him at all. She saw him as a controlling ass anyway. He might as well be one and get her to eat. So that was it then; no more playing mister nice guy.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew off by heart. If anyone could make Elena eat, it would be Bree. He finished his conversation and stood up. He had a stop to make before he returned home.

Elena sat on her bed, listening to her iPod. She had a book sitting open on her stomach, but she didn't feel like reading. She didn't feel like doing much of anything at all. Damon had brought her to what he called 'his little slice of heaven,' but she didn't want to see or explore any of it. If she were completely honest, she was too busy indulging in self-pity to pay any attention to the scenery outside.

She was managing to avoid Damon by never going outside and not eating. He'd given her a bedroom of her own, and other than letting her know when their food was ready and trying to convince her to eat, she never saw him. For a week, she'd been in these four walls. Instead of thinking of it as a prison, though, it felt more like a safe haven.

She drifted off to sleep for a while and when she woke up she knew straight away he was there. He was standing in the doorway, watching her. She sat up quickly, feeling far too exposed in her short shorts and bikini top, and feeling slightly vulnerable because she was still groggy from her slumber. Even casually leaning in the doorway, he looked imposing. His facial expression was quite dark, she noted. Her gaze traveled from his bare feet, over his black shorts and black polo shirt, to his eyes, which seemed cool compared to normal.

"It's time for dinner," he said simply.

"I'm not hungry," she told him.

"Too bad," he told her, "I have the best cuisine on the island and I promised my friend that I would tell her exactly what you think of her food."

She was about to refuse, when she smelt something divine. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not hungry, because I'm happy to throw yours…"

"Okay, maybe I am a little bit hungry." She expected him to gloat or do a victory dance, but instead he just left her room. She slipped on a tank top and walked out to the patio.

The table had been set up with everything they'd need, including two full glasses of white wine and candles lit up all over the place. She wanted to see what was for dinner, but she was momentarily distracted by the color of the sky. The sun looked as if it had gone down, but there were fingers or pink and red over the water.

"Sit," Damon told her. She sat down in front on a plate of salad, fish and very large chips. It looked good, but it smelt amazing. She picked up her fork and attacked the fish on her plate. She moaned out loud when she tasted it. The fish melted in her mouth, a delicious combination of butter and herbs she didn't recognize. Her taste buds felt as if they were dancing.

Damon tried not to let her moan of satisfaction affect him too much, but it was a swift reminder that it had been far too long since he'd had sex. As if he needed a reminder.

"This is incredible," she told him.

"I know," he said, before he popped one of the chips into his mouth. She reached for her glass and tasted the refreshing chardonnay. She didn't know whether it was the scrumptious food, or the mouthful of wine on an almost empty stomach, but when Damon smiled at her, she smiled back.

"It's nice to see you smile, Elena,"

As soon as he said it, she felt a nervous tension spread throughout her body.

"Don't think that just because I smiled, I'm going to fall into bed with you now."

Damon looked at her but didn't bat an eyelid.

"Us going to bed together is inevitable. The sooner you get used to that idea, the easier it will be for you."

She glared at him, and put down her fork, her appetite suddenly gone. "Easier for you, or easier for me?" she asked him.

"Easier for you," he told her, not skipping a beat. "It's going to happen sooner or later, and you'll be more comfortable if you come to accept it."

"No, you'll be more comfortable if I accept it. You don't want to bed an unwilling woman, Damon, but guess what, you're going to have to, because I'm not willing to go to bed with you. I won't willingly sleep with a man who cares for no-one but himself. The only reason I'm here is because you blackmailed me, and if you think I'm going to just melt into your arms, you have another thing coming."

"Let me be perfectly clear, Elena, I have not touched you since we arrived. I have respected the fact that you are not entirely happy with me…"

"Not happy! I'm…"

"I'm not finished," he cut in. His voice was quiet but something in it told her he would brook no further argument from her. "I know you are not entirely happy with me at the moment, but you made me a deal, and you were going to back out of it. How I responded was unfair, yes, but you would never have been able to pay me back. You know it and I know it. What should I have done?"

"I don't care what you should have done!" Her voice was rising but it didn't stop her. "What kind of man threatens a woman's family so she marries him? What you did was despicable, and I will never forgive you, Damon. Never. And when we do go to bed, I will hate you even more for forcing me to do that!"

She stood up and threw her napkin on the table, before turning to storm away. Unfortunately he captured her wrist in his hand and turned her roughly to face him, ruining her attempt at a dramatic exit.

"Let go of me," she cried out; his fingers biting into the soft flesh at her wrist.

"Listen carefully, Elena. I will never force you into bed with me, but I won't need to. Both of us know how easily and quickly you respond to me."

She flushed from anger and embarrassment, as their bathroom incident flashed before her eyes in vivid detail. "I didn't hate you then."

"No, you didn't, but hate me or not, you're attracted to me. You want me."

She wanted to deny it, but she didn't dare. Knowing Damon, he'd kiss her just to prove his point. She couldn't risk it.

"What, no comeback? You're going to admit you're attracted to me?"

"Well, I've been telling my body what a jerk you are, but it doesn't seem to have listened yet."

Damon burst into laughter; a deep laugh that she had never heard before. She glared at him, annoyed that on top of everything tonight, he was now laughing at her.

"I'm sorry," he said after he stopped laughing. "Please come back and finish your dinner."

"I'm not hungry," she told him.

"Eat anyway," he told her. "We'll be back home soon, and the last thing you want after all you've done for them, is to worry your parents by returning home looking the way you look now."

"Resorting to emotional blackmail now, are we?"

He was, but he was beyond caring. He needed her to eat. He needed her to be okay.

"If that's what it takes to get you to eat, then yes," he said. "You can't go home looking the way you look right now."

"And how do I look?" she asked, not completely sure she wanted to hear his answer.

"You look as if you haven't slept for a month or longer, and like you haven't eaten in just as long. I worry the wind might blow you over at any moment, and you look so miserable that even the wildlife is depressed when it sees you."

She rolled her eyes at him. He was being overly-dramatic surely. Why did he care anyway? Her health really was no concern of his, unless it all came down to what she was to give him. She supposed that he wanted the future mother of his child to be in good shape. That was why she could glimpse concern in his eyes. Whatever the reason for his concern, he was right. It would worry her parents to see her looking sickly.

Reluctantly she joined him at the table again, picking up the fork and eyeing him warily. They both resumed eating in silence.

"So," he said, finally breaking the silence, "I understand you want to punish me for my…despicable ways," he raised his eyebrows at her and grinned evilly, "but we're only here for a few more days, and it would be a pity for you to miss out on the beauty of the island, just to spite me."

She felt like a child being given a dressing down, which was ridiculous since she'd done nothing wrong. She couldn't keep the defensiveness out of her voice when she replied.

"I haven't felt like doing much sightseeing lately."

"Well, I hope that won't be the case tomorrow. For the next few days, I'm going to show you some of my favorite sites around here, so you'd better be ready to sight see."

She looked at him. His gaze was heavy lidded as he leaned back in his chair casually, as if he didn't care either way. She wasn't fooled, though. He was telling her they were going to be spending the next few days together, just like he'd told her they would go to bed together and she would succumb. Was there any point in attempting to fight him? She knew that the passion between them, whether she hated him or not, would explode into something the moment it was allowed to.

Fighting with Damon would be like waving a red flag at a bull and saying, 'come get me'. She didn't want to wave that flag at him anymore tonight. Besides, she preferred to keep the peace unless it was necessary to take a stand. She'd taken her stand. She'd told him what she thought of him, of going to bed with him. He, however, did not care what she thought about him. Her thoughts hadn't deterred him at all. He didn't care about anyone, so why would he care what she thought about him?

Spending time with him was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd thought that she'd successfully managed to avoid Damon for the past week, but now she suspected that the only reason she hadn't seen that much of him was because he had left her alone. Now, however, her grace period was over and she was expected to go back to spending time with him as if nothing had ever happened; as if he hadn't threatened her family or blackmailed her to the altar.

She'd never felt so trapped before in her life. If she fought him, he'd see it as a challenge and try and conquer her. And if she gave in, she feared she would stop hating him all too quickly. She found the only answer was a compromise. She would be polite but cool. She would spend time, but not get involved, and whatever she did, she must never ever forget what Damon Salvatore was capable of.

"Fine," she told him finally, attempting to keep her voice only a notch above zero. "Some sightseeing tomorrow would be acceptable."

"Glad to hear it," he said, giving her such a charming smile that she regretted her decision almost immediately.

The next day they went snorkeling. Damon took them out on his boat, and it was the first time she had actually looked around her. She reluctantly admitted that the place was indescribably beautiful. The palm trees; the white sand beaches, the clear water and blue skies with white fluffy clouds gave the place an outer world feel. Damon had been right about it being like a little piece of heaven.

She didn't make conversation with Damon, but she answered his questions politely. She was sure she saw him smirk once or twice at her overly polite demeanor, but she didn't mind. At least she wasn't falling all over him, and she was almost managing to keep her eyes off his fantastic body. Today he wore navy shorts with a navy and black striped polo shirt. It wasn't an Armani suit, but he still looked like he could have stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.

The word edible traveled through her mind twice before she gave herself a mental slap. She already knew he tasted amazing; that his kisses were amazing, that going to bed with him would also be amazing. She groaned inwardly as she felt the dull ache of desire start between her legs. Her hormones were going to shoot her plan to hell, she was sure of it.

She let him apply sunscreen to her back when they were getting ready to hop into the water. She didn't want him to, but she thought telling him she'd prefer to be sunburnt than let him touch her would be childish. As his hands stroked over her flesh, applying a liberal amount of cream, she was aware that her heart was beating a little faster than normal. When it was over she breathed a sigh of relief, but then he asked her to return the favor. As she applied sunscreen to his back she tried to keep her touch as clinical as possible, but found herself enjoying the feel of his muscles underneath her hands.

She must have taken a little too long because he looked over his shoulder at her and raised an eyebrow. "Finished yet?" he asked, smirk in place. She flushed and stopped what she was doing.

They waited a few minutes to let the sunscreen start taking effect before he slipped over the side of the boat, giving her his hand and indicating for her to follow.

She'd never been snorkeling before, but it didn't take her long to get the hang of it. Before long she was swimming around looking at everything, delighting in the beauty of the ocean. She was completely overcome with the sights, and she found that it was easy to enjoy herself in the water, exploring.

After a while she stood still for a moment and poked her head out of the water to see where Damon was. Whilst she was standing there, a school of brightly colored black and yellow fish surrounded her; swimming in circles.

"Oh my goodness, Damon, you have to see this." She couldn't tamp down her excitement as she was surrounded by fish.

Damon quickly joined her, standing in front of her. She pointed to the fish swimming around her and laughed as they brushed against her leg, tickling her.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she asked him.

"Yes, extremely."

Something in his voice made her look at him. He was gazing at her intently. His dark hair was wet and slicked back off his face. She was so caught up in his eyes that when something brushed against her foot, it startled her. She squealed and then lunged forward into Damon. He laughed as his hands went around her waist.

"Something brushed against my foot," she mumbled, aware that this was the closest she'd been to him since their wedding day. Her bikini clad breasts were pressed into his naked chest and she could feel his hands at her hips, stroking her with his fingertips. His caress sent such intense heat through her that the water suddenly felt quite cool. Her body pulsed with need for him, and it was all she could do not to wrap her legs around him and demand he take her now. She couldn't do that, though; not after what he'd done. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his hands held her tight. She looked up to find him staring at her lips.

"No," she said, as he leaned in ever so slightly. She hadn't intended that word to come out so breathy and inviting.

His eyes flicked upward and locked onto hers. For a moment she didn't move, then she wriggled harder.

"I wouldn't do that," he said in a voice that sounded strained to her. She was about to ask why, when she felt his erection nudging her. How typical, she thought, that he should find her resistance exciting. What was it she'd said about red flag to a bull?

"Let go of me, Damon," she said. This time her voice came out relatively firm, which was lucky because inside she felt like jello. She was relieved when he let her go, and swam away from her. Her keeping her distance emotionally depended on her ability to keep the distance between them physically. She wasn't sure at this point, however, just how long she could hold out for, or just how long he would let her.

"Come on," he said, after stopping for a moment, "There's plenty more to see."

He gave her a smile and motioned for her to follow him. She sighed before giving in and following him. Damon wasn't going to give her much of a chance to put any distance between them. Not anymore.

The next day he took her for a chartered helicopter ride around some of the islands before they picnicked next to one of the most beautiful waterfalls she'd ever seen. The day after that Damon showed her some of the local markets, and she found herself a lovely sarong and some souvenirs for her parents and Jeremy. Then finally the day came when they were leaving.

On one hand she was happy to be going home, but on the other hand she had actually just started to relax and enjoy herself a little bit. Still, at home Damon would go back to work, and she wouldn't have to spend so much time with him.

As they reached the main airport, she was just complimenting herself on getting through the entire honeymoon without sleeping with Damon, when his phone rang. He looked at his phone and frowned.

"Sorry, I wouldn't take this but it's Rose."

"Well, if it's Rose," she muttered sarcastically under her breath. He didn't hear her, however, because he'd already answered the phone and walked away. Elena couldn't help but feel a little miffed that he was taking what she could only assume was a work call on their honeymoon. It was silly for her to feel that way since she'd not treated this break away as a honeymoon, but it bothered her anyway.

When Damon came back, Elena thought he actually looked a little nervous.

"So," he said. He ran his hand through his hair, and looked at her. "I know I said we were going home, but I was wondering how you felt about a little detour for a few days or so. Something has come up with the business and it would be better if I could attend to it straight away. I'd prefer not to have to go home and fly out again."

"How little?" she asked.

"Italy," he told her. "I need to go to Italy."

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. Whilst on holiday, I realized how utterly addicted to fanfiction I am. Oh dear!

I hope my Aussie didn't show too much in this. I live in fear that I'll mess up an American term, so please let me know if I got something wrong. Thank you for reading and please review.