Hello to all you wonderful people out there!

Do you know how amazing you guys are? No seriously, you are! Thank you YET AGAIN for all of your reviews. I love reading each and every one of them and to hear your thoughts is just brilliant. As promised if I was rewarded with your reviews, I would reward you with a chapter before I leave. And here it is!

However due to running around like a blue arsed fly trying to sort things out for when I move, I wasn't able to finish this chapter to where I wanted it to be. Which was the cliffhanger - a pretty big one at that. It's the part I am most excited to write about and I didn't want to rush an average version of it. You guys deserve only the best from me, so I hope you'll be able to hang on for it. You'll love to hate it. That's a promise ;-)

Anyway, on with the romantic getaway (aka, how it should have been - not reading journals and inspecting a hollow wall whilst making out with your girlfriend *cough*STEFAN*cough*)

ELENA'S POV

The gentle sound of the bulrushes blowing in the wind and the singing of crickets were all that Elena could hear. The sky that melted from black to blue, dotted with bright stars was all Elena could see. The tips of her toes dipping into the still water at the end of the jetty, and Damon's heartbeat from where she laid against his chest was all she could feel. Everything about this moment was perfect. And she knew she'd remember it forever.

"Favourite book," he drawled from above. Elena smiled.

"Would it be cheesy of me if I told you it was Hamlet?"

"Nope. But technically Hamlet is not a book, it's a play. I'd get that one right before you sit your exams, honey."

Elena swirled her foot in the water to kick his shin, "smartass. So what's your favourite read?"

"Gone with the Wind."

Elena tweaked her eyebrows. She wasn't expecting that one at all.

"A little girly isn't it?" she said, turning to watch her fingertips trace patterns along his bare stomach.

"I guess it is. It was my mom's favourite, she would read it once or twice a year."

"Wow," Elena found herself saying, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the mentioning of his mother. There was a silent understanding between them when it came to the loss of a loved one and Elena felt that the day he took her hand before class and he told her knew her pain. That he 'got it' and she believed him. "It really is her favourite if she reads it over and over" she finished, not sure what to feel about using the present tense. As much as the arrows pointed in that direction, Elena still wasn't certain whether his mother had indeed passed away.

"Yeah, it was."

That was that then. Elena smiled sadly and chose not to say anything else. She hated it when people would try to make her open up about the loss of her parents, as though it would do her good to chat about them. Yet it only felt right if she brought them up herself. She assumed Damon felt the same way.

"First love," Elena said, rolling over to rest her upper body on his chest so she could look into his eyes. They seemed to glow a magnificent blue in the darkness. Clashing brilliantly with his unruly black hair and pale skin. Elena couldn't believe she was so lucky, and thought that if any woman was able to walk away from this man, then they must be insane.

"First love?" he repeated. Elena nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous about his answer. He looked to her face, then back to the sky. "His name was Paul."

Elena felt her jaw drop but began to laugh, "yeah, very funny Damon."

"I'm being serious, Elena" he said sternly. There wasn't a flicker of amusement in his face or voice. A horrible feeling curdled inside Elena's stomach.

"Oh... so that means you're a bise-"

He suddenly burst out laughing, frightening Elena half to death. She slapped him hard on the chest and abruptly sat up.

"You're suck a dick!"

"I know," he said, sounding far too amused with himself. He was almost crying with laughter and Elena felt like there was only one thing for it.

"Damon, there's something in the water!"

"Where!"

As he sat up to investigate, Elena shoved him over into the lake. He screamed like a little girl at the surprise and was silenced at he went completely under the surface. Damon + being pushed into the water = Elena wishing she had caught his girly shrieking on camera.

"You're in the water that's what," she shouted while trying to breathe, laughing so hard that it hurt.

Finally he surfaced, shaking the water out of his hair and chattering his teeth.

"Fuck me, this is cold!" he shivered.

"Serves you right" she said, standing with her arms folded, watching as he treaded water.

"Oh yeah?"

Before she could reply, with a wiggle of his eyebrows he slapped his arm against the water so it created a giant wave to go hurdling right over her. Elena shrieked at how cold the water was, beginning to shiver as she stood there, arms wide at her sides and mouth agape, staring at him as if to say 'look what you just did!'

He splashed her again and a second time for good measure. Elena, caught off guard on his second attack tripped backwards on her heel and went toppling backwards into the water on the other side of the jetty. Her attempts to walk away victorious, all but fell into the water with her.

Damon Salvatore was so in for it.

She surfaced with a gasp, cough and a splutter. Knowing it was probably the least sexiest way she could have possibly gone about it.

"What the!"

Her stomach jumped as a pair of hands encircled her body from behind, pulling her through the water to rest back against his chest and body.

"Why can I never get the upper hand with you?" she said, rubbing the water droplets from out of her eyes.

"Didn't look like I had the upper hand when you were slapping me around on the sofa earlier," Damon teased, resting his head at the side of hers and nipping her neck with his teeth. Elena giggled, turning her head as best as she could to look at him. Her breath hitched in her throat at his cerulean blue eyes.

"Who was it?" she asked. He cocked his head, clearly confused.

"Who was who?"

"Your first love?" she whispered, twisting her body in the transparent water to face her lover properly.

"She was someone I met at college," he began, moving Elena's soft, supple thighs so they settled around his hips. Elena rested snug against his body, ready to listen as she played with the wet hair at the nape of his neck. "Her name was Katherine. She was smart, seductive, although she could be a little selfish and unkind at times, it didn't change the way I felt about her. We fell for each other instantly."

As much as she wanted to know, Elena cursed herself mentally for feeling the inevitable slither of jealously, as does everyone when someone they love talks about someone they used to be in love with. However as he ever so gently used his thumb to brush away the pearly, droplets of water from her cheek, Elena realized she was more jealous of the fact this Katherine girl was the same age as him... and she was so young.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice a little dry from her lack of talking. Damon shrugged,

"She met someone else. Never met the guy, but apparently he was quite the looker"

"Over you?" Elena gasped, "That's impossible. How could she leave someone as handsome as you?"

"Beats me. What with my good looks, style and charm, not to mention my modesty" he said, treating her to that delicious eye-thing and wicked smile.

"Oh of course," Elena nodded, feeling her body melt against his the longer he kept up that devilish grin.

"And what about you, Miss Gilbert?" he asked, moving them both smoothly through the water as he made his way back to the jetty.

Elena looked down between their bodies, watching them morph into a blur under the water as they moved. The obvious answer was Stefan, but she felt like her sad, teenage romance would just sound ridiculous to Damon. But still, he revealed his and this was meant to be a time to explore each others past.

"It was Stefan."

"Ah, I thought so."

"W-what do you mean?" Elena asked, worried he might be thinking she was still involved with him or something.

"Well I've seen the way he looks at you. Clearly you broke the guys' heart."

Elena rolled her eyes, "is it that obvious? Everyone apart from my close friends think I'm a total bitch for it."

"They will do. You're the heartless girlfriend who doesn't care about him to them. If they don't matter to you, don't let what they think matter either."

"I won't" she smiled, suddenly shivering in his arms as a blustery wind picked up around them.

"Lets get you inside," he said, and with that he lifted her out of the water and carefully back onto the wooden jetty beside them. Elena visibly began to shake, standing up in her soaking wet bra and hotpants while she waited for Damon to surface.

Huddled close together, the shivering couple scurried along the cool grass and back up the porch into their cabin. The warmth that blanketed Elena's body as she entered was perfection. She watched Damon slide by her, his body still damp with a sheen of water as he made his way to the bedroom to quickly return with two black, fluffy towels in his hands. Elena still felt like she had to pinch herself that this was all really happening. That they were here, together, just simply enjoying one another's company.

She smiled her thanks and wrapped the towel around her body. While Damon did the usual man routine of rubbing the towel frantically all over his body and ruffling it through his hair.

"Glass of wine, Miss Gilbert?" he asked with his trademark grin playing on his lips.

"But.. but i'm not-"

"Oh come on, Elena" he said with exasperation as he strolled across to the kitchen. "With what we're actually doing, do you really think I'm gonna raise an eyebrow if you have a little alcohol?"

As much as what he said was true, his tone of voice made her feel like a child.

"Well I apologize for the fact I'm rarely offered alcohol considering I'm underage," she scalded as he slammed the refrigerator door.

"Alright, fair enough" he said, twisting the cork in the bottle until a satisfying 'pop' echoed around the room. "Would you like to have a glass or not?"

Elena saw in his body language that she had delivered him the same blow that he had done to her. Rubbing in their differences of age and lifestyle. As mature as she was, Elena was still only sixteen and from the moment she met Damon she loathed it and longed to be just a couple of years older. He was a twenty-something year old man and had experienced all the things she was yet to do; graduate, go to college, have a long-term relationship, travel, live independently, begin a career - the list seemed endless. Tears suddenly merged in her eyes and she flopped down on the couch they had made love on only hours before. She curled the towel tighter around herself, trying desperately not to cry as she heard Damon fill up two glasses with white wine.

As a tear escaped down her cheek a glass filled to the brim was hovering in front of her. She took it silently and smelled it before taking a sip. She grimaced at the zesty taste that became bitter on her tongue. She was well aware this whole time that Damon was watching from beside her.

"Penny for your thoughts," he asked after a few more moments.

Elena looked over to him, trying NOT to stare at his toned body as he rested back against the couch, watching intently as he waited for her to reply. She felt there was no time like the present to discuss their 'situation.'

"Does it bother you?" she asked quietly, almost afraid to ask.

"Does what bother me?"

"How..." she trailed off, looking away to watch her fingertip swirl around the rim of her wine glass "... how old I am. Does it bother you?"

"Well if it really bothered me, I wouldn't be hear right now would I?"

"So it does?" Elena said to clarify, watching him take a massive gulp of wine, almost polishing it all off.

"Of course it does" he said, his words hitting Elena like shards of ice. He must have sensed that, as he coaxed her backwards into his waiting arms. Elena more than happily settled at his side, looking up into those eyes that were just simply magical... for the lack of a better word in her head at that time. She took a sip of her wine herself, also feeling like she needed it to continue their conversation. He took a deep breath, looking away for a second as if he were struggling to chose the right words. "Your age and the fact I am your teacher does nothing to change the way I feel about you. But it still doesn't stop that niggling voice in the back of my brain that tells me every time I touch you I could be thrown behind bars for it."

Elena suddenly saw his barriers drop for a fleeting second and she saw a world of worry floating around in those intense, blue eyes. A nervous smile twitched at his lips and he quickly finished off his wine, plonking the glass on the coffee table in front of them. When they spoke of the dangers their relationship held when they first made love in his apartment, Elena understood how serious it was. Yet now, on a romantic weekend away with a huge web of lies spinning around them, it suddenly hit home and it felt painful in her chest.

"Damon," she whispered, trying to get him to look away from the embers of the fire from across the cabin to look at her. "Damon,"

"Hm?" he said, looking at her and pretending as though he hadn't heard the first time. Elena knew he did.

"If ever you decide that... that being with me is not worth it, you know i'll understand if you choose to walk away."

The words were painful to say and Damon looked deeply offended.

"I would never do that," he said harshly, leaning over and curling his fingers across her cheek. The barely-there touch made her shudder, his fingertips feeling like silk across her skin. "You're always going to be worth it, Elena. If the going gets tough then we ride it out. It's that simple."

"But what if something happens, what if we get caught?"

"Then we get caught."

"What if you go to court and they find you guilty!"

"Then I go to court and they find me guilty, Elena."

Elena felt the tears fall and she couldn't look at him a second longer. She untangled herself from his limbs and left to go upstairs to their room. She wasn't mad with him, she just couldn't bare to look at his face anymore when she knew how much he was risking to simply be with her. As she sat herself down in front of the dressing table, staring into the mirror in the dim light, she wondered what made her so worth the risk. A teenage girl with not a great deal to show for herself other than a cheerleading trophy. As she yanked a few tissues out from the box in front of her, she began to wonder if it was actually fair to let Damon Salvatore risk EVERYTHING in his life for her.

A shadow stood in front of the door way as she wiped away the tears. Before she could stop her bottom lip from quivering to talk, Damon had snaked onto the stool behind her, pulling her back to sit snug between his legs. Elena tearfully met his eyes in the mirror, then watched as his strong arms cradled her around her stomach.

"We're either in this together Elena, or we're already fighting a losing battle" he explained, his breath hot against her slender neck.

"But what if we do lose?" she said, staring into the mirror at him, trying not to come undone at the intensity of his stare and the way his arms flexed as they held her body close. "What if it all goes wrong? It doesn't seem fair that you'll get all the blame and i'll just be able to walk away."

"Life isn't fair sometimes. We both know that" he said softly.

Elena look back up to his face, the act vividly reminding her of their closeness when she tried to reach the bookshelf she needed in class. Except this time she didn't give a second thought about kissing him, enjoying the way his soft lips moved against her own.

"I can't lose you," she said breathlessly against his lips, moving to rest her forehead against his chin, silently wishing for everything to turn out for the best for them.

As she felt his arms tighten around her tiny body, she smiled.

"You won't."

DAMON'S POV

"C'mon you shit, piece of shit boat."

Damon had completed all the required checks Alaric told him to do to get the speedboat 'running like a dream,' yet it as much as Damon twisted the keys into the ignition, it was dead.

"Damn it!" he hissed, feeling so close to throwing them as far as he could into the water.

He hoped, after the intense conversation he and Elena delved into last night, that knocking out some waves in Alaric's boat would be a great way blow off some steam. As Damon twisted the keys yet again to here nothing but a little 'clicking' sound, he hoped Elena would be happy renting out a paddle-boat for the day.

Or maybe they could finish where they left off with the lazy yet incredibly mind-blowing morning sex they had earlier.

"Having trouble, Salvatore?"

Damon looked up to find Elena wandering over in the tightest denim shorts and black crop-top. Although simple, the outfit showed off each and every curve of her body amazingly. As she drew closer and closer along the jetty, he found he was getting harder with each of her steps.

"Nothing I can't handle, Miss Gilbert" he said, realizing it took him several seconds to even answer her, too mesmerized by her gorgeous body that she'd cruelly put on display for him. Yep, if he actually got this bucket working he'd definitely be crashing into a rock... or two.

She tossed her beach bag into the boat and Damon stepped over to help her in.

"Whoa!" she giggled, trying to get her sea legs as the boat bobbed back and forth a little upon her entry. "This is pretty cool!"

While she busied herself with testing out the passenger seats at the back, Damon hastily tried the keys once again. Nothing.

"You can't get it working can you?" she quipped.

Damon responded with forced laughter, taken back a little when he turned to see her sprawled along the seats, arms resting at the sides and looking at him through her shades. Damon wondered if the permanent erection he seemed to have would be doing more harm than good!

"How about you Little Miss Perfect, any good with speedboats?"

He dangled the keys in front of her. She stood up and picked them out from his pinched fingertips. After trying the key she must have noticed Damon using, she opted for... oh yeah, another key that was on the chain.

The engine fired up instantly.

And boy did she look pleased with herself.

"Y'know how there's more than one key on this chain, sweetie?"

The little minx decided to pat him condescendingly on the cheek. Damon smirked and bugged his eyes out at her.

"Keep that up and you'll be thrown over board, Missy..."

Damon had decided after approximately thirty seconds on the water, that he was going to purchase a speedboat as soon as they got home.

They had been out on the water for only a matter of minutes and Damon had already got the pair of them soaked. Elena had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, laughing and screaming with delight into his ear, wanting to be as close as she possibly could to him. He was probably going a little too fast, but considering no one else was out on the water yet, the lake belonged to them. The further out into the lake they got, the waters actually seemed to be a little rough, as though they were out at sea. Feeling confident, Damon had no problem hitting the waves at a top speed and slowing down at the stop, making sure the boat dropped and hit the water with an almighty splash.

"OhmyGodDamonwe'regonnadiiiiiieeeeeeeee!"

Her screaming only got him going more, and he treated her to several other waves before finally deciding to slow down and have a break. As the engine cooled into a heavy thrumming sound, Damon wiped away the tears in his eyes from the sharp winds and ruffled a hand through his wet hair. He caught Elena sitting in the passenger seat, taking off her life jacket and arching her body backwards to do it. The simplest movements she made were like a bolt of lightening straight to his cock. He had to look away before he unleashed his animalistic side to take her right there and then.

"Now that was fun," he suddenly announced, surveying the spray of waves that he'd created on the water that were still there.

"It was brilliant. How can no one be out here on their boats already? They're insane!"

Damon ears pricked up at her words. With a quick look around... well whadd'ya know... they were indeed, still alone after all.

"Nah, I'm kinda hoping they'll stay tucked up in their beds a little longer."

"Why do you say... oh no, Damon."

He smirked down at her as she looked back up with disbelief. He adored how innocent she was, because he knew each time she divulged into new territory with him, she would always come back wanting more. The look of shock in her eyes soon faded, and Damon could tell the cogs were working in her head, and she was imagining doing all kinds of things to him in the middle of this lake.

As her pretty little mouth opened up to protest once again he got to his knees so he was level with her. A breath hitched at the back of her throat before she quickly looked around the boat. They were right in the middle of the lake, bobbing along on their own and would appear as a tiny dot to anyone in the distance on the shore.

"C'mon Elena..." he drawled, stroking his hands up her soaking wet thighs.

"What if we get caught?" she hissed. Damon raised his eyebrows cheekily, knowing it would get her going.

"That's the whole fun of it," he said, never taking his eyes from hers as he flicked open the button of her shorts.

He dragged the sopping wet material down her legs before he gave her a chance to answer. She even motioned down so she was able to give him better access. Her body was telling him to go on while that silly little conscience was talking jibberish out of her mouth. Silently, he dared her to talk again.

"Yeah, but what if..."

Damon thrust a finger up inside her, cutting her empty words off into a gasp as she dropped her head backwards, falling into a world of pleasure as he slowly moved his finger back out of her hot, wet passage.

"Tell me to stop now," he taunted, adding a second finger and picking up a steady motion inside her warm sheath. He couldn't bite back the groan that escaped his lips as she began to move down on his hand, vividly imagining it was his dick she was sliding on.

"Do it harder," she ordered through clenched teeth, sitting up to actually watch him fuck her with his fingers. Damon was more than happy to comply.

"Harder?" he echoed, adding a third digit that elicited the most sexual moan from her lips. She blinked up to look at him, unable to continue watching with how intense his administrations were. Damon slowly shook his head, and forcefully whispered the word, "watch."

Her dark eyes, glazed with lust flickered back down to his moving fingers. The vision, as it was for him alone, was such a turn on it was almost like a hard slap around the face. Elena began moaning uncontrollably, struggling to keep eye contact with those talented fingers of his that coiled upwards to massage her g-spot. She threw her head back, which prompted Damon to use his free hand to move her head to make her watch again.

"Oh God Damon, it's too much..."

To him it was like an invitation to start his next move.

"Don't you dare take your eyes off me," he demanded.

Using his left hand to usher her skimpy, black bikini bottoms aside further, Damon continued to slowly rub his three, slick fingers inside her. Then making sure she watching still watching him, he treated her swollen clit to several soft, wet swirls of his tongue.

"Damon, ss-sstop!"

He looked up, she was still watching like a good girl. He intensified the pressure of his tongue and quickened his fingers, close to sending her over the edge.

"Damon stop!" she screamed.

Her tone sounded her like she actually wanted him to stop, so he did. With a frown he retracted from her body, about to ask what was wrong until she stood up and completely stripped herself of all her swim wear.

Damon was like a moth to a flame at his surfer shorts, slipping a condom out of his pocket and practically ripping them from his body to spring his cock free. She lunged for him, but Damon was insistent on leading the way this time. He guided her backwards back to her place on the seats, but gently guided her around she was on her knees, facing away from him.

"Damon?" she whispered, a little apprehension in her husky voice. Damon was under no false pretense that she'd had sex in this position before and if she wasn't comfortable with it, he would never pressure her. It was natural for one to feel a little over-exposed in such a position and in broad daylight he would completely understand. Despite the fact he was dying to take her this way, right here, right now.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered, leaning over her back while smoothing his hands ver the back of her thighs to the curves of her behind. She was humming under this touch.

"I trust you, but it's just..."

"Just what, baby?" he whispered, urging her to continue as he was about to move from her back. Her hand reached back to stop him, causing him to move back to where he was.

"It's just the eyes of others I don't trust," she giggled. Damon smirked, quickly looking around to make sure there weren't any wandering eyes that he could notice. When he saw they were alone, he widened her legs apart.

"I think we're safe," he chuckled, both of them gasping the second his length brushed along her wet slit.

"Take me, Damon" she breathed, her big, brown eyes looking up at him over her shoulder.

Her words melted through him. The way she looked at him just made him feel... incredible.

And he did exactly as she asked. He carefully guided his length between her soft, swollen folds. In this position he was able to penetrate her deeper than he had ever done before, and he couldn't hold back the deep, guttural moan as she fluttered around him, adjusting to his size. She was panting breathlessly and he had barely moved. She was close anyway due to his intense oral work, and now she was just desperate for release.

And as he could feel the morning sun getting hotter on his bare back, it was like a warning that people in their droves would be coming out to enjoy it anytime now. After a few slow, steady thrusts, Damon leaned up onto his knees and picked up the pace until the sound of flesh slapping flesh clashed with the waves lapping around them.

"I'm already close!" she breathed, arching her body so her cascade of brunette locks splayed over her back and onto Damon's fingers from where he gripped her hips tight, drilling himself into her.

It wasn't long until she met her release, clamping around him and sending him over the edge with her. He came hard, fast and it took every ounce of strength in his body to keep from collapsing onto Elena's back.

The distant sound of a boat motor trying to spring to life automatically dragged Damon out of his orgasmic bliss to suggest they both quickly get dressed.

"Do you mind if we take the boat ride steady on the way back? I gotta admit, I'm a little shaky right now," Damon said, slumping down in the drivers seat and toggling with the keys.

A pair of tiny, soft hands rubbed at his shoulders, almost like a massage and it made him purr like a spoilt kitten.

"I'm sure I can live with that," she replied, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

Damon smiled, not a smirk, but a genuine smile at her simple display of affection. He slowly began to ride the boat back to shore with Elena curled up behind him, her delicate arms hanging loosely around his waist as she placed feather light kisses upon his shoulder. When she rested her head against his back, he could feel her smiling against his warm skin.

It was there, right there that Damon realized all the times in the past when ever told a girl he loved her, he didn't really know what love meant. With Elena it was something else entirely and the thought of ever continuing to live his life without her know was unbearable. She filled that void that he thought was normal, not even Katherine touched upon filling that big, empty space inside.

If worse came to worse and Damon was thrown behind bars for who knows how many years, he knew that wouldn't destroy him. But if he came out on the other side and Elena wasn't there - then that probably would.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked as the cabin came back into view.

"I was just thinking..." he looked over his shoulder to see her cute, little face twinkling up at him; the sunshine kissed her beautiful olive skin and her hair was a tumble of thick waves dancing in the cool breeze. He couldn't tell her what he was thinking, it was a little too deep. He smiled as best as he could, his sensitive eyes stinging in the sunshine that beat down upon them. "... thinking about lunch."

And so ends chapter 14!

And so brings me to ask the question - did you enjoy it? Please pop in a review to let me know!

As soon as I am able to update Love Lessons again I will. I'm so excited with the chapters to come, they're going to be pretty intense. I'll also be mulling over as to how I am going to end this. The happy ending, or the not so happy ending - that is the question.

Anna x