Chapter 3 - The Problem

My eyes flickered open. I realized that I was in Damon's room on his massive bed still. My muscles ached from lying down for so long. I raised my head up to look around the room. He was standing, shirtless, near the large window staring out into the gardens. I sucked in my breath deeply at the sight of him.

"Good morning Elena." He said without even glancing at me. "There's coffee in the kitchen. There's a television in the family room. You might as well make yourself comfortable."

"Damon, we have to talk." The words poured from my lips before I could think it through.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Damon, you said you loved me. I need to know what that means. I need to understand this." I kept my voice even although inside I was so nervous I wanted to curl up in a ball.

He turned and looked at me. "Elena, this isn't the time."

"Then when Damon? " Suddenly he was in front of me, looking down at me. It seemed like he was towering over me, even though he was only a few inches taller than me. His piercing blue eyes penetrated my skin. He leaned down simultaneously crashing his lips into mine. His hand immediately moved towards the small of my back and pulled me towards him with such force that I could not resist and a gasp left my lips as I was drawn into his kiss even further. As he pulled his head back, I stood there somewhere between shock and passion and realized that I truly did not want it to end. I clutched his arm and tried to hold him in place, an impossible feat given his undead status.

He released me suddenly and stared down at me. "Elena there are things about me that you can never understand. My proclivities are not..." he paused thoughtfully "...normal."

I didn't care! I wanted to feel his passion. All the love and hate that had been streaming through me since he came to Mystic Falls needed release. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him with all the force I could muster in my body. His eyes, started to change, and for a second I felt the thrill of fear and traced my tongue along his lips. I ran my hands down his arms feeling his smooth skin beneath my fingertips.

He slammed me against the panel wall in his bedroom and held me there with one hand. He moved his hand to my throat, but didn't squeeze. He just held me there for a few seconds staring at me with those crystal blue eyes as if he was weighing the consequences of going further. His other hand moved to my face, tenderly caressing my cheek before it moved down to the top of my t-shirt and ripped it off. The next few seconds seemed like a blur as clothes were flying. He still had me against the wall with my hands against the wall over my head, a small groan escaped his throat as he was holding me there and pressing against me with his entire body. I felt faint. I could feel his hardness against my thigh through his jeans. I wanted to touch him, but he just kept me in place against the wall locked in a deep kiss. His tongue made its way in and out of my lips. I was moaning uncontrollably. I just couldn't get enough. I wanted him to ravish me right there. Damn the consequences! No sooner did he release one of my hands, then the other hand grasped both wrists and held me in place. He traced his free hand down my entire body, pausing at my left breast where he squeezed softly and started caressing, then moved down and grasped the waist of my jeans before ripping them in one movement from my body. I ground my lower body against him and wrapped my leg around his hips. It was difficult to move. I felt the electricity surging through the center of my body and up through my cheeks. I was gasping for air.

Suddenly he pulled back and stared at me silently leaving me there exposed and half naked. He released my hands from the wall and stood there for what seemed like forever, his eyes locked in mine. I breathed out and it broke the silence. "Elena. I can't."

I was infuriated. I felt the heat rising to my cheek. I looked down at my clothes in shreds. "Damon, you just did."

A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You do look...tasty." He raised his eyebrows as he scanned my body with his eyes. I wanted to die from the humiliation I felt inside both from his rejection and the inspection of his eyes. "But there are things about my...life...that you just wouldn't understand. Things that I do not have time to explain to you right now. You need to get dressed. There are some clothes in that dresser." he motioned with his head towards a dresser in the corner of the room. With that, he turned and walked out of the room. "I'm going to go get you some food. I'm sure you are hungry."

I stood there for a few moments just blankly staring at the door before I mindlessly went to the dresser and searched for some clothes. I found some leggings and a cute grey Urban Outfitters t-shirt which I pulled on silently. The thoughts started to flood my mind about the scene that just took place. It was so intense and rough. Why did he stop? And what proclivities? What could possibly be worse than draining people and drinking from them? I paused. Maybe I didn't want to know the answer to that question.

I wandered through the Boarding House walking towards the noise in the kitchen. The kitchen was bright and large. It was impressively stocked with appliances and a gourmet stove with a wall of windows looking out on the garden. The sun made me smile. Damon was standing with his back to me, cooking something. He turned and pushed a cup towards me without a word and went back to cooking whatever it was that he was cooking. I grabbed the cup, coffee I thought as I swallowed the clear dark liquid. I walked towards the table and sat silently looking out at the beautiful gardens that spread across the massive property. Something moved. At first I thought it was a bird. I was confused for a second. Then my eyes focused on something in the tree line. It was...Me! I gasped.

"What?" Damon was at my side in an instant. I was shaking uncontrollably as I raised a single finger and pointed towards the tree line. He caught the figure in the distance. "Stay here!" he said with an unwavering authority. Not a problem, I was frozen to the chair anyway. Seeing the picture of Katherine didn't prepare me for what I was witnessing right now. It was like looking in a mirror. I heard the door close somewhere in the back of my mind as I continued to lock eyes with Katherine. Then as soon as she was there, she was gone. I saw Damon stop at the tree line and look back at the house as if to make sure I was still sitting in the window. Then he was back at my side before I could blink.

"Stay here no matter what happens." he said before disappearing as fast as he came.

I glanced at the clock. It's been three hours since Damon left me sitting in the kitchen. I got up and paced the length of the living room staring out into the gardens, then to the fireplace, then back to the gardens. I sank down into the couch and just stared blankly at the clock. The time didn't even register in my brain.

I jerked my eyes open to find Damon leaning down looking at me. His blue eyes searching mine. "Hello Elenaa."

"Damon. Where have you been? I was worried. You've been gone for..." I glanced at the clock "...five hours!" He didn't even look at me. He looked angry and frustrated. His brow was furrowed and he was just staring down at some blood on his hands.

"Katherine got away." His tone was harsh and with that he walked out of the room. I sat there and watched him speechless.