29 follows and 8 favourites in five days, wow. Thank you so much ! Thank you to Angelikah, tippy093, sweetyK, lele91 and Ellavm18 for the kind words that go straight to my heart.
I had so many ideas for this chapter that it came together really fast, and I hope it won't disappoint and that you'll like it as much as you did the first !
Please tell me what you think, good and bad, it really helps. Thanks, happy reading !
"Do not push me, Caroline."
Klaus was standing up, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He looked tired, yes, but also frustrated for some damn reason. "Why not ? Maybe that would wake you up. Maybe that's what you need." Caroline was standing too close to him for her own taste, but she was too into what she was saying to actually realize she needed to back off. Klaus made a sound, between a grunt and a growl, and Caroline immediately scoffed.
"Did you just growl at me ?"
"Yes, I did, Caroline !" A pause. "You are getting on my last nerve, and I think you should leave." Another pause. "Now, Caroline. Leave." His eyes felt like two knives in her heart, but she was too stubborn to just withdraw and let him win this fight. Besides, not leaving meant he would probably say her name again. She loved the way he said her name. On his lips, her name felt so erotic that she felt her stomach flutter, and her heart gave out for a beat or two.
"Do not growl at me. Don't ever growl at me." It all felt so petty, and Caroline had no idea how they came to be this mad and shout at each other. They had gotten along so well this past few days ! How did it get so bad that they were this close to actually physically fight ? She had no clue whatsoever. She did know, however, that she wanted to shake him, slap him, do something. Anything, just to touch him. Get her hands on him. Get his hands on her. She knew she wanted to be touched by those hands. Held by those arms. Kissed by this mouth...
Snap out of it ! You're in the middle of a fucking fight. Now is not the time to daydream about touching your boss.
She took a breath and a step closer, and saw his nostrils flare just a little bit. "Have you completely forgotten who you are, and who I am ? You are standing in my office, and you are my employee, not the other way around, remember ?" He was almost spitting his words, and took one step closer as well. They were now almost in each other's grasp, and Caroline could feel her heart beating harder in her chest, and it felt like it could rip out of her rib cage at any second. She was drawn to him, even when she knew how bad it was, how inappropriate. She was drawn to him and she couldn't help herself. She didn't want to. She wanted to shout.
"Take some fucking responsibilities then ! Do something, for Christ's sake !" She took one more step to actually push him this time. She had put her hands on his chest to do so, but had forgotten to take them off. They had remained glued to Klaus shirt, feeling his heartbeat, fast and strong, against them. She regretted it instantly as she saw him push to come back to her. He had put his hands on hers, clasping them harder against his chest. His face had changed, and there was something of the animal in his eyes. "Don't push me, Caroline." His voice was low, dangerously low, and felt sharp. Caroline took a shallow breath, shivering. She went weak at the knees, her cheeks reddened, and she couldn't do anything else but stare as his face got nearer to hers. She wasn't afraid, though; it was quite the contrary. She was fascinated. She liked bringing out this part of him, this rough, animalistic side of him she didn't know existed. She liked that he was like this, and only for her.
But he was too close for comfort, and their breaths were almost intertwined as they assessed each other. Caroline had to bite her lip to keep from staring at his, form her hands into fists to refrain from moving them all over him. She was desperately looking for a witty comeback, a line, anything, but Klaus was pushing her against the desk, taking small steps towards her. And, when she was trapped between it and him, he whispered : "You shouldn't touch me. Ever." But I want to, Caroline thought, almost moaning under his smouldering stare. I want to, please. Her breaths were too ragged, too shallow, and she couldn't stop her eyes from looking down at his mouth, then back to his eyes. They looked almost black now.
They stayed like this, staring at each other hungrily, for what felt like a long, long time. Caroline felt heat creeping to her stomach and chest, resting in the very place between her legs she was deliberately trying not to think about. Her legs felt wobbly, and she wanted to hang onto him for support, but her pride and desire kept her standing. They both electrified her, but not as much as the sight of Klaus licking his lips. Caroline shivered brutally.
And, with one swift move, he made her sit down on the desk, legs parted to accommodate him between them, and he kissed her with such violence that Caroline groaned with pain.
She shrieked, loudly, and woke up in her bed.
For a second, she wondered where she were, and looked around herself stupidly. She still felt flustered, and the heat was still very much there, between her legs. She groaned, and hid her face in her hands. This, all of it, was not good. Not good at all. "Uh." She grimaced.
Stefan appeared at her door, looking completely alert, and a bit frightened. "Are you okay ?" He was frowning. "Yeah." Caroline sat up, out of breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm, uh, I'm okay. Weird dream. Sorry." Stefan detached himself from the door frame. Slowly, very slowly, a smile spread across his lips. "Oh, my God. You just had a sex dream." "No, I didn't."
"Oh please", Stefan scoffed, "I know your sex dream face. That's the face you're doing right now." Caroline threw a pillow at him, missing only because he ducked. His laughter echoed in her head. "And you spend too much time watching me sleep ! That's so creepy, Stefan."
"Okay, one." he lifted a finger, getting into her room. "I do not watch you sleep, I am just a light sleeper and we shared a room for too long." Caroline let herself fall back on the bed. "Oh my God." she groaned. She felt a weight on the end of her bed, and Stefan continued. "And, two: what was your dream about ? I kinda hope it's about me because I like your sex dreams about me, they're always so twisted." "Oh my God !" Caroline shouted into the pillow she had put on her face. Stefan took it away, laughing. "Come on, Forbes. Spill."
"You're such a girl, sometimes." She sat back up and tried to glare at him, but Stefan calmly responded: "And so are you, sometimes. I don't hold that against you."
"Are you going to go away ?" "Not until you tell me." Caroline sighed. "Fine. I had a sex-ish dream about Klaus."
Stefan's eyes squinted. "Klaus ?" "My boss." He was silent for a moment, then laughed out loud. "Seriously ?" "Yeah. We were arguing in his office, and I pushed him and he grabbed me, like, really hard and then he kissed me, and it was so good that I woke up."
"Well that was a lousy sex dream. I'm disappointed in you, Forbes. You've accustomed me to much better." He stood up. "Well, I'll be going then. Good luck for tomorrow." He winked at her and left her room, closing the door behind him. "How's your search for a summer job doing, by the way ?" Caroline called after him to try and mock him back, but the only reaction she got was one of laughter.
Once again, she fell back against her mattress, then looked at the time. 5 o'clock. Dang it. It was too early for her to get up, too late for her to go back to sleep. She got up, grumbling against her psyche, and darted towards the shower.
She felt much more like herself once she was dressed, and ready to leave. She had put her armor of make-up, good hairstyle and fashionable outfit, and it helped her put some distance between her and the dream. It would not do her good to see him this morning and think about the touching, and the kissing, and the heat … Caroline, come on ! Stop it already, she admonished. She tried shaking it off for a minute, trying to think about something else, but flashes and images of last night's dream popped into her head anyway. She sighed. She put some final touches to her outfit, changing shoes and bags at the last minute, grabbed her tumbler filled with the iced coffee Stefan had made the night before, and made her way back to work.
She had chosen a much more relaxed outfit today, composed entirely of nude colors -damn her psyche- except for her daisy pastel blue necklace. She had selected soft brown chino trousers, a pastel pink shed tank, open toe ankle boots and a slick, chic ponytail. She wasn't used to having all her hair up like this, but it looked very professional, and would clash nicely with her clothes. She wanted to look soft and girly today, the exact opposite of what she had wanted to feel the day before, but such were her moods and she had gotten used to them. They were part of her as much as her hopes and dreams were.
At this hour of the day, the subway was filled with early workaholics – she had a feeling they were soon to be her people – and party-goers just about to return home. Caroline felt at ease with them, rejoicing to have made her way from the second category towards the first, and she walked from the station to the Mikaelson&Mikaelson building with her chin up, proudly, and with the ghost of a smile on her lips.
Klaus was already there when she arrived, and Caroline took a deep breath before going in to greet him. "Did you sleep here last night ?" she joked. He didn't even look up at first, but she could guess the smile on his lips. "Are you one day just going to say hello ?" "Sorry, not my style." She had stopped by Starbucks to get him some coffee, and she put the steaming cup down next to him. "So, did you ? Sleep here ?" He gazed up at her, stayed quiet for a few seconds before finally deciding to answer. "I grabbed a few hours back at the hotel, showered, got a new tie, and came back right away."
"Love it." Klaus stared at her, unblinking, and Caroline felt the need to clarify. "The new tie. Much better." She flashed him a smile, trying to be as natural as possible, but it was really hard when he was sitting there, not two feet away from her, looking at her with the hint of a smile in his eyes. Or was there ? Or did she simply imagine it ? God, she really needed to get a handle on this crush thing, or whatever the hell this was, before it got anywhere. "I should get to work." She gestured towards her desk, still faced by silence and unblinking eyes on the other end of the desk. She felt mortified by the quiet reception, and she could tell she had blushed a little. She hoped to God it wasn't showing under her concealer, but she wasn't going to stick around to find out. She left him to go sit at her desk, and, after a second to concentrate, she dived right back into what she had left the night before.
Her second day, and the rest of the week to be honest, was a lot like her first. She had so much work she could barely think about anything else. And after six days at the office, she still hadn't met anyone but her boss. Thankfully, the other managing partner's secretary and PA took pity on her, and invited her to have a drink with them and various other workmates. She quickly texted Stefan to tell him where was going, excited to have something to do on a Saturday night other than looking at her phone, scrolling through her Instagram feed, or staring at Damon's profile wondering where they would be if they were still together.
"Don't wait up tonight, going for a drink with colleagues. love ya xx" The response was almost immediate : "So jealous. Graveyard shift for me tonight, how thrilling ! Have fun. Be young. Love you too. xo" The message made her smile. She felt bad for her best friend, but she felt so good about tonight. She hadn't gone to a pub in ages, and she really couldn't wait to finally let her hair down. Her first week had been stressful, and a crazy wild ride. She felt like she'd been riding a roller coaster that lasted and lasted, and she was out of it at last. Her work, she could handle. The moods of Klaus Mikaelson, a bit less. He'd give her a dinner to plan for the senior partners, change it at the last minute, then cancel it. He'd treat her like a maid, then smile at her like she was an angel out of Heaven. She was completely lost with him, and it didn't sit well with her. She liked knowing. She realized how much she missed Stefan's steadiness whenever she was with Klaus. She didn't know if they were in a kind of power struggle – she rode him pretty hard, too – or if this was just how he was, and if she'd have to make her peace with that. He was nice, especially when no one else was around, and he could be pretty damn charming, too. She had seen him, once or twice, work his magic on some of his new clients, and she mimicked barfing when he'd do it in front of her. But she liked him. If she thought about it, she'd say he was the good kind of boss, the kind that challenges and accepts you, and his eyes didn't go straight to her chest when he greeted her. Which, Caroline believed, was always a plus when it came to it.
But tonight, she would forget about him, forget about her sore feet – working in heels all day every day was already starting to wear thin – and forget about her erratic sleep schedule. She would smile, and laugh, and finally, finally, get a girls night out. Drink cosmos and long island ice teas, and get some gossip in her. Oh, how she loved a bit of gossip. So she got up with the biggest smile on her face, grabbed her stuff, and, in the precipitation, almost stepped into her boss. Thankfully for her and her now fragile heart, he stabilized her on her feet by putting two strong hands on her. "Are you okay ?" He looked at her, seemingly indifferent, but Caroline saw the crinkle in his eyes. "Yeah." she breathed. Sometimes, when she was not ready for him, he took her breath away. And, being so close to him, with his hands on her bare shoulders, was like magic. She took a few seconds before snapping out of it, out of him. She took a step back and smiled forcefully. "I'm leaving early tonight, there's a... party or something happening. They invited me, which is surprising in itself since you make me work so hard I haven't met them yet, but, yeah. There's a party." she finished, lamely. He stayed silent, but the dimples appeared. "Earth to Klaus ?" she asked, when it became clear she wasn't getting any answer. "Hello ? Anything ?" He blinked, twice – Caroline couldn't help but count – before opening his mouth. "Who were you on the phone with ?"
Caroline frowned. She really was not expecting that. God, that man kept her on her toes. "Stefan." she blurted. "And how did you know that I was on the phone ?"
"I happened to be staring at you when you sent the text, or tweet, or whatever you crazy kids do." Bang. Her heart stopped. He was staring. Ugh. Focus, Caroline, focus. "We crazy kids ?" She smiled. "Dude, I'm 24." It was Klaus's turn to frown. "You don't look 24."
"I don't know whether to be happy about it or to be sad."
"I don't want you to be sad. Who's Stefan ?"
Bang. Her heart skipped another beat. "He's uh .." Focus. Stefan. Breathe. "the guy I live with. And my best friend, too. He's, uh, he's something." She couldn't help herself but grin. One, because Stefan. Two, because she was going out tonight. And three, because the most attractive, pig headed, annoying guy she'd ever met was basically flirting with her. Or, at least, Caroline kind of really hoped he was. The butterflies in her stomach jumped as he almost whispered :"I see. He's lucky to have you." She snorted, involuntarily. "Yeah, he is... But I'm lucky, too." She didn't know what else to say, so she simply smiled to hide her discomfort. "Well, I'll see you on Monday, mister boss."
"Okay. Have fun." "I will." She turned around and headed towards the lift. Her smile disappeared as soon as the doors closed on her. "Mister boss ?" she wondered, out loud, and softly hit her face with her palm. "Jesus." Corny. She was being corny. She groaned. And not only that, but she took the lift when the girls where waiting for her at their desks. "Get a grip, Caroline, for fuck's sake." She shrugged it off, stood up straight, and closed her eyes. She sent the girls a text telling them she needed some air, and was waiting for them downstairs.
The pub they went to was called "the Perfect Pint", and, if Caroline was being honest, she would never have stepped foot inside of it if it hadn't been for the girls. They apparently knew it well, preferring it to what they called "boring bars", calling the bartender by his first name and obnoxiously flirting with him, and getting a giant booth for only the three of them. "More people are coming." she was assured. Their first order had come and been drunk, and Caroline felt already more at ease.
"Why did need some air ?" the secretary, Kat – bearing an uncanny resemblance to her high school friend Elena – grilled her during their first round. "Boy trouble ?" Caroline put down her empty glass. "Not really. More like workmate trouble." "Ah. Welcome to the firm, then, kiddo." They laughed, and called for some more drinks. They ordered another round of cosmos, some fries (a plate for three, but Caroline was starving and ate most of them while the girls were too busy drinking and checking people out), and more girls came to join them. They all worked at the firm, and were exchanging gossips as normal people exchanged greetings. The hottest news, it seemed, was the apparition of the second Mikaelson sibling. They all shrieked when it was announced that Caroline – still gulping down fries – was working for him. Then came the debate about whether Klaus was hotter than the first Mikaelson sibling, Finn – and apparently, the other managing partner, whom she had yet to meet – or not. Caroline rolled her eyes at the vapidity of it all, grabbed the almost empty plate and took it to the bar.
"Do you think it's okay for me to bail on them ?" she asked the bartender. "Why would you want to do that ?" Up close, he was really handsome. Caroline had overlooked him earlier because of all the eye battering, and, now that she was looking him over, she almost gawked at him. He was muscular, and olive-skinned, and overall, everything that Caroline found attractive in a man. He was no Klaus Mikaelson, of course, but he seemed easier to talk to, somehow. "Well," she said, unwilling to flinch as she did in front of her employer, "they are engaged in a match of who's hotter, and their sole argument is (Caroline tried to imitate their squeaky voice) "but he's so hot". Yuck." "That's one hell of an argument." He leaned in closer, his hands flat on the bar. He even smelled good. She smiled. "Yeah, well, forgive me if I like a more … interesting conversation." She glanced back at them. "So can I ? Bail on them ? Or is it inappropriate ?" She tilted her head slightly, one eyebrow up. "Well, If you want to come back here and help me pour drinks and hang out, you're fine. But if you want to leave to get back home, just wait a few minutes. They might still surprise you." Caroline frowned, but smiled still. "One, why would I want to hang out with you ?"
"Because I'm clearly more attractive than them." he answered, trying to make her laugh, but she only rolled her eyes playfully. "That's probably because of the cool mysterious bartender look."
"Ouch. My pride hurts." "Aw, poor little cute bartender." He laughed. "You're calling me little ?" She liked flirting with him, it felt easy, and really nice. No butterflies in her stomach, no heart pounding or stopping at anytime, no hardship. She knew where they stood, and they stood on the edge of Caroline actually coming behind the bar to make out with him. Something that she'd never do with Klaus, maybe because there were no bars between them, probably because kissing Klaus would be like falling, she'd never know where her ass would end up.
"Two," she continued, "you know something. Spit." She fake glared at him until he stopped chuckling. "These girls usually hang with Bekah." "Ooooh. I've got chills." She was clearly mocking him, and it was his turn to fake glare. She couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry. Tell me about Bekah." "Bekah's my friend. She's no lawyer like all of you are, but she's really awesome. She's interesting. Fun. Kind of too smart for this place." Caroline could hear how his voice softened when talking about this girl. "And why does she hang out with the who's hotter crowd ?" "Kat is actually a great girl, if you get her apart from the others. She and Bekah are roommates." A second of silence passed before Caroline took a step back. "Well, then, mysterious bartender. I will wait to meet this young girl, but if she isn't as great as you say, you owe me a drink." He laughed. "And if she is," he called after her "you owe me a date." "Deal." Caroline smiled before turning around and going back to the table.
"Flirting with the bartender, are we ?" Kat gently nudged her, and Caroline almost stuck out her tongue. "Well, it seems to be the national sport !" They all giggled, and she added : "Besides, he's kind of hunky."
"Who's hunky ?" Caroline turned her head to see whose British accent was this. For a split second, her heart believed it was Klaus', but it actually belonged to a gorgeous blonde. "Rebekah, hey !" Behind her, the girls all shouted their hellos. So this was Bekah. Wow. Caroline simply smiled as the girl sat opposite her, feeling a little jealous over the bartender. "You're Caroline, aren't you ? Hi, I'm Bekah." She extended her hand, which Caroline shook. "Hi", she answered. "How do you -" Rebekah, who probably didn't hear Caroline's almost whisper, turned to the girls. "So who's the hunky dude ? And please don't say the name of any of my brothers. Please." She rolled her eyes. "Tyler." Kat answered with her silky voice, making all the girls listening coo. Caroline scoffed and tried to hide it in a cough, but Rebekah's eyes were on her. They were smiling, and she winked. The girls stirred the conversation back towards the Mikaelson&Mikaelson boys, but Rebekah leaned closer to Caroline. "I hear you're the new partner's secretary. He's a real douche sometimes, isn't he ?" They both started laughing, and, just like that, both girls struck up a conversation that didn't stop until very late. They laughed, and laughed, until Caroline's stomach hurt and Rebekah pleaded for mercy.
She learned that Rebekah came from an excruciatingly wealthy family from Britain, and that she fled to the US as soon as she was eighteen to make a name for herself. She was currently getting a PhD in political science, working as a lecturer part time at NYU, and part time in this very pub. She was grateful for her family – who apparently followed her here, at least for some of them – but she was even more grateful to have had cut ties with them when she did. "Everyone took me for a spoiled princess there", she confessed, "and I guess that's what I was becoming. I hated it. So I left. They all thought I was mad, but I took what I could, what was mine, and I came here. Never went back." She shrugged, smiling. "Best decision ever."
Rebekah asked about Caroline, about Stefan, about her job and her past, and, after only a few hours spent together, she felt they were becoming fast friends. They were still going at it when all the girls left, and, when last call came, they didn't want to part. Caroline proposed to end the night with a movie - "How did you never watch the Breakfast Club ? It's, like, the best movie ever." Caroline argued.- and Bekah took her arm and followed her. "See ya, Tyler !" the girls called out as they were leaving, and took a cab home.