AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry for the long delay. Things have been crazy! My mom's apartment building went up in flames a couple weeks ago and it's been a whirlwind ever since. Everyone is okay, but she's been living with me now so I have had less time to focus on my writing. Lol it's funny because I can't tell you how many times I've had to move back home over the years and now she's moving in with me…the tables they do be turning! Haha Anyways, I really do appreciate your patience; I will do my best to update more frequently.

I've also started to flesh out my first SPN story, so that's been exciting! Hopefully after I get a bit further along in this story I can start posting.

PLEASE READ: I wanted to also address a timeline error I created from a previous chapter. As I started writing this chapter, I realized it wasn't working so I've made an adjustment. Katherine tells Damon about a meeting with the mayor 'next weekend' in Part 4. Let's pretend that meeting was a month later, kay!

CONTENT WARNING: This has some mild smut, so if it's not your thing, please skip over it.

…

I Had to Know You - Part VI

I feel you in my blood baby, bring your body closer
Love me with your sad eyes, drain me of my color

…

One Month Later:

He hated this. The keeping up of appearances, pretending that he and Kat were still a 'power couple'. But she was right…he did need her. It's just a few more months, then it will be over, he told himself.

It was clear to Damon in the beginning that Katherine didn't accept his proposal for the same reasons but she said yes, all the same. At the time, it was good enough for him. It wasn't long before she strayed though, finding comfort elsewhere, so in an attempt to keep her satisfied, he indulged her when she brought a woman home – a toy for them to play with, and he'd pretend he didn't know of the fling she had with her personal trainer…because like a fool, he still loved her. Katherine tried to justify it of course; it's just sex, it doesn't mean anything, you know I love you; she'd say…but to him, it did mean something, and he tolerated her sexual deviancy for far too long before he finally left. But they'd come to a realization that this industry was cutthroat, and alliances were necessary. They were stronger together; a 'united front' she said.

It would have been fine if he hadn't shown up on her doorstep in the weeks after meeting Bonnie, riddled with unresolved sexual tension and need. Up until then, they had a business arrangement, and it was working just fine until he blurred the lines. Soon, every encounter or interaction with Bonnie led to him seeking Katherine out, desperate to clear his mind of the woman that plagued his thoughts at night because she was untouchable…until she wasn't.

Now here he was sitting a table in the VIP section, forcing a smile while Katherine put on her greatest performance as dotting wife for the mayor as they took a break between courses.

"Thank you for inviting us out tonight, Mayor Lockwood. It's an honor." Katherine praised, leaning into Damon and placing her hand on his thigh.

The mayor's eyes looked at her from over his glass of scotch. "Please…call me Richard. When Carol told me how close you two have gotten, I had to meet you myself." Damon tried not to roll his eyes as he shamelessly flirted with her in front of him and his own wife; however, Carol was already three glasses of wine in and barely noticed. "And with the election around the corner, I'm hoping to gain your support." He said casually looking between her and Damon.

"Of course. You have our full support, Richard." Katherine purred back. Her eyes slid to Carol in a silent prompt.

"Damon…" Carol cleared her throat, leering at him with thirsty eyes. "Katherine tells me there's been talk of you running for DA." She sipped her wine.

Katherine squeezed his leg tightly, guiding him to take over. "Um, yes…there has been discussion of it. But there are some obstacles." He alluded to vaguely.

Richard frowned curiously. "Such as?"

"Well, I'd be running against my boss for starters, and he has a lot of support in the community. Without the right influence I'd be dead in the water before I even started." He joked good naturedly. When Kat tapped his thigh, he knew she was satisfied with his response.

"Wilkins is old; been in office for thirty years. He's stubborn, unaccommodating..." Richard started. "Maybe it's time for a change…someone fresh." A little smirk pulled on his lips as his eyes slid from Damon's to Katherine's. "Perhaps we can help each other."

…

"So…" Kat drawled as they walked down the street after dinner, falling in step with each other. "What do you say?"

Damon's jaw clenched. "Thank you." He ground out behind gritted teeth.

"That wasn't so hard, was it? I told you; it helps to have friends on the inside."

He turned a glare her way. "Oh yeah? So, is that what Carol is to you, a friend?"

"Of course! Carol is a great friend." She insisted with conviction.

Damon scoffed. "Really? And how long exactly before you start fucking her husband?"

She had the decency to look surprised, but only for a moment before lifting a shoulder in a casual shrug. Damon rolled his eyes, lip curling in disgust. "Hey! You don't get to judge, okay. We got what we wanted. You should know by now, that this is how these things work. Nobody get's anywhere in this world without playing a few dirty hands." His eyes closed; she was right. His dad was a good man and look where that got him. Damon struggled all his life, and it wasn't until he met Katherine, that opportunities really started for him. She didn't get as successful as she was by letting things come to her…she took them. "Do you have any idea the amount of manipulating I had to do to get us here? Can't you just be grateful? Think about how long you've wanted this, and now it's finally happening."

"How long I wanted this, or how long you wanted this?" He corrected.

She grabbed his arm, stopping them from their quick pace down the street. "How long we both have wanted this. You want to make some real change, Damon…well this is how you do it. You're not going to get anywhere working under some stubborn old man that has no intention of letting you work your way to the top. You need this…"

"And what exactly do you get out of it, Katherine? I know as well as anyone that you don't do anything unless there is something in it for you. So, what's the catch?" He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

She smiled up at him sweetly, running her hands up his chest. "Can't I just do something nice for my husband?" Her smile fell when he grabbed her hands, placing them back at her sides.

"Stop. You don't have to pretend you're doing this for me. What is it you want out of this?" He demanded.

Mischief gleamed in her eyes as she leaned closer. "That's for me to know and for you to dot dot dot…" She pulled back with a dimpling smile that he used to find so adorable…now it just made him sick. "But trust me, when this is all over, you'll thank me." She vowed with a nod. "See you around, lover." Katherine shot him a wink before walking off, her curls bouncing around her.

Dealing with his ex was enough to make him want to blow his brains out sometimes. She was a sack full of crazy, just like Stefan had said. Years ago, he loved that about her, now it was just exhausting.

His phone rang, and his fished it out of his pocket, still lost in his thoughts when Bonnie's name lit up the screen. "Well, hello beautiful."

"Hi…what are you doing tonight?" The sultry tone in her voice told him what was on her mind, and he felt himself harden in his dress pants.

Damon chuckled to himself. "You, hopefully."

He could hear the amusement in her tone when she responded. "Well, that's awfully presumptuous of you. What if that's not why I'm calling?"

"But it is why you're calling, isn't it?" he drawled alluringly, and he hoped she didn't pick up on the underlying bitterness like he did.

There was a long pause. "That might be one of the reasons."

Damon continued his stroll down the street, shoving a hand in his pocket. "And what's the other reason?"

"Maybe I missed you a little bit." She admitted softly, with a hint of hesitance.

"Well, I missed you too." They had enjoyed their week together while Jeremy was away; and for a moment it felt like he actually had her to himself. Then he came home, and everything changed. She was distant and pulled away at first, but it didn't last long. Soon, she was back on his door step in the late hours of the night, desperate and wanting him.

It had become a routine. Bonnie would leave the house under the pretence of an 'evening run' and Jeremy would be none the wiser when she'd come home sweaty and flushed. But one night, something broke their routine. She didn't say why and he didn't ask, but he couldn't help but assume it had something to do with Jeremy. Nevertheless, it sent her flying out of his apartment with only a hurried kiss goodbye. "You ran out so quick the other night…"

"I know…I'm sorry." She mumbled regretfully, but didn't add anymore. Damon noticed that she avoided bringing her boyfriend up ever since the last time. Maybe it made it easier for her to pretend that she wasn't cheating on him almost every night, but he didn't want her to pretend…he wanted her all to himself.

"I guess you'll have to make it up to me." He teased.

"I'll be there in a couple hours."

…

The second she walked through the door, Bonnie was on him; hopping into his arms, and wrapping her legs around him; latched on like a koala in a tree. Damon kicked the door shut, trapping her back against it as his lips found hers.

She was pulling at his shirt, eager to run her hands across his chest. Damon assisted, pinning her with his hips. When his shirt was torn off over his head, Bonnie's hands immediately found his belt. He grabbed her wrist, and restrained it above her head, relishing the way she trembled around him. "Hey…what's the rush?" he mumbled against her neck, placing gentle kisses down her collarbone. "Haven't you heard?" Damon switched sides, his nose brushing past hers sensually along the way. "Good things come to those who wait." He purred.

Bonnie's head lolled, granting him more access to her flushed skin. "Haven't we waited long enough?" she panted, bracing her other hand on his shoulder so she could grind against him.

His head dropped to her shoulder with a groan, his grip on her wrist tightening and he could have sworn he heard her moan in pleasure. Damon smirked to himself. Maybe she likes a bit of monster in her man after all. Crushing his lips to hers, he gripped her ass firmly in his large hands and taking her full weight, crossing the floor to his bedroom.

…

Bonnie's pace above him quickened, chasing the swell that was just around the corner. Riding him frantically, head tossed back and completely lost to the current sweeping her away. But Damon stilled her, pulling her back from the edge once again as his hands tightened on her hips. She whined, deflating above him. "Slow down, baby…" he whispered. She felt a shiver run through her at the term of endearment. He hadn't said it before, and she'd be lying if it didn't sound sinfully delicious rolling off his lips.

All night, she'd been chasing the brink, and every time she got close, he pulled her back. It was building a deliciously warmth inside her, like she was warm champagne about to pop. She let his hands roll her hips against his, thrusting up and hitting her just a little deeper. Her lips parted in surprise, letting out a shuddering breath as she followed the slow rhythmic grind he created. He sat up slowly, lifting his knees and cradling her in his lap. He weaved a hand into the hair at the nape of her neck and took a moment to watch her; eyes closed in bliss, skin covered in a glistening sheen, her pearly white teeth biting down on her lower lip. "Look at me." He breathed.

Her eyes opened slowly, hooded with lust, and the moment shifted. It was like all the air was sucked from the room, and they were caught in this vortex; a bubble that was made just for them. She'd never felt more naked; like he was looking into her instead of at her. It was the most intimate their couplings had ever been, and while it was terrifying, it only propelled her closer to the precipice. "Damon…" she moaned out in a desperate cry that sounded foreign to her own ears. Was it a warning? A plea? A devoted prayer…Bonnie couldn't say; all she could do is cling to him passionately, dropping her forehead to his.

"I know…I'm right there with you, Bon…" he cooed against her lips. Whatever it was, Damon seemed to know better than she did and when his fist tightened in her hair and his fingers dug into the fleshy curve of her thigh, she faltered her movements, her mouth dropping open in a silent 'O' before careening over the edge. He followed her over with a drawn-out groan, capturing her lips in a sensual kiss that brought her back down to earth. He kept her seated in his lap as they caught their breath, so close that she could feel his heart beating.

This is what she was afraid of; the intimacy, the emotions…she had been fighting it from the moment she met him, and tonight she felt the walls tumble down. She let him in to a deeper part of herself, connected with him in a way she wasn't familiar with. Sex with Jeremy was…okay. It was vanilla, boring, almost a chore in the last few years; until now she had nothing to compare it to. But Damon seemed to awaken something inside her; he lit a fire in her belly, forced her to explore her inner Venus, and unleash a wildness she didn't know she was capable of. It was mind-blowing, and she damn near craved him.

Damon wrapped his arms around her petite frame, holding her to him as he lay back against the pillows. "See…" He left a sweet kiss to the crown of her head before letting out a sigh of contentment. "I told you good things come to those who wait." He let out a lazy chuckle when she slapped his chest playfully.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Bonnie mumbled bashfully, nuzzling into his chest to hide her embarrassment. "That was…" She didn't even know what to call it. She felt like she was completely out of control, and got off on it too.

He tipped her chin up so she was looking up at him and brushed a wild curl that fell behind her ear. "A first?" She nodded her head with a little smile. "We seem to be having a lot of those…" The truth was, he wanted her to see that just because she shared a lot of 'firsts' with Jeremy, didn't mean she couldn't have firsts with someone else…with him.

She tucked her head back under his chin, absentmindedly drawing designs on his muscular chest. She was silent, lost in her own thoughts, his fingers running up and down her back lulling her into relaxation. "Damon…?"

"Mhm?" She could tell he was close to drifting off himself.

"I just wanted you to know…" Bonnie started quietly. "It's just you." She swallowed nervously, too scared to meet his gaze. "Since the first time…it's just been you." She prayed he knew what she was trying to say, because she couldn't bring herself to say his name right now. Not after she'd given herself to Damon in a way that she promised she'd never do. It was only supposed to be a fling…it wasn't supposed to be this real. It wasn't supposed to stir up all these feelings. Bonnie knew he understood when he tightened his arms around her, holding her close.

Damon released a sigh of relief, inhaling the scent of her hair. He needed to hear that. It had been plaguing his mind for weeks. When she'd go home, was she wrapped in his arms? Did she let him touch her the way he did? The jealousy bubbled up in him like never before, even more so than when he'd have to share Katherine with whatever flavor of the month she was fucking. And that terrified him. "It's only been you for me too, Bon." He vowed, his words tight with restrained emotion as he came to terms with what that meant.

Everything changed that night, and as they slipped into slumber, they silently succumbed to the consequences.

…

AN: Sorry this is shorter than usual, but I thought this would be a good place to end it to set up for the next chapter.

So now we know a bit of what Damon and Katherine are up to, but what does Katherine get out of this? Let me know what you think, and again thank you for being so patient! Love you guys! - Vanessa