Victoria knew that what she was about to do was a bad idea. She entered the grocery story on Denver Street, heading straight to the liquor section.
She had a bit of luck on her side and she looked much older than someone who had been an adult for less than a year. This meant that it would be easy for her to get a bottle of scotch. It wasn't her. She knew this side of the city was dangerous and she shouldn't be here, but…she had decided that she needed to know more about her grandfather, and she couldn't show up at his place again empty handed, now could she?
It took some time, but she finally found the right aisle, then made her way to where they kept the scotch, but froze, eyes wide. Fuck!
She shook her head, knowing that her mother wouldn't be happy to know she was swearing, even if it was just in her head, but what was in her head wasn't her mother's business. What was her Grandpop's lackey, Dexter, just standing in the liquor aisle right when she wanted to be there!
She rolled her eyes and began walking on tiptoe to try and get past him while his back was turned, and he was staring at the bottles on the shelves.
"Which one would you take, Victoria?" He asked suddenly, making her jump. "Would you take the Macallen or the Dalmore?"
Victoria didn't want to answer but found herself freezing at the sound of his voice, going pale. Damn t!
"I think you should pick whichever one you want and shove it up your ass," she mumbled between clenched teeth, closing her eyes with a clenched fist on either side of her body.
Dexter smirked, his dark eyes twinkling. She was so untamed, that Victoria!
"I don't see anything like that," he told her as he moved some bottles around.
"Oh, I'm sure if you asked my aunt Valerie, she would be able to help you find it!" Victoria turned, arms crossed over her leather bustier.
Dexter turned to face her, giving her a lingering look over. She was wearing a pair of biker boots, black lace stockings, a mini skirt, and a leather bustier under a leather jacket.
She knew that he was looking, so she decided to return the favor. He wore a pair of fitted black jeans with a black leather belt and a black silk shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. He had his blazer slung over his shoulder. A pair of designer sunglasses were tucked into his shirt pocket.
She rolled her eyes. The two of them couldn't have been more different.
"Love the new nose piercing," Dexter remarked. "Pink is an interesting choice. I would have thought you'd go for black or silver or red or something."
"It doesn't matter if you like it or not," Victoria replied. "I did it knowing that a lot of people wouldn't, but I don't care."
"I do like it, though," he said sincerely before getting closer to her. "And on a completely different note, I heard that you've been asking around about me." He put a hand over his heart. "I have to say that I'm flattered. I'm not used to people actually caring about me as a person. Your mother and grandmother excepted, of course."
"You shouldn't be flattered," Victoria shook her head. "I didn't ask for it. It was just given to me."
"Really?" Dexter raised an eyebrow and smiled. "From whom, if I may ask? Your mother or your father?"
"Why does it matter?" She shrugged nonchalantly.
"If it has something to do with my love life, I'm gonna guess your mother." He smirked.
"Maybe," she shrugged. "Your love life? Or lack of it?" She asked impertinently.
"Why would I answer that question when you already know that your aunt and I have broken up?" He reminded her. "She was a wonderful woman and I hope you get the chance to know her.
"Maybe I will," Victoria nodded. "She could give me some tips about how to get you off my back, you know, since she succeeded." She replied tit for tat.
Dexter threw his head back and burst out laughing. "Good one!" He stabbed a finger in her direction. "Maybe I'm the one who got her off my back.
"How did you know I was here?" She asked, to change the subject, burying her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket.
"I can smell you, feel you, sense you." Dexter looked deeply into her eyes.
She coughed and blushed. "Well plug up your nose, feel someone else, and just leave me alone. Let me be myself, okay?"
"Mmmm-hmmm…" He grimaced. "Sorry, I can't do that."
"Well, you don't have any choice, Dexter, she reminded him. "I'm my own person, and unlike my grandfather, I don't need a watchdog babysitter!"
"Why are you here?" He asked, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes.
"Well, if you must know," she told him, lying through her teeth. "Daddy is making pasta Carbonara tonight and he needed oregano, so I told him I would get some at the grocery store."
Dexter smirked and shook his head. "You're as bad at lying as the entire Morningstar family. Oregano can be found at the store entrance. This is not it. You're in the liquor aisle. Furthermore, this grocery store is really far away from your house, isn't it?"
"So?" She shrugged at him. "I can come here and walk through the aisles if I want to."
"Did you come to buy some scotch for your grandfather perhaps? As a gift so you don't come to his penthouse empty handed?" Dexter crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You have good intentions, dear, but it's a terrible idea. "He'll only bring you pain and sorrow."
"Thank you, but since you're not my parent or my guardian, I'll do whatever I want. Good day, Mr. Dexter." She then turned on her heel and strode away from him.
Just fuck him! Dexter wasn't her father. He couldn't tell her what to do.
She marched over to what seemed like an aisle full of gifts. There was a box of cigars on display. If she couldn't get scotch, maybe cigars would be acceptable?
She snatched one of the boxes off the shelf, then took a deep breath, and then felt two hands grab her and pull her away.
"Just a tip for you: those aren't the high-quality cigars your grandfather likes," Dexter whispered. "I would forget this idea if I were you."
Her back hit his front, heat filling her in a matter of seconds. She gasped and closed her eyes. Her brain didn't seem to want to function with him being so close to her.
Her pushed a loose strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. He pressed his cheek against hers, closing his eyes and whispering, "I thought we were becoming friends, Victoria. Why are you so cold toward me?"
"I'm…I…" Victoria tried to find the words as she found herself unable to look away from his dark eyes.
They stared at one another then, their breaths picking up. She coughed and squirmed, freeing herself and stumbling in her eagerness to get away from him.
"Is it because I was with your aunt once?" Dexter pressed, narrowing his eyes. "Is it because I broke up with her that you're unable to see in me a potential friend who only wants what's best for you?"
Victoria scoffed. "You think way too highly of yourself, Mr. Dexter, if you believe I give a damn about who you've been intimate with. It's not any of my concern. Just like you shouldn't feel you need to be concerned with my welfare."
Dexter held out his hand. "Give me the cigar box, please."
"Fine!" She practically threw it at him,
"You stay away from him," Dexter added. "You saw him talk. There's nothing more to be gained by going to see your grandfather again."
"I was telling myself the same thing about you," Victoria spat. "Good day, Mr. Dexter!" Victoria turned her back on him and began making her way to the store's entrance."
"You don't mean that, Victoria," he shouted with a grin.
"Yes, I do," she nodded, passing by a few customers and finally getting outside.
It was then that Dexter stopped smiling and looked up at the sky, noticing hundreds of birds heading directly toward the store. They would probably smash into the glass. People would get hurt!
He then turned toward everyone in the parking lot. "Get inside!" He yelled. "Get inside, lock the doors, and cover your heads. The birds are coming!"
A few clerks stared at him in astonishment as they looked out at the danger. They rushed toward the doors while Dexter yelled Victoria's name and went out to grab her around the waist to pull her inside, just in time for the first birds to hit the glass with sickening thuds as everyone cried out in shock and disgust.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Victoria cried and pushed Dexter away. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She took a breath. "Have you lost your damn mind?"
"Are you okay?" Dexter asked, cupping her face and caressing her cheeks as he looked to make sure she wasn't hurt. "Are you injured anywhere? Talk to me!"
"I'm fine," she shrugged. "Why?"
He then turned her around so she could see the dead and dying birds piling up in front of the store.
"Oh, my great-grandpa!" She muttered, her eyes wide with shock. "What's going on?" Feeling utterly terrified, she faced Dexter and even moved closer, letting him put his arm around her.
"It's okay," he said, kissing her hair. "Don't worry about it." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. "I've got you. You're safe. We'll stay here until this mess is over, then I'll take you home."
"Thank you," she told him, putting her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest. "Thank you very much."
Laurelle followed the young man way from the group that was sitting around a campfire in the middle of the woods.
"Do you want more beer?" He asked her, holding up a six pack and pushing some of his blond hair out of his eyes.
"I'm good," Laurelle held a plastic cup up for him to see. "But thank you, Carl."
"I'm glad you came tonight, Laurelle," Carl told her as he looked her over appreciatively.
"Oh, sure," Laurelle giggled nervously. "What girl wouldn't want to be alone in the woods with a bunch of guys?" She then looked away from him.
"Well, I know you're not exactly the partying sort," Carl remarked as he brought the beer bottle to his lips. "No offense."
Laurelle shrugged. "People change."
Ever since she'd lost her virginity to Baltazar, she'd changed all right! She'd started to hang out with more people at school. She'd gotten new clothes and a new look. Everything she could do that would make her forget about that man and get the attention of someone her own age!
Carl set the beer down on the ground. "Wanna make out?"
"Maybe," Laurelle shrugged and smiled timidly.
Then she looked away, poking a pile of leaves with the toe of her biker boot. Okay, if she were truly honest, she wasn't interested at all! Sure, Carl wasn't bad looking, along with being the captain of the football team and the president of the Student Council but damn it! She couldn't forget about that night with Baltazar. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe she needed to make out with a guy, any other guy, to make herself feel better. To bring herself back to her senses and get over the biggest mistake of her life!
Carl got close to her, putting his hands on her hips and leaning forward to kiss her. And it wasn't…bad, per se, but she didn't feel the same tingling sensation as before. It was pointless!
She pushed him away and stepped back. "Maybe we should go sit with the others." She turned to walk away.
"You're such a tease, Laurelle!" He grabbed her forearm to pull her back to him.
"Hey, you're hurting me! Let me go!" Laurelle demanded, twisting and pulling as she tried to get away.
He chuckled. "Don't be such a buzzkill, Laurelle! I just want to have a little bit of fun!" Then he pulled her back into his arms
Flailing, she tried to pull away, but wasn't able to succeed because Carl's grip was like iron. As Laurelle considered whether or not she should bite him hard enough to draw blood, they were both distracted by the scream of someone in terrible pain. As they faced the group around the campfire, their bodies bent over and twisted, some even lying on the ground as they all transformed into werewolves.
That made Carl let her go when probably nothing else would. "What the fuck?" He cried, dumbfounded.
"Why is everyone turning into werewolves?" Laurelle asked, her voice full of shock. "To transform, they would have needed to kill someone!
"I don't know, but I don't think I want to stick around and find out!" Carl cried, then ran off without another word, probably very glad that he was a vampire and could get away so easily.
"Coward!" Laurelle called after him, stomping her feet in a rage. He'd left her to face a bunch of werewolves all alone. She froze, hearing the growling behind her back, then slowly turned to face the four beasts that had come for her.
Laurelle's chest rose and fell as she tried her best to get a breath, staying still, her eyes locked on the four werewolves in front of her.
"You can do this, Laurelle," she told herself. "Don't freak out."
She tried to take a step back but one of the werewolves started growling. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, all right?" She stepped back, holding a trembling hand out to the werewolf.
Then the four wolves began to circle around her.
"I'm going to die!" She cried, her hands on her chest as tears filled her eyes.
They were advancing on her, menacing with their red eyes and bared fangs. She startled, nearly fainting, as a fifth werewolf appeared out of nowhere, placing itself between her and the pack.
Now that she was in less danger, Laurelle was able to examine the wild, mystical animal. The werewolf was black, bigger than the others, and had bright yellow eyes.
At the sight of him, the other four backed away as he began to growl menacingly. Laurelle couldn't even begin to say why this wolf was protecting her so fearlessly, but she wasn't afraid anymore.
The wolves stared for a few seconds, then turned on their tails and ran away scared just like Carl.
Still not sure what the other wolf was up to, Laurell backed away from him too, her back finally hitting a tree.
The animal stared at her, then let out a bone-chilling howl to the dark sky, slowly becoming human again.
"What in the world possessed you to be in the woods alone with a bunch of werewolves, Laurelle?" These were the first words that came out of the now human werewolf's mouth. Then he caught her eye and her jaw dropped in shock. It was Baltazar!
"What could have possessed me? She exclaimed, dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me? You almost gave me a heart attack now, appearing out of nowhere like that!"
He slowly got to his feet and faced her, naked as the day he was born, his hands placed on either side of his waist. "IT's dangerous to be in the presence of werewolves during a full moon, Laurelle! They could have killed you easily!"
Laurelle kept her eyes on his, although it was hard to keep them from straying downward. Even then, she blushed slightly. "They aren't werewolves!"
"What are you talking about?" He shouted back. "They were ready to rip you to pieces!"
"I mean I know they're werewolves, but they're also just kids from the Council school who invited me to a campfire. I was talking to Carl just now…one of the kids…" She looked away as she felt him stare at her while she talked about the young man. "And then, out of nowhere, these guys just transformed into werewolves! It's impossible that they could have killed people and become werewolves together. I don't know what happened just now."
"Look up and you'll get an idea," Baltazar told her dryly. "Hasn't growing up with your father, or your grandfather at the very least, taught you anything at all about werewolves?"
When Laurelle looked up, she saw not one, but two moons. "I'll ignore your stupid remark," she told him. "Do you…do you see the two moons up there? How is that possible?"
"You tell me, Laurelle," he snapped and shook his head. "My guess is that this supernatural phenomenon made them transform early, regardless of if they killed someone or not, which means it's especially dangerous for you to be out here tonight!"
"Don't give me that attitude!" She snapped. "I'm not a child. Though I'm sure my stupidity would have allowed you to be happy if I'd died. Another reason to forget…" She trailed off, biting her lip.
"What were you going to say?" Baltazar pressed. He took a step forward so they were now very close together. "Another reason to forget that we have slept together, little girl?" He raised his arms so they were on either side of her head.
"What you mean is that you fucked me and got pleasure from it, then threw me away like I was nothing." She raised her chin and glared at him,
"You're not nothing to me, Laurelle," he said in a kinder voice. "Why do you think I've watched you from afar to save you from when you make stupid decisions like this one?"
She held his burning gaze for a few seconds before looking down at the ground. Wrong move! She blushed a deep shade of red and looked up as he smirked at her.
"See anything you like? It's not like you've never seen me naked before."
"Well…well, we were under a blanket so I didn't see much," she reminded him. "And I don't need you to protect me. I just need you to leave me the hell alone. I want to live my life the way I wish to."
"And do what?" He shrugged, pushing some strands of hair off her face. "To make out with young punks like Carl and be torn to pieces by a pack of werewolves? I thought you were smarter than that, Laurelle!"
"Yeah, well…" Laurelle scoffed. "I guess sleeping with you made me stupid!" She turned to walk a few feet away.
"I only want what is best for you, Laurelle. And that wasn't me!" He shook his head, feeling very guilty. "I'm so sorry for sleeping with you."
She froze, tears filling her eyes.
"Not that I didn't enjoy it or want it," he said quickly, realizing he'd really screwed up. "I'm just sad it caused you so much pain."
"Well, I guess I'm very lucky to have you here to decide what's best for me and what isn't," Laurelle replied dryly, crossing her arms. "And don't worry, Uncle Balti…" she shrugged, feeling very lethal. "I'm not hurt at all. In fact, I was having the best time with Carl before you showed up."
Baltizar shook his head and chuckled. "I know you don't man that, Laurelle. You don't mean a single fucking word of what you're saying."
"Yes, I do!" Laurelle nodded furiously. "I was about to have sex with him! I was this close!" She positioned her thumb and forefinger so there was just a little distance between them.
Baltazar narrowed his eyes and pulled her close as she cried out in protest. "When you say you were this close," he asked smoothly. "Is this what you mean?" Then she cried out as he grabbed her bottom.
"What…what are you doing?" She asked, hands placed over his bare chest.
"Proving a point," he told her before his lips crashed against hers.
She made a noise and squirmed to try and free herself from his grip of steel. Then she realized that resistance was futile, and she supposed it wasn't so bad after all. She stopped resisting and kissed him deeply, their tongues intertwining.
Then he pulled away and stared into her deep brown eyes, cupping her face with both hands. "You shouldn't have sex with any man you don't desire, Laurelle," he told her. "You should travel, study, learn what you want to become…then you'll meet the man who will make you happy and keep you safe."
She stared into his eyes as her heart pounded in her chest. Then he let her go.
"Do you have your phone?" He asked.
"I…" she put her hand in the back pocket of her jeans, but her phone wasn't there. "I don't know what happened."
"I'll take you back to your aunt at the club. Then she can call your father and explain that something bad happened on your camping trip and you'd like to come home," he suggested.
"No," Laurelle raised her chin insolently. "I'd rather wait for Carl."
"You would rather put your trust in a boy who ran like a coward hen you were in danger?" Baltazar growled. "There's no way I'm agreeing to that!" Then he grabbed her and put her over his shoulder.
"You put me down now, Baltazar!" She cried, pounding his back with he fists as he carried her away.
"Yeah," Baltazar scoffed. "That's not happening." He did his best to get a better grip on her before making his way to his car.
Mackenzie Mikaelson's high heels clicked on the marble floor as she made her way to the front desk to hand the receptionist a file.
"Would you put this in the file cabinet, please, Cecelia?" She asked kindly.
"Of course," Cecelia nodded and took the file from her. "By the way, Miss Mikaelson, you have a visitor in your office."
"Really? I guess that's Mr. Thompson. He wanted to see me regarding picking out a new color for his master bedroom. Again." Mackenzie smiled indulgently and rolled her eyes.
"It could be, but I'm sorry that I can't give you more information. I was on the phone when he showed up. It was strange though. He asked you, but he gave a different name. I only knew it was you he wanted when he said your assistant was waiting for him."
"It's fine, Cecilia. Mr. Thompson is an elderly man who's forgotten my name. He thought I was his mother a couple of times. I'll go meet with him now." She smiled at the woman, and Cecilia spoke again as Mackenzie made her way to her office.
"He's not elderly," she said. "He's quite dashing. I hear that Angelica Mikaelson is coming back from her maternity leave soon."
"She is," Mackenzie nodded.
"That is if she doesn't want more children, of course." Cecelia shrugged. "Sometimes it can happen again quickly after the first child."
"Oh, I doubt it," Mackenzie shook her head. She and her boyfriend are not my parents who have had so many children over the course of their whole relationship. Angelica Mikaelson is very serious about her career. I think she'll be with us for a while at least if she decides to have another child at all.
"Would you like me to bring a pot of coffee and some cookies to your office for you and your client? It wouldn't be any trouble for me to make new coffee. Just another ten to fifteen minutes."
"Thank you, Nicole," Mackenzie smiled. "That would be perfect." She then made her way down the hallway to her office.
Angelica herself had kept an eye on the business from a distance during her pregnancy leave. Content with how well Mackenzie had been doing, she'd agreed to hire her full time and Mackenzie couldn't have been happier.
Mackenzie entered her office and shut the door behind her, then headed to her desk and dropped her tote bag on it.
"Mr. Thompson, our receptionist told me that you were here and…" She turned to face the man who was sitting on the sofa, expecting to see a sweet-looking white-haired man. Instead, when she saw the man on the couch, she froze and paled. It wasn't Mr. Thompson at all. It was Dorian Gray! The same man she'd put so much effort into avoiding for the past several weeks.
Mackenzie's heart began to pound when she realized he was watching her intently.
M-m-m-Mr. Gray, what are you doing here?" She asked, stammering nervously.
He stood up from the sofa and adjusted the sleeves of his silk shirt under his designer blazer.
"You haven't returned my calls for weeks, and you never came back to my penthouse." He reminded her. "I don't like to be cast aside, Ms. Robinson I'm a powerful man and I want to be your first priority."
She raised her chin and glared at him, putting a hand on her stomach to try and calm down. "The renovation work at your penthouse is now complete," she reminded him. "There are a few final touches that our staff can complete at your convenience. I don't see why you need more of me."
"Because when I want to see a woman that I consider mine, she needs to come back to me the second I snap my fingers," he said firmly, striding over to her so their chests were touching. "I'm not a man who likes to be kept waiting, Ms. Robinson."
Mackenzie gasped and backed away from him until her legs hit her desk.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Gray!" She spat. "I was assigned to renovate your penthouse, not be your escort!"
He leaned forward and put his hands on the desktop, his arms on either side of her trembling body.
"Please, I have more respect for the woman I want in my bed, Ms. Robinson," he whispered in her left ear, making her shiver.
She gasped for air, her breath picking up. "What makes you think I want to be in your bed, Mr. Gray?" She asked breathlessly.
Dorian just smirked. "I can hear your heartbeat, smell your arousal…" he whispered, sliding his stubbly cheek over hers, talking over her parted lips. "And you're quite a vision when you blush this way." He grabbed her chin, looking deeply into her eyes.
"In a few weeks, our professional relationship will come to an end. Please let it be that way. Let us part on good terms," she begged him even as she knew there was a part of her, however small, that was sad about the prospect.
"Oh, come on, my dear," he clicked his tongue. "This is the supernatural world we're talking about. We don't have to obey the stupid rules the humans have imposed on themselves. We can share a bed without people gossiping about us."
As he made his point, he slid his finger down her neck and slowly but deftly undid the buttons of her silk blouse.
That was where he was wrong!
"Maybe that could be for some people, but I have principles, Mr. Gray!" She grabbed his hand to stop its movement. "And…and if I may say, I don't want to be a replacement for some other woman you may be missing."
Her words startled him, and he narrowed his eyes. "There was another woman," he admitted. "But that was ages ago. She's married to the love of her life now. And I admit that while your resemblance to her attracted me at first, now I can reassure you that…" he grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. "I promise I don't see you as her. You're holding your own here by yourself. I just want to show you how good we could be. If you'll let me that is."
She stared at him for a few seconds conscious of his fingers moving again and undoing the rest of her buttons. She nodded gently. If it got this crazy idea out of his head, why not?
He parted the fabric of her blouse and slid his hand underneath it to cup her breasts. His thumb gently stroked her erect nipple.
"Oh!" She gasped and closed her eyes, gripping his upper arms.
He growled and lifted her up on the desk. Then he took a step back and slowly removed his blazer, throwing it on a nearby chair. Then he rolled up his sleeves, never looking away from her.
He leaned forward and put a hand behind her neck to pull her closer and kiss her hard. She cried out, her arms wrapping around his neck as she caressed his hair.
Then he growled, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue between her lips. Then she grabbed his tie, pulling it off and throwing it on the floor while he slid her skirt up her thighs.
"Touch me sweetheart," he begged. "Please!" Her lips found the skin of his neck and nuzzled and nibbled on it. "Fuck me, Julia! If I wasn't a gentleman, I would be deep inside you right now, but…because I am, I can only do the next best thing."
He slipped his hand between her legs, rubbing her slowly and gently.
"Oh, Dorian!" She panted, tilting her head back. "Yes! Yes!"
"Do you know how long I've waited for you to beg for me this way?" He asked as he gently bit her bottom lip and rubbed her harder.
It didn't take long for her to start panting uncontrollably, his lips on her neck and biting her skin. When she orgasmed, she cried out his name, grabbing his shoulders as her nails dug into her skin.
They both jumped when they heard the subtle click of heels on the marble floor.
"It…that's my receptionist!" Mackenzie whispered, pulling away. "She's coming with coffee and cookies!"
He nodded and fixed her blouse, kissing her forehead gently and setting her on the floor before putting on his blazer.
"All right," Mackenzie called. "You can come in, Cecelia!"
Cecilia entered, smiling widely and carrying a large silver platter.
"Would you say we've come to an agreement, Ms. Robinson?" Dorian asked and cleared his throat, his hands buried in the pocket of his trousers.
"I…I don't know," Mackenzie replied, avoiding his gaze. "I'll need to get back to you."
Dorian nodded. "It was a pleasure." he grinned before turning and walking out.
"I'm so sorry I came late with the coffee and cookies," Cecelia apologized and pushed some of her red hair out of her eyes.
"Oh, don't worry," a self-conscious Mackenzie told her, crossing her arms so that her undone buttons would be hidden. "The last thing that man needed was a sugary treat."
Victoria put her hands palm down on her lace-stocking covered legs, tapping her fingers in her lap. She glanced at her driver and nervously bit her lip.
After things had calmed down from the bird attack, Dexter insisted on driving her home.
And now, sitting in his luxurious sports car, her heart pounding her chest, she was getting nervous, but she couldn't understand why.
"You know you're allowed to relax, right?" He asked. "You're no longer in any danger."
Victoria shrugged. "What makes you think I'm not relaxed?" She kept her eyes on the road.
A blissful smile curved his lips. "Probably the fact that you're sitting next to me, and I can feel your tense energy."
She rolled her eyes. "I can assure you that I'm not feeling in danger anymore."
"Well, I hope I'm not making you nervous then." He gave her a smirk.
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head, narrowing her eyes at him.
This just made him chuckle. "I recognize the fiery temper of the Mikaelsons," he told her.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she told him dryly.
"You should." He kept his eyes on the road, stopping as they reached a red light.
He unbuckled his seatbelt with ease, swiftly opening the driver's side door to take off his jacket and throw it in the backseat before sitting in the driver's seat again.
Victoria, who had watched him out of the corner of her eye, swallowed nervously and rubbed her hand together. He rolled up his sleeves and then watched the red light.
For fuck's sake, why did he have such an effect on her body?
When the light turned green, he put his foot on the gas and resumed driving.
As they drove, both of them remained silent.
"This is a really nice car," she said at last.
"Isn't it?" He grinned. "Are you not enjoying the ride?"
"I didn't say that," she replied.
"Do you think this car is too luxurious for someone like me?" He asked. "I don't know if I should be complimented or insulted." He grinned. "Do I need to remind you of your father's own extensive car collection?"
"I didn't mean to be insulting," she clarified as a light shade of pink colored her cheeks. "But my grandfather is paying you, isn't he? And very well at that."
"And there it is," he burst out laughing. "Just so you know, Victoria, I'm the owner of several import-export companies, as well as managing your grandfather's club. So therefore, I paid for this car with my own money. I'm not paid to be his…what was that word you used? Lacky?" He chuckled.
"Why are you staying with him then?" She asked. "Weren't you contracted by my great-grandfather to keep an eye on him?" Victoria wanted to know.
"I'm not under a contract anymore, as you do brilliantly put it." He winked at her. "Believe it or not, now I keep an eye on him for the sake of humanity."
"That's certainly altruistic," she teased perniciously.
"Are you mocking me, Ms. Mikaelson?" Dexter tilted his head and smirked.
She grinned back and turned to face the road. "I wouldn't dare after you were such a hero to me, Mr. Dexter."
"Are you trying to push my buttons, Ms. Mikaelson?" He asked with a grin.
"I wasn't aware you had any buttons to push," Victoria returned. "Do you, Mr. Dexter?" She chuckled, amused.
Dexter burst into laughter and slapped her thigh playfully. "That's my girl!"
She turned to smile back at him, and they were both caught up in the moment as they stared into each other's eyes.
Then she coughed, suddenly uncomfortable. "Yes, well…right. I don't believe that's true."
"You're mine to protect, Victoria," he said seriously.
She gasped for air, turning to stare at the passing boutiques out the window.
"Are you going to talk about it?" He asked. "I'm willing to answer any questions you might have if it clears the air between us."
"Don't know what you're talking about," Victoria replied without looking at him.
"Well, I think you've had a change of attitude since we first met," he pointed out.
That made her turn her head. "We've met two times, Dexter!" She pointed out.
"Yep, exactly!" He winked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she repeated, paying attention to the road.
"Your attitude has changed since our first meeting. You talked to your mom about me and you've probably learned about my relationship with your aunt." He paused. "Does that have anything to do with how you're feeling."
She closed her eyes tight, surprised. Fuck him!
"Your relationship with my aunt has nothing to do with me," she said at last. "It's history."
"We were together a long time, she and I," Dexter said. "But it just…it wasn't peaceful anymore."
"Oh?" Victoria frowned. "You seem all right to me. Why would you need to find peace?"
"Good point," he grinned. "But your aunt is a bit more unpredictable with her feelings."
"So opposites do attract after all!" She looked into his dark eyes.
"You think?" He said as he looked her over. "I mean, you should know that. Look at your parents!"
"Yeah," Victoria nodded. "I guess. I don't get them sometimes. But they must've worked out somehow because here I am."
"But that wasn't the reason we split up," Dexter continued as he parked the car in front of her parents' house. "Do you want to know why?"
"No, I don't need to," she shook her head as she reached for the door handle and gripped it tight enough to make her knuckles white. "It's not really any of my business."
"She couldn't get pregnant," he admitted with a deep sigh. "And she wanted to, so very badly."
That made Victoria look at him. "I'm so sorry, guess. I had idea that both of you went through that."
"Thank you," he said with a shy smile.
"But you're eternal, so…I know you'll find someone eventually if you want it that badly." She tried to cheer him up.
"Well, I do," he nodded.
"It's for the best then," she swallowed and bit her lip.
"Yep," he nodded. "You're right, it's for the best."
"Thank you for the ride home and for your help," she said, not sure she wanted to be near him anymore. She tried to get out of the car, opening the passenger side door even though she hadn't undone her seatbelt.
That made her swing back into her seat as his laughter filled her ears.
"At ease, little fox!" Dexter undid his own seatbelt, then leaned over, putting an arm around her waist so he could undo hers.
At the same time, she turned her head, causing her and Dexter's cheeks to touch. They both froze, their lips so close together as their breathing picked up.
Dexter gazed at Victoria's parted lips, his left hand sliding down her waist to reach her thigh. Then he brought his right hand to her cheek, brushing the skin with his fingers.
"Thank…thank you," she said, panting. "I mean…thank you for undoing my seatbelt."
"You're welcome, Victoria," he smiled, keeping his eyes on her as he slid his thumb gently over her bottom lip. "Not a problem at all."
Then he realized what he was doing, froze, and coughed awkwardly, holding her at a distance. "Goodbye, Victoria. Give my regards to your parents."
"I will." She hopped out of the car and closed the passenger side door.
Then, before making her way up the drive to let herself in the house, she watched his car speed away.
What the fuck had just happened?