Darkest Temptations

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Acting On Temptation

Elena Mikaelson

While Caroline had taken Bonnie over to her place to show her around and explain what was going to happen next, such as being given us new identifications, account information and phones, I waited at my house, claiming I needed to use the restroom. When in reality I wanted to take a moment, Klaus had been over at Vickie's place for almost twenty minutes when he knew we had to get moving. I'd been gone for a month, and I just needed a few minutes with him. Our time together in New York had been all too brief, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to be with my husband. I had spent so long denying that I might have feelings for him, numbing myself to the possibility that my life here in Utah could actually work out. We were right to make the decision to move forward; it was our choice for once. We were the ones in control, and now more than ever, we had a say in what would happen next in our lives. I had done the right thing by telling Caroline and April about my relationship with Klaus, but at the same time, Caroline's response had caught me completely off guard. When she told me that it didn't matter and that it wasn't any of her business, I was floored. Part of the reason I had kept it hidden was to spare her feelings. I feared she would think I was trying to take him away from her, which wasn't the case at all. Vickie had a point—sometimes we just had to embrace both the good and the bad, even if that meant grappling with feelings of jealousy over another marriage.

I had spent so long fearing what Caroline and April would think if I acted the way I wanted, rather than the way I had always been in Mystic Falls. But what good would that do for me? I wasn't miserable back home, but I wasn't truly content either. For so long, even before my parents died, I had been forcing myself to smile, and that wasn't healthy. I had stayed in my relationship with Matt just because I worried that leaving him would break his heart, and the idea of him hating me bothered me more than it should have. Why did I have this constant need to keep everyone happy? I was happy now, truly happy with Klaus, and that was something I wanted to celebrate. However, at the same time, I was worried. My situation had changed—I wasn't merely the second wife of three anymore. Vickie and Bonnie coming into the picture might have benefited us, but at the same time, it had the capacity to disrupt everything. Caroline and April didn't realize it yet, but I did. Bonnie was similar to how I was when we first arrived—convinced she would remain the same person she was before, believing she could never imagine herself feeling friendship for Klaus, much less any deeper connection. That was what I feared most now. I had brought Bonnie with us to spare her from a life of uncertainty, but at the same time, I had brought a very attractive girl into my marriage with my husband, who I knew was capable of hiding all manner of secrets. It was a delicate balance, trying to maintain harmony while navigating these complexities. I hoped that Bonnie would find her own place in this new world, as I had eventually done. But I couldn't shake the feeling that, in bringing her here, I had opened a door to potential challenges that were going to keep me on my toes over the next few months.

I was standing at my bedroom window, which looked out over the backyards, the right side looking right down onto Vickie's and now I guess Bonnie's too. Vickie stepped out of her house, leaving the patio door open behind her. She traced her lower lip with her finger before sliding her hand into the pocket of her jeans, retrieving a lip gloss. I watched her closely as she reapplied it before a sound behind her made her turn around, finding Klaus stepping out from behind her; their eyes met briefly, but she looked away from him almost as if there was tension. How could they possibly be fighting this quickly? We just got back, and already they were at each other's throats. She began to make her way over the backyards; she must have been going to Caroline's place; it was time to get moving. I watched Klaus lock the patio door before he began to head in the same direction; I brought my hand up to the glass, tapping my fingers for his attention. His eyes found me instantly, and he paused. I watched him glance at Vickie, who was halfway across the yard now.

Klaus turned and headed for our house; I bit my lower lip as I listened to him then making his way up the stairs. He entered the empty room just as I turned to face him, his eyes n me, his cheeks slightly flushed. I guess the two of them did have a fight, and I was wrong to have hope that we could at least attempt to get along.

"Hi," I said, trying not to sound too nervous.

"Hey," Klaus replied.

"We should get going." I said, crossing my arms in front of myself.

"Yeah, you're right."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Klaus said, coming to a stop in front of me. "And you?"

"What about me?" I asked.

"You seem off; are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just nervous about what's going to happen next."

"Next, or now? Right this minute?" Klaus asked as he took a step towards me.

"Now," I replied nervously.

Klaus ran his fingers over the back of my hand before lacing his fingers with mine and pulling me over towards him.

I slowly lifted my head to look up at him but dipped down as I asked, "So you did miss me?"

"You know I did; I always do." Klaus said, lifting my chin to look at him.

"I missed you too; did you know that? Did you know that while I was gone, that I thought about you? That I thought about all of us together? Was all I could think about?"

"I know; I thought about that too."

"You did? You thought about me?" I asked as his forehead met mine.

"Yeah, I did." Klaus said as he brushed his nose against mine.

"I was so scared that everything would change, that you would have moved on."

"How could I ever move on from you?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know."

"I wouldn't," Klaus said. "I couldn't; there is no moving on from you, Elena."

Klaus's hands drifted down over my hips, and he began to caress my ass. "I missed this too," he whispered as he ran his tongue over my lower lip.

"Should we be doing this?" I asked, meeting his eyes again.

"Why not?" Klaus replied as his fingers continued to knead my ass.

"It's not my day; I don't want Vickie to think I'm trying to steal you away."

"I really don't want to discuss Vickie right now."

"Are you two fighting again?" I asked, keeping my body against his as he continued to caress me.

"Not at all," Klaus said before pressing his lips to my neck. "She just knows how to push my buttons."

"You're fighting," I sighed. "I saw the way she looked when she came out of the house."

"Like what?" Klaus asked, his brows furrowed and his shoulders tensing.

"Uh, she looked a little red like she'd been yelling," I said as I moved my hands up his arms. "I only saw because she paused to do her lipstick."

When I met his gaze, he appeared to be looking through me, not at me.

"Hey," I whispered. "Where are you?" I asked, placing my hand on the side of his face, "What is it?"

"Nothing, I'm here." Klaus replied, bringing himself back to reality.

"Don't let her stress you out," I said as I ran my hands down his arms. "You're so tense right now."

"I'm fine."

I brought my hands back up to his shoulders and started to massage them.

"It's just something about her; I can't shake the feeling that she's up to something," I said before his eyes met mine. "Don't you think she's up to something?" I asked as I continued to work at his tense muscles.

"Like what?" Klaus asked.

I shrugged. "I just have this feeling she's got this whole other side to her that no one can see," I met his gaze. "But you see everything, don't you?"

Klaus gave a small laugh. "That's very flattering, but I can assure you there's nothing you're missing."

"I just hate the idea that she's causing all of this stress for you, like you don't have enough to deal with already. I mean, does she get how much you have bottled up inside?"

Klaus wrapped his arms around me, bringing me against him. "You're the one who sees me; I've told you that before."

"I could talk to her, maybe—"

"No." Klaus said, cutting me off, "I wouldn't even mention it; there's, uh," he paused and offered me a smile. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Alright, but if you ever need a," I paused, biting my lower lip slightly. "A release, just say the word, and I'll help you out." I said as I brushed my hands over his belt buckle.

"Is that so?" Klaus asked with a smirk on his face.

"Mmhmm," I said, nodding. "I mean, if you wanted," I began to lower myself down, only for Klaus to catch me by my elbows. "What's wrong?" I asked as he helped me back up to my feet.

"We don't have time; we need to go." Klaus said, glancing at his watch before meeting my eyes again. "No time."

"But, I mean, we've been apart; I thought... I guess I was wrong." I said, lowering my head.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Klaus said, lifting my chin again, "It's just not the right time."

I shook my head. "I know what's going on." I said.

Klaus held my gaze. "What would that be?" he asked.

"She's gotten inside your head; she's exhausted you."

Klaus let out a heavy exhale. "No, she hasn't; there's just too much going on for me to lose control."

"Loose control? Is that what you call it? When we're together?" I smiled before pressing my lips to his. "When we're fucking?" I asked as I continued to kiss him. "When-"

"Klaus?" April's voice called out from downstairs.

We both turned our heads towards the closed door, Klaus's brows furrowed, and he shook his head.

"One minute," he called out before returning his attention to me.

I huffed, "We never get a minute alone," I said as he brought me against him. "We have a lot to talk about and—"

"I want you to go onto the pill."

My eyes went wide. "Wait, really?"

"Yes, really."

"I thought you said you didn't want that, that—"

Klaus began to smirk. "A very rare I was wrong moment," he held me closer. "Enjoy it; it will never happen again," he teased before he kissed me once.

"But," I paused, thinking of what to say, "What about what you said?"

Klaus met my gaze. "I know you will still think of him," he began to nod, "But I also know that no matter what, you're mine," he paused, looking downward at my body, "and one day, I will be the father of your children."

I smiled when his eyes met mine, and I nodded.

"But for now, the pill is required," he paused to kiss me before he pulled back, bringing his forehead to mine. "Because after a month apart, there's no chance in hell I'd be able to pull out."

I smiled up at him. "You're such a romantic."

"You love it."

"I do, I do love it," I said, running my hands over his chest. "So I guess we better get moving then."

Klaus pursed his lips slightly and reached into the pocket of his jeans and retrieved a black credit card. "Why don't you buy something for me to rip off of you on Wednesday night?" He continued, "You remember what I like, don't you?"

"I do; I remember all of it." I replied before biting my lower lip.

Klaus leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine again.

I studied the card in my hand. "But this is your card; I have my personal account."

"Use mine; I'm sure you'll find something worth it," he replied with a grin.

"You think so?"

"In fact, why don't you buy a few pieces?"

I smiled. "Alright, but you can only rip off one."

"That's not how it works."

"I decide what works, what happens when and where, and how... often." Klaus whispered as he held me firmly against him.

I nodded and pocketed the card. "You'll get the bill later."

He ran his hands down over my ass again before giving me a playful smack, causing me to gasp before I took his hand in mine as he led us out of the room.

When we reached Caroline's backyard, his hand left mine, and he held the door open for me to step inside. Bonnie and Vickie were also inside the kitchen waiting as Caroline and April came in from the sitting room to join us. I thought I saw Klaus looking at Vickie, who did not look back at him; instead, she kept her eyes forward, avoiding any contact. It was almost as if the two of them had been caught doing something they shouldn't have been.

"Is there room for all of us in your car?" April asked Klaus.

"Of course," he said as she joined his side and he shifted his attention to Caroline. "Ready?" he asked her as his hand secretly brushed down April's back.

"Yup," Caroline replied with a smile. "Let's get out of here."

Klaus didn't show much as acknowledgment to Bonnie as we left the house, but what captured my attention more was Vickie; she didn't take the passenger seat beside Klaus; instead, she casually took the seat directly behind him without comment. Even Caroline looked back at her with raised eyebrows, which she waved off as she stared out of the window. I met Klaus's gaze in the rearview mirror as I sat beside Bonnie in the back seat, and he offered me a smile. April squeezed in between Vickie and Bonnie despite the center armrest being down, forcing Vickie to shift further towards the window.

"Oh my god, Klaus, there are two mounted tablets back here." April said as she reached in front of Bonnie to activate the screen.

"How much does one of these things cost?" I asked.

In the front Caroline glanced over at Klaus as he backed us out of the driveway. "I wouldn't ask," she replied.

April selected a game to play before she met Bonnie's eyes. "Want to play?"

"Uh, no. But thanks." Bonnie replied as she shifted slightly closer to me.

"So, uh," I cleared my throat, "when we get there, like we talked about, it's just a hand scanner thing. If you need it, you scan the barcode and—"

"I remember," Bonnie said with a smile.

"Oh, well, alright." I said, offering her an awkward smile.

"Oh my god, this thing has freaking Netflix." April said as she tapped at the screen.

Bonnie, upon hearing April's comment, turned to look at her, and I watched as their eyes met briefly before Bonnie looked away again. What was that? I mean, April is just a little excited; there was nothing wrong with that. April tapped away on the screen, and I saw her scroll through the movies before she stopped and leaned back in her seat, smiling.

"I assume nothing more than a hundred dollars for the essentials, right?" Bonnie asked me, but it was clearly a financial question, and that should have been directed to Klaus.

"No," I said softly. "Actually, Bonnie, like we said, we get it all on one day, so there's..."

"There's what?" She whispered back.

"There's no limit," Klaus's voice practically boomed from the front seat. "You spend what is needed; I pay for the total."

"Right, well, I don't plan to take advantage." Bonnie replied.

Klaus let out a small laugh. "I'd be surprised if you did; I doubt you'll have the same standards as my wives."

He just referred to us as 'his wives,' like Bonnie wasn't one of us.

I bit my lower lip as I glanced at Caroline, who appeared to be in deep thought before April broke the silence.

"Klaus prefers to take care of the furniture bill; it's really sweet of him."

"Sweet," Vickie huffed under her breath.

"What was that?" Klaus asked as he made eye contact with her through the rearview mirror.

"I didn't say anything," Vickie replied innocently. "Are we almost there?"

We made small talk over the next hour or so; Klaus never said another word. However, I did have to watch as he lowered his hand from the steering wheel and rested it on Caroline's leg. She smiled up at him before placing her own hand on his, but I saw Vickie noticing as well, but she looked away without a care in the world. I, however, did feel the pit of my stomach tighten. Was he flaunting this in front of me? No, I wasn't going to start acting like the jealous wife on the first day.

"Since we're outside of Sandy," April began to explain to Bonnie as we pulled into the large parking lot of the megastore, "Klaus gets to spend equal time with us; out here we don't have to hide. He gets to be with us over the next few hours as we shop because the place is so big none of us will cross paths."

"So how does that work?" Bonnie asked.

"What?" April asked.

"Isn't it difficult not being able to be near your own husband in public unless you're mils outside of Sandy?" she scoffed "It's almost like no one else's life matters unless it's behind closed doors. No wonder you're such a push over."

April shifted uncomfortably, her wide eyes peeking at the rearview mirror where Klaus was already watching her reaction to Bonnie's rather forward comment.

"Well," April said before she cleared her throat, "It is what it is, I guess."

I watched as Klaus's eyes remained fixed on her until finally April met his gaze and offered him a nervous smile.

"Alright ladies," Klaus began to say as he parked the car in an empty space, "Let's get this over with."

Now he was more tense; it was sort of an unwritten rule that we knew April was sensitive and that we should tread carefully around her with certain things. Klaus had never once acknowledged April's delicate nature, never spoken to us about it, or made us act any differently around her. April was probably the most open and accepting of any of us when it came to living the way we did; if Klaus kissed any of us while she was in the room, she didn't glance over; she just minded her own business. I didn't know how she managed it, but she did. But she was delicate at times, very strong and passionate when it came to protecting our secret and our dreams, but she did have that side to her. Which, surprisingly, the only one who seemed to get through to her during those times was Klaus.

We got out of the car, and I swept my hair back off my shoulders; it was so warm, and I couldn't wait to get inside the air conditioning. We made our store together and collected our handheld scanners. I was happy about this setup; with no cart to push around or basket to carry, I could just walk around freely and hopefully with Klaus at some points.

I collected my scanner and glanced over my shoulder at Klaus, who was standing in front of April; he kissed her forehead before she leaned forward to whisper something in his ear. He smiled and nodded before she walked off on her own with him watching her leave. I made my way over to Caroline, who was studying the placemats on display. Vickie had already taken off on her own, and Bonnie was lingering across from us, looking at a sitting room display set.

"How do you think it's going?" I asked Caroline as I joined her.

She glanced over her shoulder at Bonnie before she turned back to face me. "We just got here; don't expect much from her today."

"I'm not," I replied. "I'm just curious."

"I think all things considered, it's not that bad."

"I think she knows she was wrong to ask April that thing in the car." I said as I picked up a placemat and pretended to be interested.

"We're all wrong sometimes," Caroline said as she looked at the different patterns. "Klaus probably won't let that one go anytime soon; you know how he is about April."

"Yeah, I know," I said, setting the placemat down again. "So he's at Vickie's place tonight?"

Caroline glanced at me. "I'm not going to lie, Vickie did tell me he slept in her bed while we were all gone."

I felt the pit of my stomach tighten and my chest tighten at the thought of them sharing a bed. I looked up at Caroline and offered her a small smile. "It's fine; I knew it was bound to happen; I just didn't think it would be so soon."

Caroline's brows furrowed, and she tilted her head to the side. "Does it bother you?"

I shrugged. "It's nothing." I said, turning to walk away, only for her to stop me by grabbing my hand.

"It is something; you just have to figure out what," she said as I turned to face her.

I thought about what to say for a moment before I nodded. "It does bother me," I whispered. "I just thought if she was going to be the fourth, that he wouldn't be sleeping in her bed until it was official."

"I didn't even know if she was going to stick around her first week; she's a surprising one." Caroline stopped and sighed heavily. "Sometimes she's really something else, but then—"

"Then she calls us out for all our mistakes, and, as it turns out, she had more than a good few points." I said.

Caroline nodded and gave my hand a small squeeze before releasing it.

"But we're here now; we can talk to her about anything and everything. That's our power, our focus now."

I felt a presence behind us and glanced over my shoulder, seeing Klaus standing there. I had to fight the urge to moan when he ran his hand over my back before it came to a rest on my ass. He leaned forward and kissed Caroline's temple, making her smile.

"You didn't like this pattern the last time, did you?" Caroline asked him, holding up a black marble placemat.

She had no idea he was touching me; she'd always been so focused on what was right in front of her that she never noticed what was happening right beside her.

"I don't recall; get it if you want it." Klaus said with a shrug.

"How about this one? I think it's the same thing but without the marble." I suggested holding up the alternative.

Caroline made a face. "Nah, I don't like it. Besides, it's only a six-piece set; we'll need more than that."

"Expecting to throw many dinner parties, are you?" I joked.

"She'll certainly be feeding a few in the years to come," Klaus said, making Caroline nudge her elbow into his stomach. "Or whenever she is ready," he whispered, making her smile.

Did he just talk about getting her pregnant while he was running his hand over my ass? I decided to get his attention focused back on me, and I pushed into his touch. Klaus looked down at me; he removed his hand from my ass and stared down at me, but I refused to look up at him.

"I think I'm going to go check on Bonnie," I said, slowly tucking my hair behind my ear so it brushed off my shoulder, exposing my skin. "See how she's doing."

I looked at Klaus. "I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

Caroline looked at me with a smile. "Yup, sounds good."

I began to walk away when I felt his hand reach out to catch my arm, but I gently let it slip down my arm and refused to be held back, a smirk forming across my lips knowing he had wanted me to stay.

I walked away from them towards the bedroom section, finding Bonnie there. I wanted to be a good friend to her, but at the same time, the idea of shopping right now, of filling my home with Klaus with the best of everything, was a little overpowering. I turned around and left her there; no one had talked me through my first day, and if I made the mistake of taking her arm and leading her through this, then it could have a damaging effect for her moving forward, and what she needed to learn right now was the power of independence. I was going to help her through this; whenever she needed me, I would be there, but I couldn't start this first day off by overshadowing her. At some point Klaus was going to be spending time with her alone, and I couldn't, no, I didn't want to be around them when they were picking out stuff for their brand new house.

This was our reset, and I was going to start it right here and now by shopping for my home and for my husband.

April Mikaelson

"Then when we're done loading these," Rusty, the supervisor of the gardening center, continued to explain, "we get the summer stuff in, you know, the lilies, the geraniums, and the sunflowers."

I smiled politely and nodded as he spoke.

"You're probably thinking, It's just flowers, but—"

"Do you even like flowers?" I asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, think about it. Do you think people who work at McDonald's like burgers? I'm guessing they don't."

Rusty, he must have been at least eighty years old, had so many smile lines around his eyes that you could barely make out his crow's feet. He laughed heartily and nodded, "You're right, they don't."

"It's what people think; they just don't say it out loud."

"Well, you are sunshine on a cold day, young lady."

I smiled as I continued to swing back and forth on the porch swing display model they had set up.

"So where are you from?" he asked.

I had to stop myself, "California." I lied.

"Really now, what brought you out this way?"

"Love?" I shrugged.

Rusty nodded. "Oh sure, young love, I remember that."

"How long have you been married?" I asked.

"Thirty-three years this November," he said with a smile. "Best years of my life."

I felt a pang in my chest hearing this, and I offered him a smile. "That's really sweet." I said as I looked away from him.

"And stronger every day," Rusty said and collected the last of the pots. "I'll be seeing you around."

"See you later." I replied as I watched him walk away.

I swung myself back and forth on the swing, turning the store catalog over and over in my lap, when the swing stopped and I looked up to see Klaus standing in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him with a smile.

He sat down beside me. "What are you doing?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Taking a break?"

"So I see."

"Did you need something?" I asked him.

"Maybe I was just coming to talk to you. Did you ever think about that?" Klaus asked me.

I smirked, "Not when it's not my day, I don't."

Klaus brought his hand around the back of me, brushing it lightly through my hair.

"You can't do that in public." I whispered, stopping him.

"You shouldn't let her upset you."

I froze like a deer in the headlights for a split second before forcing a smile as I looked his way. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head slightly. "She doesn't know what she's saying."

"Who?"

"Don't do that," he said gently, his hand returning to my hair. "Not with me."

I mustered a smile. "It was my own fault I was just," I shrugged. "I should have just stayed quiet; she's probably tired, and I've just probably been talking too much."

"Baby."

I felt tears prick my eyes then, and I refused to look his way as I faked an almost convincing laugh and got up to my feet. "I should get going." I hurried away before he could see me cry.

Klaus Mikaelson

"Fuck." I mumbled, watching April take off.

She knew, somehow this girl knew that tears made me uncomfortable, so being the girl she was, she refused to cry whenever I was with her. Her tears didn't make me uncomfortable; I was pissed, and I was going to deal with the source of my third wife's problems. The infamous Bonnie had been in my life for less than forty-eight hours, half of which I hadn't been near her. What she'd said to April was not okay, and I was going to make sure she knew it. I took off from the garden center determined to find Bonnie and remind her that she might be new to this, but this was my family, and she didn't get to disrespect any of my wives, and if she thought she could just walk over April, my sweet girl, and get away with it, she had another thing coming.

I walked through the different departments looking for her, managing to get past both Caroline in the bathrooms section and Elena in the dining room area without being spotted by either. I found her in the kitchen section talking to one of the staff members about the different types of pans and baking trays.

The time was now.

Sultry Nights Await

Oh, darlings, the heat is rising, and your comments on the last chapter have left me breathless! But let's dive into the forbidden desires that keep us all on edge. Tell me, whose chemistry ignites your senses the most? Is it the fiery duo of Klaus/Caroline, the tantalizing tension of Klaus/Elena, the unexpected allure of Klaus/April, the enigmatic pull of Klaus/Vickie, or the irresistible charm of Klaus/Bonnie?

Because, my lovelies, the next chapter promises to be a whirlwind of passion and desire. You might find yourselves torn between these tantalizing pairs while our enigmatic Klaus weaves his way through a web of seduction, leaving a trail of longing hearts in his wake.

Prepare for sultry nights and steamy encounters, as the story unfolds and Klaus dances between sheets of temptation.