This is a prompt from BadBoysAreBest's author to author exchange. It took me a really long time to get this entire thing down the way I wanted it, so I hope you all enjoy!

Response to petrova39's prompt: I'm thinking Caroline ropes Elena into helping her decorate the Salvatore Boarding House to cheer up Damon who seems all against the festive holiday of Christmas. At the last minute Caroline cancels, but Elena is already there hanging miseltoe and holly and putting up Christmas lights. It can go anywhere you want from here, as long as it involves Damon catching her and smut ensues. ;)
and extra little thing could be Elena's in a 'Santa's Helper' suit since she's just come from some kind of fundraiser for Christmas Salvation Army or something or other lol

Caught in the Act

How it got so out of hand is beyond me. Honestly, what was I thinking...

"You're bailing on me? You have me decorating Damon Salvatore's house in a Santa's Whore suit and you're bailing on me? Caroline, you have to come get me! Now!"

This was bad. The worst. Elena Gilbert was supposed to meet up with the sheriff's daughter at precisely eleven o'clock to decorate "the town Grinch" of the season. Unfortunately, she had been roped into helping the Lockwoods with their annual Christmas party, serving drinks and hors d'oeuvres. In a tiny Santa's Helper costume. Without time to change into something warmer and less revealing.

Awesome.

Her one comfort was the fact that Caroline would be there with her, meaning that it wouldn't take as long. The young vampire loved nothing more than to show off her extraordinary speed and strength. Hell, two days before she'd made a big show of jumping to the top of the town's Christmas tree to take the star before replacing it.

"Please forgive me! There's something going on with Tyler and we can't take a chance since it's so close to the full moon! If you can make it back to the Lockwoods' mansion, I'll give you a ride from there, I promise!"

Too bad that was miles away. Damn the Salvatores and their need to live in the middle of nowhere.

Sighing, Elena replied, "Whatever. I'm just going to put the last of these lights up and then I'll just have to find someone else. You owe me huge, though!" With the sound of Caroline's frantic apologies ringing in her ear, she gently closed her phone, smiling softly. Sometimes, she really hated her friends. But that didn't stop her from loving them just the same.

"Leaving so soon?"

Elena jumped at the smooth voice coming from behind her, spinning on her heel as her heart skipped a beat. Startled brown eyes met amused—and something darker—blue ones as the owner of the voice took several steps forward until the brunette could get a good look at him.

"Damon," she breathed before straightening. "You can't just sneak up on me like that! What if I had a stake and threw it before I realized?" It didn't escape her notice how he was looking at her, as if she were that last forbidden fruit and he was starving for a taste.

Stopping his eyes from trailing over her was almost more than he could manage. The feminine Santa's Helper dress was short enough that he could see exactly how long her legs were, could watch as the toned legs beneath the skirt moved with awe-inspiring grace, inching the material higher and higher with each step. The material was made to cling to her, to amplify her already dangerous curves. Her breasts practically spilled out of the top, making his mouth water in anticipation. If he couldn't see the complete innocence in her eyes, he would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that Katherine was the one standing before him; he had never seen Elena looking so purposely seductive.

Mouth watering, he purred, "I'd like to see you try, Elena." Feeling suddenly predatory, he took a languid step towards her, noting that it would take few more to have her backed up against the wall, those distracting lights the only barrier between them. Snow fell around them in true Christmas fashion, just enough that their hair was sprinkled with flakes. "Must be awful cold in that little outfit of yours."

His wink was what woke her up from their usual banter. Looking down, she remembered what she was wearing, blushing furiously. "Of course it is. But Caroline was supposed to come over here to help me out. She canceled." Obviously.

A wide, white smirk spread across his face. Another step forward. Predator stalks prey. "Not a very good idea to be out in the cold dressed like that. What if you catch something?" Correction: What if I catch you?

He saw the moment when realization dawned on her, saw the instant change in how she held herself. Tensing, she started favoring her right foot. Which was her first mistake. It meant that she would fake left and dash right into the house, no doubt to lock herself in Stefan's old room to change into a new outfit.

But he finally saw his chance and he would definitely be more ruthless than ever to take what he wanted. There was no way she was getting past him into the house.

"Damon," she murmured lowly, in warning. In just his name, she made it abundantly clear that if he touched her, she was going to retaliate. Painfully. "Don't even think about it." Her careful emphasis should have been more than enough to put him on edge, but he couldn't help himself.

How long had they been playing this cat and mouse game? How long had he been denying what both of them felt? That instant spark of attraction should the other enter the room, the connection neither could explain. It didn't matter what Elena tried to say to convince herself that she wasn't Katherine. She might love Stefan, but she had something much hotter, deeper with Damon. And he was sick of pretending it wasn't there.

"And what, Elena, will happen if I do?" In a flash, he was mere inches away from her, sending her sprawling back into the side of the house, vulnerable to whatever he wished.

At the thought, he couldn't keep his lips from widening into a smirk. Finally, he was going to get what he wanted. He was going to do what both of them needed and be done with it. There would be no more wondering whether she would ever admit that she felt it too; he was going to force the knowledge of their connection into her mind until she could think of nothing else.

She didn't even have time to voice her apprehension or distress; he captured her lips in the span of a breath, not bothering to coax her into it. Instead, he took. And took and took.

Elena was shocked to say the least. Since Stefan's second disappearance with the Originals' bodies, Damon had acted more distant than ever, especially as the holidays loomed just ahead of them. She had nearly forgotten that unsettling feeling that rose in the pit of her stomach whenever he turned that all-too-knowing smirk her way. All the heat that rushed into her body with one smoldering glance from him.

This kiss was different from the others. As his tongue swept through her mouth, demanding a response, she knew why. Every other kiss, every other embrace, he'd been willing to let her go if she fought him on it. If she had slammed her fists on him, he would have stopped, respected her wishes.

Now, though, he wasn't going to let her go. Nothing she said would sway him and nothing she did would stop him.

In defeat—and not knowing whether it was him beating her or just her mind losing to her body—Elena brought her hands up to his face, ignoring the cold of the house behind her. She tried to bring her face impossibly closer, as if she would devour him.

Had it ever been so hard to breathe? Could she honestly say she'd ever felt this way with Stefan?

Was anyone but Damon capable of making her feel this way?

With a snarl of triumphant, the older Salvatore's mouth trailed down from hers to her chin, her jaw, her neck. Arms locking beneath her ass, he easily lifted her, bringing her breasts level with his mouth. Burying his face there, he couldn't stop himself. The heat there, the almost frightening speed of the moment, broke any chance he had at control.

Face contorting, his fangs lengthened and, before he knew what he was doing, sank into the soft flesh. He nearly came from the taste of her alone, disbelieving that he was actually in such an intimate act with Elena, the woman he loved. If there was any chance of him feeling true happiness, it was in that moment as her body gave way and allowed him to take as he needed.

She moaned. In pleasure, as Damon took her blood.

The act had never been fun, in her experience. It was painful and terrifying as a stronger creature held your life in the balance. It had always confused her why humans would do anything to be a vampire's chew toy.

Now she understood. Because she could quickly become addicted to this.

Clutching his head to her, she somehow managed to bite out, "Damon, it's too c-cold out here." Without a thought towards decency, she knew that if they were going to be getting naked any time soon, they would need to get someplace warm enough to lie down. Though he wouldn't tire of holding her up with all his vampire strength, she was completely aware of the real danger of freezing.

Withdrawing from her, he looked up at her, a ravenous gleam behind his blue eyes. He was telling her that, no matter where they were, he had no intention of letting her go. Whether she liked it or not.

When she returned his gaze with one of her own, making it known that she didn't expect—or want—him to, he leaned down, licking the bite just on the rise of her breast, shuddering at the delicious taste of her. Her body immediately responded, much to Damon's delight.

In the time it took her to blink, he had them both in the house, just in front of the fireplace. He didn't bother to close the door or to pretend he could make it all the way to a bed. Instead, he brought them swiftly to the floor, covering her body with his.

His hands seemed to be everywhere at once as she heard the telltale sound of red material ripping from her. Before she could protest, his mouth met hers, once again devouring her. Maybe all those romances had it right; kisses were drugging.

How often had he dreamt of this moment? How he would savor every taste, every scent, every feeling until neither of them could take any more? So why did he feel this urgency to take her, to be inside her now? It had been well over a century and a half since he'd felt like such a...virgin. As if he didn't have time to waste.

Slow down. Sate each other in time.

"Damon, now," she breathed, her voice telling him all he needed to know.

Fuck savoring.

As the thin leash he had on his control snapped, he didn't bother with preliminaries. He would just make it up to her later, he promised himself. Once this initial need was sated, he would show her just how long he could keep her on that edge, just how much he could make her feel.

Then he'd start all over again.

Hissing with relief, he undid his pants—he was neither a boxers or briefs man; he much preferred commando—letting himself out as he yanked up her deviously short skirt. In the moment it took him to tear her underwear from her body, he felt regret.

I'll just buy her some more black lace and be done with it.

"Elena, I came to—oh. My. God!"

Caroline's voice cut into the pair's world, making them both freeze. Elena's eyes filled with shock, followed closely by a full facial flush as Damon barely contained his anger. Damn the timing of it all! If it wouldn't have upset the other girl, he would have snapped the blonde's neck just to put her out of commission for awhile. Five more seconds and he would have been inside Elena Gilbert.

And she had just taken that away from him.

Scooting out from under him, despite the bereft feeling it left in her body, Elena held together her clothing, trying to right her hair with one hand. "Uh, Caroline, I thought that, uh, you weren't going to be here until...until much later?"

With a knowing smile, the sheriff's daughter turned her back on the two of them, smiling to herself. "Oh, don't worry, I'll be leaving now. Sorry to interrupt." Then she closed the door and was gone, leaving Damon to give Elena a stare down, the likes of which she had never been met by before.

Fear nearly choking her, she held his gaze for as long as she could, a part of her not wanting to let him think that she was done forever. Couldn't he just give her time to get used to this development?

As if he read her mind, Damon snarled, "You get away now. But we will be finishing this, of that I promise you."

And I can't help wondering when?

End

Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it because it was fun to write. This is definitely going to get a sequel. I just didn't feel that they would just be able to jump into sex, you know? Neither of them would be capable of that with each other, I don't think.

Petrova39, I sincerely hope you enjoy this late Christmas present!