I'm back with some more AU Klaroline. Here is a little sample from my new story please let me know what you think and if I should continue, I value all of your opinions. As usual the first few chapters are going to be shorter and I'll be alternating view points between chapters.

Chapter 1: Political Persuasion

February 14: Washington DC

"Hold the lift!" he heard as the elevator began to close. Slightly intrigued by the sound of that melodic voice Klaus put his hand between the doors laying his eyes on her for the first time. He smiled knowing his instincts were still sharp. Blonde waves cascading down her back, wide blue expressive eyes and skin the colour of creamy porcelain. His eyes travelled over her strapless red dress that hugged each and every curve.

She sent him a grateful smile and proceeded to enter the lift managing to drop her purse sending the contents scattering across the floor. Klaus rolled his eyes impatiently unsure of whether he made the right decision. She bent down scooping up various containers of make-up, a hair brush and whatever other junk women liked to carry in their purse. Klaus couldn't help but admire her fine derriere as she rummaged around on the floor.

She stood back up and raced into the lift giving him an apologetic glance. She leaned against the back wall and shut her eyes as the lift doors finally closed. Klaus had been dining at Bourbon Steakhouse at the Four Seasons Hotel until he brought his night to an abrupt end, running towards the elevator for a quick escape. He watched his fellow elevator companion from the corner of his eye with interest unable to look away she was that exquisite, albeit a little clumsy.

"So what's a beautiful girl like you doing all alone on Valentine's Day?" She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head slightly in his direction. Klaus studied her closely, was that contempt he saw etched on her face?

"Seriously, that's the best you've got?" She answered turning back to watch the numbers descend as they passed each floor obviously impatient to reach the ground.

"I've always wanted to say that to someone to see what their reaction would be." He chuckled. "I suppose you've answered my question." He noticed a slight smile tugging at her lips.

The sound of loud screeching pierced the air around him making them both cover their ears. He felt himself stumble slightly as the elevator came to a sudden halt. Klaus managed to hold his balance but his new blonde friend wasn't so lucky crashing directly into him. He caught hold of her feeling his skin tingling against hers at the intimate contact.

"If you liked me all you needed to do was tell me love." He smirked as the lights flickered above them briefly. She pushed him away her arms slightly shaking; obviously he wasn't the only one who'd been affected by their close proximity.

"What the hell is going on?" She cried banging on the closed doors.

"Well I may have it wrong but I think the lift stopped." He replied shrugging his shoulders and producing his cell phone.

"You're a real smartarse has anyone ever told you that?" She scoffed sending him a dirty look and continuing to knock on the door.

"Seriously you really need to stop with all these compliments love you're making me blush."

"Of all the people to be stuck in an elevator with." She muttered looking upwards like she was waiting for a miracle to happen. "Maybe you could actually use that thing and call for help." She said pointing to his phone.

"No reception which makes it a little difficult." He said rolling his eyes. "I'm sensing some anger on your part love; let me guess your date stood you up?"

"If you must know I was on a date with my boyfriend and don't call me love." She snapped producing her phone only to realise he was right about the lack of reception. She walked over to the wall panel and started pressing all the different buttons trying to raise the alarm.

"Well it's a bit difficult when I don't know your name love."

"You know you don't seem overly concerned that we're stuck in this suspended steel trap." She cried banging on the door again. "We're in here, help us!"

"I don't think they can hear you love." He sighed sitting on the floor, stretching out his legs and making himself more comfortable. "Calm down I'm sure they'll come eventually."

"It's Caroline." She murmured after a few moments of silence.

"What's Caroline?"

"My name you dumbass." She shot back. "You seem to be making yourself pretty comfortable given we'll be out soon."

"I don't know I mean it could be hours, days even" He teased taking in her spectacular toned legs from his low vantage point.

"Do you mind?" She cried trying to pull her dress down lower only to have it inch up even higher.

"Not at all love."

"You know the only reason I told you my name was so you would stop calling me that." She said sitting down on the floor mainly to stop him looking up her dress.

"Yeah but I'm much more partial to love." He teased. "So tell me more about this boyfriend. I'm interested in how you ended up with me in this lift, not that I'm complaining of course."

"I'm not the only one alone if you hadn't noticed, what happened to your date?" She asked. "Let me guess your charming personality sent her running for the hills."

"Well if you must know I ended our date prematurely just before I got stuck in here with you."

"I find that hard to believe." She muttered.

"Well believe it sweetheart." He grinned. "She was becoming entirely too clingy for my liking so I had to end it before dessert." Caroline shook her head in disbelief.

"You didn't even let the girl have dessert, you are one cruel person."

"I didn't want to get her hopes up; I mean once you get to dessert it's impossible to go back, I blame all those endorphins from the chocolate." He laughed looking over at her and noticing a shadow cross her face. "Have I hit a nerve?"

"I can't believe I'm even entertaining this conversation." She moaned. "If you must know Tyler, that's my boyfriend, broke things off tonight."

"Ex-boyfriend don't you mean." He corrected. "Let me guess right before dessert."

"Well we'd ordered and by the time he broke up with me it was at the table, which reminds me." She mumbled digging around in her bag pulling out some white serviettes and unwrapping one.

"So after your boyfriend dumps you the first thing you do is take your dessert?" He asked incredulously.

"And his, given he was paying I thought it was the least I could do." She said proceeding to eat the brownie moaning loudly as she ate each mouthful. Klaus felt himself stir as she devoured the dessert, her eyes closed as her small pink tongue darted out of her mouth to lick her plump lips. He shook his head trying to clear his mind of all the improper thoughts she was evoking.

He noticed her looking at him curiously raising one eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He replied curtly, embarrassed he'd been caught out. "I've just never seen someone put away food that quickly."

"Well it's hardly surprising given how absolutely delicious it tasted." She said. "I have his dessert if you want that?" She asked holding out to him. He shook his head declining her offer. "Fine that just means more for me."

She unwrapped the cake and began biting into it starting the process all over again. Scared for his sanity Klaus closed his eyes tightly. "Seriously don't you think you've had enough?"

"No. If you must know I tend to eat when I'm stressed." She baulked defensively.

"Yeah that isn't half obvious." He mumbled finally opening his eyes again happy she'd finished eating. She then began to lick her fingers slowly one by one which wasn't helping control his urges.

"So why did Tyler break up with you?" He asked curiously desperate to change the subject. "I mean it's obvious you're annoying as hell but you don't scrub up too badly." He said his eyes roaming over her body approvingly.

"Why thanks." She replied sarcastically. "I'm still struggling to believe you dumped your date and not the other way around."

"You're avoiding the question Caroline." He said finally acknowledging her real name. "I mean we're not going anywhere so you might as well share."

"Well if you must know I moved to DC for a new job last month and we've been doing the long distance thing." She said her voice tinged with sadness. "Apparently it was all too much for him to handle."

"Yeah he's shagging another woman." Klaus replied offhandedly. "So you should really consider yourself lucky to get out when you did."

"You really are charming."

"Yeah that's what the ladies tell me." He smirked pulling out a hip flask from his coat pocket, taking a swig and offering it to her. She just raised her eyebrows.

"Oh come on you don't seem very receptive to my charm so alcohol is looking like my best option, well that combined with all those endorphins from your earlier chocolate binge."

"Ew you wish." She cried a look of horror on her face. "Even if I was considering going there, which I'm not, I just broke up with my boyfriend all of ten minutes ago."

"Yeah the boyfriend that's cheating on you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She scoffed. "Tyler and I have been together since Senior Year of High School so it's no surprise the distance took its toll."

"Oh wow it all makes so much sense." He said the realisation sweeping over him. "He's never been with anyone else but suddenly you leave town and he's surrounded by all these temptations in your absence."

"Okay here's a tip if you're trying to sleep with someone you might want to be a little nicer." She shouted standing up and banging on the door again. "Hello!" She cried in absolute desperation.

"Look I'm not saying this to be mean I'm just trying to help you move on. It's obvious you're far too good for this Tyler guy." He said standing behind her.

"So do you have a name then?" She asked her gaze still focused on the closed doors.

"Oh you can call me whatever you want sweetheart." She turned around crossing her arms over her chest.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're…"

"Charming, handsome, sexy as hell?" He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I was going to say annoying, conceited and arrogant before you interrupted so rudely." She snapped.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're abrasive, curt and in desperate need of having those perfect feathers ruffled?" He said leaning in closer so she could feel his hot breath tickling her ear. "I can fix that for you love, all I need is one night and you'll forget that boyfriend ever existed."

"Wow your ego really knows no bounds."

"Hey I happen to have extensive sexual experience and trust me I've never had a girl that wasn't satisfied."

"Here's a little tip for you girls have been known to fake orgasms."

"Well maybe you had to fake it because you've been with the wrong man this whole time." He said a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I'm more than willing to show you where Tyler was going wrong."

"I'm not that desperate."

"Really love?" He said placing his hand on her arm and rubbing slowly up and down the length of it. He felt her shiver knowing he was having as much of an effect on her and she was on him.

"Yes really." She said jerking her arm away.

"Okay fine." He said shrugging his shoulders. "But just so you know I have many talents that I'm willing to share with you all you need to do is say the word."

"Oh how kind of you." She mumbled snatching his flask and taking a big gulp. Her eyes popped out not expecting the contents to be so strong making him laugh.

"I'm glad you finally saw things my way."

"Yeah you've driven me to drunkenness." She said shaking her head. "So did you at least break it off with your date or just do a runner?" He looked at her sheepishly.

"I told her I had a work emergency and had to leave."

"So you didn't even break it off with her?" She cried. "That poor girl is going to be waiting by the phone tomorrow but you're going to leave her hanging."

"Calm down I'll send her a text message or something."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"Hey at least I'm honest." He shouted feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden. "Look it wasn't even my idea to go out with her in the first place."

"So why did you then?" She asked curiously.

"If you must know my sister set it up and she's not someone I like to argue with if I can help it." He muttered thinking about Rebekah and her annoying stubborn streak.

"Seriously you're scared of your sister?" She laughed. "Let me guess she's sick of your whoring ways and decided you need to find the right woman and settle down."

"Hey I resent that, I'm no whore." For some reason Klaus didn't want her to think badly of him.

"So you just proposition strange women in the lift for fun then?"

"No I get bored easily and needed something to pass the time while we wait for help." He said sitting back down as silence descended over the lift, the reality of their situation finally sinking in.

"Look I'm sorry about your break-up, whatever the reasons, but Tyler was an absolute idiot to let you go." She narrowed her eyes in his direction obviously trying to figure out his motives.

"You don't even know me." She murmured sitting next to him and taking another swig from his flask obviously resigned to never getting out of the lift.

"Yeah well I know enough to realise he's a damn fool to break up with you on Valentine's Day looking like that." He said gesturing to her outfit. "I mean is he blind or something?"

"Oh puh-lease no more cheesy pick-up lines."

"Come on love that wasn't a pick-up line, if you must know it's the truth. Even with that abrasive personality there's no denying you're beautiful." He gazed deeply into her eyes and for some reason he could sense she believed him for the first time that night.

"Fine." She said standing up suddenly.

"Fine what?" He asked standing up next to her obviously confused as to where the conversation had gone.

"I'll have sex with you, right here right now." She said defiantly, refusing to lower her gaze.

"I was just joking love; I didn't really mean you had to sleep with me." He said quietly not expecting this reaction.

"Why is there something wrong with me?" She asked and he could sense the insecurity in her voice.

"Of course there isn't, I just told you that." He murmured reaching up to brush a stray blonde hair from her face. He inhaled her vanilla scent suddenly feeling lightheaded. "Go out with me." He whispered continuing to stare deeply in her eyes.

What she did next was unexpected. She leaned in closing her eyes and brushing her soft lips against his. Klaus couldn't remember feeling anything so devastatingly innocent in his entire life. He reacted immediately running his hands through her silky hair and pulling her closer placing his hands on her cheeks and tracing invisible circles with his thumbs. Their kisses were hesitant at first as they slowly explored each other's mouths eventually deepening making him dizzy with longing.

Klaus was struggling to contain himself; she was awakening emotions in him that had been hidden for too long. Klaus knew if he didn't stop now there'd be no going back. He reluctantly pulled himself away immediately noticing the hurt in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked her voice raspy from their kisses.

"Um nothing that's the problem." He stuttered trying to formulate what he wanted to say in his head. She continued to look on confused by his behaviour. "We can't do this, I mean you just broke up with your boyfriend and we're stuck in a lift."

"I don't get it; this was your suggestion if you recall." She said stepping away and shaking her head.

"I know and I'm probably going to kick myself later but we need to stop." He said trying to gauge exactly what she was thinking. She turned away and started to bang on the door again.

"Please let me out!" She cried obviously not taking his rejection well. Before Klaus could try and explain himself a loud voice floated through the intercom system.

"Sorry for the delay but we've fixed the problem and should have you out of there momentarily." Klaus was almost disappointed their time together was coming to an end. He stumbled briefly as the lift began to descend moving down the last few floors to the ground. She kept her eyes firmly on the doors refusing to meet his gaze.

The elevator pinged signalling their eventual arrival. The Concierge stood at the entrance of the lift an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry about that folks." He said as Caroline began to walk out. "Oh Senator my sincere apologies for that I didn't see you there."

Klaus noticed Caroline turn around curiously, the shock on her face obvious. After a brief pause, no doubt to gather her thoughts, she turned on her heel and stalked off across the hotel lobby.

"That's fine." He said walking out desperate to follow her and explain.

"We don't usually have these problems but you'll be happy to know I've organised a full service in the morning so it won't happen again." Klaus smiled trying to edge away.

"Good thank you very much." He smiled at the man and turned around realising she was nowhere to be seen, all he could hear was the faint sound of her retreating steps and the lingering smell of vanilla.