Hi, I'm back again. And, wow, would you look at that? This story already got over 320 reviews. I can't tell you enough times how very happy and honored I am. You guys are amazing, thank you so much. In exchange for the wonderful response I give you a super-long chapter now. It's really the longest I've written in a while and it's packed-full of nothing but Damon and Elena having fun. There's even a hint of smut but… sorry, this story is still rated T and so you'll have to imagine some parts on your own.

I still hope you'll love it, I know that I do. Have fun.

Of Pants And Dogs

Elena stood there on the lawn, frozen, gaping like a fish at the sight before her. It was… breathtaking.

She didn't think she'd ever seen a place so entirely beautiful in all her life. Nor so happily situated into the natural beauty of the park-like garden Damon had brought her into.

Everything in her sight was bathed in a soft orange glow that emanated from millions of tiny tinker bell lights from all around her. They seemed to simply float in midair, for the strings they were actually attached to were invisible to the human eye. Torches sticking out of the accurately mowed lawn (which was as well-trimmed as any golf course) complemented the fairytale lights and spread the same warm glow over the eye-catching large swimming pool right in front of her.

With the size the quarter of a baseball field it was one of the biggest pools Elena had ever seen. It was neither square nor round, not egg-shaped nor any other form Elena had ever heard of in Trigonometry. Its shape wasn't continuous at all, it rather changed at all odds and ends with parts nearly round and others suddenly stretching wide before curving into the opposite direction.

Perfectly bedded into the ground with rough stone walls all around it looked almost like no pool at all but like a natural lake instead. Elena would have easily believed it if weren't for the fluorescent sky blue tiles covering its ground. Strong beacons were set into the tiles and illuminated the water from within.

Elena let her gaze wander to the very back of the pool and let out a stunned gasp.

It seemed as if the walls, carved out of rough gray rocks, were piling up and creeping closer to the water's surface until they formed some kind of tunnel or cave.

The whole thing looked like something out of a fairytale or a movie. Elena remembered she'd seen a pool like this in a movie once.

It was truly magnificent.

She took a slow, almost apprehensive, step forward. She would never have dared to disturb the quiet beauty that engulfed the entire place, but it seemed that Damon had no such qualms. She could see his pale form under water, diving close to the pool's ground, gliding towards her steadily.

Then his dark head suddenly broke through the surface right in front of her.

Damon pulled himself up and over the edge of the pool with ease, water dripping from his hair. Millions of tiny droplets ran down his smooth chest and reflected the torches' orange glow.

It looked like he sparkled all over and despite her still dazed state Elena was suddenly reminded of Edward Cullen sparkling in the sun. She had to suppress a giggle immediately.

Elena vowed to tease Damon mercilessly with this later, but right now she needed to concentrate. Damon had obviously said something she hadn't caught in her trance.

"Huh?"

"Elena," Damon repeated and cocked his head to the side. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Take a swim."

"But…" Elena tore her eyes from his sparkling chest and focused on his face instead. She cleared her throat and started again. "No, Damon, we can't…"

"Sure we can!"

"What about…" her eyes flickered to the mansion-like house that loomed in the dark to their far right, the house this amazing pool obviously belonged to. "Damon, this is trespassing!"

"Nobody's gonna notice," Damon assured her at once, almost as if he'd known exactly what objections would come. "I checked the house earlier. The owners, an elderly couple by the way that I don't want to imagine in here at all, are fast asleep and besides, they're deaf anyway."

"How do you know that?" Elena's brows furrowed.

"I know that," Damon came closer and placed a hand onto Elena's arm, "because there are two pairs of listening devices on the nightstand. Nothing short of an atomic bomb going off right beside their beds will make them wake up, believe me."

Elena felt her worry lessen but she had still some reservations about the whole thing. It was like they were breaking and entering, right? To Damon this might be nothing to worry about, Elena was sure about that, but…"

"Elena," Damon sighed, patience wearing thin. "Come on, what's the harm? We're not breaking into the Louvre to steal the Mona Lisa here! Live a little! When was the last time you did something a little adventurous, huh?"

"Oh, "Elena scoffed at once, "you mean opening a tomb full of vampires and nearly being snacked on isn't adventurous enough?"

Damon rolled his eyes. Of course she would bring that up now, wouldn't she? "I meant something normal adventurous, something every teenage girl does once in a while. Like stealing a lipstick, getting drunk at a party or… taking a forbidden midnight swim?"

He looked at her with such intensity that Elena couldn't help but smile a little. It had been far too long that she'd done any of these normal foolish things, so…

Damon saw the smile and knew he'd won her over. Elena's resolve crumbled before his very eyes. He led her by the arm closer to the pool's edge until they faced the quiet shimmering water.

"Come on, Elena. You said you loved to swim and this is your fun night out."

Elena sighed eventually. "Okay,"

"Great," Damon grinned, "now take off your clothes!"

Elena threw Damon a quick glare but shrugged out of her leather jacket at the same time. But then she stopped. Damon, who'd jumped back into the water already, noticed her faltering and, with his elbows resting on the pool's edge, looked up to her again.

"What now?"

Elena was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, looking very nervous, and Damon suddenly knew what this was about. He smirked. "Oh, don't be silly! There's nothing wrong with swimming in your underwear! I've seen your lacy lingerie before, it's no big difference to a bikini."

Elena's eyes blazed. "Okay, first of all: You have no business rummaging through my underwear…"

Damon simply rolled his eyes again.

"And second, I… ugh, that is," Elena's voice went quiet and if it hadn't been for his vampire hearing Damon would have missed her next words. "I'm not wearing any."

"You're not wearing underwear?" Damon couldn't ban the glee from his voice.

"Shhht," Elena hissed and looked around in panic as if she expected the garden suddenly come to life with thousands of nosy spectators. Oddly enough Damon was instantly reminded of Ernie and that coat-and-hat-wearing, letter-selling Slemil character from Sesame Street. Not that he'd ever admit to having watched the kid's show!

But yes, Elena looked around in panic just like Ernie and Damon was hard-pressed not to fall into a conspiring stage whisper when he repeated: "You're not wearing underwear?"

"I…" Elena looked to the ground in shame. Then she suddenly twisted her back towards the grinning Damon to show him her bare backside. "There's no room for a bra with a shirt like this!"

"I see," Damon smirked. "Well, then… swim in your panties only, or did you leave them at home as well?"

"Damon, I'm not gonna parade around here in nothing but my panties!" Elena shot back. "I'm not!"

"You're not supposed to parade around, Elena!" He pushed himself off the edge and did a few backstrokes before he swam over again. "Just get in here and nobody's gonna see you!"

Elena eyed the pool longingly. She'd really love to take a swim, the water looked so invitingly clean and fresh. Damon being there was the only thing marring this fairytale picture. She could clearly imagine his smug smile and the flirty comments he'd let lose if she were to give in to the pool's temptation. "You'll see me, that's more than enough," she ground out at last.

"So?" Damon shrugged. "You spent an entire night with me naked by your side, so I guess it's only fair that I get my share of naked you now, don't you think?"

"That was completely different," Elena sputtered at once. "You were drunk then and…"

"Ahh," Damon held up a finger and then jumped out of the pool. Before Elena knew what was happening Damon stood in front of her, champagne flute in hand. "I knew I'd forgotten something! Here, maybe this will help."

Elena eyed the glass warily before her eyes met Damon's again. "No, it won't."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, Elena!"

Elena sighed and then grabbed the flute from his hand. She downed the alcohol in one go, coughed and sputtered a bit, and then handed the glass back to him. "See, not helping. I'm still not getting naked with you!"

Damon smirked: "I could take off my briefs as well if it'll make you feel any better!"

"No!" Elena gasped. She was embarrassed enough as it was, naked Damon would only add to that. Damon had filled her glass again and Elena took another sip, more cautious this time. Then, suddenly determined not to let her fun be ruined by such a small obstacle as naked embarrassment, she shrugged and, closing the distance between them, took the champagne bottle from Damon's hand.

She set it down and then her hands went to the fastening of her black pants. She toed off her shoes and slowly slid the pants down her legs.

Damon's eyes followed her every move as she slowly revealed her slender suntanned legs. He remained silent, a sly smile on his lips.

Still clad in her shirt and black panties Elena stepped closer to Damon, locked her eyes with his and, with the sweetest smile, pushed him backwards.

Damon knew he could have stood his ground, her shove wasn't that hard, but for Elena's sake he let his body fall backwards right into the pool.

And, just like he'd guessed, Elena used the split second until he surfaced again to get rid of her top and jump into the water. She came up a few feet away, wet hair all spread out, and looked around for him.

"One look or dirty comment from you and I'm out of here, Damon," she glared and swam past him in proficient strides. "I just wanna swim."

"You won't hear a word from me, I promise!" Damon made a move as if to lock his mouth with a key and then followed Elena through the pool.

She'd languidly swum maybe four or five lanes, astonishingly enough without Damon bothering her at all, before Elena decided that she'd pause for a while. She drifted towards the edge of the pool and looked around for Damon.

Where was he? She couldn't spot his dark head anywhere in the water.

"Damon?" Elena called out, careful not to raise her voice too much. "Damon!" she repeated more urgently when there was no response. He wouldn't just leave her here, would he?

Suddenly two strong hands shot out of nowhere and grabbed her legs. Elena struggled against them but she was pulled underwater and, arms flaying around in panic, latched onto the first solid thing she could grip.

Damon.

They surfaced at the same time, Elena sputtering and coughing and clinging to his shoulders, and Damon grinning like a cat that had just gotten the canary.

Elena glared at him. "Let go of me!"

Damon merely raised both his hands and it was only then that Elena noticed. She was the one clinging to his body, not the other way round. She released her hold at once but Damon's hands shot out and fastened around her waist to stop her from getting away.

"Seriously, Damon," Elena growled.

"Relax, I just wanna show you something," he smirked and released her body. Elena, careful not to rise her naked upper body above the surface, took a step back.

"What?"

"Come on," Damon nodded in the direction of where the pool's tunnel was. "You've gotta see this."

Elena watched him swim away a few strokes before she sighed and followed him to the backside of the pool. She noticed the ground fall off a bit and started swimming instead of wading. The rough stone walls on each side came closing in, slowly forming a roof, and she reached the entrance to what looked like a narrow tunnel or cave.

Damon had vanished inside already and Elena swum in after him, eyes on the strangely lit fluorescing walls. The ceiling was just out of her arm's reach but then, Elena had just passed a turn to the left, it suddenly opened up again and she was inside a grotto.

"Wow," Elena gasped, amazed by the new surroundings. "Beautiful."

"I know that I am, but thanks though."

Elena's eyes flew to where Damon was waiting for her, not in the water but on some kind of naturally formed bench.

He lay there, sprawled out on his side with his head propped up by one arm. One of his legs was bent at the knee and propped up on the other and Elena's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the tight fabric of his boxer briefs, stretched taunt over his groin and not leaving anything to imagination.

She gulped and felt heat pool low in her stomach. He looked like some statue carved out of marble, all pale skin and rippling muscles.

But then Elena's gaze flew to his smug face and she scowled. "I didn't mean you, Damon. This is… amazing."

"You sure you didn't mean my irresistibly beautiful body?" Damon smirked back and lifted an eyebrow. "Because, I haven't shown you the best part yet. So if you'd just come up here…"

"I've seen your best… parts, Damon," Elena sputtered and felt a blush coming on when she remembered their brief tumble in the bath tub the other night. She'd gotten pretty close and personal with his best parts then, hadn't she? "I've had more than enough of them in fact, so… no thanks."

Damon's sudden chuckle pulled Elena out of her thoughts. "I meant the best part of this grotto, Elena!" He pointed to something next to him and Elena, once again blushing furiously, followed with her eyes. But a ledge in the rocks blocked whatever it was from her view.

"You can't see it from down there, so…" Damon continued and sat upright in a swift move. "And I know what you're gonna say next so I'll just get it out of the way and promise: I won't ogle your naked body. Scout's honor."

Elena rolled her eyes at that.

With a shrug Damon continued: "No offence but what's up here is far more fascinating than your naked boobs anyway, so, no worries."

Elena couldn't stop the words from coming out: "Hey, there's nothing wrong with my boobs!"

"I didn't say there's anything wrong with them," Damon smirked. "I'd love to take a close look sooner rather than later, believe me. Just say the word and I oblige. But this," he pointed next to him again, "this… is better."

"Damon Salvatore rejecting a perfectly fine pair of boobs in favor of… whatever?" Elena mocked and came closer. "I've gotta see this."

Damon's smirk grew and he extended a hand to her. Elena tried to gulp down the nervousness of showing her naked self to him and gripped his hand. Then she let herself be pulled out of the water and onto the stone bench.

Deliberately or not, but Damon's strength caused Elena to nearly land in his lap. She yelped and grabbed his shoulder for support but Damon let his body fall backwards and they both tumbled in one wet heap onto the rocks.

"Damon!" Elena cried and tried to detach herself from the vampire. But somehow her legs got trapped between his and Damon held onto her naked waist and turned both of them around so that he could pin her to the bench.

And that's when Elena realized it.

The rocks in her back didn't hurt or poke in the slightest. They were soft like velvet and also extending heat.

"What…?" Elena gasped and frowned up into Damon's smirking face right above hers. "Damon, what is this?"

"Special heating system," he answered and sat up on top of her. "Feels like your own personal heaven, doesn't it?"

Elena could only nod in response, eyes falling close in delight. The soft warmth spread all over her backside and she wiggled a little to mold her back closer to it. Damon still sitting on top of her didn't register on Elena's brain at all, she was far too entranced by what was happening to her back.

"And the best part," Damon whispered suddenly close to her ear. "You feel this, Elena?"

She opened her eyes in confusion, not sure what he meant, but then…

Then, suddenly, the rocks in her back suddenly began to emanate pulsating waves of electricity and Elena felt like she was getting a warm massage all over her back and ass and the back of her legs.

"Ooohhh," she gasped out and knew it sounded more like a moan than anything else. But she couldn't help it, the massage felt just too good.

"Hmmh, oh God," she moaned again. "This feels…"

"You like?" Damon purred into her ear. His voice sounded rough and low in his throat, and Elena opened her eyes to stare at him. Suddenly she became aware of the fact that he was sitting on top of her, legs on either side of hers, and his hands on her shoulders were making soft circling movements in sync with the massaging pulse she felt slide over her back.

"Damon," Elena breathed out and locked her gaze to his. She shouldn't be doing this, right? She shouldn't let him sit on top of her, touch her like that, press her hips down to the ground with his superior weight.

This wasn't appropriate, it was far too intimate.

But, oh! Elena blushed when the massaging in her back suddenly began to increase in speed and intensity. It felt like shots of lightning were shot through her body and the pulsing changed to a familiar rhythm. Heat pooled at the small of her back as well as in her stomach and Elena felt like she needed to move or else she would explode.

She closed her eyes in embarrassment when her hips suddenly bucked on their own. Elena couldn't have stopped them if she'd wanted to.

Her hips bucked again and she groaned out. An answering groan from above let her open her eyes again. Damon stared down at her, eyes dark with lust, face inches away from hers.

And Elena could feel his hard length when he pushed down on her.

"Ugh, Damon," she moaned and her eyes flew to his lips and back up.

"Elena," Damon growled low in his throat. "Tell me to stop and I will."

Elena's gaze once again traveled to his lips. She knew she should do it, she should tell him to get off her. She was with Stefan and she had no business doing things like this with his brother! None at all!

Elena bit her lip when another wave of electricity nearly sent her over the edge.

She was so close and this was so wrong!

But it felt so right!

Elena knew that if she didn't push Damon away now, if she didn't do anything, this would be it. Her one giant leap, the skydiving moment she'd written down in her diary.

This would be it.

There would be no going back after she'd taken that leap. She had no drunken excuse, no hope in him not remembering it afterwards…

Damon's low voice whispered once again: "Tell me to stop or I…"

"No," Elena exhaled.

And that was all the invitation Damon needed. With another low groan he closed the distance between them and covered her mouth with his.

Stars flew off in Elena's head and body and she grabbed Damon's head in both hands and let instinct and lust take over.

Elena was just starting to come down from post-coital bliss when she felt Damon stiffen beside her. And no, not in that way.

His entire body seemed to suddenly be on alert and he sat up with a start. His head cocked to the side and a sudden far-away look appeared in his eyes. Damon looked as if he was listening to something only he could hear.

"Damon? What…" Elena sat up beside him. His brow furrowed and he threw her a glance that seemed almost regretful.

"What is it?" Elena repeated, worried now. And then she heard it, too.

From outside their cave-like shelter, still far away but increasingly growing closer, she could hear furious barking, mixed with growls and the steady drum of heavy paws on the lawn.

Damon took Elena's hand in his and pulled her back into the pool. They waded towards the tunnel's entrance, the angry noise constantly growing in their ears. It seemed to be echoing off the cave's walls, the sound multiplied tenfold, and Elena flinched and released Damon's hand to clap both hands over her ears.

"Damon, what is…" she shouted confused.

And then she saw it.

The biggest dog she'd ever seen suddenly sprang out of the darkness into the circle of orange lights, followed closely by a slightly smaller but no less loud one. The two animals appeared right where Damon and Elena had left the bottle of champagne and glasses, and they ran up and down the pool's edge. They seemed to be a Great Danes, or perhaps mastiffs, Elena wasn't sure.

Not that she cared one way or another; all she cared about was the furious ruckus the dogs were making, barking like mad at them and growling and sniffing their way between the pool's edge and their discarded pile of clothes.

"Oh God," Elena cried out. They had to be watch dogs, and so far they were doing a damn good job of watching and alerting the entire world of the trespassers they'd found in the pool.

"Damon, " Elena's eyes snapped to the vampire at her side. "We have to get out of here! They're gonna wake up the whole house! Please! Make them stop!"

Damon's head turned away from the dogs still running along the edge and he stared at Elena.

"Damon," Elena repeated, on the verge of panic now. The howling and barking was driving her crazy with fear. They sounded so angry! As if they were high-trained and more than willing to rip anyone's throat out any second.

"Damon, do something! Make them shut up!"

Damon's eyes traveled back and forth between Elena's frightened face and the dogs and he raised an eyebrow. Then, with a move so quick that Elena only saw a blur, Damon jumped out of the water and into the dogs' paths.

He landed right in between the two of them on the lawn, and both animals were stunned silent for the split of a second before the barking increased, more furious than before. Damon, vampiric senses on high alert, ascertained quickly that the one to his left, the bigger one, was making more noise than the other. It was obviously the leader and Damon turned towards it, all dark eyes and fangs, and focused his attention solely on it.

The barks turned to angry growls and the big creature suddenly stood still, every muscle in its body strained. Damon prepared himself for the attack that was to come any second now while on the periphery his brain registered Elena's sharp intake of breath, followed by pleas to be careful and to make it shut up already. The other dog was still running up and down the pool's edge but Damon's focus was on the bigger thread for now.

He let out a predatory growl as well and then he flashed forward and leaped at the dog. The dog jumped at the same time and both predators met in midair.

Damon's hands found the massive neck, closed around the fur-covered bones immediately, and with a quick jerking movement he broke the dog's spine just like that.

The poor creature hadn't even time to let out so much as a startled yelp before it fell to the ground, dead.

Elena, still in the pool, cried out in shock and the second, smaller, dog leaped away, barking like mad. It ran down the lawn, vanished in the darkness and came out again on the other side of the pool. But it didn't come closer to Damon, obviously wary for now.

Damon turned towards Elena, black veins and fangs still to the front.

"Oh my God," Elena gasped out in shock and struggled to get out of the pool. "You… you killed it!"

Damon extended a hand to pull her up, senses still on alert for the other dog. When Elena stood on her feet he simply shrugged. "One down, one to go."

He turned to approach the animal still running along the opposite side of the pool but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Damon, no!" Elena looked furious and desperate at the same time. "You can't… you, you just killed a dog! Why did you…?"

"You said to make it shut up! I did."

"Yeah, but…" Elena's eyes flew to the dead animal on the lawn before she stared at Damon again. "I didn't mean… you shouldn't have…"

"Elena," Damon placed a hand onto her naked shoulder. "What would you have me do here, huh?" He noticed Elena was trembling slightly. It had gotten cold and they were both naked. They needed to get dressed. He didn't feel the cold so much but Elena… she needed dry clothes, and by the state of her shaking body, she needed them ASAP.

"I don't know," Elena's voice shook as well. She took a step back and glared up to him. "Compel it or, I don't know. Whatever!"

"Compel a dog?" Damon repeated incredulously and snorted. "You can't compel a dog, Elena!"

"How would you know?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest and her eyes blazed. "Have you ever tried? You didn't even try it, Damon! You just killed it!"

Damon cocked his head to the side. "Are you mad at me?"

Elena said nothing but simply sent him another glare. Damon couldn't believe it! She was mad at him for killing a stupid dog?

Elena stalked over to her clothes and snatched her top from the ground. She pulled it over her wet body with shaking hands and reached for her trousers next. Damon appeared out of nowhere and snatched the garment from her hands.

"You've got to be kidding me, Elena. You're mad at me for…"

"You didn't have to kill it, Damon!" Elena shouted enraged and tried to get her trousers back. Damon held them just out of reach and shook his head.

"That dog was about to attack, Elena," he pointed out.

"So?" she spat and managed to get a hold on her trousers. Shrugging them onto her wet legs she continued: "It was just doing its job! It was protecting the property from trespassers and thieves. And you had no right…!"

"No right?" Damon's eyebrows rose. "I saved us!"

"We shouldn't have come here," Elena had finished dressing and stood there, arms once again crossed over her now leather jacket-clad chest. She noticed all of a sudden that Damon hadn't made a move to put his clothes back on. He just stood there, stark naked with water dripping down his beautiful body, and Elena was instantly reminded how good that body had felt on top of her, inside her, no twenty minutes before. The pleasure he'd wrung from her body with his skilled moves… just remembering it had shots of electricity surge through her. She'd never felt like that before.

Damon had made her body sing in ecstasy with the barest of touches. The way his lips and hands had caressed her, worshipped her, playing her like a musical instrument…

It had been the same hands that had broken the poor dog's neck in one cruel move…

Elena shivered again, and not from cold. She'd known it before, of course, but the last few minutes had suddenly opened her eyes again to the fact that, no matter how nice and human Damon acted from time to time… at the end of the day he would still remain a vampire. A monster.

A predator that would kill without remorse.

'Are you insane to get involved with someone like that?' Elena could her the question in her head as if she'd spoken out loud. She closed her eyes in despair and let out a low sigh.

Why did her life have to be so complicated? What had she done to deserve this?

"Hey," a soft touch to her cheek suddenly startled Elena and she opened her eyes to find Damon's face inches away from hers. His clear blue eyes shone with a mixture of concern and annoyance and his mouth lacked the usual smirk.

"It's impossible to compel a dog, Elena. Believe me. But if it bothers you so much then I promise I won't kill the other stupid one, okay?"

Damon leaned forward and captured Elena's lips in a soft kiss. And as much as she tried to resist, she could feel her anger drain away as if Damon was sucking it out through her mouth. Her hands came up to close around his neck and her body melted against his.

But suddenly Damon broke away from her and growled out in pain.

"Arrgh, ouch! Let go, you stupid…"

Elena stepped back and stared at him in shock. Damon was jumping up and down on the spot, all the while struggling to shake something off his left leg, and when Elena's gaze went down she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The dog, the one that had been running up and down the other side of the pool after Damon had killed its companion, was hanging off Damon's leg, fangs buried deep inside the bare flesh.

It had obviously decided that the vampire was distracted enough by the kiss to get its revenge.

And it had been right, obviously. Damon cried out, not so much in pain but in rage, and bent down to tear the animal away from his leg.

The dog dislodged his fangs and let out a growl. Damon's hands closed around its furry throat and he squeezed.

"Damon, no!" Elena's cry had Damon look up to her. "Please, Damon! Let it go!"

"What?" Damon shouted back. "It bit me!"

Seeing Elena's pleading look he shook his head in disbelieve but released the dog. He threw it away like a rag-doll and it landed in the pool with a yelp.

Damon turned to Elena. "It fucking bit me, Elena!" he repeated and pointed down his leg. Elena's eyes followed his move. The tearing flesh wound the canine's sharp teeth had left was already closing up again.

"You killed its friend, Damon!" Elena shrugged. "You deserved that and you know it!"

"I…" Damon's head flew around when he suddenly heard the dog bark again. It had crawled out of the pool and had leaped to where Damon's clothes still lay discarded on the ground. "Get away from my clothes," Damon growled. "Don't you dare…"

The dog lifted its leg.

"No!" Damon rushed over but even his super-human speed wasn't enough to prevent the dog from sprinkling a few drops of pee onto Damon's precious jeans before it leaped off into the night. "No!" Damon cried again and chased the dog along the lawn.

Elena fell onto the ground in a heap and nearly choked on her laughter. Watching Damon chase after the dog, stark naked with his bits bouncing up and down with every step, was clearly the most hilarious thing she'd ever seen.

Tears of laughter ran down her cheeks when she shouted out between two gasps: "Damon! Oh my… Damon, let it go!"

Suddenly Damon was back again, picking up his soiled jeans and holding them as far away from him as possible. He threw Elena a look that spoke volumes and she broke into giggles again.

"Oh my God, Damon!" she choked out when he'd reached her.

"Not funny!" he groaned and plopped down on the lawn beside her. "These are John Varvados, Elena! Now they're…"

"Now they're the dog's," Elena cut in. "I think it managed to claim them good and proper."

"Ha ha," Damon replied dryly and threw the jeans away.

Elena looked at him sitting there, all sullen like a pouting child, and she poked him in the side. "Oh, come on Damon. Watching you run around stark naked was one of the best parts of tonight!"

"Really?" Damon raised an eyebrow and then pounced on her. In a flash her had her pinned to the ground, his naked form covering her from head to toe.

"And here I thought I gave you the best part back in that grotto," he smirked down at her and let his hands run down her thighs. "Guess I have to try again, huh?"

"Damon," Elena moaned and closed her eyes. She could feel his hardening length against her core and writhed beneath him, hot shivers running all over her body immediately. Damon dipped his head and started nibbling along her throat with blunt teeth. Then he looked up again.

"You're wearing way too much clothes, Elena."

His voice brought Elena back to reality at once. And, as much as she enjoyed Damon's body on top of hers, and as much as she'd like to continue (or repeat) their earlier activities, Elena knew they couldn't stay here like this.

Anybody could see them any moment! She was suddenly sure their earlier encounter with the dogs had to have alerted the owners of the house and she was afraid they'd come outside and discover them any second now. Not to mention what would happen if anyone discovered the dead dog on the lawn.

"Damon," Elena tried to get his attention and shoved at his chest. "Damon, stop!"

"Why?" Damon purred low in his throat.

"Damon, we can't… not here. We need to get out of here," she reasoned with him and pushed him off. Damon sat up and pouted at her, but then his face suddenly lit up and he smirked: "Does that mean I get to ravish you at home?"

Elena said nothing but the look she gave him when she stood up and extended her hand to him spoke volumes. Damon grinned.

"I can't wait to see you all spread out in my bed again, Elena."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and let's hope this time you'll stay conscious enough…"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Damon was inches away from her face. "I promise to stay conscious long enough for you to lose your consciousness several times and then some. You wouldn't be the first woman to lose it from pleasure. I've been known to have that effect on women."

Damon started walking away but Elena stopped him.

"Ugh, Damon? Aren't you forgetting something?"

He turned back to her and raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Damon," Elena sighed. "We need to clean that up." She pointed at the champagne bottle and glasses. "And what about your clothes? You're not gonna walk back to the car like this, are you?"

Damon sighed and then used his vampire speed to discard the champagne bottle and glasses somewhere, probably in the bushes. Then he picked up his shirt and jacket and slung them both over his shoulder. Shoes in the other hand he walked over to her again.

"Better?"

"Ugh," Elena meekly pointed to his still naked groin. "What about the rest?"

"Elena," Damon sighed, "you don't really expect me to wear the jeans that stupid dog peed on, do you? And in case you've forgotten, it's your fault that I don't have any underwear. You ripped my briefs apart earlier, remember? So, what am I supposed to wear?"

Elena blushed. Of course, he was right. She remembered, back in the grotto, her frantic tearing at his pants and the ripping noise when they suddenly gave way. But she'd been too… cough… distracted with what had been under those pants then to think about the consequences.

Now it seemed Damon would have to face them butt naked. Why wasn't he more concerned about that?

"Ugh, right," Elena eventually mumbled. "Sorry about that."

Damon approached her slowly and smirked: "I wasn't complaining, Elena. I had far better things to do then, as I have now. So, come on, let's get out of here so that we can continue our fun night somewhere more comfortable."

Elena smiled at him and followed to the large property wall.

Before she knew it they were on the other side again and started walking towards Damon's car. When they'd finally reached it – thank god with meeting nobody on their way – Damon opened the door for her and Elena slid into the passenger seat. Damon sat behind the steering wheel in a heartbeat.

"Oh, and just so you know it," Damon smirked at her then. "I totally plan on retaliating the same way soon."

"Huh?" Elena frowned, not sure what he was talking about.

"Your panties, Elena," Damon smirked and started the car. "You can say goodbye to them now because I assure you, once I have you in my bed, you're not gonna see them ever again. Or, well… wear them."

Elena couldn't quite ban the anticipation from her voice. "Turnabout is fair play, huh?"

"I think what you mean is foreplay," Damon smirked back.

And with that he gunned the engine and let the car speed towards the boarding house.

Fun night wasn't over after all. It was just beginning.

TBC

Ta da… see, I can be nice once in a while. No cliffhanger this time. And lots of fun and smut for you. You want more? May take a few days more this time but it will come. Let me know how you like this in the meantime.