Disclaimer – Sadly, I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note – The conclusion – hope you enjoy it! This should probably be rated T, but I didn't want the ratings police breathing down my neck, so I just made it M. And a special thank you to Perfect Pirate Captain for pointing out my mistake – it should have been Elena's turn at the end there. It's my assertion that Damon was over eager and just wanted another turn =)

When she felt his breath on her lips, her brain ceased to function properly. All she had to do was move forward by the tiniest margin and her lips would be against his.

Damon watched her eyes glaze over momentarily before she came back to herself, shaking her head as if trying to physically dislodge her impure thoughts. Not wanting to give her the time to over think her visceral reaction to him, he tilted his head and spoke against her cheek, "Elena….what's my dare?"

In that instant, more than she had ever wanted anything, she wanted to dare him to kiss her. She wanted to anchor her hands in his hair, press her lips to his and slide her tongue into his mouth. See if he tasted as good as he smelled… Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and she felt drunk, reckless. Elena wanted more than just a kiss from him. Wanted to know how his hands would feel sliding under her shirt, how his long fingers would feel sliding into her… Lost in her erotic fantasy, Elena clamped her thighs together and whimpered, the sound she released in the silent cabin of the elevator pulling her back to reality.

She jerked away from him. "I don't want to play anymore," her voice was breathless, almost husky. Elena scrambled to her feet and faced the opposite wall, bracing herself with one hand.

Brisk movement ruffled her hair and she tensed. Damon's hard chest was pressed against her back, one arm was wound about her waist and his other was covering hers against the wall. His mouth skimmed the nape of her neck as he spoke, "Oh, I think you do, Elena."

"No." Yes.

He pressed closer to her, his body forcing hers against the wall. Putting up no resistance, her back arched slightly and the motion pushed her head into the curve of his neck. Damon smiled, and spoke into her ear, "Since you won't give me a dare, you forfeit the right to choose your next turn."

Elena shivered and willed her brain to keep up with the conversation. What had he said? His hand squeezed hers, a silent reminder that she had yet to respond to his statement. She couldn't think of anything other than how aroused she was. Giving up, she uttered an ineloquent, "Huh?"

He spun her around and pinned her in place with the lower half of his body, his hands slapped against the wall on either side of her head. He lowered his face, resting his forehead against hers. Speaking slowly, in a voice heavily laced with sarcasm he replied, "I said, since you failed to give me a dare, I get to choose for you. And I choose truth." His soft mouth trailed down her cheek to her neck and he placed a gentle kiss there, the barest brush of his lips. He lifted his head and asked, "Do you want me, Elena?"

Elena gasped and fumbled for an answer. "What? I – um – I'm dating your brother," she huffed out on a panicky sigh.

Damon pushed his thigh between her legs, feeling the heat of her wet center between two layers of denim. He groaned and his head fell to her neck. "You didn't answer my question," he growled and shifted his thigh upwards, smirking when a moan escaped her lips. "Do. You. Want. Me.?" He spoke firmly, enunciating every syllable.

She turned her head as far away from him as she could manage and sucked in a breath, trying to get fresh air into her lungs. It was difficult to breathe when he was seemed to fill the space around her. She managed to squeak out a pitiful, "No" that was clearly a lie.

"Hmmm. Your mouth says no, but your hands don't seem to agree with you." He smiled as he watched realization dawn on her.

Damn it. He was right. Her hands were clutching at his biceps restlessly, fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt, nails scoring the skin underneath. She had been pulling him closer, wanting to crush his chest to hers. "Oh…." She couldn't bring herself to let go.

"I know the real answer, Elena. So do you." He tangled his hands in her satiny hair and tipped her head back. Speaking into the base of her neck, he deliberately exhaled air over her sensitive flesh. "Tell me the truth. Do you want me?"

She answered immediately. "Yes."

He kissed the spot he just warmed with his breath and stepped away from her now willing, pliant body. "Was that so hard?" He moved to the elevator doors and pulled them open effortlessly and light spilled into the cabin.

Elena turned away from the sunshine that was streaming in, slamming her eyes shut. After the pitch black darkness, it was almost painful. I took a moment for her to assess the situation and then her temper flared violently. "You could've done that anytime? Why the hell didn't you do it right away?" Her body was still flushed and achy with desire. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment and guilt. She couldn't believe she had admitted that she wanted him. Was this a game to him?

She launched forward and raised her hand to slap him, but he deflected her easily and caught her hand. His eyes flashed dangerously as he yanked her to him. "Why are you so pissed? Is it because I didn't get you out right away? Or is it because you can't lie to yourself anymore?"

The intensity brimming in his eyes deflated her ire. She pulled her arm from his grasp and turned away to gather her belongings. Defeated, she faced him and asked, "Was that funny for you?" She stepped closer to him and met his gaze. Her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears as she asked, "Did you just want to humiliate me?"

He cupped her face and uttered a fierce, "No." He stepped back and modulated his tone. "I knew there was something between us. A connection." He backed out of the elevator slowly. "Now you know it too." He turned and walked away, leaving her there confused and unable to ignore the truth in his words.

Later that night, Elena was tossing and turning in her bed, she couldn't get comfortable and every time she closed her eyes all she could see was Damon. She couldn't deny it anymore, she had feelings for him. And they weren't purely physical. She liked him. He made her laugh, he treated her as an equal, and she felt safe with him in a way she had never experienced before. Not even with her parents. She was quite sure he'd rip the world apart to get to her if she really needed him. She didn't know how she knew that, but she could feel it in her bones.

The soft tap at her window startled her and she gasped when she saw Damon's smirking face on the other side. She got out of bed carefully, her eyes never leaving his face. Standing in front of the window, she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "What are you doing here?"

He could still see traces of hurt and uncertainty lingering in her expression. It gutted to him to think that he'd hurt her. He wasn't sorry he had forced the admission out of her, but he did regret his methodology. He smiled her, a genuine smile and was pleased when some of the tension left her body, saw her arms drop to her sides.

His voice was low and thick with promises of heady seduction. "Let me in, Elena. I dare you."

All pretense of making him pay for his earlier behavior dropped away when she heard his voice. She opened the window without further hesitation and he climbed in gracefully. She swatted at him half-heartedly and he grabbed her by the waist, steering her towards the bed. There was no conviction in her voice as she insulted him. "You're a jerk."

"I know." The backs of her knees collided with her bed and he laid her down settling his weight over her, nestled between her legs. "But you like me anyway," he smiled as kissed her. She wound her arms around his neck and opened her mouth under his, deepening the kiss.

He was right – she really did.