Warning: This story will contain mature language and subject matters. Not appropriate for those under the age of 18. Be aware.

Disclaimer: I do not take credit for the creation of any of the characters in this story. The plot, however, is my own.

A small smile emerged on my lips as I woke to soft kisses being planted along my bare spine. Chill bumps arose as his cool breath touched my skin and I snuggled my head deeper into the plush white feather pillow. My movement alerted him to my being awake and his hands slid around my sides before pulling me against his chest.

His head nuzzled into the crook of my neck. "Are you awake?" he whispered and I could feel him smiling against my skin.

"No," I laughed and buried my head under the silky, rose-colored comforter.

"Oh, no you don't," he shot back with a chuckle, pulling the covers back down and quickly flipping me over to my other side so that we were facing each other. His hands moved up to hold the sides of my face. "Your face is far too beautiful to cover up," he whispered.

I let my face melt against his hand and looked up into his eyes.

Stefan was more than beautiful. He was the epitome of what was a man. His body was sculpted with immaculate muscles. The structured lines of his face were framed by perfect pieces of brown disheveled hair and his smile was sure to light up any room. But beyond any of those heart stopping traits were his eyes – his sparkling green eyes that literally took my breath away.

It only took two months for me to become completely infatuated with the 24-year-old fine art connoisseur. I would be the first to admit that I didn't know a whole lot about Stefan besides a few basic details, but I knew that the connection I had with him was something I had never experienced in the 21 years I had lived. And above all, I trusted Stefan. Trust was something I learned not to hand out at an early age.

"Good morning," I greeted him softly.

He laughed. "Good afternoon, you mean."

My smile faded and I sat up quickly. "What? Afternoon?" I turned to look at the bedside alarm clock and sure enough, the time read 4:15 PM. "Oh shit," I groaned, running my hands over my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry apparent in his tone.

I grabbed the comforter and held it tightly against my chest before starting to climb out of the bed. "I had two finals today, Stefan," I answered as I started to search the room for my clothes.

"Will they let you make it up?" he asked from behind me.

I let out one quick humorless chuckle before responding. "Very unlikely." I spotted pieces of my clothes strewn about near the door, momentarily reminding me of the very…heated entrance I made with Stefan into this room.

"Will you fail the classes without taking those tests?"

I sighed as I picked up my jeans and started shrugging them up. "More than likely."

"Well, would they reconsider with the right…incentive?"

I turned around to look at him. He was lying on his side with his head sitting in the palm of his hand, propped up on one elbow. A sheet lied casually across his midsection and I couldn't help admiring his chiseled chest. I quickly forgot the question.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Would they?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'm sorry, what?"

He grinned slightly before repeating himself. "Would your teachers allow you to make up these tests if they were given the right incentive?"

My eyes narrowed slightly and I tilted my head. "What incentive, exactly?"

"Monetary," he answered and shrugged as if it were no big deal.

I shook my head and turned to find my shirt. "I don't have sufficient funds to bribe my professors, Stefan." I began to lean down to pick up my tank top when I suddenly felt his arms wrapping around my waist from behind. My breath caught in my chest. "How the hell, Stefan?" were the only words I managed to say as I looked over my shoulder at him. I hadn't heard him move on the bed, much less run across the floor. He was extremely stealthy and although it was impressive, it made me feel like I should somehow be concerned.

He kissed my cheek. "Elena, I wasn't talking about your funds."

"No," I answered instantly. "I'm not taking any money from you." I stepped away from him and grabbed my shirt. With one hand I continued to hold the comforter up to conceal my bare chest while the other pulled the tank top awkwardly over my head. "Thank you for the offer, though," I finished, dropping the comforter and turning to face him. My heartbeat skipped as I took in the naked man standing before me. Slowly, he stepped forward and lowered his head to mine.

"Well, what sort of incentive would you need?" he asked softly before covering my lips with his own. His kiss was all it took to remove me from the current time and place. Every touch from him set my nerves on fire and, to be perfectly blunt, turned me on. My hands lifted to slide up his arms, over his shoulders, and into his hair. My fingers tangled into his brown locks and I pulled his face closer to mine. I felt his lips part slightly and his tongue touch my lower lip, a silent request for my mouth to open. I agreed and let his tongue glide into my mouth, my tongue quickly seeking out his and deepening our kiss. His taste, as expected, was magnificent and I would be content with kissing him forever.

Very lightly, he placed his hands on my hips and moved me backwards until I was flat against the door. I felt his very obvious arousal push against my belly and a moan escaped me. Stefan finally leaned away when both of our breaths were escaping us jaggedly and laid his cheek on the top of my head. I closed my eyes as the separation brought me back to reality and focused on slowing my breathing.

He began to chuckle quietly above me and I titled my head back to look up at him, my face questioning. He leaned his forehead to mine and smiled. "It's funny how this position seems to be how you enter and leave."

I rolled my eyes and felt a blush creep across my skin. He was right. As soon as we had come to his room last night, he had me against this same door, my clothes basically falling from my body.

I pulled my fingers from his hair and slid my palms down to his chest. Gently, I pushed him back and stepped to the side to pass him. "I should be going," I stated quietly, walking over to my shoes. I sat on the edge of the bed and began putting them on.

"You never answered my question," he said, bending down to pick up the comforter I dropped and wrapping it around himself.

"What question?" I asked, trying to think back to remember but only pulling up memories of me against the door.

"What incentive would you need?"

I tied the last lace and stood up. "You mean to take your money?" He nodded. "Stefan, I already told you, I wouldn't take it. No matter the 'incentive'."

Stefan's wealth had always made me slightly uncomfortable. I was doing my best to just get by while working at both an Italian restaurant and a hotel – where I happened to meet Stefan. Neither job paid very well and I still went to school full time, drastically cutting down my available work hours. However, I refused to feel sorry for myself and refused to take handouts from anyone; even Stefan. I had to learn how to fend for myself at an early age when my parents were killed in a car accident. My aunt took in my brother and me, but she was still nearly a child herself in many ways. I had to face the hardships of adulthood much sooner than I would have liked. Stefan, as I was to understand it, had not faced any serious struggles such as that. His parents, like mine, were deceased, but his family had always been extremely lucrative and he inherited a fortune. He graduated school early, went on to college, graduated that early as well, and took over his fathers business for appraising, collecting, selling, and admiring fine art. He was a well known curator and traveled the world often.

He came to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I let my head rest comfortably on his chest. "So when will I see you next?" he asked, kissing the top of my hair.

I shrugged. "When do you want to see me next?"

"Tonight."

I smiled and closed my eyes. I would never understand why Stefan wanted my company. I was nowhere near on his level. He was rich and powerful and incredibly handsome. I was poor and ordinary.

"Well, I'm gonna' run over to the school and talk to my professors, but then I have to work third shift at the hotel. I won't get off until 7 AM tomorrow morning."

He shrugged. "Come here after."

I laughed. "You'll be asleep."

"And you'll be tired. We can sleep together."

I turned up my head to look into his face and smiled. "Are you sure?" The thought of sleeping in that amazingly comfortable bed again made me nearly giddy. The bed in my shabby apartment always guaranteed sleep with restless fits.

A small grin appeared on his lips before he leaned down and kissed me gently. As he pulled away, a shiver ran through my body. "I guess I'll take that as your yes," I said to myself. He chuckled and moved over to his dresser, grabbing my large purse then bringing it back to me.

"So I'll see you in the morning?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes. In the morning," I replied, lifting up on my toes to quickly peck his lips. "Bye, Stefan," I smiled, slinging the purse over my shoulder and heading for the door. I threw one last glance over my shoulder at him and felt the butterflies in my stomach stir before closing the door.

As I walked up the stairs to Stefan's room, I thought about how I would approach the topic of my professors to him. Yesterday, my conversation with them about making up the tests had gone surprisingly…and suspiciously well. Both professors were quick to jump on board with allowing me to take them right then and there. I had of course been late to work because of the unexpected opportunities, but I was sure that I wasn't going to fail either class now.

Work had gone by just as smoothly. I had no complaints to deal with and all of our guests seemed happy enough. When I finally left at 7, I was nearly beaming with how great the night had gone.

Slowly, I pushed open his bedroom door and entered, closing the door behind me. I smiled when I saw his sprawled out form beneath the comforter. Quickly, I undressed and threw on the pajama shorts and tank top from my purse – clothes meant to have been worn the previous night. As soon as I climbed into the bed, Stefan rolled over and pulled me to him. I laughed when I realized he was awake.

"Good morning, Miss Gilbert," he whispered, burying his head into my neck and kissing me.

"Good morning, Mr. Salvatore," I responded, mimicking his eloquent manner of speech. "Did you sleep well?"

"It would have been better had you been here," he answered, sending a blush across my skin. "How was work?"

"Good."

"And the talk with your professors?"

At this I pulled back a little and propped my head up with my elbow, looking down my nose at him. "Startlingly well," I replied, lifting my eyebrow slightly.

He grinned. "Well, that's good."

"Would you have had anything to do with that?" I asked bluntly.

His smile grew and he leaned forward to nuzzle my neck again.

I gasped. "I knew it!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Stefan, I told you not to."

He shrugged and his words were slightly muffled against my skin. "Professors are always willing to accept substantial funds for their research."

I groaned and plopped down on my back. "I guess I should say thank you?" I asked, closing my eyes. Suddenly, I felt slight pressure along my body and opened my eyes to see him hovering above me.

"Maybe," he answered, leaning down to close the gap between our lips. A smile grew on my lips, making it difficult for our kiss to last, so his lips wandered over my jaw and down my neck.

"Is this going to be my thank you?" I laughed. I felt him nod as he nipped lightly at the skin at the base of my throat. The act sent chills through me and I felt myself quickly becoming aroused. My hands moved around his sides to his back. He kissed back up my throat until his lips found my own again, quickly pushing his tongue past my lips and into my mouth. I lifted my head slightly to deepen our kiss and felt a small groan coming from him rumble against my lips. One of his hands lifted from the bed and slid under my tank top. He moved up slightly, lightly grazing the lower curve of my breast, then back down to grip the hem of my shirt.

My breathing became labored as our tongues danced together and I felt my center growing wet, a clear indication of my excitement. I arched my back slightly, pushing my chest against his and felt my nipples harden between our bodies. He must have felt it, too, because I was quickly brought to a sitting position and my shirt was being brought over my head. As soon as it was off, Stefan lowered his head to suck at my neck again. I let my head fall back and a small moan escaped me.

I felt his lips trailing down, moving towards my breasts I assumed, when suddenly Stefan stopped all movement. I looked down at him and my stomach knotted uncomfortably as I thought about what I could have done wrong. "Stefan?"

He shook his head slightly and kept his head down, holding up a finger to indicate that I give him a moment. Nearly two minutes passed before Stefan sat up on his knees. "You're bleeding," he said in a concerned voice.

My brow furrowed. "What?"

Slowly, he lifted his hand and ran his finger below my nose. When he pulled it back, I saw the red tinge on his finger. My hand flew up to my nose and I felt the thick liquid beneath my fingers. "Shit," I muttered to myself. I pulled my fingers down and my stomach turned at the sight.

Stefan climbed out of bed and brought me two tissues.

I wiped at the blood and looked down to see spots of it running down my bare chest where it had dripped. Quickly, my thoughts went to the clean sheets and comforter of the bed I was sitting in and I jumped out. I held the tissues to my nose and couldn't help but feel embarrassed because of the current situation. "I'll be back. I'm just gonna' run down to the downstairs bathroom and clean up."

He smiled sympathetically. "Hurry back."

I nodded and quickly left the room. Nosebleeds had become a fairly common occurrence in my life since the passing of my parents, but had grown less frequent over the past year or so. I had never told Stefan about the problem and he had never witnessed it…well, before now. I shook my head and laughed at how perfect the timing was for this hindrance to reappear.

I walked down the steps and shivered slightly as I stepped through a draft. I hadn't thought to put my shirt back on before exiting the room, leaving me in only my ridiculously short pajama bottoms.

As I reached the first floor and turned past the banister, my heart jumped and I inhaled sharply as I ran into another person. I dropped the tissue I had been holding to my nose and moved back, trying to find my voice to scream. Two hands reached out to my shoulders to steady me and I jerked away, panic bubbling in my stomach.

"Hey, hey," a male voice soothed, "calm down. I didn't mean to scare you."

My back hit the banister of the staircase and I threw up my trembling hands. As my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I focused on the face of the man and felt my heart pick up beating in double time.

Standing before me was a man just as beautiful as, if not more than, Stefan. He was wearing jeans and a black v-neck shirt, covered with a black leather jacket. His nearly black hair was tousled casually, a few pieces hanging into his face. His jaws were sharp and pronounced and his staggering ice blue eyes were staring down at me with an odd glimmer in them.

"Who are you?" I gasped, shrinking back in case he was dangerous.

A smirk appeared on his lips and his eyes roamed over my partially naked, slightly bloody body. "I think I should ask you the same thing," he responded in a condescending tone.

Authors Note: So, I'm back to writing TVD fanfics. The others didn't work out quite as well. Anyhoo, hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Let me know what you think.

See you next chapter.

(By the way, follow me on Twitter for updates and occasional rambling. - APhobiac )