@justanotherfiveminutes: They should go to Piran. (So this was from a conversation, and not a request, but here you go. Hope your day gets better!!!)
Caroline couldn’t have told you how she ended up in Piran, Slovenia. It was like waking up from a fog. She’d been standing on campus, listening to Bonnie complain about professors and something Damon had said, and it had jolted through her, this need to just go. Looking at her friend, the realization that everything around her was changing faster than she could follow while her life was standing perfectly still shook her.
It was like she couldn’t breathe.
She hadn’t even bothered to pack a bag. She’d called her mom from JFK, left a voicemail and compelled herself the first ticket into Europe she could find. From there she’d caught the first train that looked interesting, and found herself hopping from station to station, eyes drinking in the countryside. There was no particular reason for the stops she’d chosen, other than finding places she’d never heard of before.
Until she’d found herself in Venice. She’d been tempted by the city, the guidebooks at the station, but had hesitated. Venice was too well known, a place she might be expected to visit. Lip caught between her lip, she noticed a sign for a ferry.
Six weeks later, she was still in Piran. The moment she’d stepped off the boat, she’d fallen in love. Old fashioned, with narrow streets, the moment she’d set foot on the shore overlooking the Gulf, something inside her had settled. She attended music festivals, struggled with speaking Italian and Slovene.
Which was why she was not happy to see Klaus. Of all the cities in Europe, she was not amused to discover him here. It’s been years since she’d seen him - naked and flushed, curls ruined from her hands, lips red and wet - and seeing him here jarred her. He hadn’t seen her yet, his face set in annoyed lines as he listened to a phone call.
The ferry wasn’t schedule for that afternoon, but there was an airport. Foot lifted to slid back into the alley she’d walked out of, she paused. She hadn’t spoken to anyone from Mystic Falls in weeks, not even her mom. The odds we’re absolutely minuscule that any of her friends would call him to tell him she’d done a runner.
The curiosity would drive her crazy.
Biting back a snarl of frustration, she moved towards him instead of away. The closer she got, the more curious she became. He looked the same, but there was an ease to his posture she’d never seen before. She reached him as he put away him phone, just as his head came up, brows coming together as he caught her scent.
“Seriously, you better be here for reasons that will not screw with my vacation. I was here first.”
His head came up, and Caroline had the satisfaction of seeing him unguardedly startled. That didn’t last long, Klaus’ lips curling upwards with a smile that hit her in her bones.
“Caroline, this is a delightful surprise. How are you, sweetheart?”
She ignored the rumble beneath his words, the way his tongue locked across his lower lip as he took her in. “Vacationing. Why are you here?”
Amusement didn’t cover the admiration, that hint of lust, but it brightened his eyes. “On a bit of a research mission, nothing particularly interesting or that won’t hold.”
She eyed him for a moment and finally nodded. “Okay then.”
Dimples creasing his cheeks, he stepped in front of her, preemptively halting her exit. “Are you alone on this vacation?”
Caroline weighed her options. Odds were in her favor that she could wrangle him into buying lunch. Klaus had always had interesting things to say, and now that he was here, she was curious.
“Yes,” she said finally, watching satisfaction turn his gaze dark. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying.”
Hands clasped behind his back, he made a thoughtful noise. “How long have you been vacationing?”
“Six weeks,” Caroline said easily, ignoring that flash in his eyes. If he’d had people who were supposed to be reporting her movements, they were going to have words. “You been here long?”
“Arrived yesterday,” he replied. A sudden breeze sent her curls swinging across her face and it was Klaus who pushed them back. “It’s been some time since I’ve visited this particular city, love. I’d be delighted to hear how you’ve enjoyed it.”
Caroline shivered, as his fingers grazed her ear. The sparks in his eyes told her he’d caught the movement, but she wasn’t going to comment. “Fine. You may buy me lunch. And if any of my stories involve people on your hit list, you waIt until I leave before eating them, deal?”
His chuckle was low, gaze lingering on the pulse in her throat. “Deal. Since I’ve suddenly found myself with a bit of free time, perhaps you wouldn’t be adverse to some company?”
An offer that was dangerous. But one she found herself tempted by. Deciding she’d see how things went, she shrugged one shoulder. “That’ll depend on how entertaining you are at lunch.”
His smile shifted to something wicked, and she knew that it wouldn’t take much to talk her into spending time in his company. Or his bed.
“How can I refuse such a challenge?”
She threaded her arm through his and found herself really smiling for the first time in weeks.
