Red Passion

Chapter 4

Klaus texts her at the break of dawn, letting her know that he's waiting for her in the campus parking lot.

Thankfully, Bonnie is half wasted after last night's party, and Elena has been MIA since they had crossed the threshold of that frat house (doing God knows what God knows where with Damon), so sneaking out is relatively easy as she decides that she will feed their prying consciences an excuse for her disappearance later or even tomorrow.

Softly, Caroline tiptoes outside of her dorm room and carefully closes the door behind her. She knows that she should be nothing but bothered and annoyed right now, but the truth is that she cannot help but feel a certain amount of excitement at the prospect of spending a whole day alone with Klaus. A day that, she knows (it's Klaus, after all), can only go two ways—amazingly well, or down, down, down sinking faster than you can say 'Titaniiiiic!'.

When she finally reaches the parking lot and spots Klaus, her breath catches a little in her throat. He's leaning casually against the side of his car, a pair of dark sunglasses low on his nose and the usual taunting smirk on his lips. It's still early—too early if you ask her—but it's not too cold (but they're vampires, after all, so it's really not their place to say, now, is it?) and he's only wearing a far too fitting light gray Henley, which makes his shoulders and forearms look so fucking hot as he keeps his arms crossed over his chiseled—she knows—chest, the variety of necklaces around his neck begging to be pulled at so she can smash her lips onto his.

God–

–she groans in her mind. She has just barely caught a glimpse of him and she's already aching with need—fucking perfect.

"Good morning, love," he grins, straightening himself up and taking off his sunglasses so that he can take a proper look at her in her casual, black leggings and pink sweater.

"Hi," Caroline greets him back with an almost shy smile, trying to banish her far from pure, current thoughts to the back of her mind. She has a purpose today—to understand what the hell those bite marks mean and fix it—and she has no intention of letting anything (or better, anyone) get in her way.

Ever the gentleman, Klaus leads her to the passenger side of the car, a not-so-subtle hand pressing against the small of her back and leaving a burning hole in her skin as he keeps the door open for her and she settles inside on the comfortable leather seat.

It's only a second after he closes the door behind her, that he's at her left side behind the wheel, smirk ever in place.

"Ready, love?"

She rolls her eyes, fixing her seatbelt around her out of habit. "As I'll ever be," she mutters, just as he finally starts the car, shifting into reverse as he exits the empty parking lot.

Klaus chuckles, mindlessly paying attention to the road even if he would much rather look at the blonde beauty sitting by his side.

"Don't pout. You seemed to enjoy my company quite nicely the past two days," he teases, trying to sound nonchalant even if his heart is hammering in his chest at the mere memories.

Caroline scoffs. "Are you going to bring up the fact that we have slept together every second? It's not going to make me suddenly think that I feel something for you," she snaps, downplaying him as she gives him a poisonous sideways look—attack is the best form of defense, after all.

"People have sex, get over it."

He doesn't say anything back, but he doesn't have to. The way his hands tighten around the faux leather of the steering wheel until his knuckles go white, and the dangerous ticking of his clenched jaw are indication enough of the rage swirling within him.