A/N - Thank you for the wonderful comments and reviews on the last chapter. I would just like to say whilst I think Sookie can be a bit too much at times, I firmly both she and Eric are at fault when it comes to the mess of a relationship they are in. It wouldn't be very fun (or realistic) if there was only one person at fault now, would it? *winks* Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.


Eric leaned forward, and Sookie was once again reminded of how vicious he could be when he wanted to.

"I will help you, Sookie, but only if you get down on your knees and suck me off. Right here. Right now."

She slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"That's a 'no' then?" Eric said at the same time Pam suddenly appeared beside her, her fangs out. Sookie yelped as Pam grabbed her arm, the vampire's perfectly manicured nails digging into her skin.

"You stupid bitch-"

"Pam," Eric interjected, and despite the calm tone of his voice, his simmering anger was apparent. "Not here. You know better." Sookie didn't need to use her telepathic skills to realize he was talking about Pam losing her temper in front of other humans. "Why don't you escort Ms. Stackhouse into my office where I'll deal with her personally?"

"Better yet, why don't I throw her out of here?" Pam offered, glaring at Sookie.

"Pam," Eric said sternly.

"Fine," Pam bit out.

Despite being furious with Eric, Sookie knew the best way to appeal to his generous side was to talk to him alone, away from prying eyes. She remained silent as Pam dragged her away from the stage and into his office, and finally threw her on the couch.

"Every time I think I've seen the limits of your stupidity, you manage to surprise me again," Pam said, his face contorted with disgust.

"Well, I'd hate to be predictable," Sookie snarked back, rubbing the spot Pam's nails had left crescent-shaped indentations on her skin.

"Your luck's run out, Sookie. He's finally realized not even faerie blood is worth putting up with your trailer-trash inbred ass."

"Don't worry, Pam. I'm not here to steal him away from you."

"As if you could."

Refusing to get into a sparring match with Pam, Sookie shut up and simply rolled her eyes. Thankfully, Pam exited the room right after,

Left alone to her devices, Sookie leaned back on the couch, and pondered her options.


An hour later, when he still hadn't made his entrance, she walked over to his desk and started sifting through the papers that were cluttered on his desk, organizing them into neat piles. If he was going to leave her alone here for so long, he had only himself to blame for her cleaning up after him, she mused. His chair, big and imposing just like the man himself, was much more comfortable than she had initially thought. Taking a seat, she curled up on the chair, and was suddenly struck by how much of his scent had been absorbed by the fabric. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend he was holding her in his arms, whispering to her. And that feeling of nostalgia returned with a vengeance, starting in the pit of her stomach and swiftly sweeping through her until it had transformed into sadness, and she was fully overcome by it.


Sookie woke up to find Eric leaning in front of her, his eyes piercing right into her. Her brain addled with sleep, she stared into the warm, gentle blue of his eyes, reminded of the man she had fallen hopelessly in love with. Reaching forward, she touched his face, her fingers caressing his skin, and his eyes shone brighter by the second, revealing the same vulnerability that still made her insides quiver. She had fought so hard against seeing this part of him, but she had always known it was there. Now, she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.

"Eric," she whispered, caressing his lips with her hand. He never felt cold to her, he was always warm to the touch, even though she knew as a vampire that's how his skin was supposed to feel. Maybe it had something to do with the bond they shared.

Her thumb lingered over his bottom lip, and she shivered when he slipped it inside his mouth, sucking on the digit gently and simultaneously stroking it with his tongue. Their gazes locked, he watched her enthralled, and she felt the combined intensity of his desire and her own passion. He wanted more, as did she.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I want you to."

She trembled when his fangs punctured through her skin. Soon, caught up in pain and pleasure as he drank her blood, she scooted closer to him, experiencing the keen ecstasy of his gaze upon her and the sensuous way he worked her with his mouth. But it wasn't enough. Not even close. "Eric," she whispered, grazing his forehead with her own while her other hand lingered on his exposed chest thanks to the razor tanks he preferred. "Touch me."

She didn't need to ask him twice.

He captured her mouth with his own, and she experienced the overwhelming emotion in him as he kissed her roughly - not smoothed, not practiced, not one of slow and sweet seduction, but one of complete desperation. He was consumed by her as she was him, and it was threatening to burn them up from the inside if they didn't give in to it.

She pulled his jacket and tank top off as he ripped the straps of her dress apart effortlessly, and while she struggled to unzip his jeans, he tore off her bra and panties.

It was a battle between them to possess the other, and neither one wanted to concede.

She pushed him down on the floor and willed him to stay still long enough to lower his boxers but he had other plans as he rolled over simultaneously, taking her with him. Pinned underneath him, she groaned as his tongue licked her nipples, stroking them, suckling them until they were hardened nubs and she was writhing. "You're a fucking tease, Eric!" she grit out.

And he smiled at her, his face beaming with arrogance. "Would you like me to stop?"

"Fuck you!"

"Don't worry; you will."

Sick of his taunts, she grabbed his face, pulled him closer, and kissed him to shut him up. He may think he was in control because of his strength, but Sookie knew when she was devouring him with her mouth, he was putty in her hands.

Using all her strength she rolled him over again, and straddled him.

Her body crushed against his, she trailed wet kisses down his neck, and then his chest, licking him, tasting him as she slowly made her way down to his cock. He was hard - not really a surprise - and while she undressed him completely, Eric watched her through hooded eyes when she finally took him inside her mouth. She played with him, teasing him, taunting him with her hands and mouth, sucking him off, and his fingers laced through her hair, his grip tightening as his groans grew louder. "Sookie," he moaned. "Fuck…"

"Don't worry, you will," she repeated with a wicked smile,

And just as quickly as she had gained the upper hand, she lost it when he used his vamp speed to trap her underneath him.

"You're a sore loser," she grumbled.

He dropped a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. "Maybe, but I won't be the one sore tomorrow."

She giggled, but soon she was crying out with ecstasy while he seduced her with his mouth, sucking her clit, tweaking it, licking and tasting her. Positioned between her legs, and with her feet locked together behind his head, he fucked her with his tongue expertly, bringing her to orgasm over and over again, first with only his mouth and then with his hands, and she quivered under him as the waves of pleasure washed over her.

And then Eric was penetrating her, thrusting into her, assaulting her with the same intensity of his gaze as he was with the rest of his body. She held on to him, clung to him, digging into his back so roughly she broke his skin. When the pain caused by friction of her bare back rubbing against the rug on the floor became unbearable, he pulled her up and carried her over to the couch. She was the one who controlled the rhythm now, straddling him while he was deep inside her, cradling his face in her hands.

She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she missed him, how the thought of not being with him was unbearable to her but being with him was even more terrifying. She didn't.

When they both reached their peaks, she hugged him tightly while he came inside her, and swallowed his groan into her mouth the same way he had earlier. Breathless and panting, she tightened her grip around him and didn't let go even when he shifted them to lie down on the couch.

Later, her face hidden in the crook of his neck, she was stretched along on top of him while he played with her hair.

"Do you remember when you wanted us to leave Bon Temps?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I wish we had."

His only response was a tender kiss on her temple.


It was a long time before either of them spoke. She was afraid to; she didn't want this moment to end even though they both knew it had to.

"You don't need to worry about Tara. I'll see to it she gets the help she needs," he finally said.

Instead of feeling comforted by his words, she realized he was withdrawing from her. "Thank you."

"I wouldn't want you to waste your time and effort and not gain something out of it."

His voice was cold and distant as he moved away from her, and she watched helplessly as he turned his back and walked over to where his clothes lay on the floor.

"Tara had nothing to do with why I made love to you."

Wearing only his jeans, he confronted her again. "Call it what you like. For me, this was a goodbye fuck."

"You think hurting and humiliating me is going to make the pain go away? You think it'll make you stop feeling?" she fired back.

"Yes," he growled.

"Well then, you're an idiot." Standing up, she walked over to where her torn dress lay on the floor, fully aware of his eyes following her naked form the entire time. "I didn't want to fall in love with you, but I did." She stepped into her dress which barely held together. "And I didn't want to hurt you, but I did anyway. Trying to control feelings and emotions is useless. Believe me."

"Believe you?" he mocked. "Never again."

"Whatever." Holding her dress up, she slipped into her sandals. "If you want to act like a thousand year old brat, there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"Stay the fuck away from me, Sookie," he threatened in such a cold manner she felt a shiver travel down her spine. "Don't come here again; don't bother me again. I don't care how much trouble you and your worthless friends are in, I don't want anything to do with you."

"I never meant to hurt you."

"I'm not interested in your reasons."

"Even though you know I've never lied to you?"

"I don't care. You chose to walk away. Now I want you to stay away."

She realized there was a part of him now she couldn't touch; he had buried his emotions in such a deep place she couldn't even sense them anymore. Silently, she walked out of his office, and passed a smug Pam along the way.

It wasn't until Sookie was in her car, far away from Eric, that she finally broke into tears.