Chapter Two

"Right hand, green," Eric said, before maneuvering his hand onto a green spot without any effort at all. He smiled at her, and heard Sookie mutter 'cocky bastard' under her breath.

Sookie considered her green spot options and groaned. Eric was basically spreading himself out across the whole mat on all fours, leaving very little room for her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sookie said. "Or cheating. How am I supposed to reach all the way over there?"

"Isn't that the whole point of the game? And how could I possibly be cheating?"

Since it was only the two of them, they had agreed that Eric could use a free hand to work the spinner. Sookie thought this was acceptable, since he had such an advantage over her physically anyway.

"I don't know. Is it some kind of super power you never told me you had? Can you control that spinner with your mind?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Eric said. "Just make your move. Come on, you can reach easily. I know how bendy you are."

Sookie reconsidered her spot options. "Your knee's almost touching the floor there," she said, looking down.

"No it's not."

"It nearly is. If it touches the floor, I automatically win. Plus, if your gracious plenty touches the mat, you incur a penalty," she said, grinning. "Or rather, a peen-alty. Eric, did you get it? A peen-alty."

"Very good, my lover."

"Just a little peen pun."

"I got it."

"Alrighty," Sookie said. She took a deep breath and reached her arm out beneath Eric, spreading her fingers and trying to keep her balance with her feet. Finally, and with great effort, she slid forward and planted her palm on a green spot. It was a real stretch, and was pretty uncomfortable, but she made it. "Yes!"

"Well done," Eric said, lowering his body fractionally to rub himself against her side. It was only a matter of time, he thought to himself. She would soon give up and yield.

"Come on, spin the wheel again," Sookie said excitedly. "I'm on a roll."

Eric sighed. Honestly, he was beginning to get bored. Naked Twister was turning out to be much less fun than he'd hoped it would be. He'd got a couple of nipple brushes from her, at best, although watching Sookie move around naked was always a pleasure. The sexy prospects were not helped along by the fact that they were both so stubborn and competitive.

He spun the dial.

"Left foot, blue."

Eric turned his head to check the blue spot situation. Sookie had both her feet on blue, and his right foot was also already on there. This could be a challenge.

"Hmm, well, easy for me," Sookie said, sliding her foot across to another spot.

Eric gritted his teeth. He had been intending to go for the very same spot. He was determined that he would not be defeated at Twister. The very notion of it was absurd. He had slain over a hundred enemies singlehandedly at the Battle of Fýrisvellir, more recently he had overcome countless Were, Fae, and Vampire opponents. His strategy and cunning was legendary, his skill with a blade unparalleled. He had won the 'Hot Vampire of the Year' award one hundred and thirty seven times in a row (apart from that one year that he didn't like to mention). He'd beaten Pam at Scrabble more times than he could count. He was a born winner, always victorious. Yet here he was, about to be outclassed by a five and a half foot human woman at a game of Twister.

Not likely.

He lifted his left foot from the green spot it was planted on, and slid it under his right leg. Sookie watched him, upside down, with amused eagle eyes. Unusually for Eric, he grunted with the physical effort. Concerned that he might not make it, and also that his knee might touch the floor, he hovered, lifting himself approximately a half inch over the mat. The movement was almost indistinguishable, but Sookie noticed.

"Hovering! You're hovering!"

"What?" Eric said, quickly planting himself back down. "I'm not."

"You are! You cheated!"

"It is an automatic reaction," Eric grumbled. "I didn't intend to do it purposely in order to gain an unfair advantage."

"I can't believe you hovered! You are so sneaky!"

Eric gave in and dropped his knees, collapsing on top of her.

"Alright, I can't reach. You win my lover."

"Yes!" she giggled, squished beneath him.

He would give her this small victory, seeing as it was her. He would swear her to secrecy. No one else would ever know of this shameful defeat, least of all Pam.

"Now," Eric said, rolling her over onto her back. "How about we play something a little more interesting this time?"

"Huh?" Sookie said. "What are you talking about? This is a great game! I won! Wait until Pam finds out I beat you at something."

"Ah, Sookie-"

"She's gonna love it!"

Eric decided there was nothing else for it, he would simply have to screw the memory of his defeat out of her.

"Left hand green, lover," he growled seductively. Sookie was about to argue about the fact he hadn't even used the spinner, when she finally got with the program, and grinned. She turned over beneath him, placing her palm on a green spot. Eric traced his fingers down her arm and moved his hand on top of hers, pinning her in place.

"Right hand blue," he urged, and she placed her palm down on a spot. Again, Eric covered her hand with his. He pressed his body against her back, and kissed her neck.

"Left foot green, right foot blue," he whispered at her ear.

As she spread her legs and positioned her feet, Eric pulled away to kneel behind her. He ran his hands up the underside of her body, supporting her. When her feet were planted, he stroked up the underside of her body, cupping and squeezing at her breasts, lightly pinching her nipples. Then he brushed his fingers down her spine, over her hip and down her leg, before running a firm hand back up her inner thigh.

"I much prefer this version of the game," Sookie gasped, her skin tingling all over from his touch. She braced herself for what she knew was to come.

Eric's fingers began stroking between her legs, her head dropped and she closed her eyes tightly. His middle finger traced up and down her center, probing a little, as his others parted her folds. With a slick, expert finger, he gently traced circles over her most sensitive, and increasingly hard, bundle of nerves.

He leaned his head forward to place open-mouthed kisses on her back as he continued to stroke her. Sookie began to moan and rock her hips, and Eric increased the pressure. He pulled back and sat up again, moving to her right to get a better angle, and ran his other hand over her bottom. Then his fingers were probing inside her from behind, and Sookie's pleasured moans got louder.

"Oh my God, Eric."

He kept up the tight, hard circles on her clit with his hand beneath her, while at the same time pumping his other fingers in and out of her from behind. Sookie's knees began to buckle slightly as the pleasure increased.

"Don't fall, lover," Eric teased, "otherwise the game ends."

Sookie gritted her teeth and tried her best to remain stable. She circled and rocked her hips in time with his hands, trying to increase the depth and friction, as Eric worked her harder and faster. She cried out as the orgasm shook through her body, her knees automatically dropping to the mat. She lowered her head and pressed her cheek to the floor, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Oh yeah," Sookie breathed. "That was much more fun. Let's play again."

"As you wish."

Naked Twister was a sweet success after all. Not only did they get to have lots of playful, acrobatic sex on the living room floor, Eric was also pleased to note that there was minimal mess, since the shiny nylon mat was easily cleaned.

They eventually found their way to the bedroom, and Sookie took naked pictures of Eric on her new phone.

"Ruffle your hair a bit more," Sookie directed. "Stick your butt out."

Eric rose from his position on all fours and shook his head to mess up his hair.

"Like this? Should I put my Christmas socks on?"

"No. No socks. Pout a bit."

"You know, I am beginning to feel objectified."

"Give me more, more..." Sookie traced circles in the air with her hand as she tried to find the correct word. "Sex."

"I'll give you more sex," Eric growled. He reached out and snatched the phone from her, and pulled her back onto the bed. "How much more do you want?"

Sookie groaned at his lame joke. He hooked his arm around her neck, pulling her in close, and kissed her temple. He flicked through the photos, smirking at them. He had to hand it to himself; he was a damn handsome, sexy creature.

"Those pictures will really give me a boost at work," Sookie said. "Whenever I'm starting to feel tired and miserable, I'll just nip to the bathroom and get my phone out. A quick flick through my nude Eric folder is sure to perk me up."

"I doubt you will get any work done at all," Eric said. "Of course, you could send me nude pictures of yourself, while I am at the bar. I wouldn't object to that in the slightest."

"No, I'm sure you wouldn't."

"Or, if you find a corpse in your woods, or see strange creatures wandering nearby, that sort of thing, you can takes pictures and send them to me. I can then evaluate the situation and take appropriate action immediately. It will be very useful."

"Great," Sookie said, unenthusiastically. She tried to get back in the mood by grabbing him and roughly rolling him over onto his front, pinning him down. "Give me my phone back."

"No," Eric teased.

"Give it back," she ordered, playfully biting the back of his neck. "I want to take a picture of that sweet behind."

That sounded like a reasonable request, so he handed it over. She moved further down his body, sitting on his calves, and snapped a picture of his butt.

"Perfect."

"You are obsessed, woman."

"Uh-huh."

"Bite me again."

Sookie smiled to herself and tossed the phone aside. Then she leaned forward, opened her mouth wide, and bit down on one of his cheeks. Eric groaned.

"You would make such a perfect vampire," he mumbled into the pillow. Sookie moved up his body, biting at his lower back and waist. The soft brush of her long hair against his skin and the exquisite pleasure of her bite was a combination he could never tire of. "Harder."

She nipped at his shoulder blades and shoulder, and then swept his hair aside to bite him hard at the back of his neck again. She rubbed her naked body against his back, rolling the very tips of her breasts in circles over his skin. Eric groaned louder, and reached his hands behind him to knead and grip her hips.

"I'd be terrible," Sookie whispered against his ear, her fingers raking through his hair. "Always moaning about how cold I was, and how pale I'd gotten."

"You could be the greatest vampire who ever lived," Eric said, running his palms up and down the backs of her thighs.

"Don't you mean ever died?"

"No," Eric said. "I mean lived. Am I not alive to you, lover? If I were not alive, could I do this?"

With the blink of an eye he had her on her back, and he was bracing himself on his arms, looming over her. Sookie smiled up at him, and ran her hands over his chest.

"No, I guess not."

"This?" he said mischievously, rubbing himself firmly up against her thigh. "Does this feel dead to you?"

"Definitely not," Sookie responded, sweeping her hands over his broad shoulders and around the back of his neck. "Although, actually, I have no idea how that happens at all. I mean, your blood doesn't flow the same as a human's. Your heart doesn't beat. How does all the blood pump-"

"It's magic," Eric interrupted. "Just accept it, and enjoy."

He slid his knee in between her legs, pushing outwards, parting her thighs. Then he began placing light kisses on her chest, over her breasts, and down her stomach, before his mouth delved lower. He looked up at her.

"Do the dead do this?"

Sookie closed her eyes, and her back arched as he pressed his lips against her sex, opened his mouth, and lapped his tongue through her soft folds. His lips fixed over her clit, and he flicked his tongue over, again and again. Sookie's whole body began to tense, and her heels pressed down into the mattress as she writhed on the bed.

"Do they?" he asked, pressing kisses to her inner thighs.

"I don't think so," she whimpered. "I'm pretty sure-" she broke off to moan as he licked her again. "I'm fairly sure that would be impossible."

"Mmm."

After a little more teasing, he pulled back and positioned himself, kneeling between her legs, pulling her hips closer to his. He took his cock in his hand and pressed the tip of it down against her opening, then slid upwards, over her clit. He worked her slowly, repeating the movement over and over. Just as the tension in her body was building again, he stopped.

"Can the dead do this, hmm?"

"No, Eric," Sookie groaned, losing patience with the game. "I get it, you're not really dead. Not until dawn, anyway," she smiled. "You can't do this then, can you?"

"I would have a good try," Eric said, lightly tapping the head over her hard and sensitive nub. Sookie writhed against the sheets again.

"Oh God, stop teasing me, will you? You're killing me here."

"Why would I ever want to stop teasing you, Sookie? It is my favorite pastime. You are so... teasable."

Sookie looked up at his smirking, cocky face, and decided that two could play that game.

"Teasable isn't even a word."

She sat up and reached forward, pulling him back onto the bed, and Eric allowed himself to be dragged down. He rolled onto his back, and she straddled him, sitting on his thighs.

"You know," she said, taking his cock in the palm of her hand. She pressed it to her belly and stroked her fingers against the heavy, hardening shaft. "You think you can always win these games."

"I can," Eric said smugly. "I do."

"You lost at Twister."

"I was disadvantaged," Eric said immediately. "I had to work the spinner. Your bare breasts were also distracting me. I accidentally hovered and was unfairly punished." These all sounded like quite reasonable explanations and Eric felt better about the fact he was able to come up with so many decent excuses.

"Whatever. I can take you on."

Sookie tightened her grip around him, as his firm length continued to expand at her touch. She gave him her most seductive eyes, pouting her lips. Eric rested an arm behind his head, and settled back into the pillow, never taking his gaze away from hers.

"Are you challenging me, my sweet one?"

"Yes," Sookie said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Let's see how long it takes for you to beg for it."

"Beg for it?" Eric repeated, his tone incredulous. "I think you have me confused with someone else. Perhaps that sad, weak excuse for a tiger. I am the Northman. I do not 'beg for it' as you so eloquently put it."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

This was the challenge he had been waiting for, Eric thought to himself. This was the kind of game he enjoyed most (although he also really liked ping pong, and Scrabble was still an old favorite that would surely never get boring, he enjoyed those Sudoku puzzles as well). Sookie was a very worthy challenger, and he knew she would give it everything to try and win.

Of course, she didn't stand a chance. But the fact that she was even attempting to make him beg her for sex said something about her character, her determination and spirit. Her playful and adventurous nature was one of her many redeeming features.

He would let her have her fun.

Sookie began to use her mouth, and Eric finally closed his eyes and groaned. He was not concerned about coming, though. He could hold off for hours (so long as she didn't feed from him, he would most definitely erupt if she did, and then it would probably be almost instantaneous and incredibly messy). If Sookie thought it would be a chore for him to lay back and let her tease him for however long, and then when she stopped he would beg for more, she was clearly misguided. She had no idea of the challenge which lay ahead of her.

"So how long do you predict it will take for you to have me begging for it?" Eric asked.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe fifteen minutes?" Sookie said, sitting up and using her hands again.

Eric actually laughed out loud.

"Fifteen minutes," he repeated, shaking his head. "I think I will enjoy this," he added, smugly.

He lay back casually, as Sookie continued to work him, and he watched her every move carefully. His hands began wandering, over her thighs and hips, and up to her breasts. She leaned back, bracing herself on his calves, giving him better access to her body. Her chest heaved as he cupped her breasts in his large hands, her breaths deepening. A perfect fit, he thought to himself as he squeezed a little, and circled her hard nipples with both his thumbs simultaneously.

Spectacular.

"Don't think you can beat me," Sookie breathed. "Or distract me. I'm winning this."

Eric smiled as one of his hands stroked up over her chest, his fingers spread, his touch light. He slid a hand beneath her hair, brushing it aside, and stroked her graceful neck with his whole palm, tracing her jaw with his thumb. His fingers brushed over her pulse, and he pressed against it. She was so warm, and so alive, he thought to himself, as he felt her heartbeat against his fingertip. Everything about her radiated with life and energy. Somehow he knew that would not change, even if she became vampire. Her pulse and physical warmth would be gone, but the life within, her inner glow, would remain. She would remain. Perhaps, one day, he could talk her around...

"What're you thinking about?" Sookie said, reading the serious expression on his face.

"Your eternal beauty, my love," Eric answered. "And your stubborn determination."

His hand circled her neck again, and he traced her soft, full lips with his thumb. She parted them, and he placed the tip of his thumb inside her mouth. She bit down, before running her tongue over and around it, then sucking it further in.

Eric smirked and let out a low moan.

"You are such a temptress."

She bit down again before releasing him from her mouth. She took his wrists in her hands and placed them on the pillow either side of his head.

"Keep your hands off now. I don't want to have to disqualify you."

"That was not in the rules," Eric said.

"It is now."

She smiled as she ran her palms over his chest and down his stomach. She played with the little happy trail of golden hair leading downward, weaving the tiny hairs through her fingers, tugging slightly. Eric made a deep growl of pleasure. She ran her hands back up his body, and then clawed her nails from his shoulders down to his stomach, leaving little pink trails which quickly faded. Eric's muscles shifted beneath her touch, his back arching slightly, his chest pushing up, his ass pressing down into the bed, as she stopped at his pelvic bone.

Eric groaned.

"I can take this for hours," he growled. "It would be a pleasure."

She smiled as she trailed her palms back up his body, softly soothing his skin, before dragging her nails back down once more, adding a little extra pressure this time.

"Mmm."

His moans got louder. She'd caught one of his nipples with her fingernail, and he was fighting a desperate need to grab hold of her and fuck her senseless. Still, he kept his arms above his head, allowing her to have control of him and his pleasure.

She bent down and placed her lips to his body, kissing him, before lapping at his skin with her tongue, soothing where she'd left marks.

"We must have gone fifteen minutes," Eric said. "Surely I have won by now."

"Nope," Sookie said, looking at the clock by the bed. "It's only been four."

She took one of his nipples between her lips and sucked hard. Eric let out a loud groan of approval, his hips pushing upwards.

"Think you can cope with more?" she asked.

"I always want more of you. Take your time."

Sookie sat up. She looked him in the eyes, her gaze sultry, but Eric knew she was regrouping, and reconsidering her plan of action. Sookie was a great master-planner, always thinking outside the box. He couldn't wait to see what she might come up with.

She slowly traced her hands over her own body, fingers ghosting over her skin. Eric watched every move intensely, unblinking. She brought a hand up to her breast and kneaded it in her palm. Eric bared his fangs and hissed at her, and that encouraged her further. She pinched at her nipple, pulling at the tight bud between her thumb and forefinger, before releasing it, letting out a tiny gasp as she did so. She moved her hips, grinding herself against him, as she repeated her action on the other side.

Eric squeezed the pillow behind his head, his fingers grasping it tightly.

"Sookie..." He made a move forwards, but Sookie bent down and gripped his wrists, holding them in place. He allowed her to do so, not fighting the slight pressure she put on him.

"No hands," she smiled. "Not yet."

He groaned, desperate for more contact.

"Let me use my mouth, then," he said raggedly. "Is that in the rules?"

Sookie pressed her forehead to his, still gripping his wrists. Then she kissed him lightly, pulling away when he searched for more, leaning upwards. She brushed her tongue across his lips, and he strained his neck, opening his mouth to her. Sookie kept him pinned, and moved her lips to his ear.

"No tongues," she whispered.

"You will send me to my final death, Sookie Stackhouse," he said, as her lips traveled down his neck. "Do you want that on your conscience?"

"I think you've survived worse," she said with a smile.

"I'm not sure," he responded, rolling his hips, rubbing himself against her. "Have mercy."

Sookie laughed and pulled back, bracing herself on her arms over him. She smiled down at his poor excuse for a pitiful puppy-dog face. She shifted her body, and her nipples brushed against his chest, making them both moan with pleasure. She repeated the move, over and over on his chest, and up and down his body. The silky soft weight of her breasts against his skin was almost enough for him, and he forced himself to grit his teeth and not give in. She was good, but he was better.

"Do you yield?" Sookie said teasingly.

"Never. Not until fifteen minutes have passed anyway. Then you will be sorry. I will have no mercy on you."

"Oh really," Sookie said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. So do not expect me to beg you."

"You're very self-controlled," she smiled, sitting up on him.

"You're incredible," he said. "But I have not survived this long without learning to control myself in the most difficult and testing of situations."

Sookie sat up on her knees. She looked down at him, locks of hair falling over her face. She ran her fingers in between her breasts and down her stomach, before reaching lower, stroking gently between her legs.

Eric swallowed hard as he inhaled in her delicious scent. He ran his tongue over a fang, and writhed beneath her. He suddenly felt an incredible urge to bite her, his hunger building dangerously. His eyes skimmed all his favorite biting places, settling on her inner thigh.

Sookie closed her eyes and leaned her head back as her middle finger pressed against her most sensitive spot. As she moaned, she seemed to remember what he always desired most, and opened her eyes, looking into his as she carried on stroking herself.

"Stop," Eric groaned.

"Why?"

"Let me touch you. Let me bite you."

He went to move his hands, and again, Sookie pinned them down. Eric growled and bared his fangs in a way that would have put the fear of God into even his most valiant of foes. Not Sookie.

"No biting, either," she said calmly.

Inside, Eric cursed her in every language he knew.

She shifted her body higher, and lowered a breast to his mouth. Eric immediately found her nipple, pulling it into his mouth, suckling forcefully. Sookie cried out from the sensation, as Eric moaned against her breast. She could feel the sting of his fangs pressing against her skin, but he didn't sink them in or draw blood, no matter how desperate he might be to do so. Instead, he just sucked on her, bringing her hard nipple to an even tighter peak, before letting go. She pulled back, and they looked at each other, eyes wide with arousal and excitement.

"Tell me you want it," Sookie said.

"I do," Eric growled. "So do you."

"Beg me."

Eric gritted his teeth.

"No. You beg me."

She rolled her tongue around his nipple, before nipping lightly with her teeth. She looked up at him with seductive eyes, before repeating her move on the other nipple, but biting harder this time.

Damn, Eric thought. Nipple nibbling was his Achilles sex heel. His cock was throbbing, almost painfully, his balls tight to the point that he wondered if they might explode at any moment. His blood-thirst was also becoming unbearable.

He closed his eyes and tried to think unsexy thoughts. He imagined Felipe de Castro doing an erotic dance in nothing but his theatrical black cape. When, surprisingly, that didn't work, he thought about Compton cleaning his beloved red Corvette, wearing daisy dukes and high heels. Bill pressed himself against the hood, rubbing his slippery body against the car, as he shampooed the windscreen.

Bingo.

Then Eric accidentally opened his eyes to see Sookie running her hand down the side of his body, reaching down, her fingers circling him. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him, biting her bottom lip, before sucking and biting at his nipple again.

Eric screwed his eyes up as tight as he could. This time, the image he had was of Sookie shampooing his 'Vette topless in the daisy dukes and heels. He tried desperately to resume the awful Compton fantasy, but it just wouldn't come. He fumbled in his mind to replace her with someone, anyone else, and suddenly Niall was bending over to buff his chrome trims.

The fairy prince had surprisingly hairy bottom cheeks.

Sookie hip-bumped her great-grandfather out of the way and resumed her excellent, hot valet work. A trail of suds made its way down her cleavage, over her stomach, inside her unbuttoned, tight denim shorts.

No. Think Niall, think Niall.

Sensing what he was up to, Sookie stopped with the nipple biting, grabbed him by the neck, and sat up, pulling him with her. She kissed him, over and over, her hands buried in his hair, massaging and pulling at it. He pressed her close to his body, and ran his palms across her back, stroking at her warm skin.

Then, with a swift movement, Sookie pulled his head down to the side, and exposed his neck. She licked up the length of it, from his shoulder to his ear, where she paused to lightly blow, and stroked the tip of her nose over it.

"Do you want it?" she whispered.

Eric closed his eyes and groaned. He bared his fangs, running a tongue over one of the shiny, sharp points. Yes, he wanted it. He wanted her to bite him hard, to feel her draw blood from him, taking his essence into herself, the two of them becoming one. He wanted to sink his fangs into her soft, warm skin, to pull deeply, feel her sweet blood running down his throat. He wanted to be inside her, in every way he could. He wanted to forget where he stopped and she began. He wanted to drown in her. And she knew it.

"No," he managed to say with some effort.

She nipped at his skin without drawing blood, and licked him again.

"You sure?" she asked. She lifted up, her knees on his thighs, and positioned herself over him. With one hand she tugged at his hair, keeping his neck angled; with the other hand she guided the head of his cock to her entrance. "One word, and it's all yours. Everything."

Eric tried to summon up every bit of strength he had left. Sookie rolled the tip of him through her warm, wet folds. One push upwards and he would be filling her. She would be biting him. The pleasure would be immeasurable.

"Sookie..."

She suddenly pulled back, and his skin immediately cooled as her warmth left him. He grabbed for her waist and pulled her back to him.

"Beg," she said.

"Please," he whispered softly. The time would surely be up already.

"Please what?" Sookie said, sneaking a glance at the clock. She looked back at Eric, and he had pressed his lips together tightly, trying to use every last ounce of strength and determination he had. "You've got one more minute, Viking. If you don't beg me now, I'm getting out of this bed, getting dressed, and driving back to Bon Temps."

It was too much to bear. He had to have her. Eric caved.

"Please, Sookie, vision of love and beauty, fuck me and bite me and rub yourself all over me. I beg you."

Sookie smiled victoriously.

"Certainly."

She guided the head of his cock in between her legs, and eased herself down. Then she tugged at his hair, angling his neck once again, and sank her teeth into his skin. Eric cried out, the noise animalistic and guttural, and he pushed up further into her as she drew deep swallows of his blood into her mouth.

Eric came with a roar, and as soon as Sookie pulled away from his neck he sank his fangs into hers. She continued to move her hips, gripping onto the back of his head and shoulder for leverage. Eric stroked his hand over her thigh and hip, and his thumb found her clit. He felt her body jerk and quiver as she moaned against his neck, before she tensed, and the intense pleasure of the orgasm took her over. He withdrew his fangs and lapped at the puncture marks slowly, as she relaxed against him.

After a few silent moments, he pulled back to kiss her, slowly and lovingly.

"I think we're both winners," Sookie said, smiling.

"I agree."

After some more kissing, and a bathroom break for Sookie, they lay together beneath the covers, stroking each other tenderly.

"Eric," Sookie said.

"Hmm?"

"I can't believe you had sex with so many people. You're such a slut."

"I'm not a slut," Eric said. "I'm just very experienced."

"You know, you once told me I was the best you ever had."

"Well, I was amnesiac then. I had no idea what I was talking about most of the time."

Sookie whacked him in the chest.

"Pig!"

"I'm only joking, my lover. Of course you are the best I ever had."

"You can't really mean that." Sookie kicked herself as soon as the words had left her mouth. She usually kept quiet when questioning his sex compliments. "That's not possible."

"Why not?" Eric said. "I think you just proved earlier that you have some serious skills when it comes to seducing and pleasuring me. I thought my orgasm was going to last well into the New Year."

Sookie giggled.

"Maybe you just forgot most of the other ones."

"Undoubtedly I forgot many of them, but there is a reason why I forgot them. Others I remember for good reason, and yet still they do not come close to you."

"But I'm not that special," Sookie said, propping herself up on an elbow. "I mean, my experience is pretty limited. In comparison to yours, it's non-existent."

"You are a quick learner," Eric said, smiling. "You are attentive, sensual, adventurous, and have a wild streak which makes you fearless and confident. You find joy in giving pleasure, as well as having a voracious sexual appetite. Do I need to continue?"

Sookie blushed.

"No."

"It is more than the wonderful physical aspect, of course. The love and trust we share intensifies everything. You love me for all that I am, as I do you. I respect you as an equal, and I cannot say that of many. I have never cared about anyone else more than myself before. I have never felt such a connection."

Sookie sighed, as Eric traced circles on her bare back with his fingertips.

"I know what you mean."

"So yes, you are undoubtedly the greatest lover I have ever had, and ever will have. You are the love of my long life. The one I have waited for and never believed would exist. So thank you, Sookie," he whispered. "You gave me the greatest gift I could ever wish for."

As Sookie kissed him, she finally gave up that last piece of herself to her vampire lover, that small piece she had been saving for herself, in case something went terribly wrong, in case he had rejected her, or somehow betrayed her. She had expected such a moment to feel terrifying, but instead she felt peaceful and relaxed, like a weight had been lifted. She felt totally consumed by their love.

It had been a perfect Christmas, and she hoped there would be many, many more to come.

A whole eternity of them.