Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Southern Vampire Novels. Sookie Stackhouse and the universe she kicks ass in were created by Charlaine Harris and consequently belong to her. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Note: The threatening letter looks more impressive in the appropriate font but ffnet doesn't allow me to get creative. Anyway, I rated this story M for a reason and I hope you'll enjoy Eric's proposal being followed through to a T.


Distracted

"Let's focus on the first part. That's why I'm here, after all," I said and swallowed down an ocean of lust.

Eric shrugged. "Work before pleasure. I'm fine with that." He flashed me another toothy grin and I shivered. Yes, that's really helping. He went over to his desk and unlocked one of the bottom drawers, pulling out a bundle of papers, which he handed me carelessly. "We already checked everything there was to check," he stated.

I took them and scrutinized them curiously. Surprisingly, they all looked different. Some were mere notes written on a computer, others looked like your typical threatening letter – cut-out letters of different sizes and fonts. One appeared to be typewritten. Some were proper letters and folded twice, a few others were hardly more than memos. What surprised me was that there were so many of them. I started counting.

"Nineteen," said Eric. I nodded. The letters all said about the same thing though:

ShuT down FangtAsia lesT it bE bUrnt to thE groUnd

YOu weRe waRned FANgs

"Fangs isn't a term the Fellowship would use. They'd go for something more colorful," I mused.

Eric nodded. "They're at the bottom of my list of suspects."

"So who else could it be? A disgruntled fang banger?"

He snorted. "I can't think of any of them foolish enough to do that. They know what we can do to them, what powers we have."

"Glamour," I said, looking through the letters again.

"Amongst other things," Eric said coldly. Okay, I wasn't going to ask about specifics.

"Eric, you gotta help me here. Who is at the top of your list?"

Eric walked around his desk and leaned against it, stretching his long legs in front of him. I got the feeling that whatever he was going to tell me wasn't something I wanted to get involved in.

"I don't have any proof but this smells like the handiwork of one of us. Maybe someone of the new regime coveting my area? It didn't go down too well that Felipe de Castro kept me as sheriff of Area Five."

"Jeesh, like a snake pit," I said before I could stop myself.

Eric smiled. "Not unlike human politics." He had a point but I didn't want to dabble in that, either.

"Why am I here then? I can't read vampires' minds."

Eric frowned. "I don't think that this is a one-man operation. If one of Felipe's court is going after me, they will know what is at stake. Fangtasia is the main source of my income. Fangtasia is where those who have sworn fealty to me gather. Whoever is doing this, they are organized and they are trying to make me lose sight of the big picture. These last attacks were meant to make us panic, to make us feel helpless. But this is the heart of my domain and attacking me here isn't without risks. Having a human do the dirty work would be easier than sneaking in. That's why I allowed Pam to go along with her plan and contact you."

I went over to him and mimicked his position against the desk, not wanting to look at him for what I was about to say now.

"If a human in this bar is involved I will find him but my rule about not harming humans is still in place. You've got your courts, we've got ours." I remembered the cases I had witnessed in Rhodes and, believe me, human courts were definitely preferable.

"Sookie, this time I can't make any promises. This isn't a trivial matter. If I cannot control my area, Felipe will learn about it and he won't be lenient a second time." The thought of Eric dying clenched my heart like a fist. I turned my head and looked up at him then. I felt his anger and frustration as if they were mine. Eric hated to fight an enemy he couldn't see and on top of that being an unmoving target. These threats were really getting to him. His mouth was a thin line and he looked even paler than usual. Strangely enough, I didn't have the usual reaction, which would be healthy, human fear in the eye of a pissed-off predator. Instead, I wanted to comfort him. Yes, I was that far gone.

"Let's put it this way," I said slowly, mentally kicking myself for what I was about to suggest. "This one time, I don't want to know. Don't even think of having the human staff watch whatever you come up with. I don't want to look away, Eric, and I hate compromising my principles."

His face relaxed and he tilted his head. "Would you have said the same if we weren't blood-bound?"

Ugh, why couldn't he just let it go? "Are you complaining?" I asked, a teensy bit testy.

He gave me a very Eric grin. "Not at all, lover."

"Give me a break." I pushed myself to my feet and walked over to the couch.

"No, not while I have you here where you can't just rescind my invitation. Sookie, will you tell me why you're afraid of me?"

I sighed and sat down on the same couch I had been lying on after the Maenad had poisoned me. Of course, he had to bring that up again. Eric was nothing if not single-minded.

"Eric," I started and found that I was unable to continue. What exactly was my problem? That he was a vampire and over a thousand years old on top of that? That I knew close to nothing about the man he had been when he was alive? That he was the sheriff of Area Five and being around him was only a little dangerous at best, and life-threatening most of the time?

"We're more alike than you think, my lover. There is something about you that connected us even before I had your blood. I wouldn't recommend trusting my kind in general but have I ever let you down?" Well, putting it this way was just unfair! Things weren't that easy.

Agitated, I was on my feet again because it felt better to fight when I was eye to eye with him. And since he wasn't on his feet, I was able to do just that. "You used me more than once," I accused him right to his face.

"So did you," he quipped, unmoved. Well, yeah, but…

"Point taken. But I didn't exactly choose all this. I'm not the…the political animal who just barely survived a hostile takeover."

His face darkened and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sookie, we both know that these are excuses. You cannot hide behind them forever."

My temper flared up. "All righty. If you know me so well, why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I don't like that you keep running away from me. You've said that you love me. You're mine now."

Caveman mentality? Check. Ugh, vampires. But you had to give it to him, he was nothing if not blunt. "Eric, I'm my own woman and I need some time to get used to this." I gestured to him and me. "This trust thing doesn't come easy, not after Bill." He looked at me for a long time through slits of blue. I was so close to squirming under his gaze but I stood my ground and barely blinked.

"Sometimes you puzzle me," he said softly, surprising me once again. "You don't date humans because you can read their minds but you don't trust me because you can't."

"Because you're not contradictory at all, Mr. I-hate-feelings," I retorted. "And, well, I'm willing to try." I could only think of one way to distract and effectively silence him before either of us said something we were going to regret. I crossed the distance between us and kissed him. Not a fair move, I know, but these soul-stripping conversations between Eric and me usually don't end well. They also make me uncomfortable. And, bizarre as this may be, I was not used to feeling uncomfortable around Eric. On my guard, yes, but not uneasy.

He hesitated for a split second and then he put his back into the kiss, placing his strong hands on my hips and pulling me closer. I may have sighed happily. What? I had missed him.

As promised, he set about undressing me and he took his sweet time doing it. Eric's hands were everywhere and lit my body up like a match. They slid under my dress, then moved over my thighs, they caressed my back while undoing the zipper. His lips were glued to mine and his tongue was doing this thing that never failed to turn my brain into a warm and hazy mess. He only pulled away to watch the dress glide slowly to the floor, revealing my new underwear.

Dressing up for Eric was always gratifying. He didn't disappoint this time, either, and eyed my pale pink lingerie appreciatively. He licked his lips. It was obvious what he was thinking. You can always tell with Eric, especially when he's in touching distance. I'm nothing if not helpful and gladly assisted him in getting out of his tight jeans. His shirt joined the pair of jeans on the floor seconds later but I was almost too distracted to notice.

Because Eric didn't wear anything underneath. Guh.

"I have wished to do this many times," Eric said, lifting me up and placing me on his desk. He was so tall that I still had to look up to kiss him. He palmed my breasts through the bra and sucked on a particularly sensitive spot on my neck. I let my hands explore the smooth skin on his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving underneath. His deft fingers had unfastened my bra and the air felt cool against the newly exposed skin. Instinctively, I leaned back, propping myself on one arm. Something fell off the desk with a dull thud but neither of us cared.

"No need to imagine anymore," I gasped as his lips closed around my left nipple. I felt him groan around it, as he pressed hard and ready into my thigh. Oh God. My right hand sneaked between us and I felt him tense as my fingers curled around his length. I had always been a quick learner and Eric wasn't exactly secretive about his preferences. I stroked him slowly and squeezed a little when I reached the head. He let go of my breast and bucked into my hand.

"Sookie," he growled and attacked my mouth with new vigor. I nearly lost my balance but I was past caring whether Eric had some sharp-edged office supplies on his desk I might slump into. His right hand slid down my chest, glided over my belly down to my hip and, after kneading and caressing my thigh on his journey south, finally reached my knee. He somehow managed to have me panting at this point. Eric broke the kiss and gave me a dirty grin that made me shiver, before crouching down in front of me and hitching my leg over his shoulder in the process. Also, my panties were gone. Now that was impressive.

He kissed the sensitive skin just below my hipbones, grazing it lightly with his fangs. Soft lips and sharp teeth - the contradictions felt amazing. And then his tongue swept over my oh and…ooooh.

It took me a few seconds to recover. When I had fought may way back to reality through a swamp of bliss, he looked at me with such hunger and lust that I nearly lost it again. Eric moves lithely for someone his height and build, and he was on top of me before I could say 'In me now, you big, handsome Viking.' I groped him eagerly and tried to get him as close as possible; I was so ready. When he kissed me, I could taste myself on his lips, and my eyes fluttered shut as he pressed into me.

"Look at me, Sookie," he said hoarsely and I complied. For a moment, we just stared at each other, our faces only a few inches apart. His eyes were so, so blue. My breathing was loud and labored compared to the silence that was coming from him. And then his hand was on my collarbone and pushed me back gently. I cried out as his teeth penetrated the skin of my left breast just above the nipple, right when he thrust back in and filled me with that wonderful thickness till I thought I would burst. I pulled my legs up and crossed them behind him, digging my heels into his world-class butt, as he moved in and out slowly but powerfully. His desire washed over me in waves and I was sure that he felt mine, too. Whenever we were this close now, there was this strange power building between us, connecting us, something that went beyond movement and friction. Eric sucked hard and I gasped at a particularly deep thrust. My body felt like liquid energy, even my toes were tingling.

"Eric, please," I panted. Good thing he knew me so well, since I couldn't manage a more coherent thought. He released my breast, the feeling both painful and erotic, and steadied himself on the desk with one hand. The other seized my right leg and lifted it a little higher, so that he could reach even deeper. It felt like he was part of me. The desk creaked in protest under his pounding thrusts but it could break down under me for all I cared. I rode a blinding wave of excitement that was threatening to crash around me any second. I came first, his name on my lips. He moved a few more times, slower and deliberately, and then convulsed inside me, groaning loudly.

My heavy breathing was the only sound that filled his office for quite a few minutes. I was so blissed out that it took me a long moment to notice the stapler poking into my back. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Three more impatient ones followed.

"What?" growled Eric and disentangled himself from me reluctantly. I wasn't too sorry that snuggling time was cut short, since a desk isn't the most comfortable place to begin with. After I had skidded down and came to stand on my rather wobbly legs, I found that I had ink on my palm and wrist. Just lovely. Eric's desk looked as if it had gone through an earthquake and was the sole and lucky survivor. Oops.

"It's me," Pam's voice sounded through the door. At least she had good timing.

Eric dressed quickly and I tried to do the same, though it took me a few seconds to find my bra. With a smile that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame, he turned to me and helped me with the zipper of my dress. Eric spun me around and gave me a lingering peck on the cheek before getting back to business.

In two strides he crossed the room, yanked the door open and glowered down at Pam, whose innocent face told me that she knew exactly what had been going on only minutes ago. She walked past him without a glance but a twitch of her mouth gave her away as she took in the state of Eric's desk.

"While you were busy briefing Sookie," she said with the most audible smirk in history, "we found something of interest."

"Explain, Pam," Eric demanded.

"Felicia nearly stumbled upon the blackmailer when she went into the storage room. She heard a noise and went to investigate. Felicia isn't bright but she's quick on her feet. Unfortunately, she didn't see anyone but she found this." Triumphantly, Pam presented something to Eric on her outstretched hand. I stepped closer and saw that it was a beer coaster. Eric bent down to sniff on it before scrutinizing it from every angle.

"No fingerprints?" I asked.

"Not even a fragment," Pam said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"But now we know that we're dealing with a human," Eric said darkly. And, I added silently, if Eric and I hadn't been, erm, distracted in his office, I might have heard something important and the evildoer could have been caught already. Not a good start. I had a hard time regretting our alone-time though.

"Pam, get Felicia in here right now. Sookie, I'll see you in a bit." Class dismissed. I opened my mouth but Pam caught my eye before I could tell him where that tone got him with me. She shook her head. I was more than a little miffed and walked out of the room without a second glance.

"So," Pam started, after she had closed the door to Eric's office. "Is the air between you clear again?"

"Never been clearer," I muttered, not in the mood for her teasing. Pam went to get Felicia and I headed straight for the lady's room to check my outfit. I shouldn't have worried, since Eric – in busy-busy mood or not – wouldn't have ordered me to leave if my breasts were hanging out of my dress. I looked a little flustered but fine otherwise. And since I ached in all the right ways and felt wonderfully relaxed, I didn't find it in me to stay grouchy. I felt a sore where Eric had bitten me but I knew that it was healing already. Eric always made sure to coat the puncture wounds with his coagulant saliva and he usually bit where nobody could see. That didn't change the fact that he drank my blood and that I sort of enjoyed it.

The door flew open and three fang bangers came in talking excitedly. Dutifully, I listened in more than one way. They were from out of town – San Antonio, Texas to be precise – and Fangtasia was their wildest dream come true. The tall blonde girl, who was so pale that you could see the veins through her skin, was using a fake ID. She'd paid two hundred dollars to make it look good enough to fool vampires. I blushed furiously at the thoughts of the curly redhead, since they involved shackles and lots of Eric. A rather mean part of me noted that her imagination couldn't live up to the real deal. And then there was the shy looking girl with dirty blonde hair, the third wheel. She had a heart-shaped face and beautiful green eyes. I was rather shocked when I discovered that her dearest wish was to die here in Shreveport, preferably at the fangs of a vampire. I shuddered at the emptiness inside her. The worst part about being telepathic is to know things no one is supposed to know. Thoughts are private and they're not deeds. Maybe 22-year-old Trisha from Austin planned on following through or maybe it was just her mind running amok. There wasn't a helluva lot I could do about it. At least she would have a hard time finding a vampire like that at Fangtasia. As far as I knew, Eric was a good and fair sheriff, but he didn't have a soft spot for anyone who endangered his business.

When I re-entered the main area I noticed right away that Felicia was absent. It would have been hard to miss since Clancy had to fill in for her and he wasn't pleased. Despite the metaphorical dark clouds looming over Fangtasia, the bar was even more stuffed than when I had arrived. No booths were free, just my luck. They played After Dark when I settled on a stool at the bar.

"Sookie." Clancy greeted me with a nod. I ordered a gin tonic and pretty much gulped it down in one go. Sex with Eric had been draining, har de dar. It was nearly midnight by then and I spent the next two hours doing my job. Clancy ignored me for the most part but that was just as well. I wouldn't be paid for chatting. Unfortunately, it was business as usual for the customers and nearly all of them were thinking of sex, blood and sex. It's like frantically switching TV channels and all you get is bad porn. As the night wore on, Fangtasia became less crowded but the thoughts of the humans around me got more desperate. The tourists were all gone by now and only the usual clientele was left. Most of them were ready to do anything if it got them into a vampire's bed.

Eric's presence washing over me, warmth and irrational happiness and all, had never been more welcome. He walked over to me and I couldn't help noticing how good a simple shirt looked on him and how nice his blue jeans fit. Well, I knew for a fact that they weren't hindered by any underwear.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Eric, grinning, when he was close enough for me to hear him. Of course he would have caught my mood. He snuck an arm around my waist and led me over to his usual table in the middle of the bar. Nobody dared occupy this table uninvited.

"Oh, cut it out," I said, smiling.

"I take it you haven't made any new friends while I was busy?" Eric said in the same tone but I heard the real question as clearly as if he had actually asked it.

"No, but I would if you didn't take up all my time," I replied.

"It is hard to stay away from you when you look as beautiful as this, my lover," Eric countered with only the hint of a leer. Mental note: dress in something less revealing tomorrow night or the boss will jump you.

"You look tired," Eric remarked after a while.

I shrugged. "I didn't sleep through the day."

"Then I'll take you to your car." He got up in one smooth movement and held out his hand. Okay, end of shift Eric style. Quite a few jealous eyes followed us as we made our way outside.

My car was parked around the corner and we were out of sight of the bar when I asked, "Will you tell me what Felicia said or is that classified information?"

Eric stared at me for a long moment. "I'm not used to explaining myself."

"Well, gosh. How inconvenient."

"I didn't send you out because you don't matter, I sent you out because you do. If you were nothing more than dinner, your presence wouldn't register, but Felicia has her pride like everyone else. I don't humiliate my staff in front of others if I can help it," he said evenly but I could feel that he was annoyed. I, on the other hand, was ashamed that I had jumped to conclusions. Of course, if Eric had a little heart-to-heart with Felicia, she wouldn't be thrilled if his mortal girlfriend, the local psychic, was present. Sam didn't tell us off in front of the customers, either, he called us into his office.

"I'm sorry, baby. I guess, I'm just tired and…" I didn't finish. One blond eyebrow raised, Eric looked down at me, amusement winning over annoyance. I went over my last sentence and realized that I had never used terms of endearment with the real and in-full-possession-of-his-memory Eric before. Um…

In line with his 'actions speak louder than words' policy, Eric bent down and kissed me long and thoroughly. The smell of his aftershave hardly registered because kissing Eric was becoming more and more of a habit.

"I'd like to see you at Fangtasia more often," Eric said smoothly when we broke apart. "Especially if no one is threatening to torch it."

"I work in a bar, Eric. I'm not keen on spending my free time in another one," I replied and turned to unlock my car. Before I had the chance to get in, he blocked the door with his huge hand. I looked up.

"I hope there are more incentives than free drinks." Oh my, he was deliberately smoldering down at me.

"Possibly." I smiled, ducked under his arm and got into my car before I could give in to the urge to kiss him some more.


I hope you liked it. Reviews get Eric's special treatment!