"Are you all right, lover?" Eric asked softly, facing the fire, watching the dancing light with apparently avid interest. He suddenly found himself afraid that he had misunderstood what had just happened between them, that perhaps she had not enjoyed herself as much as he had. It had been several minutes and she still lay quietly on her back. She was normally such a chatterbox, and this silence disturbed him. But fuck it if he was going to show how worried he was.
"Umm," her voice cracked and she swallowed hard. She shakily reached a hand to her face. Her whole body was still trembling. She couldn't seem to get her bearings. She had planned to be up and out of this dark room as soon as it was over, but she couldn't seem to move. Her body still would not obey her mind and recover. She tried to place a hand on the floor so she could turn over and sit up but the hand twitched unnervingly and the floor didn't seem to be steady either.
"I'm not sure," she admitted reluctantly. She pushed herself up to sitting and winced at the pain she felt in her privates as she closed her legs.
Eric laughed heartily, "Humans are being told they should have sex with a vampire at least once in their lifetime. They are not advised on how old that vampire should be."
"You mean…" Sookie said, slowly re-dressing herself.
"That older vampires are harder, faster, the pulls of their blood and soul are stronger, and then of course there are the added centuries of experience."
"So it's not…I shouldn't feel bad that…" She blushed.
He chuckled again, "You should be very ashamed of yourself for succumbing to temptation. But the enjoyment, I'm gathering that you found the experience to be satisfactory, is rather inevitable."
She grimaced and began examining her body carefully before standing.
"I have not marked you. Compton will be none the wiser."
She nodded, and suddenly felt a rush of shame at what she had done. What she had initiated. What she had felt, and what she now wished she had never known was possible.
"Sookie," he whispered, standing up beside her.
She had thought that no one could say her name like Bill could, and it was true, but now with her name she felt a call to his body and blood that was entirely new and foreign. And she did not like it, but could not resist it either.
He pressed his lips to hers, to seal the deal she imagined. His lips were closed and respectful, brushing against hers until she grabbed his face and mashed her mouth against his. If this was the last time she would kiss him, and it would be, of that she was certain, she was going to commit it to memory. She is attacking me, he thought with pleasure. Just as abruptly as she responded to his kiss she pushed away and ran for the door.
He shook his head ruefully. She played these games so well, no better than a mouse in a maze. Except that she had found the cheese much sooner than he anticipated, or could ever have hoped for. He sent up a silent thank you to Godric, for in his departure, sending him a new lover. No one could make him forget one thousand years of Godric, but if anyone had a chance, it was Sookie Stackhouse. Eric lay down on his bed, still naked, and allowed death to take him.
