The days before Christmas were rapidly running out and Sookie was busy with work and helping Adele with Christmas preparations and with seeing Bill. Since meeting they had seen each other every single night. It was as though they each had found a friend and confidant that filled the lonely gap in their lives. They filled each others empty spaces, gave each other something to look forward to and above all else, they felt a comfort and a connection that neither had ever had.
They were inseparable.
To say that they were both very attracted to each other would be an understatement and yet they had not even kissed, neither of them had the courage to take that first step but both of them felt the pull of the other's charms. Bill was having a hard time keeping his feelings in check. His fangs ached constantly and he even dreamt of her when he went to ground.
Sookie found her thoughts always turning to Bill and that was a blessing. She was so distracted thinking about him that her shifts at work just flew by and she didn't even notice the many thoughts buzzing around from the patrons that were all curious about this beau of hers. Even Sam was full of questions about Bill, who she had reluctantly introduced to her boss on the third night that he had come by to pick her up.
Although she could not read Sam as clearly as most others, she had been getting his signals coming through loud and clear and she had been a little perturbed by what she had been reading. She knew that he wanted to know what was going on, who Bill was and what he was all about but there was something else going on in his head. Why, she thought to herself on the third night, it was almost as though Sam was jealous. She smiled a little to herself at that thought. Why hadn't she seen it before, Sam liked her. Well if it didn't rain it poured, she was thinking of Adele's saying as she recognised the tell tale signs she had never really picked up on. She shrugged it off though; she was a one woman man.
She stopped dead in her tracks at that thought. Was that how she really felt? Did she consider Bill to be her man? She had a lot to think about on her shift that night. She had only just met Bill and yet she somehow felt in her heart that he was meant to be in her life, there was a connection that was there for a purpose. She felt like she had known him for years and when she wasn't with him he was all that she could think about.
At night after they had been out, she lay awake thinking of him and of his comforting presence then her thoughts would turn to his blue eyes, his soft smile, his silky voice and her thoughts would then turn to wondering what it would be like to make love to him. Hell, she didn't even know what it was like to have sex with anyone but she some how knew that making love with Bill would be so very special and she wanted to, she wanted to badly. Somehow, it just seemed like he was the one, she was meant to give herself to him, it was meant to be.
On the dates that they had had, they had been to the movies on one night that she had off, they had been shopping for last minute presents over at the mall in Munroe where they had first met one another and they had gone back to the lake and sat and talked. They did all the things that any regular couple would do when first getting to know each other, even though they both felt that they had known each other for years.
Bill had even spent an evening at Sookie's, delighting Adele with his memories of his war experiences, tempering the horrors of it all with stories of day to day life in camps and the boring routines that even today most military personal will tell you about in detail. He went further back too, reminiscing about pre war Bontemps, his childhood and, with much sentiment, he recounted the first time that he had been to New Orleans when his Father had taken him on a business trip, discussing how much it had changed in some aspects but glad that the French quarter was still pretty much intact.
Adele had bid him good night with eyes shining at his first hand account of life back in those days and went off to bed to leave the young couple happily ensconced on the sofa watching Gone With the Wind, one of Bill's favourite movies he told them both.
The night before Christmas Eve they had been over to Shreveport to look at the Christmas lights and were coming back home when Bill suddenly pulled over into a clearing and parked the car. 'What is it?' Sookie questioned, 'Is there something the matter?' He looked at her and opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. A sudden ripple of insecurity filled her and the thought hit her that while all this time she had been setting her hopes on Bill's affections maybe he didn't reciprocate and had been too nice to tell her. After all, he hadn't even attempted to kiss her at all and although he held her hand when they were out, maybe he just wasn't interested.
'Sookie I…' he started to say but she interrupted before he could go any further and she just couldn't help herself when she blurted out 'Bill don't you want me?' Moving quicker than she could see, he had her seat belt off and was next to her as he nuzzled her neck then, his mouth searched for hers, his lips brushing hers timidly at first then, when she responded, his tongue parted her lips to tease her invitingly.
She had never been kissed like that before and she tingled from head to toe.
Taking her hand in his, he moved it slowly fearing rejection before placing it against him self to show her just how very much he really did want her. She shivered at the feel of him. Waves of desire rippled through them both as she moved her hand gently along his length.
Abruptly he broke off, turning his head away from hers so she couldn't see his fangs ashamed that she might see him like this. 'I can smell sunlight on your skin' he whispered softly, just as he had said to her on their first meeting. He could not hide or control his fangs any longer, his need for her getting the better of him. She drew in her breath at the first sight she had of them. If he had thought that she would be horrified he had been mistaken because she gently stroked his face and turned his head to look at her before kissing him again, boldly running the tip of her tongue delicately along them. Bill groaned at the touch and pulled her closer to him.
He trailed his hand from where it had been resting around her neck to lightly skim across her collar bones and down underneath the fabric of her top. Her soft skin felt velvety and hot to the touch of his cool fingers. Gently, almost with a timidity that was alien to his kind, he slipped his fingers beneath the lace of her bra and cupped her breast.
Sookie felt a thrill go through her to the very tip of her head, she tingled all over again. The effect was not lost on Bill and he groaned quietly before breaking away once more, rasping 'I had better get you home, you are working the day shift and if we keep up like this Sookie, I will have you whether you want to be had or not.' Another wave shot through her at his words, bathing her in desire. She couldn't speak, so she simply nodded her head and looked at him longingly, a little frightened by the depth of her feelings for him.
She had grabbed a lift to work with Arlene so that meant that Bill could take her straight home, walking her to the door when they arrived. 'Good night Sookie.' Bill stood on her porch looking down at her. 'Good night Bill' she whispered softly. Neither moved but stood gazing at each other, a look saying a thousand words, neither wanting to break the moment. 'Well good night then' she said again reluctantly, but still he did not make a move until stepping forward, he took her in his arms and kissed her a long, lingering sweet kiss of promise.
'Sookie it is Christmas Eve tomorrow' he whispered into her ear as he held her, 'would you do me the honour of spending it with me at my home?' She had never been over to his house, he had never invited her and she had wondered about that but he had told her that there was so much needed to be done and the place was such a mess that she didn't think anything of his lack of invitation, perhaps once he had finished working on the place, with the help of some tradesmen she had been kind enough to organise for him, then perhaps he would have her over.
She looked up into his eyes glowing in the soft porch light. 'Bill l would love to spend it with you.'
They lingered a little longer before finally parting but not before last looks of desire between the two of them.
Sookie went to bed that night and knew that if she could have just one Christmas wish in her whole life it would be to have Bill, she had never wanted anything more in all her life and she knew with all her heart that she was going to try to make it a wish that came true.
To Be Continued . . .