Standard disclaimers apply. 'Nuff said.
Summer Is Coming
"WILLIAM THOMAS COMPTON! HOW COULD YOU?" Sookie screamed at Bill just before she threw a roundhouse punch, fully intending to connect with his face for real.
He easily dodged her fist and picked her up, gently cradled her in his arms. This wasn't easy at the moment because she was fighting to break loose, while filled with rage, fright and a serious desire to find out what parts of him she could cut off to discover if they'd grow again. "Sweetheart," Bill pleaded in his softest voice, "I never meant to scare you, I thought you knew it was me!"
"Put. Me. Down."
Bill looked into her soft brown eyes, but they were dark and flinty and he could feel her anger rolling over him in waves, it was hard not for him to react to it. He very carefully and very slowly set her on her feet. Her shirt had ridden up during the tussle and he reached to straighten it, but the look in her eyes stopped him cold. She yanked it down herself, turned and walked up the steps and into the house.
Bill decided it would probably be for the best if he gave her a little time to calm down. He was disappointed with himself, he should have known better than to try and surprise her, it hadn't been the best of ideas in hindsight. At the same time though, he knew she just needed to calm down some, so he took a seat in one of the rockers on the porch and listened to Sookie moving about inside the house. He cringed a little when he heard her brush her teeth, she was upset and he could hear how hard she was scrubbing the brush back and forth across her teeth and gums. Not good.
As Bill sat and listened to the night, Sookie was in the guest room bathroom washing her face and wasn't sure what she was more angry about… that Bill had scared her half to death or that she hadn't figured it out before she panicked and ran. She also had to admit something even scarier… her first thought had been Eric. She knew it couldn't be because Pam would know if he was near, but Eric had never had a problem convincing others to do his dirty work.
The last of her anger drained away as she sat on the edge of the tub to think a minute. Terror. It had been complete, unmitigated terror in that tick of a second before her brain processed the fact that it was Bill. She suddenly felt tears start to flow and an overwhelming sorrow plucked at her mind… and with the sorrow came melancholy. Would she ever have a normal life? Fear and heightened awareness was now a constant in her day to day life… without it she could die. Her life was her own, certainly, yet, it was ruled by circumstances she couldn't anticipate or in most ways prevent.
Her head hurt just thinking about it and with a resigned sigh; she got up and walked into the bedroom. There was a soft knock on the door and she quietly said, "You don't have to knock Bill." She sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her hands.
Bill opened the door slowly and entered, closing it behind him. "Sookie, I'm very sorry, you must believe me." His tone was somber and it garnered him a sad smile.
"I know that Bill, I do… it just really freaked me out, you know? I didn't know what to think or do and I was so scared Bill, you can't believe it, how terrified… I honestly thought I was going to die." Her voice little more than a whisper, her mind reeling with ugly scenes of her demise.
Bill moved very slowly and carefully toward her, then knelt before her, gently taking her hand in his before replying, "Sookie… what can I do? I know I can't take away your fright, I am sorrier than you can ever know."
"I was just ending a call when I heard you and before I could call out to you, you ran and I sped up hoping to avoid exactly what it was that I wanted to prevent. Sookie, please dearheart… forgive me." He brought her hand to his mouth and tenderly turned it palm up and kissed the center of it before holding it so it cupped the side of his face.
"You didn't do it on purpose and there's nothing to forgive baby, but the adrenaline has fried me, I'm getting a bitch of a headache so I want to just go to sleep and forget all this ever happened. Okay?"
"Of course," he hesitated not quite sure what to do next. She made no effort to move for just a moment before standing and pulling the covers back on the guest room bed. Bill had his answer, or so it seemed, but before he moved to leave the room she reached for his hand and tugged him toward her.
"Stay with me for a while?" Sookie whispered. She lay down on the bed and turned the light on the nightstand off, throwing the room into shadows. Bill kicked his shoes off before sliding under the covers with her fully dressed. He could only imagine what was really going on inside her head, but he knew clearly enough that she wanted much more than physical intimacy. She needed him; she needed to be touching him, feeling his strength and none of his weaknesses.
So Bill snugged his body tight against hers, then reached over her to capture her perfect little hands in his, and kissing her temple before laying his head on her pillow.
Neither spoke for almost a half hour, he was beginning to think she'd fallen asleep before she said, "All that's missing is the stars."
It occurred to him that she was talking about the two of them lying under the stars, something that he couldn't remember when they'd done it last, so he whispered, "That's easy enough to remedy."
"Maybe a different time, I'm too tired." She yawned deeply.
Though disappointed, Bill pulled her closer and murmured, "Perhaps tomorrow dearheart?'
"Sure."
A moment later Sookie drifted into a much needed sleep. Bill held her and thought about the night's events. That was when he realized she'd never asked him why he was there in the first place. He knew she had chosen to sleep here so she could wake to the sun, but Bill also had need for reassurance. He wanted her to wake with him, so he lay there perfectly still until he knew she was in a deep sleep. He got out of bed then leaned over to pick her up. He entered the master suite and laid her on the bed after using one hand to pull back the covers.
Then he undressed and pulled on a pair of sleep pants before setting the sound system to the soothing sounds of the ocean. He had a thought and left the room briefly to act on it. Then he took a piece of paper from his desk and wrote a note for when she woke. That done, he crawled into bed beside her and carefully pulled her against him so their bodies were very nearly one.
Bill closed his eyes and the sounds of the surf played its lullaby for him as he entered his days' rest, an hour before the dawn.
XxXxX
Sookie became aware of her surroundings slowly, and she smiled when she heard the ocean washing up the shore and whispering across the sand as it retreated. She smiled. She was wrapped in Bill's arms and she felt a lot calmer than she had last night. She opened her eyes and saw the red rose on the night stand. A piece of note paper was propped against it. She reached out to pick it up and she opened the fold to read what he'd written.
Sookie,
Am I forgiven my love? I know you wanted to wake with the sun, but I needed to be near you as you slept. It's quite selfish of me I know, please wake me if you'd like. I will happily make it up to you!
All my love, Bill
Sookie brought the rose up next to her lips and breathed in its sweet smell and felt the softness of its petals on her lips. She glanced at the clock and decided against waking Bill just yet. It was too early and not knowing why he was here in the first place or when he would have to depart, she decided she would wake him later so he'd have more rest and hopefully not be subjected to the bleeds. She carefully disengaged herself from Bill's arms and went to take a shower. After she got ready for the day, she walked to the bed, brushing aside a lock of hair from Bill's forehead before placing a kiss there, and then she left the bedroom and went straight to the already brewed coffee.
Automatic brewing, in her mind at least, was by far one of the greatest inventions ever.
After a couple mugs of coffee, Sookie sat at the table on the deck with her wedding folder and its' contents laid out before her. One of the decisions that needed to be made, and soon, was whether or not to have the guys wear tuxedos. Sookie had already decided one thing, after seeing the dresses she had last night with Pam, Jess and Arlene, her choice of long gowns and color changed.
She hadn't let the others know yet, but she decided she was going to go a different route. Mostly because of a quick flash of what Arlene was thinking with the costs involved, especially if Terry was going to be an usher. With that thought in mind, the decision was clear. No tuxes it was, just suits and ties for the service only. She also flipped a bridal magazine open to one of the many tabbed pages and reassessed the dress she had picked out for the girls to wear. (Even if a color was yet to be decided upon!) She got up to refill her coffee and snagged her laptop while she was at it.
She went to the website that made the dress she wanted and did some research. Well, she thought happily, one less thing to worry about. The dress was available in floor length, tea length and street length. The difference in cost was substantial, and the range of colors was equally as diverse. She sipped her coffee and scrolled through the pages showing most of the colors in many of the pages. She grinned as she composed an email and attached the website of the dresses. She informed them all, that they were supposed to choose a dress in whatever length and color they wanted. She smiled when she hit 'send' and sipped more coffee. That ought to make their day, she thought to herself. Then she remembered about the tuxes (or lack thereof) and sent out a second wave of emails.
Sookie looked out over the yard and smiled, it was a beautiful day that was for sure. She was more relaxed about the casualness of the Bon Temps wedding, after reading about the more formal requirements for the Shreveport service. She wondered idly if she would have given up on the idea of tuxes and matching gowns otherwise. The short answer was simply, if she'd really wanted the wedding to be more traditional, she would have paid for her friend's dresses and tux rentals so as not to be a hardship for them. Hell, she'd do that now if she needed to.
She felt a tad guilty, but she'd take a tiny dip into their thoughts the next time they spoke about it, because she wanted to be sure. She knew Jason especially, would jump for joy over the suit issue. He'd been complaining about the 'monkey suit' for some time now. She grinned, for all his carrying on; he certainly hadn't hesitated when she asked him to walk her down the aisle! The thought made her think about their parents… it was every little girl's dream to walk the aisle with their Dad. Of course, when she really thought about it, her parents would be there simply because she would be wearing her mother's dress.
Suddenly her eyes were tear-filled and they began spilling down her cheeks. She wasn't surprised, this happened every time she thought about Gran not being at her wedding. She just wiped them away and took a deep breath, she'd already spoken to Bill about an idea she had and he had agreed it was very appropriate. Sookie had searched through her photos for the one she loved the most, and it hadn't been easy, but she finally picked one of Gran, with her silver hair shining in the sun light, her head tilted slightly back, and her eyes twinkling, and her mouth open just a bit as she laughed.
Sookie had taken it to a place in Shreveport and they had enlarged it, and Sookie had found a beautiful antique frame to put it in. On one of the seats in the front row, Sookie would have the framed photo and magnolia blossoms where Gran would have sat. She and Bill had discussed whether or not they should do the same with her parents, but Sookie had decided against it. No, Gran had raised her and given her all the love her parents would have, and then some, she felt it was an honor that should be paid.
Her tears had stopped and she was feeling pretty good when her laptop dinged, she saw there was an email from Tara, she opened it and started laughing and was now 100% certain her choice had been a good one. The only thing left was to schedule a night to go to the dress shop to try on the many different lengths and colors. Although, Tara did ask what Sookie had chosen for her colors if the others could wear what they liked. Sookie thought about it for only a moment, her bouquet would be a mix of Lily of the Valley, pale pink freesia and tiny sprigs of lavender scattered throughout. So Sookie thought that the darker green of the Lily of the Valley leaves and white were exactly what she wanted. Simple, clean and above all… a compliment to whatever colors her girls chose to wear. She would check later to be sure, but she thought of one of Bill's suits, a deep gray, would look fabulous with a tie of dark green to match the color of the Lily leaves. It would be just perfect…. She loved the way Bill looked in a suit and tie, he was so damn sexy and handsome dressed up!
She glanced at her watch and saw the time, she turned off her laptop and gathered her things together and went inside. She would have plenty of time to make it to the caterer's place and she suddenly wondered if Bill had decided what he'd wanted served. Why hadn't she asked him the day before yesterday? On impulse she went into Bill's office and smiled when she saw the menu, filled out and placed squarely in the center of his desk. God, she loved that man!
XxXxX
Sookie was stretched out on one of the chaise lounges on the deck, working on her tan. She had the timer set so she wouldn't get burned if she fell asleep, but her state of mind pretty much negated that from happening, but better safe than sorry. Sookie could not stop thinking about Eric… her mind kept mulling over the dread she had experienced when she'd turned to run. Obviously, if it had been Eric, there would have been no escape. She shuddered violently even under the bright sunshine as she pictured the state Pam had been in when she'd come to Sookie for help.
Sookie didn't doubt that Bill would find her if Eric ever got his hands on her, the blood bond they shared was terribly strong. Even if there were times when that wasn't always a good thing… her biggest concern would be if Eric would give Bill enough time to track her down. Sookie knew Eric wanted her dead, of that she had no doubt; the question was whether it would be fast or slow. She thought about the awful abuse that she had survived at the hands of Alan and his partners in crime and was sure that if Eric ever got her, that incident would pale in comparison. She once again felt a sudden chill and forced herself to stop thinking about it.
Instead, she tried to remember a thought she'd had earlier. As usual, the more she tried to call the idea back into her train of thought, the more it eluded her. She just hated when that happened! She was beginning to feel frustrated and tense so she abruptly shouted, "Dammit!" as loud as she could. She smiled because, she actually felt better, and now her frustration wouldn't wake Bill. She settled back and thought only of the feel of the sun on her body, starting with her toes and relaxing each and every inch of herself as she did. Before long she was cocooned in her own little sunny world, her body at rest and her mind content. It was a good thing she'd set her alarm because she fell asleep shortly thereafter.
XxXxX
Bill's mind was overwhelmed with pleasure, the feel of Sookie's most sensitive self, moving against his, her blood sweet and fresh from the opening of her wrist. Her breathing was at a familiar pace, her warmth at the moment tightening as it did just before release, and with that thought he was there… he sucked hard on her wrist and she threw her head back and cried out as her wet, silky walls pulsed and quivered around him. His eyes savored every inch of her and how she looked in the moonlight, her hair like liquid silver, her breasts luminous, despite her afternoon in the sun and her eyes… her eyes were full of life, desire and love.
As their passion began to ebb, Bill released her hips and cradled her to him, lying prone on the blanket, still connected but face to face… he kissed her gently and whispered, "It's been far too long hasn't it?"
Her eyes met his and she smiled, "I wish there was a way we could do this every night!"
"Hmm… wouldn't that be nice," Bill said as if contemplating it with serious thought. "Would you settle for every night for a month?"
"What? Wait… what!" Sookie pushed herself upward as he slipped from inside her. "What are you talking about?" she demanded in her excitement.
"I mean that, because of everything finally falling into place, all my hard work has been rewarded with a four weeks of free time."
Bill couldn't help but laugh out loud as Sookie let loose a whoop of delight, then dropped on top of him, showering his face with kisses. She was laughing, crying and getting him excited all at the same time and it wasn't long before they were making love beneath the stars for the third time that night.
XxXxX
Sookie held on desperately to the edge of the tub, the jets roiling warm water across her hardened nipples, adding an unbelievable heightened awareness to the level of pleasure coursing through her body, Bill's talented mouth and fingers below the surging water were about to push her from that golden ledge once again… and then she fell, her voice hoarse as her hands grabbed at the tub, Bill and whatever she could reach as she pulsated with wave after wave of orgasm.
Sookie's tensed body went limp and suddenly she found herself impaled on Bill's length as he bit deeply into her throat, the only sound she could muster as he climaxed inside her was a rumbling moan that seemed to come from every inch of her body. She wrapped her legs tight around him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Bill held her tight and shifted slightly so she was comfortable and stilled the jets with a touch of a button. After a beat or two, the only sound was Sookie's breathing and as he kissed away her tears, her told her over and over again how much he loved her, piercing his fingertip to heal the marks on her throat and her wrist… he'd get the one other one once he put her to bed. He felt her tears stop flowing, they didn't alarm him any longer, he'd become accustomed to them, knowing that they merely signaled Sookie's body's way of feeling intense pleasure. Just as he knew it would take only seconds for her to fall asleep and he was, of course, correct… he stood, dried her and carried a sound asleep Sookie to bed.
He dried and combed her hair, healed the mark on her inner thigh and slipped a nightgown over her head, before getting into bed beside her. It wasn't long before the sun would rise and he slipped to rest quickly and dreamt of Sookie as he almost always did.
XxXxX
Two nights later, Bill found himself in one of those awful, Catch-22 circumstances, the bane of grooms-to-be everywhere. Sookie had an appointment at a dress shop and the women standing up were going to choose the dresses they were going to wear for the Bon Temps wedding. Sookie had just asked him if he wanted to come along and was standing there waiting for his reply.
He had been seriously contemplating telling Sookie he had a conference call coming in, but he suspected she wouldn't believe him, but he had to try. He opened his mouth to speak and she burst out laughing. She leaned over him and gave him a long, soulful kiss then pulled away slightly and looked deeply into his eyes. "Oh baby… did you really think I'd put you through that?" She laughed a quick laugh and picked her keys up from the desk and said, "I'll be back in a few hours!" then left the house.
Bill couldn't help but grin after she left. He would have preferred having sterling silver needles shoved under his fingernails rather than going to a dress shop while a group of women debated which color dress to wear. Bill had to admit though… Sookie was extremely low-key once she got over her initial nervousness of dealing with two weddings. He had been against the vampire ceremony, but now he was a little glad he hadn't talked her out of it.
It was giving her an opportunity to have something warm, happy, comfortable and familiar while also giving her a chance to experience a more formal occasion as well. He'd talked briefly to Henry about it and he had assured Bill that by about the two week mark prior to the Bon Temps wedding, Bill would be seriously debating whether or not he was regretting his choice to get married. Bill found that unlikely but at the same time understood it. He'd heard about women that became, 'bridezillas' but he was confident that wouldn't happen with Sookie. But he'd been wrong before when it came to what Sookie was and was not going to do or feel about any given situation in the past!
Bill had been answering a few emails and when he was done, he decided to go to Merlotte's. It had been awhile and he hoped that Jessica might be working. He was pulling into the parking lot when it dawned on him that Jess would be with Sookie. No matter, it was just nice to break the routine for once. Bill had been struggling a bit… after working non-stop for so long, having free time was a tough adjustment to make. When he walked into the bar, he was glad he'd come. Jason, Hoyt, Terry and Sam all called out to him, waving him over and before long, Bill had forgotten all about not being quite sure what to do with his free time.
XxXxX
At the dress shop, Sookie was watching in amusement as Arlene, Jessica, Tara, Pam and the store owner debated the pros and cons of tea-length versus street-length. Sookie was no help at all because she informed them it was all up to them. Sookie had been surprised when Jessica had chosen to go floor length until Jessica had asked Pam if she would be wearing her dress to the vampire ceremony. Once Pam had told her that she would be wearing black, Jessica's mind was almost 100% certain. Almost. Hence the ongoing dress length debate. Sookie could see Jess's point, it would save her from having to buy another dress, but she never would have guessed Arlene, Tara and Pam would be so indecisive.
Sookie was secretly pleased with one thing, all four of them had decided on their own to go with a soft, pale lavender. Tara then picked a color about two shades darker for her gown as maid of honor. With them finally deciding which length they wanted to try on first, each was assigned a saleslady to help in the dressing rooms by the owner to help them get into the dresses.
Except Pam of course, the look she'd leveled at one of them made Sookie think that there wouldn't have been enough money in the world to get that poor woman to enter the dressing room with Pam. It made Sookie smile a little to know that, Pam was still, very much Pam on some levels.
Arlene came out first wearing a tea length and Sookie kept her face neutral, but didn't think it was very flattering and before Sookie could speak up, Jess stepped out next in the floor length gown, Arlene took one look at the two of them side by side and said, "No flippin' way!" and turned to head back to the dressing room asking her lady to bring one in floor length.
Jessica turned to Sookie and asked almost shyly, "What do you think Sookie?" biting her lower lip as if awaiting sentencing for a crime.
Sookie wasn't sure just what to say and to keep Jessica from thinking she hated it she said, "Give me a sec." Sookie made a twirling motion with her finger and Jess did a slow spin. Sookie had been concerned that the lavender would not be complementary to Jess or Arlene, but they actually wore it well. The only thing Sookie wasn't sure of was the length.
Just then Tara stepped out in a street length, followed by Pam in tea length, then Arlene walked out in a floor length and all the women standing together looked at themselves and then Sookie. Sookie didn't know what to say… Arlene looked better in the floor length but it was Tara that called her out. "Look Sookie, okay I get that you're trying to make it easier on us but c'mon… there's no way this is gonna look right with us all in different stuff."
Sookie almost laughed out loud when the store owner thought that her wedding would be the fodder of jokes for years to come in Bon Temps if Sookie allowed the women to wear what they pleased. "Okay, okay… let's get a consensus on the floor lengths first, Tara, Pam? Go change." They walked away and Sookie looked at Jess and Arlene with a critical eye. Of course Arlene's would need to be hemmed; Jessica's looked close to perfect. She was glad that she told them to bring whatever shoes they would be wearing, it helped that Arlene had heels and Jess was in flats, it helped reduce the height difference.
When Tara and Pam walked out, Sookie had to admit… she liked the look. She had them give her their thoughts, and was a little surprised that they all seemed comfortable with the long dresses. Sookie then decided to have them try on street lengths and while they all looked nice, they didn't look like members of a wedding party, but rather… just wedding guests.
Finally, Sookie asked them to try on the tea lengths and as each of them stepped out Sookie held her breath. Arlene was the last out, grumbling (in her head) that she was going to look ridiculous, but once they all stood before the wall of mirrors, they all began to smile.
Sookie was pretty certain they'd agreed on the length of the dresses. She took pictures of them with her phone and emailed them to Hoyt, Terry and Bill. This was falling into place beautifully… Sookie was suddenly overwhelmed by the gravity of it all. As the others were being pinned and marked for their alterations, Sookie sat back and for perhaps the first time, realized she was getting married!
"Holy shit." Sookie whispered, Pam and Jessica glanced at one another and smiled. Seems the bride-to-be had just received her wakeup call!
Relaxation At Its Finest
Sookie was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing off her dinner plate before putting it in the dishwasher. The homemade sausage and mushroom ravioli Lafayette had made for her was incredibly good, but she had to admit, it wasn't quite as good without his homemade garlic bread! She was only able to treat herself to that when she knew she wouldn't be around Bill for a least a week or more. She placed the plate in the open dishwasher and closed the door.
She felt a slight movement of air and suddenly, sinewy and sensual hands cupped her breasts, then one of them brushed aside her hair from the back of her neck and cool lips placed slow kisses at the nape of her neck, Sookie shivered from both the stimulation and the anticipation of what would come next… she was not disappointed.
Bill's hands once again kneaded the softness of her breasts then slid down her body before lifting the edge of her sundress. In an instant, his thumbs were hooked under the sides of her panties and he removed them slowly, all the while kissing and licking her neck and back until she was free of them. She lifted one bare foot and then the other and felt him toss them aside. With one hand caressing her taut and sensitive nipple, the other quickly untied the knot of her halter dress at the base of her neck, and just like that her breasts were freed and once again were being exquisitely aroused by his gifted hands. She moaned in response and moved to turn, but he pinned her in place.
She moaned even louder when she felt him straining against her and she realized he stood behind her nude. She whispered his name, "Bill…" as she reached back and put the palm of her hand behind his neck, leaning her head back against him, exposing her throat… he chuckled lightly as his tongue licked forward toward her jaw, stopping only to drop delicate kisses, before nuzzling her ear and taking her earlobe between his teeth.
There was a sharp intake of her breath, as she heard his fangs snick into place and then her breathing quickened when he used one hand to lift the hem of the dress. Sookie found herself pinned between Bill and the counter and it was maddening. Again she attempted to turn, but his response was to use his right leg to move her legs apart, with her skirt bunched at her waist, he slipped along her sensitive self and she could not hold back the low moan, his length moved against her… but did not enter her. She let a tiny whimper escape her lips as Bill's hand slid slowly down her stomach, teasing with long, slow strokes of his fingertips, and then slipping between her legs, caressing her everywhere but where she wanted his touch the most.
She moved from side to side, with the room he allowed her but her anticipation was overwhelming as she desperately sought his touch. But he denied it. She was so aroused by that point that she knew now what he was doing and her breathing hitched in her chest, she felt him smile as his mouth was tucked alongside her throat, nipping with just the tiniest pressure, only to pull back just as he did the same thing below.
Sookie wanted to stomp her feet and demand he stop teasing her, but she knew from experience that if she did… he would delay it agonizingly longer. "Bill… oh!" His fingers danced elegantly across her body from throat to thigh, touching with just enough pressure to arouse and incite but not long enough for release. Sookie was whispering, "Pleasepleasepleaseplease…" hardly aware she was doing so and Bill's hands, tongue and his rigid length supplied her with a myriad of sensations designed to drive her wild.
When Sookie thought she could bear no more, he pushed her slightly forward, entering her swiftly and whispered, "Come for me Sookie…" then bit deeply as she erupted around him, she all but choked calling out his name as she pushed herself back as he surged forward, then his hands held her by her hips, being careful not to push her painfully into the cupboard and by doing so he climaxed as strongly as she. Sookie hadn't been aware that she had lifted herself up on her toes until her legs began to shake and she felt Bill, deep inside her, still pulsating when her legs lost their strength and she collapsed backwards against him, straining to catch her breath.
"Hello sweetheart, did you have a good day?"
Sookie laughed out loud.
XxXxX
Sookie and Bill lay intertwined on the chaise lounge in the gazebo. The moonlight gave off just enough light for Sookie to see Bill's face clearly and she was looking into his eyes and watching his face as she told him how much she had missed being with him, like this, here at home.
Bill reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Home, as in Bon Temps or home," he gestured around them, "here?"
"Home here." She smiled and he moved forward to kiss the tip of her nose.
They laid there for about another half hour, talking about everything and nothing. Sookie reveling in the fact that there were no phone or video conferences scheduled, no readying the office pod for Anubis to pick up. Bill, happily listening to Sookie chatter on about important and not so important subjects… laughing at her words, agreeing and disagreeing. Watching her smile, watching her frown but most of all he was enjoying every second he was spending with her alone and uninterrupted. Bill was beginning to see that there were going to have to be some changes made in the future… the job was taking him away for too long, too often.
He moved so suddenly she had no sensation of moving until he was halfway across the yard, he carried her effortlessly and she giggled when she thought of the two of them naked as jaybirds in the night, "Bill! What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh.
They'd reached the back door and Bill carefully put her on her feet and said, "I was thinking that we should take a shower, get dressed and go dancing, what would you think of that idea?"
"Yes!" she shouted and turned to head for the stairs, but Bill picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and she laughed all the way to the bathroom.
XxXxX
The next evening, Bill was propped up against the headboard of the bed reading a novel. He'd forgotten how relaxing reading something other than work-related items could be. Sookie was sitting to the left of him, sitting cross-legged, facing him and tapping away on her laptop, checking her emails. She opened an email from Pam and it had the information she'd been waiting for… the dresses for the formal ceremony had arrived at Pam's favorite dress shop. She sent an email to Pam, instructing her to make whatever appointment time would work for her and to let Sookie know when it would be.
Sookie looked at the website she had bookmarked to look at the gowns again. She scrolled back and forth between the two and couldn't imagine which color she liked more. Of course, as Pam had pointed out, it was a moot point until she saw them when she tried them on. Then she had a thought and said, "Hey babe?"
"Mm-hmm…" Bill looked up at her as she spoke.
"If you were to choose for me, do you think I'd look better in red or purple?"
"Depends on what you're referring to."
Sookie looked at him and said, "For the vampire ceremony."
Bill thought for a minute and then said, "Well, you wear both beautifully…,"
"Suck up."
He grinned then his eyes got a mischievous look in them and he said, "Well… if you wore red, would you wear the red shoes?"
"What red sho…? You mean the stilettoes?"
"Yes!" Bill beamed at the thought.
"Not unless you plan on carrying me around like a queen all night."
"Not even for a little while?" he said with a tiny growl to the words.
"Not a snowball's chance in hell."
"Well," he said, with exaggerated disappointment in his voice, "then I think you should wear purple… I would be too disappointed if you wore red without those shoes."
Sookie rolled her eyes and said, "You'd get over it, c'mon baby, I'm serious!"
Sookie found herself lying flat on the bed, his book and her laptop pushed to the side as Bill kissed her gently, long and thoroughly taking her breath away. When he lifted his head to look into her eyes, he delicately touched her cheek with the back of his fingers and said, "Sookie, I want two things to happen for that event. One, I want you to enjoy yourself and live for and experience your desire to do this for me and two, I want you to look and feel as radiantly beautiful as I know you will be."
"Now, maybe you don't think I'm being serious, but I am darling. You look stunning in both colors, I love you in red and I love you in purple… but mostly? I just love you." He brushed a kiss across her lips and captured a tear the fell from her eye with his tongue. He kissed her again, slowly and gently before placing a kiss on her eyelids and brushing his lips across her forehead as well.
Tears shimmered, but no more fell as she smiled and whispered, "I wish the wedding was tomorrow."
"It will be here before you know it." he said before capturing her mouth with his one more time. The he moved lightning fast, putting her laptop and her book on the desk before snuggling close to her, lying on their sides, with her head on his pillow, their faces just inches apart. "I was thinking about something earlier and I want to know what you think…"
She smiled and said with mock severity, "Bill! You're on vacation! You're not supposed to be thinking!"
"Cute." He said with a droll look. "I was thinking maybe we could have a cookout this weekend, Friday or Saturday night, what do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea, who should we invite?"
"Everyone."
"Oh… kay," her brow creased slightly, "if we do it Friday that only gives me two days…"
"What about next weekend then?"
"Yeah, that would work… give people more notice, but it's funny you should bring that up, because I was going to ask you if we could have Sam and Beth, maybe Jason and Annie over…"
"Who's Annie? Oh… Jason, Nevermind. I think that would be nice, for that matter, why don't we do both? We can make this weekend a little more cozy and next weekend we can have a party, what do you think?"
"I think you just want me to wear those red shoes."
Feigning deep hurt Bill said, "I am truly wounded Sookie! I love you much more than I do those shoes!"
Sookie reached up and pulled his mouth to hers, she gave him a lingering kiss and said softly, "The only way I'm putting those shoes on tonight is if we get to play in the tub first!"
Sookie smiled as she found herself alone on the bed and heard the water running in the bathroom. She sat up and swung her legs off the bed.
Outside, the vampire turned and moved off bullet fast, he had another, more important home to visit tonight. He flashed through the night, making a beeline to Pam's.
To be continued...
