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The original chaps 10 - 13 I rewrote to fix stylistic issues. I always listen to you guys and your support have always been welcome and appreciated.

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Sookie – Shreveport, Louisiana; Eric's Horse Farm

Sookie's POV

I stared at my phone in confusion, still trying to get a dial tone. Giving up, I SMS'd my friends instead. I texted them that I was taking the night off, it seemed to take forever to send.

"Eric is your cell tower far away or something; I could only text my friends and it took forever to get though. Also something weird, every time I texted Shreveport the word disappeared from my phone. Do you have a house phone I can use?" I asked closing my phone in frustration.

Turning around Eric focused on the cell phone in my hand.

"Oh that sorry, it's a security feature on the house, I had a techno witch cast a spell on the property stopping all transmissions or communication that could harm the security here."

I looked at Eric as if he'd grown two heads,

"So a witch boiled 'eye of newt' on your lawn to electronically protect your house?"

With a smirk Eric gestured toward the entrance way,

"No, she did it here and she didn't boil newt eyes she cast spells on RJ45 cables with an electronic wand. Please get with the modern age. Witches tend to get annoyed about old fashion stereotypes about them, touchy group but useful."

Eric turned us toward the floor length window facing east,

"That's where my local cell tower is; she enchanted it too. Your text messages bounced though 45,000 mobile towers before they reached your friends. It would take two human lifetimes to trace your messages back here – if then. I buy new safe houses every fifty years"

I shook my head and chuckled finally realizing just how isolated this property was.

"You really take security to the next level. I figured you had a VPN network or something slowing down my phone, but this is way beyond that."

He smiled and gave me a hug; he seemed to always look for excuses to hug me. Not that I minded, I felt relaxed and happy in his arms.

"Don't worry Sookie; I hired the most qualified tech security company in the world. They added next generation human security features. However I trust supernatural security more, less chance of being hacked."

"Would you like a tour of the house or wish to relax instead?" Eric said pressing his hardness against my thigh while sliding his hands over my arms.

I held up my hands remembering his housekeeper,

"Oh no none of that, I'm expecting garden gnomes to run past my feet if we start kissing again. We already had a Pixie."

Pulling me gently back into his arms Eric held me tight, running his nose along my neck,

"I have you know my Pixies spray for Garden Gnomes regularly. My lawn stays supernatural, weed, and crab grass free."

Looking horrified I turned to face him,

"You kill garden gnomes? How can you hurt them, they're cute with red hats with curly green shoes, that's like beating a kitten."

Trying not to laugh Eric pulled me toward a set of brown ornate doors to the left of the entrance,

"On second thought time for Plan B, I think you need to swim with me instead. By the way real gnomes are feral and carry a neurotoxin. If they bit your leg the flesh dissolves painfully over a month. They love living on properties with supernaturals."

With a gulp I followed him through the doors. I decided against my original plan of going shoeless on his beautiful lawn.

"I don't like that you kill them but giving the alternative it's kind of necessary. At least Pixies are safe; your housekeeper was adorable. I love her tiny wings, they looked like a dragonflies."

On the other side of the door the smell of chlorine hit my nostrils as we walked toward an underground Olympic sized pool. The walls were painted with pictures of the sun, clouds, and rainbows. It seemed designed as a playground rather than for a vampire.

The pool had five lanes, with one end containing a mid-sized whirlpool.

"Pam and I sometimes come here to swim because it has the best pool among my properties. She has extra suits in the changing room. Some of them are brand new, still with the shop tags on them. Take any you wish – I'll replace them for her."

I headed toward the changing room, stopping when Eric followed me,

"Where are you going mister? This isn't a peep show, I'm changing alone."

Smiling at me Eric opened the changing room door,

"Just opening the door Sookie, I'm a gentleman. It has a steam room inside if you want it."

Inside the pool house was a cabinet full of swimsuits of various styles and tastes. Some were downright chaste, to the extreme end of tacky. After a few minutes of searching I found a dark blue one piece that allowed me to be modest without a puritanical touch. I yanked the tag off carefully to avoid damage.

I turned to show him my suit, excited about my selection,

"I found a new one with a tag on it. I checked the price and it's not expensive. What do you think… ERIC."

I was looking at a very naked Viking facing the men's swim rack. I'd never been one to look at a man's butt, if anything I found them gross. However, Eric's butt was in a different league. Hell if I had a blue ribbon I'd stick it on his ass cheek. It was a work of beauty.

"OMG Eric don't you dare turn around."

I closed my eyes and sprinted into a changing closet. I told myself I didn't want to see if the front was a good as the back. Really I didn't, I'm a good girl and those dirty thoughts in my head were purely from shock.

I ignored the laughter from the other side of the door as I quickly dressed.

"Eric I'm not that kind of girl, use a changing room next time. I don't want to see you naked."

I could hear Eric walking before stopping outside the door,

"If that was true then the air wouldn't be filled with your arousal. Sookie, it's natural and I won't think less of you. In fact you flatter me. However I'll respect your wishes in this matter."

Grumbling about vampires and blood hounds I refused to respond. A few minutes later I opened the door to face a fully dressed Eric. He was wearing a forest green diving suit glued to every inch of his skin. It was pretty much spandex underwear. He may have covered everything but his massive bulge was impossible to ignore.

Eric took in my rapid heartbeat and huge eyes and must have known what drew my attention, "Yes I know you're not that kind of girl. I believe it, truly. Follow me please and bring a towel."

I clutched the fluffy white beach towel to my chest as he led the way to the pool. I didn't know why I felt so nervous. All I was going to do was sit on the edge of the pool, wiggle my toes a bit and then leave. I do that every time I go to the pool.

We were walking past the deep end of the pool. There was at least ten feet of clearance from the bottom so there was plenty of room as well.

Suddenly I found myself sailing through the air with Eric right behind me, diving in with a laugh. "Last one in is a turtle Sookie! I let you hit the water first because I'm nice."

Popping up a moment later Eric looked around but didn't see me. He only tossed me lightly on top of the water but I sank to the bottom. Thankfully it only took him a second to find me flailing at the bottom. He quickly grabbed me and pulled me to the side of the pool.

Eric was talking rapidly in a foreign language and his eyes were frantic with worry,

"Sookie I'm so sorry, why didn't you swim up, are you injured in some way?"

I shook my head embarrassed as I coughed a bit of water,

"I should have told you when you said we'd go swimming. I don't know how to swim, I never had any lessons." I probably looked green and it had nothing to do with being ill, I was mortified about my secret, most people my age knew how to swim.

Eric swiftly placed me in one of the pool lounges as I caught my breath. He sat behind me gently patting my back.

"I have no wish to pry but I've never met a human from this town who lack the ability to swim, well those born in the past fifty years that is."

I sipped the water he handed me from the cooler, reluctant to answer

"Well, my school excused me from swim class because of my disability. I could never focus enough to follow the class instructions."

Looking at his worried blue eyes I felt uncomfortable hiding the full truth. How could I admit as a telepath swim classes were impossible. I was bombarded in the pool with constant lustful thoughts from the boys making it difficult to learn anything.

Eric linked her hands with mine,

"There is nothing about you that says you can't learn to swim. The problem wasn't your own but your teachers. When I was a child if you had trouble nobody slapped the word disabled on you and walked away. Everyone needs extra help sometimes. Don't be ashamed my angel."

I thought about my school days sadly.

"It's not their fault, they kept giving me the same instructions but I couldn't focus. They said rather than risk me drowning I should take a different gym class."

Eric's eyes knotted in annoyance,

"So their solution was to give up? Never mind if you fell in a lake you'd sink like a stone. Yes that makes sense to me. People drown all the time; it was neglectful leaving you this way."

Sensing my distress, Eric pulled me close,

"I don't want to upset you; however I feel people are quick to neglect you. If you let me, I'll teach you to swim. I don't care how long it takes. I'll make sure that if you fell in the water you'll be safe. It's an important skill."

I leaned into Eric's cool arms feeling strangely safe despite my mishap.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You barely know me. It will take me ages to learn how to swim. I don't want to be a burden for you."

Taking my fingers to his lips he kissed the tips by one by one before linking our fingers,

"Sookie every moment with you is a gift that I treasure. I don't want to come across like a creepy stalker but I'd spend every moment of the night with you if I could."

I grinned wiggling my nose at him,

"Well you're a bit late to lose the stalker label. You did kidnap me from my front yard and flew me up a tree."

Moving closer he teased my lips with his own,

"Stalking only counts if the girl isn't humping my leg as we speak. Not that I want you to stop lover. Carry on – you have my undivided attention."

I looked down and saw my body was tightly pressing against his like a cat in heat. Moving away I turned beet red, "Sorry I don't know what came over me."

Eric pulled me gently close to him again and nuzzled the pulse point in my neck,

"I had so many fantasies in my head as we got near the pool. Your inability to swim makes most of them impossible. However view them as incentive to learn. But all is not lost; not everything I imagined requires a pool."

I felt his hands on my hip, my cool skin rapidly warming to his touch. His fingers began to trail along the seam of my suit before sliding two fingers under the fabric.

Feeling his fingers play along the inside of my hip I blinked rapidly. I wasn't sure if I should touch him or mace him. I was too stunned to do anything but close my eyes and enjoy.

His previous sexual conquests who'd visited Merlott's ruined the moment however. I heard their thoughts about him constantly over the past few months.

Eric ran his fingers closer to what my friends called the 'cookie jar', "Sookie I can feel you thinking, just let go, there's nobody here but you and me…"

"….and my self-respect Eric, I'm not one of those fang bangers that hangs around you like flies. I hear what goes on at Fangtasia. I don't want to be a notch on your bed post."

I moved away from his fingers, staring at him in confusion. I couldn't block out the mental images from his past sexual partners who'd come into Merlott's.

Eric sat beside me again dropping his hands. He didn't seem to know what to say. He'd never hidden the fact that he enjoyed sex. From what I read in people's minds he didn't have it every night, but enough to raise eyebrows in a conservative town.

He hadn't touched anyone since Dawn though. If he was willing to try something new, monogamy, he had to know Sookie would insist on it and he would need to be OK with the idea.

"Sookie I'm a thousand years old, I only look 25. I've met women before you. I won't hide it, deny it, or say I'm sorry. However, the moment I decided to pursue you I've been celibate. I'm offering monogamy; I don't want you to feel anything but cherished. "Eric said sincerely.

I bit my lip, unsure what to say. Eric was my first real love interest and it scared me,

"A part of me understands, but Eric I work in a bar so I know where your fangs have been. I feel like I 'm standing in a huge queue and I don't know how to handle it."

Eric stroked my cheek, lifting my eyes to meet his own,

"Ask me any question about my love life, you have my word I'll be honest. I know how secrets can ruin relationships; I don't want that for us. What we have is new and I don't want to start things between us with lies."

Squaring my shoulders I asked the question couples fight about in Merlott's constantly,

"Have you ever slept with anyone who knows me or works with me?"

Eric's looked at my expectant eyes and looked worried. He opened his mouth to speak but only came out with a raging case of the hiccups.