A/N: Hey, I'm so sorry for the wait. Been having some issues with anxiety. And these chapters are always sort of hard to write, lol. Hope you enjoy!

Recap: Eric and Sookie get into an argument about Arlene's death. However, anxiety sets in and Sookie goes to Fangtasia to talk to Eric, where she finds out it was actually Pam who killed Arlene.

"I've been waiting for you," he said softly, without looking up from his desk. "Since the moment you decided to come apologize." Finally he set his pen down and smirked up at me. "Well?"

Damn blood bond.

"Well… I'm sorry," I spat. I had done what my gran had always taught me; I was the bigger person and came to see him. Even though I was wrong, he didn't have to be so arrogant about it! "I shouldn't have accused you. But you know, when I told Bill about my uncle-"

Here he cut me off. "The funny one?"

I knew he wasn't using funny as the kind of uncle who tells jokes; he meant the kind of funny that really meant sick-in-the-head. Uncomfortable, I shifted from my left leg to my right. Where had I been going with this, anyways? Oh, right.

"Erm, yes," I squirmed again. "See, Bill had him killed so I thought that you would-"

Cut off again! "Do not compare me to Compton, Sookie," his eyes flashed with an unspoken warning. Involuntarily, I flinched back.

"Sorry. Again. Well, even without the comparison, I thought that you were going to-"

"Kill that woman because I am a cold blooded vampire with no regards to your input in the situation? That I would murder her because she betrayed you?"

What can you even say to that? Puzzlement crossed my face so I answered quietly, though I knew he would hear it. "…Yes?"

Eric rose, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest. His large presence filled the room and I felt overwhelmed, so I shrinked back and sat on the leather sofa. "Sookie, if I killed everyone who had betrayed you, Bill, Alcide, Quinn, and even Jason would be dead."

I knew I didn't have a good track record with the men in my life, but having Eric remind me of it deflated my spirit even more. Unintentionally, my shoulders slumped and I pouted. I also knew that Eric had purposely left out a few people because he could feel my inner wince at each name he ticked off. That's just not fair; he knows all about my life but I know nothing about his.

Stay on track, Sookie. Conversation for another time. After giving myself a mental smack, I simply said, "Okay."

Eric took a small step closer. "You must trust me." It wasn't an observation, or a request. It was a command. And usually I don't take too well to commands, but he had a point. There was absolutely no reason for me to not trust him. Since I met Eric, he had always been there for me. He showed up in Dallas to keep me safe, took a number of bullets for me, bonded with me (even though I didn't want to at the time, but he did it for my greater good), hid a body for me, and showed up to save me when I was practically kidnapped by Sandra Pelt. On top of all that, he regraveled my driveway when I most needed it.

Eric may me all about himself, but he certainly had gone out of his way to make me one of his top priorities.

So rather than argue about how I am my own woman and will trust who I damn well please, I just gave him a small smile. "You're right."

Eric had probably not expected me to give in. The smirk melted from his lips and was replaced with a gaping mouth. Shock crossed his eyes; they widened slightly and his one eyebrow lifted. Obviously, he had expected me to sass back.

Kudos for me, I surprised a vampire!

Not to be rendered wordless for too long, the shock fell off his face just as quickly as it had appeared. It was replaced with a look of conceit, lips in a relaxed smile and eyes smoldering at me. "Of course I am."

Though I was a constant witness to vampire speed, I was surprised when I found myself sitting on Eric's lap on the sofa. There was only a whoosh of air rustling the papers on his desk that proved that he had moved at all. I swiveled around so I was facing him and gave him a seductive smile. After being seperated from Eric for a few hours, I felt very playful.

"Maybe you should be rewarded," I murmered against his lips before parting them with my tongue. A rush of cool air blew into my mouth as he obliged my request. One of his hands tangled in my hair, clenching it and drawing it back from my face while another wandered from my waist up to my chest. I friskily ground against him, silently thanking myself for wearing a dress. The bulge in his jeans had already formed and rubbed against me as I grinded down on him. With one hand on his cheek, I trailed the other down his hard chest and to his pants, freeing him from his constraints with ease.

Keeping up the movement, I gripped his length and stroked him, and he let out a moan into my mouth. I quickened my pace and he let one of his hands fall to my thigh, pushing up the hem of my dress. My panties were quickly torn off and thrown to the floor, the feel of the fabric against me replaced by Eric's hand.

He rubbed my clit and then dipped two fingers into me, and I arched back, forgetting to tend to him for a moment. My hand returned to its movements as he picked up his own pace, thrusting in and out with a determined rhythm. As I began to climax I moaned Eric's name and whimpered a please.

"Please what?" He asked huskily, slowing down his movements. I slowed mine in returned and raised myself from his hand, eager to take him.

"Eric, I need you in me, please," I moaned. Hearing me admit it pleased him and he gripped my hips after positioning himself, and yanked me down on top of him. I cried out and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. My walls tightened around him as he raised himself to plunge deeper into my depths. One finger rubbed around my clit, making me moan out his name.

I took over the movements and raised and lowered myself on him, out of breath and almost there. I lowered my head and he gripped my hips tighter. Eric cried out my name, followed by a string of what I assumed to be old Norse, which got me closer to the edge. We came together soon after and I dropped my head to his shoulder, eager to catch my breath.

Eric pulled out of me and eyed my panties sadly. "Well, lover, I believe I owe you a new pair."

And even though Eric and I had just had mindblowing sex, the anxious feeling in my chest still didn't go away.