Thanks for all the beautiful reviews last week! Sadly, I was one review short on my 36 hour time limit… That having been said I wrote and I wrote and I wrote to make sure that your Viking could make his appearance………………………………………………………………………………………………………… To be continued…..
Disclaimer: I am not Charlaine Harris, nor do I own the rights to any of her books or characters. Please do not sue me. Sometimes Sookie, Claudine, Amelia and I go walking, after midnight… looking for Eric.
Chapter 12
It was still pretty early in the afternoon when we pulled up to the Fernandez property on Key Largo. And when I say property I mean Estate. And when I say Estate I mean… Wow. Another flashy car had been waiting for us when we docked along with a huge silver box of an SUV with enormous tires which Austin enlightened me was called a G-Wagon.
"It looks like a tank," I stated.
"That's the point," Austin said, shrugging his shoulders.
"It can drive through anything," Felix noted. "We drove it up a boulder field once. It was awesome."
The drive was short to their castle- er, house. We parked under the porte cochere along the huge round-about driveway that led to the home. It was situated directly beach-front and I could see white sand and turquoise water peeking out from behind the perfectly manicured grounds of the mansion. It was Mediterranean style with multiple balconies and porches protruding from windows, and was easily the most incredible place I had ever seen.
I had to remind myself to keep it together as we paced up the steps that led to two enormous doors that looked hand-carved where a sharply-dressed gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a strong jaw line waited for our party. "I thought I heard you coming," the forty or fifty-something male said.
"Perry, my man," Adrian said, as he approached the man and shook his hand in an easy way. Felix gave this Perry a brusque nod as he passed through the doors. Perry's indulgent smile stiffened momentarily in Felix's direction until Adrian said, "Everything been in order while we were away?"
"Oh, yes Mr. Fernandez," Perry said, returning his attention to Adrian. "There was a little quirk with the sprinkler system in the backyard, but I had that taken care of immediately and you will find all of the systems in perfect order."
Adrian clapped the older gentleman on his back and stated, "Of course it will be, my friend. I would trust you with my life- let alone my house."
Perry looked happy at hearing that, saying, "It has been my pleasure to care for Lámase de la Sal all of these years. Your father would have been happy to know how much you've been able to use it." Adrian's smile faltered and Perry finished, "He was a good man… and taken too soon."
Adrian nodded as we stepped into the huge foyer. It took my breath away; the room had incredibly high ceilings accented with mahogany beams that jutted out at angles and creamy marble slabs which lined the floors. Huge windows looked out over the lush backyard and to the beach beyond. The house was a bold mix of masculine details with beachy, extravagant accents.
I paused at an enormous bronze anchor leaning against a whitewashed terra cotta wall. As I slid my hand over the metal and marveled at its size my shields slipped and I was astonished to discover that Perry was something that was very intrinsically inhuman. As Adrian started introducing his female guests to Perry I tried to figure out what kind of supe this man was.
Amelia and Perry had just finished shaking hands and I watched as Adrian said, "Perry, I'd like to introduce you to Claudine- Claudine? You know what, I don't think I ever caught your last name."
Claudine was giving Perry an impressed look as she took his hand, responding, "That's because I never told you it, silly!"
"What a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Perry had a twinkle in his eye as he gave Claudine a sideways grin.
"Oh," Adrian said, "Do your families know each other or something?"
"Ah, Claudine is a legend in her own right," Perry said. "I never thought I'd get to see you in person."
"Oookay," Adrian was looking very perplexed as Amelia raised her brows in question and I just shrugged my own cluelessness. "And Perry, this is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse."
A glimmer of recognition passed across Perry's face, but Adrian didn't catch it, and Perry took my hand, holding it just a moment too long. "Mucho gusto."
"Let me show you where you'll be staying," Perry said, and Adrian covered his smirk with his fist. This enigmatic Perry could sure show us to a room, but I had some serious doubts whether I'd actually be sleeping there.
After we had been deposited in three of the most decadent rooms I could possibly imagine I set about to hop in the shower so I could be ready for whatever it was that was in store for the rest of the day. As I admitted myself into the adjoining bathroom, I was absolutely amazed and… confused.
It was vast, with sleek, pearly marble floors and granite walls with white French doors that led to a private balcony. In the middle of the room, standing alone was an enormous, perfectly round, above-ground Grecian-style bathtub. So why was I confused? Well, there was no shower. I opened the door that housed the commode… it wasn't in there. I pulled open the door to the linen closet… no shower. I definitely wasn't ready for a bath- that thing looked like it would take an hour to fill up.
I guess I could do a military-style wash-up, I thought and considered splashing some soapy water over the parts of me that people could see. I giggled, thinking that that might just take a lot of water considering what I planned to do to with Adrian later… Better take the bath.
I tossed my clothes onto a luxurious chaise lounge sitting against the far wall and grabbed a towel out of the linen closet. How many knobs does one bathtub need, I wondered as I fiddled with one of the multitude trying to figure out how to get the water right. To my immense surprise, when I twisted the center knob water started dispensing from the ceiling. Yes! There was a shower head almost two feet in circumference hidden in a recessed cove in the ceiling. It was literally raining warm water as I climbed over the high edges of the tub in a blissful state.
I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the heavenly spray. Heaven, I smiled to myself, this feels just like Heaven. I allowed the steam and steady drizzle to soothe my nerves and soaked in the moment. Against my will I went back again to my happy place. I was in the shower, reaching for the soap… my surprise at his sudden appearance… my desire for the wolf in sheep's clothing… his hands on my skin… the crush of his lips, needing mine like the air he would never breathe again… the arch of my back to meet his weapon of mass eruption… the unstoppable need to fuse our bodies together…
I felt my hands trailing down my skin to touch the ache that urged me on.
"You know I'm trying to become an angel, right?"
I jumped out of my skin and tried to cover myself with my arms as I screamed, "For the love of Baby Jesus! Can't you see I'm showering?
Claudine was lounging leisurely on the chaise, propping her head up on an elbow. "Oh, I see that very clearly! But if I were to witness what you were about to do, I would have to add at least another ten years to the seraph-morh process."
"Seraph? What is-" I was getting distracted from the fact that I was very naked in the presence of my Fairy Godmother. "Doesn't matter. What I do in the privacy of my own shower is my business! Why are you in here??"
Claudine stood up and offered me a sea blue bath sheet which I took grudgingly as she turned off the water. "I have lived for a very long time, dear Sookie. I have seen more than my fair share of naked human bodies. While yours is exquisite, I have to tell you that I do prefer the sexual companionship of the males of your species."
I rolled my eyes as I finished wrapping the towel around my breasts and she handed me another, smaller towel for my hair. As I sat on the side of the tub and flipped my head up-side down to wrap my hair up I asked, "What's going on, Claudine? Why are you in here?"
"I had to tell you," Her voice held undisclosed excitement so I raised my head back up to look at her. "The estate-handler, Perry- did you catch something off of him?"
"I could tell he was a supe, but I didn't recognize the brainwaves." I was starting to get wary. Last thing we needed was to be staying with some minion of the afterlife…
"Guess what he is!" She demanded.
I decided to play along, if only because Claudine looked so eager. Well, the patterns were an interesting mix of greenish silver, but any words I may have caught from him were definitely not in English. "Loch Ness Monster?"
"Oh, that's just an overgrown marine pixy. You got the water part right though..." She paused to make sure I was giving her my rapt attention. "He is a flippin' Mermaid, Sook! Well, Merman to be specific. There are only like fourteen left in the world- poachers, of course. He is a living marvel."
"They exist?"
"Of course! What do you think I'm telling you? Anyway, Perry is only an alias for his real name. No one has seen him in years! We all thought he'd been captured… but I guess he's just been hiding out all this time." She was almost bubbling over with excitement.
"Why would anybody want to kill a Mermaid?"
Claudine grew serious, "Oh, there are lots of reasons why. But it mostly has to do with the properties and composition of their fins and scales."
"Okay. What do they do?"
"Just small shavings from the scales on their tails can counteract the effects of iron and lemon juice on a fairy. One Mermaid can save the lives of, supposedly, nearly one thousand fairies."
"Whoa." I didn't know what else to say.
"Yeah. They're good for other things too… Witches can increase the potency of their spells fifty-fold with a single fresh gill. Sookie, you have no idea what can be done with the harvesting of a single Mermaid."
I gave her a skeptical look at the mention of the word harvest.
"I know what you're thinking, Sookie, and no I don't want to harm this man. He is far too valuable." I had heard that before.
"Valuable. Right," I muttered under my breath as I tried to defog the mirror. If you ask me, being valuable just meant you weren't going to be put to death in the immediate future.
"I'm not going to do anything to hurt him, Sook! Have you forgotten who I am? I don't hurt Innocents; it would set me back too far." Claudine perched back down on the lounge.
"Are Mermaids, or Mermen, considered Innocents?" I was wondering how careful I'd have to be around this guy.
"Oh yes. They are the gentlest of species- and they're vegetarians too!" Claudine said generously.
"Right," I said with a touch of irony. "Why are you a legend around these parts? Why did he know who you were?"
"I've been around for a very long time, Sookie." Claudine was being evasive. "He recognized you too; you realize that, do you not?"
I was still pondering the influx of new information as I stepped back into my bedroom, Claudine at my heels. "When did the evites go out for the party in Sookie's room?" I smirked at Amelia who was sitting on a bench in a window.
"Claudine and I have to share a bathroom. How did you score the best room?" Amelia whined.
She and Claudine looked at each other and then started cracking up. "Oh, right. I remember," she said.
***
After I had dressed and we explored most of the mansion, Claudine, Amelia, and I finally found the boys on the expansive patio near the pool. Felix and Adrian were sitting side by side at the outdoor bar and were looking like romantic heroes, shirtless, skin gleaming in the heat of the afternoon sun. Austin and Ethan were playing catch in the pool and were treating Claudine with two free tickets to a gun show. I smiled as Claudine took the bait, ripping off her top and yipping, "I want to play!" as she dove nimbly into the crystal clear water.
Amelia and I continued over to the beautiful brothers. "I was wondering if you got lost, gorgeous!" Felix grabbed Amelia with one hand behind her waist and cinched her into him. He cupped her face in his free hand gently and leaned in to place an inquiring kiss on her lips which Amelia returned with interest and assurance.
Adrian took my hand as Felix said a bit shyly, "I've been wanting to do that all day."
"What the hell took you so long?" Amelia said, kissing him again. I felt a little odd watching the exchange. The look in Felix's eyes was one of complete infatuation. If fact, I'd noticed that same look multiple times that day- every time Amelia was near.
"I've never seen him like this before," Adrian whispered, his breath brushing the little hairs at the nape of my neck. "It's almost like she put a spell on him or something."
I swallowed the mounting hysteria at that thought, and reprimanded myself. She would never do that! It's not like she's ever needed help getting a man…. No, I told myself, she didn't bewitch him. Nonetheless, I decided I'd better broach the subject with her later.
"Can I get you something to drink Ms. Stackhouse, Ms. Broadway?" said a voice behind me that dragged me out of my reverie.
Perry had a tray of drinks, and handed the brothers two Coronas. I asked for something fruity and fun (When in paradise…) while Amelia requested a vodka tonic for herself and Claudine.
We were talking about doing a late snorkel dive when Perry returned with our drinks. "Ms. Broadway," Perry said as he handed Amelia a vodka tonic with lemon slice over the lip of the glass.
"How did you know that Claudine didn't eat lemons?" Felix asked as he pointed to Claudine's garnish-free cocktail and glaring at the older gentleman.
What is it with these two?
Perry faltered and I didn't need to lower my shields to feel the rush of anxiety coming off of him. He cast about for an answer. I could have come up with four plausible excuses in the time it took for him to come up with a single one. "I… I could have sworn I put a lemon on her glass when I made it… Hmmm. Must have fallen off on the way from the kitchen. I'll have to see if I can retrace my steps and find the rogue lemon slice when I head back."
Huh? How about, I forgot to give her a lemon? Or, Amelia's was the last slice we had in the house? This dude was a poor liar. I wondered if that was a Mer-quality.
"Well, it's good for you that it fell off," Adrian said reassuringly. "Claudine has an allergy to lemons. Isn't that something? I've never heard of anybody being allergic to lemons before!" Perry just stood there, wide-eyed, nodding his head awkwardly. Remind me to not tell this guy my big secrets.
Adrian continued, "We're thinking about going out to the cement barrel wrecks and doing some snorkeling in a bit. You ought to join us!" Felix's head snapped in Adrian's direction and he shook his head slightly in opposition. Adrian ignored his brother as he winked at me, saying, "You have got to see this man swim! I guarantee you if he had a face-off with Michael Phelps, this guy right here would be the one to put your money on."
I feigned disbelief as Perry answered, "Adrian has always given me far too much credit." Amelia snorted while Felix looked merely confused.
"What's the joke here? Am I missing something?" Felix said, the traces of a bad mood filtering in through his words. Amelia ignored the question and tucked herself under his arm and gave him a pacifying kiss on the cheek.
Perry cleared his throat, "While I appreciate the offer, I have a lot of work to do this evening. But from what I hear, the snorkeling there is excellent right how. I even heard that a group of turtles had nested in that general area." I had a feeling that Perry could probably give us exact coordinates.
"That sounds amazing," Amelia said as Perry nodded then took his leave.
"Do you want to explore the snorkeling here ladies?" Felix asked his mood considerably brighter.
"Sounds great. But aren't you guys doing something 'big' for Austin today?"
"There will be ample time for both activities," Felix promised.
***
Soon we were on a much smaller boat, anchored down and pulling on snorkeling gear. I got a quick lesson from Ethan, who was apparently the water sports guru of the group and before I knew it I was watching colorful schools of fish touring the wreckage. It was absolutely surreal, and when I saw the sea turtles meandering with a slow current I wished that the day would never end.
Somehow the guys had come up with a couple of waterproof cameras and we had a great time taking photos of each other underwater.
I tired quickly though, and Adrian, who had stayed close by the duration of the swim guided me back to the boat. "You having fun?" He asked.
"Of course. That was so cool!" I gushed as soon as I removed my snorkel and mask. I leaned against the side of the boat and pulled off the flippers that made it hard to walk like a regular human being. Adrian shook his hair and the moisture went flying in all directions, glistening in the sun. What a perfect day, I thought, grinning. Gorgeous man, tropical paradise, not too hot…
"What are you smiling about?" Adrian asked, sidling up to me and giving me a very wet hug.
"This may sound stupid to you, but I've never met someone who it was just easy with. You know?" Honesty was often the best policy. Adrian kissed me lightly and I breathed his scent in.
"You almost sound like you think that's a bad thing, Sookie," he responded into my hair, as he looked over my head and at the five snorkels poking up toward the sky.
I sighed. "No, it's not a bad thing. I think you are an absolutely remarkable-"
"And sexy, don't forget the sexy!" He interjected.
I grinned, "You are a remarkable, extraordinarily sexy man. But I have baggage. Serious baggage."
"We all have baggage Sook."
"My baggage has a way of following me, or finding me, everywhere I go." I was starting to get anxious as I thought about all of the things I had been avoiding for the past few days. How deeply embedded I was in vampire politics, Eric, the meeting I would surely have to face with de Castro, Eric, my precarious position in the supernatural world, Eric, my Fairy great-gramps, Eric, my ass (no, tiger) of an ex Quinn, Eric…. Did I mention Eric, my blood bonded and one-time lover? Oh, I did, okay. Eric.
Adrian pulled me onto his lap as I contemplated my life. "If you want me, I am yours." I looked up, shocked. "I don't think you understand, Sookie. I don't care about whatever it is you think is too horrible to tell me about. I'm willing to give this a shot, and believe me I can be very persuasive when I want to be," he waggled his eyebrows at me.
Could I tell him? Did I want to risk it? He was so innocent… I was on the brink of blurting out everything when he picked up the conversation again.
"Maybe it'll help if you know more about me. Things haven't always been the way you must see my life now." I waited expectantly. He started going down a mental list. "Let's see, my Mom left us when I was five for another man- the city mechanic no less, which really doesn't matter to me, but to my father that was a slap on the face in and of itself. She left Felix and me. Never came back." He paused. "Felix remembers it better than me though, since I was so young at the time. He was really angry for a long time, and after he graduated from high school he just took off and we didn't talk for a few years.
"What else? My dad was never around growing up. He was always jetting here and there building his empire. If you ask me, he got so busy collecting and building that he never had a chance to live." He was running his hand up and down my arms absently as he spoke, lost in memories. "That's probably why Mom left, though. She sat on nearly every board in Houston, did tons of charity work, and could buy out any department store, but I don't think she ever got what she really wanted… his time.
"So, about three or so years ago, I guess Dad just couldn't manage it anymore… Someone from his security detail found him hanging from the rafters of our winter cottage up in Vail."
I didn't know what to say. His grief was almost tangible as I turned to do the only thing I could think to do. I hugged him. We stayed that way, rocking with the sway of the boat for a few minutes, my heart aching for his losses.
His voice was thick when he finally broke the silence, "A good thing came from it though. Felix showed up when we were laying my father to rest. Maybe he realized I was all he had left, I don't know. But ever since that day I've had my brother back."
"My brother is all I really have, too," I murmured. I could tell him that.
"I hope you'll feel safe enough to tell me your story one day, Ms. Stackhouse."
I cuddled up closer to him, considering. "Later," I promised as I heard the group approaching, splashes and happy banter growing louder.
Dusk was falling as we docked and a knot of panic shot through my system when I realized Eric would be waking soon.
Did I want him to find me? I wasn't so sure anymore, and I definitely didn't want anything to happen to my new friends. Angry vampires can be unreasonable, I thought as I watched the sun curtsy to the full moon. I smirked, Talk about your understatement of a lifetime.
***
"Maybe we'll go on our adventure tomorrow. Scorpion filled piñatas can always wait an extra day." Felix was giving Amelia the eye after we'd sated our bodies with scrumptious bacon-wrapped scallops and bleu cheese-stuffed mushroom hors d' oeuvres in the oversized chef's kitchen.
"Can I second that idea?" She said smoldering up at him.
I was chewing the last morsel on my plate, lost in thought. Eric was on the move. I was trying to decide whether or not to let the girls know of the trouble ahead. I tested the tenor of his thoughts cautiously, and to my surprise I didn't feel the overwhelming fury that had burned me so badly. I was feeling a little bit optimistic as I did my best to send him feelings of peace and neutrality to slow his mission.
"Did anybody hear that?" Claudine asked as we stood around the kitchen island.
"Hear what?" I inquired, straining my ears. Could he already be here?
"My cell phone is ringing," Claudine announced and flounced out of the room.
"Isn't she staying upstairs?" Felix asked warily, "How could she possibly have heard that?" There was something in his eyes that betrayed a touch of suspicion. He gave Adrian a sharp look, and Adrian rolled his eyes.
Austin returned to the previous subject. "It's my bachelor party, guys! I've been dying to see what the big surprise is all day…" He kept complaining as I gathered the plates from everybody and dropped them in the dishwasher.
"Sookie, you know you don't have to do that!" Adrian said, ignoring Austin. "We have people who get paid to do the cleaning."
"I'm sure you do, but I am perfectly capable of throwing some dirty plates into a dishwasher. Besides, you guys have been so generous to us. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you…"
Felix was chuckling as he said, "Adrian, I think you've got a keeper here. I think that Sookie's the first girl who has ever offered to do anything around here."
"Usually they walk in, see the house, and then ask for Adrian's black card," Austin stated sourly.
"What's a black card?" I said as the room erupted in laughter.
"Yeah, you've definitely got a keeper!" Felix laughed as Adrian came to stand behind me and wrap his arms around my waist.
At that, Claudine returned, looking a bit frazzled- well as frazzled as a super-model-esque fairy can look. "I have to go," She seemed surprised at having to relay that bit of reality.
I hopped up to Claudine, grabbing her hand, "What's wrong, Claudine?" My bonded was forefront in my thoughts.
She waved her other hand at the group, "Oh, I don't know. Claude left me a message and I guess there have been some strange incidents at the club."
"Her brother," Amelia mouthed to Ethan who was looking crestfallen.
"How are you gonna get home? It's so late! You should probably just wait until morning to leave," Ethan stated.
"Unfortunately, I don't think this is something that can wait until morning."
"Oh, that really sucks," Austin lamented, visions of naked Claudine assaulting my brain via his thoughts against my will. "Do you want me to drive you? I wouldn't mind…"
"Hey there bud," Ethan interjected. "If anybody's gonna take Claudine to Miami, it's going to be me. The name Lily English ring any bells? Wedding bells, perhaps?"
If looks could kill, then Ethan was absolutely, definitely dead at Austin's glare.
"Well, thanks to both of you gentlemen for your kind offers, but I will not be needing a ride from either of you. I ran into Perry in the hallway and he was gracious enough to set up transportation for my return. Ladies, will you help me in my room for a minute?"
We nodded and followed Claudine up to her bedroom. "Okay Tinkerbell, what's really going on?" Amelia said as soon as the door was shut.
"I love the fairy Tinkerbell," Claudine gushed as she gathered up some stray clothes from the floor, "She was a merciless killing machine when I was a child. She drove people mad!"
I was giving her a blank look as I imagined the Disney pixie brandishing a bloody dagger.
"When I was young, those things were of interest to me. I am a fairy after all."
"Sure, sure," Amelia said. "But why are you really leaving?"
"Oh. It actually was because of Claude's message. I'm not sure what to think… I'd really hoped to get some more information out of Marcela the other night at Osiris, but things just went so wrong."
"You're not going back there are you?" I said, pacing the room as I remembered the horrifying events of that night and the strange feeling I had gotten there.
"Of course not, my friend. I'm just going to race back to South Beach for the rest of my things and then hop home to deal with the issue."
"Did he say specifically what was wrong?" Amelia asked as she sat down on the plush carpet at the foot of the bed.
"I guess our club, Pixie's Thick Stick, has had some strange guests the past few weeks, and he said things were getting out of hand. That's all I know."
"Pixie's Thick Stick, huh?"
"Not my idea," Claudine grimaced. "I would have gone with something a little more subtle."
I chuckled as I asked, "So, is Perry really getting you a ride?"
"Sort-of, he'll drop me off at the end of the block so I can cross the passage without attracting any unwanted attention."
"Good thinking," Amelia quipped.
Claudine's energy changed abruptly. I turned to face her and Amelia looked up from the floor. "I really wish I was staying tonight, girls. There's something I have to tell you- and I need you to listen. Something is wrong, and I think I've finally figured out what's been bugging me here- "
Someone was knocking at the door and before she could finish her sentence Claudine was being ushered out the door by Perry. "Do you have all of your belongings?" He asked as he took her arm and guided her down the hallway to the staircase.
Murmured bits of conversation floated back to Amelia and I, who were still frozen, dumbstruck in the room. "What do you think she was going to say?" I asked.
"I don't know but I'm sure as hell not going to just sit here."
We both hurried down the stairs to try to catch up to my fairy godmother before she left. When we got to the kitchen, the guys were still there and Ethan was slumped over in his chair, his face pressed against the cool granite. "I can't believe she's gone," he murmured, "It's like they just gave me Christmas, let me hold Christmas, and then grabbed it out of my hands saying, Never mind. No Christmas for you, ever again in life."
It was then that I noticed Austin lying on the floor on the far side of the kitchen island in front of the stove. "You might as well just stuff me in the oven and turn it to six hundred degrees. I have no purpose anymore."
Holy shit, I thought. I had no idea about the side-effects of quitting Claudine cold-turkey. She is a very powerful woman.
"I take it we missed her?" I asked.
"One minute she was here, and the next minute she was gone," Austin said from a very dark place.
"Son of a…" Amelia stated.
***
My mind was focused on trying to dissect what Claudine had started to tell us as I wandered out to the pool and sat on the water's edge, kicking my legs absently in the cold water.
"Something wrong?" Adrian had appeared from the shadows of the evening.
"Maybe," I replied, noncommittally.
"Want to talk about it?" He asked as he meandered to my side on the edge of the water.
"Not right now."
"Okay." He threw an arm around my shoulders and we looked over the infinity pool to the ocean beyond.
I was very conscious of his hip pressed against mine as we took in the view. I could feel my body warming at his touch, and the breeze of the moonlit sky made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. It's full moon, I thought to myself in a peaceful state. I thought of Sam and Tray and whether they would be out gallivanting in the woods of Bon Temps tonight.
This was just so far out of my comfort zone. Who was I kidding, hanging out with the Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams high society? As the anxiety rose, so did I, and Adrian was left to stare up at me as I pushed away the panic. I needed to check in with Eric, so I ripped open the bond to try to touch him mentally. I needed the anchor to my other life.
My EPS said that he was no longer propelling through space towards me. He was near, but not near, and he felt… chastened. That was a new one, coming from Eric. Maybe he didn't care after all… I realized that I had been hoping to make him jealous, and that after everything, it didn't matter. I didn't matter. I had been fooling myself.
But there was someone here who did care. There was someone who was worried about my violent mood swings yet who seemed to want me as I am. And he was staring up at me from the side of the pool, waiting for me to break the silence.
I decided. I would not break the silence with words. I jogged to the beautiful man, who rose up meet me, recognizing the unmistakable look in my eyes. "Sookie," he began, caution in his eyes.
I beat him to the words that he never got the chance to say, wrapping my arms around the top of his hips and kissing him with all of the passion I could latch on to. I opened my eyes and found his open too. His chocolate-cherry eyes held need, wariness, and undisguised lust.
"Adrian," I whispered, as he lifted me off the ground, his mouth rediscovering the shape of my jaw, the curve of the nape of my neck. I wrapped my legs around him as he walked steadily while kissing me around the back of the house.
**…Unfortunately, as I wrote and I wrote and I wrote, I needed to set some things up, and the chapter would have been over twenty five pages long if I published it the way it was. Luckily for you, the next chapter is already finished and complete with Citrus, Viking, Ecstasy, and Intrigue!
So, I will make a deal with you: As soon as I hit 37 reviews, I will immediately publish the next chapter. Scouts Honor!**
Thanks for reading!
-SJ
