Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris

"What?" I asked quietly as we came to a standstill. The couples around us continued to move, but luckily nobody paid us too much attention.

"Sookie." My heart rate picked up as he spoke my name and not my nickname. "It has been seven months since I gave you a reason to stay. However, you still left and have not been back since. We have not seen each other in seven months. You are no closer to leaving it appears than you were in January."

Guilt swept over me as I gazed up at him. His bright blue eyes were boring down into me, making me feel like I wasn't the telepath in our relationship. His hands continued to grip my waist, holding me close to his cool body. I could see the pain written on his face, pain that I had caused.

"Okay." It was all I could think of to stay. There was no point arguing. I wanted to move back to Louisiana, arguing would just cause a problem between us and make it more difficult to move. I had to swallow my pride. It didn't mean that actually moving would be easy.

"Okay?" His face had fallen into an expression of surprise. Or rather, it was as close to surprise as Eric could get. "I was expecting stubbornness and stamping feet." I glared at him for that comment. "You never back down on anything."

"Yes, but where would the surprise be in that?" I asked just before placing a feather light kiss to his lips. I was recalling what he had said to me in the past. "You relish the fact that a human can surprise you, and I always will."

"Yes, you will. So, you are willing to return to Louisiana with me?" I had never heard so much doubt in his voice.

"Yes." It was my turn to be surprised. His arms wrapped fully around me at the same time that he picked me up. Our lips collided with heat. I could feel the press of his fangs just behind the plump flesh. My legs spun around, my dress twirling as he turned us both.

He placed me back on the floor, his hands steadying me as my mind continued to spin. A giggle tumbled from my lips. My hands were still gripping onto his shirt. "I love you, Sookie Stackhouse."

"I love you, Eric Northman." We kissed again. This time we savoured the moment and I got to feel those fangs properly. My vampire was here. It didn't matter that we had other things to worry about and that getting me to Louisiana wouldn't necessarily be easy. In that moment it didn't matter. We were at my best friend's wedding and we would enjoy the night. "Come with me." I whispered as I became aware of people watching us. I pulled back, letting my hands fall until I simply held one of his hands so that I could lead him from the wedding reception.

Nobody seemed to pay much attention to our exit, at least, no one followed us outside. The hallway where I had initially being heading wasn't empty; people were wandering around and chilled were playing in peace. I turned right, Eric half a step behind me while he held my hand. We made it outside of the house into the relative coolness of the night. The air outside still held the remnants of the sun's warmth while the moon shone above.

"What wicked things are you thinking about?" Eric whispered in my ear as I came to a halt. I spun around to face him.

"Nothing that you won't agree with," I replied, smirking. I pushed him, with my hands on his pecs, against the building. He actually moved under my hands.

"I think I can definitely agree to this." I was pulled sharply into his strong body then. "You are beautiful," he told me sincerely, staring straight into my eyes. I thanked him with a soft kiss.

"I think it's time for me to say that I've can't believe you're here." He chuckled lightly while his fingers played with the lace that covered the bodice of my dress.

"Shut up and come here." He pulled me forcefully slightly closer, causing me to lose my balance. I ended up leant against him fully, his arms taking my weight. His lips met mine with a fiery kiss. His fangs were still protruding, I could feel there needle sharp points under my tongue. The copper hint of blood was sharp in the back of my throat. I had no idea who had been nicked, and I didn't care. There wasn't enough of it to care.

"Sookie?" I heard my name in the background, yet it didn't mean much to me. I continued to kiss my vampire, not wanting to do anything else. "Sookie!" Another shout. "Sookie, put him down this instant!" The yell came through both my ears and my mind, finally sinking in.

"What?" I asked slowly as I peeled myself back from Eric. He was shoved up against the wall looking like we had been doing a lot more than just kissing. Another button on his shirt had been opened, something I didn't remember doing, leaving more of his impressive chest on show. His hair was on the dishevelled side as well, now that I did remember messing up.

"What? You run away from my wedding without an explanation and I find you outside necking with a vampire! Hello, Eric, by the way, nice to see you again. And thanks for the cars." Amelia barely glanced at Eric, her eyes were staring at me. She stepped forward, away from the light of the porch.

"He just turned up and I didn't think you'd miss me for a few minutes." Behind me I could feel Eric shaking slightly with silent laughter. I felt like a teenager having been caught with a boy in her room. Or rather, I felt like I imagined that was like.

"Sookie, you created a stir in there and then you disappear for nearly twenty minutes!" I really hadn't planned on being gone for that long. "I thought I'd lost you for the night. Perhaps that you'd even gone to go and get a room." Of course, Eric chose that moment to pipe up.

"Actually, that is quite a brilliant idea, Amelia." We both turned around to glare at him, which only made him shake harder. I nudged him in the ribs.

"Sorry, I didn't realise we'd caught that much attention."

"It's fine, I don't really care about that." She huffed. "Now, I need you to come and help me pee." With that she turned around on her heels, expecting me to follow.

"I'll come find you in a few minutes." I kissed my vampire's lips quickly, not daring to do anything more for fear of getting lost in the moment again. Luckily he didn't do anything more than let the hand that had been resting on my back, lower so that he could feel my ass. I ignored the movement and went dashing to catch up with Amelia.

I didn't meet her until the private bathroom for the bridal party's use. She was already leaning against the vanity table, her arms folded across her chest. I locked the door swiftly behind myself.

"That was priceless!" She giggled after a few seconds, breaking the silence.

"Did you know Eric was coming?" I asked, as I stepped toward her.

"I had my suspicions but I didn't actually know. He called me up just after we got back from Greece asking a few questions about you. I didn't pay it much attention." I helped her with her dress and only after we'd got through the awkward situation did we resume our conversation. "By the way, what the hell did he do to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, having no idea what she was talking about. My hand went up to feel the lower half of my face. Eric's chin was covered in a little more stubble than normal, yet my face didn't feel hot to the touch. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that I had avoided stubble burn, so far.

"Your dress." Amelia was back to huffing as she made me spin around. Her nimble hands made quick work of putting my dress back to how it was. The black lace that overlaid the matte satin of the dress had been upturned slightly at the edge, where it ended at my lower back. The zipper had also been pulled down a couple of inches. I was lucky not to have had the dress fall down on me. I wasn't entirely sure how I hadn't noticed it previously. "That's better." I smoothed down the front of the sapphire satin myself. "Do I need any touch ups?"

"You're perfect." I replied, telling the truth. Her hair was still in place and so far there wasn't a single thing marring her dress.

"Good. Now, I'm going to get back to my wedding party. Me and Tray will be retiring to our room soon and I want to make the most of being able to make him dance." She grinned cheekily, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You aren't allowed to disappear again. I don't care what you do after you're gone. Just try and keep your hands in respectable places until later." We both laughed at that, knowing that I had been saying similar things to her only a couple of hours ago.

"Okay, okay. Let's get back out there. I hate to think what the guys will be up to unattended."

We exited the restroom, Amelia leading the way. We didn't have far to go until we got some answers. Through some open double doors into the main room we could see Tray at the bar, downing a pint with Alcide while they shared a laugh. Amelia went on ahead, likely to tell Tray to calm down his drinking. Eric was leaning casually against a wall a few metres away.

I took the time as I walked to take him in. He was dressed in jet black jeans that I knew would hug his ass perfectly and a matching black dress shirt, open low at his neck. The hair that I loved so much was gelled back. It was also back in place after I had mussed it up. He looked perfectly content leaning against the wall, ankles crossed and one hand in his pocket.

"Hey," I greeted him.

"Hello, Lover." He pulled me into a tight hug, his hands once again dropping low. "Do you think this is respectable enough?" I slapped his chest lightly.

"Just exactly, how much of that did you hear?"

"The end part. How we are supposed to stay respectable and not leave until after they do." His hands stayed moved slightly higher, to my lower back. However, he bent down so that he could bury his nose in my curled hair and kiss down my neck. "I think I may be able to keep to her wishes."

"I don't think this is entirely what she meant, Eric." Even as my words almost chastised his movements, my head turned to the side, exposing more of my neck to his lips. "We should probably rejoin the party. Kids were playing out here earlier too."

"If you say so. I have a question." I took the time it took him to speak to step away slightly. Distance would be the key to surviving a few hours so close together without being alone for a couple of hours.

"What's up?" I gently pulled one of his hands away from my back and held it.

"Do you have your own room here? I was unable to make reservations in this establishment and had to settle for a bed and breakfast down the street."

"Yes, I do. Now come on, or Amelia will come looking for us again." I tugged on his hand slightly, finally getting him to move away from the wall. "Where is all of your stuff?" Although Eric was content with simple things, it wasn't like him to turn up with nothing.

"At the bed and breakfast. I can collect everything tomorrow night."

I braced myself as we entered the room that was still heaving with people having a good time. Cameras flashed as people danced and children played. Women were starting to dance without their high heels and men had finally taken off their bow ties and jackets. I pulled Eric in the direction of the bar where Amelia was still standing with Tray and Alcide.

"I was just about to come and drag you back in here," Amelia stated by way of a greeting. I shot Eric a 'I told you so' glance.

"We're here now, don't worry. Right. Tray, this is Eric. Eric, this is Amelia's new husband Tray." The two of them had never actually met although I was sure they'd both heard lots about the other. They shook hands swiftly, and I had to smile my appreciation at Eric for conforming slightly to the English greeting. Eric wasn't a big fan of contact with humans or vampires. I appeared to be the major exception. I then turned to Alcide who appeared slightly surprised. "And this is Alcide, the best man. Alcide, this is my," I paused slightly, not entirely sure what to call Eric. "My Eric." I finally settled with. Alcide extended his arm out and I couldn't help noticing that his shirt sleeve was pushed up, showing off the fine play of muscles in his deeply tanned forearm. As soon as Eric's cold hand was in his I saw those muscles tense. I barely managed to keep my laugh contained at the thought of him trying to show off. It was so completely pointless.

"How you doin'." Alcide said as he pulled his arm back, stretching out his fingers a few times.

"Would you like a drink, Lover?" Eric asked as he stepped up the bar.

"My usual please," I replied. "Do they even sell blood here?" I hadn't noticed any when I had been to the bar earlier, although I hadn't really been checking. A moment later we had our answer as the bar tender placed a bottle of Life Flow in front of Eric alongside my gin and tonic.

"Only this," Eric replied with distaste. I had always known that he didn't enjoy drinking synthetic blood, much preferring human blood. However, he could and would drink it when situations called for it. His favourite brand was also True Blood. He was lucky the place sold any kind. Eric handed me my drink and returned to his position by my side, his arm slung casually around my shoulders.

"You're a vampire?" Alcide spluttered, staring at the bottled blood that Eric had just taken a sip from. Three sets of eyes turned to Alcide, staring in disbelief.

"Yes," Eric replied, amusement clear on his face. He took another, slow chug of his drink as if to prove his point. When he was finished he even smiled at the best man, his teeth stained slightly with pink. His fangs were out again.

"How didn't you know, man?" Tray asked. "I know you've never met, but really?"

"I guess I never put it together. Besides, you guys never said it!" With that Alcide picked up his pint and wandered away, his tail between his legs.

"Men." Amelia gruffly stated. "When did you get here Eric?"

"I landed at dusk but then I had to drive here. Did you have a pleasant wedding?"

"So far yes, it's been amazing. Right, Tray, let's dance. I love this song." The happy couple disappeared into the crowd, heading toward the dance floor leaving us alone.

"Would you like to dance as well?" Eric asked.

"In a few minutes." I rested my head against his shoulder. His delicious scent enveloped me.

"Did you get the tan from only a few days in Greece?" His eyes were travelling across my bare shoulders.

"Yes. I'm a true Southern Girl, it doesn't take much for my tan to come back." He bent down against and breathed in deeply, his nose lightly touching my skin.

"You still smell of the sun and the ocean. Delicious." His tongue darted out to lick my skin quickly. "Delectable." He placed a soft kiss against the same spot.

"We still can't disappear." I told him regretfully, wanting nothing more than to build on that kiss.

"I know. However, the anticipation can be part of the fun." He placed another kiss, this time just behind my ear. "I love how you react to even the lightest touch." The tips of his fingers ghosted along my shoulder blades. "I can hear your heart gallop in your chest and your breath catch in your throat."

"Can I evoke the same reaction from you?" I queried aloud as I turned to face him more. In my heels my lips were level with the unbuttoned part of his shirt. I leaned in slowly until I was almost touching his skin. I released my breath slowly, sending out the warm air against his cool flesh. My hands danced up his sides, my fingers tracing each defined muscle. I kissed his chest, keeping my eyes open and staring up into his face. His eyes shut lightly and a single drop of blood escaped from his lip where a fang had pierced the skin. I rose up to kiss the blood from his mouth.

"Yes," he replied in answer to my question.

"Good, now let's dance." I turned around swiftly, sending the skirt of my dress twirling. I didn't glance behind me to see if Eric was following me. It was only as I reached the dance floor and I was roughly twisted around into Eric's arms that I knew for sure he had followed. With my body pressed against his, I could feel exactly how I affected him.

"You do not walk away after that." One hand gripped my chin, keeping my face upturned as soft lips crashed into mine.

"Well, I had to prove that I could still effect you," I replied through my smirk.

"It didn't need to be proven." This time his words were accompanied by a small growl that I could feel through his chest.

"Maybe, but I had fun doing it. I think you did too." I stepped in closer, resting my head against his chest and holding him tight. "Now, I am just going to enjoy this."

"Okay, Lover." I felt him kiss my temple before resting his head on the top of my head.

That was how we stayed for the next couple of hours. I didn't care what we danced to, most of the time I wasn't paying any attention anyway. All I cared about was no longer missing my man. I had him with me, in my arms and we were happy. For one glorious part of one wonderful evening we were happy. Real life didn't come into it, we had issues to face but I didn't let them cloud my mind. The only thing that stopped us was my feet hurting. It got to the point where I couldn't put it out of my mind any longer and I had to slip my heels off.

"I love this," I whispered quietly. My eyes were gently closed, cutting off as much of our surroundings as possibly. Eric's still and silent chest was pressed against my ear.

"Hmm?" He hummed in return, continuing to keep us swaying to the slow beat of the song.

"This. Us two being together."

"Then come back with me." We came to a standstill, still holding each other.

"I will. Just don't spoil this moment with reality. Give me this time." I buried my nose into his chest and placed a gentle kiss onto a bare patch of skin. Under my touch I felt his heart starting to beat in time with my own. He didn't say a word; instead he squeezed me a little tighter and moved us both to the beat.

"If everyone can gather around, the bride and groom are leaving," the DJ announced over the speaker system. I placed another kiss on Eric's chest and then finally pulled away. The cheek that had been pressed against him was cold and my fingers were tingling.

"Come on, Lover." Eric took my hand in his and pulled me over to the doors where the newlyweds would be leaving. He even paused to pick up my shoes, carrying them in his spare hand.

We gathered around with the rest of the wedding guests in a small semi circle around the double doors that lead to the patio. It was the same patio next to which Amelia had caught us earlier. We were standing at the front, next to the door frame. Eric was behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist so that his hands could rest on my hips. He really wasn't intending on letting me go.

"Okay, thanks to everyone for coming today. I had a fantastic day! Now, we're going to go and hopefully we won't see you all for breakfast. Let's see who is going to be the next bride!" With those last words, Amelia still looking beautiful, turned around so that her back was to the gathered crowd. "Good luck!" She let her bouquet go, with a sharp fling over her shoulder. I watched as it fell through the air, knowing that even if I was the one to catch it, I definitely wouldn't be the one to get married next. It was doubtful I would ever walk down an aisle in a gorgeous white dress to my man standing at the altar. It didn't bother me like it would have done a few years ago; I didn't need a wedding to be happy.

The scrabble in the end was won by one of Amelia's younger cousins. Her smile lit her face up like a light bulb and the first thing she did was turn to her boyfriend in the crowd, arms outstretched.

Amelia and Tray disappeared into the darkness of the night and to their waiting car. Only a few people knew that they were only going to be driving around the house before going in the back to get to the bridal suite. As soon as the headlights disappeared from their car, everyone began to disperse. Some people headed back into the reception room, some headed toward the stairs for their rooms while some even went to the parking lot to leave.

"They made a good choice on the cars." Eric stated quietly as we remained standing off to one side while people moved around.

"You helped."

"Yes, however Amelia still made the final decision herself."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day where you were slightly humble about something." I felt and heard his chuckle. "Right, we are officially allowed to do what the hell we want. Would you like to see my room?" I turned in time to see the cheeky smile grace his face.

"Are you sure you can't read my mind?" I slapped his chest lightly and turned away, letting him follow me.

"I don't need to be a telepath to read your mind right now." My bedroom door was safely locked behind us only two minutes afterward. "I am exhausted." I sighed out as I leant against the door.

"How exhausted are you suggesting?" Eric was, somehow smoothly, sliding off his shoes.

"Don't worry, handsome. It's been seven months for me, too. Now, come here." I held my arms open for him. He stalked toward me slowly, his eyes taking in everything.

As soon as his hands were on me there was a frantic entangling of our bodies. My back hit the door with a thud, and only Eric's hand behind my head stopped my skull from smashing into the wood too. Without thinking, my legs wrapped around Eric's waist, my dress ended up bunched up on my thighs. All I could think about was Eric. I wanted him closer.

Eric's hands reached behind my back when I arched into him. His nimble fingers made quick work of the zipper of my dress. As soon as there was room, I pulled my dress down, revealing my breasts. I had foregone a bra due to how tight my dress was, and I was glad I had made that decision. The growl that roared from Eric's chest told me that he appreciated the decision as well.

"How attached to this dress are you?" He asked as he sucked a mound of my flesh into his mouth. I would definitely end up bruising.

"You can't destroy it," I managed to mumble out around a moan.

"Fine," he growled out, frustrated. "Legs down." He pushed my legs down, unhooking them from around his waist. As soon as my legs were down the dress slid to the floor, where it landed in a pool.

"Not fair." I told him, even as I wrapped my legs back around his hips.

"What?" He asked, his voice deliciously deep.

"You're still dressed." I kissed the smirk off his face. My hands worked on unbuttoning his shirt until I gave up and simply tore his shirt open. "And you're still in your pants." Before I got a chance to unfasten the buttons on his jeans, his hands had already done the job.

"Better?" He asked just as his lips captured mine again. Our tongues danced together, teasing as toyed with the sharp points of his fangs.

"Almost." I pushed his jeans down, just enough.

Our foreheads clashed together as we stared at each other. There would be time to savour each other later, for now it was simply a need to be connected again. I didn't have to say another word. Eric thrust powerfully into me, pushing my back up against the door. Eric's face was like nothing I had seen before. His eyes were darker than ever, yet sparkling with desire. His expression one of pure passion, the kind you can only have for the one you love.

My eyes slid shut and my head lolled back. "Fuck," I sighed, not finding any other word to convey everything that I was feeling and needing. I opened my eyes just in time to see Eric bite into his lip. I had no idea whether he had actually intended to break skin or whether he was just caught up in the moment. I didn't care. I pulled his head toward mine and kissed him. I was pinned against the door, and each second, each bruising thrust sent me closer to oblivion. I'd be damned if I wasn't going to take my man with me.

I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth, letting them sink in slightly, yet not quite enough to break the skin further. His previous cut had almost healed over but, as I sucked his lip I was able to draw out one final drop. The sharp metalic taste hit my tongue. I savoured the taste for what it meant. Surrounding my body I could feel Eric almost quivering.

"Bite me." I turned my head to the side slightly, exposing more of my neck. He didn't hesitate. I got a glimpse of sharp white teeth, his lips pulled back and then oblivion.

"Fuck," I repeated. My head lolling back this time for entirely different reasons. One of Eric's hands had moved so that my head wouldn't hit the wood. My legs were still wrapped around his hips which was good, considering I could barely feel them, let alone move them.

"That sums it up," Eric replied, his voice still gloriously deep. "Are you okay?" He asked softly between kisses placed over the small puncture wounds on my neck. His free hand gently roamed my body, almost as if he was doing it subconsciously, checking for himself that I was okay.

"Really?" I asked, opening one eye to gaze at him. I still didn't lift my head. My heart was still hammering away and my breaths were coming in gasps, even after standing there simply holding each other for a couple of minutes.

"Okay." A small, cheeky smile graced his lips. "Shower?"

"Shower." A shower sounded wonderful. It would help to wash away my forming bruises and the aches from the day, not to mention the sticky situation we had create.

"Okay, Lover. Arms up." I didn't know why he was asking me, but I couldn't find enough motivation to actually question him. Instead I simply raised my arms straight up above my head. Then, quick as a cat, he stepped back slightly so that the only thing holding me up was a hand on my lower back. The dress was whipped up and over my head, finally leaving me naked. Next he prised my legs from around his hips and manoeuvred me until he was carrying me bridal style. I had no idea when he got rid of the remainder of his clothes, but by the time he placed me, standing, under the spray of the hot water, they were gone.

The water felt magnificent against my skin and knotting muscles. As water cascaded down over my body, Eric began to softly massage shower cream onto my body. His magic fingers eased away any remaining tension and kept any pain at bay.

"Thank- you for coming, Eric." I told him sincerely. I was leaning back into his chest while he skilfully massaged one of my arms.

"Surely it should be me thanking you for that, Lover." I didn't have to see him to know that he was smirking. I lightly tapped his cheek, the most I could muster in the way of a lightly chastising smack. "Well, my patience has limits. I admit now, that if you do not come back with me soon I will kidnap you." I giggled at the thought. I could just picture him throwing me over one of his shoulders and marching me to an airport. He'd probably even throw in a good ass grope for good measure.

"Is it possible to kidnap the willing?" I retorted, earning myself a kiss on the head.

"I am not sure. I am willing to find out."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Now, I think I am squeaky clean and definitely ready for bed." I stepped away from his chest and toward the shower door. I glanced back over my shoulder. "Care to join me, Mr Northman?"

I take back what I said about Friday night. The bed which I had considered luxurious was actually infinitely better when I had my vampire to snuggle up to. It wasn't really until after the sun had risen that I was able to attest to how comfortable it was to sleep in. By the time that I actually crawled out of bed, smiling as I recognised my aches and pains, I was starving and I had missed breakfast. Hell, I'd missed lunch. I took another quick shower, found some clean clothes from my suitcase and then went in search of food.

It was a complement to the level of customer service at the hotel that when I turned up at the small restaurant between set meal times that I was actually served. I ended up ordering pancakes of both savoury and sweet varieties to sate my appetite. Once I'd finished eating, I only had a couple of hours before dusk. I scampered over to the hotel Eric had been forced to check into using Tray's car. Since I'd performed a little bit of robbery and borrowed Eric's wallet I was able to show some identification and check him out of his room. Everything had already been paid for and there were no extra charges considering he hadn't used the room except to place his things. It turned out he was actually checked in there for another couple of nights, probably just in case something cropped up. After telling the clerk that it was fine and I didn't need a refund on the room several times, I finally got out of there and back to my own hotel.

I managed to crawl back into bed just in time for Eric to wake up. I knew exactly when he woke. Although I couldn't read his mind, there was something about our connection that let me know precisely when he was there. He didn't open his eyes. Instead his wandering hands clasped my hips and moved up my back until he was giving me a massive hug.

"Can't breathe," I squeaked out around a laugh. His arms relaxed just enough for me to breathe normally.

"Good evening, Lover." His eyes finally opened.

"Hi." I placed a soft kiss on his bare chest.

"Did you have a pleasant day?" We rolled over onto our sides, facing each other with our legs intertwined.

"I didn't have much of a day, really." When I saw his confused expression I explained further. "I slept most of it away since we were up all night. I went by your hotel room and got your stuff." I waved in the general direction that I'd put his small bag.

"Thank- you." He reached behind and grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand. "Ah." I glanced at the screen which was showing several missed calls and some text messages. "It seems Pam is curious as to what has happened." He pressed several buttons and a list of all the missed calls came up, each one from Pam. The texts came next, each one getting progressively more irate. He locked the phone and discarded it again. "She will be asleep. I take care of her later."

"Question for you."

"Hmm?" He seemed preoccupied burying his nose into my hair.

"When did you decide to fly out here? Because, Amelia said something on the plane back from Greece that it would be your style to fly out and kidnap me." I felt rather than heard him chuckle.

"It seems Amelia knows me better than we would have thought. It was an impulsive decision. I was bored a couple of nights ago at the bar. I went on the Anubis website and booked a flight for the next night." I had a feeling I knew why Pam had been trying to get in touch with him so incessantly.

"And what did you happen to tell Pam about this impulsive jaunt across the pond?" One of my favourite cheeky grins crossed his face.

"She was not working the night I booked the flight so I called her from the airport to tell her I was going to London for a while." His grin stretched out, lighting up his face.

"And you wonder why she's trying to figure out what the hell is going on." I made a mental note to call Pam as soon as it was dusk in Louisiana. It was that reminder that we couldn't live in our little bubble that made me start asking the questions about his plan. "So, I'm coming home with you."

"Yes." There was no arguing.

"How?"

"I will continue to pay rent to your landlord, plus a sum to cover for inconveniences, until a new tenant is found. Tomorrow night I have a meeting with the King of London. He will discover exactly how convincing I can be." I didn't believe it would be quite that simple. Nothing was ever simple when it came to vampires.

"Just exactly how do you plan on doing that?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I can be quite charming."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Now, let's not get distracted. I'm not having you paying my rent for me. If I was willing to let you do that, we could have done this awhile ago." I would have folded my arms across my chest if I could, given my current position I settled on pouting.

"You can pay me back, overtime, if you wish." It didn't escape my notice that a small smile flickered across his lips and his eyes sparkled. He was up to something.

"Fine. But I will pay you back every penny." I would have to keep tabs on him, or he would try and weasel his way out of the deal.

"For tonight, we should head back into the city and sort out your possessions." The thought of moving from the bed didn't exactly appeal to me, however I knew we would have to start working on his plan. I may have a small apartment, but I had a lot of stuff. Not to mention everyone that I would have to say goodbye.

"Fine." Instead of actually moving, I rested my head on his chest.

"You are wearing my necklace." I glanced up at him, slightly confused by his statement. Of course I was wearing his necklace.

"Yeah, why?" I gripped the little anchor between my thumb and finger. I doubt he would ever quite know just how much it meant to me when he left me his necklace.

"I did not know that you still wore it." He brushed my hair back over my shoulders.

"Of course I do. I don't normally take it off. You saw me wearing it at Christmas." I stared up at him. The soft smile on his face made my heart melt.

"Yes, but that was merely a month after I had given it to you. I also did not see you wearing it last night." Ah. He had thought I had stopped wearing it. I kissed his bare chest and snuggled a little closer.

"That was only because Amelia wouldn't let me wear it. It was safely tucked away in bag. I put it on as soon as I woke up this morning. I'll always wear it. It means a hell of a lot to me." This time I reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"You have no idea quite how much I wish we could stay in this bed all night." His hands cupped my head, holding me in place as he kissed me again. I could feel the hard press of his fangs. Desire flooded through me and I knew he would instantly be able to tell.

"I might have a general idea," I giggled in reply, letting my hands wander down his body.

"Maybe. However, we really do need to get up."

"Oh, I thought you were already up." I actually managed to keep a straight face.

"God, woman. You are almost as bad as me. It seems I have been a bad influence on you." He nipped at my skin, not quite enough to cause any damage.

"Yes. Don't you just love it?" I rolled away swiftly, before he had a chance to hold me tightly in place.

"Not when we do not have the option to stay here." He caught me with an arm around my waist just as I was about to roll off the bed. "Come here." He pulled me back into his chest. His large body enveloped mine as he placed kisses on my neck, holding me tight. I laughed, struggling weakly. I didn't really want to get away. "Hmm." He growled. "Let us leave this as a promise for later." With that we kissed once more, harsh and fast. Then he was gone. I rolled over just in time to see his perfect ass as he walked toward his bag.

So what did you think? Was it worth the wait? Wait until you guys read the next one. I think you might hate me.

Sorry about the long break, I've been away and then busy with the NFL game in London. Suffice to say it was a very busy time and I have exams starting in about 6 weeks.

See you all next week,

LF91

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