Okay, next chapter up. Probably only one more chapter left and then maybe a short epilogue.
I've loved writing this, and I thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to read it. I love you all!
Eric
"Are you cold?" I asked Sookie after she shivered, her skin showing the tell-tale goose bumps on her skin.
We'd been both lying completely naked in each other's arms for a while, still on the sofa where I'd laid her down when first entering the house.
"A little," she told me with a grin, "I should probably put some clothes on."
"Not a chance," I growled, pinning her down on to the sofa. "I like you naked. I think it should be illegal for you to wear clothes when it's just the two of us."
She laughed. "Fine, but the heating bill will be through the roof."
"Oh I can find plenty of ways to keep you warm!"
I leaned down and kissed her softly, stroking my hand along the smooth skin of her belly. I took the time to look around the room, taking in my surroundings for the first time. It was a large, comfortable room with two large dark red sofas dominating the space, with a cream coloured carpet, and a huge flat screen TV to the left of a large feature fireplace.
"Does that thing work?" I asked Sookie, nodding my head towards the fireplace where the empty grate was, a basket of logs next to it.
"Yeap, I had it swept when I moved in though haven't had the time to light it yet."
"Can I?"
"Of course, as long as it means you can stay naked as well."
"Oh I insist on that. I am Swedish after all, being naked is second nature to us."
"I'm not going to complain about that!" She giggled as she slapped my ass as I got up off the sofa. "Just be careful with those crown jewels!"
"I know what I'm doing, woman!"
I rolled my eyes, walked over to the fireplace, and began arranging the wood, kindling and firelighters in the grate to get it going. Once it was ablaze, I indicated for Sookie to join me on the rug and placed a couple of pillows on the floor for extra comfort. She came and laid next to me, her leg over mine and an arm over my chest gently drawing patterns over my chest and tracing the outline of the tattoo on my arm.
"You never did get that nipple piercing," she told me as she gave said nipple a tight squeeze.
"Neither did you, and you were the one that had the chance to. Surprisingly enough they're not big on people getting anything pierced while in jail. You could have got yours done." I raised a challenging eyebrow at her.
"True, but I'd want to go with you if I was to get a tattoo or piercing."
"Let's do it then, before Christmas. You'd looked so fucking hot with it done, although you're seeing a woman, there is no way I am allowing a man to see your breasts."
"Possessive much?"
"Very. You're mine, Sookie. No other man is allowed to see any part of you." She let out a squeal as I pushed her onto her back and straddled her. "I love you, Sook. And I wouldn't be here without you, so I thank you for all you have done for me."
I leant down and kissed her softly on the lips, my body pinning hers to the soft rug beneath us. She placed both of her hands on my ass and squeezed tightly. "You know it's all completely selfish. I'm not sure I could do this without you. You're everything to me, Eric. You made my world a better place to be in."
I kissed her again and rolled off her onto my side to I could observe her whole body. "We're close to getting sappy here, you realise that?"
"You're worth it," she told me tracing the tattoo over my heart again. "What about Lucie?"
I sighed deeply. "Felicia's going to be trouble. She's refusing me access to her."
"She can't do that, surely?"
"I'd like to think not, but I am an ex-con and you couldn't blame the courts for not wanting to give me access to her."
"Yeah, but that's her fault in the first place."
"I'm not too sure the courts would see it that way," I admitted solemnly, "I knew what I was doing even if she was the reason behind my actions."
"We can employ the best lawyers in Boston. Cope will know who to use."
"You're not paying for this," I warned her.
She sat up and looked at me. "Of course I am. I love you, Eric, and your troubles are my troubles. And having a kick-ass lawyer is going to help. I'm not going to let you go through this on your own. I've been here for you so far, and I'm sticking by you like glue. Everything I have is also yours. You would feel the same if our roles were reversed."
I couldn't deny that. But then I was the man of the relationship, it was meant to be me looking after and providing for her, not the other way around. I knew she would accuse me of being stubborn for not accepting her help, and I probably was, but I didn't want to have to rely on her.
"I'll pay you back," I conceded.
She rolled her eyes before taking my head between her hands. "Have you not listened to a word I've been saying? You complete pain in the ass!" She was waiting for a response but I wasn't sure what the correct one was, so I remained quiet. "Everything I have is yours. I may not be legally married to you, but I want to share everything with you."
"I know you do, Sookie, and I …"
She cut me off with a kiss on the lips. "Quiet," she instructed in a very sexy teacher-like tone. "I may have been selfish when I was younger, and I know that the reason I stayed with Bill – despite knowing of his cheating – was that I was happy with the lifestyle he gave me, even if I didn't like him. I liked the money, and I admit that I was a spoiled rich girl."
"Sookie…" I started in protest, but she silenced me again.
"I said, be quiet." She kissed me once more, pulling my bottom lip into hers. "You changed everything for me. You made me realise there is more out there than money. And now that I have you, I couldn't give a shit about what cash I have in the bank or what I own. You are all I need. I want you to be happy, and if my money can be put to good use in achieving that, then that in itself will make me happy."
I could see her sincerity and perfectly understood her logic. I would admit to myself that it was difficult for me to allow her to look after her in that way; my neanderthal instincts were making me want to be the one to look after her. But if me accepting what she was offering would make her happy, I would do it for that reason alone.
"Fine," I conceded. "But I have one condition." I sat upright so I was face to face with her.
"And that is?" she raised an eyebrow at me.
"I want you to marry me. Legally that is."
She gave me a beautiful smile. "Are you proposing to me, Mr Northman?"
"I am. And I'd give you a ring if you weren't already wearing it!"
She looked down at her hand and then pulled off both of the rings she was wearing and handed them back to me. Taking her hint, I took off my own wedding ring and added them to hers. I looked back up into her eyes to see this glistening with the slight moisture of tears. I placed the two wedding rings on the floor between us and turned so that I was kneeling on one knee in front of her.
"Marry me?"
"Of course I will."
I leaned forward and kissed her while sliding the engagement ring back on her finger where it belonged. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and pulled me close to her, nibbling on my neck as she pressed her body into me.
"I want to do it soon," she told me when she pulled back to look me in the eyes. "As in before Christmas."
I couldn't help but grin at her and I kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm more than happy with that. We'll make it simple, just you, me, Pam and Amelia. And possibly Cope if he wants to." I couldn't believe that we were doing this for real. While in jail I'd always thought of her as my wife, but it was right to make it legal. "Unless, you want anyone else to attend?"
"I have some other friends who could come, but let's make it us four and then have some kind of celebration in the new year. A new beginning for us."
"I'd second that," I agreed with her.
She looked beautiful as she looked into the firelight, the room darkening as the evening approached. "Is it clichéd to ask you to make love to me in front of the fire?"
I grinned at her since I was thinking the same thing. "Probably, but who really cares?"
She pushed me back onto the rug and sat straddling me, my hands shooting straight to her hips. She leaned forward to kiss me, her blonde hair falling around us and mixing with mine. Her lips were soft yet demanding, soft moans escaping her mouth as my hands ran over her body.
It again seemed that foreplay was going to be cut short as she lifted herself to place my very hard cock at her entrance and began to slowly move back onto me. Her pace was agonisingly slow and we both hissed with pleasure when she was all the way done.
No words needed to be spoken; our eyes were saying it all.
Our pace picked up, but it was never frantic. We kissed each other and whispered words of love as she slowly moved over me, my orgasm growing slowly. I moved a hand between us to rub her clit as we moved, her moans increasing as soon as I did.
"I love you, Eric," she told me between kisses.
"I love you more."
It didn't take too long before we were both moaning in pleasure, each other's names on our lips as we came. When sated, Sookie collapsed onto my chest and nuzzled her head into my neck as I ran a finger up and down her spine.
"Want to see the rest of the house?" she eventually asked after we'd been lying in each other's arms for about an hour, the fire starting to die down in the grate.
"Much as I'd be more than happy to stay here forever, I'd love to see the rest of the house. Can I stipulate that the kitchen sounds like a good idea? I'm kind of peckish" I had to admit to being rather hungry.
"Too much sex can do that to you!"
"Too much? I'm not sure that's possible. But I am hungry."
"There's some pasta salad in the fridge that I made this morning. I'll get you some."
She climbed off me and we pulled our clothes back on before she offered me a hand as she led me out of the living room, down a carpeted hallway and into the large kitchen that I imagined would have views into a garden but the night sky didn't allow me to see it at that time.
"The garden's gorgeous," she told me, obviously sensing where my thoughts were.
"I look forward to seeing it," I admitted as I wrapped an arm around her front and pulling her to me so her back was against my chest. "Maybe one day our own children will be running around on the lawn." I loved the thought of children with Sookie and could imagine the blue-eyed, blonde-haired children that the two of us would produce.
I was brought out of my daydream by Sookie gasping loudly and spinning in my arms to face me.
"What is it?" I asked, all of a sudden feeling very concerned. "Sookie, tell me!"
"I'm not on any birth control. I had the shot while I was with Bill, but I haven't had anything since."
I placed a hand on the side of her face and brushed her cheek with my thumb. "Do you not want children?" I was really hoping me telling her that I was thinking about our children hadn't freaked her out.
"Of course I want them! I just thought that …" she trailed off, not finishing her sentence and looking guiltily up at me.
"You thought I would object because I have a daughter already?"
"Something like that. It's not something we've ever discussed." A stray tear fell from her eyes, which I wiped away.
"Sookie, please don't be upset. To have children with you … I don't even know how to begin to describe what I would feel. Lover, there is nothing more in this world that I would want more besides you. I want us to have children together if you do. I will always love Lucie, even if I don't think much of her mother. She'll always be my daughter and nothing will change the way I feel about her. But if you want this, I want this as well."
"I do," she admitted, another tear falling down her cheek.
"It doesn't have to be now. We can buy a whole truckload of condoms to use until you can get the shot again or go on the pill."
"But I do want this now." She looked up and smiled at me. "I want us to try."
I wrapped my arms around her body, a broad grin on my face. "Well, we'd better keep up with the sex then!"
"Like you need any excuse!" she scolded, hitting my arm gently. "Come on, let's get you fed so I can show you the rest of the house."
"You just want to have sex with me again!" I gave her a grin.
She rolled her eyes. "No, I think I can manage a few minutes without sex! I just don't want you to pass out."
Sookie filled plates with her pasta salad and freshly made bread and we ate in a comfortable silence as I considered how great the day had been.
I'd been counting down the minutes to being out for weeks leading up to my eventual release, and I had never known time to go slower. It was as if the world had been paused, every minute feeling like a hundred. I did all I could to make sure that I was released as quickly as possible, keeping my head down and staying out of trouble. Even when a few inmates made comments about Sookie or Pam coming to visit me, I remained quiet and didn't let their comments land me in trouble. Not that they didn't piss me off, because they did, but I knew my best chance of getting out early was to remain under the radar.
Once fed, Sookie first showed me the downstairs of our new home. There was a formal dining room with a large dark wooden table and matching chairs, a comfortable looking den, a laundry room and a room, which I was pleased to see, had been converted into a small gym. She then led me up stairs, showing me each of the bedrooms and bathrooms in turn before leading us to the master bedroom and bath.
"So this is us," she told me as she took my hand and led me into the room.
The room was large with a huge bed dominating the room, and one that had obviously been bought with my height in mind. The walls were predominantly a pale brown colour, with the wall behind the bed painted in a dark red, the sheets on the bed matching the red. The girl knew my favourite colour, that was for sure.
"You like it?"
"I do." I ran my hand along a dark wood chest of drawers and smiled at her.
"Want to see the bathroom?" her tone was suggestive so I followed her to the door at the side of the room.
"Sounds like a plan."
The bathroom was huge and tastefully decorated in white and pale blue. There was a large shower that could very easily house us both and a huge, already-filled tub that looked particularly inviting. Sookie, obviously reading my mind, took a step towards the tub and started undressing herself. I watched in awe as she peeled off her clothes, tested the temperature of the water and then stepped into the tub.
"You're over-dressed for this," she told me with a smirk.
"I was enjoying watching you, but I'm more than willing to join you."
I did as she asked, her eyes one me as I stripped again, my clothes joining hers on the bathroom floor before I stepped in next to her and pulled her tight to me. I relaxed in the water, allowing the hot water to soothe my muscles. I laid my head back on the edge of the tub and closed my eyes. It was amazing to think that I finally had her with me, that I could be alone with her with our whole futures in front of us.
"You okay?" she asked me after we'd both been silent for a while.
"Just thinking."
"About?" she prompted.
"How lucky I am that things have worked out. I was in such a low place when I left you in North Carolina. I couldn't see how anything would ever work: my plans had failed, I had no money, I thought my sister was dead and I'd left behind the one woman who could make things better for me."
"But now?"
"Now," I looked down and smiled at her as she snuggled up closer to me, her leg hitching over mine. "Now I have it all."
My mood darkened slightly as I thought of Felicia and Lucie, and it annoyed me that she was still a presence in my life. I wanted to be there for Lucie but I didn't trust my ex-wife and I had a bad feeling about her. She'd been too quiet since I saw her in the first few weeks in jail and I had a feeling she was up to something.
"What is it?" Sookie asked, sensing my change in mood.
I didn't want to ruin the good thing we had going, but I couldn't lie to her. "I just don't trust Felicia. It still bothers me how she knew about my hearing. I cannot work out how she would have known. And then there was both our mail going missing in the first few weeks … Something just doesn't seem right."
I gently stroked her hair as she was thinking to herself. I wished I could know what was going on inside her head as her face looked so serious.
"Fuck!" she eventually hissed, moving sharply in the water causing some to splash over the edge of the tub.
"What? You've thought of something?" I had no idea whatsoever what she'd thought of.
"Portia Bellefleur."
"I recognise the name from somewhere, who is she?"
"Bill's cousin. I never knew quite what she did, but she's something high up in the legal system here. Bill's girlfriend Lorena, the one he had the kids with, she lived in Boston as well and knew Portia well. I can't quite think why there would be a connection between them and Felicia, but it's possible there is. Portia's brother Andy is also a high-ranking cop here."
I didn't like what Sookie was telling me, something didn't sit right and I had a bad feeling that Felicia was somehow involved with Bill's family.
"Felicia's ex-husband was called Russell, and he worked for Bill. In fact, she met him through Bill."
"You think they're somehow involved together; that she was involved with Bill and his family?"
"I thought it before, and after what you've suggested, I think it may be likely."
We both sat quietly for a few moments, processing the information we'd discovered. I didn't know what this meant, but it couldn't be good. If Bill's cousin was high up in the Boston legal system and a friend of Felicia's she could stand in the way of me getting any access to Lucie.
"What can we do?" Sookie asks after a while.
"Honestly, I don't know." I pull her onto my lap so she's sat side-saddle and I bury my head into her neck.
"I'll do whatever it takes to help you, Eric. You know I will."
"I know, Sook." I nibbled on her neck causing her to moan softly.
"Maybe we could speak to Agent Herveaux. I haven't heard from him for a few months, but I got the impression he'd found some good stuff in Bill's paperwork."
It was a good thought. Maybe Compton had some incriminating evidence towards his relatives. They certainly seemed keen on stopping the FBI initially.
"We'll speak to him tomorrow. Right now, I want you."
I pulled Sookie up out of the tub and headed to the bedroom after we dried each other off. I couldn't imagine ever being happier than I was when I was in her arms. She was everything to me. She completed me in ways I didn't know possible and I wanted forever with her.
.
The next day when we eventually managed to drag ourselves out of bed and out of the shower we had a late breakfast and headed into town to apply for our marriage licence and book a civil ceremony at the courthouse. It made me very glad that Sookie was a widow as it meant we didn't have to wait for their messy divorce.
Neither one of us wanted a big deal, and we both spent a long time convincing Amelia and Pam that we just wanted a small wedding with us two and them two as witnesses. Neither of them relented easily, and we resorted to dirty tactics – telling them both it was our day and up to us how we chose to marry. Amelia, in particular, was pissed off that she wasn't having the chance to plan some massive and elaborate wedding ceremony.
We already had the outfits, anyway, as we planned on wearing the same clothes as our last, unofficial, marriage. It made me incredibly happy to think of that evening, and I looked forward to doing it for real.
We were able to get a spot only for the civil ceremony only four days after we applied, and neither one of us could be happier. It was to be a four o'clock ceremony, so we decided that we should go out straight afterwards to celebrate.
Sookie and I hardly left our house in the run-up to our wedding, but Amelia was insistent that Sookie not spend the night with me the night before, and she was swapped for Pam as she took up residence in one of the spare rooms.
"I may not have liked her at first, but she's good for you."
Pam handed me a beer to calm my nerves, as we both got ready. "A little early for this, don't you think?" It was only ten in the morning and I preferred not to drink before midday.
"You look like you need it. I know you've told me on countless occasions that you consider yourselves already married, but this one is for real."
"I'm not nervous," I tell her truthfully. "Excited maybe. I want her to be my wife, I have no doubts about her." Pam knew that I had a few lingering doubts about Felicia as I walked down the aisle, so she'd appreciate how serious I was about Sookie.
"I'll be honest, I wasn't sure she'd stick by you."
Pam looked resolutely at me. "Why not?" I asked her.
"I'll admit that I pegged her to be the spoiled rich girl. I always thought she had it easy. But I can admit that I was wrong. I think you're as good for her as she is for you. She's a million times better than Felicia."
I smiled at my older sister. "I know that. I think I loved her as soon as I saw her. We've had our difficulties…"
"But it's made you stronger," Pam completed for me.
"Exactly." I paused for a moment, looking at my sister dressed in an expensive two piece. "So you and Amelia?"
"I like her a lot," she admitted. "I'm going to stay in New York with her. I even met her dad."
"As her girlfriend?" I had a feeling Copley Carmichael would not be over-impressed with that.
"Yeah. He was shocked at first, but I like him. He doesn't take any shit." Much like my sister, and probably Amelia as well.
"You ready, little brother?" she asked me in Swedish when the time came to leave.
"Definitely. I want my woman."
We got a taxi to the courthouse and waited nervously in the foyer for Sookie and Amelia to arrive. When she did I struggled to keep the smile off my face. Pam had hired a professional photographer to take photos of our day, and this time Sookie had real wedding flowers – a gorgeous posy of dark red and white roses that was simple and elegant.
I couldn't keep the grin off my face as we exchanged out simple vows, give each other the rings we'd already exchanged and signed the paperwork that made her officially Mrs Northman.
"I love you," I told her as I leaned down to steal a kiss as we left the courthouse. Out of the corner of my eye I spot the photographer and hope that she got a photograph of our intimate exchange.
"I love you too, Eric. You're everything to me."
I knew exactly what she felt and smiled down at her. I took her hand as I led her into a waiting taxi with Pam and Amelia to head to the restaurant where we had a private room to celebrate our ceremony. We'd ended up inviting some friends: Stan and Thalia coming up from Texas and a few of Sookie's New York friends joining us along with Cope. Even Octavia was there, although Pam had neglected to tell me that she'd invited her. It seemed that Sookie was in on the surprise considering the exchange between them.
Sookie and I, throughout the evening, found it very hard to keep our hands off each other. So much so that Pam almost forced us to leave when it got to the stage where we were dry humping each other. In all honesty, I didn't blame her.
As soon as Sookie and I fell into the house our clothes were removed, and we ended up yet again in the living room. I did take the time to light the fire while Sookie lit some candles around the room, but we struggled to keep our hands off each other and even slept by the fire, a light blanket draping over us as we drew heat from each other.
I had never been happier then I was when I was with Sookie. She made everything make sense, she made me realise what I'd been missing in my life. I thought I loved Felicia, but after spending time with Sookie I realised that I only knew love with her.
It still pained me that I couldn't have Lucie in my life as well, and Agent Herveaux had refused to give us any information about the on-going investigation, simply telling us that we should contact him if we ever suspected anything.
Neither one of us quite knew what he meant when he told us that, but when we were confronted by Bill Compton's parents the morning after our marriage, we knew something was not right.
Bloody Comptons eh?
;)