A/N: I know the last chapter was a little short, but this one is longer. And it's the 'after'…

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We sit in silence for a while just enjoying the moment and the swirling hot water. I finally had sex! Huh…

"Why were you breathing? You know…before."

"Because breathing is an important element in my two favourite activities: fighting and fucking. The third being feeding, which I naturally don't want to breathe for. I don't need the oxygen, of course. Couldn't use it if I tried, but the act of inhaling and exhaling enhances the act and helps with rhythm. And we do need the air to speak and smell.

The first days or weeks of being a vampire you usually breathe out of habit, actually. And it has also been very useful in the past when we needed to pass as humans. I could stop breathing when we have sex if you wish."

"No. No, I like it. But I haven't actually promised to have sex with you again."

"Why wouldn't you want to have sex with me again?"

"Well… I can't really think of a good reason not to, right now. But you shouldn't just assume it."

"It was good before. Very good."

"Yes, it was. I don't think many girls are that fortunate their first time. You made it…good. Hey, you must have had thousands of women, right?"

"Probably. I stopped counting after five, I think."

"What about men?"

"I've had men too."

"Really? Do you enjoy it with men?"

"Is this something you really want to talk about, lover?"

"Sorry, I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me or anything."

"Oh, I don't mind talking about sex. You can ask me anything you want. I've done almost everything at least once. I am 'straight', as you humans like to call it. But sexual orientation has never been of particular relevance to me. It's just sex. I prefer women, but I can get off just fine with a man too. Or several of either gender, for that matter. It's a shame that so many people have been taught that enjoying sex is bad. I do not understand how that happened."

"I think enjoying yourself is good. I don't know why some people think sex is bad. But it can be sometimes… What won't you do?

"Children and animals. And certain fetishes that are just too weird, or boring."

"So, with men, are you the pitcher or the receiver?"

"Pitcher, usually. I like to be the dominating party."

"I thought so. This is very interesting. You've experienced so much. Not just sex, I mean."

"It's a good thing that new things come along all the time. You have definitely made things interesting lately."

"Will you teach me things? If I agree to them?"

"It would be my pleasure to teach you anything you want."

He starts to lick my earlobe and nuzzling his face into my hair.

"Are you being yourself right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is this the real you? Or is the cruel vampire that tortures and participate in orgies the real you?"

"Both are the real me. I can be like this when we are in private. The only other person I would show this side of me is with is Pam. When I'm at the club or handling my other businesses I have to be the commanding boss and Master just like when I perform my duties as sheriff. I'm a natural leader. I like to dominate and I'm used to it no matter what situation I'm in. My vampire nature allows me to sometimes take satisfaction in being cruel and exacting vengeance or punishment. I like to kill if someone pisses me off, and the bloodlust that comes with it equals horniness. I am all those things. Everyone has both good and bad in them, even you, lover. I can be good if I so choose, just like you can be bad. And there's also the matter of what each of us consider to be good or bad. It's all relative."

"You haven't happened to have met Socrates or any of his pals have you?"

"I'm not that old… But I hung out with the Monty Python gang for a while. And Jim Morrison."

"Wow. I love Monty Python."

"Mmm…"

Eric's attention has definitely shifted elsewhere, and I lean back as close to him as I can with his hardness pressing into my lower back. His hands have moved to caress my inner thighs and occasionally brushing his fingers against my folds. I spread my legs wider, wanting more and he cups one of my breasts and plays with my nipple while his mouth is slowly moving towards it.

I shift a little in his lap so he can reach better and I stroke him while his fingers part my folds. I tilt my head to graze his ear with my tongue and suck gently on the lobe. I lick his neck and smell his skin and hair. His scent is all man, earthy and masculine with just a hint of cologne.

Eric is working my clit in an alternating rhythm, soft and fast and then firm and slow. The pleasure is rising inside me again, but to not be outdone I wiggle in his lap and make him groan from the friction and slowly start to grind against my back.

"Are you ready for your next lesson, lover?" His voice comes out ragged and almost urgent.

"What do you have in mind Mr. Northman?" I manage to say.

"Stand up."

I wonder what he's up to, but I humour him and rise up from his lap to stand in front of him.

"Now move to the second step into the tub keeping your back against me."

I'm now standing slightly elevated and Eric comes up behind me and moves his hands all over my body, sending shivers down my spine. I arch my back to rest my head on his shoulder and his erection folds back to rest against my butt.

He kneads my breasts with his hands and caresses me all over my upper body. He rubs himself against me and kisses my neck while one hand moves down my stomach and between my legs, parting my folds and stroking my nub. I feel him enter me with two fingers, sliding them in and out, making me moan loudly and move my hips back and forth between his fingers and his hardness.

Eric's chest is rising and falling behind me and I feel his cool breath against my neck.

"Put one leg up on the next step and hold on to the railing on both sides."

I do what he says, not caring about what might come next, although I have some idea. He puts his leg up on the step next to mine and grips my damp hair with one hand, but doesn't pull. Then he enters me forcefully from behind and I scream out in surprise and pleasure. Now he pulls my head back by my hair, not hard but not gently either. And it feels great as I arch my back and Eric takes long and determined strokes, burying himself to the hilt in my hot wet core before pulling almost all the way out and thrusting back into me.

"You feel so good, Sookie!"

He pulls me harder by the hair until I have to let go of the railing and lean back against his chest. He lets my hair go and I moan when he starts to work my clit instead. My climax is building rapidly and Eric is thrusting harder into me. I angle my hips a little further and he really hits the spot now. When he bites into my neck, I cry out as he draws on the wound and convulses inside me as we cum together.

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We stay like that for a minute before sinking back into the water. Eric gets a bottle from a shelf and starts to shampoo my hair, massaging my scalp and making me melt into his arms like warm butter.

"So, when will we be going to Fangtasia? Tomorrow night?"

"Yes, I will call Pam before dawn and tell her to summon Bill to the club. I will tell him then."

"Okay. I guess I can go home after that."

"If that is what you want."

"I won't be able to avoid him."

"So move in with me. I want you by my side."

"I need to think about it. I mean, we're not together. Sure, we are bonded now, but we are not in love. What would we be? Roommates who have sex occasionally?"

"We would be lovers who live together."

Eric washes his own hair and then we get out of the bath and towel ourselves dry.

"But you would have sex with others, right?"

"Yes. But not in a meaningful way. I rarely know, respect, or care for the people I have sex with. Nowadays, it's usually just with the people I feed off of at Fangtasia."

I look in one of the full length mirrors on the bathroom wall. All my bruises are gone and I only have one faint bite mark on my neck where he bit me just a few minutes ago.

"Then it won't work. I don't think I can have a relationship like that whether I'm in love or not. I need to be a girlfriend, not a lover. So it turns out I like sex and I want to have sex with you, but I won't be a concubine in your harem."

"If I had a harem, you would have the role of my respected wife. And a vampire in my position can't have a 'girlfriend'. I can have a mate. As my bonded you are considered my mate. Would you be more comfortable if you were present when I had sex with others? You could watch, or participate."

"I think that would be like jumping from grade school to Stanford with regards to my sexual education. And not many people go to Stanford at all."

"So until we get you into Stanford, I have to be either monogamous or I can't have you?"

"That's right. If I decide I want to go to Stanford. And that's a big IF. Look, I need to get dressed and get something to eat."

"Well, I've had my fill for the night, but I'll keep you company."

So I walk into 'my' room and put on a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. Then I walk downstairs to the kitchen and start to prepare a couple of sandwiches. Eric was already there, dressed in just a black bathrobe and sitting on a stool by the kitchen island with his arms crossed on the countertop.

"If I'm to stay faithful to you, you would have to live here. I would need to see you often. Preferably every night."

"And then you would be faithful to me?"

"I would make an effort to try."

"That seems reasonable, I guess. Sort of. But I will need to think about it. It's a big decision."

"How long do you need to think about it?"

"Until I reach a decision. There are a lot of things to consider."

"I understand."

I sit down across from him with my milk and sandwiches. I have a lot of things to think about.

"How do you feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since we bonded. How do you feel?"

Another thing to think about. How do I feel? I feel troubled, relieved, relaxed and hungry… I take a bite out of my sandwich.

"I can taste the sun that this tomato was grown in. That can't be normal."

"It's not. For a human. It is a common side effect from drinking vampire blood. You didn't turn on the light in your room either, even though it was almost completely dark. It will fade over time, though. What else?"

"I feel strong, and I can sense the connection to you. And I feel horny."

Eric smiles at this and his bright eyes sparkle.

"Our bond is in effect. The horniness could be coming from me."

"But if I'm feeling it, then it's my feeling too."

"Which is quite alright with me."

"I'm sure it is…"

I turn my attention to my fabulous tasting sandwich. I finish it fast and take a sip of milk. It tastes like grass and sun and life.

"Will you stay in my bed for the rest of the night?"

"Sure. If you want. But I'll fall asleep."

"I won't mind. I'll need to leave the room to call Pam and take care of some work in the office, but I can carry you to your bed before dawn. Or you could stay. The sunlight won't reach into my room even if it's light outside. But I would prefer it if you didn't run in and out of the room while the sun is up. I won't wake up, but it would make me feel safer if the door was closed. It's a deeply ingrained instinct for a vampire to stay out of the sunlight because of the whole 'burning to death' issue. But we really don't want any source of light reaching us in the daytime."

"I'll stay then. I would like to wake up next to you this particular morning. And I appreciate the trust. That's kind of a big deal though isn't it?"

"Yes. But most vampires haven't taken the precautions that I have. I'm guessing Bill hasn't told you where he sleeps because it wouldn't take much to tear down his entire house if someone wanted to find him. He would need to keep his resting place a secret. But my bedroom is both light- and fire proof. Still, I don't want you to go around telling people where or how I live."

"No, of course not. I wouldn't do that. I know how highly you value your privacy."

"Are you finished eating?"

"Yes. Oh. Hey! You're projecting! No fair!"

"What do you feel now?"

"Hornier! Stop smirking at me!"

"So try to project something to me."

I close my eyes and concentrate on an emotion to send, but I can't decide which one. I've never tried to project before. I imagine collecting all the feelings into a little ball and sending it to Eric.

"Annoyance, curiosity, wonder. That's very good. You're better at this than I thought. What are you curious about?"

"The bond. How we can use it and how we will practice with it, without the element of control. And I also want to try…um…something new."

"What?"

"This is your fault. I was gonna save it till later because it's already been an intense night, but you are still projecting, you opportunistic little devil."

Now he's leering at me again, so I send him exasperation through the bond.

"What do you want to try, lover…"

"Oh, let's just go back to the bedroom. I'm going there anyway; I have to sleep at some point. And I can feel that you're not controlling me, I'm giving in because I'm curious. I might as well take the opportunity. Not that I'm anywhere near as opportunistic as you are, mister."

"As you wish, my lady."

"Shut up."

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So we walk upstairs again. Eric goes into his bedroom while I go to brush my teeth with my minty toothpaste. I read that that would spice it up.

I walk back into Eric's bedroom and he's waiting, sitting up against all the pillows at the head of the bed. I get in and under the covers. He's still wearing the robe.

"So, are you going to have your way with me, lover? What is it that you want to do?"

"Well, this will probably involve some teaching on your part. I want to taste your…you know… Your…Gracious Plenty."

"Gracious Plenty, huh? I like it. So, what you mean is you want to blow me?"

"If you want to put it like that… I've read some things, and seen it peoples' heads, but you should probably give me some pointers."

"I am looking forward to this lesson. Go ahead, lover."

I look at him hesitantly, but only see amusement, and searching our new bond I only feel anticipation and lust coming from him.

So I move in between his legs and pull the robe aside. He has nothing on underneath and he is hardening rapidly as I first go for his nipples. I lick the hard little buds, trailing my tongue and lips over them or using my fingers to play with the one I don't have my mouth on. They've gotten even harder from my attentions and they're also deeper in colour.

I feel his hardness pressing against my stomach and he groans as I play with his nipples.

"Bite, a little."

So I use my teeth to nibble and bite gently, licking the nipple with the tip of my tongue between my teeth. Guess he likes a little pain.

I kiss and lick his chest, working my way down to his stomach. I scoot down lower on the bed so I won't have to bend too much, which positions his cock right between my breasts. I press them together around him and he starts to thrust gently between them.

I linger for a while enjoying this new sensation, but then I move farther down to lick and kiss the sensitive skin below his navel and further down still.

I take hold of the base of his shaft as I brush my nose through the coarse hair leading down to his Plenty. He smells good and masculine, just like the rest of him. His very own special scent.

I've always wanted to try this. Would I like it just as much as guys obviously do? Could I give him pleasure like that? I start with what I read in the book in Eric's library.

I hold on to his penis and use my tongue to flick it over the head. Using the flat of my tongue I cover the whole surface and then close my lips around the head and suck gently.

Eric definitely likes it so far, and I actually like it too. He now has his eyes closed.

I try to put as much of him as I can into my hot mouth and use my tongue on the underside of his shaft and suck lightly.

Pulling back I swirl my tongue over the sensitive spot on the underside of the head. I cup his balls with my right hand and then take the whole head into my mouth again and use the thumb of my left hand between my lips to caress the spot with my thumb.

Eric groans and bucks his hips until it becomes difficult to keep to my plan of action.

"You are doing very good, lover. Just keep going. Take me in your hot mouth."

I flick my tongue over the head again and take him into my mouth, and this time I slide him in and out at an increasing pace as he moves his hips in encouragement. Holding on to the base of his shaft with my right hand, I move my left hand to caress his inner thighs with feather like motions, and then move the hand to gently massage his testicles. Still sliding his cock in and out of my mouth, teasing the head and sucking lightly, I gently squeeze his balls and carefully graze my nails over them.

"Fuck! I'm getting close, lover. Don't stop. Whatever you do, don't stop."

Well, well, well. This is nice…

I give his balls a final squeeze and then I place both my hands around his cock and start to pump him with both mouth and hands, going faster and faster…

I feel him throb in my mouth and Eric lets out a yell in a strange language as he comes, spilling his seed down my throat.

I lick the residual creamy cum off him and I'm feeling pretty damn pleased with myself as I climb off him to lean back against the pillows beside him.

"How was that? Did you like it?"

"Did I like it? Are you sure you haven't done this before, lover? I felt the mint. You were amazing, really."

"I feel surprise coming from you. I've never done that before, but I told you I've seen it and I did concentrate a little extra on that particular chapter of that book you have in the library. I'm glad I could please you like that."

"So, did you like it? Having me at your mercy?"

"I liked it. It was fun, like a lollipop that never melted."

"Oh, I'll never melt, so you just feel free to lick my lollipop whenever you like…"

TBC

A/N: Yeah, I had to get the Gracious Plenty into this story. It needs a codename. Please review. I love finding out what you think! TTFN…