AN: Thanks to the lovely Sunkisz for her brilliant beta skills. She's the one that keeps this story on the right track!

Disclaimer: I still own Madeline and Stav… oh and that Jesper guy that gets intro'd in this chapter. Pretty much all other characters belong to Ms. Harris.

Chapter 25

EPOV

It had been three days since Midsommer; three days since Sookie finally yielded to me fully, and oh what a three days it had been. I'd barely been able to keep my hands off of her after our first go round. It had been better than I had expected, better than I could've planned for. Seeing her writhing underneath me flipped a switch on inside. I had thought my desire to be with her would diminish somewhat after we finally had sex, but, if anything, it had only served to whet my appetite for more. When I wasn't exploring her body, it was all I could think about doing, and lucky for me, she seemed to be of the same mindset.

We'd pulled ourselves out of bed long enough to show our faces at the various functions Sophie-Anne was hosting. Father had returned to Stockholm for business the day after Midsommer- he never did like to stay away from business for too long- but Sophie Anne had stayed on and was in full on hostess mode. She'd hosted dinner parties every night, spending the Northman money, and inviting the Stockholmers that had flocked to Visby for their summer vacation. It was the usual crowd that I used to run with – the sons and daughters of the very wealthy and elite. They were all interested in meeting the woman who I was to marry, the woman who had finally taken the elusive Eric Northman off the market.

"Are you ready?" I called to Sookie through the bathroom door. I thought it was laughable that she still sought the privacy of the bathroom when she was getting dressed for the day. I'd seen every inch of her body, explored it all with my hands and mouth. There was nothing I hadn't seen, but I was willing to give her her modesty if it meant I could continue to see her naked in other times.

The door creaked open and Sookie stepped out, yet again taking my breath away. I should've been accustomed to, or at least prepared for Sookie's ability to look beautiful no matter what she wore. She'd been wearing such formal clothing since we'd arrived in Gotland that I'd forgotten how she looked in something as casual as a sundress. We were headed into Visby for a day at Kallis. Pam had insisted that we spend at least one day at the beach club, and Sookie and Amelia had squealed with excitement even though I'd done my best to dissuade them.

"Eric," Sookie had pleaded at my reluctance once we'd returned to our room last night, "as much as I'd love to spend an entire two weeks in bed with you, I haven't been to Sweden! There is so much to see and do, and on top of being a tourist, I've got a job to do. You know how many emails Portia has sent me? Fifteen last I checked. Fifteen in five days. She wants constant updates on all the preparations for the wedding. And yesterday she said that she wants to see at least four articles while I am here outside of the write up I am supposed to do on your Father's wedding. I can't exactly write about the delicacies of Sweden if I never leave this bedroom."

Despite my desire to avoid Kallis, I'd given in to her plea. Kallis was the hot spot in Visby, and the only beach club. It would be sure to be chock full of the party scene from Stockholm; full of Madeline's and Andre's clones. But, even I could admit that it would be a good time. I wanted to show Sookie part of my life when I lived here, and Kallis would be a good introduction before we got to Stockholm.

I took a step towards Sookie, who had paused in the doorway and looked uncertain of what to do. "You look beautiful," I said, and gave her a kiss. All thoughts of leaving went away the minute our lips touched. She smelled fresh and clean, and all I wanted to do was lock out the world again and have my way with her. I buried my hands in her hair and deepened the kiss, trying to possess every inch of her mouth with my own. Her response was encouraging, and we may have done a lot more than kiss if Pam hadn't opened the door.

"Oh, isn't this sweet?" she asked sarcastically. Sookie jumped out of my reach and let out a nervous giggle as she smoothed down her hair.

"We're ready," Sookie said. She took a step towards Pam and flashed a reassuring smile over my shoulder before she hooked her arm in Pam's. "Let's go."

We pulled into the already full parking lot outside of Kallis, the loud house music filling the air the minute the door opened. I stepped out of the car and wrapped Sookie's hand in my own. I felt the indentation of the ring- my ring- on her hand, and smiled to myself. I was proud to show Sookie off, proud to be walking back in amongst my old friends with her at my side. I didn't want to let Sookie know, but I was nervous myself. I'd left so abruptly that I wasn't sure how I would be perceived. While I'd left on fairly good footing, I didn't know how much damage Madeline and Pernella had done since my departure.

"Oh my God," Amelia said, pulling me out of my thoughts as she stepped out of the car. "This looks freaking amazing." I took in the sights of Kallis and couldn't help but agree. While Sweden isn't known for its beaches, Kallis could compete with any of the European beach hotspots. It was the Ibiza of Scandinavia and the long stretches of beach were filled with scantily clad men and women enjoying the sun and the scene.

"Eric!" a voice called out as we approached. "I'd heard you were in town, but we weren't sure if we'd see you or not. I figured I wouldn't see you until next week at Laroy."

"Hey Jesper," I said, and slapped him on the back. "What are you doing here?" Jesper never ventured outside of Stockholm unless it was to go to another country. In the ten years I'd known him, he'd only visited one other Swedish town, and that was for a funeral.

"Ah, it's some big promotional thing. You know I would never leave Stockholm if it were left up to me. But there's a staff exchange with a few of the clubs there and Kallis, so we all came out here and are helping out. Sophie-Anne, Andre and Madeline are already here." I groaned and rolled my eyes. I knew they had left the house earlier, but wasn't sure where they'd gone to. Looks like we'd have to deal with them again. Jesper continued, "I thought as much. Wasn't sure you'd come if they were here. Is this your fiancé?" he asked, turning his attention to Sookie, who was standing at my side and no doubt not understanding a word we were saying since the exchange was in Swedish. I switched back to English and pulled Sookie to my side.

"Sookie, this is Jesper Simonsson. Jesper, this is my fiancé, Sookie Stackhouse." Jesper took her hand and raised it to his lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. The rest of us are happy to have a chance now that Northman here is taken." He looked up and saw Pam trailing behind us, but didn't let go of Sookie's hand. "And you brought Pam? Well, the party is here now. Come, I saved a few of the cabanas for our VIPs and who is more VIP than Eric Northman and his pretty fiancé?" he said, and started to lead Sookie away. She looked back at me and shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

Jesper had a bottle of champagne waiting for us within minutes of sitting down. Amelia and Pam were scoping the crowd and giggling like school girls at the clothing (or lack of clothing) choices they surveyed. Stav, per usual, was sitting back and taking it all in; I silently resolved that I would get to know him better. I'd love to hear his observations of what he'd seen so far. Jesper, meanwhile, hadn't left Sookie's side and seemed to be enthralled with her; I'd never seen him like this. He was one of those guys who had seen and done anything, and had a jaded outlook on life, but it appeared that Sookie's Southern charms were something that broke through the surface.

"Northman," he said, without taking his eyes off of her, "where did you find her? And more importantly, Sookie, are you completely sold on Northman here?"

"I'm afraid so Jesper," Sookie said with mock solemnity, which was broken with a giggle. "You know how it is, you find the one and that's it." She looked over at me and continued. "When you're in love, you have eyes for no one else." My heart skipped a beat when she said the L word. I knew she was saying it as part of our charade; it wasn't like I thought we were in love - you don't just fall in love with someone after a few months - but hearing her say it, even as part of our scheme, it made me think and feel things I hadn't felt since I was 19 years old and dating my first real girlfriend at University.

"That's too bad for me," Jesper said, bringing me back into the conversation. "You, Northman, are one lucky son of a bitch. Nothing new there though, eh?" He stood up and looked back down at Sookie. "I want an invite to the wedding. If you don't have a sister, maybe you have a friend. Be good to my boy here Sookie. I've got to go check on a few things, but I'll be back later. Let me know if you need anything."

There was a procession of visitors to our cabana after Jesper left. Everyone wanted to meet Sookie – she was fresh meat in a community that didn't often include outsiders. They'd heard about Sookie from Madeline and wanted to see her for themselves. The men were charmed by her, and the women left disappointed that she wasn't the troll Madeline had made her out to be.

Our cabana was three down from the one occupied by Sophie-Anne, Andre and Madeline. I watched in disdain as the visitors to our cabana would head over to theirs. You would've thought Sophie-Anne was royalty, the way she was holding court. I guess that would make Andre her jester, and Madeline the town prostitute if her bikini was any indication.

"She looks like a two bit whore," Pam said when she saw Madeline take off her dress. "Those implants are ridiculous. And how she can think that anyone is fooled by that orange skin of hers? She might as well give it up and officially make her skin into leather."

"I hear orange leather is all the rage," Sookie giggled at Pam's observations as she sipped on her fourth glass of champagne. "Maybe I can finally use those hunting skills Jason taught me and make a nice pair of shoes out of her."

Andre sat back and surveyed the crowd, his eyes alighting on Sookie and a wry grin crossing his face. I wrapped my arm protectively around Sookie; I didn't like how he looked at her, not one bit. Every time I looked over in their direction, Andre's eyes were trained on us and he'd give me a mocking salute. One of the days, I wasn't going to be able to stop myself from knocking him out. I couldn't wait.

The parade of visitors was non-stop as the afternoon wore on. I was thankful that we had a place to stay in the shade in all the commotion around us. The dance floor was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with half naked bodies; I could only imagine what was going on in the depths of the crowd. I wondered when Sookie would pull me out to the dance floor, and wondered even more how much she'd let me get away with.

Pam was excited to see many of her old friends; well, as excited as Pam got at least. She'd wandered about on her own for a bit and came back with one of her good friends from school before she left, Victoria Olsen. Victoria was something like sixteenth in line for the throne; far enough away that she wasn't ever going to be the Queen, but close enough to experience the fringe benefits. She was one of the few women that close to the crown that I could stand.

"Oh my," Victoria said as she looked at Sookie's ring. "No wonder everyone is making such a fuss about your ring."

"What about it?" Pam asked.

"That's the ring King Gustaf gave to Crown Princess Margaretha for some anniversary or other back in the day. They said she gave it to someone in the family on her death, but no one knew where it had gone. It's quite famous really, they found a new portrait with her wearing it and it stirred up all this drama. It'd been proclaimed lost. But it looks like you found it!"

I looked at Pam questioningly and she shrugged her shoulders. What had it been doing in with Mother's jewelry? Father hadn't recognized it, or said anything about it when he saw it – and I knew that if it had been his, he wouldn't have had any qualms about taking it back. No, Mother must've gotten it some other way. I only wondered how.

"Good for you," Victoria interjected, "that'll whip all the old cows here in a frenzy. I'm surprised Madeline hasn't tried to swipe it off your finger yet. She's been looking the hardest out of anyone. Well, her and that brother of hers."

"Her eyes did practically pop out of her head when she saw it," Sookie said. "I wondered what that was about."

Sookie looked over at me and I saw the discomfort in her eyes. As soon as Victoria left, she came and sat by me.

"I felt awkward enough when I thought it was just an expensive ring. Now…" she trailed off.

"It's still just a ring," I said, and tried to reassure her. "It may have a story, but it's just a ring. And it's a ring that belongs to our family."

"It makes your story better," Pam interjected. "The women will think it's romantic that it's your engagement ring. They'll be jealous as all hell, but they'll think it's romantic. And everyone knows that Eric Northman does not do things by half measures."

"I guess," Sookie said, but I could tell she still wasn't comfortable.

"We can't change it now," I said, "and, even if I knew what it was, I'd still want you to have it. It's perfect for you. But let's not worry about that. We're here, let's enjoy ourselves."

Jesper made sure that our drinks were never empty, and by the time we'd been there for three hours, I was well on my way to being drunk. Sookie and Amelia were already there, and Pam was smiling more than I'd seen her do in years.

The DJ began to play that new Britney Spears song and Sookie jumped out of her seat. "I love this song! Let's go dance girls!" She turned and asked Stav and me. "You guys want to dance?"

"Maybe in a bit," I responded, and smiled when she walked over and perched herself on my knee.

"Don't make me wait too long Lover," she said with a giggle, and leaned in to place a chaste kiss on my cheek before she jumped up. I'd almost forgotten how Sookie got when she was drinking. I hadn't seen her drink very much except for that May Day night. I wondered if she'd do a repeat performance of that night. I'd been unwilling to take advantage of her in her drunken state before, but I had no qualms doing so now that we were together.

"Look at them," Stav said, and nodded his head towards the dance floor where the girls were attracting a lot of attention. I watched as a group of men circled around them and laughed as Amelia sent them away with one look.

"For as small as she is," I said, "she certainly can intimidate the crap out of men of all sizes. I know I wouldn't push her, that's for sure. She seems like the kind of gal that would turn you into a cat if you crossed her path in the wrong way."

"Yeah," Stav said with a laugh, "she is a spitfire, that's for sure. It's part of what I love about her though. She'll boss anyone around that'll let her. The poor guys before me didn't even know what to do with themselves. She tried to order me around the minute we met up again; pissed her off that I wouldn't do what she told me to, but that's ultimately what made her fall in love with me. You can't really love someone if you don't respect them."'

"You two got married pretty quickly, didn't you?" I asked.

"Yeah, we did. The wedding was two weeks after we met each other again. I'd known her when we were younger – we'd had a bit of a summer thing when I was 17 and she was 16, but she went home at the end of the summer and we didn't stay in touch. Once I saw her again, I just knew. I never thought I'd get married, never even wanted to get married, but then Amelia came back into my life. I knew she was leaving again and made the decision I needed to make her my own – not that I could claim her to her face; she's far too independent for that. And once you know, what's the point of waiting?"

"I guess there isn't one," I responded. I didn't understand how he could be so certain. I'd dated women and been happy; heck, having Sookie in my life made me happy, and the thought of not having her in my life made me feel a little sick to my stomach, but to be so positive that it was right, and that it was forever after such a short time? Well, it took a different kind of person, that was for sure.

"Women like that," he continued, and nodded in their direction. "They're strong and independent. They need someone that sees them as an equal, that will let them make their own decisions, but will also stand up to them and voice their opinion. You've gotta be a knight in shining armor, but one that doesn't think the princess is helpless. Come on," Stav said, and stood up, "Amelia is beckoning us over and we both know she's not going to give up."

I watched Sookie dancing as we approached; she was completely lost in the music. She had her eyes closed and was swaying to the beat with her arms thrown above her head. She'd removed her sundress as soon as we arrived and, like every other woman there, was wearing only her bikini. I didn't know why, but at that moment, wearing that bikini, she was sexier than I'd ever seen her. I'd seen her naked, explored every inch of that body, but that knowledge wasn't enough. I wanted to take her away and kiss every inch of exposed skin, and especially the areas that were covered. I walked up behind her, placed my hands on her hips and pulled her against me.

"Eric!" she squealed, and turned around to face me, throwing her arms around my neck. I felt my body immediately respond to her touch. I knew I was a goner when she closed her eyes and began to gyrate against me.

"Sookie," I growled, "unless are going to follow through with it, I'd suggest you stop right now."

"You should know better than to threaten me by now Northman," she giggled in response and began to rub her hands up and down my back. I resigned myself to her ministrations; I was putty in her hands, completely lost to the feel of her hot skin against my chest.

"You are in so much trouble when we go home Stackhouse," I said.

"What's stopping us?" she responded. "No one will be home. Your Dad is in Stockholm, and the rest of us are here."

She had an excellent point. As much fun as we were having at the beach, the thought of having Sookie alone in the house was far too tempting to ignore. I untangled Sookie's arms from my neck and told Pam that Sookie and I were leaving.

"And Pam," I mumbled, low enough for her ears only to hear it. "If you, or anyone else, go home before nine, I will kill you." She responded with a shrill laugh and I think she may have high fived me if she was someone that would ever give a high five.

I turned my attention back to Sookie who was doing her best Shakira impression on the floor, grinding up against Amelia. Yes, she was definitely going to be the death of me. I snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Ready to go Sookie?" I asked, pressing my ever-hardening dick against her back. She responded by grinding back into me. Now that I could respond in kind, I liked this forward Sookie. The first time she'd propositioned me, I hadn't been in a position to do anything about it. But now I was more than willing to give her exactly what she was asking for.

She turned around in my arms and pressed herself into the length of my body. I groaned when she rubbed herself against me, her hands snaking around my waist to pull me closer. "I'm always ready for you Eric," she said simply. I grabbed her hand and was dragging her across the beach with little care for anyone that was in the way. We quickly donned our clothes and grabbed our belongings. The car was waiting outside and I instructed the driver to take us back to the house as quickly as possible.

Sookie was on me as soon as the driver pulled away from the curb, her hot mouth nibbling at my earlobes. "I want you so bad Eric," she moaned lowly into my ear. Jesus, where did this girl come from? Hey I wasn't going to complain that the Goddess wanted me, but I wasn't sure how to handle her. I wasn't about to fuck her in the backseat of the car with Carl looking on. "Sookie," I said lowly, grabbing her hands as they were snaking their way down my chest. "Not here. You can have everything you want and more once we get inside." She giggled, and continued trailing her mouth down my neck.

Thankfully the drive back was much quicker than it had been on the way in, and I was pulling Sookie out of the car bodily before Carl had come to a full stop. I couldn't wait to get Sookie naked again. The times we'd had sex had been phenomenal, and each time got better. I could only imagine how it would be with Sookie a bit loosened up with alcohol.

I was on Sookie as soon as the front door closed behind me. She emitted the lowest, hottest, sexiest groan known to man and ground her pelvis against me. "Eric," she sighed, "I can't take it. I need you now." I buried my face in her hair, attempting to steady my breathing. It wasn't an easy task. She pulled my face down to hers and practically crawled up my body in response. I didn't think I could make it all the way upstairs before having her. I picked her up and carried her into the nearest open doorway, which just so happened to be the library.

"Eric," she said, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist as I carried her. "Have I told you how sexy you are?" She leaned in and traced my ear with her tongue, never stopping her persistent grinding. "How much I wanted to do just this from the first time I saw you in a towel?" Uh, no. Why in the fuck had we wasted so much time? I captured her lips once more and blindly walked until I set her down on the massive desk.

She pulled back and began unbuttoning my shirt carefully. "Fuck Sookie, rip it. I don't care." She giggled and shook her head, slowing down even further. So she wanted to play games? I was pretty sure I was up to the challenge. After what seemed like hours, she pushed my unbuttoned shirt off my shoulders and pulled her own sundress over her head.

"I need you now Eric," she said and pulled me down on top of her. Well, if she was going to throw down the gauntlet, I was more than up for the challenge.

I smiled to myself as I looked down at her. I was never going to look at this desk in the same way.

I woke up the next morning to the bright sunlight streaming through the balcony doors and Sookie's naked form splayed across my own. She was still asleep and completely relaxed, completely at ease with me. I reached out and traced her spine, relishing in the curve of her back; that had always been my favorite part on a woman, and Sookie was no exception. I couldn't explain it really. There was something about the gentle slope where her hips met her waist, the softness and sensitivity of her skin there… it was the place that I was allowed to touch in public, and the place I most wanted to kiss in private. I felt her awaken as my fingers danced across her spine. She buried her face into my chest and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before greeting me with a sleepy smile.

"Hey," she said, and moved off of me to prop herself up on her elbow.

"Hey." I could definitely get used to waking up like this every morning. I felt my body stir as she wiggled against me. I was like a teenager again, ready to go at any given opportunity. I lifted myself up on my own elbow until we were eye to eye.

I watched her in silence, our eyes locked, both waiting for the other to say something. My eyes darted to her mouth when she bit her bottom lip and slowly released it.

"So…" she said with an anxious laugh.

"So…" I responded. She seemed nervous, like she was uncertain about what to say after our marathon the night before. I wanted nothing more than to know what she was thinking.

I heard her stomach rumble and saw the blush rise up in her cheeks in embarrassment.

"I guess I'm hungrier than I thought," she said. "I can't believe we didn't go down to dinner last night."

"You can't? You seemed pretty keen on skipping dinner last night. If I remember your exact words they were 'who needs to eat dinner, when we can just have dessert over and over again?' Isn't that right lover?"

The mirth in her eyes met my own.

"Yes, something like that."

"I don't know about you," I said as I closed the gap between us and kissed her inviting mouth, "but I'm thinking I could use some dessert for breakfast. What do you say to that?"

She nodded her head and wiggled against me, and I set about making her see stars again.

We lay together, sticky and exhausted from our excursions when we heard the impatient knock on the door.

"It's time to come out of lover's cove you two," Pam said drolly from the other side of the door. "Sophie-Anne is freaking out that you're not down yet to get ready for the bridal shower Sookie. The guests will be here in an hour."

"I'll be right out!" Sookie called out and began to pull away from me; I responded by pulling her tighter against me.

"No we won't. Go away Pam!" I called back.

"Eric!" Pam shrieked when she tried the handle and found it locked. "I am not covering for your sorry ass again today. You two need to get out of bed and join the land of the living. I'll give you thirty minutes, and then I'm knocking down the door."

I heard Pam's footsteps retreat and knew that she wasn't one for idle threats. Still, I was willing to risk her attempt at breaking down the door if it meant more time with Sookie naked and in bed with me.

"I should probably get up and get dressed," Sookie said, and I heard the wistfulness in her voice.

"You don't have to. Screw Pam. She can handle it without us for another day. We can lock ourselves in and have our own party." I waggled my eyebrows.

"I think we need to leave the room at some point." She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed and turned back towards me. "Even if I'd rather stay locked up in here with you forever if it means this never changes." I growled and moved without thinking. I had her pinned under my body before I was even aware of my movement. She pulled at the hands that were restraining her wrists and giggled up at me, "let me go Eric."

I leaned down and nipped at her neck; I felt myself go hard as she wiggled against me, and she felt it too.

"Eric Northman," she said in a very serious voice, "if you don't let me out of this bed, I am going to scream."

"You already screamed today," I said with a grin, "at least twice I remember correctly. I'm sure the whole house heard you."

I saw the blush rise again, which only served to enhance my desire to keep her exactly where she was.

"I'm serious Eric," she said sternly.

"I am too."

"No," she said as she sat up, and pushed against me. "I can't miss the bridal luncheon. Portia would kill me."

When I didn't move, she continued,

"Fine," I said like a petulant child. "Go to the lunch today. I'll just hang out with Stav while you ladies have your little Bridal shower."

"You're an angel," she said, and leaned over to brush a kiss on my forehead. I had to restrain myself from reacting, but I knew she was right. As much as I may have wanted to, we couldn't stay in here forever.

I watched as she climbed out of bed and sat back to admire the view. Yes, when we got back to Louisiana, I was going to insist that she never wear clothes around me. She walked over to her suitcase and began rummaging through it to find her outfit for the day.

"What's wrong lover?" I asked when she sighed and sat back on her heels.

"I can't find my blue bra," she said, then resumed looking in the suitcase.

"You could always go without," I suggested. It would be a lot easier to have unrestricted access to her. Visions of having her against a wall flashed through my head and I grinned.

"Very funny," she said. "Not going to happen. I guess I need to go shopping when we get to Stockholm. Until then, I guess I can wear something else and hope the straps don't show."

I watched her in silence for awhile before I sat up. "I think I've got something," I said, and walked over to my suitcase.

"Eric, I don't think we wear the same size bra," she said with a giggle.

I silenced her with a look and returned my attention to the suitcase; I rifled through the clothing until I found what I was looking for. "Here it is," I said, and pulled out the package wrapped in silver tissue paper. I walked over to where she was seated on the floor and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Open it."

She looked up at me for a minute before shrugging her shoulders and peeling back the silver paper. I heard her gasp when she realized what she was unwrapping.

"Is this…?" she trailed off.

"Yes."

"You bought this? And you brought it with you? Planning on breaching my defenses, were you? " She tried to sound upset, but I heard the laughter bubbling behind her words.

"A guy can be hopeful. And I knew you couldn't resist me for too long," I said with a smirk.

"Is that so?" she laughed. She looked at the tags of the blue bra and panties I'd purchased for her in Shreveport; the same panties that had caused our first argument, well our only argument to date. I only hoped that this day didn't end with her waltzing home from a date with some prick like Alcide Herveaux, though I was fairly sure that I'd done my part last night and this morning to show her exactly what she'd be missing if she went on dates behind my back again. "Oh, even in the right size. Well, no one is ever going to accuse you of lacking confidence."

"No, I've never had a problem in that arena," I said with a smirk.

Sure to her word, Pam had returned exactly thirty minutes later and had look surprised to see Sookie was ready to go.

"Too bad," she said, "I was rather looking forward to finding you both in a compromising position. God knows you two have gotten at it enough of it these past few days. At least you've done a pretty good job of keeping it down, though I did hear Sookie scream earlier." I looked over at Sookie to see the blush rise on her chest. "It's no fun hearing it from someone else," she pouted.

"Serves you right Pam for all the times you've brought girls home back in Shreveport and I've had to hear you. Fuck, I thought you were going to break the sound barrier with that little redhead you picked up on May Day."

"Must run in the family," Pam shrugged, and gave me a wicked smile. "Come on Sook, time to go pretend to give a fuck about Sophie-Anne again." She grabbed Sookie's hand and began pulling her towards the door. Sookie gave me a worried look over her shoulder and I tried to return it with reassurance.

We only had one more day in Gotland, and then we could go to Stockholm and stay at my flat. The thought of having Sookie alone in my flat was enough to get me through the last day of Sophie-Anne torture.