I am working on the next chapter, so there will be more on this tonight. I just thought this was a good stopping point for the chapter.

Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris (not me) writes some heller good books; go buy em. She owns the rights.

Chapter Thirty Five

(Sookie's POV) I was listening to James tell the funniest story about Pam and when he first interviewed for the job when I felt someone behind me. I didn't turn around, because I knew who it was. I knew by his smell and the way my skin responds when he is near me. James smiled and looked down at the bar. I could just picture Eric putting a finger to his lips. I was holding my breath, not sure if he was going to tickle the crap out of me, grab me, or what. James started doing something below the bar, like he was all of a sudden busy. I decided to play along.

"So James, you think my breasts are hot?" I'd have to be careful, as I didn't want Eric to fly over the bar before I could tell him I was pulling his leg. James looked up at me with his mouth open, not knowing what to say.

He looked a bit nervous, but he decided he might live. It was obvious he was behind me, we all knew it. "Yes, I have heard that about him. Did I really say that? About your, you know, ah...."he trailed off, deciding that was where his part in this ended. He wouldn't even say "your breasts". I was trying not to laugh, and he saw me, and started to smile himself. If he weren't dead, he would be full out flushed right about now.

"My breasts?" I helped him out. "Yes, I believe you did. You know, my boyfriend can be pretty jealous sometimes." I figured this would be a good stopping point for this little ruse, and on cue, a sexy soft voice right above my head said, "yes, I can. Especially when my lover is being very naughty to provoke said jealousy." He looked over my head and down at me, towering over me. I looked up at him with my best innocent eyes and said, "hi honey, are we heading to dinner now?" He smiled at me almost in the same evil way he had after I'd messed with him last night. He liked it when I messed with him, I decided.

"Yes, lover, we are leaving now. Now, tell James you are full of shit, and I will take you to dinner." His head disappeared from over me, and I felt him reaching down to squeeze my ass. Yeah, he'd liked it.

"James, I am totally full of shit, and I'm sorry I messed with you like that. I like to tease Eric, but he knows me. My sense of humor's a bit warped. You'll get used to it." I laughed and he laughed as well.

"Sookie, I heard about your reputation from Pam already. Many bartenders drop like flies around you, and if I were smart, I'd fear you." He laughed and looked at Eric and clutched his heart and stepped back. "She's scaring me, boss."

Eric laughed loudly and appreciatively.

"Hey, they were all self defense," I mockingly defended myself. "But exgirlfriends? Well, I tend to kill some me some bitches." James raised his eyebrows at that, evidently not having heard about that. He looked like he thought I was joking around, but Eric remembered.

"Yes, first you staked the vamp and dumped her body into the pool, and then you took down the shifter's ex. But, in your defense, I thought they were both bitches." He smiled at me, proudly.

I looked at James, who was looking at me like I was something he could no longer label. Yes, Sookie Stackhouse does it all, James. Soak it in. I'm crazy but who's laughing now? Certainly not Lorena or Debbie. And the old guilt was long gone. Eric was right, they were both bitches, and both had tried to kill me. And I'm still here.

"You staked a vampire? By yourself? Ok, you have to fill me in sometime about that. I'd love to hear about it." He looked genuinely interested, and was looking at me now as though he now realized that it wasn't just a pretty face that had his boss smitten. I was his match. I sure felt like it.

"I will do that, but right now, I'm starving like a hostage. Let's go." I slid off the barstool and pressed myself against him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a short but intense kiss. I could feel pride and warmth in our bond, but my stomach was trying to run interferance. "Dinner?" I looked up at him, and he smiled. I felt like he was thinking the same thing, and I felt my insides flip. I couldn't ever get tired of him looking at me that way. He put his hand on my back and we walked to the front door. Pam was at the entrance, doing her usual good job of scaring the crap out of some girls. She winked at me as we passed, and we headed outside to get going.

"Mind if we take my car tonight, lover? I'd like to make sure Pam didn't fuck with my car. She just returned it tonight."

"You know she wouldn't mess with your baby, and yes we can take your car. But you're driving."

"Fine," he said happily, as we walked to his car. "And this car is no longer my baby." He winked at me and opened my door. God, I love it when he does that. The brevity of what he said added to it. He shut my door and strolled slowly around the front of the car. I realized that he was in a good mood again, and that there would probably be some more vampire ass dancing up off the seat again. I laughed quietly to myself, just waiting for it. I was figuring him out.

He slid his six foot five frame into the the seat, and I marvelled at how he fit so surprisingly well. You wouldn't think he'd be comfortable, but he looked comfortable and confident. I buckled my seat belt as he started the car. It came to life with a throaty roar, idling at a low growl. He smiled, I guessed very happy to have it back in one piece. I watched him fix his mirrors back where Pam had put them when she brought it back from Walter's.

"Pam put my seat back for me, how nice of her" he leered at me as he reached inside his jacket for something. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed. My eyes relectantly left his beautiful dangerous teeth and that beautiful smile down to see what he was doing. His hand produced a cd from inside his jacket. He looked at me as he slid it in, his expression something I couldn't read. I felt him send me confidence and comfort through the bond. ? I wasn't sure why I would get that from him if he were about to get wild and crazy again. He turned the radio off, and started pulling out of Fangtasia.

"Aren't you gonna play that?" I asked him curiosly. That was weird. He'd decided not to play whatever it was just yet. I ws officially confused, but whatever. I was happy to be alone with him. It was just after 2, and that wasn't all that bad. He took my hand and placed our intertwined hands on his very sexy thigh. Ok, now I had to not think about sliding my hand out of his, and moving it just a few inches to the left. I was picturing myself grabbing him when his voice popped my little daydream bubble.

"You are glad to be with me, I can tell." He looked at me intently for a second before continuing. "I would like to take you somewhere while the clouds do not obscure the stars tonight. I looked out the window up at the night sky, and sure enough, the stars were highly visible. Well that was neat that he noticed.

"Ok, that sounds nice."

"If it is alright, I'd like to stop somewhere quick for your dinner. It will take a half hour to drive to where we are going each way. I want to have plenty of time to enjoy with you where I am taking you tonight. We will be getting home only an hour before dawn or so, so I hope this is alright. Not going in to stay for long?"

"You can pull into that Steak N Shake right there, and we can be on our way in fifteen minutes. I'm so hungry that it won't take too long."

"Excellent. I will do that." His thumb rubbed the back of my hand, and sent desire burning down that nerve again that lead straight to the inside of my thighs. Damn, I hope we have time before he had to crash for the night to make love. I wanted more, though tonight had been pretty crazy. But that seemed like hours ago. He was ready anytime, and I could tell I was.

True to my prediction, I hadn't taken long for me to wolf down a Steakburger real quick, as ladylike as I could. I felt I couldn't get out of here quick enough. I could feel a bit of suspense hanging between us at wherever he wanted to take me. Eric had watched me with interest as I ate, and I surprised myself at how not self-conscious I had been. It was a little disconcerting the way he was looking at me, but I was starving. He looked like he wanted to point out that he felt the same way around me sometimes. My blood was pretty damn delicious, he'd informed me many times. The fairy in me didn't hurt things any in the flavor department.

We were on the road now, traveling down a long twisty road. We had driven the direction of home, but were on a road I hadn't been on yet. It was mostly uphill on a low-traffic road. After a few minutes of comfortable silence as we seemed to soak up the other's presence and recharge our batteries, the road finally leveled out some. We weren't going uphill anymore. He slowed almost as soon as I'd noticed we weren't going uphill anymore, and turned off the road. I could feel we weren't on any road, and there were trees around us and over our heads, like a canopy. It was dark out here, and our lights provided the only light around. He was driving slowly through the trees, and I had a moment. Eric is offroading in his car? It felt like I was in the Twilight Zone, or something. He guided the car through more trees, and I couldn't see any road. He knows where we're going, I told myself, and made myself relax and just trust him. I sure as hell would be safe with him wherever we went. If someone were looking for trouble, this was the wrong two to mess with. I felt ever better, and he squeezed my hand. He hadn't said a thing, or explained where we were going. He just drove, and caressed my hand. Finally, I saw a faint glow up ahead. I felt excitement through the bond, and looked over at him. He was looking so sweet right now, like he was just a boy taking a girl somewhere to be alone. In this moment, I felt my love surge from me, and hoped he'd feel what I was thinking. He smiled over at me and simply said, "we're here." I looked ahead as the car slowed to a crawl. We inched up slowly as Eric put the car in first gear and carefully maneuvered. He was concentrating, so I said nothing. And then, I couldn't breath. As we inched forward, I could see all of Shreveport.