Author's notes: All the characters are the sole property of the wonderful Charlaine Harris.***** This is actually 2 chapters combined into one.
Chapter 52
Sookie's POV
The next day, I woke and was really glad to feel my vampire lying next to me, even if he was in his daytime rest. I had missed waking with him for the last couple of days. When I had fallen asleep, there was still some time left before dawn and I wondered what he had done to amuse himself. Our stateroom was really dark, as advertised, and the only light was from the little night light I had left burning in the bathroom…er, head. What a strange thing to call a bathroom!
Anyway, by now I knew that light didn't bother Eric at all when he was in his daytime rest, so I just turned on the bedside lamp which was attached to the wall. After making use of the bathroom, I got dressed in a bikini, but slipped on some shorts and a top over it. I grabbed a pair of flip flops and carried them with me. Unlocking our door, I got through the whole light-tight double door thing without any trouble. I absolutely could not wait to see out in the daylight! I went up the little stairway, pushed open the hatch, and climbed out. I looked around me, and just could not believe it.
I drew in my breath, and then let it out slowly. I had never seen anywhere as beautiful as where I was right at that minute. The water in the cove was a vivid aqua blue; and the deeper the water got, the bluer it appeared. The sand on the beach was nearly white. There were palm trees growing along the beach and I could see the little collection of buildings along the curve of the sand. In the cove floated maybe thirty boats of all descriptions. It was a scene right off of a postcard. I needed to pinch myself, to make sure that I wasn't dreaming!
I heard a voice saying, "Good morning, Mrs. Northman." I looked towards the front of the boat, and saw Jack sitting up there. Lying on the deck nearby was a man I had never seen before. He had his shirt off, and had obviously been working on his tan. Oh, wow! I might have gotten married, but I hadn't gone blind. He was quite the hunk. He sat up, and quickly replaced his shirt. He stood, and both men walked around to the cockpit to greet me.
Close up, I could tell that the other man was younger, probably around 30, and much taller than Captain Jack. In fact, he was nearly as tall as Eric, with a trim waist and very muscular build. It looked like the kind of muscles not acquired in a gym, but from hard work. He was very darkly tanned, and had long blond sun streaked hair pulled back in a ponytail. I couldn't see his eye color because he was wearing a pair of RayBans. He was wearing a polo shirt that was just tight enough to show off his nice build, some white shorts, and a pair of deck shoes. I knew right away that he was some kind of Supe. I couldn't tell exactly what, but from his brain pattern, I thought he was probably shifter. He reminded me of…well, actually, he was kind of like a tanned Eric.
Jack said, "Sookie, I'd like you to meet Shaun. He will be working as one of your daytime bodyguards."
Shaun smiled for the first time, and showed off his totally perfect white teeth. He said, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Northman. Did you sleep well?"
I wanted to say, like the dead, but didn't know if they would get my humor. Instead, I said a ladylike, "Fine, thank you. Please call me Sookie. Listen, I'm going to go down and fix some coffee, would y'all like some?"
Jack said, "Why don't you let me do that for you?"
I smiled and said, "No thanks! I want to learn how to do everything…but if I need help, I'll holler, okay?"
I went below and fumbled around until I found everything I needed. While I was waiting for the coffee to brew, I went to sit in the built-in table. A paperback book was open, laying face down on the table. It was sort of dog-eared, and had clearly been read many times. I looked at the title, and it was "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Huh. I guess I knew what my vampire had been doing last night. Idly, I wondered if he considered that light reading.
I saw a black backpack propped next to my purse, and it was partially open. I peeked in, and there were several more books inside. Even though I had seen many books in my vampire's office and also some in "Sookie's Safehouse", I had never actually seen him reading one. I guess I was going to learn some things about him this week. On top of the table was a large envelope with SOOKIE written across it in Eric's handwriting. I opened it, and inside was my daily note, along with a passport and a large stack of cash. It said:
My Lover,
Here is my passport, for checking us through customs. The local currency is the US dollar, and I believe most places only take cash. Have fun.
Until first dark,
~E
He was always so prepared. I guess being around for 1000 plus years makes you that way. I couldn't resist opening his passport and having a look. I couldn't imagine the hassle he must have had to go through to get it, since it had only been possible for vampires to get legal passports for a couple of years. For example, how did you go about proving your age when you were born before the concept of a birth certificate? I guess they had just taken his word for it, because in the space for age, it said "1,000+". I thought it was grossly unfair that he had actually gotten a good picture. Mine made me look like some sort of crazed felon.
I stuffed all of the items into my purse. As I did, I saw the envelope from Niall and realized that in all the excitement I had forgotten to open it yesterday after we arrived. I pulled open the flap and slid out a short letter and a small card with a number written on it. It was on very thick paper, and had a royal seal in gold at the top. It said,
Dear Great Grand-daughter,
The Viking reminded me that you need a tutor. He thought perhaps you might find it useful to work on your magic in such special surroundings as the Islands, and suggested I find someone to help you a little each day you are away. I have contacted an old friend of our family who lives on Tortola. Her name is Faeryn and I am enclosing her phone number. She will be expecting your call. I know you will make me proud.
Your great-grandfather,
Niall Brigant
P.S. This small gift is for you alone. I have a different wedding gift in mind for the two of you. We will discuss it on your return.
After I got over the mild irritation of realizing that Eric and Niall were having conversations about me that I wasn't aware of, it sounded like an amazingly good idea. I really hadn't planned to do much during the day without Eric, except to swim and lay in the sun, so working on my magic would be a great way to pass the time. After thinking it through, I realized that Niall had given me the absolutely perfect gift! I figured I would call this tutor shortly, since we would be arriving on Tortola later that day.
By then, the coffee was ready, so I poured it into three plastic mugs. I took them back topside and handed the men their coffee. We sat sipping in companionable silence for a few minutes, and then I asked, "So, Shaun, where are you from?"
He said, "California. My parents are both marine biologists, so I grew up around boats. Like Jack here, I was in the military for a stint, and recently I ended up here."
Jack said, "Sookie, anytime you are ready, one of us can take you in to shore. You'll need to check in with Customs first thing, and then you can eat or shop or just hang out on the beach. Shaun and I already checked in this morning with the crew from the other boat. We will be moving over to Tortola late this afternoon, but the trip is fairly short. We should be there and anchored before sunset."
I had never been through Customs before, and I was a little nervous about it, but decided I might as well get it done. I stood and said, "Let me go in and grab my purse, and we'll get going."
I took the mugs back down and rinsed them out, got my purse and sunglasses, and went back on deck. Apparently Shaun had decided to take me, because he was already in the dinghy. Jack gave me some papers to show them for the boat, and then helped me climb in to the raft. This time I did much better and didn't feel like such a klutz.
In the bright sunlight, I could see that there was a coral reef up near shore, and we motored through a little break in the reef. In a couple of minutes we pulled up to a much bigger dock than the one at Foxy's. Shaun pointed to a path and said, "Follow that to the Customs House. I'll wait for you here."
I walked up the well-trod path to a small wooden building, and went inside. Instead of the bureaucratic nightmare I was expecting, behind the counter were two very sleepy looking black men leaning back in their chairs. I explained what I needed to do, and the one got up to wait on me was very polite and helpful. He spoke in perfect British English with a lovely island lilt. I had been nervous about checking a sleeping vampire through Customs, because you would think that they might actually like to see everyone entering their country; but the man just looked at Eric's passport, asked me a few questions and gave me a special form to fill out. He then stamped both our passports, gave me some other paperwork for the boat, and that was it.
Afterward, I went down and walked around the little village with Shaun, and did a bit of shopping. I purchased several postcards, some personal items, and a couple of disposable cameras, including one that was waterproof. By then I was hungry, so I asked Shaun if he would eat with me. He agreed, so I bought us both some lunch. I could see the Starlight rocking gently in the aqua water of the cove, and wished that Eric was able to be with me to see all this beauty. I decided that I'd like to get some sun and swim a bit, and Shaun said the best place to do that was from the boat.
As soon as we got back to the Starlight, he pulled out a large thick cushion and placed it on a flat spot near the rear of the boat. He went down and got some big beach towels and piled them nearby. Next, he brought me a big bottle of cold water and said, "Be sure and drink plenty of fluids while you're here. And if you don't mind me saying so, you need some sunblock. I can see you have a start on a tan, but we're close to the equator here and you don't want to fry."
I hadn't seen any sun lotion in the things that Eric had packed for me. I guess sunscreen is something vampires just don't think about. I said, "I don't have any. Is there any inside?"
Shaun said, "Yes, I think I unpacked some yesterday when we were provisioning the boat."
Sure enough, he found some, and I slathered up. I lay around for awhile, and then slid into the water for a swim. The water was the absolute perfect temperature and I paddled around happily for a long time. As I got out, Shaun handed me a towel, and showed me the little pull-out hand-held shower on the back platform of the boat which allowed me to rinse off in fresh water. I took my new cotton wrap that Eric had given me, and tied it around my waist like a sarong.
Before much longer, Jack said it was time to get going to the next anchorage. I was completely fascinated by the whole process. I asked if we were actually going to sail, and he replied that it was too much trouble to get the sails up for such a short trip. Before I knew it, Jack had fired up the engine, Shaun picked up the anchor, and we were on our way.
The whole time we were crossing to the other island, I just marveled at the beauty of the place. Jack showed me some about how to navigate, and even let me take the wheel for awhile. It was so much fun! I looked back and saw our crew boat following obediently in our wake. He showed me the marker buoys into the cove, and had me steer past them. I had gotten out one of my little cameras, and snapped a few pictures along the way. We were headed to a place called Cane Garden Bay, and as we motored into the cove, I was amazed at all colorful buildings along the beach. This time, instead of throwing out the anchor, we pulled up to what Jack said was called a mooring ball, which turned out to be a big white and blue ball floating at the end of a permanently anchored chain. Shaun grabbed onto it with a long hook, and then tied a line from our boat through a metal loop on the ball. It seemed to me that the whole process was much easier than anchoring.
As soon as we got everything tied down and secured, Jack called back to the other boat to have them come pick him and Shaun up. He said there would be someone keeping an eye on us from the deck of the other boat, but that my husband had wanted us to have privacy during the night hours. He and Shaun were both going in to the beach. I knew that the full moon would be the next night and so I figured for the next three nights they'd be out having fun. I watched them riding into shore in their Zodiac, and hoped they had a good time.
By this time, I had relaxed and started to really enjoy myself. The past couple of months had been so hectic and emotionally trying that this vacation was exactly what I needed. As a matter of fact, this was the very first vacation I had ever taken as an adult, and I was going to savor every minute of it. It was still not quite sunset, so I decided to call the number Niall had given me. After a few rings, a melodious voice with the British island lilt answered, "Good afternoon."
I wasn't sure how to begin, so I said, "Hi! Um, this is Sookie Stackh…uh…Northman, and I was given your number by Niall Brigant."
The lovely voice said, "Of course! Sookie, Niall said you would be contacting me. My name is Faeryn, and I will be glad to help you while you are here. When would you like to meet?"
I said, "Well, you know my husband is a vampire, right? So during the day would be best. We are at Cane Garden Bay right now. Are you far from here?"
The soft laughter coming over the line sounded like my great grandfather's, like wind chimes in a light breeze. She said, "It doesn't matter. Why don't you meet me at the Beach Comber's Grill at 12:00 tomorrow? We can have lunch and get to know each other a bit before we get started."
That sounded fine to me, so I agreed and then I asked, "How will I know you?"
Again that musical laughter, and then, "Oh, I am certain I will know you. Niall said you were quite unmistakably a Brigant. Until tomorrow, then."
We disconnected, and I sat and thought about her last comment. Niall was just so…beautiful, as were Claudine and Claude. I was nowhere near that category, but maybe I still had enough of the family traits to be recognizable as a family member. The mere possibility made me smile. I still had awhile before Eric would be up, so I decided to go ahead and wash my hair and get the salt water out of it. I had bought some nice handmade herbal shampoo and soap in one of the little stores on the beach and was anxious to try them out. I went to the shower in the bow of the boat, so I could leave the hatches open and still have natural light.
I didn't want to get completely dressed until I found out what Eric had in mind for tonight, so I thought I'd just use my new wrap. It had come with a little card showing about ten different ways to wear it, so following the instructions I twisted two of the ends around my neck, tied it, and let it hang like a dress. Those things were really great!
I went up on deck and let the late afternoon sun dry my hair as I brushed it out. Boy, was my hair a mess! Long hair, humidity, and salt water had produced some seriously bushy hair, so I tried to tame it down a bit by putting it into a French braid.
By now, I could tell it was going to be sunset soon, so I scurried on down to our bedroom. I had missed my vampire's rising for the last few days, and for some reason both of us enjoyed that more than anything. After locking the door, I stepped into the cool dimness of our room. I climbed up on the bed, propped my head on one hand and just lay staring at him.
I pushed a few strands of his long hair back out of his handsome face. Even in the dim light, he was just so gorgeous I didn't think I would ever tire of looking at him. I ran my finger down his cheek and then across the firm line of his jaw. I had forgotten to ask him if vampires ever got jet lag, or if their schedules were screwed up by the changing times of sunrise and sunset. However, just as always, he opened his eyes a few minutes before sunset. He stared at me for a moment and then smiled broadly and said, "Good evening, my lovely island girl. Come to me."
He pulled me close, and kissed me languidly. After giving me a few of his wonderful slow kisses, he bent his head to the base of my throat and inhaled. He said softly, "I love the way your skin smells of sunlight."
Bill had said something close to that once, when we first met. It was the first sweet thing I could remember a man ever saying to me. When Eric said it, though, it made me unbelievable sad, because I knew that was the one thing we could never, ever share. I guess he could feel it through our bond, because almost immediately he said, "No, Beloved, do not feel sad for me. I am happy that you can feel the sun for both of us."
A tear rolled down my cheek, and he caught it with his long finger, and licked it. He said, "Mmmmm. Even your tears taste like fairy, now."
He gave me a big grin, but I wasn't done with the subject. I was his wife now, and so I felt like I could finally ask him, "Eric, do you ever miss the sun?"
He rolled onto his back, put his hands behind his head, and said thoughtfully, "I did for the first century or so, but as I began to embrace being a vampire I ceased to miss it. I have only begun to think of it again recently, because of you. There is so much of your life that I can never share."
That answer made me so sad that I just didn't want to think about it anymore, so I climbed up and lay on top of him, and said, 'Well, I'm here now. Let's make the most of it!"
Immediately he started grinning and said, "That is acceptable! Now, what is this you are wearing? Hmmmm, it seems that you are not wearing any panties…I approve! So, if I just pull on this here (he untied the bow of my wrap) and then pull this back here (he slid off the whole thing) I have a very naked girl at my mercy. Very nice, indeed!"
Giggling, I stared to roll off of him, but he had other ideas. He pinned me on top of him and started to tickle me! He had never done anything like that before, and soon I was squirming and laughing for all I was worth. I begged him to stop, and finally I did the only thing that I knew would distract him. I gave him a kiss, then another, and another. Each one became a little deeper, and before long he was stroking my back instead of tickling me. I could feel his erection begin to press against me, and my own hootchie was getting hotter and wetter by the second. I was in the perfect position to just straddle him, and so I did.
I rose up and used one hand to center him under me, and then I gradually lowered myself down onto his hardness. I rocked back and forth, and let all the sadness I had been feeling earlier be replaced with the pleasure of our joining. He stopped me long enough to suckle my breasts, and scrape his fangs lightly around each nipple. I just love it when he does that! I couldn't hold still for long, though, and I began to ride him in earnest. I must have been ready for it, because in no time I had my first orgasm. He groaned as he felt my pleasure, and then pulled me down to his chest and rolled us onto our sides; he began a slow steady thrusting that was hitting some very special spot inside me.
He would bring me almost to the edge, and then back me down. After the third time I was begging him to finish me, and his sapphire eyes were glowing. He finally started thrusting faster, and when I thought I couldn't stand it another second, he bit the soft part of my shoulder, and I finally climaxed with an intensity that shook me from one end of my body to the other. I am afraid this time I really was screaming his name. I guess that did it for him, too, because I could feel him thrust strongly a couple of more times, then release inside of me.
I lay in his arms shuddering for a minute, and then he started chuckling. He said, "Marriage seems to agree with you. I wish now we had done this sooner."
Although right then I felt like I was made of jello, I managed the strength to say, "I think it worked out just great. Now, what are we going to do tonight?"
My vampire said, "My love, let us go to shore and feed you. There are several nice restaurants here. Later we can do some shopping, and listen to some music, and dance if you wish."
That is exactly what we did. I put on a sundress, and held my sandals in my lap in the dinghy while we motored to shore. Eric looked drop-dead gorgeous (ha ha) in a casual pair of slacks and a dark blue Tommy Bahama beach shirt. We had such a good time, strolling from place to place down the beach, like any ordinary couple on their honeymoon. The only slightly out-of-the-ordinary element was the pair of guards that trailed behind us everywhere we went. Eric ignored them completely, and I admit that by now I was getting pretty used to it as well. I had told him about calling Faeryn, and that I would be meeting with her the next day. He wasn't too surprised, so I must have been right about he and Niall discussing it in advance. At one of the little stores, he found a pretty necklace made from shells which he said looked just right fro an Island girl, so he bought it for me and fastened it around my neck.
Afterwards, we went back out to the Starlight, and Eric wanted to go for a swim. He found the switch that activated the lights on the underside of the boat, and a pool of light illuminated the water all around it. We could see lots of schools of fish swimming around underneath us. We went and changed into swimsuits and slid into the warm, calm water. I paddled around with him for awhile, then climbed out and sat on the little platform on the back of the boat. He continued to swim around the boat with sure strong strokes and I enjoyed watching his muscles flex as he swam. The coolest thing about a vampire swimming is that they don't have to hold their breath, so they can stay under water as long as they want! Eric had gone deep underwater to look at some shells on the smooth sandy bottom, and the water was so clear and calm that I could still see him moving around below me.
The Starlight was moored on the last row of boats in the cove and so was out in fairly deep water. Suddenly, I became aware of a strange noise off to my left. It sounded kind of like a shrill eee eee eee. I looked over in that direction, and on the very edge of the pool of light, I saw a dolphin! He was swimming around in a large circle, and then he would come to the surface, poke his head out of the water, and chatter at me.
I had been completely fascinated by dolphins since I was small. One of my favorite childhood books that Gran always read to me was about a lonely little girl who made friends with a dolphin, and I bet I drew about a million of them in every possible color with my big box of Crayolas. I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing one in person! I wanted Eric to see him, but my vampire was still deep underwater.
To my surprise, the big mammal swam almost right up to the back of the platform from which I was dangling my feet. From my reading, I knew that dolphins were mammals, but I still always thought of them as huge fish. He came almost close enough for me to touch him! Just then, Eric broke the surface of the water, and he must have startled the big fish, because immediately he darted away. I said excitedly, " Honey! Did you see the dolphin? He was right here near the boat!"
Treading water, Eric laughed and said, "No, I was paying attention to a Louisiana mermaid. Is he gone?"
I looked around, but if he was nearby I couldn't see him in the dark. I said, "I guess so. Oh, honey, he was so neat! I have always wanted to see one close up! He came right up to the boat!"
My vampire swam closer to the platform, and said, "You'll probably see more while we are here. You should get one of the crew to take you snorkeling during the day. I understand that the reefs here are teaming with tropical fish."
When he finally pulled himself out of the water, I showed him the little hand-held outdoor shower, and we both rinsed off the salt water. After we dried each other off with huge, soft beach towels, he pulled out some of the sunning pads and pillows and made us a little nest in the cockpit. We lay cuddled together and watched the stars. He knew a lot about the constellations, and told me their names in English and in his old language.
My new husband made love to me gently this time, and whispered words of love in my ear. I have never felt happier, or more content, and I could feel through the bond that the same was true for him. I tried to stay awake, because I didn't want to miss one single minute of my time with him, but eventually I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I could feel him lifting me, and carrying me down to our bedroom. I knew he was gone for awhile, but just before dawn I could feel him slip back into our bed, and he pulled me to his side, tucked me into the crook of his arm, and kissed my head before he slipped into his daytime slumber.
******
Eric's POV
A treat is awaiting me as I open my eyes. My Bonded is lying next to me, and she is a vision. Her hair has been pulled back into a neat braid, and even after only one day her skin has began to turn golden brown. She is wearing one of the wraps I bought for her and the color is perfect against her tan skin. The best thing, though, is her happy, relaxed smile of greeting. I can tell she has enjoyed her day. I pull her warm little body to me, and kiss her, savoring the feel of her soft lips parting under mine. I have always considered kissing to be an art form, and my Bonded is very talented in this area.
She smells wonderful tonight. I inhale her scent, and realize that it is an irresistible combination of sunlight and fairy. Is it my imagination, or does she actually smell more strongly of fairy since we arrived here? The tropical sunshine seems to smell slightly different as well. I tell her,"I love the way your skin smells of sunlight."
I mean it as a compliment, but for some reason this has upset her. I can see the tears welling up in her eyes, and can feel an incredible sadness roll through her. Ah! I think I can guess what the trouble is, so I tell her, "No, Beloved, do not feel sad for me. I am happy that you can feel the sun for both of us."
A single tear spills over and tracks down her face. I cannot resist this treat, so I snare it and pop it in my mouth. A surprise awaits me, though, because her tears are now starting to taste like real fairy tears...which are considered a rare delicacy. They are sort of like...catnip for vampires. Just the one taste and I can feel myself beginning to harden.
However, it seems that my Bonded is not completely satisfied with that answer. She seems to hesitate, then asks me rather gently if I ever miss the sun. I can tell this subject bothers her, and so try to give her a an honest answer. I say, "I did for the first century or so, but as I began to embrace being a vampire I ceased to miss it. I have only begun to think of it again recently, because of you. There is so much of your life that I can never share."
In fact, losing the ability to walk freely in the sun is one of the most painful adjustments in becoming vampire. I am so old now, I have almost forgotten what the sun even looks like. What I told her is true. Sometimes now, I fantasize about what it would be like to be able to sit and watch a sunrise with her, or see the sparkles of sunlight in her golden hair as she sunbathes or works in her garden. For a moment, she seems to be even sadder than ever, but then she attempts to lighten the mood by crawling on top of me and smiling. She announces, "Well, I'm here now. Let's make the most of it!"
I run my hands up under the colorful fabric of the wrap she is wearing to feel her fine ass. I am delighted to find that she is bare, and then hasten to remove it so that I can feel her silky warm skin as she lays on top of me. I have the urge to hear her musical laugh, and so I tickle her. She seems surprised by the gesture, but rewards my efforts by peels of laughter with the added benefit of her naked body squirming around on top of mine. In an attempt to get me to quit, she begins to give me kisses, which I return eagerly. Soon she quits squirming and begins kissing me with increasing passion; almost immediately I am completely erect and ready to be inside her.
Obviously she is ready for me, too, because without further ado she straddles me; and after just a few minutes she has her first orgasm. I roll us onto our sides, and begin to slide in and out slowly, to give her time to recover. I position her leg over my hip, so that I am angled just right to give her maximum pleasure. It does not take long to get her back to the very edge but then I deliberately back her down a little. Each time I do it, I know that when she finally climaxes it will be very intense. After the third time, she begs me very prettily to finish her, and so I thrust a little faster and I bite one of my favorite places on her shoulder. As my beautiful Lover cums for me, she turns completely pink, and cries out, "Ahhhh! Oh my god! Eric!", which is such a turn-on that I lose control; and before I can stop myself I am reaching my own peak. Since the night of our marriage, she seems to be less inhibited somehow, a little bolder, and now we are in the Islands, lustier. All of these things suit me just fine, and so I tell her, "Marriage seems to agree with you. I wish now we had done this sooner."
She blushes, but agrees, and then asks me what I have planned for the evening. I think I would like to first go to shore and see what this cove has to offer, and then do a little swimming. We shower and dress, and then take the little raft to the dock. Once there, Sookie slips on her sandals and we take our time strolling down the beach. She picks a restaurant, and we sit outside in the open-air dining room. As she eats, she tells me all about her day.
It seems she has finally gotten around to opening the Prince's letter. During our last discussion before the night of the wedding, he had agreed to tell her not to open it until after our arrival so as not to spoil her surprise. I am anxious for Sookie to try and get her rather unpredictable magic under control, as is Niall. He had been quite pleased with my choice of honeymoon destination (not that I really care whether he approved or not) and seemed to think this tutor is the perfect one for Sookie. Apparently he holds her in high regard, even though she is not full-blooded.
The Prince has been very excited and amazed at Sookie's rapid progress, which he is certain has to do with her taking my blood. I personally think that the magic of the Second Bond may also be at work , but of course he is not aware that it has already been accomplished. If nothing else, I believe the fact that my potent blood will allow her a much longer lifespan is what convinced him to agree to our union in the first place...although I do not know if he could have stopped her in any event. My Bonded is very headstrong when she has made up her mind.
When the Prince first made their relationship known to me, I freely admit I was a little nervous. If anyone could have possibly broken our first Bond, it would have been him; in fact, I'll hazard a guess he probably thought about taking the quick way out and just sending me to my final death. However, it might have proved a little harder to do that than he might have imagined. I take great satisfaction in knowing that not even he can break the Second Bond.
As she eats, I sit and admire the new Mrs. Northman. She is wearing a simple sundress, and has her hair pulled back in a braid. She is lovely to look at, and so happy and relaxed that it is a joy to just watch her. It seems to me that she is getting more beautiful by the day, and more desirable than ever. I have noticed all the looks she is getting from the human men in the area. If Compton could see her right now, I would be probably have to stake him to keep him off of her. It is just as well that we have only seen a few vampires here this evening, My Lover does have a tendency to attract vampire suitors, and for once I am enjoying having her undivided attention.
After Sookie is finished with her dinner, we continue to check out the other establishments along the beach. We purchase a few items, and listen to music, and in general just have fun. It has been many years since I have had nothing to do but relax and enjoy being with a woman, and it feels a bit strange...but good. I am not normally a chatty vampire, but I seem to want to talk to her about all sorts of subjects. Our conversations are never dull, to be sure, and I love the way her mind works. She always manages to see things in a fresh and completely unique way and it delights me.
It is a beautiful moonlit night, and perfect for a swim. We head back out to the yacht, and change into swimsuits...it is unfortunate that there are so many other boats around, because to my mind bathing suits are generally a complete waste of cloth. I want to see my little mermaid paddling around in nothing but the little shell necklace I just bought for her. However, she does look quite sexy in the tiny scrap of bikini that Pam had purchased for her in New York. I am beginning to wish that we had just found some uninhabited island and stayed completely to ourselves so that she could just run around entirely uncovered; but of course she would be bored during the day with nothing to do.
The water here is the perfect temperature, and so clear the bottom is visible to quite a depth. We go in for a swim and after paddling around for a bit, I grab her and pull her in for a few kisses. She wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck and clings to me like a limpet as she kisses me. I find this rather arousing, and I know she can feel my erection between us. She whispers in my ear, "Not now! Too many people around!" Reluctantly I let her go, and to get my mind off her body, I decide to dive down and take a look at some rather interesting shells on the sandy bottom.
I stay underwater for awhile, but my thoughts keep returning to the woman awaiting me on our boat. I can see her legs dangling off the platform, and I swim up to her. She seems excited by something, and the first thing she asks is, "Honey! Did you see the dolphin? He was right here near the boat!"
I just love it when she calls me all those distinctly Southern pet names! Who else but my Bonded would ever have the nerve to refer to a thousand year old Viking vampire as "Honey", "Sugar", or my personal favorite, "Baby"! It never fails to put me in a good humor, so I laugh and answer her, "No, I was paying attention to a Louisiana mermaid. Is he gone?"
Apparently he was, and she seemed very disappointed. I need to leave a note for one of the crew to take her snorkeling while we are here. I have arranged for us to go on a night dive, but it is really set up mainly for vampires. She does not know how to scuba, so mostly she will have to stay in the shallow waters while I go out a bit deeper.
After we get out of the water and rinse off with the little hand held outdoor shower (a wonderful invention, as far as I am concerned), I proceed to make us a little bed in the cockpit of the boat with pillows and cushions. This gives us enough privacy that my Lover allows me to peel her out of her bathing suit and lie naked with me under the stars. I point out some of the constellations, and tell her their names. I say them in both English and my native tongue, which she very charmingly tries to repeat. I laugh, because her English-speaking lips do not want to form the sounds correctly, but at least she seems unafraid to try. It took me nearly ten years to teach it to Pam, because my child has no ear for languages. However, Sookie seems like she might actually enjoy learning it, and so I make a mental note to speak to her more in my native language. Gradually it will not sound so strange to her ears, and then I can begin to teach her in earnest. Except for Pam, I have never been in a relationship long enough to bother. I find myself looking forward to the day when I can hear her speak it fluently. I want to hear her tell me that she loves me in the sounds of my youth.
I marvel once more that this lovely, fragile creature is lying so trustingly in my arms, completely unafraid of the fearsome vampire who is holding her. I can feel her contentment and happiness, and it makes me want to be joined with her. I whisper softly in her ear, "Beloved, you are more beautiful than any star in the sky. I never thought I could ever be this happy. I promise to love you forever and a night."
I roll her on to her back, and begin to stroke her tenderly. I kiss her forehead, then her nose, and then her lips. I place one firm breast in my mouth and feel the nipple instantly begin to harden. She pushes my hair back out of my face as I suckle, and she says softly, "Yes, baby, that feels good." I knead the other one lightly with my hand, and she sighs in contentment. After giving each one plenty of attention, I kiss my way down her body to her mound, where I give her oral pleasure. She is being very quiet, I suppose because she realizes that sounds carry well across water; but I can feel her heart beating rapidly and her pulse racing so I know she is enjoying it. Finally, without making any sound other than "mmmmmm", she cums on my eager tongue, and I lap up her juices as she shudders.
I crawl my way back up her body, and enter her ever so slowly. I want her to feel every inch of my length as I slide into her. As always, she gives a little gasp as she first adjusts to my size, but then she begins to move sensuously under me. She pulls my head down to her lips and whispers, " Eric, I love you and I am yours, always." When she says those things to me, I get the most amazing feeling in my chest, almost like my heart is beating again. This time, I make love to my new wife as gently and as sweetly as I know how, and the feelings running between us are very strong and deep. Eventually, I can tell she is reaching her climax by the way her breath is catching in her throat. This time, when I bite her, instead of screaming my name, she quietly lets out a prolonged sigh of bliss.
With that, I feel my own pleasure building and I spill my essense into her as she holds me tightly. Afterwards, we lay on our sides, face to face, staring wonderingly into each other's eyes. How can two souls be so intertwined and still be two people? I do not know. All I really know is that no one will ever, ever take her from me. She is mine, and always will be.
Later, my Beloved falls asleep in my arms and I carry her below to our stateroom. I hear my cell phone ringing and catch it before it wakes her. It is Robert, and he has some news which I find very interesting and which requires a lengthy discussion. After the call is over, I try to read a bit but my mind keeps going over what I have just learned. I hesitate a few more minutes, then place a call to Sandy. It is not long until dawn, so I keep it short. As soon as we disconnect, I go back down to our stateroom, and slide into bed with my Bonded. I spoon up behind her, and try to let the beating of her heart sooth me. As I wait for the sun to break the horizon and pull me under for the day, I breathe in her special scent, and kiss her hair. A moment later, I rest.
