AN: Short, but it felt like a good place to end it. Besides, it's all smut. Literally, the whole chapter is basically smut. lol. Let me know what you guys think and ENJOY!

P.S. smutty smut-smut.

Chapter 23

Her shirt disappeared, pulled away and tossed somewhere else. Eric's shirt was soon to join it. Not an instant later, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to his chest. The chill it spread through her was immediate, and invigorating. His skin was in such stark contrast to her own that Maria felt goose-bumps form.

She stared into those stormy-grey eyes as they stared back unblinkingly. There were no secrets hidden there anymore, nothing she didn't know, and she was allowed to enjoy them and their chaotic beauty.

His gaze danced over her face and she couldn't decide what sort of hunger they held. It could have been the obvious, or it could have been the literal. Either way, she rather liked that it was aimed at her.

Eric kissed her again. A hand found its way into her hair, where he fisted it. The shock of it sent pleasure rippling down her spine. Maria didn't care anymore. She didn't care about what would happen beyond the walls of her bedroom. She didn't care about how awkward things would most likely become afterward. Maria simply wanted what she wanted in that moment, and for the first time in her very long life, she decided to take it.

While the passionate moment threatened to consume her and his hands explored her, Maria reached between her and Eric. Her fingers went to work on his zipper, and only a second later, it was undone. There was no hesitation.

The instant she felt him inside, Maria let out a strangled gasp. Their kiss broke and Maria genuinely struggled to breathe. Her eyes were slammed shut and her grip on Eric tightened to the point that it would break a normal man. The truth was, not only was Eric Northman an impressive specimen in every respect, but Maria hadn't been with a man since 8-track tapes were a thing. It led to sensory overload and a brain temporarily out of order. She could do nothing but attempt to find some form of focus.

Eric seemed unwilling to offer her the slightest respite, however, and whether she was ready for it or not, began to move. Another soft whimper escaped her, but her body had gone mostly lax giving him the ability to move her as he saw fit.

With his arms still around her body, Eric rolled the pair until her back was against the mattress again. It gave him all the control she'd once had.

Eric adjusted only a bit, likely shoving his slacks further out of the way while he propped himself over her. Not long after, he began to move again. He was slow at first, almost tender, which she could appreciate and was grateful for.

A hand pinned her hips to the mattress while his speed increased. Maria clung to Eric's back. She had no doubt, even in her fading mind, that her fingernails had pierced his skin. They were too sharp not to, more like claws than human fingernails –and she was holding him so tight.

Eric's speed soon increased and with it her body began to pulse. Each heartbeat thundered through her, pumping her blood through her veins so quickly that she could hear it in her ears. It was almost too loud for her to hear Eric's heavy breaths.

As he continued, Maria felt tensions rise within her and knew it wouldn't be long. Eric seemed to sense the same and worked harder for it. His free hand disappeared between them, stroking her where she was most sensitive. The same instant, she felt the pinpricks of his fangs on her neck. Suddenly so filled with pleasure and the simple thought of being bitten was all it took for her to be pushed over the edge.

Eric timed it perfectly. He bit into her neck the moment an orgasm tore through Maria's body. The purest pleasure mixed with the sharp ache of his bite and it was more than enough for Maria to lose herself completely. She barely registered Eric's subdued growled or that his body had gone rigid as well as he succumbed.

Minutes passed, maybe longer, before Eric drew back and hovered over her again. His large, cold hand sweeping some of the hair out of her face was what prompted Maria to open her eyes, and look up at him. Her blood painted his lips and for whatever reason, Maria wanted to touch them. When she did, oddly delighted to see it, she noticed blood on her own fingers. It was Eric's, they both knew.

With her eyes locked to his, she tenderly placed a finger in her mouth and sucked the blood away. Eric's grin returned. He tenderly took her hand in his and watched her finger retreat her lips before he too licked his blood away from her digits.

Maria smiled, delighting in the feeling of his tongue against her skin. When he'd finished, he kissed her again, and she reciprocated in kind.

Eric didn't know what time it was until he somehow glanced the clock hanging over Maria's faux fireplace on the other side of the room. It was almost four-thirty in the morning, less than four hours until sunrise.

He rolled his head to the side. Maria was lying on her back. One arm was draped over her head on the pillow, her eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily. That made him grin to himself, as well as the light sheen of sweat gracing her skin. That's why he loved having sex with the living. They had reactions vampires didn't. They were a much better gauge as to whether or not he'd done a good job. If Maria's current state was anything to go by, he'd done wonderfully.

Her heart was still thrumming away, a soft hum no matter how much she tried to steady it. He felt compelled to reach over and touch her again. Even though he laid roughly a foot, perhaps two, away from her and could still feel the heat emanating from her skin, he wanted to feel it more intensely. There was no other way to describe it, really. Thropes, like weres, burned so much hotter than a human, and there was something intoxicating about the feel of it. Until that point, he'd foolishly thought drinking her blood was the same. It wasn't.

Before he could decide what to do, Maria rolled her head to the side to look at him. She looked so tired and worn, but entirely satiated. That was another vampires couldn't do. Their level of stamina meant they were never truly tired, not like Maria was at that moment.

"I'm sticky." She told him in a voice that reflected the way she looked.

Eric chuckled a little. He couldn't help it. There was no way she wasn't sticky. He probably was, too. Between sweat and blood and other things, they were both likely very sticky. They'd been at it for hours, after all.

"I think I'm going to take a shower."

He grinned internally that she was phrasing her statement as an uncertainty. She wasn't asking permission or anything so blatant, but there was a tone that made it sound as though she wasn't entirely certain about leaving him there on his own.

"Okay," He replied.

She looked over him only briefly before getting out of bed and walking away. He watched her as she left, naked as the day she was born, and without a care. He rather liked it.

Eric remained in her bed, far too comfortable to bother moving. He thought back to what had transpired since he walked through her door. He'd gone to Maria's with the intent to thank her for saving his life and because he was so proud of her. Feeding was a secondary thought.

He really was proud of what she'd done. It was a strange sort of feeling. He'd been proud of Pam before, the way a father is proud of their child. And he'd been proud of Nora as well, but they were his family. They shared the same blood he did, one way or another. Maria didn't. She was an outsider, and yet, he felt something for her –stronger than he had for anyone else outside of his personal circle. It was almost as though he was growing as a person. Strange thought…

In the distance, he heard the shower running, and another thought entered his mind. He was surprised that he felt a bit addicted at the moment, likely still spun-up on Maria's blood. At least, that was how he rationalized it for the time being. The truth was, Eric simply loved sex.

He rose from Maria's bed and crossed the room and hall. The door to the bathroom wasn't locked and gave way easily under his guidance. Steam filled the small space and to the right, through the semi-translucent shower curtain, he saw Maria's outline. Desire surged through him again.

She had her back to the showerhead and looked as though she was rinsing her hair. Tenderly, Eric parted the curtain and peered inside. He instantly had to fight back a groan.

Maria's body was perfect, regardless of the scars her former tormenter left behind. Despite her ample frame, he could see real muscle –tight and strong- beneath her milky skin. It made sense given what she was that she was an animal made of pure muscle, but her body wasn't hard, and that's what he liked.

Rivulets of water cascaded down her, carrying small bubbles along her curves before they disappeared into the shower drain. He liked the way it made her skin glisten and genuinely considered licking a trail or two, but he didn't. Instead, he stepped back.

From his stance outside the curtain, Eric watched as Maria faced the showerhead again. He used it as a chance to slip into the shower behind her. She never seemed to notice until he touched a space between her shoulders, bare since she'd draped her hair around the front. Maria jumped, but he expected as much. He saw her turn her head just enough to the side that he could see her in profile, then went still.

Eric let his fingers glide down her spine where they ended at her tailbone. He then guided them back up slowly. Her skin prickled briefly under his touch before it disappeared again shortly after.

He chewed on his bottom lip as hunger surged within him again. Still tenderly touching her, he brought both hands forward. Eric was less coy about grabbing her chest and pulling her to him, ensuring her back was tight against his body. The scent of her skin was intoxicating and it stirred even more inside him.

He massaged her chest, molded the malleable flesh within his strong fingers. Her heart thundered against him to the point he could lie and say it was his own. Maria relaxed into his touch. His excitement continued to grow to the point he was sure she felt it digging into her back.

"Again?" She asked, her voice soft and sultry without her bothering to try.

Eric shifted one of his hands up until he could wrap it easily around her throat. He guided her head back just a bit while at the same time trailing his tongue up her neck. Her pulse fluttered beneath her skin.

"Yes," He whispered in a gruff voice. Eric bit tenderly on her earlobe. Maria gasped. "Until we've had enough."

He could hear her smile in her words when she asked, "When will that be?"

Eric guided her head back completely. Given his superior height, it wasn't hard for him to reach her lips.

"Never," He whispered against them just before he kissed her again.

Maria's body was heavy, so very, very heavy. It felt entirely emptied, as though all of her energy had left her. Eric wore her out more than she thought it was even possible. Thropes had incredible stamina, and Eric Northman had managed to deplete all of it.

Since her own sheets were in desperate need of washing, Maria had chosen to lie in one of the guest bedrooms. It was the one she'd offered Eric but he never used, so the sheets were still deliciously fresh. They felt good against her skin.

Eric had gone back to Fangtasia to see how business had been that night. The club was already closed for the evening and he hadn't set foot in it once. He thought he should pay a visit before Pam called him with a rant about him shirking his responsibilities.

Maria stretched out beneath the sheets and groaned happily when her muscles relaxed just a bit before she curled up again on her side. As she cradled her pillow beneath her head, couldn't help but smile. She'd spent the whole night having sex. That was an odd enough thing for her to experience, but it was with a man she'd sworn upon meeting that she'd never sleep with.

And damn it if he wasn't really good.

She was falling asleep, drifting to the point that she was almost gone, when the bed behind her shifted. She already knew who it was the moment she smelled him. His cologne was expensive and subtle, but distinctive.

He reached for her and pulled her to him, even rolling Maria over until she could lie on his chest. She wondered if he thought she was sleeping and simply let him believe it.

Eric went still beneath her seconds later, and she adjusted herself only briefly before falling asleep finally.