Chapter 2

"Sookie she is someone that I knew a long time ago. We had a brief relationship and she wanted more. I wasn't ready to for more at the time." He said as he began to change clothes obviously trying to change the subject.

"Even if she was an ex-girlfriend; why would he know her and bring her up now?" I was trying to make sense of this whole thing. Something was just off, and I wanted to know what Bill was trying to hide.

"Sookie, the reason Eric said that is because he hates me for something he thinks I did a longtime ago. Lorena was one of his best friends until we got together, and she got a little crazy. She spent a couple of months in the hospital after the split for a nervous breakdown. Lorena had always been off, but I thought it was a result of stress. It turns out she was a manic depressive and Eric blames me for not noticing the symptoms sooner. "

"I don't understand though why would he mention her now?" I said still confused.

"She is here Sookie, and one of the biggest investors in my software." He straightens his tie, and kept his eyes focused on the floor.

"Oh, why didn't you tell me before?" I said disappointed that he didn't trust me enough to tell me that his ex would be spending the weekend with us. He must have noticed my sudden look of disdain, because he pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair softly.

"Please don't be angry with me I just didn't want to burden you with my past. Lorena and I were over a long time ago, and she means nothing to me. Eric just likes to toy with the people in my life, you can't trust him Sookie."

"Just no more secrets." I whispered against his neck secretly dreading the weekend now knowing that I would have to see Bills ex-girlfriend at some point. I pulled away from Bill, wanting a distraction from all this drama that was suddenly overwhelming. I dug through my suitcase and found my neon pink bikini, and a matching pair of pink flip flops.

"I am going to go for a swim, want to come with me." I said playfully trying to lighten the mood between us.

"I have a meeting, but maybe we could go when I get back." He said giving me a quick kiss. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was acting strange. Maybe it was all the stress from work, and he didn't need the stress of our relationship making it worse.

"Remember what I said about Eric he is not to be trusted." He said as I went to exit the room, and I just nodded trying not to stir up anything else. Was Eric really that dangerous to him that I had to stay away? I had a sudden mental flash of Eric's bare chest covered with tiny drops of water gleaming against his skin. I shook away my improper thoughts as I found the door that lead outside to the beach. Maybe my attraction to him was more dangerous than anything he could say about Bill. The moon was large in the sky glowing brightly and lighting the beach. I took my flip flops off wiggling my toes in the still warm sand. Living in Indiana I hadn't had many chances to go to the beach, only once or twice when my mom and dad had took me to Disney World. So I truly relished the times I could go to the beach, and feel the sand between my toes.

"Well, Well I keep finding you by the sea Miss. Stackhouse. Maybe you're a Nymph calling me to the sea?" I turned surprised once again to find Eric standing behind me. He had obviously had a shower, because I could smell the alluring scent of his after shave. He had on a plain white t-shirt the hugged his muscles and a simple pair of cargo pants. I suddenly remembered Bills suit, and the meeting that he was attending.

"Don't you have a meeting to go to?" I said wondering if he was supposed to be at the same meeting that Bill was at.

"I have a consultant that attends such trivial meetings and I only attend the ones that matter." He said finding a seat in one the white wooden lawn chairs. I remained standing It made me feel a little safer not having him so close to me.

"Then why are you here if you don't need to be?" Silently hoping that he would come to the realization that he wasn't needed here, and high tail it out of here.

"I like to see exactly what I am investing in? You can't always see the people that you're going to be working with over the phone. I like to see their work effort; and their drive to succeed with their product. A person character can be the defining factor no matter what the product is." I saw the truth is words, and so many times I had thought the same thing. I nodded, a little caught off guard by what he said. I was more than a little shocked that we shared similar views. There was an awkward pause between us as we stared at each other for a long second. I wondered if he felt the buzz of electricity that hummed between us popping and sizzling. I seriously had to shake these forbidden thoughts from my mind.

"Sookie I know that we just meet, but there is something's that you should know about Bill Compton." He said breaking the silence, but I held out my hand and stop him from saying anything further.

"Look Mr. Northman, I am sure that whatever you have to say about Bill he has already told me. I know that you have some kind of problem with him in the past, but that has nothing to do with me. We have to deal with each other the rest of the weekend, so let's leave the past where it belongs in the past." I said trying to put an end to the problem.

"I bet that Bill has told you everything." He said sarcastically as he glared at me. This angry Eric was something to behold as his brows furrowed together. I inched back from him a little afraid of his reaction getting closer to the door. His features calmed abruptly as he stared at me with his icy blue eyes noticing that he was scaring me.

"Sorry Mrs. Stackhouse I did not mean to let my temper get the best of me. Let's just say there are things that you don't know about Mr. Compton and I that I can never forget or forgive." He ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair that was cropped just under his ears looking puzzled on where to go from here.

"Well I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Best of luck to you on your business transaction Mr. Northman." I said quickly moving inside before he could say anything else. I found my room entering swiftly not wanting to encounter Eric again. I looked around the room to see that Bill wasn't back yet. I decided to take a nice cold shower, and finish unpacking so I would be organized for whatever might come my way tomorrow. After everything was put into is correct place in the dark mahogany dresser I clicked on the T.V. Searching for something interesting to watch. When unexpectedly I heard a loud knock on the door startling me out of bed. I opened the door to find a single red rose lying on the floor in front of the door. I picked up the tiny note that was taped to the rose, and read the tiny scrawled out message.

"I always get the last word Miss. Stackhouse, and please call me Eric."

I couldn't help but smile he defiantly had style. What was wrong with me? I had this perfect boyfriend, and I couldn't stop drooling over Eric Northman. Even though he was the most insufferable man I had ever met, there was just something about him. I would just do my very best to ignore him. "This house was huge, and there had to be tons of hiding spaces." I thought as I stared at the beautiful red rose wondering where he had got one so late. Then I remembered that they were the very same ones that aligned the estate. Laughter spilled out of me as I pictured the huge billionaire giant sneaking through the roses cutting one of Sophie Ann's prized roses. I wondered what I should do with the rose not really wanting to throw it away. I decided to hide it in a romance novel that I tucked away in the back of a suitcase. Surly there could be no harm in keeping a simple rose.