A/N: Ugh, this chapter kicked my ass. Luckily I had finished chapters 7 and 8 before I got to the nitty gritty of my sociology paper otherwise there would have been no updates this week. After pushing out 20 pages, my brain officially shut down. Race and education took the place of my author and his new muse. Nothing was coming to me, and I was getting awfully frustrated. After a little venting to my beta, I got back on track and chapters 9 and 10 took shape. I'm back to slightly lower word counts as compared to the last couple of chapters, but those were just chock full of info. Have no fear, shit goes down in this chapter too, there's just fewer characters to juggle so it takes less time to get through it.

Throwing this up tonight, and you can expect a snippit of a tease tomorrow in the Monday Teaser forum. Looking at the notes I jotted down, chapter 10 looks like it's going to be fun. I'm a little more than excited.

Thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for beta-ing and acting as my therapist to help me through my first bought of writer's block. Sometimes, you just need to hear from someone else that the idea rumbling around in your brain is decent. I added a little more after she sent it back to me this morning so any remaining mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish it was, none of this is mine. Props to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.

The lovers made quick work of each other's clothing, throwing the offending garments about the room without a care. He ripped the dress from her body when the zipper wouldn't cooperate. She gasped, and stood before him in nothing more than a lacy bra and garters. He groaned, appreciating every inch, every curve of her body. The lace soon found its way to the floor in tatters as well.

He wrapped his arms around her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He threw her to the bed as if she weighed no more than a feather. He found his way between her legs, kissing his way up her body to meet her lips again. Attempting to gain the upper hand, she flipped them over, straddling his waist.

Her fingers raked their way down his chest, leaving red marks that served as trails of her journey. She slowly lowered herself onto him, beginning to join their two bodies at a most intimate junction. She moaned as he entered her inch by agonizing inch. His fingers found her hips and dug in, slowing her progress even farther.

"Please, I need you, need to feel all of you inside of me."

At her insistence, he rose to meet her suddenly, filling her completely in one swift motion. The scream that was ripped from her lungs brought a smile to his face. He began a tediously slow rhythm, grabbing her hips tightly as she tried to go faster. She might have been on top, but he never met a woman he couldn't break. Before the end of the night, he would have her yielding to his every desire, repeatedly.

She rose and fell, bringing her hands up her body, cupping her breasts. If his hands were too occupied controlling her speed, she would just have to take care of herself. Her fingers sought out her nipples and quickly got to pinching and teasing them to tight peaks. Between his cock deep within her and her own fingers work, her breathing was quickly becoming erratic. She closed her eyes, allowing her head to fall back, carelessly tossing her blonde locks about.

In an attempt to regain her attention, one of his hands left her hip. His thumb deftly found it's way to her clit, working her in time with the rise and fall of her hips. Her eyes found his gaze again, locking on her ice blue stare to his own. Her pace was getting faster with each passing moment and he could feel her clenching around him.

"God, I'm so close. Please, please I need you."

"That's it, Susannah, come for me." He quickened his own pace, meeting her thrust for thrust. The sound of their hips meeting, flesh on flesh, filled the room. She dug her fingers into his chest as she found her release, screaming for all who could hear her. As she tightened around him, it triggered his own orgasm. He pulled her down to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her as they rode out the aftershocks. She angled her neck so she could look deep into his eyes, where a myriad of emotions played out.

"Danger, I gotta tell ya. I think I'm fallin' in l..."


Eric woke with a start after dozing off in his office chair. That dream again. It was Saturday and this marked the third night in a row he was woken up by the same dream. This was the first time it came to him during a nap, however. Ever since Sookie decided to go on her exploratory trip of his entire body, he couldn't stop having these vivid sex dreams. She reprised her role as Susannah and he played the part of Danger. She never was able to get the words out at the end.

If I could only sleep an extra minute.

Every morning he woke feeling like a teenager again having change out of his pajama bottoms to toss them in the laundry pile. If this kept up any longer, he'd have to either wash his clothes more often or invest in more pajamas. Either that or he might just have to keep his word and ravage her all night. At this point in his life, it felt like the best option.

The internal debate raged on; could he make love to another woman? The other night proved he could be physically aroused by her, but the intimate act of sex worried him. Doubtful thoughts plagued his mind, what if he couldn't meet her standards as a lover, what if he started thinking about Felicia during the act, and the worst, what if he said Felicia's name instead?

In every other aspect of his life, he was able to move forward and apply the new mantra of "live in the moment" but when it came to sex he was still stuck in park. He desperately wanted to stop thinking about it and just let life happen naturally. She had already voiced her desire to move things to a more physical level. Would she lose patience with him if he took too long? One fact he knew for certain, with the level of anxiety he felt, he'd never be able to perform.

A quick glance at the clock told him that Sookie would be getting out of work soon. Every night she called him when she got off work and talked to him the entire trip home. It kept her company and gave him the peace of mind she would be safe. He eagerly anticipated her call; he loved nothing more than to hear her voice. As if she could read his mind, the phone rang and flashed her name across the caller ID.

"Well hello there gorgeous, how was your shift?"

"Long. I'm exhausted. Luckily, I got a seat on the subway so no more standing."

"Congrats on the seat. Any drunks to entertain you for the ride?"

"There's one guy at the end of the car singing Christmas carols at the top of his lungs. The only problem is he doesn't know the words and is replacing them with profanity. Definitely ruining my memories of White Christmas."

"Does that mean your serenade at the gym tomorrow will be holiday themed?"

"You better believe it. I need to erase this guy from my mind. Luckily I'm getting off at the next stop. So, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Oh, just meeting this beautiful woman at the gym in the morning. Other than that, I figured my afternoon would be spent in front of the computer getting more of my novel done. Care to change my mind?"

"Oh, I just heard about this great place a little ways downtown. I think you'll really like it. There's even a little café inside where we could grab lunch. I think you'll freak out."

"Like you freaked out for Santa?"

"You said you wouldn't bring that up! It's one month a year, cut me some slack."

"Oh, you know I love to tease you, lover."

"I'm going to hold you to that, mister. I'm at my apartment; I'm going to go pass out. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early. Good night, Eric, sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Sookie. Oh, any dress code for tomorrow?"

"Just be your usual sexy self. You know I love the way your ass looks in those jeans."

"Jeans it is. Sweet dreams, dear one."

As he hung up, he looked down at the phone with the biggest smile across his face. Just the sound of her voice made him happy. He saved his progress, shut down the computer, and performed his night time routine. As he laid down in bed, he glanced at the empty left side of his bed. For the first time, he thought the only thing that would make it look complete was Sookie curled up, nestled at his side. Sadly, for tonight, Clancy would have to take her place as his snuggling partner.


He stood under the shower at the gym trying to figure out where Sookie was taking him for their date today. She had been particularly cryptic during their workout. As promised, she played nothing but her holiday themed playlist. He never took an invested interest in her musical choices; most of them were songs he had never heard before anyway. If Christmas songs brought that signature smile to her face, he would survive the season happily.

He quickly finished up and dressed in the promised jeans and a green sweater. The air was starting to reflect the season. He was happy that sweater weather had returned; he always loved a chill in the air as it reminded him of Stockholm. He waited in the main lobby of the gym for Sookie to emerge from the ladies' locker room. Today, she looked a little dressier than usual, a tight sweater dress that hugged all the right curves and a pair of over the knee boots.

"Sookie, you never fail to take my breath away. Are you ready to go? Perhaps a little clue to our location?" He held an arm out for her and she wrapped her own around his.

"You want a clue? Not a chance. We'll be there soon enough. I tell you one thing, first stop is the café, I'm starving!"

A few subway transfers later, they arrived at Grand Central Station. They fought their way through the crowd and hailed a taxi to get them the rest of the way. Sookie gave the address to the driver, "225 Madison, please."

"That address sounds familiar. I just can't put my finger on it."

"You've probably been there before, but they have a few new exhibits I'm sure you'll like. Plus, I've never been, so even if you have, you can show me around. Claudine told me about it and it sounded like the type of place you'd love to visit."

"As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

The cab pulled up to their final destination and Eric's face lit up upon recognition of the location as soon as they stepped out to the curb.

"The Morgan Library? This used to be one of my favorite places to kill an afternoon. I'd come here and wander the rooms for hours. I haven't been in years, Sookie, this is fantastic."

He pulled her into a kiss to show the depth of his appreciation. She could have stood there forever kissing him, but her stomach made its desires known. They paid their admission and headed right for the glass encased corner that held the casual café. They luckily found a table and dug into their lunch. It was a beautiful day, and the sunlight was streaming all through the courtyard. Eric was enchanted by the way the natural light danced and shone through her golden locks. She caught him staring, and called him on it.

"See something you like?"

"Most definitely. Are you ready to see the exhibits? What are they showing now?"

"There's a bunch, I figured we'd just wander through the galleries and the back rooms. The one I really want to see is the Dickens' display. It's the original manuscript of A Christmas Carol!"

"Of course A Christmas Carol would draw you here. Wandering is my favorite way to see the museum. Would you believe they have a Gutenberg bible on display?"

"Is that some famous book or something?"

"It's the first book that was ever mass published. It started a revolution that made it easy to disperse the printed word. It's what made education of the written word possible."

"So it's a big deal."

"Very big deal, Sookie. I think historic books are my version of Christmas. I've always loved first editions and rare books. Just relax as we walk around, you have your own tour guide at your service."

They worked their way through the front galleries, spending a little while longer at the holiday display. Eric loved the glow in Sookie's eyes at the mere mention of all things Christmas and was more than willing to indulge her. She was just as excited at the Jane Austen exhibit, revealing her favorite book was Pride and Prejudice; behind the Danger series of course.

As the pair wandered the galleries, Eric would point out several of the more famous pieces that were being shown. There were many manuscripts that lined the displays in addition to art and paintings. They studied the graceful lines of the three hundred year old French sketches. Sookie came across several pages of sheet music. After studying the notes for some time, she began humming a few bars.

"Do you know what you're singing?"

"No, but I like it. Do you recognize it?"

"It's Puccini. He's an Italian composer who wrote some beautiful operas. What you're singing is from La Bohème. It's one of his most famous works. At its heart, it's the love story of a seamstress and a poet. Tragic ending."

"I've never been a fan of tragic endings. I can barely watch the end of Gone with the Wind anymore. I usually turn it off before it starts to get really sad."

"I have a recording at home, you might like it. I'll have to see if it'll be playing in New York any time soon. We could go see it if you like."

"I've never gone to the opera. I've seen a few Broadway shows, but never an honest to God opera. That would be amazing. But come on, let's see what else is here!"

He led her to the rooms that were part of the McKim gallery. Among them were Mr. Morgan's personal library and study. He loved the way the older rooms smelled; it was distinctly rich wood and old books. As they entered the library, Sookie's eyes were immediately drawn to the murals that covered the ceiling.

"You belong up there, you know."

"What are you talking about, Eric."

"Well, the paintings of men are some of the great thinkers and writers, that tier represents the signs of the zodiac, and the most beautiful women up there represent the great muses." He embraced her from behind, wrapping her with his larger frame. He placed kisses from her shoulder to her ear and whispered, "You are my muse. I find inspiration in everything you do, every smile across your face, every sound that escapes your beautiful lips."

As if on cue, she moaned, and melted into his arms. "You definitely have a way with words. Guess that's why you're an author, huh?"

"Mhm," he moaned into her neck, which reverberated throughout her entire body. "I've been dreaming of you every night. You haunt my every thought. I crave you, Sookie Stackhouse. And while my mind hasn't completely caught up with my body, I seem to have a new obsession with exploration."

His lips continued their trip along her neck as his hands worked their way up her sides, but she stopped him.

"We're in public; anyone can walk through that door at any moment. If you're feeling a little frisky, why don't we head back to my place?"

With that, he took her hand and led her back through the winding rooms. As much as she insisted on taking the subway more often as it was more cost efficient, time was his main concern. He needed to have her in his arms, her lips on his, more than anything. They were in a cab, heading back to her apartment in no time.

She may have been concerned with public displays of affection in a museum, but she didn't seem to have any qualms about taxi cabs. She was in his lap as soon as her address left her lips. The driver had to clear his throat several times to alert the couple currently acting like horny teenagers in the backseat they had arrived. Eric threw some money his way and was soon chasing Sookie up the stairs to her apartment.

They burst through her front door, a tangled mess of limbs and lips and were greeting with a shriek. Amelia was a blur, running back into her bedroom as Pam gave them her most annoyed glare, naked as the day she was born. Sookie buried her face in Eric's chest to divert her gaze as well as hide her embarrassment.

"A bit of modesty, Pam?"

With a dramatic roll of the eyes, Pam gathered her clothes and sulked into the bedroom. Amelia came out, tying her robe around her frame and straightening out her hair.

"You were supposed to be gone all afternoon! Why are you back so early!?"

"We saw enough of the museum and wanted to just hang out before I had to head to work. This is my apartment too! I can come back anytime I like! Besides, you were supposed to be working at the gym."

"Jason overbooked the studios so my class got canceled. I grabbed lunch with Pam, instead."

"You have a perfectly good bed just through that door, why did you have to be all naked out in the living room? We had an agreement, no funny business out here."

"As I said, you weren't supposed to be here. Beds are so passé; we were just having a little fun on the couch."

"I'm getting my uniform and going to Eric's place. I've seen enough boobs for today."

Pam emerged from the bedroom to add, "She's leaving? So I got dressed for nothing?"

Eric couldn't help but laugh at the situation that played out before him. Instead of being hurt, he took it as a sign that it wasn't the right time for their own foreplay. He gave his friend a wink and followed Sookie into her bedroom.

"Dear one, I'd hate to be a buzzkill but..."

"The moment's passed, I get it. That's just not what I wanted to see today."

"Why don't we just relax for a bit before you have to go to work?" With that, he laid down on her bed, patting the space in front of him indicating his desire for her to join him. With a smile, she did just that and he curled up behind her to spoon. He wrapped his arms around her and she relaxed against him.

"What time do you have to be at the bar?"

"Six."

"Why don't you close your eyes for a little while? You should rest before you have to head to work. Now get some sleep, I'll be here when you wake."

Eric kissed her temple and ran his hand softly along her arm and back. He felt her breathing even out and could tell she had fallen asleep. He slipped his phone out of his pocket to set an alarm and let the warmth from Sookie's body radiate through his own to lull him to sleep. He prayed her body in his arms would keep the dreams away. Waking up with a wet spot in his pants was not the way he intended to seduce his Sookie.

A/N2: Was that little tease at the beginning too mean? I wasn't ready to throw these two into bed, but I was in a particularly lemony mood. Dream sequences are the next best step, right?

The Morgan Library and Museum is a real place in NYC, and that is the correct address. I haven't been there yet, but I want to go. It came up in a discussion during my Foundations of Education class a few weeks ago. Eric's freak out about the importance of the printing press and Gutenberug bible were modeled after my professor. Thanks, Dr. Montgomery!! If you want to learn more about the museum, as well as see images of some of the collections, check it out at http : // www . themorgan. org. Hopefully I represented it well.

Does anyone else call somebody when walking home late at night? My roommate in college got me in the habit and now whenever I'm walking around alone I call a friend or my boyfriend for a little comfort. Some say it's dangerous because you're not devoting your full attention to your surroundings, but I can multitask better than that.

Ciao darlings!