He kissed me. First his lips pressed into mine and hard, then let go. He licked my lips. He broke away before I could comprehend a thing. I looked up at him and he was looking down at his computer screen. I followed his path of vision and my cheeks inflamed. "Eric Northman, are you ignoring me to play Mahjong?" Eric's cool gaze returned to me and I melted into his arms.

EPOV

The woman was infuriating. She was obnoxious and full of herself. I wanted her so badly. For a moment, just before she and Pam began conversing, I thought I had a chance. Something in her demeanor changed. Her body language was different. Once she reverted to calling me "Northman", I knew it was over. I meant what I said to Pam. I was over this shit. I stormed into my office and pretended to review invoices. I waited for Pam to dispose of Sookie and come to me. She didn't. So I organized the invoices, paid the bills, and even put the paperwork where it belonged. I hoped my good will in action would somehow lure Pam into just doing as I asked and getting rid of Sookie so the entire ordeal would be over with. It didn't work. Still no Pam.

Curiosity got me and I found myself wandering back out to the bar. Pam must have had a good reason to disobey me. I needed to go see it in person. Pam and Sookie were still talking. Sookie looked annoyed and Pam looked thrilled. Of course. I made my rounds and came up the back to my booth. Sookie was practically snarling something to Pam. Once I picked up on what she was saying, I immediately regretted it. Pam looked up at me expectantly and Sookie turned around to look at me. I narrowed my eyes at her and quietly walked back to my office.

Once inside, I sat at my desk. Is this really what Sookie thought of me? What the fuck did I do to deserve this? She thought I was shallow? How in the hell. I've worked very hard throughout the centuries to be a good master to Pam and my employees. I've always been fair. I always tell the truth. I don't demand anything of anyone I would not be willing to do myself. Where the fuck does she get off taking my inventory?

Hearing Pam knock on my door didn't help my attitude. Last thing I needed right now was her throwing this shit in my face. When I heard the second series of knocks, I knew it wasn't Pam. Pam doesn't knock twice. Hell, Pam usually doesn't knock.

"What the fuck do you want?" I hoped my snarled response would be enough to scare her off. I didn't want to listen to her berate me even further. Once I saw the knob turning, I hurriedly double clicked on the closest icon on my desk top. I looked up to see Sookie staring at me. She looked deflated. Good. I returned my glance to my computer to see the program loading. Mahjong. Fuck. I had to make do. I clicked and pecked, hoping to give off the illusion that I was hard at work and not rearranging virtual tiles with pretty pictures on them.

Sookie leaned back against my office door and inhaled deeply. Her whispered, "Eric," made my insides twitch. I'd not felt this in centuries. In fact, I couldn't remember feeling this way since I first saw Pam walking through her garden. However, this was more. I was thankful Sookie didn't notice. When she approached me and said my name again, I almost lost my composure. I wanted to rush her, push her against the wall and kiss her. I wanted to taste her skin, smell her hair. I wanted to suck the air right from her lungs so she couldn't insult me anymore and just make her feel me. Feel that I am something more. I would not. I would never know her, never have her look at me as anything but a monster. A pretty, hollow, monster. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of insulting me again. When she approached me, I felt her tiny hand on my shoulder. It felt nice. Very nice. I fought myself and won. I shrugged it off. I didn't want her pity. She said what she said and I wasn't going to go all pansy eyed on her ass and let her think even less of me.

"Eric, I'm sorry. I meant it, or I didn't. I don't know what I meant. Pam was pushing and I guess my pride got in the way. I don't retract my feelings, but you've done nothing to dissuade them. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I don't know what to say." I grunted in response and became very interested in my game. It's all that stood between me and my self control. If I just focused, I could get through this.

She knelt next to my chair and put her hand on its arm. So close, yet so far. "Eric, I'm sorry. Please speak to me."

I froze. I couldn't click, I couldn't move. I didn't know what to do. I just needed to know. "Why do you hold me in such contempt, Woman?"

"Eric? I don't know. I don't."

"Have you no other men before?"

I could sense the blood rushing through her arteries. I couldn't move to look at her. Couldn't show her that moment of weakness. I forced myself to relax. It was so hard to remain still while she was so close. "I didn't ask if you had other lovers. I know you have. I meant, have you no other men before?"

"Yes, and no. It's complicated." I went back to clicking. This wasn't the epiphany I wanted. Nothing was going to go my way tonight.

"Eric. I'm sorry. I have a huge defense system here. You unseemingly infiltrated it. I'm sorry if I hurt you and caused you pain. But I won't apologize for who I am." Yet she seems to expect me to do the same thing?

I continued to ignore her. Defeated, she rose to walk away. I couldn't let her walk away. I needed to let her walk away. I couldn't. I was up and out of my chair before I could think it through. I wrapped my arms around her. I held her to me and squeezed. When she looked up at me, her eyes held the beginnings of tears.

"Eric, I don't know what you want, but I can't give it to you. Whatever it is. I'm quite..."

"Shhhhh," I whispered and then my lips were on hers. I kissed her fast, I kissed her hard. I needed to tell her how she made me feel and since my words were without value, I let her feel it. I broke off as quickly as I descended and gave her lips a playful lick. I had to avert my eyes. I couldn't let her see how this made me feel. So I stared at the computer.

"Eric Northman, are you ignoring me to play Mahjong?" I looked back to her, daring her to make one more wise crack at my expense. She didn't. Surprise.

Before she could change her mind, my mouth descended upon her once more. I gripped her body against mine and I kissed the snark right off of her face. She melted in my arms and I held her more tightly. Her tiny hands wound around my back and gripped the fabric at my shoulder blades. As my tongue licked past her lips, she moaned into my mouth and she wrapped her leg around mine. My hand slid up the back of her neck and I threaded my fingers through her hair and held on. Once she was panting I gently pulled her face back from mine. As I kissed down her jawline to her neck she asked, "Start over?"

I conveyed all of my sincerity through my eyes as they locked onto hers. "Please."