I am beyond grateful for the wonderful response I got to chapter 11! Thank you so much for all your encouraging reviews and to those of you who have recently started reading and added Unexpected to their alerts and favorites – welcome and thank you!
My amazing, patient, dedicated and sweet editor, My Secret O, deserves much more than my eternal gratitude but alas that will have to suffice….
Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just meddling with her progeny.
Warmth.
Sweet, intoxicating scent.
Soft, smooth skin.
A steady heart beat.
Emotions swirling around, happiness, contentment, love…
I opened my eyes, a smile forming on my lips.
"Lover?" I said softly, not wishing to startle her out of her reverie. She was lying beside me, her legs entwined with mine and her soft breath fanning across my chest.
"Eric!" I could hear the delight in her voice echoing what I felt in her blood.
"Waking up with you is a pleasure I could never have anticipated and one I could easily get accustomed to…" I said, caressing her cheek and tracing my fingers along her jaw line.
She kissed my fingers and I moved to bury my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Heat was radiating from her and the heady scent of our coupling still lingered all around us. I licked the delicate skin around her ear, lightly nibbling on her earlobe and she moaned softly. I pressed my lips against her pulse point, feeling her sweet, delicious life force rushing through her veins. I slowly made my way down her neck and clavicle to taste the perfect pink buds of her luscious breasts. I sucked her nipple gently, rolling it in my mouth.
"Mmmm…" Sookie's soft moans caressed my ears as I moved to her other breast, reveling in the taste of her skin.
I blew softly on her now wet nipples causing them to harden even more as I ran my tongue along the soft curve under each creamy, round globe. I spread my fingers across her ribs, trailing them down, committing the topography of her body to memory. I slid down the bed running my hands down Sookie's legs, spreading her knees and settling my head between her thighs. I slowly ran my tongue across the silky skin of her inner thigh, skimming her folds in an upward motion. Sookie gasped, her fingers tangling in my hair. I flattened my tongue and ran it very lightly across her clit making her moan sweetly. I repeated the same motion several times, slowly increasing the pressure and speed of my movement. I drew my tongue along her slit spreading her lips and exposing the little button of flesh nestled at the top. Sookie writhed underneath me so I moved my hand to her stomach, anchoring her in place.
I flicked my tongue over her clit, making her gasp again. I slid a finger inside her, enjoying the feel of her soft flesh tightening around it. Adding another finger, I slowly pushed in and out of her hot, tight pussy, sucking and licking her clit until I could feel her heart racing frantically, her breathing labored. With the tip of my middle finger I flicked the spot deep inside her just as I slid my fangs into her soft, fragrant skin.
"OH, Oh Eric, yes…Ahh" Her delicious blood flooded my mouth as her body stilled, tightening and convulsing around my fingers.
"Mmm…" I licked my lips and fingers dipping my tongue inside Sookie's sweet pussy, tasting her pleasure.
"More?" I asked, looking up into her stormy blue eyes. She nodded and I picked her up easily, carrying her into the bathroom. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I allowed the water to wash over us as I buried myself inside her warm, inviting body. I sighed, feeling strangely complete and marveling at the way our bodies fit together so perfectly. I could feel my emotions echoed in Sookie's and I kissed her, pouring everything that I felt into the kiss. When I pulled back slightly, allowing Sookie to breathe, her eyes were glowing with an inner fire.
"Fuck me…" she whispered, capturing her lower lip between her teeth. I slammed into her, knocking the air out of her tight little body. I fucked her for what felt like forever, unable to satiate the wild hunger and need I saw reflected in her eyes. The sounds of our pleasure echoed off the walls and ceiling as I felt her tightening around me, pulling me with her into bliss. The water from the shower head seemed to change its scent, suddenly smelling of earth and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint. A gust of wind blew across us just as loud thunder seemed to roll in the distance. The shower stall was illuminated by a flash of lightning and the tiles appeared to fade into darkness. The wall Sookie had been leaning on all but disappeared. I held her closely as the wind and rain whipped all around us. I moved in the direction of what I knew to be the door of the shower stall and into the normal bathroom lighting. The magical storm seemed to be dissipating behind the glass doors.
"That was…intense…" Sookie said as I set her on the counter.
"Yes, yes it was" I said, my arms circling her slender waist.
"Eric?" She asked shyly.
"Yes?"
"I need some privacy…" her voice was barely a whisper against my chest.
"Of course lover, I apologize," I said kissing her cheek softly and grabbing a clean towel from the rack before retreating into the bedroom.
I toweled myself dry, combing my hair and tying it back. What just happened was different than any magic I have ever witnessed or experienced. The magic storm really was intense, and I needed to learn more about it. I was not thrilled about alerting Niall to my relationship with his great-granddaughter but he was the only one who might be able to explain this. I would discuss it with Sookie later and we would decide together how to proceed.
Sookie came into the bedroom wrapped in a large bath robe. Her hair was up in a loose bun at the crown of her head making her neck look absolutely edible.
I dressed quickly in navy slacks, a white button down shirt and a dark grey sweater, a dark grey jacket, black shoes and a black belt. Sookie wore a dark grey knit dress over black leggings with black knee high boots and a black cashmere jacket. I watched her dress, lounging in the large chair next to the fireplace while Sookie put the finishing touches on her outfit.
"You are absolutely stunning lover" I said when she turned to face me. A smile of pure delight lit her face as she gracefully thanked me.
"You must be hungry, come, I will fix you something to eat." I said rising from the chair. She raised an eyebrow at my offer but followed me to the kitchen where I bade her to sit at the counter while I prepared her meal.
"Don't look so surprised" I said, smiling at her expression.
"I can't help it…if someone told me a week ago that a 1,000 year old vampire would be cooking for me I would have laughed at their ridiculousness. But why would you bother to learn how to cook, or have the ingredients in your kitchen for that matter?"
"I had my assistant stock the kitchen with everything I thought you might like or need. As for knowing how to cook, it is not a common skill amongst vampires but I am not a common vampire. I believe that to lose touch with human culture is to let the world pass you by. It is the reason some vampires lose the will to exist after a few centuries when they no longer feel connected to anything."
"Very well, chef Northman, can you make me a sandwich?" she asked, smiling.
"But of course, Mademoiselle Brigant" I said in my best faux French accent. Sookie laughed joyously and I couldn't help but laugh with her.
I quickly put together a chicken salad sandwich plating it with a few cherry tomatoes and olives. I arranged some fruit on a large plate, adding a few pieces of chocolate and poured Sookie a large glass of cold water.
"Thank you Eric, this looks lovely!" She said as I set everything before her on the counter.
"You're welcome älskade, I hope it tastes good as well."
"Mhmm…" she said after taking a bite and I laughed again, thoroughly enjoying watching her eat.
"Eric? Do you have plans after class tonight?" she asked shyly.
"None that do not include you, lover, what did you have in mind?" a beautiful smile spread on her lips. She was clearly pleased that I had no wish to be away from her.
"Have you ever been to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont?"
"I have, but it was a very long time ago, when the park was being built."
"So it is definitely time for you to visit again then."
"I suppose it is." I smiled at her and she leaned closer kissing me sweetly before she broke away, picking a piece of white chocolate off the plate and putting it in her mouth. I leaned forward, capturing her lips with mine, tasting the sweetness in her mouth.
"Mmm, sweet." I said, licking my lips.
"Can you taste food?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Not directly, but I can taste the sweetness of the chocolate in your saliva. It enhances your natural sweetness."
We should probably get going; you don't want to be late for class, Professor…" She said, grinning.
"Very well, Mademoiselle Brigant, let us leave then." I said keeping my expression serious and my voice formal.
Sookie's beautiful laughter filled my ears as I lifted her off the chair, holding her in my arms. I did not want this to end when I returned to the states. I was happier than I have been in a very long time, perhaps ever. I knew she was young, and that her family would probably object, but the pure joy I was feeling from her made me hope she felt the same about me.
It was getting late so I reluctantly let her go so she could pick up her coat and bag, and we made our way out of the apartment.
I opened the car door for Sookie, helping her in before I moved to the driver's side. The short drive to the 5th passed in comfortable silence while I went over today's lesson in my head.
"We can't go in together…" Sookie said as we arrived.
"Are you ashamed of me Sookie?" I teased her.
"No, I just prefer not to make everyone in that class insanely jealous."
"Jealous of me for winning your affection?" I asked, smirking at her.
"No, jealous of me for…you know what for." She answered, realizing that I was teasing her.
"Of course lover, we can enter separately if that is your wish." I touched my lips to hers lingering a few seconds before I moved back allowing her to proceed into the building without me.
I waited a minute before I followed her in, walking leisurely up the steps and making my way to the third floor.
Everyone was already seated when I made my way to the small stage at the front of the room. Sookie was sitting up front in the same seat she was in last time, her bag nestled on the empty chair beside her.
"Good evening. Before we begin I would like to explain the outline of this seminar as I see it. Tonight and for the rest of the week I will be sharing my personal history with you, leaving time at the end of each meeting for questions. Next week will be devoted to discussion and I will do my best to shed light on any specific questions you might have regarding places and periods that I have personal knowledge of. I do not presume to have simple answers to complicated historical and historiographical questions and debates but I will do my best to at least offer a contemporary point of view that will perhaps provide new material and new questions that you as historians might want to research further."
I looked around the room, finally letting my eyes rest on Sookie.
"After I was made vampire I left my human life behind. In the beginning, we were constantly on the move, trying to stay inconspicuous while I learned the skills required for survival. For more than half a century we traveled the European continent, while I trained and studied: martial arts, languages, business and politics, history. When I was ready we left for the British Isles. William, duke of Normandy, was setting sail for England and we decided to join him and take part in the invasion. I could 'blend in' amongst the Normans, descendants of my kin as they were and the trip was short enough for us to stow away in storage crates without running the risk of being exposed.
"Having conquered England, and earning himself a place in History William became king and we were amongst his closest confidants. After he became king, William replaced most of the old English aristocracy with his loyal continental supporters, expropriating and redistributing land as he saw fit. The king generously bestowed upon Godric and me titles and land and we traveled with the court for a long time. We had visited our properties periodically but spent most of our time in court. Eventually, rumors about our never-changing appearances began to circulate around us and we decided it was time to move on. We pretended Godric had fallen ill and needed to retire to our country estate for health reasons. Since I was supposedly his older brother and only relative, I had to go with him since he was too ill to care for himself. Since hardly anyone had ever seen us in those parts we could stay there for a while longer without raising suspicion. We spent the next decade in relative seclusion, pretending that Godric's illness prevented him from moving about while we quietly sold off our assets. The land itself officially belonged to the king so we could not sell it but we still managed to accumulate a large fortune.
"An outbreak of sickness amongst the villagers provided us with the perfect opportunity to disappear. We gathered our most precious belongings and our large fortune and hid them before we both pretended to fall ill, staging our deaths. In cases of infectious disease, burial was immediate for fear of the dead further infecting the living so we were not worried that our 'bodies' would be left out in the sun. As soon as it was safe to come out of the ground we left our temporary resting place, stopping to retrieve our luggage before heading out in the direction of Ireland.
"Since I want to leave time for your questions I'll stop here."
A few hands were already up in the air so I nodded at a guy sitting in the far back, signaling that he could ask his question.
"Are you in the Domesday book?" He asked and I looked around the room seeing quite a few faces with question marks written all over them.
"For those of you who are not well versed in English or medieval history, the Domesday book is a record of a land and property survey completed in 1086 which provides a detailed account of the propertied classes in England and Wales. To answer the question, I do not appear in the book since I left England a few years before the survey was conducted."
A rather plain looking young woman was raising her hand timidly and I nodded at her to proceed.
"Environmental historians often refer to the period you were discussing as the medieval warm period since it is believed to have had the highest average temperatures prior to the 20th century. In your personal experience was there truly a marked difference in climate between this period and the one that followed?"
"I can only estimate about Europe since my travels in this period did not extend beyond it, but I would say that the period between the 10th and 12th centuries was somewhat warmer than its successor. It was generally a period of mild climate leading to successful crops and a rapid growth in population. For vampires, this increase in population and the urbanization that followed in its wake meant it was much easier for us to move around and blend in."
A few more questions were asked and I did my best to answer all of them but I found it increasingly hard to concentrate on anything but the enchanting swell of Sookie's breasts under the soft fabric of her dress. Finally I let the class go, promising to continue where we left off tomorrow night.
Two female students lingered behind after everyone except Sookie left and invited me to join them for 'a drink'. I could feel jealousy flare up in Sookie and could not help but smile. This apparently made one of the girls think my smile was intended for her and she placed her hand on my arm. I gently removed it and took a step back, declining their offer politely. The girls left and I instantly closed the distance between me and Sookie making her gasp in surprise.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to be so close to you and not be able to touch you?" I said in a low voice, my lips almost touching her ear.
"I think I might have some idea…" she said, kissing me softly and then moving a step back.
I looked at her questioningly and she laughed.
"If we don't leave we'll never get there…" She said and held out her small hand to me. I kissed her fingers before following her out.
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