A/N: We have a little citrus between Nikki and Eric along with a meeting with Queen Sophie-Ann as we see that Nikki and Eric are experiencing some rather unusual aftereffects of their bonding.

Chapter 16

Nikki paced back and forth in the hotel room. She just had too much pent-up energy to stand still. Moving seemed to help, except her thoughts seemed to outpace even her restless feet.

"Smart move, Idiot," she murmured. "Nothing like chowing down on your favorite vampire bad boy like he was some kind of chocolate shake."

She stopped and moved to the hotel room stocked wet bar and tore open a little bottle of liquor. She didn't know what it was and, at this point, she didn't really care. She poured it into a glass and took a huge gulp. She gasped as it burned her throat on the way down. Why do humans drink something to caustic? She wiped at her watering eyes and wondered if the second drink would taste as bad. Not wanting to risk it, she sat the glass down. What had come over her last night? Drinking his blood had been a huge mistake. It had been gross and…absolutely fantastic. Had she came just from the sensation of his blood flowing down her throat? A loud knock at the door startled her and she moved to answer it. Leaving the security chain attached, she peered outside. Speak of the devil. There he was, a blonde vision in black leather. She could smell the enticing scent of his cologne or was that just the smell of sin? Unhooking the chain and opening the door, she watched as Eric sauntered through the door on those long legs that seemed to go on forever.

He turned and gave her a little smile. "Miss me?"

Nikki tried to examine her fingernails and avoid his gaze. Somehow, she thought that he would be able to read the lie in her eyes. "No."

She looked up to find Eric watching her. His famous smirk reappeared. "Liar."

"Are you reading my mind, now?" asked Nikki, not without a little fear.

"Would that be so terrible?"

She noticed how vivid his blue eyes seemed. Was he reading her mind? She tried to put up her defenses and shut him out in case he was.

"I don't want you in my head," said Nikki.

"Then, where do you want me?" he asked.

That voice melted something inside her and she knew exactly where she wanted him. Right at this moment. Focus, dammit, she thought.

"You're not going to distract me."

"I already did," replied Eric. "They say the brain is the number one sex organ. Don't you want me to get my hands on your sexy gray matter?"

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather keep my gray matter to myself."

"Chicken?"

"That's easy for you to say," sniffed Nikki. "I know that your precious vampire blood works one way and gives you all the advantages."

"Usually," replied Eric. "But, there is nothing….typical about what is going on between us. Is there?"

"Tell me something that I don't know."

Eric shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the back of a sofa. "I have to say that if you intend to have your greedy way with my blood on a regular basis, that I'm going to need a supply of donors lined up."

"Donors?"

"I do have my sources for blood. I am a vampire, of course."

"Are you biting other women?" demanded Nikki. She fought back the images of Eric latched on the necks of other girls like the ones who came to Fangtasia. But, they threw themselves at him. His own little blood bank of wanton donors that never seemed to run dry.

"Jealous, my pet?" he asked with a smug smile.

"I don't want your fangs in me if those same fangs have been somewhere they shouldn't. Wait a minute, just what exactly have you been doing behind my back?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" asked Eric, with amusement.

"You…you gigolo," hissed Nikki.

"Well, technically, I'm not a gigolo because I'm not getting paid for my performance."

"You know what I mean!"

Nikki fought the irrational feelings that threatened to overwhelm her. Geez, was she PMSing? Or was this behavior the result of ingesting his blood? Eric stepped close to her and lifted her eyes to his. She blinked but didn't try to look away.

"There is no one else. I was only trying to see if it upset you to think that there was."

"Why?"

"Because if it upsets you, then that means that you would have to feel something for me," he said.

"Can't you tell? Doesn't you blood give you some sort of free pass to all my hidden secrets?"

"There is nothing ordinary about what is going on. Even my blood isn't working the way that it should. My senses about you are clouded," he replied, with a frown. "It's very irritating."

Nikki gave a faint smile of relief. Hallelujah. "So, my devious fairy heart isn't an open book to you?"

"Hardly," admitted Eric. "But, I have hopes that you will soon be at my mercy."

"I bet you do. So tell me, my wicked vampire, do you want to know what I'm thinking?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "When you put it like that, yes."

"I'm wondering how long it would take me to get you out of those clothes," said Nikki.

"We are supposed to be downstairs at the reception in twenty minutes," said Eric.

"Are you telling me that we don't have time for a quickie?"

Nikki ran her hand over his chest. "You do move at vamp speed, remember?"

"It's coming back to me."

Eric moved in a blink and carried her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Nikki put her hand to her head and closed her eyes. "That is so disorientating, you know. It makes my head spin."

"Get used to the feeling because I'm just getting started," said Eric..

Nikki opened her eyes to watch Eric taking off his clothes as vamp speed. Be careful what you wish for, she thought. But, damn. Just thinking about those fast moving hands…and other body parts was getting her warm and tingly in all the right places. Finally, he stood before her. Tall, naked and very ready.

"You did say vamp speed, didn't you?" he asked with a wicked smile.

"I did," replied Nikki, breathlessly. "Just how fast are those hands?"

"Let me show you."

In a blink, he was on the bed and removing her from her clothes. Nikki heard a few rips and tears. It was only clothes, right? They can be replaced. She reached for him.

"Eric, now."

"Eager, aren't you?" he asked with a smile.

"Can I help it if I can't get enough of you?"

She pulled him closer, needing to feel his body lying next to hers. Skin to skin. This was the one place that she never felt any doubts. Sex had always felt so right, so perfect between them. He might drive her crazy out of bed, but in bed, he drove her crazy in all the right ways. With his lips against her and his tongue sliding into her mouth in a surging rhythm that was all too familiar, he moved his long fingers between her thighs. Nikki heard him give a soft growl when he felt how ready she was for him.

"Talk about vamp speed," he hissed.

"That's fairy speed, vampire," replied Nikki. "Your kind aren't the only ones who can get down and dirty."

"Shocking," growled Eric as he moved into the cradle of her thighs. Nikki eagerly grabbed for him and pulled him closer as her hand guided him to that spot that ached for him. He hissed as he thrust inside and Nikki clawed his hips and pulled him in deeper, melding them together as one. When he was fully sheathed, Nikki wrapped her legs around his hips and arched against him.

"Eric," she sighed.

He began to move. Slowly sliding himself out and back in as Nikki closed her eyes in bliss.

"I thought that this was supposed to be a quickie," she sighed. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"Some things can't be rushed," said Eric, bending down to nuzzle her neck. When he rose back up, Nikki looked into his blue eyes that seemed to have darkened with passion. "Don't look away. I want to look into your eyes when I make you come."

Looking into those normally icy depths, Nikki saw that he had taken his mask off. She could see what he was feeling for her at this moment and if she weren't already swooning at his feet, it would have floored her. There was sweet vulnerability in his eyes that she never thought that she would see.

"I see you," whispered Nikki, caressing his cheek.

Her hands pulled him down and into a kiss that she felt all the way down to her smoldering core. Flesh sliding against flesh, they moved as one. The air in the room seemed to be heavy with the sounds of love-making and the smell of her delicious Viking. Time seemed to lose it's relevance. There was only the rapid beat of her heart and the feel of her lover in her arms. At last, they kissed long and hard with their tongues sliding against each other just as the rest of their bodies were. She was so close, riding a wave of pleasure that rose ever higher. When she looked into the gaze of Eric, she could feel that he was right with her. She cried out and pulled him closer as they tumbled over the edge together. It was perfect, she thought, so perfect, as she held her vampire lover close and shuddered as all her nerve endings seem to fire at once.

"Perfect," whispered Eric, close to her ear.

He exhaled and his soft breath sent shivers down her already spasming spine. Just before her mind had time to ponder their rather identical thoughts because it was fricking perfect, Nikki crested another wave of pleasure and was lost to the bliss that she knew as Eric Northman.

XOXO

"You two are beyond fashionably late," said Russell, eyeing them with barely concealed irritation.

"Oh, Russell, cut them some slack," said Talbot. "It's quite obvious what they've been doing."

"I, ah, was just trying to find the right dress," insisted Nikki.

"All I can say, is that I'm glad that we aren't in the room next to you," said Talbot. "Not to embarrass you or anything, but you two make enough noise to raise the dead."

"Talbot," cut in Russell.

"I'm just stating fact," huffed Talbot. "It sounded like some kind of demolition zone in their room last night."

Nikki blushed, but Eric wore a satisfied smirk, causing Talbot to chuckle. "Young love, Russell, it's so romantic. Do you remember how it was with us?"

Russell turned his attention to Talbot. "How could I forget?"

"Words."

"Maybe, we'll keep our neighbors up tonight," he replied.

"I'll hold you to it," beamed Talbot.

Russell and Talbot wandered off to greet others and Nikki eyed the exits longingly. Was there anyplace worse for a fairy than to be in a room full of vampires? And just when she thought that it couldn't get any worse, it did.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you had met the true death or something," said Sophie-Ann.

"I've been occupied," replied Eric.

Sophie-Ann raked her eyes over Nikki and Nikki returned the favor. So this was the Queen of Louisiana. She was pretty in a cold sort of way with perfectly coiffed red hair and a designer gown that was dripping with beading.

"I can see that," said Sophie-Ann. "Who's she?"

"She's no concern of yours," replied Eric.

Sophie-Ann's lips thinned in aggravation. "I've had enough of your insolence. I'm the queen and you are my sheriff. When I ask you a question, you answer it."

"Not anymore," said Russell, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Sophie-Ann rolled her eyes. "This doesn't concern you, Russell."

"Hmm, I'm afraid it does. Didn't Sheriff Northman tell you that he's one of mine, now?"

Sophie-Ann's gave flickered to Eric in surprise, which she quickly covered up. "No he didn't mention that. So is it true?"

"I owe my allegiance to Mississippi, now," said Eric.

Sophie-Ann sniffed. "What do I care? Sheriffs are a dime a dozen."

"I'm glad that you are taking it so well," said Russell. "Still, the loss of your oldest and most powerful sheriff must be a blow to you?"

"I'll get over it." Her eyes glittered with malice. "I already have a replacement in mind. At least, he knows how to follow orders."

Nikki watched the exchange in dismay. Great, forget about fading into the background. She stared at the queen who had noticed her and who was obviously a thorn in Eric's side. Suddenly, she got a vision of a mass of writhing snakes. She wavered on her feet and closed her eyes, trying to banish that image. She felt Eric's strong hand on the small of her back as he steadied her.

What a complete fuckup! I always hated that arrogant bastard, but he knows too much about me to be in league with Russell Edgington.

Nikki stiffened and shook her head. She did not just hear those words. It must be some sort of fluke or her imagination because fairies can't read vampire minds.

It must have something to do with that little tramp. Did Russell dangle that piece of ass in front of him since that Viking has always cared more about his dick than anything else.

Nikki realized with a sinking feeling that she was indeed hearing Sophie-Ann's less than flattering thoughts about her. But, just who did she think she was? Eric's hand rested on the small of her back and kept her from falling on her ass and rolling on the floor. What the hell was going on? This was definitely not normal. She glanced up at Eric to see him staring at her.

I'm in so much trouble, she thought.

Eric's blue eyes seemed to glitter. We both are, little fairy.

Nikki felt her stomach lurch as Eric took her elbow and kept her from keeling over because his last words had not come out of his mouth. I'm so screwed, she thought, and not in a good way.