A/N: Sorry that it has taken me so long for an update, but I was having writer's block and decided to work on my other story for a while. When we last saw Kiley, she had managed to escape from Shane's wolves and Eric. And, Shane convinced her to return with him. But, who can Kiley really trust?

Chapter 12

Kiley was in a guest room in Shane's home. Once the sun set, she had become a bundle of nerves and had just wanted to be alone. Even though Shane had assured her that she was safe and that Sheriff Northman would never be foolish enough to come here, she had her doubts. Hadn't he shown her how determined that he could be? Would he really just give up because she was back with Sheriff Collins? And she knew that giving into him had not helped her situation with him. He had ticked off the big three of vampire ownership: feeding, sex and blood bond. Plus, she had deceived him and run away. No, she thought to herself, she didn't see Eric Northman just giving up and leaving her alone.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and resisted the urge to make herself undetectable. What purpose would that serve, she thought, he already knew where she was. She sat down and began to brush her hair and lost herself in her own thoughts and worries. It was then that a rapping on her window startled her and she whirled around. She saw Eric hovering outside her window. She knew he was floating there because her room was on the second floor. He calmly stared at her and gave her a little smile. Unable to look away, she rose and walked to the window.

When she opened it, he said, "Hello, Sweetheart."

"What are you doing here?" Kiley asked.

"I'm here to see you. Isn't that obvious?" he replied. "Let me in."

"No, I want you to go away," she said.

"You're going to have to talk to me, sooner or later," he replied. "I'll be on my best behavior."

He crossed his arms over his chest and resolutely waited for her to invite him in. Kiley didn't feel that he meant her any physical harm and he was right. They did need to talk, she thought.

"Alright, come in," said Kiley.

Once he came inside, Eric made a bee-line to her bed and made himself at home on it. He gave her a devilish smile and patted the spot next to him.

"I'm not joining you," she said.

"Are you sure? The thought of having my way with you right here under the Sheriff's nose is getting me all hot and bothered," he said.

"Is there another reason that you are here, besides wanting to torment me?" asked Kiley.

Eric fluffed up a pillow and sat back into it and gazed at her. Kiley felt like a deer in the headlights as she gazed back at him.

"You could have at least broken up with me in person," he said.

"I wasn't aware that we were going steady," replied Kiley.

"Ouch, that hurt," said Eric. "I don't know why you want to paint me as the villain in all this. Remember, you came to me. You lied to me, vandalized my business, stole my personal property and spied on me."

"I didn't have any choice," said Kiley.

"That's only partly true," said Eric. "The trashing of Fangtasia and taking my ledger, that was all you."

"You provoked me," said Kiley.

"You do have a nasty little temper," said Eric. "Not that I mind so much. Despite appearances, I like a woman with some fire."

"You could have fooled me. Tasha looks like a meek plaything to me," replied Kiley.

Eric smiled, "Do I detect a note of jealousy?"

Kiley tried to calm down. Awful creature, she thought. He could sense her emotions and for some unexplainable reason, she had felt a flicker of jealousy. It had to be that bond, she thought.

"Nothing I did to you was justification for what you did to me," she said.

"Are you still mad about the blood bond?" said Eric.

He smirked and added, "Or, are you mad because you know that it didn't have anything to do with what happened between us. That was all you, Sweetheart."

"You prick," she hissed.

She took a step towards him, but stopped and controlled her temper with an effort.

"You need to come up with a better pet name for me," said Eric, in amusement. "Prick just lacks a degree of warmth."

"I have more colorful terms of endearment that are just on the tip of my tongue," said Kiley.

"Better be careful," cautioned Eric. "Dirty talk is a huge turn-on for me."

"Is there anything that isn't a turn on for you?" asked Kiley.

"Where you are concerned, no," said Eric.

He turned serious and said, "You were spying on me and, in addition to everything else, I wanted to keep tabs on you. If you would have just told me that you were being blackmailed, I would have helped you. If I had an interest in punishing you, I would have done that."

"That wasn't punishing me?" demanded Kiley.

"No, it wasn't," said Eric. "I don't just give my blood to anyone."

In a flash, he moved and was before her. He reached out a hand and trailed it into her hair. Kiley knew that she should step away from him, but her feet seemed to be rooted to the floor. Eric gazed down on her and gave her a genuine smile.

"Maybe, you want to tell yourself that I manipulated you. But, I still could have gotten what I wanted without honoring you with my blood," he said. "Can't you see that I don't wish you any harm. I wanted to keep you out of Sheriff Collins hands. You aren't safe here and you can't trust him."

"Like I can trust you?" asked Kiley.

"Have I lied to you?" replied Eric. "I'm not the one who threatened your own grandmother and made you do my bidding. Your precious Sheriff Collins knew full well what he was doing when he sent you to me. Beautiful and with sweet virginal blood, you were offered up to me like a sacrificial lamb."

"Yet, your assumptions that I was being coerced didn't stay your hand and you still took advantage of me," said Kiley.

"Well, can I be faulted for that? I am a vampire, remember?" asked Eric.

His hand moved through her hair and gently found her chin. He leaned down and softly kissed her.

He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "Did I really do anything so terrible?"

Kiley finally took a step back from him and looked at him in anguish. She wanted to hate him, yet he also caused her to want to throw him on the bed and do all those things with him again. Having sex had opened the floodgates, so to speak. She found that her sexual urges were harder to control. Sex occupied her thoughts. Sex with him occupied her thoughts. And she knew that even if she wanted to forget him, she never could. Losing her virginity with him was one of those milestones in her life. No matter if she took a hundred other lovers, he would never fade from memory.

"I can't trust myself with you," she whispered. "I don't know what is me or what's your influence."

"If it bothers you so much," said Eric. "There is a way to break the bond."

"But, Shane said-" began Kiley.

"Let me guess, Shane wanted you to drink his blood to counter the effects of my blood?" asked Eric.

When Kiley said nothing, Eric flashed a wicked smile, "You can't trust him and that just isn't my blood talking. Now, I want my ledger back. In return, I will release Parker and remove the bond."

"Why did you take him?" asked Kiley.

"Because I wanted some leverage on you and I figured that you still had a soft spot for him, even if he doesn't deserve it," said Eric.

"Have...have you hurt him?" asked Kiley.

"I haven't laid a hand or fang on him," said Eric. "Scout's honor."

"I will return your ledger," said Kiley.

"Don't tell the sheriff that you are leaving," said Eric. "Do us both a favor."

Eric walked to the window and glanced outside. He turned back to her and smiled.

"I'll be going, unless you want a little quickie first?" he said.

"No," said Kiley.

He smirked and said, "I know that's a lie."

And then he just left and a rush of air was heard, filling the void where he had just been. Kiley walked over and closed the window. She took a deep breath and tried to stop the mental images flooding her brain that the offer of a quickie had caused. He would haunt her dreams again, tonight. Yet, he offered to remove his hold over her. Except, you were attracted to him before the bond, she told herself. She gazed out into the darkness and once again lost herself in her own thoughts. Eric could at least be trusted to keep his word. But, not any farther than that. But, was he any different than anyone else? She still felt so lost and alone. Didn't she deserve a little piece of happiness? She walked over to the bed and caressed the spot where he had just been. Even if it had all been pretend, she had found a degree of happiness within his arms.

A/N: I haven't read the latest Sookie Stackhouse book. But, the bond can be broken because Eric and Sookie's blood bond was removed. Witches can remove it and I believe that Eric admitted to Sookie that vampires had a ritual to break it also.