A/N: Thank you again to everyone for their reviews :) I'm over the moon that so many people are liking my story :)

As always - Don't own a thing.

Chapter 9 – SPOV

The drive home was painful. I wanted to grab the wheel and turn around. Amelia had sensed my mood and didn't bother talking much on the way home. I think I remember wiping away a few tears, but I was otherwise staring out the window.

By the time we arrived home I was returning to normal, my mind was still in a whirl, but I was at least paying attention to what was going on. Eric in all his sweetness had really fried my brain. I don't know what I had expected from our first meeting, but this had definitely surpassed it.

Gran was on the porch watching for us and hugged us tight before ushering us inside to a warm kitchen and delicious meal. We sat down to dinner and Amelia did most of the talking, I was both happy and sad and couldn't string any words together. Gran gave me a knowing look and let me skip clean up asking Amelia to help instead. We made hot chocolate and popcorn and moved into the living room to watch a little TV. I had barely touched the popcorn and my drink was cooling in my hand, Amelia suggested I go take a bath. I needed some time to myself so I barely cared that they were going to be talking about me while I was in there.

I filled the tub and soaked for about half an hour. I took the time to go over the day, to remember every look, every touch and finally our first kiss. Wow… if Eric can kiss me and have this effect what would happen when we made out or more… I shivered in anticipation and got out of the tub before I could take the thought any further.

I heard the phone ring while I was drying off, assuming it was Jason calling to check when to turn up tomorrow. I pulled on my flannel pj's and walked out brushing my hair, I wanted to remind him to bring the marshmallows for the sweet potato. However Gran and Amelia were sitting on my bed grinning like fools, so I guess he must have hung up already.

"So Amelia told me all about the day from her side," said Gran with a twinkle in her eye "Now how was it from yours darlin' girl?"

I wiggled my toes under the covers and hugged a pillow to my chest. I had a stupid grin on my face and I knew it. "He's even more beautiful in person Gran. He's it… he's the one for me…I had to drag myself away and I don't think I started thinking straight until we were halfway home… he's funny, he's kind, he loves that I eat like a normal person, he thinks I'm beautiful, he talks about me all the time to his friend Trey, when he kissed me I felt like I was floating and I want to spend the rest of my life with him" I blurted out, my smile getting bigger and bigger as more words left my mouth.

"I knew it" Amelia squeaked clapping her hands in happiness.

"I felt the same way when I met your Grandfather" Gran smiled "Oh what that man could do to me with a single look… I won't tell you of course, it would scar you for life." She laughed her bell like laugh and we joined in, thankful that she had taken that into account. "He was such a handsome man, so thoughtful and kind. If he could have pulled the stars from the sky for me he would have. I don't know how your Daddy turned out the way he did… maybe we were too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to the way his sense of right and wrong were turning out" she said sadly.

I hugged her tightly "You and Pops did a great job with Jason and me, maybe Daddy was just born selfish, maybe he just didn't feel up to being a Daddy. Either way I wouldn't change my life for anything. You loved me, you supported me and I love you" I said gently

"Thank you Sookie" she said patting my back "You're a good girl. I love you too"

"And I love you Miss Amelia over there, being all quiet" she laughed "just because we don't share blood doesn't mean you aren't my family." She hugged her tightly. "Now… tell me more about Eric"

"His friend, Trey, is pretty cute" Amelia admitted shyly.

"Too bad you've sworn off dating until New Year," I smirked "Or do I need remind you of Bob?"

"What was wrong with Bob?" Gran asked.

Amelia gasped in shock, unable to believe that she hadn't told this story yet and went on to explain in her normal over the top fashion, although a grown straight man having Hello Kitty collectibles didn't need any embellishment.

Gran laughed and wiped tears from her eyes "I think that a short break would be a good idea for you Amelia honey" she said "however that doesn't mean you can't get to know him the same way Sookie got to know Eric"

"Ooh! I didn't even think of that!" Amelia exclaimed "Quick Sook, call Eric and get Trey's email address for me!"

"Will do Meals" I said with a laugh. "We may have been fairly wrapped up in each other, but Eric and I both noticed the chemistry between you two today. I have the feeling he's asking the same thing"

"Alright then honey…You sleep well, I know you'll have sweet dreams" she laughed gently and left to go to bed.

Amelia grabbed my phone and poked me until I called Eric.

"Good evening Love" Eric answered huskily, making me shiver all over

"Ow… ow… ow… Amelia you gotta let me… he only just… FINE!" I yelped, the rib poking had resumed as soon as she heard him answer and she was obviously not going to let me have time to be polite and say hello.

Eric laughed "I don't mean to laugh at your discomfort Sookie, but why is Amelia making you so uncomfortable?"

"Amelia would like Trey's email address, she'd like to get to know him better if he is interested, but he needs to know she has sworn off dating until New Year." I said quickly to stop the pointy fingers in my ribs.

Eric laughed again as Amelia provided me with a pen and piece of paper. I wrote the address down for her and as soon as I handed it over she jumped up, gave me a loud kiss on the cheek and skipped away in joy to email him straight away.

I passed the reaction on to Eric, who must have passed it on to Trey because they both started laughing. I told them her email address and he must have left in a similar fashion because Eric laughed again soon afterward.

"Well, now that the business part of the evening is over" I laughed "it was amazing meeting you today honey. I didn't want to leave"

"Neither did I" He confessed "I stood there holding the pie until I couldn't see your car anymore. Trey had to get out and physically move me to the car to get me home"

"Aww…" I crooned "I think I was pretty much a zombie until I had my bath and some time to myself to think over today."

"Sookie, you shouldn't mention having a bath to me after the day we just had. You have no idea what effect you had on me today" he chuckled faintly "I can't believe I just told you that" he added, sounding embarrassed

"What effect did I have on you Eric?" I asked pretending to have no idea

"Shh" he laughed "you're making it worse."

Naughty things popped into my head and I suddenly decided that this conversation was about to get a little more heated than he expected…

"What are you wearing?" I asked teasingly

He chuckled darkly "Boxers…" he said sounding so sexy my eyes rolled back in my head and I groaned a little.

"So… if I was there, I could touch your chest, your abs… your….hand." I finished with a little naughty giggle of my own.

"Sookie" He said warningly "do you seriously want to do this?" his concern was laced with desire so I knew he wanted to.

"I seriously do" I whispered.

"Fuck" he gasped "How the hell can you make me so hard with a few words?"

"I don't know…" I whispered "how do you make me so wet?"

"Are you touching yourself for me Sookie?" he growled "are you imagining my hands all over you, touching you, caressing you?"

"Yes Eric." I gasped… this was so fucking hot… I had never done this before; but it just seemed so natural because we couldn't be together in the normal sense.

He moaned and swore and panted as I told him how I wanted to suck and lick and massage his cock. I couldn't believe how forward I was being, he obviously liked it though so I wasn't going to stop… I frantically circled a finger on my swollen clit imagining his hands on me, bringing me this pleasure.

"Are you rubbing your clit for me Sookie?" he gasped

"Yes Eric" I moaned "but I wish it was you doing it"

"Fuck… I wish it was my tongue, I know you'd be sweet and hot and so wet for me…are you Sookie?" He growled, his voice hitting the tone that turned my insides to jelly

"I am so wet for you Eric." I gasped "I want you so much…"

"I'd love to feel you lover, I'd thrust my fingers inside you and give you so much pleasure... I'd lick your clit until you begged me to stop" He said, he was driving me wild and not for the first time I cursed the distance between us.

"Eric" I moaned "I want to feel you inside me… I want see your face when you come"

"Are you ready to come for me, my love" he asked huskily

"Yes Eric" I gasped, rubbing harder, feeling the beginning of my orgasm curling warmly in my pelvis "Please come with me? Please?"

"Only for you Sookie." he whispered. "Are you ready?"

"Yes" I whispered

"Ready?" he groaned

"Yes, Eric, yes" I panted "Please..."

"Come for me Sookie." he said, punctuating this erotic sentence with such an animalistic groan that it pushed me over the edge of my frenzied state and I came harder than I ever had before.

After a few minutes panting and calming down I started to laugh gently "We just had phone sex Eric! I'm embarrassed and proud all at the same time"

"I'm shocked and very proud that you started it love" he smirked "You were very good, very descriptive. Makes me wonder what it would be like in person"

"Me too" I whispered.

He apologized and put the phone down for few minutes while he cleaned himself up. I dashed to the bathroom to clean up, wash my hands and gather my wits.

We were snuggled back into bed and chatting about what would be happening tomorrow…

"I wish you were here with me" he confessed

"I am in a way…" I said "You have my heart; you know I'm yours for as long as you'll have me"

"I'll always want you Sookie." He said huskily "You're my forever"

"My pillow doesn't hold a candle to one of your hugs." I laughed, embarrassed now that the sudden rush of courage was gone. "It's like you hug me with your whole body, even though you're only using your arms, it's like we were made to fit together"

"I thought the same thing love" he admitted "I was so pleased that you were comfortable enough to hug me like that, I was surprised, but ecstatic that you wrapped your legs around me. It was all I could do to let you down."

"Is that why you held my hand all day?" I asked, curious that I could have such an effect on someone like Eric. I trusted him totally, and I believed it when he said he loved me, but it was still a shock to me that someone as handsome and clever as he was would be so taken with someone like me.

"I couldn't bear to let you go" he said softly "I had a feeling that if I wasn't paying attention or I wasn't in contact with you, I'd wake up and this would all be a dream"

"It's not a dream my love." I said soothingly "we met in person today, we held each other, we talked and we kissed. It was real and I can't wait until New Year for more."

"Neither can I Sookie." He said sadly "If I could have my way I'd never be apart from you again. I have no idea how I'm going to make it onto the plane and survive at Cornell for another month without being able to see you or hold you"

"Well…maybe we could get skype?" I suggested "And webcams? Surely it'd be cheaper than using our cell phones, not to mention a hell of a lot nicer to be able to see you while we talk"

"You're a genius my love" he laughed loudly "I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Although the money doesn't bother me, I'd spend millions on you if you'd let me"

"Eric" I chided gently "you know I don't like talking about money."

"I know love, but when we're married, what's mine is yours, so you'd never have to worry about it again." he babbled happily, not noticing what he had just said.

"Married?" I asked hopefully

"I… I thought I had said something to you before, Sookie…" he said slightly embarrassed but confused at the same time.

"No" I whispered "You've never mentioned it before…. You want to marry me?

"I would marry you tomorrow if you'd let me. I want to take care of you and give you everything your heart desires." He confessed softly, his voice rich with love and hope for our future. "I want to wake up next to you every morning and go to sleep with you in my arms every night… I want to have a family with you; I want to help you raise our children to be loving and funny just like you, I want to teach them to ride their bikes and play fetch with our dog, I want to stay up until two am wrapping presents for Christmas... I want to come home from work everyday and see your smiling face… I want all those things with you Sookie and so much more…"

"Eric… just when I thought I couldn't love you any more, you go and say something like that." I sighed "I want those things so much it hurts."

"So we're getting married tomorrow?" he asked, only partially joking.

"We can make decisions as soon as we're finished Uni… deal?" I asked

"Deal" he smiled "I know how important your education and chosen career are to you Sookie, I wouldn't ask you to give them up"

"I'd do it for you" I replied "but you might get burnt dinners for a few years until I got over myself."

He laughed softly and I hugged my pillow tighter. How was it possible to love someone so much and not explode?

We chatted for another couple of minutes before I started yawning. He mentioned the book he was reading and offered to read me to sleep, his silken baritone rich with love.

I am so… so lucky I thought as I drifted off to sleep knowing my heart was safe with the amazing man whose voice gave me goose bumps, whose hugs gave me sanctuary and whose love filled my soul with joy.

A/N: Well would you look at that! Please review :)