AN: Thanks again for all your support! Took me a while to figure out where I wanted this chapter to go, but I think I found a direction you'll like (I hope). Some lemons in this chapter! As some of you have noticed, I have taken Sookie in a much different direction and have empowered her with this experience. I know her plan seems sill in this chapter, but I promise it will be explained in the next one! I also know I forget about her Bill comment, but I promise that too will be explained.

PS I've tried to make all italics thoughts

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

LAST TIME

"We could do much better things than talk" I say, leaning down to put my face inches apart from hers. I take another slow inhale.

"You're gonna tell me why you're trying to trick me" she sasses. I freeze. Has this girl known of her heritage all along? She pokes a finger into my chest and continues "and you're gonna tell me what the hell is going on with Bill".

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SPOV

I had made the bold declaration on a whim. I hadn't thought about Bill much since I rescinded his invitation. But laying in my lawn chair, after Bobby had dropped of the contract, I realized that tonight would be my first night out after dark. I entirely expected to be intercepted by Bill.

I wasn't.

After all the effort that vampire took to get his blood into me, it seems odd that he wouldn't want to be attached to my hip after another vampire has attempted to stake claim to me. It seems even more odd that in the few weeks following Dallas he has not made any kind of connection. Quite strange considering how he seemed to pop up at the oddest circumstances when we first met. The perfect circumstances in fact. Right when I needed saving. My first night out after dark, and not a peep? Odd… and if anyone knows about the reasoning it's the sneaky bastard in front of me. A little distraction of some curves, and hopefully he'll open up.

Okay, it's not a great plan. But when trying to coerce things out of Eric Northman, I had to go with what I knew. He likes sass in a pretty blonde bottle, and I've got lots of it.

As I mentioned Bill's name, Eric's face becomes cold stone, as if he is trying to compose himself. Without responding, he reaches behind him and opens his office door, swinging it open and urging me through with a swing of his hand.

I stomp into the centre of his small office, cross my arms and jut a hip out, severely tempted to start tapping my heel as he languidly glides into the room.

"I see we haven't lost our temper, have we Ms. Stackhouse?" Eric says with a slight chuckle, seeming to have recovered from his momentary pause. "I can't say this was the anger I was expecting".

"Oh?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow at him. "What were you expecting?" I can't help but ask.

"It is of no importance now. Please, take a seat, and enlighten me as to why you think I would want to trick you" he replies, as he walks over to his desk and sits down. He throws his legs up on top, he seems to be the perfect size for it so it was clearly custom-made for a certain Viking.

As he crosses his deliciously long legs, I find myself admiring the skin he has decided to show off tonight. The firm but slender muscles of his chest and biceps are perfectly outlined in the soft glow of his office lights. WOAH. Side track.

Eric smirks at my pause, and I wonder if it isn't due to something blood related.

"The contract" I spit. "What's the trick? What's the catch? The fine print that has me sell my soul to you until my oh so coincidental death?"

Eric remains quiet for a long pause, steepling his long fingers in front of his face, as he slowly raises his gaze from his fingers, to my eyes.

"Ms. Stackhouse, why would I go through such lengths to get my blood into you, if all I wanted was to keep tabs on your untimely death? That seems quite contradictory. The contract was in the hopes of providing you with a more fulfilling source of employment, as I noticed you had not returned to the shifter's bar after our trip to Dallas. In regards to that" he reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a letter with the Fangtasia letter head at the top right corner, and my information in the middle window. He flicks the letter so it rests on the edge of his desk, and I look at him curiously.

"And what is this?" I ask, taking my time to walk carefully over to the letter. Opening it slowly, to reveal a cheque for $50,000.

"Payment for your services in Dallas of course. As promised." Eric replies smoothly, again making direct eye contact with me. A part of me wants to balk at this blatant demonstration of power. This is WAY too much money. Then my mind flashed through all of the extra curriculars that happened during that time in Dallas. Almost raped. Cheated on. Tricked to drink his blood.

Hell. I'm entitled to some stress pay, and damages caused to my person. So I stash the cheque in my clutch as I maintain Eric's gaze, and give him a thin lipped nod. I then close the distance between me and the front of his desk, setting my clutch down, and laying my palms flat on the large spanned surface.

As I lean towards his relaxed form, I whisper harshly "Tell. Me. The. Catch."

After another lengthy pause Eric shocks me by uncrossing his legs, and dropping his hands to the arm rest of his winged back chair. He breaks our eye contact, gazes blankly at the wall to his left and sighs. He pauses for another moment, and then I DO begin tapping my heel, hoping he'll spit it out already.

"Blood" he says. My gaze narrows.

"What about it?" I demand.

"The catch of the contract is you are required to provide me with a thimble of your blood once every month" Eric admits, meeting my gaze once again.

I KNEW IT. There was too much legal mumbo jumbo about "the employee will provide" that there wouldn't be something I'd have to give him outside of my telepathy. Instead of reacting in pure outrage, I take a small step back, and plop into one of the chairs across from Eric. I collect my clutch, and drop my gaze to my lap. I sit in silence for a moment as I attempt to work through my feelings and find there is one question I have.

"Why" I whisper, slowly looking up again to see Eric watching me intently. He quirks an eyebrow. Clearly he was expecting a stompin', yellin' southerner to reply to that omission.

EPOV

I am unsure if laying all my cards on the table is the best move at this point, but I am currently at a loss for alternatives. When I admitted to Sookie that there was a clause in the contract that demanded a thimble of her blood once a month, I would have put good money on her losing her ever loving mind about it, telling me where to put it, and leaving. But here is this composed, breathtaking beauty, sitting lady like in the sexiest white dress I've ever seen, demanding to know why I would want such a thing.

My instinct is to lie. As always. How can I manipulate this my way? She knows nothing about the effects of blood, or the tie it has to ownership and possession in our world (as I demonstrated in Dallas). I could very easily work this to my favour. However, I find myself reminiscing on the unexpected visitor I had mere hours before this vixen, and find that I want to appease Niall (even if begrudgingly).

I tap into the small amount of my blood in her system, before I respond. Still nothing.

After my pause has stretched long enough, I shrug and say "Protection".

There. Simple.

Meeting her eyes, I see that's not enough for her, so I continue.

"It became quite clear to me that Bill is not adequately providing for you in many regards. Protection in general, is one of the biggest concerns. Your gift is an incredible asset, and I believe you are a great deal smarter than many have given you credit for. It seems many have underestimated you, myself included, and I would like to rectify that by adding you to my arsenal of employees."

Sookie continues to stare at me, and makes no move to respond. We sit there in silence and I eventually slip into downtime. Finally, she stands again slowly. She takes another lengthy pause before she starts to move, speaking along with her slow, deliberate steps.

"You will rewrite the contract" she says, walking around my desk to stand directly in front of me. I raise my eyebrows, and swivel my chair so that I am directly facing her.

"You will write it so that I understand it. No tricks, and you will outline exactly the terms that you wish to request of me in order to consult as a telepathic employee" she continues, and I find myself nodding, my eyes now roaming up and down her body. That dress is gloriously tight around her breasts. "I will consider them, and give you a response in no less than 2 business days" she concludes.

My, my, this was not the evening I was expecting, but it seems it may be working in my favour.

SPOV

I notice Eric has begun nodding, and his eyes have started roaming the curves my dress so wonderfully accentuates. I take another small step towards him, so that I am standing between his long legs, forcing his eyes to snap up to the silver tipped chopstick I now hold between my thumb and pointer finger directly in front of his face. As I had approached him I had held it discretely with my thumb, effectively tucking the length against the inside of my pinky finger, hidden by the length of my wrist. Then I slowly let it drop to grasp it with my thumb and pointer in front of his, now very angry, face.

I level him with a gaze that is pure bitch and dominance, and I feel this spark inside me flare to life.

"If you EVER try to trick me again, I will make sure it is an extremely UNpleasurable experience for you" I say as I wave the small weapon in front of him "do you understand?"

Hi fangs have clicked down and he glares at me.

"Threatening a vampire is a very dangerous choice Ms. Stackhouse" he growls, "even for one as bold as you."

"I'm aware." I reply, and drop the chopstick with a flourish as it drops to the floor with an audible ting.

"However, this threat does come with a compromise" I say, dropping my voice to a more sultry tone. I then drop my line of sight to his lips and close the distance between us. Taking in the scent of his clean aftershave, I lay my hands on his armrests and dip my head towards his lips. He remains still, and stares at me as I slowly grasp his lips with mine. After a moment of his shock, his left hand quickly comes to tangle in my hair, and he responds with a sudden urgency. His tongue darts out to lick my sealed lips and I open for him without pause.

Just as I expected …. Good boy.

I battle my tongue with his for a few moments, savoring in his animalistic dominance.

Man, this Viking can kiss.

As our tongues continue to slide intimately against each other, I purposely glide mine against the inside of his left fang, slicing it ever so slightly. He groans deeply, the sound rumbling in his chest. Then, just as quickly as I engaged, and just as his second hand is about to reach for my waist, I pull back.

A drop of my blood spills into his now gaping mouth before I detangle from his grasp completely. I turn on my heel, grab my clutch, and make my way quickly and confidently around his desk.

"I look forward to hearing from you Mr. Northman" I toss over my shoulder, before I walk out his office completely.

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