Chapter 13:
My legs were around Eric's waist, and my heels were digging into his gorgeous backside as he laved my nipples with his tongue, purring contentedly all the while.
I was moaning and arching into him, trying to get closer. He kept putting me off though, building my heat higher and higher until I felt like I would spontaneously combust.
He started slowly kissing his way down my body; stopping here and there to pay attention to different spots. When he reached the apex of my heat he skipped right over it and continued down my inner thighs, my knees, my calves, even my feet.
I wanted to scream out my frustration at him taking his time but all I could do was moan and pant.
When he started licking his way back up my body I was on sensual overload. I didn't think I could take any more but Eric proved me wrong over and over again as he licked and kissed every inch of my body.
When he finally, finally, started sucking on my clit my body started vibrating in time to his purrs. My hands were tangled in his hair and I was bucking, trying to get closer and closer to his mouth. The combination of what he was doing and the sounds he was making aroused me so much I tugged at his strands so hard that it had to have hurt, I think I pulled so hard that a few strands even came off in my hands. But the only thing he did was double his efforts.
My walls started fluttering as he inserted a finger into my most private place and I … heard a banging on the door?
What the…?
My eyes flew open to see storm clouds flying past my window and rain blowing in. I got up and quickly closed the window when I heard the banging again.
Grumbling profanities to myself I put on my robe and stormed down the hallway. I wanted to go back to bed and finish my … dream? Was it a dream or had it really happened? It had felt so real!
I was so angry I could have spit. One minute! One fucking minute longer and I probably would have gotten the best orgasm of my life! But nooooo…
I threw open the door, "WHAT," I thundered. The man standing there startled and jumped back in shock. He looked at me wide eyed while he stood there looking like a fat drowned rat. I must have looked quite the sight: seething mad, wild eyes and probably sex hair - like a dervish - but his thoughts were anything but awed by me. They were more along the lines of everything else I'd been hearing recently: 'whore, bitch, too good for her' - you get the drift.
"I … I … I've b … b … been innnnnnnstructed to ddddddddeliver these to you Ms. Stackhouse," he managed to stutter out.
I looked at the stack of boxes and took them from him, "Thanx," I said as I slammed the door shut in his dough boy face.
Gran would have taken the switch to my legs for being so rude, after she made me pick my own from the willow out by the pond. I could feel guilty about it later: I wanted to get back to that dream and relieve the pain still lingering between my legs.
On the other hand, she had probably seen it.
Damn!
"I'm sorry Gran," I said out loud. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Unfortunately that was only half of it, the other half would be apologizing to the delivery man himself the next time I saw him. I wasn't happy about it but she had always taught me that most people didn't have the advantage of seeing another person's real intentions so whether he had meant to be rude or not that didn't give me a reason to be rude right back.
I sighed, sat the boxes on the table in the kitchen and tried to go back to bed but once my feet had hit the floor the first time I was wide awake; there was no going back.
Instead of enjoying the rest of my dream I was forced to deal with life instead which did not make me happy in the least. I would at least liked to have gotten an orgasm out of the deal but nooooooooooo, Mr. Too-early-in-the-freaking-morning had to wake me up at the worst possible moment.
I looked at the clock, good lord! It was only 7:30 in the freaking morning! Did he not realize some people actually enjoy sleeping? Especially when they have a yummy Viking to spend their dreams with?
I sighed and crawled out of bed again. Angry at the world right then or more specifically at Bobby Burnham - I'd gotten his name from his thoughts as well -, I went about the business of taking a shower and hopefully finding a little manual relief from the effects of my interrupted dream. So I rummaged through the drawers of the nightstand until I found what I was looking for.
As I turned towards the bathroom door I stopped dead in my tracks and hot and cold shivers went down my spine. My face turned red as a tomato, "Gran, please do not follow me into the bathroom!" I didn't know if she was really there at the moment but I didn't want Gran's ghost to watch what I was about to do in the shower. Yeah, she had always told me that what a person did in the sanctity of their own domain was nobody's business but their own but that didn't mean I wanted anybody else, ghost or not, to know about it!
Anger and grouchiness was forgotten and I felt much better when I emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, in more ways than one if you get my drift. I went to the kitchen to start the coffee maker and open the boxes that were the cause of my too early morning wake up call.
As I suspected one of them was the laptop. As Eric had said it looked to be state of the art. I plugged it in and opened the other box while waiting for it to cycle through its start-up.
I gasped and a few tears came to my eyes; I dropped the contents of the other box when I saw what was in it.
Eric, that sneaky bastard, had taken one of Gran's embroidery samplers and had it framed for me.
It had an old woman sitting in a rocking chair by the fire, a book in her lap, and three children sitting at her feet and it said 'Home Is Where the Hearth Is': I made sure to hang it up right where he would be able to see it when I opened the door for him the next time. There was also a short note underneath it: I thought this seemed appropriate. I'm sure your Gran would have loved to see this framed. Your ~E~
After I took a couple of minutes to calm down and wipe the tears from my face, and acknowledge the fact she would have loved it, I opened the third and final box, which was really quite heavy despite its size: It had 200 business cards with my name and cell number on them right below the NorCroft business name and the branch I was in charge of.
Once I cleaned up the mess from the boxes, and tucked a few of the business cards into my purse, I called Tara; If I didn't get to sleep in neither did she!
"Hmmm, Sook?" she said sleepily.
I giggled, "Yeah. Rise 'n shine, sleepy head."
"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" It's amazing how someone's mind can go from dead sleep to something wrong in no time flat when they're woken up.
"Everything's fine, or at least it was once I took Bobby the Bunny out for a spin." I grinned; Tara had given me that damn vibrator as a gag gift one Christmas but it had gotten a lot of mileage in the last couple of years and I'm sure the Energizer bunny was quite pleased with him as well since he could certainly keep up.
Tara giggled, "And just why was Bobby out for a spin so early in the morning?"
I was feeling wicked that morning, way more wicked than usual, "Why don't you come over for breakfast and I'll tell you? It has something to do with last night."
I groaned as there was another knock at the door, "I gotta go Tara, someone's at the door again. It's way too early for this shit and I haven't even had my coffee yet."
She giggled again, "Yeah, yeah. It's probably Lala wanting all the hot gossip. Promise me you'll wait until I get there to give the gory, or maybe it's juicy, details?"
It's even more amazing how some people can wake right up without the aid of a cup of caffeine to start their day, "You got it 'fille'. I'll see you soon."
I hung up the phone and sure enough it was Lafayette at the door, "Hmm hmmm," he said as soon as I opened the door, "you is looking fiiiiiiiiine this mo'nin'!"
I giggled again. Damn, was it all because I'd had two orgasms in less than 12 hours? "I am fine Lala. What can I do for you so early in the day?"
He came in and closed the door as I went back to the kitchen and he explained that he wanted me to dish on 'tall, blond and deadly' since he claimed he'd be more than willing to take Eric's 'fine dead ass' off my hands if I didn't hit it good and hard.
Thank god I wasn't drinking my coffee at that moment so I didn't get it down the wrong pipe. Instead I had to clean the coffee I spilled out of my cup from the kitchen table since it had been on its way to my mouth.
Speaking of coffee, somebody had to fix breakfast and apparently that day it was going to be me.
An hour later they were both fed and suitably horror stricken by what Arlene had done; impressed by my sexploits with Eric the night before and especially with my dream before it was so rudely interrupted and what I'd done after the interruption.
I had never been so open with them or anybody else about my sexuality before, not that there had been anything to talk about. I didn't even know what had come over me although I suspected Cookie had her hand in it as well. She was so laid back and not shy about it in the least. If I was honest with myself, it was nice not to stutter and stammer and blush like a champion whenever sex or anything remotely related to it was mentioned!
Once breakfast was done, the mess cleaned up and my two best friends on their merry way again I decided to get to the business of subscribing to all those newspapers, which was a damn lot of them!
During one of the lulls the night before Eric had had me set up an email account for all business pertaining to Area 5 and vampires in general so by the time I was done subscribing, a couple of hours later, the inbox was full of confirmation requests which took much less time to deal with.
Thinking back to our little 'chat' with Arlene the night before I realized that observing the FOtS more closely would be a good idea as well. I searched the internet and sure enough there was an official website for them and you could even subscribe to an email newsletter. I didn't think it would be such a good idea to use my real name so I created a fake email address under the name of 'Marigold Maldano'.
By the time I was finished it was lunchtime and I was starving. I still had to deal with giving my notice to Sam and we hadn't had that 'talk' yet so I decided to do that over lunch if I could. I picked up the phone and dialed, "Merlotte's, Sam speaking."
"Hey Sam, it's Sookie. You got time to have that talk?"
"Yeah, sure. It'll be good to get out of here for a while." He actually sounded happy. Maybe insurance footed the bill for the repairs?
"Crawdad's in thirty then?" I asked as I looked through my closet for whatever would be coolest given the weather forecast for the day which was rainy with a side of hot and humid.
"That's fine chére. I'll see you then."
"See ya Sam."
I grabbed one of my sundresses from the closet and got dressed real quick, did a quick tour of the house to make sure everything was locked up tight and was on my way out the door ten minutes after I hung up with Sam. Unfortunately I had to go back inside and grab my cell phone since I had forgotten it on the kitchen counter where it had been charging.
It was a short drive to Crawdad's Diner.
Crawdad's is one of the few Mom and Pop places left and they weren't even a Mom and Pop anymore. After Mom died about 50 years ago Pop sold it with the stipulation that the name never be changed and the new owners agreed as long as he included his recipe for pecan pie. He agreed and that's how it's gone since then, and this is the third incarnation of Crawdad's.
I got there a few minutes early so went ahead and got a table and ordered my iced tea.
The place was busier than usual, I guess it was because Merlotte's was closed, but it was still easy to spot Sam when he walked in; his wiry halo of strawberry blond hair all sticking every which way kind of made it easy to spot him.
"Hey chére, you doing okay? You're certainly looking better than the last time I saw you," he greeted me as he sat down across the table from me.
I shrugged, "Doing okay. Better than I was any way. What about you? Did insurance cover the repairs?"
Sam looked a little grim, "Partially. It seems the plumbing hadn't been updated since the building was put up and it should have been so they covered the flooring, clean up and Terry's wages but they didn't pay for the new plumbing."
My eyes went wide, "That still cost a pretty penny then. Ouch. Is Merlotte's going to be okay?"
"Yeah, it'll be tight for a while but we'll be fine.
"Any way, the reason I wanted to talk to you…" The waitress interrupted us then to take our orders. Once she was gone he took a deep breath and then continued in a low tone, "I'm a shifter. I can change into just about any warm blooded animal as long as I've imprinted on it before I shift."
"Imprinted?" I asked curiously. Eric had told me a bit about what happened when a shifter or Were turned into an animal but hadn't gone into detail. And I was fascinated by how it all worked.
"I have to either see the real thing or a picture of it before I shift. If I don't I turn into a collie dog as my default shift."
"So it's been you scaring the 'coons away from the garbage bin?" I snickered as I remembered seeing the dog around a lot.
Sam grinned back, "Usually, yeah, although there is a stray collie that helps with that more often than not." He went on to explain that it's only the first born from any couple that will be able to shift, that he can control when he does it except at the full moon when he has to and a few other things that Eric hadn't told me. "So, how did you figure it out chére?"
"Your brain signature's always been different but since I've seen it with others as well I just figured it was a human quirk. When I went to Eric about the murders…"
He interrupted me to ask, "Eric who?"
"Eric Northman," I answered honestly but didn't quite expect his reaction to that name.
"You went to a bloodsucker for information about me?!" Now he was angry.
Damn, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to and Sam obviously took offence assuming I'd gone behind his back.
I sighed and cringed; the talk wasn't going how I wanted it to go, "No Sam. I went to Fangtasia to see if I could find out who killed Maudette and Dawn so I could clear Jason's tom cattin' ass. Shifters were just a by-product of one of our conversations about the murders."
He looked slightly repentant, "I'm sorry Sookie. I guess what they say about assuming is true, huh," he said slightly sheepishly.
The waitress brought our food right then so we dug right in and were quiet while we ate our meal and didn't say much else until the coffee was served after, "I wanted to talk to you about something else too Sam." Boy was I nervous! I had never had to actually quit a job where I actually enjoyed it and liked the boss before.
"Yeah? What's that?" he asked as he put a piece of pie à la mode in his mouth.
Now or never, right? "Well, uh, Imgivingmytwoweeksnotice." I said quickly, running the words together because I was so nervous.
Sam looked at me in confusion, "Could you maybe slow that down a little Sook? It sounded like you said that you're giving your two weeks notice."
I took a deep breath to steady myself, "That is what I said; I'm giving my two weeks notice Sam, I've got another job."
He looked at me incredulously, "You're quitting?" He looked absolutely crestfallen.
Damn, now I felt really bad. But I sucked it up and nodded, "Yeah Sam, I am. I got the offer the night before Gran died but with everything going on we hadn't had a chance to finalize anything until last night."
He looked at me suspiciously, "Please, tell me you're not going to work for the vampires Sookie. Please, tell me you got a better offer somewhere other than with the vamps."
"I would but that would be a lie Sam because I am going to work for a vampire."
His eyes narrowed and he shook his head, "They'll only use you Sookie. You're too good-hearted, they'll break you then toss you away like yesterday's trash."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sam," I huffed, "I'm not as stupid as the bigots seem to think. Yes, I may be blond and blue eyed but I negotiated a good and fair contract."
"Vampires and fair contract are an oxymoron Sookie, they don't belong in the same sentence!"
I could feel my eyes tearing up in disappointment. Why couldn't he be happy for me like Tara and Lala? Why couldn't he accept and even encourage me to do something new? Why couldn't he tell me that I was too good for this place and that I was worth my talents?
I was no longer the naive young woman who was too shy to look a person in the eye and answer a question at the same time; I could speak my mind now so that's exactly what I did, "I thought you, at least, would be happy for me Sam. You've been one of my best friends for five years now and I thought you of all people would understand that I need to get out of this shit hole town. Someone finally see's that I'm worth something. They see that I am more than just a blond waitress.
"Yes, it's a vampire and you know what? I'm so fucking happy about that! No human has ever seen the woman behind the blond hair and blue eyes. They've only ever seen the freak who sometimes knows what they're thinking!" My voice was shaky because I was fighting off tears of anger. I had talked myself into a rage again and I knew I needed to calm down or I would speak loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear.
Sam looked slightly sorry, "Chére, vampires are not known for their altruistic streak. They aren't kind and caring, they can't love or give you children and Northman's the worst of the lot as far as I've heard. He's a hard nosed asshole who shoots first and asks questions later; he doesn't take prisoners Sookie, he kills first and gets the details later."
Why is it that when I try to make a decision for myself, something which goes against societal norms, everybody and their uncle gets in my business and tries to tell me what to do?
"Sam," I said a little heatedly, "don't you think I know that not every vampire is as kind and good hearted as you and me?" Hell, my favorite neighbor was the best example of that, "Not all humans, or part humans, are either. I've encountered more than my fair share of those humans and a few of the vampires already but like you said, you've heard all those stories from other people about Eric Northman! But have you ever even met him? No, you haven't. You just took over other people's prejudices and you, of all people, should know better.
"I'm not going into this blindly Sam. I've done my research, I've asked questions and I've got a lawyer looking things over this weekend." When he heard about the lawyer his shoulders relaxed and he didn't look as angry.
"Which lawyer? Is he any good?"
I nodded, "The best. His name is Desmond Catal…i…" I sighed because I still couldn't get it right. "I call him Mr. C. He's a Supernatural lawyer and a demon."
Sam was gaping at me, "You mean Mr. Cataliades?"
I nodded, why was it everyone else could say his name and I couldn't?
"How did you manage to get him to agree to see you? I hear he's really busy; it can take months, sometimes even a year, to get an appointment."
"He uh …," how to explain it so that I didn't spill the beans about being part Fairy? "He's kind of like a friend of the family."
That explanation seemed to satisfy him and he nodded and sighed, "I guess you're not the same naive young woman who walked into my bar and was so nervous for the interview she could barely speak any more." Sam shrugged, "I've always known your time at the bar was limited Sookie. I'm sorry to see you go but I sure hope things pan out for ya.
"Please, just be careful? I'd hate to hear something happened to ya."
"I will Sam, I promise. Are we still good?"
"Yeah, we're fine. I wish you would stay but I understand needing to get away from home and do your own thing. We all go through it eventually.
"That's what landed me here in Bon Temps. I was fresh out of the military and Mom was hard on my ass to get out and get a job. I had my GI money and the bit Dad left in his will so I travelled a bit. When the wind blew me in this direction I knew I'd found my new home."
"Thanks Sam. I'm glad you understand." I sighed to myself in relief. I would have hated to lose him as a friend if he hadn't understood my reasons. I could understand his reluctance; from what I'd read between the lines he seemed to have had a bad experience with vampires so I forgave him his prejudice.
We chatted a little more while we finished our coffee but finally went our separate ways a few minutes later.
I stopped by the hardware store on the way home to look at the security stuff in order to get a general idea of what it was going to cost me to get a security system installed. The salesman told me though that if I was serious about a security system to go with a security company like ADT. They monitor the system 24/7 for everything, not just intruders, so if the smoke or carbon monoxide detectors go off they will call the house first to determine if it's just an accidentally tripped alarm, like burning the toast would set off the smoke detector, or if it's something more serious.
I thanked the man and went home to research the hell out of security firms.
I didn't notice how late it was getting until there was a knock on the door and a particular void on the other side announced that it was Bill doing his nightly 'annoy Sookie hour'. Urgh! It seemed my little vacation from being pestered by him was over.
I sighed, it would have been nice if he had had a little accident with a stake on his trip or he had decided that wherever the hell he'd been was much nicer than here and decided to stay there forever.
As soon as the first knock sounded I heard Bubba, "Mr. Compton, you ain't supposed to be here. The sheriff said if you don't stop pestering Miss Sookie you won't like the consequences," Bubba paraphrased but that's pretty much what Eric had said.
I could hear the condescension in Bill's voice, "I'm just making a neighborly call Bubba, no need to get in a snit or go running to Eric about it."
That raised my hackles; I may have only known Bubba for two days but I already felt like he was one of my best friends. He was delightful to talk to yet he didn't hang around and be annoying if I'd rather have the peace and quiet.
My hand was almost on the door handle; I was going to give Mr. Compton a piece of my mind whether he liked it or not when Bubba told me not to, "Don't open the door Miss Sookie. Call Mr. Eric instead and let him know that your stalker is making his presence known. Again."
I sighed, "Alright Bubba. Are you alright?"
I heard him shuffle around a little bit, "I'm fine Miss Sookie, now go call Mr. Eric." I could hear the smile in Bubba's voice as he surreptitiously told me he was clear of the danger zone: I pressed the button on the remote and was rewarded with screams as Bill's eyes were sprayed with a fine mist of silver particles.
Cookie and I may or may not have done a small victory dance at our success. I let out an evil chuckle. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. Maybe I should have felt remorse that I was hurting someone but honestly that wasn't going to happen when I recalled what he'd done and probably still wanted to do to me.
The smell of burned vampire flesh was anything but pleasant but it was still better than Bill's physical presence.
"Bubba?"
"Yeah Miss Sookie?"
"Would you please escort Mr. Compton to the boundary and tell Pam to come to the back door when she gets here? I don't want her walking through anything left of the spray."
I followed the two voids as I fixed myself a salad.
Pam arrived just after midnight with a full entourage of people with racks and racks and racks of clothing, shoes and accessories. I was flabbergasted. Didn't Eric say to go shopping with Pam? And what the hell did she want to do with all that stuff? Did she bring a complete clothing shop to me?
Her first words were not about shopping though, "I smell that you have your own vermin." I looked at her questioningly, "Bill Compton was here and it smells like he was silvered."
I nodded my head, "Yeah. He seems to be back from his trip and Bubba and I wanted to be prepared for him continuing to stalk me. I am about to the point where I'll stake him just on principle though."
Pam looked confused, "Why would you wish to stake him on the headmaster of the school?"
Once my fit of laughter was over I explained the difference between principle and principal. By the time I was done with the definitions Pam had a dangerous glint in her eye and her fangs had run down, "I can save you the trouble Sookie."
I shook my head, "I don't think Eric would appreciate that Pam. Besides Bubba and I have it under control."
She grinned, "I am his second," and put her hands on her hips.
"Yes, but he still makes the final decisions doesn't he? And you noticed he was silvered, right?" Pam nodded her head and grinned. "Well, Bubba and I have set some traps up on the property and Bill sort of got hit by one of them tonight."
She looked at me expectantly, one eyebrow raised in imitation of her Maker. I giggled a little before I explained, "Bubba set up a silver mist sprayer at both doors and I got him with the one at the front door tonight when he was being mean to Bubba."
"And I wasn't here! Fuck a zombie! Next time call me or at least catch in on camera!"
I let out a mean chuckle because I already had an image in my head of us sitting on the couch in front of the TV and watching '1000 ways to annoy Bill'. Oh, this was going to be so much fun!
Pam cackled like a maniac as I told her about my idea and I knew right then I had a sister-in-arms.
Several hours and I don't know how much money later Pam waltzed out looking quite pleased with herself and my spare bedroom closet and dresser were filled with 'must have couture' and my mind was on overload with all the vampire customs and how to act in front of a vampire queen she had instructed me on.
I fell into bed exhausted but much more prepared for my visit to New Orleans.
Shortly after dark the next day I was sitting on the swing on the front porch waiting for the car that would take me to the airport; my brand new suitcase was standing next to the door.
When Pam realized I didn't have anything to transport my clothes in other than an old duffel bag which had seen better days I thought she was going to have a stroke. She was ranting and raving on and on about how a woman should always be prepared or some bullshit. I just let her talk because as I learned that night I had absolutely no freaking idea about fashion, or 'couture' as she called it, and everything that went along with it and that included the season's 'must have' in anything; including, apparently, luggage. So I was not surprised when a delivery boy knocked on the door that morning and handed me a big package. As I learned during my shopping experience, for it certainly was not a trip to the mall, with Pam it was best to just nod my head and say 'yes dear' as she did her thing.
Taking into consideration that every single item she had shown me was some sort of high end fashion designer I shouldn't have been surprised when I opened the package and a very expensive set from Dior sparkled back at me.
I couldn't hold back the snort. What a waste of money! Apparently everyone but Pam knows that the better your luggage looks the more likely it is that it will not make it to your destination. If it does the odds are higher that you will be missing items since you can no longer lock your luggage since air port security rifles through all of it before it's allowed anywhere near a plane.
The memory couldn't stop the nervousness I felt when I thought about the upcoming hours and what could be waiting for me at the Queen's court.
Somehow I knew I could trust Eric's reassurances that she wouldn't expect more from me than I was ready to give, namely the contract, but my mind couldn't stop thinking about the worst things that could happen rather than the positive things. What if she broke her promise? What if she disregarded Eric's claim on me? What if…
'Stop!', Cookie shouted. I almost jumped out of my skin at her outburst. 'You're going to trust Eric's judgment! Stop overreacting!'
Geez! What got into her? I do trust Eric's judgment. It's just…
'No! You're going to stop this shit right now! Even Fintan said that you can trust her. So shut up and enjoy the mini vacation', she groused and then huffed.
Flabbergasted I sat there on the swing and racked my brain, trying to figure out how it could happen that I had an entire argument with myself and still ended up on the losing side. Did she get up on the wrong side of the lair that morning?
All of a sudden many things happened at the same time. A void appeared near the cemetery and at the same time Bubba sat next to me on the porch swing.
I turned to the famous vampire next to me, "Good evening Bubba. How are you this fine evening?"
"I'm very good, Miss Sookie, thank you. And how are you?"
"Oh, you know Bubba, I would be perfect if some errant delivery boy vampire," as Eric so perfectly described it, "wasn't constantly sniffing around my property and polluting the air with his stalking and looking like he's eternally constipated. Maybe he was on his way to the outhouse when his Maker took him?" I spoke loudly on purpose so Mr. Nosey Compton would be sure to hear my thoughts on what he was doing.
Bubba giggled, I guess at the imagery of Bill on his way to the bathroom, "Oh Miss Sookie. You may be right. Perhaps the next time we catch him we should give him an enema to find out."
I laughed long and loud at that image but seriously didn't Bill have a life, a job, something to do that didn't include trying to horn his way into my life? Anyway, shouldn't our little trap from the night before have turned him off annoying me? Apparently not!
I had hoped Bubba would get my sarcasm; he'd seemed to: Maybe his brain wasn't as damaged as everyone believed.
He turned his head to my stalker who was skulking around the house and was headed right at us, or he would have been skulking if he weren't missing the lower half of his right leg.
I grinned when I saw him hobbling towards us; it seemed he had found one of the bear traps Bubba had set up. Bill was scowling when he stopped at the foot of the steps that lead up to the porch.
I just looked at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something but he seemed to have taken a lesson from Marcel Marceau and remained silent. "You know, Mr. Compton," I loaded his name with as much sarcasm as I could, "stalking people is a Federal offence."
Then I pointed at his missing limb, "What happened to your leg," I asked with a small giggle.
He looked hurt at my words but when he heard my giggle his hurt expression turned to anger, "Sookeh…" Geez why can't I just have a stake at hand when I need one? Every time he opened his fucking mouth I wanted to kill him.
'There's one in the table next to the front door, you know,' Cookie said dryly.
Ooohhh, rrrrriiigghhtt!, I thought gleefully.
Bill tried again since he realized he didn't have my attention, "Sookeh, why was there a bear trap in your woods?"
I giggled again since seeing him standing there slightly lopsided was hilarious, "Because Mr. Compton," I was hoping if I used his full name often enough he would get the hint that we were not on a first name basis, "I was hoping that you would finally get it through your thick skull that I want absolutely nothing to do with you. We are neighbors, nothing more and if I had my choice we wouldn't even be that."
Bill looked irate at that, "But Sookeh…"
I had finally had enough of my neighbor's neighborly visit, "But nothing Mr. Compton. I have told you before; my name is SookIE not SookEH. It rhymes with Cookie."
He looked angrier at my words, "It is the Southron Accent Sookeh, it doesn't allow for the 'e' sound."
I snorted. Loudly. "Bull shit Mr. Compton. I have lived in the south all my life and you are the only one who doesn't seem to be able to say my name correctly." He opened his mouth, no doubt to spout some other crap but I was tired of it already, "Since I don't recall giving you permission to use my first name how about you call me Miss Stackhouse instead, there's no 'e' sound in either of those words.
"Now leave me alone and be gone already!" I waved my hand in the general direction of his place.
Hmm, I wish I had a Djinni in a bottle so I could wish him away, like in Aladdin.
Something in me seemed to react to what I had said and thought. My body charged with energy until it hummed like a thousand bees buzzing and suddenly a strong wind appeared out of nowhere, picked him up and took him from my presence and set him down at the furthest edge of my property; at least that's what the breeze that was left by his abrupt departure told me.
Huh? What? Did I just…?
Cookie actually snickered! 'You're learning Sookie, you're learning.'
I sat there totally flabbergasted and couldn't comprehend the fact that I had done that all on my own.
Did the wind really speak to me or am I imagining things? Was that the power Fintan had told me about in the letter? Holy shit! This could be awesome!
Cookie and Bubba were both suddenly on alert as a limousine bumped its way along my pitted driveway.
Bubba relaxed slightly when the driver got out; she was dressed the most colorfully of anyone I had ever seen and not one single thing matched! Pam would have had a fit if she were to see the young girl who stood before us.
She bowed, bowed, to me, "MsStackhouse?"
I nodded dumbly. Her strange appearance seemed to have taken the power of speech from me.
When she smiled I shuddered; all of her teeth looked to be razor sharp.
"Evenin' Ms. Diantha. You're here to pick up Miss Sookie," Bubba asked.
When she nodded he stood up, picked up my suitcase and garment bag and went around to the trunk with Diantha and put everything in while I picked up my purse and made sure the door was locked. By the time I turned back around Bubba was standing there with his elbow crooked, waiting to escort me to the car.
When Bubba handed me into the car I squeaked, "Eric!?" and lunged for him with another hug! "Thank you for all the beautiful clothes and everything else! I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to afford the garment bag, let alone everything else so thank you."
His return hugs were getting better, less stiff, each time he hugged me back so I was hopeful that it wouldn't be long before he would offer a hug on his own instead of waiting for me to molest him with one.
"Everything is to your satisfaction then?" He asked with a smile.
I nodded, "None of it had to be high end though. I would have been just as happy with something from Macy's or Sears.
"She even managed to have my size in bras and panties from high end stores!"
"I'm glad you're happy then. Now, please give Bubba your key so he can let the people from the security company in so they can install your system while we're gone."
WHAT!? "NO! I can't let you do that! I was going to do my research and call one of them when we got back!"
"I know, Pam told me when she returned last night. She also told me that she had called the best which you, my dear Sookie, just happen to be part owner of, and they will be here in about an hour to put it in."
My mouth dropped open because that seriously stumped me. I was part owner of a security company? Huh, maybe I should learn about 'NorCroft' and everything that had to do with it?
"Eric! You could have at least talked to me about it first!"
"I didn't set it up Sookie. You can berate Pam for this the next time you see her if you like but I dare you to try to tell her no or to return something."
Did he just dare me? Ohhhhh, the fun I could have with that!
I snickered, "Eric, you may not be able to tell her no but I most certainly can and will in the future! I have something she has most likely forgotten about."
He raised an eyebrow at me and I grinned, "I can get in the last word."
Eric looked at me sceptically, "I highly doubt that Ms. Stackhouse. She, like her maker before her, doesn't take no for an answer."
"I didn't say she would take no for an answer or that she would like it but I do have an ace up my sleeve," my grin was getting wider and wider. What he seemed to have forgotten is that while Pam may not take no for an answer I'm a Stackhouse, stubborn is in my DNA!
"Don't worry though," I said as I handed over my key, "I'll happily take the security system and pay back the cost from my inheritance when I get it."
He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again with a click. A secretive smile formed on his lips, "Very well."
Hmm, that was way too easy! I had a feeling he had something up his sleeve as well. That should make things more interesting at least. Two stubborn people butting heads. Oh, I was looking forward to it!
The ride to the private air strip between Bon Temps and Shreveport was uneventful, even if it was the round about way to get there.
I had never flown before and hadn't planned on starting any time soon but since it was a choice between an hour long flight or five hours with Eric the Indy Car driver behind the wheel it didn't take much to convince myself that flying was way better. Cookie didn't necessarily agree though since she was all for having Eric all to ourselves for five uninterrupted hours.
Truthfully, I was too but I didn't think my nerves could take five hours of the Eric Express; not if I was going to meet the queen that night any way since I was positive I would find out the velocity of sick if we went that way.
Once the plane started moving my hands gripped the armrests so hard my knuckles were white. My stomach felt like it was trying to escape in any way possible.
I wanted to go home! Riding with Eric behind the wheel was much, much more preferable to flying! Hands down, no contest.
Cookie snorted, 'Told you so!' she groused.
Even with Eric trying to distract me it didn't help, I still wanted my feet back on the ground! I sat in my seat, had my eyes squeezed shut and tried not to hyperventilate. Though I didn't think I was too successful in distracting myself or succumbing to Eric's distractions; the only thoughts in my head were, 'We're going to crash! I need to get out of here!'
Cookie was huffing and puffing and hawing at my antics. She didn't seem impressed with my panic and couldn't understand why I didn't feel safe in that little tin can of a plane and especially with Eric at my side.
"Sookie!"
I ignored him. I needed to concentrate on not acting like a deranged crazy person.
Someone pried my hand from the armrest and took it in his own. I latched onto it immediately and squeezed … and squeezed … and squeezed.
I could feel sparks of electricity starting to dance over my skin but it didn't hurt me. It only tickled a little and seemed to give me a little bit more strength.
"Sookie," Eric said a little more forcefully this time. "Open your eyes!"
I shook my head. I didn't want to see. I didn't want to see us falling out of the sky.
"Open your eyes! Look at me!" A surge went through my body like someone had ordered my brain to comply. My eyes flew open and I looked directly into Eric's face.
My eyes were immediately transfixed on his. The ocean was in turmoil, big waves were furrowing the water as a thunderstorm rolled in and bolts of lightning were lighting up the darkening sky again.
I was fascinated once more and I could have gotten lost in it but I was brought back to the immediate present as Eric laid his other hand on my cheek. Huh? Wasn't I just a bunch of little Sookie pieces spread in a thousand bits on the ground after the plane crashed just a few seconds ago?
I calmed almost instantly when he touched me but still my thoughts wouldn't stop.
"What's wrong, Sookie?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
About then the plane finally levelled out and my stomach stopped heaving. Huh.
"I … uh … I," 'Just say it Sookie, he's not going to make fun of you'. I sighed at Cookie but finally finished my sentence, "I've never flown before and I can't say that I'm enjoying the experience." I looked down at my lap, embarrassed by my admission.
He smiled at me and gently squeezed my hand, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about Sookie; Aerophobia is quite common."
I sighed, even Eric thought I was stupid, "It's not the flight itself, apparently, since my stomach has settled. I just didn't like the way it made me feel while we were taking off."
"What do you think happened when I discovered I could fly?"
My head whipped up and my mouth dropped open in astonishment, "You can fly?"
Eric nodded, "Yes, I can. When I first discovered it I must have looked quite the sight until I had it under control. I smashed into trees, dropped out of the sky when I lost my concentration and sailed from left to right like a ship in distress. My maker called me a drunken bumblebee. I was awful until I got enough practice in that I could still stay airborne even if I was distracted and believe me, sh … er … he made sure I was distracted as much as possible." He laughed at the memory and I could finally smile. I wished I had seen that.
"Your maker," I asked curiously.
"The vampire who made me, like I did Pam. His name is Godric and he's about 2000 years old."
My eyes bugged out of my head. 2000 years? I couldn't even imagine being on earth that long. I'd thought Eric was old but this Godric was twice that age. All the things he must have seen, all the history, all the big events, wars, cultures that developed and disappeared again.
Holy shit!
Eric must have felt my disbelief because he chuckled, "He's one of the oldest vampires left on this earth. There are only a few left who are older than him."
My head was swimming from that revelation. I couldn't comprehend how old vampires could get. They must be a walking, talking encyclopedia.
Speaking of history books, I remembered that I still needed to find a test subject for my master's dissertation.
"There's something I wanted to ask you: I need to write my master's thesis soon and I don't have a test subject yet so to speak. Would you be willing for me to pick your brain about your history? What you experienced and how you lived in that time?"
A secretive smile formed on his lips, "I was waiting for you to ask me that. I would be honored to be your guinea pig. I actually have written a book or rather a series of books of my life, one book each century.
"In fact I just completed the book for the twentieth century. Everything I have lived and experienced is in there. I have thought about publishing it but it isn't the right time for that yet."
My mouth dropped open for the second time in I don't know how many minutes, "Seriously? Will you allow me to read them?" Oh my god! My heart was hammering in my chest in excitement.
Historians would kill for such an opportunity: To read the live experiences of an actual real and still living Viking was a once in a lifetime chance.
I wasn't doing it for the sensation though but to read the words he had written about his life would make me feel so much closer to him. I wanted to know what he had been through, I wanted to know which countries he had visited, who he had met, in which wars he had fought, who he had loved and what had led him to become the man he was at that very moment. Everything!
Eric got very serious all of a sudden. The smile on his lips disappeared and the features around his eyes got a solemn edge to them.
Uh oh, he was going to snub me, I was sure of it. He apparently didn't deem me worthy of sharing his life after all. He didn't want to be with me and he was going to tell me just that.
SLAP!
'Stop it you fool! You're getting paranoid again! Hear him out,' Cookie snarled. My head was still ringing from the mental slap she gave me. She was getting stronger every day.
Eric turned to me and took my hand, "Sookie, of course I want you to. That's why I wrote it: for someone worthy to read about my life." Oh, thank god, I thought but he wasn't done yet, "I know I promised that I would explain about what is going on with us. The truth is, I can't tell you much just yet. I can only explain things to you and let you read the books when you've made a decision regarding us."
Okay, I was confused. What did he mean 'I have to make a decision'? I searched his face for some kind of clue but all I found and felt through the bond was uncertainty about how to explain whatever it was and a vulnerability about … something. How I would react to whatever he had to say maybe? "I don't understand," I said honestly.
He exhaled as if he'd been holding a breath he didn't need, "How do you feel about me, Sookie?"
I was taken aback. I didn't think he would just come out and ask me that.
I blushed scarlet and it was suddenly me who had difficulty explaining what I wanted him to know. How do you tell a person that you've fallen in love with him? How do you tell a person that you want to be with him if he hasn't given you any indication that he cared about you more than a general concern for your safety. Yes, he showed his affection by organizing help for me when I needed to plan Gran's funeral and sending me flowers to brighten my day … okay and everything else he did for me. Maybe it was his way of saying that he probably didn't love me - yet - but cared about me deeply, cared enough to continue getting to know me.
I nervously licked my lips and contemplated what to say. I never saw myself as a coward but at that very moment I was scared shitless about what his reaction to my words might be.
Then I had an idea. Maybe instead of telling him, I should let him feel. So instead of using words I did what I did the night Renée attacked me; I gathered up every bit of love and affection I felt for him and pushed it at him as hard as I could.
For a tiny second nothing happened. Then his eyes widened in astonishment before he closed them. He shuddered and then sighed as if he had never felt something like that before.
I was sitting at the edge of my seat, worrying about his reaction and what it might mean. A dozen different scenarios ran through my head. Him recoiling in disgust, him telling me that he didn't feel the same, him laughing at me…
SMACK!
Holy fucking shit! That hurt!
'Stop second guessing yourself and him! Give the poor man a chance to explain before you start jumping to conclusions. You are the most infuriating woman sometimes, Sookie. You don't give someone a chance to say something before you start imagining the worst thing they could possibly do or say.' Cookie sighed loudly, 'You KNOW how he feels about you so just stop with the doubts.'
'Did you just slap me?' I was angry and confused and having Cookie berate me wasn't helping.
'I did and I'll happily do it again,' she growled. 'You need to learn to not let your own emotions run away with you, they will only get you into trouble if you don't learn to control them and that starts with giving people a chance to explain themselves before you jump off the cliff, worrying about what their reaction is going to be.
'Give them the time they need to process everything, just like you need time to do the same, then listen to what they have to say, then consider their words, and only then should you react. Not BEFORE they've even begun to process what you've said or done.'
I sighed. I loved my gran tremendously but really, did she have to be a part of EVERY conversation I had?
Cookie was right and I knew it but…
'No buts, Sookie. You can't reach your own potential if you continue on like you have been.'
Huh? Reach my own potential? 'What did you mean by that?' But of course she remained silent, pretending she didn't hear my question.
After a minute or two Eric opened his eyes again and what I saw in them made me hold my breath.
The blue in his eyes was swirling in different shades, from ice blue to midnight sky. But the most fascinating thing was the lightning bolts flashing in them like a firework on the 4th of July.
Before I could react or say anything though, he grabbed me with both hands and hoisted me up out of my seat and onto his lap. Our lips crashed together as if he wanted to eat me whole. I didn't even know what had happened or how to react; I could only let it happen and that's what I did. I wrapped my arms around his neck and opened myself up to him.
"Finally," he whispered over and over again between nibbling on my lips and neck, "I've waited for a long time for this very moment." Relief; I felt so much relief coming from him, it threatened to overwhelm me. "Say it, Sookie! Tell me!"
Why did it feel like Cookie was smirking? 'See? Just because they are taking the time to process doesn't mean the response is going to be negative,' and she started cackling. Why didn't she just say 'I told you so' and be done with it?
I ignored her because I wanted to focus on Eric. For a second I didn't know what he meant but when I did I threw my reluctance out the window and laid everything on the table, "I love you, Eric. I fell in love with you the moment I realized what you did for me after my gran died. I don't care that you are a vampire Sheriff or that you are older than dirt," I smirked at that, "I love everything about you. I love that you have so many different sides to you, the bad ass vampire, the mischievous little boy that I know is still inside you, the considerate man that is thoughtful enough to anticipate my needs, the uncertain man who asks his child for help and the vulnerable man who is insecure about what I feel about him. All of these sides make you who you are and who I love, Eric! I know you have many other facets to you and I want to get to know them all, if you'll let me."
Eric finally gave me this beautiful smile that made my heart flutter like the wings of a hummingbird and I reveled in the feelings coming through the bond.
I could feel that he was in turmoil as well though. He seemed to have difficulty digesting my revelation.
He took my hand in his and held it against his chest, "Sookie, you don't know how much it means to me to hear that from you. I've waited for you for a long time," I didn't know what to make of that comment but at the same time I felt a 'but' coming my way and my heart sank again, "but I need to examine my own feelings before I can be sure of them.
"I want to be with you, Sookie, very much so. I care about you deeply but I don't know if it's quite love yet. I haven't felt anything close to what I feel from you coming through the bond for over 1000 years, since my human children were born, except maybe for my maker and child but even that is very different. I need to be sure of my true feelings for you first before I say anything," he explained and looked at me, pleading for me to understand.
I exhaled in relief: I didn't even know that I'd held my breath. I could work with his uncertainty and I felt sad that he'd walked this earth for a thousand years without knowing what love really felt like.
So I smiled reassuringly and nodded. Then I snuggled against his chest and just reveled in our togetherness. Eric wrapped his arms around me and moved slightly down in his seat to give us more room.
After a few minutes though I interrupted the silence because something was still bugging me, "Was that the decision you wanted me to make, to be with you?"
Surprisingly, he answered with a, "No, it was only the first step." He sighed, "The decision you need to make is whether or not you want to complete the bond with me."
I pulled away from his body to look at him, "You mean if I want to make it permanent?"
"Yes, only when you make the decision of your own free will to bond with me permanently am I allowed to tell you the whole truth. What I can tell you though is that I'm not who I am pretending to be. And it is not a coincidence that we met. If you decide to complete the bond of your own free will and out of love, it will shake the foundations of the world."
I exhaled loudly while digesting his words. I gulped when the magnitude of what he was implying really hit me.
Holy hell! Was he saying that it was our destiny to meet? How could that be? I had never heard of him or seen him before that first time at Fangtasia. Sure, there was an instant connection between us but that could just be two people taking an instant liking to each other. How could he be so sure it was me and not someone else?
And what could be so secretive that he couldn't tell me the whole truth? Was he an alien that escaped from Area 51? Was he the one who shot John F. Kennedy? Was he Odin himself and has to prevent Ragnarök?
I didn't know what to say or do. On one hand I knew that I loved him and wanted to be with him. But was it enough for me to make such a commitment? From what I understood a blood bond was something akin to marriage, probably more than that if my suspicions are right and I shouldn't be able to feel him in the bond just yet. On the other hand we had only known each other … my god was it only two weeks? I didn't think I was ready for that step just yet.
Eric seemed to feel my indecision and that I felt overwhelmed, so he tried to soothe me through the bond.
"You don't need to decide now, Sookie. And I don't want you to. Entering a blood bond is not something to take lightly. You need to remember that it is permanent, forever, and only broken by the death of one of us. I want you to really think it through before you come to a decision."
I nodded, thankful to have time to think about it. "What do you feel about it, Eric? Do you want to do it?"
Surprise and pleasure showed on his features that I even considered his feelings. Well what can I say, a blood bond is about two people, not just one.
After contemplating my question for a second he answered, "Yes, I want it with you very much. Even if I don't understand my feelings for you yet, I know that they will come and I have the advantage that I already know what's going on. I wanted it the moment I heard about it centuries ago; I'm just waiting for you. That's not the only reason I want to be with you though. I've never met someone like you. The very moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were something special. I don't mean your telepathy or you being part Fairy but who you are, Sookie Stackhouse. When our eyes met for the first time it felt like I was struck by lightning." He said the last part with a secretive smile. His words though were doing something to me. Cookie felt all mushy inside and she was sighing with a dreamy look on her face.
Eric had said he didn't know if he loved me just yet but what he'd said just a few seconds ago was as close to a declaration of love as I ever heard.
I tried not to turn into a lovesick teenager though and thought back to the most important topic. Worrying my lip as I thought out loud, "What would the bond do between us apart from being permanent?" I know he'd explained it to me once already but I wanted to know the details.
"Well a general blood bond between a vampire and human would make the two parties feel each other's emotions. They could influence each other through it; for example when one is angry, the other one could try to calm him down. Furthermore they would both know where the other's location is, much like a GPS system; the physical and mental well being is stronger when they are together as well and it's rumored that a bonded pair can't be without the other's presence for long or they will feel physically ill.
"But I don't think the general rules apply for us. Our bond seems very different and I've noticed that you can already feel me, can't you?" He looked at me curiously. Though I had the feeling he already knew my answer, he wanted confirmation regardless.
So I indulged him and nodded, "Yes, I can feel you very strongly. I discovered it when I touched the bond and sent you my feelings right before Renée attacked me."
Eric sat up straighter at what I'd said and gave me his complete attention.
"What you sent me that night almost knocked me on my ass, it was so strong. How did you do that and what do you mean you touched the bond?"
Okay, I had the feeling something abnormal was happening. Maybe even something extraordinary, so I tried to explain, "Um … while we exchanged blood for the first time I could feel your blood spreading through my body and something in me reacting to it. Then something seemed to bundle in the back of my mind and I remembered this the night Renée attacked while I thought of a way to contact you. I closed my eyes and concentrated on that specific point. Then I could see a bright, pulsing ball or a star and a thread coming out of it and disappearing into nothing. When I touch it, it feels warm like a living being. And when I did it that night I could feel an echo coming back to me. I think I felt your surprise?" I looked at him in question.
Eric seemed to ponder that for a moment while thinking back to that night. "I felt a resonance, a vibration in my mind like someone had struck a chord or played a tune on a guitar. I was very surprised when I felt that. Then a moment later this overwhelming sense of dread went through me and I knew it was you calling me. I took flight immediately. The whole time I could feel your pain and how scared you were but anger as well. I sent you strength through the bond but I'm not sure how successful I was."
I sucked in my breath as realization struck me, "I did feel it. Eric, something is happening with me. There is a presence in me. It is me and not me at the same time. It feels like we belong together but are separated from each other for some reason. The night Renée attacked she felt weak and angry, like she had just woken up from a long sleep, but when you sent me strength she felt stronger as well and that in turn gave me the strength to fight him." I got very excited all of a sudden. Some puzzle pieces finally fell into place.
"That wasn't the only time I've felt it either. Every time we exchange blood she seems to get stronger as well.
"In fact, it was that separate being who told me what the Portal in the box was and how to open the letters and I've even had arguments with her on occasion."
Eric was stunned as he looked at me while he seemed deep in thought, "I've never heard of something like that happening before. But it sounds to me like your Fae side and the human side of you haven't merged for some reason. Maybe the demon blood from your sponsor has something to do with it. Fae and Dae may be a related species but they are as different genetically and magically as they can get. I've never even heard of a Fairy/Demon hybrid existing, though I'm not an expert. We should discuss this with Desmond later: I'm sure he can shed some light on this."
"But how is it possible then that Cookie is in me? That she exists separately but we share the same body?" I directed the question to her as well, but again she wasn't really forthcoming with an answer. It was frustrating!
Eric cocked an eyebrow and his lips twitched in amusement, "Cookie?"
I huffed in fake annoyance, "I call her Cookie because she's … well she's rather flirty when you're around. You have no idea what she's doing and wants to do to you when she hears just your voice," I rolled my eyes.
'As if you don't want to do the exact same things to him', Cookie huffed.
Oh, now she's talking and … did she just stick out her tongue at me?
The smirk on his lips seemed to get wider as he preened like a peacock while she … well, Cookie turned her back to me and put her butt high in the air and wiggled it as if she was trying to entice him to do naughty things to her.
I snorted. Those two would be perfect for each other!
"I'm looking forward to meeting her," Eric said in a flirty tone.
This time I really huffed in annoyance. Maybe I should leave those two alone and get out of the way.
Oh wait, I can't!
'Are you jealous?' Cookie asked, sounding like she was thoroughly enjoying the bi-play.
'YES!' I screamed in my mind.
I heard a rumble in the chest beneath my hands before Eric erupted into laughter, "You should see the faces you make when you have a conversation with her. And I can feel your mood swings through the bond. I think I can distinguish between you two now as well."
I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he laughing at me?
But then I grinned devilishly as I thought of something, "You already have met her, a couple of times."
His eyebrows quirked up, "Oh?"
I nodded, "Mmm hmm. I'll give you a hint." I giggled. This was fun, innocent but fun.
"You won't tell me outright," he asked with his lower lip sticking out. Was he pouting? Oh, that looked too cute. But I tried very hard not to get distracted by that.
So I shook my head, "Nope, you'll have to figure it out on your own."
I could feel the amusement through the bond, so I knew Eric was enjoying our little playful banter as much as I was. Eric grinned, "I love a good puzzle. Hint away."
I put my finger to my chin for a moment, as if deep in thought, "I don't flirt."
He looked at me incredulously, "That's a hint?"
I nodded my head, so did Cookie. "It is. Is the hint too hard?" I asked impishly. It was always fun to poke him a bit.
But then he shocked me by answering, "You may not flirt but Cookie doesn't second guess herself or others before letting her audience take things in and formulate an answer."
My mouth gaped open. How did he know that? Did he know me so well already or could he hear our conversations?
I could absolutely see Cookie giving Eric a high five for agreeing with her and saying almost exactly what she had been telling me; the smirk on both their faces was not helping!
"Arrgg! The both of you are driving me crazy!"
Suddenly I was on the floor and writhing with laughter as Eric tickled me senseless, "You may not flirt but you find Cookie's ideas just as arousing as I do and one of these days, I promise you, you will have the full Eric Northman experience. Once that happens there will be no going back, you will be mine; you will be spoiled for others."
I looked at him as he hovered over me, straddling my hips and just stared for a moment, "When's that going to finally happen then?"
He looked serious again all of a sudden and placed a hand on either side of my head, "When you've finally made your decision," he said solemnly.
What? No hope of full on, mind blowing sex until then?! I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he blackmailing me? "You sound very sure that I'll say yes to the bond. What if I say no?"
Eric had the nerve to actually grin! "Ultimately, it's your decision but I think we both know that you'll agree eventually." Yeah, I knew. I might not be ready to at that very moment but I would be given a little more time. "And don't you think that when it finally happens our coupling will be so much more mind blowing and special?"
I was floored and really touched that he would say something like that and actually mean it. And to be fair, I agreed with him. So I nodded and gave him a real smile.
I was rewarded with a smile right back while he helped me up from the floor. We retook our seats and buckled our seatbelts when the sign appeared overhead.
Eric reached out to take my hand but I growled and playfully slapped it away, "Don't even think about it buddy! If I can't have what I want then neither can you!"
Eric let out an amused laugh but before he could do or say anything else my stomach lurched and we started to drop out of the sky.
I screamed and clutched his hand as if my life depended on it.