DESIRE

Eric stormed from the house, cursing himself as he disappeared into the trees that surrounded Bill's home. He couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid, so cruel.

So horny that he didn't even care about how she was feeling, the emotions that he could read now that she had tasted his blood.

He looked at the ruined shirt in his hands, his fingers curling tight around the dark fabric as he clenched his fists. He'd been a fool to think that once he'd shown her pleasure, everything would be just right, all fine and dandy in the world. She had been frightened, and all he had done was provide a distraction before increasing that fear.

He should have taken better care of her, should have ignored his hungers and taken her home, but he had thought that he could make her comfortable, thought that maybe he could keep her with him for a little while.

Okay, maybe he'd wanted to keep her with him for a long while.

He took a breath of the clear night air, trying to clear his mind, but her delicious scent clung to his skin, driving him insane. He wanted her still, wanted to hear her strong heartbeat and feel her creamy skin against his.

Most of all though, he wanted to discover what lay beneath that gorgeous exterior, to find out what made her such a strong person, what made her so selfless in a way he had never imagined possible for a human.

He stopped in his tracks, the very idea stunning him. Did he really want that?

The answer was yes, yes he did.

Bill stood in the doorway, watching Eric stalk away, his broad shoulder tensed. He waited until he couldn't see the blonde haired vampire before he turned back into the house, grabbing a jacket from the hook beside the door before he darted back over to Sarah and Sookie.

'Here, put this on,' he said, his gentle voice allowing her to ease some of the tension from her shoulders. 'I'll take you home and get you settled.'

'No, Bill, I've already disturbed your evening enough.'

'It's no trouble,' he promised.

'Really, Sarah. Let him take you home and get you settled, okay?'

Sarah tried to argue but was silenced by Sookie's set gaze, her arms folded over her chest. She sighed. 'Okay.'

Sookie hugged her, stroking her hair back. 'I'll come check on you tomorrow, while Bill is asleep.'

'Thank you, both of you.'

Bill smiled, holding out his arm. Sarah pulled the jacket on. It swallowed her, but no where near as much as Eric's shirt did. Bill swept her into his arms, smiling before he ran from the house.

The wind whipped at her, and then she was on her feet again, Bill's arms around her to keep her from swaying. He stepped back, keeping a hand on her arm. She glanced over her shoulder at the front door, knowing that her brother was probably worried sick. 'What should I tell Jake?' she asked, looking back up to meet his calm blue gaze.

'I suggest the truth; though maybe omit the part about Eric. You can tell him that I was the one who heard the accident and came to your aid. I'll get Sookie to vouch for that as well, if he gets curious.'

'I think I'll tell the sheriff's department that too, when I call them in the morning to report the accident.'

He smiled. 'That would be wise,' he said, turning to walk away, only to pause before he made it down the steps. 'Out of curiosity, do you know what it was that ran in front of you before you crashed?'

She shook her head. 'No. I keep trying to picture it more solidly, but I just don't know.'

He nodded before darting to her side again, kissing her on the cheek with a smile. 'Rest. I'll tell Sookie that you're home safe.'

She laughed. 'She'll still worry.'

'Yes, but at least she'll wait until tomorrow before she rushes over.'

She clutched the jacket tightly around her as he sprinted into the trees, leaving her on her porch as he disappeared in a blur. She stared for a moment into the darkness before quietly ducking to get the spare key from under the mat, glad that she'd forgotten her wallet and phone today. If she'd had them in her bag, they would still have been in her car.

She'd call the Sheriff's department first thing and tell them what happened. Until then, she hoped she could get some sleep and that her brother had already gone to bed.

It looked like she was hoping for too much.

She turned around, just stifling a scream as she bumped into her brother, her nose colliding with his chest. She cursed at the white t-shirt before she lifted her gaze, meeting his hazel eyes, his brow drawn

'You know I tried to call you but your mobile was at home. I also tried Merlotte's, but you'd already left well over an hour ago,' he said, folding his arms over his chest. 'So I tried Sookie and Bill, but they didn't pick up. Not surprising seeing as it's their wedding anniversary.'

'Listen, I–'

'And now you've come home and you're wearing nothing but a borrowed jacket and a t-shirt that is definitely not yours.'

'Bill just brought be home,' she said. 'Something ran in front of my car and I hit a tree.'

Jake's gaze instantly softened, his arms slipping from their tight fold over his chest, as he reached out, checking her head for cuts and bruises. 'Are you alright?'

She brushed his hands away, smiling. 'I'm fine; I just got knocked out is all.'

'Who found you?'

As much as she wished she could tell him the truth, it would be best to set the other version into concrete. She almost nibbled on her bottom lip, thoughts flicking to the kindness that Eric had shown her.

Well, the kindness he had shown her up until he'd decided not to mention the effects of his blood.

'Bill was at Merlotte's to pick up Sookie and heard the car crash so he found me. I don't know why they didn't answer. I was out for a while.'

He took a breath, pulling her into his arms. 'Do you want me to stay tomorrow? I can po–'

'You're not post-phoning your trip. I'm fine, Jake. You need to follow your dream. You've spent too much time worrying about me.'

He laughed, turning to place a quick kiss on her forehead. 'Of course I do, Sarah. You're my little sister after all,' he said. 'You're all I've got.'

She took a breath, burying her head into his chest a little. She would miss him, but if he had even the slightest chance of making it to his dream, then there was no way she was going to let her little dilemma get in the way.

He didn't want to admit it, but, in a manner of speaking, Eric was stalking her. He followed Bill's scent to her home, stopping in the trees, watching the house from the cover of the greenery and the darkness of the night. But over half of the night was gone, the sunrise approaching faster and faster and he still did not have her in his arms again.

He listened, hearing two heartbeats inside. He thought that the other probably belonged to her brother, the one she had talked of returning to after the accident.

She cared more about him than herself.

A selfless, little, English human was bringing him to his knees with desire, but she was also tugging at his still heart, one that he had never believed could be touched by anyone other than the sire he had lost.

He needed her now, yet he couldn't touch her, couldn't feel her skin against his or hear the strong beat of her heart as though it were his own because of his stupid mistake. If only he had told her the effects of his blood, about what it would do to her other than heal her wounds. Maybe if he'd warned her that it could increase a human's libido, she would have allowed him to enjoy her heightened senses while he explored every inch of her…

'Stay focused,'he growled to himself, shaking his head in the hope that he could clear his mind of the sinful thoughts.

He was unsuccessful.

And he was impatient. He couldn't stand waiting another night before he could talk to her, but he figured that finding her again at Merlotte's was his best option. He could apologise and request that she speak to him quietly without fear of being burnt to a crisp if she went pyro on him. If she were to forgive him, he'd have a chance of persuading her to give him another chance, to show her all of the wicked things he could do to her when she trusted him.

Until then though, he'd have to deal with a pressing issue down south.

He took a step further into the trees, stilling as he heard one of the heartbeats increase, the one in the room upstairs, his curiosity too much for him as he heard a faint gasp that he recognised as hers.

Then another sensation hit him.

His hands moved over her body, roaming over her flesh until she begged him to stroke her, to shift his fingers through her fine curls, to tease her until she screamed for him, until her fingers clenched in his hair, that sexy mouth of his moving along her thigh with sinister intent…

Sarah shot up, breath frantic as she looked around her darkened room. Her chest was heaving, her mouth dry, her skin heated so much that she kicked off her quilt in an attempt to cool herself, leaving only the sheet that she clutched to her chest like a safety barrier.

When that didn't work, she collected a small block of ice in her hand, rubbing it over the back of her neck. A chill went through her, but she was still hot.

Hot for a man that had used her.

But despite that knowledge, she couldn't ignore the throbbing between her legs, the desire that coiled inside her, no matter how much she wished that she could. She laid back, the ice disappearing as images swirled in her mind, images of the things that she could have done, of the things he could have done if she had stayed…

No, she thought, angry with herself, He used you, you idiot. Don't go fantasising about the bastard.

She fought her traitorous mind, but her libido had other ideas. When she clenched her thighs together, hoping to dull some of the throb, a shudder ripped through her and she only just caught a moan before it escaped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth.

There was no way she was getting back to sleep when images of Eric filled her mind, glimpses of his gorgeous body, of those broad shoulders and toned abs. She could only imagine what lie beneath the tailored pants, but the feel of him as he'd ground against her so desperately told her that she wouldn't be disappointed.

A fierce clench rocked her and she gasped, the sensations of the sheet over her tightly beaded nipples like a harsh caress, making up her mind.

She'd never needed to touch herself more as she slipped her hands beneath the sheet, taking her breasts in hand, her thumbs flicking over the hardened peaks until she gasped, body arching slightly in anticipation as one hand slid slowly over her ribs, inching ever closer to her centre. She brushed the fine curls that lie between her thighs.

At first contact, her hips jerked towards her touch, a finger circling the throbbing bud to coat it in the moisture that was building. She held back a cry as she rolled her finger over her clitoris, back arching as she delved lower, ghosting over her entrance, her body quaking, knowing what was to come.