Bad Day

 

I loved my job, I really did. What I hated was long, double shifts that end with beer being spilled on me after being groped by by four different drunkards. My feet hurt. I smelled bad. I was exhausted, so when I walked into my house and found rose petals sprinkled all over my living room floor.

What the hell?

Um…

Who broke into my house? As… nice as the rose petals were, they were a little creepy. I looked around and didn’t see anyone from where I was by the front door. I slowly closed it behind me and then inched my way over to the coat closet the shotgun was stored in. For all I knew some sort of polite rapist was somewhere in my house. I wasn’t in the mood for all that.

I peeked into the kitchen, but didn’t see anyone in there so I took the common sense approach. I hiked up the shotgun and followed the rose petals… all the way to my bedroom.

My jaw hit the floor and I lowered the gun. The Viking was lounging on my bed naked as the day he was born. The room was filled with flickering candles and a lot more flower petals throughout the room.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Who let him in?

“Surprise.” The rascal put a rose between his teeth like the cover of a cheesy romance novel I would never publicly admit to enjoying.

“How did you get into my house?” Oh wait… The door was unlocked. “Don’t answer that. Who the heck do you think you are breakin’ in like you own the place?” I was too tired to worry about him being naked. Any other time it may even excite me a little.

“It can hardly be called ‘breaking in’ when the door is unlocked, Lover,” he said. His long, toned arm extended to offer me the rose that had been between his perfect, pearly white teeth.

I glanced at it before looking back at his handsome face.

“I’m not your lover,” I said. He was still holding out the rose to me. My manners didn’t allow me to leave it hanging in the air so I reached out to take it. It smelled heavenly.

“You could be.” He boldly rolled onto his back from his side, baring his goodies to me. Was he ever not hard?

I did my best to keep my eyes on his. I figured out quickly he couldn’t put the same whammy on me he put on Hadley.

“No thank you.” I sniffed the rose again before I turned to set it on my dresser. “Look, Eric, I just want to take a shower and go to bed– to sleep. All this is real nice and all, but I don’t think it’s best that you come over to my place whenever you feel like it.”

He was a blur of a motion getting off my bed. The next thing I knew we were in the bathroom and I was a little nauseated from the quickness of it.

“For you.” He gestured to the filled up tub with bubbles peeking up from inside. More candles were lit around it and there was a bottle of wine sitting on the floor, breathing and waiting… with two glasses.

I looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Ho… wha… why did you do this?” I asked quietly. We had one night together that I didn’t even remember. Eric was a vampire for crying out loud. Why was a vampire wooing a lowly little waitress?

“You do bathe, yes? You look clean to me, despite your… aroma.”

“I bathe regularly, thank you very much.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“This.” My arms shot out to wave around the room. “This is… it’s all too much, Eric.”

“Too much would be sending a car to pick you up that would take you to a private plane that would fly you down to the Gulf where my yacht is waiting,” he said. “You can thank my progeny for talking me out of it.”

“Your progeny? You…” It was all so overwhelming I stood there and burst into tears. Some strange vampire from a bar in Shreveport was standing in my bathroom with a steaming tub full of water that had bubbles, candles, wine… The man that was supposed to love me didn’t even do all this for me. There were too many emotions running through my exhausted body to comprehend what was happening.

Eric awkwardly reached out to pat my back.

“Is the wine wrong?” he asked so innocently.

“The wine is good,” I sniffled, reaching up to wipe my eyes. “It’s all good,” I admitted. I wasn’t even PMSing. Ugh.

He handed me a towel so I could wipe my eyes and face better.

“Thank you.” I wiped my face before asking, “What’s the second wine glass for?”

“You have two hands.” He was a joker.

“I’m not getting naked in front of you.” He was still naked as the day he was born.

“Why not? You’re gorgeous naked,” he told me.

“I don’t know you,” I reminded him. It didn’t matter that I’d drunkenly hooked up with him. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known better… at least I told myself that.

“I’m an open book.” Eric stepped back so I could see all of him.

My stupid traitor eyes shot down to his… package. I didn’t let out the groan on purpose. Dang it.

“Why are you naked?” I asked him, forcing my eyes up to his face again.

“I’m Scandinavian,” he said like that explained everything.

I burst out laughing at that. I was delirious. I was standing in my bathroom with a giant naked vampire that claimed he was only naked because he was Scandinavian. What kind of loony toon was I?

“Truthfully?” He tried again, stroking my hair back from my face. “I’m leading by example.”

“You’re serious,” I said quietly. My shoulders sagged as I looked back at the tub that was still steaming. It looked really inviting.

“Of course I am. You are exquisite naked. In fact, you should never wear clothing.”

“I can’t go to work naked, Eric. I can’t even legally leave the house naked,” I snorted.

I turned my back to him again and kicked my shoes off. I felt Eric’s eyes on me as I pulled my Merlotte’s shirt over my head. I needed to throw that in the washer along with the bra I was wearing. I was going to suck it up and not worry about the giant standing behind me.

“Are you going to help me?” I asked over my shoulder.

He didn’t hesitate to reach out and unclasp my bra for me. The material was removed from my body.

“You know this would go much faster if I just ripped–”

“Do. Not. Rip my clothes,” I growled. I didn’t need to buy a new pair of shorts. I made fine money, but not enough to replace clothes every time Eric decided to show up.

“Bossy,” he purred. Big hands tugged my shorts down over my hips.

I stepped out of my shorts and panties. Of course he pushed them down my legs too. I stepped forward before lifting my leg into the water. I slowly sank down into the water, letting out a soft groan when the hot water overtook my body. It was glorious.

“If you’re so inclined, my people are proficient in the art of massage.”

Right. Swedish.

“Don’t get frisky with me,” I said. My eyes closed as my head dropped back against the tub. Since he was naked I assumed he wanted to join me. My tub was surprisingly big enough for two.

He looked disappointed when he said, “I do my best work with my tongue.”

“No massage I’ve ever had includes a tongue, Mr…” I didn’t know his last name. My eyes popped open. “Do vampires have last names?”

“Northman,” Eric supplied. “And not having a massage with a tongue is probably why you look so tense.”

I chuckled at that.

“How about you start with your hands,” I told him. I leaned forward in the tub and wrapped my arms around my knees.

Eric got into the tub, carefully arranging himself in the water behind me. His big hands moved up my back and began to work the knots at the base of my neck and in my shoulders. He definitely knew what he was doing.

His handy work elicited a soft moan. I felt him twitch against my back which was something I tried to ignore. I didn’t need to think about the naked man in the tub with me like that.

“You don’t have anything better to do than hang out with someone a fraction of your age?” I tilted my face down to give him better access to my neck.

“Not tonight,” he answered. His thumbs pressed against my spine at just the right amount of pressure. “If you’d like me to leave, I can go.”

“It’s okay. You’re here now and you’ve gotten me naked. I appreciate this, Eric,” I thanked him.

“Next time I’ll send the car. The hot tub on the yacht is fantastic.”

“I don’t think I need all that,” I chuckled. I lifted my head so I would reach over for the bottle of wine. “Are you able to drink wine?” I asked as I poured myself a glass.

“Sadly, no.” Eric found a knot in my lower back that made me groan when he started to work on it.

“That’s… oh… mmm,” I moaned again. “That’s too bad. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I’m certain you taste better.”

“I’m not filling that second glass with my blood, Mister,” I told him.

“Taking that much would weaken you,” he agreed. His nose skimmed up the side of my neck and I heard him inhale.

A shiver ran through my body. I didn’t need to get turned on by a vampire. It was weird, right?

“I don’t want to be weak,” I whispered, tilting my head to the left. He was good. Too good.

I had to be losing my mind. I wasn’t the kind of girl to let a man I didn’t know into my house, and there I was sitting in a bathtub with a ma– vampire that healed my wounds and spent the day dead as a doornail.

EPOV

Sookie was like clay by the time she was ready to get out of the tub. She had downed almost two glasses of outstanding Bordeaux I’d brought back from my last trip to France thirty years ago. Her heartbeat was slow and steady. As much as I wanted her, I was willing to woo her.

My progeny had a field day with the story I told her when I returned to Fangtasia the night I rose in Sookie’s bedroom. Immediately she caught her scent on me and picked up on the fairy. Karin was jealous. She had been trying to catch up with a fairy for decades. They weren’t easy to find for good reason. We were lethal to their kind. My eldest child was helpful and served me well, helping me craft a plan to seduce the delicious hybrid I was patting dry with a bath towel that could use replacing.

“Are you still opposed to the tongue massage?” I asked. I was in the right spot to start it.

“You’re ridiculous,” she giggled quietly.

“You’re sublime,” I countered. Since I was there I took advantage and looked up into her pretty eyes while my tongue quickly fluttered around her clit.

Sookie gasped as her eyes went wide. “Eric,” she breathed. It was obvious her emotions were conflicted about it. She didn’t push me away.

Until she did, I was going to keep going. I could go for hours and hours. Unlike her human lovers, I didn’t need to rest or rebuild my stamina. When I said all night long I meant it.

Sookie didn’t fight it when I lifted her by her hips so I could place her on the vanity. My tongue was better than any battery operated toy she may have had but I didn’t want to go that fast and overwhelm her completely. I savored her sweetness on my tongue and the equally enjoyable sounds escaping her. While I couldn’t feel her in my blood – yet – I could hear her heart pounding and her lungs working overtime to get her enough air.

Her legs wrapped around my head, telling me she was enjoying the massage she was getting very much. I was rewarded handsomely with the most angelic expression when she came for me. Right away I got to work cleaning up the mess it caused.

Her head dropped back against the mirror as her body trembled. Sookie’s back arched when a strong aftershock rippled through her body.

“Wow,” she murmured.

I kissed her inner thigh. “Would you like another?”

“You mean you can do that more than once?” She looked amazed by the thought.

“Lover, it would be an honor to spend the night between these perfect thighs just pleasuring you,” I said.

“Can we go into the room?”

Immediately I was on my feet and I had her scooped up off the counter. I carried her warm, naked body into the bedroom and lay her down on the bed. Sookie got herself comfortable and I adjusted her legs accordingly. She bit her bottom lip out of nervousness, watching as I lowered myself between her legs.

I started out slower and let the pressure build at a less frantic pace than I had before. Her fingers felt good in my hair. I liked the sighs and moans that let me know she liked. What she didn’t like was when I backed off when she was on the verge of her next orgasm.

“Don’t tease me, Eric,” she said in a non-menacing growl.

I decided it was the right time to show her just what I could do. I’d done it the first night we were together but Sookie had no memory of it. I intended to change that. So I let my tongue move at vampire speed.

Her back arched up as her legs widened. Sookie’s fingers threaded through my hair, holding me in place as if I was going anywhere. She began to pant and tremble as another rapid-fire orgasm shot through her body.

“Eric!” she called out my name, trying in vain to push my head away.

I kept going. I wanted her to see stars and have no doubt next time I came around that it wouldn’t be a mistake. This was just the beginning of what I could do. I was willing to bet not one of her other lovers had ever made her cum so hard.

And I wasn’t even inside her yet.

Finally, after she came a fourth time she pleaded with me to stop.

Reluctantly, I did so. I couldn’t help lapping up some of the honey dripping from her, but I left her swollen, hypersensitive clit alone. I was willing to bet crossing her legs might make her cum again.

“Ohmygod,” she panted, tugging my hair to pull me up her soft body.

“You’re a fan of the tongue massage now?” I kissed my way along her collarbone to her neck. My fangs burst forth when the vibration of her jugular vein tickled my lips.

Sookie jumped slightly when the sound startled her.

“Yes,” she admitted. Her slender fingers ran through my hair. “Are you going to bite me?”

“No,” I answered. “Your pulse… I’m not here to feed.”

I wouldn’t turn it down if she offered.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized for some reason. “I didn’t mean to… I don’t know what I did.”

“You did nothing wrong.”

“Okay.” She surprised me when she grabbed my face and pulled it to hers. She flicked her tongue out to lick my fang, slowly getting a feel for it before she gave me a deep kiss, cutting her tongue in the process.

Of course as soon as I tasted her blood I wanted to be inside her. I was certainly ready for it and I knew she was physically. Our tongues dueled and danced, both of us battling for dominance in the kiss. I had to stop so she could breathe. My hips rubbed against her and I knew she felt how hard I was for her. Had I been human I would have been in pain by that time.

“I want you,” I said just in case it wasn’t already crystal clear.

“Then take me,” she purred, her blue eyes sparkling.

I didn’t hesitate. Her eyes went wide again and Sookie gasped as I entered her. She was so warm and wet for me. It was heaven.

Her nails dug into my back as her legs parted even wider to accommodate me. Her hips rocked up a little, taking me even deeper.

“Ohmygod,” she panted, as her head lolled to the side, exposing her slender neck to me.

That vein throbbed beneath her skin, begging for me to sink my teeth in. I would only do it when she asked for it. My hips began to move at a steady pace. I learned last time she didn’t like it too rough. At my size it would easy to hurt her. Her nails digging into my back didn’t hurt at all, even when she raked at my skin.

Sookie’s hips rocked up, meeting me on every deep thrust. Her pretty blue eyes met mine and she asked in a breathy voice, “Will it hurt if you bite me?”

“You won’t feel a thing,” I promised her. The bite itself would be painless but I suspected she would feel the pulls when I drank from her.

“Do you want to…” Her eyes rolled back into her head when I swiveled my hips.

“You taste divine, Lover,” I purred and swiveled again.

She moaned as her head turned to the side, offering me her vein. A possessive growl rumbled up from deep in my chest. I prepared the spot with gentle licks and kisses, drawing her blood as close as I could to the surface of her skin. Patience was never more difficult to maintain but I timed my bite perfectly, waiting for the exact moment before her orgasm erupted.

Her body tensed up before her release washed over her, a silent scream coming from her pretty lips. Sookie’s hands grabbed onto my biceps, holding tight as her walls gripped me. It was heaven.

I could have kept drinking from her but I only took three mouthfuls before I stopped myself. Leaving her weak wasn’t acceptable. I cut my own tongue to immediately heal the bite. My hips never stopped moving when she came and I wasn’t done yet. I did, however, roll us over. Watching her ride me was an incredible turn-on and Sookie did it as if she had centuries of practice.

Her hips moved with such grace. Everything was fluid about the way she moved. Her head fell back when my thumb found her sensitive little bud and rubbed as she rocked. For someone who had seemed so unsure of whether or not she wanted me to stay, Sookie seemed very content to stay right where she was. I was just as content to keep her there.

The way her body reacted to mine was almost magical. I had been with more lovers than I could count over my long life and I had experienced just about everything there was to experience in that time, yet there was something about Sookie that told me she would take a place in the hall of fame. She was one I would remember fondly long after she was gone.

I had a call in to Niall Brigant, but I knew getting in touch with him was nearly impossible, especially for a vampire. It was unusual for a vampire and fairy to carry on a friendship but at his age he could mask his scent, making it possible for him to strike up a treaty with the Ancient Pythoness. Niall and I had crossed paths shortly after the truce was called. I was traveling through Ireland where there were fairy portals everywhere, and it just so happened a younger, much less experienced vampire happened to catch him. I didn’t usually kill my own kind but in that case I made an ally and stopped another war from starting.

Niall wasn’t just your average fairy; he was the ruling prince of the Fae. It was my hope that if he met Sookie he might be able to tell her who her clan and kin were. I also wanted to inform him that I had the inclination to make her mine, but I was going to tread lightly on that until I was sure about it.

Sookie’s orgasm was tremendous. She fell forward and lay on my chest. I could have kept going until sunrise but I suspected Sookie was reaching the point where she’d had enough. I also didn’t want to get caught in her house once the sun had come up. Her home wasn’t equipped to house a vampire during the day.  

So I rolled us over again and resumed moving my hips at the speed she liked. Her nails once again dug into my back and even if she did manage to draw blood, I knew I’d heal immediately. I let go of the control I’d been holding onto so tightly and after getting one more orgasm out of Sookie I finally released with a roar.

Damn…

Sookie drew my face to hers for a slow, sweet kiss. Her hips rocked with mine as my release filled her. Sookie was practically purring below me, her body rubbing against mine.

“I didn’t know I needed that,” she whispered with her eyes closed.

“You can have it again,” I told her. I would be more than happy to see her again.

“Good to know,” she smiled. Her small hands rubbed around my back, gently soothing me.

“I can’t stay too much longer.” Not that I didn’t want to.

“Because you’re going to die for the day?”

“And because vampires and sunlight don’t get along.” I kissed her pretty mouth. “I doubt you want to see vampire flambé.”

“Oh, I saw it,” she murmured. “That’s fine. You take up a too much room in my bed anyway,” she added with a teasing smile.

She didn’t know it but she just gave me an idea.

“I knew I’d end up just a piece of meat to you,” I teased right back.

Sookie brought her hand up to pat my shoulder. “You’re a good time, Eric,” she sighed dramatically before a small giggle erupted.

“I’m better than good.” We both knew it.

“All this.” She waved her hand. “The rose petals, the hot bath, the wine… you. It was all very sweet of you. Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.” I kissed her one more time before I had to get out of bed. If I didn’t get up I was going to stay and that was asking for trouble. I could feel Sookie watching me dress.

“So… are you just going to show up whenever you want?” She was propped up on her elbow watching me.

“I’m thinking about it. You know where to find me, Lover.” She was welcome to come to the bar anytime.

“We’ll see if I come hunting you down or not.”

I wasn’t going to beg. She had been given my best pitch. If Sookie didn’t take the bait, it was her loss.

When I was dressed I leaned over to kiss her goodbye. She still had stars in her eyes.

“Until we meet again, Lover,” I said quietly before I pulled back. She smiled at me as I did.

In the blink of an eye I was gone. The flight home to Shreveport wouldn’t take long but I’d make it in just enough time to get somewhere safe before sunrise.