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Still thinking about Eric from time to time as she tried to go to sleep, she writhed in the sheets trying to blur out his face, scratch out his smirk. And those eyes...those piercing eyes...she'd let them stay, they were just too beautiful. Tara shuddered to think what power Eric could wield in her life. No matter how strong she thought Lafayette was, he was a mere shell of that person whenever Eric's name came into the equation. That was proof enough that he was one dangerous vampire. But she wasn't the type to be subservient to anyone not even her boss. She was just tired of being second banana to Sookie. With Sam she was a sad Sookie replacement. When would her turn come? When would it be her turn to be sought after. The only answer she could come up with is..When Bill Compton is erased from our lives...and Sookie can pretend to be normal, and then some therapy...LOTS of therapy for the whole town of Bon Temps. That thought set her mind at ease accompanied by a mental image of Bill in one of his artsy looking shirts and nice fitting jeans, sitting in his nice car, in the sun, of course. Little flecks of his pale skin peeling off and burning an orange-reddish-blueish flame engulfing each piece of flesh before it smolders into ash. And slowly but surely he burns and fades away. NO! Maybe he'll explode really violently with the aid of a little gasoline, lots of holy water and silver... can't forget the silver. It would help if he was screaming too. 'Suck-ay is mahn!' In his really over-exaggerated accent. Nobody Tara knew had an accent like that. He had a century or so to work on an accent and he chose to perfect a stupid one...it just irked her. She knew he was hiding something, he didn't really care about Sookie he just wants to control her, manipulate her gifts and so Bill must die...again...permanently.
Work was normal. Patrons were rude and got cursed out, Arlene had her mental breakdowns regularly and for a couple weeks things were just as they had been before that crazy night. Lafayette was a bit quieter though whenever Tara was around. When they would bump into each other occasionally he would look away as if he'd done something shameful. It unnerved her but she thought he might be having 'episodes' like Terry had when he first came back.
Stranger than that, after a shift where he wouldn't say two words to her, he would call her late at night to make sure she was okay. She could only attribute this to him taking the 'watch your back' part of the speech too seriously. It was still rage inducing to watch Bill sit in a booth all alone and stalk Sookie while she worked...that's just another night she wouldn't be home and when she did, she'd be riddled with bite marks and overly tired.
"Tara, can you lock up for me, I've got a killer headache and just need to get out of here." Sam twirled in one of his rugged flannel shirts with the sleeves rolled up. He had a glass full of ice pressed against his temple and his keys in hand. She stared thinking back to when they'd had their little fling. It just didn't seem right now.
"Sure Sam, just you go home and take some aspirin, okay?" She said waving him off. "I've got it, I'll be fine."
"Thanks. I owe you one." He called as he headed out the door.
She heard the motor start and then him drive away. She turned out the lights in the main area and left only the lights over the bar on as she wiped down the counter. She decided to stop and have a drink. Bourbon on the rocks sounded like a good drink to end an otherwise completely uneventful day. She had a couple of glasses laid out on the counter she filled hers and left the others empty. She slowly sipped the drink, savoring the familiar burn it created in her throat. She picked up the glass and held it up to the light admiring how clearly she could see through it.
"I'll never be like you." she sighed. "clear enough to see the light inside...or on the otherside..somthin like that."
"You're not much of a philosopher, Tara Mae." A voice called out from the door.
Even though she knew who the voice belonged to, it still sent a shock to her system. She dropped the glass shielding her face from it as it fell. It shattered on the counter in front of her and she could see her reflection and her spilled Bourbon seven fold in the shards.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" She didn't look back, just kept looking down at the shards.
"I told you we had unfinished business, friend." He took a couple of steps and was in the middle of taking a couple more when she shouted to him.
"Don't come any closer! I've got so much silver over here, you're gonna think I robbed an antique shop!"
He laughed softly, a rare sound, if ever there was one. She hopped off the stool and started to pick up the pieces of glass. Her fingers landed clumsily on the sharpest piece causing her to mutter several expletives. He sped to her side catching the wrist of her right hand where several drops of blood trickled down her wrist. The light above them barely illuminating his face. Another sleeveless garment clung to his muscular frame and he wore denim jeans which accentuated his physique quite well. He was nearly to height with the light fixture, it was hard to see what shoes he wore, all she knew was that they made noise when he walked and that they were probably expensive.
"Let go!" She fought but he didn't ease up, just held her tighter, without bruising her thin wrist. He stared at her with an under-eyed expression that silenced her pleas. He held her wrist up to his face examining where the blood continued to spill. Her long, slender, and now feverish fingertips were curled under in a loose fist. He gently pried them open and gently begin lapping up the blood. He closed his eyes trying to remember when he'd tasted anything like this.
"Just as I thought, bitter yet sweet." He muttered not realizing she had heard him and was now staring. Unflinching and brave Tara watched as he laved at her wrist catching the blood that was there. She almost wanted to tilt her head back but her self control kept her functions in check. She watched miraculously as her cuts slowly closed, revealing her fingers as they were only moments before he scared her.
As soon as the cuts disappeared she snatched her wrist free and stepped back. He didn't approach her just waited for a response.
"Why are you here, dammit?" She looked at him through squinted eyes. "You missed Sookie by a half an hour."
Taking her words as an invitation to move closer he spoke. "A thank you would suffice. Even the closest strangers show respect, Tara." He titled his head in a way that undid her nerves. "And yes I knew she had already gone. I saw her and Compton pull off before the red head-"
"Arlene." she corrected.
"Arlene, and the shifter-"
"Sam." again she corrected him.
"Yes, Sam."
"I thought you would be coming out before them, so when everyone left-"
"Why were you waiting on me? I told you, we have nothing to discuss. I don't owe you anything, I don't know you, and you're crazy if you think just cause Sookie won't let you get at her that you can just keep following me."
He was being really patient right now, he thought. Never had he let anyone other than Sookie and Pam yell at him like he was a child. But for the sake of what he was after right now, he would let her continue. His thinking was that she won't be yelling too much longer...not after what he was about to do. Or maybe she'd be yelling louder.
"When we last spoke I realized many things that I had been avoiding since I met Sookie Stackhouse."
"And how does this have anything to do wit' me?"
" First off, I realized that I hate Compton more than I know. Hate is such a useless emotion, my maker told me that. And it only makes whatever you hate first in your life. With the job I have and the life I lead hate, makes me weak. Secondly, I may never have a chance with Sookie. This new world that she's apart of is already too much for her and while she acknowledges me as occasional help, she will not recognize me as anything more. Which-"
Seeing that this would yet again be another sob story about how Sookie is so special Tara, just snapped. Tears welling in her eyes that she vehemently tried to fight she broke out in a shaky voice.
"This.. This shit still has nothing to do with me...all I'm hearing is Sookie and Bill. Its pathetic." She blinked and the tears fell.
Eric Northman hated tears almost as much as he did Compton, another hate related thing that he knew made him weak. He had seen Sookie cry once before and could think of nothing else but trying to avoid having to deal with it. As far as the damned water works went he would buy anything, kill anyone, or do anything to make them go away.
"Had you let me finish, you would have heard that you are the answer to both my problems."
She changed her stance to place her hands on her hips and sniffed as if to say, "Go on, you've piqued my interest."
He walked even closer to the point where he towered over her and just stared. The pale skin looking almost translucent in the dim lighting.
"You can help me get over Sookie Stackhouse and dispose of Bill Compton permanently."
"And just how the hell do you expect me to do that?" she said with so much attitude he laughed. He grabbed her chin and bit his lower lip. He roped a long arm around her waste and pulled her flush against the ice that was his body. Her skin was so hot that they could almost see a steam rise between them. He bent his head down and she tilted hers. An open- mouthed kiss that left her head spinning was all it took for her to nearly melt. She almost had half a mind to strip right there. Had it really been that long since a man touched her? It didn't matter if he had a pulse or not anymore...a man was a man. Eric fit those criteria..absolutely.
He cupped her neck with one hand and began placing small kisses down, behind her ears, the column of her neck...really, anywhere that her supple ebony skin would allow. He was usually not one to be so gentle, especially with someone who he knew could be just as wild as he was. But scaring this opportunity away was not something he wanted to do. Quite the opposite, this business venture was one he hoped would last indefinitely.
"Well, I thought you could start by being my friend." he said between kisses.
She breathed out in disappointment. "You mean a fuck buddy?" Now looking down with a quirked eyebrow. She placed her hands on his shoulders trying to push him away but with so little effort even she didn't believe she'd attempted to push him. "Cause that's not a very fulfilling situation. You still end up alone after you realize that you're just using that person for a free fuck and a little company."
"You make it sound so meaningless." He breathed against her neck, he'd found a special niche right under her ear, that just needed his undivided attention. "And besides, I haven't even fucked you, yet."
"Fuck," she said adjusting to the little breeze that she felt on her neck. "Eric, that's cause it is meaningless. "
"Where's your imagination? No work of art has any meaning unless the participants apply one, right?
"Um, sure...a little lower." she managed to hum.
"Well, let's pretend there's meaning in what we'll be doing and then the payoff will be Compton's demise and our needs get met." As he uttered the last part he hoisted her up on the counter and used one of his hands to swipe away the broken glass,then he let his hands rest firmly on hips, which were barely covered by the jean fabric of her shorts.
"So, what do you say to my little proposition?"
"mmm, I dunno. What if I say no?" she said folding her arms.
"You won't say no." he said lowering his voice. His hands sliding painstakingly slow up her thighs resting on the waist of her shorts.
"How do you-" he didn't let her finish. He ripped the shorts from her lower half exposing her legs to the breeze.
"Those were my favorite, bastard." an almost animal look came over her and she grabbed onto his shirt and ripped it from the collar down, exposing his sculpted chest and more pale skin. She nearly attacked him with her kiss. In fact it pushed him off balance a little, their arms moving fluidly and quickly to rid each other of the remainder of their clothing.
When she was completely bare to him he helped maneuver her body so that it was in line with the counter and then placed his hand at the base of her neck and gently pushed her body flat against the top. She shivered at the feel of the spilled Bourbon on her back and in her hair. She hoped he would lick it off later. They were relatively close to the end of the counter and he wasn't yet satisfied with he position on the counter. With a swift movement he took the ankle of the foot nearest him and slid her down the bar meeting her at the end when she looked up. Her ass was nearly over the edge.
"Will you hurry the fuck up." she whined. "It's getting cold up here."
To answer her request he placed his head against her heat and began darting his tongue in and out of her pussy. He would put it in as far as it could go and take it out inch by inch. Then he switched up and slid two fingers in, pumping slowly then faster as her responses became more erratic. Her backed arched and he had to hold her hips still to keep her from bucking. He continued his slow torture on her until he was good and ready to seal the deal. Her eyes were already rolling in the back of her head. He thought she'd waited long enough.
He climbed onto the cold counter top and sat down, pulled her up and lifted her effortlessly over him. Taking in her form in the light. Toned, thick in the right places she was a change of pace from some of his usuals. He was intrigued by this human. Her quick wit, her voraciousness, her tenacity. In another life they could have been together, legitimately. But for right now it was okay that they were here in this moment, broken creatures with similar aims; dead end friends. He didn't waste another minute thinking of their situation, right now, he had a beautiful girl in front of him, one he intended to fuck unconscious. He had better get started and stop thinking so much.
She kneeled in front of him, accepting that she was really about to let this happen. She still didn't see how this would be different from being with Sam but Eric talked a good game, no wonder so many people were indebted to him. She saw the look in his eyes. She had sported that same look earlier when she had kissed him. He finally slid her down on top of her length. Her head fell back and he filled her completely. He didn't move, trying to give her time to adjust to his sizable member. He decided to turn her over and lay her back on the counter. He began moving. Finally she thought.
"You should probably hold on now." he instructed. His pumping making her thrash wildly about under him.
"I'm fine." she managed to breathe out in a cocky tone. "You just better make...make sure you make sure I don't regret this friendship."
"I assure you, you won't." he smirked, hands pressing hard into the counter and her frame.
His speed picked up and every stroke perfect, her arms with a mind of their own seemed to move around Eric's frame placing scratches on his back that healed just as soon as she'd placed them there. She'd already come twice by now but he was insatiable, deciding to change position and flipped her on her stomach, not giving her a minutes rest. Skin slapping skin, the incessant pounding made them deaf to the world. When they climaxed for a final time they came together, every ounce of her energy went to trying to stay conscious and his to not completely collapsing on top of her. Her walls closed around him clenching at him. His head thrown back in ecstasy now lay on her back, his arms still supporting his weight.
With no where to roll he pulled out and lay her motionless form against his front. The warmth from her body made him hold her closer. She was still barely awake and looked up into his eyes a sheen of sweat covering her skin.
"Why the fuck, weren't we friends sooner? She laughed her heaving chest now calming down.
"You weren't ready for a friend like me." He laughed back as he watched her eyes fluttering to try and stay open.
He waited until she was fully asleep then, he moved from under her and lay her gently back on the counter. Something about her nude form sprawled about on a counter almost made him wake her and do it all over again. He'd accomplished step one of his plan, befriend and make a lover out of Tara Thorton. Step two would be a walk in the park now that she was on his side, but he couldn't help but get the feeling that he would get more out of this than he bargained. He hoped this hunch of his was wrong.