Chapter 10

Disclaimer – I do not own SVM/TB characters or stories. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. I just want to play with the Viking!

Chapter 10

I woke up to a tapping sound. I looked at the clock and saw it was two in the morning. We had been released at ten thirty and stayed up until around one. I had only been asleep for an hour! I groaned as I flipped my pillow over to find the cool side and fluffed it. It had been such a long night and I was so relieved that I didn’t need to get up early in the morning. I turned over, grabbed a second pillow to cuddle, and tried to go back to sleep when I heard it again.

I sat up and listened. Behind our house there were woods. Where some of the houses in the neighborhood had houses behind them separated by yards and fences, we were lucky enough to have trees in the back and more on one side of the house separating us from the neighbors. It was probably a tree branch blowing in the wind and tapping on a window. I told JP those stupid branches needed to be cut back!

Having woods behind the house also brought with it many animals as well. Deer, squirrels, and rabbits made a playground out there. It was impossible to plant flowers for fear they would be eaten before they could sprout. It could have been a squirrel dropping who knows what on the deck. JP had insisted we leave out food for our furry friends. It was a mixture of peanuts, dried corn and sunflower seeds. He wanted to put it at the base of the trees behind the house, but I knew it would attract several types of animals other than just the squirrels, so we always tossed it far past the tree line. It now sounded as if that plan hadn’t necessarily worked out as we’d wanted.

The noise, however, sounded as if it was coming from the front of the house shooting that theory in the foot. That meant a raccoon had found our garbage, and the trashcan was tapping against the side of the house as the little burglar tried to heave it’s fat ass over the side to get into it.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until I found the problem and took care of it.

I rolled out of bed and started toward the door. Thinking better of it, I went back to the bed and reached underneath for the baseball bat I kept there. “Better to be safe than sorry,” I said aloud to no one.

I quickly went to the living room and looked out the window over the garage. It was calm outside. Well, that cuts my blowing tree branch theory off my list of suspects.

I couldn’t see the trash from my vantage point, so I knew I was going to have to go downstairs and check it out. We kept our cars in the garage, and the driveway was empty. At least there’s not a gang of them out there waiting to jump me! Then I heard it again. Damn it!

Whatever animal was loose out there was going to get bunted in the ass with my bat! I padded silently to the top of the steps and looked down. Our front door was at the bottom of the staircase and we always kept the outside lights on at night, but I couldn’t see very much on the porch unless I actually went to the door and looked out the side window.

With bat in hand, I crept quietly down the stairs. If it was nothing, I didn’t want to wake JP, so I kept the inside lights off with the exception of the dim light we generally kept on in the living room when we went to bed. When I reached the bottom, I heard it yet again. It was right in front of me on the other side of the door! It startled me and I jumped back gasping, and then laughed at myself for being frightened of a little forest animal.

I had grown up in Indiana, and my friends and I played in the woods throughout my childhood. Straight from school we would come home, do our homework, and head into the woods to play in the creek. Yes, IN the creek. Then we would swing on vines and hanging limbs, or climb the tall trees until it was dark.

I came home covered and caked with mud more often than not. The other mothers in the neighborhood were always horrified at the state of us after our daily routine, and most of my friends were scolded on a nightly basis. My mother just shook her head and hosed me down to remove the worst of it. Then she made me strip down to my skivvies and hosed me down again before I was allowed to enter the house through the basement. She always told the other Moms, “They’re  kids. They’re washable!” I loved that about her.

I was only in trouble if I had been too excited to change into my ‘play clothes’ before going out. I lost many a shoe in the mud at the bottom of the creek and that would piss off my Dad. It seemed I only ever lost one, and it was always from a pair of my dress shoes. My Mom, on the other hand, always had a spare pair for me to wear to school the next day. She would sneak into my room and leave them in front of my closet after I went to sleep. He never knew. It was a secret between us girls, and I loved her even more for that.

The only thing I didn’t like about the woods, were the ticks. I hated ticks! The idea of something you didn’t notice sinking it’s tiny fangs into your body to suck your blood to the point that it might pop always creeped me out. I asked my Mom once if they made flea and tick collars for kids, but sadly she told me it would poison me and I would die. At eight years old, I believed her. After hearing that, I never complained again when she would scour through my long hair every night after my bath, searching for the little fuckers.

I took a deep breath and peeked out the window. What I saw scared me more than any tick ever had, but for an entirely different reason and I froze in place.

Standing on my porch was the man I had spent a half an hour talking to in a parking lot, and at least that much time fantasizing about while I fondled myself just a few hours ago. I couldn’t believe my eyes! He had changed into a tight fitting gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black leather jacket. I jumped back away from the window. Holy shit! What is he doing here?

Knowing I wouldn’t get an answer by just standing there, I timidly reached for the lock.

“Miss Kerrigan?” I heard from the other side of the door and I pulled my hand away quickly. “May we talk?” He must have seen me looking through the window.

“Just a second,” I said quietly.

I turned the lock and opened the door. He was on the other side of the screen door looking down at me. I was too stunned to do or say anything for a moment and stood staring at him as I tried to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. I must be dreaming. This could not be happening.

“Miss Kerrigan, are you alright?” he asked with a small smile on his unbelievably handsome face when I didn’t move or make a sound.

“Oh, yes, sorry,” I stuttered as I unlocked and opened the screen door shaking off my stupor.

“May I come in or would you prefer we speak outside on the porch?

“Sorry. No, of course, please come in,” I stepped back to allow him inside.

“Thank you,” he said politely and paused before stepping over the threshold.

“Do you have time to come in and sit down or do you need to go?” I asked quietly, still in disbelief. He was actually here in the middle of the night!

“That would be nice, yes. I have time, if that is acceptable to you?” he asked.

I put my finger to my lips and pointed upstairs.

“Certainly,” I said very quietly.

He looked up the stairs and nodded while stepping further into the house. I poked my head outside and looked around. Satisfied, I closed and locked the door. We had very nosy neighbors, and if anyone had been awake and seen or heard a strange man on my porch at two o’clock a.m., the entire town would know by the time I woke up in the morning. Maxine Fortenberry, the biggest gossip of Bon Temps, had nothing on the little old ladies who lived in my neighborhood!

I led him down the dark hallway to the kitchen. I still didn’t want to risk waking JP, so I waited until we reached the kitchen to turn on a light. Thank Heavens the house is clean, and I just had a pedicure! I thought to myself looking down at my bare feet.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“No, I am fine. Thank you.”

I turned on more lights as I passed them while we made our way to the family room, turning left after we had reached the kitchen. He followed closely behind me. I turned around and bumped into his chest with an ‘oof’. I looked up at him and swallowed audibly.

The family room had a sofa and a coffee table made of iron with an oval glass top, and a love seat with matching round glass and iron end tables. There was a large, old box television in the corner that we had owned since our sophomore year in college and a marble fireplace in the wall opposite the loveseat.

“Make yourself comfortable. If you will excuse me for a minute, I’ll be right back.”

“Are you playing in a midnight game?” he asked, nodding toward the bat in my hand.

“Oh, I uh, thought you were a raccoon,” I smiled.

“I see,” he said amused.

“I’ll be back in a sec.”

I calmly walked away from him and turned the corner to head down the hallway. When I got to the stairs, I sprinted as quickly as I could, two steps at a time, and then scurried to the living room. I tossed the bat on the couch and rushed into the bathroom flipping the light switch on as I entered. I brushed my teeth rigorously and still had a mouthful of mouthwash when I went into the closet and put on a bra. I was wearing a black tank top with red lettering and dark red cotton jersey knit pajama pants.

I debated about changing, but what was the point? He’d already seen what I was wearing and I didn’t have a robe. I did, however, quickly run a razor under my armpits and put on some clear deodorant. After spitting and rinsing, I wiped my mouth and washed my hands. My hair didn’t look too bad, but I ran a brush through it anyway and secured it in a low ponytail with a black elastic band. I made sure JP’s door was closed as I passed his room in the hall.

When I returned to the family room, he had removed his jacket, laid it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, and was sitting on the sofa. Our house had an open floor plan and the kitchen, eat-in area, and family room were one big space separated by different floorings and paint on the walls. There were sliding glass doors that led to a large deck off the back of the house behind the high top eat-in table and chairs.

He stood as I entered the room. I could see his abs through the tight shirt and I tried not to stare.

“Oh, you don’t have to get up. Please sit,” I said, looking down. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. Are you sure you don’t want anything?” I asked as I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

“Thank you, no.”

I came back into the room, put my glass on the coffee table, and sat on the opposite end of the sofa facing him with my legs crossed underneath me. I grabbed a throw pillow and held it in my lap, playing with the edges.

“Did you, uh, just finish filming for the night?” I asked. “I didn’t realize how long we talked. I hope you weren’t too late.”

“Yes. We are done for this evening, and, no, I was not very late. The director was…understanding.”

“Oh, that’s good,” I said. I was at a loss for words having just woken up to the shock of my life.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Me? Oh, I’m fine. You know, I think you were right. After I came home and showered, I felt much better. I can’t honestly say I’m not still upset, but I don’t feel as disheartened as I did earlier. I decided it wasn’t worth the effort.” Did he come by to check on me? Wow! How considerate of him to still be concerned.

“That is good. It must have worked after all,” he said. “…at least somewhat,” he added under his breath as an afterthought, sounding relieved.

“I’m sorry? What do you mean? What worked?”

“Only that my words had the desired effect and you are contented.”

“If that was your intention, then I suppose they did. Thank you for that and for everything else you said.”

I was still nervous, and could not believe that he was actually there. At the same time, I was oddly beginning to feel more comfortable having him in my home and being around him in general. JP was right. He’s just a regular guy. Or so I told myself. I wasn’t feeling like the obsessed fangirl, well not entirely. Maybe we could become friends? That thought perplexed me and it must have shown on my face.

“You are wondering how I know where you live,” he stated.

“It did cross my mind, yes. Also, I’m curious as to why you’re here,” I paused. “Why are you here? I thought I would see you tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow, and I have my sources,” he said cryptically. Wait a minute, did he follow me? Did I jump the gun feeling too comfortable with him?

Then he laughed and admitted, “I inquired from Dan yesterday evening before you arrived at the tavern. I hope that is not a problem?” OK, now I feel like a dumbass for thinking he’s a stalker who followed me home. Get a grip, Cricket!

“I am sorry to have missed the end of your performance. I had to attend to a personal matter. I hope to have another opportunity to hear you sing again, at your next impromptu concert,” he winked and gave me a small smile. “As to why I am here, I told you. I wished to speak with you and continue our conversation from earlier this evening. I found it quite enjoyable.”

“No, it’s not a problem, just surprising,” I said, answering his earlier question. “Wait! You said you asked him where I lived. Is that also how you learned my name? Dan told you?” I frowned slightly.

“Yes. I have upset you again. He did not seem to think you would mind. In fact, he seemed happy to give me the information.”

Sure Dan, just send my crush to my house. It’s no big deal! Oh, and while you’re at it, please don’t bother to mention it to me!

“No, that’s fine. I mean, I don’t mind. Like I said, I’m just surprised you would want to know. So, what did you want to talk about? It’s awfully late, you know?” I recovered and asked.

“I saw the light on and I had thought you would still be awake since you are working with us at night. I should leave now that I know you were sleeping, and that you are feeling better. I apologize for not considering the time.”

He moved to stand and I scooted toward the center of the sofa to stop him.

“Please stay. I’m already up and you’re already here, just promise me no more apologies. OK?”

He smiled again and settled back onto the sofa.

“You know, we could have met for breakfast or coffee or something. At this point, I’m sure you already have my phone number,” I laughed.

“I thought of that, but you see, keeping vampire hours, I tend to sleep all day and work through most of the night,” he said, using air quotes around the word ‘vampire’.

“Right, of course, I didn’t think of that,” I smiled and gave myself a mental slap in the head.

We sat in silence. The throw pillow became very interesting all of a sudden. I avoided looking at him as I took a drink of water. My mouth had suddenly become very dry, and I could feel his eyes were studying me.

“By the way, someone was watching us while we were talking earlier,” I said, changing the subject so I could look comfortably at him again.

“I know,” he said slightly irritated.

“I’m not certain who it was.”

“It was Tray,” he said tightly as he clenched his fists, causing the knuckles to turn white. He opened them again resting his hands on his knees. He had such large hands I couldn’t help but watch them as they moved. They were rugged and beautiful like the rest of him.

“Oh. That’s what I thought, too, but I was hoping that wasn’t the case,” I said, directing my attention back to his face.

“Really? Why?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“I like him,” I remarked with a hint of sadness in my voice. His brow furrowed.

“I mean I think he’s nice, and I’m disappointed that he would listen in on a private conversation. Now I know I can’t trust him,” I added quickly, feeling the need to explain myself.

“You should not rush to trust someone you just met. You do not know their motives,” he said seriously.

“Does that include you?”

“Do you feel I am trustworthy?”

“Well, I don’t understand your interest in me,” I replied.

“That does not answer the question, though, does it?”

“Hey, I didn’t see a car outside. Did you walk here?” I asked, changing the subject again.

“I have…other transportation,” he said slightly amused. “Are you concerned for my wellbeing, Miss Kerrigan?”

“Of course I am!” Then I thought that over, “Actually, no, not exactly. It’s a safe town, but with you being a stranger, not to mention famous, you shouldn’t be walking around alone, especially this time of night. If nothing else, you’ll scare the neighbors,” I giggled.

“Do I scare you?”

“Well you did, but not now. Besides, I still have my baseball bat. Although, I did leave it upstairs,” I giggled again.

I could feel my rambling gear kicking in, and I stopped myself from continuing by looking back down at the now fascinating pillow.

“I feel I should tell you something,” He said as he put his arm on the back of the sofa turning his body to face me, and leaned in.

“At this point, yes, I do have your telephone number,” he said very quietly with his deep, rich voice. He leaned in further and I could feel his breath on my ear. “However, I will not use it if you do not wish it.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I had been kidding about my number. Now, my face felt hot and I knew I was blushing. I could feel his mouth curl up into a smile. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was trying to keep from breathing heavily having him so close.

“Are you nervous, Miss Kerrigan?”

“You can call me Cricket,” I practically whispered.

“May I call you Chelsea?” He whispered back conspiratorially in my ear.

“Yes, if you want, but no one calls me by that name.”

“Then I will be the only one, yes?” I could feel him smile again as his nose brushed along my ear.

“Yes,” I said barely audible.

“Do you find me trustworthy, Chelsea?”

How did we get to this point? What the hell was going on? Why wasn’t I stopping him? Yeah right, like anyone would want to stop him. I cleared my throat, and pulled my face back to look in his eyes before I came undone.

“You wanted to talk. What you’re doing it isn’t exactly talking,” I said, trying to regain control.

“Who is upstairs?” he asked out of nowhere, moving back slightly.

“What?”

“You live with a man. Who is he? Is he your lover?”

“What? No! I live with JP, my friend, my very gay best friend. You seem to know everything about me. I would think you would already know that. That’s a pretty forward question, don’t you think?”

“Ah yes, I have not met him yet. He seems quite entertaining. Everyone speaks highly of him and they enjoy his company,” he said. “You see, I do not know everything about you, not yet,” His eyes were drawing me in. “To answer your question, no, I do not think it forward. We are…getting to know each other. Do you have a lover?” He asked again in a very low, gravelly voice.

“He enjoys life,” I replied, deliberately ignoring his question.

“Do you? Do you enjoy life?”

“I…” I started to answer until he reached up with his left hand and ran his finger down the side of my face stopping my words, his eyes smoldering again.

“I do,” he said, leaning in and bringing his nose back to my left ear, breathing me in. His hand moved from my face around the back of my head and pulled out the elastic band. My hair fell loose. “I like that better. Do you mind?”

“Why are you here?” I asked quietly.

“To talk with you, to know you,” I felt his lips touching my ear as he spoke while moving closer to me on the sofa.

“What do you want?” I asked in a heavy, heated voice.

“To be your friend, to spend time with you. Do you want that?” he pressed his lips to my ear gently as he spoke.

“I don’t know,” I breathed. My head tilted back into his touch and I closed my eyes.

“Do you want this?” he asked as he moved from my ear to my face, passing his lips lightly across mine.

“I shouldn’t,” I said slowly opening my eyes to look into the blue storms that were his.

“That was not the question,” he brushed his lips against mine again and I barely felt his tongue glide along my lower lip.

“I know,” I could barely speak. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had imagined it a thousand times, but this, this was so much better.

“Do you want to be my friend, Chelsea? Do you want to know me?” he breathed against my mouth. God yes!

“Yes, but I…”

“Shh,” he whispered. “That is a good thing.”

Then it happened. He kissed me. His hand had stayed behind my head when he released my hair and I could feel his fingers running up the back of my neck combing through it, twisting it gently with his fingers. He was petting me while giving me sweet kiss after kiss. His other hand slid around my waist, and he pulled me closer to his body while his fingers gripped my hair in his fist and pushed my mouth harder onto his. I responded in kind, and my arms wrapped around his neck pulling him to me.

His mouth crashed onto mine and his tongue ran across my lips requesting entrance. I opened my mouth and invited him in, our tongues familiarizing themselves with each other. I was gone. I could no longer think clearly. I didn’t care anymore how this had happened. I only wanted to continue kissing him. I felt like I was falling… Falling into him and I knew he would catch me if I did.

His arm moved further around my lower back wrapping tighter to hold me to him and we glided down onto the sofa. He pressed on top of me, moving to my left to keep his weight from me. His other hand moved from my hair down onto my neck caressing it, and then he spread his fingers across my collar bone feeling every contour.

After a moment that lasted forever, it continued to move excruciatingly slow down to my breast. I arched into his touch. In response, he kissed me deeper and began to knead my breast, squeezing and pulling on the nipple that was pebbled hard, teasing it. I moaned into his mouth as I crushed my lips to his. My tongue ran across his teeth feeling and tasting everything he had to offer. One of my hands moved from his neck down his chest, feeling the muscles as it moved down his side and around to touch his perfect ass, squeezing and kneading it as he was doing to me.

Kneading turned into needing for me, and I opened my legs wrapping one around his waist. My left hand fisted into his hair and pulled his face back so I could kiss his chin, then along his jaw line and cheekbones. His mouth moved to my right ear as I did this, never stopping his movement on my breast. I felt his tongue glide around my ear and his mouth moved down as he slowly licked from my neck to my ear.

“You are an interesting creature,” he whispered.

“You said that,” I breathed.

“So I did.”

He kissed down my neck rubbing his face all over it in the process, and he licked it before he began to suck on me there. I turned my head giving him more access, not caring if he left a mark.

My hand moved around his hip until my fingers gripped the front of his jeans holding onto his belt where it buckled. He had moved his right arm from my back and was putting his weight on his elbow, his large hand splayed between the top of my back and my neck.

His left hand moved from my breast and it made its way down to my bare stomach until it found the top of my pants that had ridden down to just below my hip bones and above my sex. He was stroking my skin there causing shivers down my back. The material was thin, and I could feel every flex and touch of his fingertips as they glided across the top of the band to the satin tie.

We both stilled.

Unmoving like a sculpture we took in the fact that, if we continued, we would pass the point of no return. My hand was wrapped around the top of his jeans, fingers dipped inside just above where they wanted to be. His hand stayed on my stomach, the tip of his thumb frozen just barely under the top of my waistband.

He lifted his head and looked into my eyes, our faces merely inches apart.

“You did not answer my question.”

“What do you want to know?” I breathed and inhaled his sweet breath.

The only movement between us was our mouths as we spoke in hushed voices.

“Do you want this?”

“I don’t know what this is.”

“Do you want me?”

“I don’t know how this started.”

“Do you want to stop?”

“I…”

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want…”

“Tell me.”

“I want you to want me.”

“I do.”

A moment passed between us as we stared into each other’s eyes and we both smiled. He kissed me tenderly, slowly.

I realized we were both going commando as I slid my hand inside his jeans wrapping my fingers around his shaft. He simultaneously pushed his hand down inside cupping my mound.

“Are you certain?” He whispered in a heated voice.

“Yes. I want you, too.”

He pressed his length against my hand, moving with me as I began to stroke him. His fingers slipped between my folds against my core. I could feel my heartbeat pulsing between my legs and I moved to slide them in fully.

“Oh God!” I called out, feeling them inside me. His touch felt cool against my overheated sex. I began to ride his hand while pushing, stroking up and down his shaft.

“Shh,” he quieted me and kissed me softly.

He moved back, sliding my pants off one leg at a time and cast them aside. My eyes closed, and I felt my hand disengage from him as he removed his jeans and shirt. He sat back and pulled me on top of him.

“Look at me,” he commanded quietly.

I opened my eyes and took in the site in front of me. He was stunning. Every muscle rippled as he clenched his jaw trying to control his movements. I raised my arms as he slid my top over my head and removed my bra allowing my breasts to fall free. He placed me over his thick, hard cock pressing the tip into my center.

“Slowly,” he directed me.

My hands braced on his shoulders while he held my hips, helping me as I slid down an inch, then raising back up feeling my internal muscles relax more each time I lowered myself onto him. He was patient as I repeated this process one inch at a time. He stared into my eyes never breaking contact until I finally felt him fully sheathed inside of me.

“Yessss…” we moaned together, his face displaying his pleasure.

We began to move, our eyes locked as I rode him slowly, feeling his fingers digging deeply into my hips, guiding me up and down. I was getting closer to my release as I moved faster and faster, sliding down his thick shaft. My stomach tightened and I felt the first flutters of my orgasm building. I was barely holding on to my senses. When he thrust upward into me, all thought left me. I came, falling forward with the force of it, and bit into his shoulder, unconsciously drawing blood as my arms reached around his back and my fingers dug into him.

He hissed and I felt him release his cool seed into me. He pulled me further against him as he came, kissing and sucking on my neck forcefully. I rode out the shockwaves of the most powerful orgasm I had ever had. Laying my head on his shoulder and panting, I came back to myself and realized what I had just done to him.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…” I rasped, the guilt from marring his perfect body washing over me.

“Don’t be,” he said as he pulled me back. Then I saw his face. His mouth was dripping with blood, and he smiled wide showing long, sharp fangs before he attacked my neck again.

My eyes snapped open as bright light streamed in through the window. I sat up taking in the surroundings of my bedroom and my hand flew to my neck. There was nothing there. I was still dressed and alone in my bed. Holy shit! It was a fucking dream! It seemed so real! I fell back onto my pillow and threw my arm over my sweaty brow.

“Fuuuck me…”

~~~

Aurelia Gliwiski as Chelsea ‘Cricket’ Kerrigan

Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman

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 A/N: Thank you to Gyllene for creating my beautiful banner for this story! It’s stunning! Thank you to all of you who are reading this! It means the world to me! Last, but certainly not least, a huge thank you to MsBuffy for editing this chapter. I don’t know what I’d do it without her. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.  🙂  Thanks for reading!