A/N:
This story has the best readers one could want and I`m having so much fun reading reviews and PMs. Can you imagine getting a review saying “I just woke up to your story” and five minutes later I get one saying “I got your alert just before I fell asleep”. It`s huge world we live in.
On that note, I want to say I`m sorry for not getting back to any of you. I have been in our cabin in the mountains all weekend and have enjoyed all the autumn colors. The snow is just around the corner and I wanted to see the colors before it all turns white. I wish I could send you a picture because it was incredible.
Thank you so much to Rascalthemutant at the Alexander Skarsgård forum for being such a great support and friend and for doing wonders on my story.
The next morning I was up early and before both Eric and Pam. I decided I needed some exercise as my body was pretty tense and my back was acting up after yesterday`s ordeal. Working in front of a computer isn`t exactly healthy for shoulders and back – being impaled on a fence didn`t help much.
I put on my running gear and had the street door open when I heard a stern voice behind me.
“Where are you going?”
I turned around and looked at Eric. “I`m going for a run.” I stated the obvious.
“I thought we agreed that you weren`t going anywhere by yourself?” Eric was serious.
“You agreed I wasn`t going anywhere without you, but I need to run, Eric. I can`t just sit in this house all day.”
“I never said you couldn`t go anywhere. Let me get my sneakers and I`ll run with you.” Eric walked back to his room.
I almost snuck out. Running with someone is just not the same as running by yourself and I was afraid Eric would be too much of a distraction. Then Eric`s door opened again and he came out in a pink tank top and Lycra leggings stopping mid calf. When you’ve got a big guy wearing Lycra it doesn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination. I resisted the temptation to ask Eric to turn around, but I couldn`t help staring. Eric fluttered his eyelashes at me. He was definitely enjoying my ogling.
The lycra leggings were pink and aqua, like the swirls down the sides of Jason’s truck. I don’t know where Eric got them; I didn’t know any company made pink leggings in Men’s X-tra Large Tall. Maybe pink sportswear for men was some Norwegian thing. Maybe all the men wore pink leggings here.
XXXX
Eric was actually not a bad running partner. He could obviously run much faster than I, his legs were twice the length of mine and had way more muscles, but he ran at a pace that fit mine and he even made me laugh between the panting.
Back home Eric went for the sauna. As I knew the dress code there, I turned down his offer to join him. I already knew what Eric looked like naked and seeing him as bare as Adam again, wouldn`t make it easier for me to keep the friendly distance I was determined to keep. A girl can only take so much temptation.
I took a cold shower, a very cold shower, and went to make some breakfast. I figured it was my turn to cook and started whipping up an omelet. When it was almost done, Eric poked his head through the doorway, hair wet, nostrils vibrating.
“Are you cooking breakfast?” He sounded surprised.
“I can`t have you doing all the cooking.” I smiled to him.
“Is there something wrong with my cooking?” He looked worried.
“No, of course not. But I`m not used to someone cooking all my meals for me. I wanted to return the favor.” That statement put a smile on Eric`s face.
“Wow. I don`t think I`ve ever had a girl cooking for me before. You are one of a kind, Sookie!”
Then he turned around, backed up a little more into the kitchen and revealed the fact that he was naked apart from a very short towel. He shook his butt in a way that made me think of a dog wagging his tail. I couldn`t help laughing.
XXX
When Eric came back to the kitchen, this time fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, the omelet was ready.
“Is Pam awake yet?” I asked.
“I honestly don`t know. She decided to sleep over at a friend`s. Belinda, I believe it was.” He rolled his eyes and I tried to hide my shock. What was it with these siblings and all their lovers?
Eric started eating the omelet I had served him. He moaned in a way that made my cheeks go red.
“This is a great omelet Sookie.”
“Thank you.” I can be polite. And then maybe not. “What did you mean that no one has ever cooked for you before?” I asked.
“What I said. You have seen Pam. She couldn`t cook an egg if her life depended on it. Most girls are like that around here. They don`t have the passion for kitchen magic.” He shrugged, then he put down his knife and fork and looked at me. “You know, Sookie, I`m starting to like you.” He sounded sincere.
“Well, you have tried to make me yield from the day I came into your house.” I teased him.
“Oh, I always hit on attractive girls. But for me to really like someone – it takes a whole lot more ….” He searched for the right words. Then his smile was back on his face. “It takes this perfect omelet, for starters.” Then he resumed his eating and his moaning.
“Eric. You really have your own way of making a girl feel special.” I said in a voice heavily laden with sarcasm. That made him drop his knife and fork again and before I had time to remove my hands from the table, he grabbed one of them between his huge palms.
“Sookie, I would make you feel very special if you`d only let me.” He actually looked serious.
I wanted to know why he would want to make me feel special. My omelet was good, but it wasn`t that good. But I never asked him. Sometimes it`s wise to only ask questions when you are sure what answer you are going to get.
After a brief struggle I regained my hand and kept it in my lap just to be on the safe side. I almost had to sit on my hand to prevent it from jumping back into the warmth of Eric`s.
Xxxx
After breakfast, I went to fetch my laptop. Eric came into the living room with his laptop too and started to switch it on.
“Aren`t you going to work today?” I asked him.
“Nope. Body-guard duty.” He sat down.
“Does Maryann have a key to your house?” I asked. Eric shook his head. “Well, she can`t come in and I promise I won`t go out so you don`t have to stay here. I`m sure you have plenty of people waiting for you.” Eric was actually starting to grow on me and I desperately needed an Eric-break to get my senses back.
“I do have a couple of meetings I would want to attend, but I`ll be home right after lunch.”
“Take your time. I have plenty of work to do and you don`t have to babysit me.”
Eric looked at me and then he stood up, grabbed his laptop and walked towards the door. He stopped and turned around with a wicked grin.
“Isn`t it an American custom for the little mrs. to give her man a kiss when he is off to work?”
I groaned.
Xxxx
I spent almost four hours on my laptop, partly going through Viking Games`s website and partly searching for a class in Norwegian. I had a quick bite to eat for lunch and was back staring at all the different websites promising me I would master Norwegian in just a couple of months. Just as I had filled out the form to make me an official student of the Norwegian language, the doorbell rang.
I got up, but wasn`t really sure what to do. I only knew two people in Norway, Eric and Pam, and I assumed they both had a key to the door. The doorbell rang again and I figured I could take a look. It might be the mailman or some delivery. I did grab an umbrella to defend me from any crazy women who might want to pick a fight with me.
Peering through the peephole, I saw a head I definitely hadn`t expected to see again. It had thick brown hair and a wolfish grin. Alcide. I opened the door.
He looked at the umbrella and then at me.
“Are you going out? It`s a lovely weather so you really shouldn`t have to bring an umbrella.”
“No.” I offered no explanation. Alcide cocked his eyebrow and there was an awkward silence. Then I remembered my manners.
“Welcome. Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?” I asked.
“That would be great.” Alcide came inside, carrying a small back pack. I had noticed that most Norwegian men carried a back pack when they walked around in the streets of Oslo, but it looked strange on Alcide for some reason.
I directed Alcide towards the couch and went to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker. When I came back to the livingroom, Alcide was half-way in his backpack.
“I came to give you this.” He said, retrieving something from his bag. He was on his feet again and came towards me with something soft wrapped up in blue paper. The store logo was on the paper, but I didn`t know what kind of store Glassmagasinet was.
I didn`t really know what to say so I just unwrapped the present and found a wrap very similar to the one I had forgotten at the club when I had met Alcide and his friend Debbie.
“I have looked all over for a wrap like the one you had the other day and I finally found one today on my lunch break.” He flashed all 32 teeth at me.
I still didn`t know what to say, but I managed to squeeze out a “thank you” and a “you shouldn`t have”. Luckily the coffeemaker made a sound that told me the coffee was ready and I ducked for cover in the kitchen. I took a couple of deep breaths and went back to Alcide with the coffee and a couple of mugs.
I sat down on the couch and just as I was wracking my brain to come up with something to talk about, I heard the door open.
“Honey, I`m hooome.” Eric yelled.
A/N:
I hope you liked Eric`s running gear? Even I would consider running if he had been my running partner.
Ha en fin uke! (Have a nice week!)