Thanks for stopping by to read my new fic. For anyone reading We Wear the Mask, I will not be abandoning that story at all. I just can't get this story out of my head so I decided to start posting it too. You can expect at least weekly updates on both.

This fic is very different than Mask. The style is different and it's an all human story. It's a slow burn, I like sexual tension, but hopefully you will still enjoy it. This Eric Northman is a handsome, slightly bruised, single father and Sookie is a smart, friendly college student who goes to work for him. Please enjoy and please let me know what you think in a review.

Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Charlaine Harris, but I am dressing them up and taking them for a spin.

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ERIC

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I yell into the phone. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Yes, fine. You have one hour."

Dammit! I mutter and pace the living room. This just isn't my day. Thank God she is still asleep upstairs, I think as I look at her tiny head in the monitor. Another fucking nanny quit. Just my luck when I have a huge meeting this morning. The replacement from the agency better get here in time. I cannot be late this morning. As it is, I will have to miss my coffee and newspaper morning routine at my desk.

Of course right then, Annika wakes up. Shit! Luckily she is in a good mood in the morning but she won't be content in her crib for long. She'll need a change and a bottle soon and here I am in my best suit, waiting on another fucking nanny.

Anni is my 9 month old daughter. Her mother skipped out on us when she was born and I've been her sole caretaker ever since. Well, there are the nannies. Lots of nannies. Apparently, if you yell at them once or twice or work late a few times, they just up and quit on you. That's what happened to us this morning. I know things have been hectic because I am getting ready for this big meeting but she could have stayed until said meeting was actually over.

What was her name? Mindy? I think. Or maybe Marcia. Hell, what does it matter? She is gone. The agency is sending over someone else. Someone who has... 33 minutes to show up on my doorstep or get fired before she even starts!

When Annika starts crying, I know my time is up. Shit. I go to the kitchen to make a bottle and then up to Anni's room to pick her up. She is all smiles when she wakes up. She sure doesn't get that from me. My mood lightens a little as I gaze into Annika's blue eyes. She gets the blue eyes from me. The dark crop of curly hair on her head is from her mother. That is pretty much the extent of her involvement in our lives. Basically an egg donor. She decided when she found out she was pregnant that she wasn't cut out to be a mother. She didn't want an abortion and neither did I so that left me. She is the only thing I love in my life. The only bright spot. Her smile lights up her face and in turn, mine.

I know I need to pick her up but I don't want to ruin my suit so I do the only thing I can think of. I take off my jacket and lay it over the rocking chair in Anni's room and then do the same with my tie and shirt. I say a silent prayer to the wrinkle fairies so my shirt will stay crisp and then I drape a small blanket over my shoulder and pick up my princess.

"Hi baby girl!" I coo at her. She grabs my mouth and babbles to me. "We have a new nanny coming today. You'll have to tell me what you think of her after work," I smile.

As I walk downstairs my doorbell rings. About fucking time! The new nanny is here.

I open the door and the girl just stands there. What the hell? Is she stupid? Goddamn agency better not have sent a stupid girl to watch my baby.

"Yes?" I say sharply to the apparently mute blonde girl on my doorstep.

"Oh! Yes! Hi! My name is Sookie Stackhouse. I'm here from Care Solutions." She sticks out her hand. Huh, strange name.

I shift Annika in my arms to shake Blondie's hand and that's when I realize I am still bare chested. Shit. So very much not my day.

"Eric Northman. I, uh, didn't want to ruin my suit. The nanny is usually here before she wakes up so I was already dressed. Here." I push Annika into Sookie's arms and tell her to follow me as I walk upstairs.

"I have a huge meeting this morning so I don't have much time. You'll have to show yourself around. Here's Annika's room, she just woke up and needs a change. Her bottle is on the kitchen counter. There's a notebook about her day that the nannies keep so you'll have to look through that to find out her usual routine. She's a happy baby so you should be fine there. My office down the hall and my bedroom are off limits. Oh, and I have nannycams all over." I am finished putting my shirt and jacket on by the time I am done talking. So far this girl has not said a single thing. She is nodding along so I hope she's keeping up.

I rush back down the stairs with the nanny at my heels, give a quick kiss to Anni's soft curls and then am out the door.

As I drive from my Beacon Hill condo to downtown Boston, where I work, I have a momentary freak out thinking about the stranger in my house with my most precious possession. It's okay, I tell myself. There's a reason why I use the top nanny agency in the city. All the girls are thoroughly checked out and trained. Pull it together, Northman. Besides, I can always watch her on the cameras whenever I want.

Only I have no time to pull up the camera feed when I get to my desk. My secretary, Pam, follows me into my office and immediately launches into me. I say secretary, but Pam is much more than that really. She basically knows everything I know in regards to my position in the firm. If I die tomorrow, I have no doubt she could take up for me without hesitating. Yes, she is more like my second in command. And she always has my back. What's more, she is just about my only friend. Sure, I have plenty of casual friends that I hang out with, or used to hang out with before Annika, but Pam is the only person in my life that I know I can trust completely. Does that make me pathetic? Maybe, but the two girls in my life are all I need. Most of the time, anyway.

"Eric, where the fuck have you been?"

"It's nice to see you too, Pam," I chuckle. "Another nanny quit and the replacement took a while to get there," I tell her more seriously.

"Jesus, Eric! What's that? Like four nannies that have quit on you in nine months?"

"Three," I say rather indignantly.

"Oh, that's so much better. What are you doing to them that makes them want to run away?"

"Nothing! I can't help it if I have high standards! My Anni deserves the best!"

"Well, I can't argue with you there. Just try to keep this next one around, huh? You need to be on your best game for the next few months. Speaking of, the meeting is in five minutes. You ready?"

"I was born ready. Let's go."

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SOOKIE

The door is opened by a god. I don't know what else to call him. He is gorgeous, beautiful really. At eye level is his naked torso complete with chiseled abs and deliciously enticing V cut at his hips. My eyes sweep over his body and I like what I see. As I look at this towering half naked blonde god before me, I am never so sorry for my simple attire. I wore jeans, my chucks, and an old Weezer baseball style T. At least my chucks match my shirt? Both maroon. Honestly, for a second I don't even notice the baby in his arms. The baby I am there to care for. Shoot! How long have I been staring? Apparently long enough for this man to be pissed off by my lack of manners. Double shoot!

I introduce myself quickly and he immediately hands me said baby. He is in a huge rush as he races up the stairs to finish dressing. He tells me a whole list of stuff, walks back downstairs, kisses his baby, whose name I now know is Annika, and then leaves. Wow! I am slightly overwhelmed. The agency had warned me that Mr. Northman has a reputation for being difficult to work for but there wasn't much time to get any details. I'd had to shower and throw on my clothes in ten minutes to get here on time.

Okay, so... the baby. He said her bottle was in the kitchen. That's easy enough. I can see it from where I'm standing so I walk in there to get it and then go back to the living room to sit in the comfortable looking brown leather chair. As I tip the baby back for her bottle, I have a chance to get a good look at her.

"You are a beauty, little one," I croon. Just like your daddy. She smiles around her bottle and keeps on drinking. I know I need to find the nanny notebook or I'll have no idea about the rest of her schedule. I can see it's not on the living room table. Hopefully it's in the kitchen or the baby's room. I really don't want to go on a hunt for it. As I sit feeding Annika, I start to sing the song my Gran had sung to me when I was a child.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby
When you wake, you shall have
All the pretty little horses

I get to the second verse before I remember what Mr. Northman said about the cameras. Oh crap. I hope he doesn't have sound or that he would fast forward if he watches it later. I can't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it. I love to sing but that doesn't mean I am any good at it. Well, at least the baby didn't seem to mind. She is just smiling up at me. Thank God for an easy baby!

As soon as she is done with the bottle, I set about finding the nanny notebook. Nope, not in the kitchen. I go upstairs to her room to look for it. I spot it on her bookshelf along with some photos. I really have no idea what happened to Annika's mom, only that Mr. Northman is a single dad and mom is out of the picture. And she is... out of the picture. Not one photo depicts the baby with her mom. They are all of her and her dad. Or just her dad- hello! What is this? I pick up the picture. A younger Mr. Northman with long hair? Holy hotness! I have a thing for long hair and does this Viking god ever fill that slot! Too bad he cut it. Well, I guess not because he is my boss and I can't really be drooling over my boss... anymore than I have.

I place the photo back on the shelf with a sigh and pick up the notebook. Why can't I find a gorgeous man like this at school? Certainly no one I had met on campus looks like that. Shaking off my objectification, I flip through the notebook. Hmm, looks like multiple writing styles. I wonder how many nannies this guy has gone through? At least my job here will be temporary so hopefully I can last at least until school starts back up. I can last a month, right?

According to the notebook, I need to feed Annika some breakfast so down to the kitchen we go. I go about opening cabinets to find the baby food. Cans, cans, cans- um, someone fits the bachelor stereotype well! I open the last cabinet hoping to find what I need. Holy baby food, Batman! Top to bottom, this cabinet is filled with every flavor of baby food made by Earth's Best. Organic, huh? It fits. I grab some type of oatmeal and a small jar of peaches.

After I feed the baby, we have about an hour until she naps so I decide to take a stroll with her. It is warm for January and the snow has melted so I'll have no trouble pushing the stroller. There is even a little playground up the street that we can visit. After dressing Annika, I find her snowsuit and hat. We suit up, grab the stroller and head out. The stroller is one of those Bugga-somethings that are really expensive. I can tell that Mr. Northman would spare no expense when it comes to his daughter.

I stroll along thinking about how, even after almost four years up north, I am still not used to this weather. The cold, the snow. Ugh. Yes, snow is pretty while it's falling and immediately after but then it gets dirty and slushy and disgusting. I wish I was back in Louisiana. Just last week I was there in much warmer weather visiting Gran and my brother. I'd even gone sunbathing, though they said I was crazy. But it was at least 40 degrees warmer than Boston.

I decide to call my suite mate Amelia to let her know I'll be gone all day. She was asleep when I left this morning.

"Hey girl," I say when she picks up.

"Hey Sook! Where are you?"

"I'm working. I got called to nanny this morning for the whole month. I guess this guy is having a hard time keeping a nanny." I had signed up at the agency to do occasional babysitting but they know I have a month off and were desperate this morning. I didn't really want to work full time for this month but the money will be excellent to have.

"Uh-oh. Guy? You're working for a guy? Is he hot?"

Leave it to Amelia to always be thinking about sex. "Amelia! Actually he is! Like, freakin hot! And built."

"Built? How do you know he's built? Should I be proud of you Sookie? Did you bang your boss?"

"What? Amelia! Of course not. But he sorta answered his door with no shirt on."

"Ohmigod! Why? Was he wrapped in a towel?"

That image fills my brain and I think I take a while to answer. "No, he had pants on. He took his shirt off so his baby didn't ruin his work clothes. But dang, Amelia! His stomach. You know my favorite part of a man?"

"His dick?"

"No! Not that! You know that part of their stomach that turns into their hip and it makes that V shape? That, on him, is gorgeous. All kinds of unclean thoughts went through my head and I stood there like an idiot when I saw him. It's a wonder he left his kid with me!"

"Go Sookie!"

"Yeah, right. Hey, listen Ames. I gotta go and I don't know when I'll be home so just eat dinner without me, ok?"

"Ok, Sook. See ya. Maybe after you put the baby to bed you two could-"

"Bye, Amelia!" I end the call shaking my head. That girl.

After strolling around the neighborhood for a while, we come back home because it's time for Annika's nap. I undress and change her and lay her down. I'm not sure how she goes to sleep so when she starts fussing I pick her back up and start to dance with her to get her drowsy. It always works a charm on every other baby I've ever watched. I sway around her room, moving rhythmically so that the gentle motions will rock her to sleep. It works quickly and I lay her down whispering, "Sweet dreams, little one."

I close her door and creep downstairs to eat something before she wakes up from her nap. Opening the fridge, I notice a bunch of take out containers but not much else. Hmm, okay. Canned food it is. I open the cabinet that holds the cans of soup and take one down. Does he eat this stuff all the time? Goodness! He needs a woman in his life. Or some cooking lessons.

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ERIC

The meeting ends just before 11 and I walk quickly back to my office. I was distracted through the whole meeting thinking about the new girl in my house with my baby. I need to see what is going on so I pull up the security feed on my computer. I'd had a state of the art camera system put into my house for just this reason. It cost a shitload of money but what's the use of money if you can't protect what's yours?

I flip through the camera feeds trying to find the one that will show me the nanny and my daughter. Shit. I flip through again, thinking maybe I missed them as they walked from one room to the next. Nothing. What the fuck? Where the hell are they? I am sitting there, agitated, when Pam walks in.

"Northman, what do you want for lunch? What? Why are you pissed?" she says, noticing my state.

"I can't find the damn nanny on the cameras. What the fuck, Pam!"

"Eric, calm down. Did you call her?"

"I don't have her fucking number," I growl, slowly losing control.

"Okay, call your house. Would she answer your phone?"

"How the fuck should I know? I don't fucking know this girl!" I am ready to completely lose it.

"You have to calm down Eric. Your going to have an aneurism. Call your house. If she doesn't answer, call the agency. They have to have her number, right?"

I take a deep breath. Pam is right. I forgot about the agency. I call my house but get no answer. Just as I am about to find the agency's number, the nanny and my girl come walking in from outside.

"Shit," I sigh, letting my shoulders relax as I slump back into my chair.

"See, it's fine. No need to go on a killing rampage. I swear to god, Eric. You need to get laid. You are way too tightly wound."

I glare at her. I'd heard this many times before. It has been a while. Quite a while. The last time I had sex was with some nameless woman the night Annika's mother told me she wanted nothing to do with me and our unborn daughter. I'd drowned my sorrows in single malt scotch and pussy. And the fucking scotch was better.

"Okay okay," she says, "Lunch. What do you want?"

"The usual from Roxy's," I smile. Pam hates going all the way there but goddamn if they don't have the best grilled cheese and truffle fries. I eat there a lot.

"Fine. You are so boring," she ribs with an eye roll.

I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. Unfortunately, she is right.

I have become a boring old man. Eating take out and canned soup, I am in bed every night by ten. I don't sleep well so I go to bed early to try to get enough. Without fail, I wake tired the next day only to go through the same motions. Day after day, over and over, I do the same things in the same ways. The only thing that changes is my princess. She is growing up so fast.

Pam leaves to get lunch and I shift my focus to my computer screen and watch as the nanny picks up Annika and begins to sway around the room with her. Her hips are moving rhythmically, reminding me of a belly dancer or something. Shit. Did my dick just twitch? Goddamn! She's the fucking nanny. My dick can't twitch to the fucking nanny! But damn, I keep watching her. Her back is to the camera and her ass and hips look so fucking nice moving like that. By the time she puts my baby down, I am completely hard and have to shift in my seat to get more comfortable. Well, that wasn't boring.

The rest of the day is a blur of meetings and paperwork and conference calls. By the time I leave the office it's six o'clock and I can't wait to see my little girl. I also need to have a real conversation with the nanny since I didn't get a chance to this morning. I also need her to tell me her name again because I've forgotten it. I feel a little bad about that but I was in a big hurry when she told it to me and I just remember thinking it was a strange name.

As I walk into the house, I am met by silence. What the fuck? Every good thought I had been thinking about the nanny is suddenly replaced by the panic and anger I felt when I had no idea where my daughter was earlier. Ok, so I have a temper. I know that and as much as I don't like to let it control me, sometimes it does. I stomp through the house in search of my baby, getting angrier and angrier with each empty room I come across. By the time I find them coming out of the bathroom, a fluffy yellow towel wrapped around my princess, and the nanny with a very wet shirt, I am pissed. And I am even more irrationally upset because I always bathe Anni. It's my chance to reconnect with her after a long day apart and I love the splashes and giggles of bath time. Shit. I try to calm down. I really do. But my day was shitty and she bathed my baby and I just lose it.

Seeing me in the hallway, the nanny smiles and says hi. Her smile falters when she sees my face. I follow her into Annika's room about to lay into her. She puts the baby in her crib to play and wordlessly grabs my hand, leading me from the room and closing the door.

What the fuck? Did she just grab my hand and pull me like I'm a child? And why the fuck did I follow her?

"What are you doing?" I ask gruffly. Her hand is still on mine and I swear I feel tingly where she's touching me. Again, what the fuck?

"I can tell you're upset. I didn't want you to yell at me in front of the baby. What happened? What did I do?"

She lets go of my hand and I feel a loss. "Oh. Yes. I always give her a bath. You don't need to," I say through gritted teeth. I'm trying to calm down. Really.

She frowns slightly and I can't help watching her lips. She has beautiful full red lips. Shit. Don't look at the nanny's lips, jackass. I bring my eyes up to hers and see her watching me.

"That's why you're so mad?"

"I'm not so mad," I say. I am so mad.

"You are. What else?"

"I couldn't find you today on the cameras. This morning. And then when I couldn't find you again when I came home, I freaked. And then you came out of the bathroom with her even though I always bathe her. I like to, you know? I miss her." Holy fuck, Northman! Shut up! I have no idea why I said all that.

Her face softens. Holy shit. I didn't notice before but she is beautiful. My dick twitches again.

"We went for a walk," she says.

I'm not listening. I have just noticed that her shirt is very very wet indeed. It's sticking to her, in fact. Sticking to her gorgeous round breasts in a way that I can just make out nipple. Oh god. Not good! This is not good! Do not get a hard-on in front of the nanny. That's like employer 101, right? Do not fuck the staff? Not that I want to fuck her. Oh, who am I kidding? I want to nail her against the wall until she screams my name.

I am pulled from my rather horrifying thoughts by the sound of my baby crying in her room. Oh yes. My baby. Shit.

"Shit," I mutter opening her door.

"Mr. Northman?" She's standing in the hallway looking all kinds of delectable and nervous.

"It's fine. Let me dress her. You can go downstairs and wait."

She nods and leaves while I get some pajamas and a diaper to dress my girl for bed.

"Anni," I say softly to my princess while I dress her. "I love you baby. Did you have a good day? My day was sh- bad. But it's looking better right now." I smile to see her smiling up at me. I love this baby so fucking much!

I take a deep breath to clear my head and start down the stairs with my Annika.

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A/N: I hope you liked this first chapter. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review. I love the feedback. It's really motivating. :)

You can read this story along with my others, and one that does not appear here, on my wordpress site. Victoryintrouble dot wordpress dot com. Please come check it out! Thanks!