I never thought I would find someone like her. When she walked into my club I thought I had finally died and gone to Valhalla like my father told me the great warriors of the past did. She was the perfect balance of innocence and danger (if that's even possible). She was wearing a casual white dress, it was sleeve less and slightly sheer. I suppressed a groan. Her hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail. I wanted to release her hair from its restrains and run my fingers through it. She was tan and curvy in all the right places. Everything a parent would want in a kindergarten teacher, right? Wrong. That is where her innocence stopped. On her feet she wore black ankle high combat boots and intricate, colorful tattoos covered most of her right arm and left leg. She was a work of art in more ways than one.

I found myself curious about the stories behind her ink. Maybe we could exchange them sometime seeing as I have plenty myself. Or maybe I could have the honor of marking her myself. That is what I wanted. The urge to claim her was wild and animalistic. I wanted her. Lucky for me I usually get what I want.

I saw her show her ID to Pam and made a mental note to call dibs. She walked confidently into my goth themed club and headed straight for the bar.

I was sitting in my usual booth next to the bar, giving myself a perfect view of her. I tried in vain to school my features. I had a reputation to uphold. I couldn't be seen making goo goo eyes at a customer. Pam would never let me live it down.

The bartenders tonight were Clancy and Thania, not the most polite employees but it kept up appearances in my faux vampire themed establishment.

The Valkarie sat gracefully on one of the bar stools and leaned forward onto her elbows getting Clancy's attention immediately. "Can I trouble you for a gin and tonic?" She asked him. Her voice was like the tinkling of bells. It was music to my ears. "Thanks." She said as Clancy poured. She could probably feel the heat of my stare on her back because she suddenly looked around in confusion. When she met my eyes I didn't attempt to look away. I could feel the ghost of my smirk cracking my hardened features. She smiled in return showing all of her beautiful white teeth. She was an angel.

I beckoned her with my forefinger and she rose from her seat. My grin widened as she stalked toward me without a hit of fear or trepidation. She sat down across from me and folded her hands in front of her. The black nail polish she wore stood out against her tan fingers. She had small tattoos on some of her knuckles. She had a black heart on her middle finger and a thin, simple cross on her ring finger. I wanted to ask her about them but I refrained. Play it cool, Northman.

"Hello," she said cheerfully flashing me her one thousand watt smile, "I'm Sookie Stackhouse." She unfolded her hands and held one out for me to shake. I took her hand in mine and kissed it softly.

"I am Eric Northman," I tried to put on what Pam called my smolder, "and might I say you are a rare beauty, Ms. Stackhouse." I released her hand and she blushed furiously.

That was the precise moment I knew I was done for. Ruined completely for all other woman. Eric "The Playboy" Northman was dead and buried. And she didn't even try.

"I can't help but think you're exaggerating Mr. Northman but I thank you for the compliment just the same." She looked down at her hand and the predator that stalked toward me was gone. And she was replaced by a Sunday school teacher. Needless to say I was more turned on than ever.

"You are incredibly interesting and beautiful Sookie Stackhouse. Now tell me, why is it that I want you so much?" I had said a little more than I planned and I was momentarily nervous that I had scared her away. Eric Northman was never nervous not around woman. What is happening to me?

She blushed deep crimson. I suppressed another groan of desire. "I could ask you the same thing Mr. Northman."

"Please, call me Eric." She smiled sweetly and placed her hand over my folded ones and looked into my eyes.

"Call me Sookie." I grinned like a teenager and glanced down at the arm that was resting on mine. There was a large anchor tattooed onto her forearm there was a banner around the piece that read "So others may live."

"This is interesting," I said touching the piece lightly, "I have something very similar." I pulled off my leather jacket to reveal my ample body art. I turned slightly to the right to show her the near identical anchor and saying on my left bicep. She gasped a little and reached out to touch my arm.

"I got mine for my father," she explained, "he was in the Coast Guard for thirty years. He died on duty."

"My father as well," I said looking at her. We sat there for a moment. Not saying anything, just sharing a moment like in one of Pamela's horrible chick flicks. We were connecting and I could feel it.

We talked together for hours. I told her what it was like to grow up in Sweden and how hard moving to New York was. She was born in New York but told me all about visiting her Gran in Louisiana. She told me about her brother Jason and how they were pretty close even though she sometimes wanted to put his head in a bucket and kick it around the yard – her words not mine. I told her about my twin brother Leif who lived in California as an actor. We talked about our tattoos and I told her about the shop I had near the club.

"Quite the entrepreneur," she giggled. My family had always had money so it was easy for me to acquire my numerous businesses and estates. She was floored when she found out I had more than one home.

I told her about how Pamela and I met at NYU business school. I told her how we hit it off immediately because of our common interests: women, sarcasm, and Sweden. Sookie seemed to have a friend, Amelia, who was interested in both men and women. She was also convinced she was a witch. "We should introduce them Pam is into all that "great beyond" stuff." I laughed and touched Sookie hand which was fingering a napkin with Fangtasia stamped on it. It was almost 2 AM now and the bar would soon be closing. Sookie checked her watch.

"Shit, I lost track of time. I have work in four hours." I felt a little bad about keeping her from her sleep. I guess I was just used to night club hours (Pam calls it keeping vampire hours). She started to move around the booth, gathering her purse and keys. But before she could get up I held her wrist.

"I would like very much to see you again, Sookie, if that is possible?" I was all but begging her. What has she done to me?

She smiled confidently again and held out her hand, "Give me your phone." I did as she asked. She typed on my old school blackberry and handed it back to me. "Call me." Was all she said and with a suggestive wink she was out the door.

Shit. I'm fucked.