Just a little something I thought of, I know things will be moving kind of fast in this one, but hopefully that won't be a problem for any of you. I hope you guys like it, and feel free to let me know what you think=)

Chapter 1

Sookie cursed under her breath when another one came barreling toward her, they really ran from her neighbor's house every morning like the devil himself was after them. She must have gotten the same speech as the others. It's not you, it's me. We had fun, but I'm just not ready for a serious commitment right now. Maybe we could still be friends, blah blah blah. Sookie had heard it all before. Not from the man directly, of course. Eric Northman was your typical player, and she made sure to keep her distance as much as she could. Her heart could only take so much and after her last disastrous relationship, she was definitely going to be more careful about whom she let into her life in the future.

What the hell had he been thinking? He only went to that bar to drown his sorrows. Chatting with Crystal Norris was one thing, but bringing her back to his apartment was a huge mistake. How drunk must he have been to sleep with that harpy? She was a complete nightmare, and he would make damn sure to avoid her from now on. He couldn't stand clingy women, the type who needed a man in her life just to survive.

Eric took in a deep breath, knocking on his neighbor's door and putting on a smile when it swung open. "Miss Stackhouse, you are looking delectable this morning."

She glanced down at her sloppy attire, knowing a line when she heard one. "What do you want, Eric?"

He grinned. "Do you possibly have some sugar I could borrow?"

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I'm all out. Maybe you could hit up one of your other neighbors."

And just like clockwork, the door was closed in his face. Eric smiled; this was like foreplay to him. Sookie Stackhouse was possibly the only woman who wouldn't give him the time of day. He had to admit, it was a real turn on. There was nothing overly special about her. She was most definitely attractive, but not in a very obvious way. There was just something about her that called to him, and he was determined to get her to weaken. It was only a matter of time; after all, Eric Northman loved a challenge.

"God, he drives me crazy."

Amelia Broadway shook her head. "Only because you let him, Sook. Eric's just trying to get a rise out of you."

Sookie let out a sigh. "Well, he's doing a good job of it. I'm just so glad his walls aren't too thin. The last thing I need is to hear him going at it all hours of the night. I don't even think he sleeps."

Amelia gave her friend a concerned look. "Are you sure this isn't jealousy talking?"

Sookie scoffed. "Hardly, he can do whatever he wants. I just don't wanna keep hearing about it." The man in question entered the bar at that moment, and Sookie could have sworn the place actually quieted down a bit. He usually didn't show up on nights that she worked, which she was normally grateful for. He prowled right over to her, plopping down on one of the available stools as he graced her with a seductive expression.

"So, what's on the menu tonight?"

"My shift just ended," Sookie told him, heading in the opposite direction. That wasn't exactly true, but she would make an exception just this once. She glanced back to see Eric trying to put the moves on Amelia now. Sookie loved her friend dearly, but the girl would screw anything with a pulse. She just hoped Amelia wouldn't fall for Eric's lines, and it had nothing to do with jealousy.

"Are you avoiding me, Sookie?"

She rolled her eyes when Eric once again invaded her personal space. "I don't care about you enough to avoid you."

He placed a mocking hand across his heart. "That hurts; I thought you loved our little conversations."

Sookie counted to ten slowly in her head, it was an exercise her Gran taught her when someone would get on her nerves. It wasn't working.

Eric grinned, moving closer to her. "You really don't like me, do you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know you enough to make that call."

"Then this is the perfect time for you to get to know me, I'm not a bad guy."

Sookie shook her head. "Whether you are or not, I do know enough about you to know when to stay away."

He watched her leave, but noticed her look at him one last time before heading to the back of the bar.

Eric tried to break his normal routine, like patrolling the bar when he knew Sookie would be there, but that got him nowhere. Her friend was cute in a soccer mom sort of way, but she didn't really do anything for him. Eric knew he should give up, it wasn't right to screw over your neighbor, but he actually wanted more with Sookie and that thought terrified him. A knock sounded at the door, breaking him out of his reverie. He opened it to reveal a woman he'd never seen before, at least he was pretty sure, and she was holding the hand of a small child.

"Are you Eric Northman?"

He nodded, clearing his throat before answering. "Yes, and who might you be?"

She held her other hand out, not in the least bit offended when he didn't take it. "I'm Tara Thornton, a social worker. And this is Jessica, she's your daughter."