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Chapter 5

Elizabeth wasn’t surprised when she woke and found herself alone. Appearances had to be maintained, after all, and having the earl caught in her bed by a member of his staff would ruin her reputation instantly. It was practically scandalous to have just her maid acting as her chaperone, even with all the other female staff running about. She sincerely hoped Spike…

‘Now, where had that name come from?’ she thought to herself.

Shaking her head at her foolishness, she allowed her eyelids to drift downward as her mind replayed the events of last night.

~*~

They lay in a tangle of arms and legs, her body draped over his as he hauled her snug against his side. His possessiveness pleased her; she was grateful that he hadn’t just made use of her body and left. For surely, now that she was no longer a virgin, her reputation would be in tatters if he did leave. Even so, she felt unsure of herself. So much so that she couldn’t prevent herself from whispering his name.

“William?”

At first he didn’t answer. Spike was reeling from the possessive feelings coursing through his body. Even now, he wanted her again. His demon was just clamoring for another taste of her. He had thought he could just claim her and maintain his distance, but apparently “The Powers” had other ideas.

‘Yeah, right, Spike. Use that excuse if it helps makes it easier to swallow.’

Apparently, his lack of a response was affecting her. He felt her stiffen in his arms and try to pull away. He tightened his hold on her, burying his nose in her neck to nuzzle his mark. She immediately calmed and settled beside him once more. Remembering that she had called his name – his sorta fictitious name concocted by the “Powers” – he answered her.

“What is it, pet?”

“Nothing,” she mumbled into his side.

“None of that now, luv,” he began. “What did you want to ask me?”

“I just…” she couldn’t go on, burying her face in his chest in shame and embarrassment.

Surprising himself at his gentleness, Spike slipped a few fingers under her chin and applied just enough pressure to get her to raise her head and look at him.

Elizabeth was sucked into his penetrating gaze, unable to pull herself away from his hypnotic trance. Realizing she couldn’t turn away, but refusing to look at him as she voiced her question, she closed her eyes and whispered, “I just…I…did I please you? You’re not going to leave me now, are you?”

“Never, kitten,” he whispered as he slipped one hand around the back of her neck and hauled her down for another kiss. Elizabeth suddenly found herself on her back, William having rolled their bodies so that he half-lay on top of her.

Hours slipped by as Spike proved to her over and over again that he would always be there for her.

~*~

She shifted under the covers as she relived the many hours spent in William’s arms, then winced at the pain she felt between her legs.

Speaking of pain… She lifted the sheets and glanced down at her naked bod-- Wait, not naked body. Noticing the clean sheets, she blushed several becoming shades of red. Apparently, that part hadn't been a dream…

~*~

Spike carefully disentangled his arm from underneath the Slayer’s sleeping form. Reluctant to leave her, yet knowing that they couldn’t be caught together, he pulled away from the warmth of her body. He was almost to the connecting door before a thought occurred to him.

Veering towards the folding screen, Spike stepped behind it to stand before the water basin. Pouring some water from the pitcher, he grabbed a cloth and made his way back towards the Slayer. He eased the covers off her body, exposing her nude form to his gaze, his eyes zeroing in on her virgin’s blood smattering the otherwise pristine sheets. From there, his gaze traveled up her bare legs to the blood coating her inner thighs.

Spike leaned over the bed, his face making a beeline for her mound; he licked his lips in anticipation of cleaning her up, the wet cloth he held in his hand momentarily forgotten. His lips were moments away from their goal when he heard her moan in her sleep as she rolled from her side to her back.

He couldn’t stop the low growl that rumbled from his chest and escaped through his parted lips as he gazed at her laid out so openly before him.

Elizabeth came awake to the feel of his raspy tongue gliding up her inner thighs. Her hips shot off the bed as his cool tongue laved her legs. She would have blushed crimson and tried valiantly to push him away if she had realized that he was using his tongue to clean her. As it was, she surprised herself by holding his head in place as his tongue slowly worked its way to her mound to begin his wicked torture to that sensitized part of her body.

In the aftermath of her climax, she had drifted off to sleep once again. She didn’t stir as her body was gently lifted and the sheets removed and replaced with fresh linens. Didn’t even twitch as Spike used the softest of touches to slip her nightgown back over her head. She did; however, nuzzle into his hand as his fingers trailed softly down her cheek before he slipped silently from the room.

~*~

She couldn’t believe her wantonness of the previous evening. If anyone were to ever find out that she was no longer a virgin… she shuddered to think of the consequences.

And, that in itself was a shock. Surely there must be something wrong with her. To allow him to do those things to her, and him a monster, no less. If she could work up the courage, she would have to ask him just what exactly he was.

Her mind drifted back to the first time he had bitten her…when she had been in that strange land, the budding sensations she had felt. When she had returned home – if you could call waking up in a dank alley being home – he’d bitten her again, just before he had stormed out of the room that other gentleman had procured at the tavern…there was just some kind of pull he exuded that she seemed powerless to resist. It was as if her maidenly protestations fell by the wayside allowing her to embrace the wicked – and surely they had to be wicked – feelings coursing through her body in anticipation of his special “touch.”

She remembered how she had waited up for him, knowing instinctively that he would be coming to her. How she had unconsciously tempted him with the picture she made in her almost-transparent white nightgown, as she sat before the fire. What she should have been doing was running as fast as she could in the opposite direction. But, she hadn’t. She’d practically begged him to bite her! Turned her innocent face up to his in a gesture of total supplication.

Something must have happened to her when she had suddenly found herself in such unfamiliar surroundings, surrounded by strangers, to make her feel this way. Why was she not running scared from him? Why did she encourage his touch, practically seek it out? All these strange emotions and feelings were swirling around in her head, yet refusing to take hold. Any time she thought she was getting close to an answer, the idea drifted away, leaving confusion dancing in its wake.

Elizabeth wasn’t even surprised when she felt the insistent throbbing between her legs as she relived their heated encounter. After last night, she now knew what it meant. What shocked her was that all she wanted to do right now was climb out of her bed and slip through the connecting door into his room. Wanted to feel his teeth as they suck back into her neck. Listen to him as he practically purred his enjoyment.

‘Wouldn’t the staff be shocked then!?’ She giggled to herself at the absurdity of that notion while gently fingering the marks left on her neck.

She wasn’t allowed to delve further into her unexpected capitulation because suddenly there was a brief knock at her door before her lady’s maid, Heather, was pushing her way inside. Heather paid no mind to the inner turmoil of her mistress. Rather, she started an animated monologue about the estate, her quarters, the master…all as she flitted about the room to stoke the fire before opening the heavy curtains to allow the morning rays to help warm the room.

Elizabeth had tuned her out until she caught the tail end of her maid’s conversation.

“…seamstress will be ‘ere shortly to get you fitted for yer new wardrobe. The master kindly offered to pay for a new one since he believes it was ‘is fault yer trunks were stolen. And, mistress, I heard tell he was: spare no expense…just make sure she has whatever she needs.”

Elizabeth thought of the single dress she had to her name and prayed the seamstress would be able to get something finished for her today. Maybe she could loll about in her room today, pleading exhaustion, so as not to indicate to the staff her lack of decent apparel.

“Would you like me to bring you a tray?”

“That would be lovely. Some tea and possibly a scone?”

Heather bobbed a curtsy and quickly left to get the requested items for her mistress.

As soon as the door closed behind the maid, Elizabeth scrambled out of bed and rushed to the connecting door. Gingerly, her hands played with the bite mark on her neck, worrying the twin marks that had closed over last night and were now a permanent faded mark upon her neck. Again, she felt an answering tremor in her womb as her fingers trailed over the scar.

‘I just want to check on him,’ she argued with herself as she crept quickly to the door. ‘Make sure he didn’t leave me.’

The excuse to gaze upon him sounded flimsy in her ears, but she ignored it and slipped the door open anyway. A slight creak sounded in the silence, and she stilled just across the threshold, her eyes darting to the massive bed to look for any signs of movement.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted his unmoving body on the bed. Then, her eyes widened and she blushed to the roots of her hair when she actually “noticed” his form on the bed. His naked form! Blushing like the virgin she no longer was, she quickly rushed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her so as not to awaken him, then made haste back to her bed.

‘What is wrong with me? First, I let him do those wicked things to my body. And now I’m ogling him like some courtesan of old! What spell has he cast over me that has me throwing my morals to the wind and rushing after him like some two-bit whore?’

Sensing no answers to the tumultuous thoughts churning in her mind, Elizabeth reluctantly put the matter aside and waited patiently for her maid to return with her breakfast.

Elizabeth lay back against the pillows propped against the headboard and let her eyes close. Her mind drifted and images started to flitter through her mind: a tall, slim young man walking beside her, a girl with long brownish-red hair on the opposite side of him; an older man with glasses; scary monsters traversing a graveyard.

Her maid walked back into the room and Elizabeth slipped out of her semi-trance at the noise; she couldn’t, for the life of her, recall the images of just moments ago. Shrugging daintily, she promptly forgot about it, instead concentrating on the tray being set upon her lap.

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