"Well?"

"Well what?" Buffy asked mischievously.

Louise set her teacup back on the polished oak table and leaned forward, her expression becoming overtly curious.  "My dear Bella, you're far too … smug today," the redhead told her young friend.  "And you are most assuredly glowing; you look like a well satisfied woman."

Buffy grinned and Louise amended herself.  "Mmm.  Perhaps I should say VERY well satisfied."

The grin broadened.

"And considering what we discussed the day before your trip … " Louise trailed off, an expectant look on her face.

Buffy's grin became a smirk.  "Let's just say it was a very enlightening experience."

Louise gave her a sideways look, then crossed the room to the sideboard and returned with a bottle of sherry, pouring two glasses.  As she handed one to Buffy she raised her eyebrows.  "I await your description with bated breath … "

I was surprised when Angelus told me we were taking a trip.  Ever since my arrival he'd confined me to the house, the townhouse in London and to Louise's company, so the news that we were going to a place called Bath came as a surprise.  What was even more intriguing was that William wouldn't be going with us; Angelus told me he needed William to represent him at some party in Paris.  Angelus turning down a party …

That should have been my first clue.

"Oww," Buffy moaned, as she was startled awake when the carriage hit a pothole and she was thrown against the side again.

Angelus barked an order at the driver, who shouted back, but the carriage didn't slow.  Before Buffy could resettle, he pulled her across the cab and seated her next to him.  He tilted her face up and brushed his thumb over her lips, pressing his mouth to her forehead.  "If our trip were shorter I would have engaged one of the new automobiles," he told her.  "Unfortunately, we have a nice bit of baggage, as you know."

"At least we don't have to worry about the sunrise," she mumbled, looking at the heavy black drapes.

"Yes, it does make travel easier," he agreed.

"What time is it?" she asked, stretching a little.

Angelus pulled out his pocketwatch, his preternatural vision unhampered by the darkness.  "About half past midnight," he said.  "We should reach Bath before dawn, baring any complications."

Buffy shook her head and groaned.  "You do realize you just jinxed it, don't you?"

He raised an eyebrow as a confused frown settled on his full lips.  "I did what to what?"

"You jinxed it," she reiterated.  "You said we'd reach this Bath by dawn unless there were problems; therefore, according to Murphy's law, there'll be problems."

"And what does this Murphy's law say?" he questioned, amusement at her superstitious-ness beginning to flit across his face.

"Anything that can go wrong, will; if anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway," she told him.

Angelus chuckled as she glared.  "Next you'll be knocking on wood," he teased.

Buffy was about to respond to that with a quip about the many uses for wood, and why it was good to have around when the carriage hit another rut.  This time it tipped forward and she fell back against the other seat, Angelus coming to rest on top of her.  The driver yelled and cursed, pulling open the door to the cab but quickly averting his eyes when Angelus snarled.

"The front wheel axle is broken," the driver told them.  "Should I unharness a horse and ride to the nearest town, milord, or do you wish to wait until morning when the drovers will come through on their way to the market?"

"Go," Angelus told him.  "And if you return with less than an *appropriate* solution, be assured that I will not be pleased."

The man nodded, fear evident in his eyes as he accepted the money from his master.  The door to the cab closed then, and Angelus allowed himself to settle on top of the soft, fragrant bundle below him.  He smiled at Buffy, lust flaring to life in his eyes.  She could feel his desire press against her and whimpered, her core moistening in reaction.

The spell was broken by the sudden deluge of rain that pounded against the roof and sides, startling both slayer and vampire.  Buffy sighed.  "Oh, yes, the third part -- Mother Nature is a bitch."

You know, despite the situation we were in, very little happened in the carriage.  Angelus and I quickly realized that if something happened it would be all too obvious, and while he didn't really care, I did.  So we did the next best thing.

He's big, very big -- especially when he's erect.  But, God, is he beautiful, which is strange when you think about it.  Men judge themselves by its size, some even name it, but the truth is that that piece of flesh that gives us such pleasure really is ugly.

I was so aroused that I didn't care.  I cupped his sac with one hand, and ran my finger down his shaft, causing him to quiver.  I couldn't help but smile; having that sort of power is a thrill, it really is.  Ignoring his growls I studied it, running a finger up and down, scraping my nail across the sensitive underside.

He whimpered and his hips bucked, his hands reaching down to grasp my head.

I twisted a little, eluding him, and placed my lips to the swollen head as I rubbed the foreskin.  He snarled when I ran my tongue over his slit, licking the precum from the head, and he growled long and loud when I took him in, all the way to the back of my throat.  I hummed a little, and the vibrations drove him into miniature convulsions.  His hands found my head then, fingers tangling in my hair, and he forced me to stay still as he thrust into my mouth.

I let him have his way for a few moments.  Then, as he thrust, I closed my mouth around his shaft and sucked him down, humming louder than before.  He let out a fierce snarl and, his seed filling my mouth and slipping down my throat.  I swallowed it all and then worked my way back toward the tip, kissing and licking as I went.  I gave the tip one last kiss, then tilted my head to look at my lover.

He looked very pleased, sated for the moment and, I'm pleased to report, a little surprised.  I smirked a little and he chuckled, pulling me up to capture my lips.

His kisses.  They're the stuff of wonder, at once ruthless and demanding while at the same time tender and coaxing.  But always beguiling, delicious and breathtaking.  I can never think while we kiss, really kiss, not those little pecks he gives me in public.  Even those, though …  It's like my blood has suddenly caught fire, and the burning sweeps through my veins igniting my desire.

Nothing compares to that sensation, except for when he bites me, sinking his fangs into my flesh and drawing my blood.  That feeling is unmitigated ecstasy, and I can orgasm to that alone …

The taste of her blood is incomparable.  I know I've said that, thought it thousand times in the months since she arrived, but still it remains.  That ambrosial nectar is the most potent elixir imaginable; I never thought its like could exist.

And her flesh, that warm, creamy skin that cradles me when I'm inside her, when I touch her, when my lips travel the length of her body … it too, is delectable.

It's times like these, when I'm holding her, our tongues stroking, entwining, fighting for dominance, that I can hardly believe she's mine.  But then she bares her neck to me as my lips caress that silken skin, as my fingers slide up her thighs to find the seat of her pleasure and gently fondle her tender pearl, and I can taste her crisis before it starts.

Her blood hums with the sound of approaching ecstasy, and her flesh quivers beneath my tongue.  The taste of her skin changes and I know it's time.  I scrape my teeth along the back side of her neck, right behind her ear; little pools of blood well up and I feel her shudder, her crisis coming closer as I lick the cuts I made of their precious fluid.

Then she moans.  It's a small sound, little more than a whimper, and I know it's time.  I kiss my way down and suck on her vein, priming the spot for what is to come.  She twists and the moans become louder, and she drenches my fingers with her luscious, intimate honey.  My fangs pierce her flesh of their own accord, and that incredibly powerful, ambrosial blood slides over my tongue.  It's sweet and spicy and so very, very rich.  The taste is unbelievable, and I hear myself growl as that elixir pours down my throat, infusing me with her essence.

And I feel her tense, then shudders wrack her body and she cries out as she climaxes.  My fingers are coated with even more of her juices as she clamps down on them, her velvety walls squeezing with enhanced Slayer strength, and through the haze of blood I wish I could be buried within her at this moment.

But for now this is enough, and I'm content to hold her as the last tremors of her crisis fade away and the rain pelts down on the carriage.  The rest can come later.

They reached Bath just as the first rays of dawn began stretching her rosy fingertips out across the horizon.  The driver feared Angelus more than he did the threat of pneumonia and had returned within an hour with not only the replacement for the axil (that he proceeded to fix in the pouring rain), but with a late dinner for Buffy.  Hard rolls and cold roast weren't her favorite, but she was famished after their little romp and thanked the driver for his thoughtfulness.

The carriage halted and Angelus hustled Buffy out of the cab and up the stairs to the house, where a waiting footman flung the front door open.  Once inside the dark room Angelus relaxed and allowed himself to rake his gaze over the assembled staff.  The butler, cook, three maids and the footman withstood his appraisal, all but the butler and one of the maids scampering back to their respective tasks after being dismissed.

Angelus nodded to the butler.  "Everything is in order?"

"Yes, milord, all is as you requested," was the reply.  The butler, Andrew, gestured toward the remaining maid, who was dressed differently from the other two.  "This is Felicity, milady," he told her.

Felicity timidly bobbed her head and curtsied.  "If you'll come this way, milady, I'll show you to your room."

Buffy sighed inwardly as she followed the girl up the stairs of the narrow townhouse.  Felicity couldn't be more than fifteen, if that.  At least, she thought, she hasn't been forced into another line of work.

The bedroom was no smaller than ones she had previously occupied, and if the decorations were more understated they were no less elegant.  The walls were a very light shade of green, which was echoed in the details; the same color was present in the furniture upholstery, the drapes and on the satin duvets and curtains that covered the massive four poster oak bed.  All the other furnishings were made of the same oak, and as she pulled off her short coat and blouse she noted that, once again, there was no mirror in the room.

"Of course," Buffy muttered under her breath.  "Why do I even bother to ask?"

"Milady?"

Buffy looked up at Felicity, then shook her head.  "It's nothing.  But could you … "

"Oh," the girl cried as she rushed to help with Buffy's stays.  "I'm so sorry, milady, I …"

As the corset stays loosened Buffy took a deep breath and faced the trembling girl.  "Felicity, I don't know what your last employer was like but you haven't done anything wrong.  Just get me out of this damn thing and you're free to go … do whatever else you need to do."

Felicity frowned.  "Milady, I was engaged as your personal maid.  To ignore my duties … "

"The only thing I am going to do after I get these clothes off is take a bath and go to bed.  And I don't need help with that, Felicity," she told the girl.

"And if she does," Angelus cut in, smirking from his position against the door, "I'm sure I can handle anything that she may require."

Felicity paled momentarily but assisted Buffy for a few moments longer.  Once the traveling clothes were off the maid gathered them together and, with a wary glance at Angelus who was reclining in the chair by the fireplace, left to launder the stained and crumpled garments.

When the door clicked shut Buffy shot him a nasty look.  "Did you have to scare her like that?"

"In a word, yes," he replied, pulling her nude body onto his lap.  "They are far easier to control if they fear me and the repercussions of discussing this household with outsiders."

"They're more likely to run away."

"Highly unlikely," he denied, rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefingers.  "They will fear my wrath if they leave without notice, a fear that I will make a reality."

Buffy tried to pull away, but Angelus anticipated her response and slid his hand over her shoulder to the back of her neck, tugging her down.  When their lips were just barely touching, her nipples pressing against his linen covered chest, he continued.  "My word is law, Buffy, as you well know.  That extends to every facet of our relationship, and to our relationships with others -- that includes how I manage the servants.  The girl was engaged as your lady's maid despite her youth.  If I must frighten her to discourage any offhand remarks about our habits that she might be apt to make in mixed company, then I will do so."

That said his lips captured hers in a searing kiss, his mouth dominating hers, as he briefly lifted her hips before dropping her back down on his now unencumbered cock.  Buffy gave a muffled shriek of surprise that quickly turned to pleasure, keening as she moved to start the rhythm.  Her lover smiled at the look of ecstasy that was flitting across her features, and he drove his hips forward and up, each thrust touching the mouth of her womb.

Buffy mewled as she felt a finger stroking her swelling clit, and her passion-drugged eyes met the stormy brown ones of her lover as her mouth fell open in a silent scream.  Her sugared walls squeezed him tightly as the tremors rocked her body, and Angelus gave in, sinking his fangs into her neck, piercing that deliciously sweet skin as he came, spilling his seed within her molten core.

The two sat slumped in the chair for a moment, and then Angelus rose with Buffy in his arms.  He placed her in the bed, stripping off the remainder of his clothes before joining her.  She burrowed under the covers as he wrapped his arms around her and threw a leg over hers, and they lay in silence for a few moments.

Ignoring their disagreement for the time being, Buffy leaned her head against his chest and asked the question that had been plaguing her since the trip was announced.  "So, why are we here?"

He laughed, cupping her breast in his hand.  "Do you really need to ask?"

Buffy frowned.  "Yes."

"If you must question everything," he mock growled.  "What is today's date?"

"It's June 7," she replied, still confused.  But as they lay in silence, his caresses once again arousing her, realization dawned.

"Six months ago today you entered my life," he whispered.  "And you've borne all the changes and confusion with a great deal more grace and courage than most would have.  Consider this something of a vacation, my love.  After all, we never did have a honeymoon."

Buffy twisted around to face him; she found no guile in his eyes, no deception.  Sighing softly she pressed her lips to his, running the tip of her tongue across his mouth.  Their mouths fused together as their bodies had previously, and the sheets rustled as they moved.  Angelus rolled over on top of her, settling between her thighs.

"Would you like gifts for our 'anniversary'?" he questioned, his fingertips stroking her stomach.

"That would be nice," she murmured.

"What does my lady wish?" he whispered seductively.

Buffy smiled secretively, and gestured for him to come closer.  He lowered his head as her mouth skimmed the shell of his ear, making him shiver.  "I want," she started, her leg coming up as to wrap around his hip.  Angelus started to speak …

But found himself flat on his back after she flipped them over.  Buffy straddled his hips as she ground down on his erection suggestively.

"I wanna be on top."

 

The End