Willow felt Spike's lips moving over her cheeks. The sun was beaming down on
them, providing a warmth that countered the coolness of his touch on her
face. She knew she wasn't dreaming. She could feel the small rocks digging
into her back as she lay on the ground. The softness of the grass tickled her
bare legs, her head laying on his arm. She could hear the water from the
river that flowed beside them, the gentle sound soothing her nerves. She
closed her eyes, blocking out everything except the feel of his lips on her,
his hands on her, his body against hers.
 

Spike caught her lips again as his hand moved down her neck. He traced a spot
near her collarbone, knowing that by the time they were finished, his mark
would rest there for all to see. He smiled when she moved against him,
arching up and pressing her breasts against his chest. How had he been so
blind? How had he not seen her feelings for him? Too caught up in denial of
his own for her, he guessed. He removed his arm from under her head, being
careful as he laid her against the soft grass. He pulled away, his eyes
running over her face, seeing the slight flush in her cheeks, the half opened
lips dragging in breath, the eyes that were opening, looking at him with so
much love and passion that it frightened him. He froze, not wanting to move,
to spoil the beauty of the moment. He knew it was pathetic, a vampire wanting
nothing more than to simply look at a human, but he wanted to do nothing else
for eternity. To wake up with her in his arms, to go to sleep with her face
the last thing he would see. Pathetic, maybe, but he couldn't change it.
Wouldn't change it. She was his.
 

Willow was caught by the flickering emotions in Spike's eyes. He was still,
leaning above her just looking at her. She would have felt embarrassed at the
attention if she hadn't been caught up in the moment. She smiled softly,
moving her hand up to brush his cheek. She let her fingers trace his face,
moving along the scar on his eyebrow and around to the back of his head. She
could feel his hair, so soft despite the many decades of bleaching. She
wanted him so badly. Had dreamed of this for so long that she could barely
remember a time that she hadn't wanted him. She could feel his body laying
against hers, his leg resting in between her own. She moved her leg slightly,
feeling the evidence of his desire pressed against her, her eyes widening at
the prominent bulge. She licked her lips, their eyes still caught in a
strange silent communication. She saw him look down at their bodies resting
against each other then look back at her, the question in his blue eyes
startling her. She understood finally. This wasn't about today, about making
love in the sun and enjoying each other for a few hours. This was about
forever.
 

Spike watched her face, wondering if she had any idea how easy it was to read
her eyes. He saw realization then worry then fear then slowly acceptance and
love. She loved him. He would have jumped up and yelled it to the world had
he not been more intent on removing her clothes and claiming her. Yelling
could wait. After they left here, then he'd worry about letting everyone they
met know that she loved him. His perfect redhead Goddess loved him. He felt
his lips curving into a smile, the possessive, sensual smile that promised so
many things. She smiled back, a gentle, uncertain smile that just begged for
his lips. He leaned down, catching her lips in a deep, claiming kiss that
left no doubt that there would be more to come.
 

GOING ONCE (35/?)
 

Spike deftly unbuttoned Willow's shirt as he made love to her mouth. Their
tongues tangled as her fingers gripped his head. She pulled him closer, her
free hand moving to help him remove her shirt. She could feel the warmth of
the sun as his cool fingers danced along her skin. She whimpered when he
pushed her hand away, smacking it lightly in warning before moving back to
finish unfastening her shirt. She heard him chuckle as they kissed, obviously
amused at her impatience. She felt him move away, their mouths finally coming
apart as he sat up slightly, his blue eyes blazing their way over her chest,
now covered in a scrap of white lace. Her shirt lay open on either side, her
breasts heaving in a way she had never imagined possible as she breathed. She
felt like one of those women on the covers of a romance. All she needed was a
period dress, she already had the heaving bosoms, and Spike behind her with
his arm possessively around her waist, dressed in pirate fashion or maybe
wearing the clothes of an outlaw. No, definitely pirate. Shirt unbuttoned to
the waist showing off his smooth, muscular chest she decided. She watched him
with desire filled eyes as he pulled his T-shirt over his head, wetting
suddenly dry lips when she found herself confronted with the very thing she
had been thinking about.
 

Goddess, he was beautiful. She knew that was a strange word to use to
describe a man, but Spike was no ordinary man. True, he was handsome and
gorgeous and sexy, but they didn't do justice to his pure beauty. She knew
that many would find Angel better looking, the dark good looks and large
muscular body. She didn't. There was something about Spike that just almost
hypnotized her. He was so graceful, his body often moving like a large jungle
cat stalking its prey. His face was an artist's fantasy, each line bold yet
smooth. From the scar to his cheekbones to his full lips. It all went
together to create this one beautiful creature, this demon that she had
fallen in love with.
 

Her eyes moved over his chest, down his flat stomach and along the trail of
light brown hair that disappeared into the top of his jeans. She cursed the
denim softly, wanting to see more. She could make out a faint scar on his
side and another on his ribcage, just under his left breast. Other than
those, he could have been sculpted from marble. She sat up slightly, moving
closer to him as she pushed her shirt down her arms. Her hair brushed against
his bare shoulder as she lay the shirt down underneath her, falling back when
he growled softly, his lips claiming hers as she landed on the cotton of her
shirt. His large hand moved over her chest, avoiding her breasts and resting
on her stomach. She groaned, needing to feel his hands on her aching breasts.
Her nipples were hard pebbles, pushing against the lace of her bra. She felt
his fingers moving along her skin, drawing teasing circles as he kissed her,
his cool skin was against her, making her even more hot and tense.
 

Willow felt him finally touch her breast, lightly, teasing. She moved her
free hand to rest it on top of his, moving them both to her breast and
squeezing. She cried out in pleasure at the feeling, her nipple pressed
against his palm, his fingernails brushing past the lacey cup and digging
ever so slightly into her skin. She wanted the bra out of the way. She wanted
to feel her bare breasts pressed against him, to have him cool her as the
warm rays of the sun heated her. She felt a trickle of sweat on her forehead,
ignoring it as his lips moved along her chin. Her head fell back as he began
to suck the flesh of her neck into his mouth. His teeth ran over her skin
lightly, not biting just teasing. She spread her legs wider as she felt a
burning between her legs. She could feel her panties sticking against her,
her juices beginning to soak through the white cotton. Why had she worn her
plainest white underwear? Her first time with Spike and she'd remember the
white cotton and lace garments. How could he find her sexy in something that
plain? She should have worn the green silk that Buffy had persuaded her to
buy not a week ago. That would have made an impression on him.
 

Willow felt him move his leg, his hands leaving her breasts and going to the
button of her jeans. Well, they had been jeans when they had started their
adventure the night before. Sometime during the endless climbing and walking,
she had used his knife to rip the legs off and turn them into a nice,
comfortable pair of shorts. She felt his knuckles against her stomach as he
unbuttoned the button, felt them brush against her lower as he unfastened the
zipper, felt a finger tease the edge of her panties as he shifted again to
remove the denim shorts. She lifted her hips to help him get them off,
realizing that she was now laying in front of him in nothing but those damn
white cotton undergarments.
 

Her arousal was overwhelming, the scent thick and intoxicating. He tossed her
shorts to the side, his eyes moving over her long legs and over the juncture
between her thighs. He could see the darkness of her red curls against the
white cotton, could see her juices soaking through the material. Spike
resisted the urge to just take what he wanted, to sink between her legs and
rut like some wild animal. But he wasn't an animal. He wanted this to be
perfect for her, to be something that she would never forget during their
eternity together. Instead, he laid back down beside her, keeping his jeans
on. He knew he'd lose it as soon as he removed them. He moved his leg between
her legs as he leaned down and ran his tongue over the mark he had made on
her neck. Her skin was pink from the sucking he had done, a feeling of
satisfaction spreading over him as he saw his mark on her. Again he fought
for control. They had all day, no need to rush things. Besides, he still had
some seducing to do.
 

GOING ONCE (36/?)
 

Willow reached for Spike's duster, wadding it up and placing it under her
head much like a pillow. She felt him swat her stomach as he warned, "Quit
moving," in a husky voice that almost caused her to freeze. Instead, she
wriggled a little bit more to prove to him that he wasn't the boss of her and
to get a small rock out from under her left butt cheek. It had been digging
into her almost from the start and, without the thick denim of her shorts,
she felt it even more. She heard him growl playfully and looked into his blue
eyes, smiling as she wriggled again and then said, "There. Much more
comfortable. Carry on."
 

"Cheeky brat," he said, rolling his eyes before a wicked smile crossed his
face. He leaned over, running his tongue over her right nipple through the
lacey cup of her bra. He heard her catch her breath as his wet tongue made
contact, could hear her heartbeat start to race. Smiling, he lazily moved his
tongue over her breast, sucking the material of her bra into his mouth,
tearing it just a little with his teeth, then licking her nipple again before
doing the same thing. When that breast was coated with his saliva, he moved
to the other one, keeping her bra firmly in place.
 

"Spike," she begged, arching against him wantonly. She cried out when she
felt his upper thigh move against her panties. The heavy denim brushed
against her clit as he continued to lazily tease her. "Please."
 

"Please what, luv?" he asked with a raised brow, taking her nipple between
his blunt teeth and running his tongue over the lace covered pebble.
 

"Anything, everything," she babbled, her left leg moving around his denim
clad one as she rubbed herself against it. "Just please....no more teasing."
 

"But teasing is half the fun, pet," he objected with a smile. He moved his
head up to her ear, whispering, "Who's got the power, luv?"
 

"You do," she whispered, moving her body up against his.
 

"Never forget that, Willow," he said, his eyes catching hers as he smiled an
easy smile. "You're mine, aren't you, luv?"
 

"Yes," she said softly, knowing it was true. She was his forever.
 

"Good girl," he said huskily, moving his leg against her as he watched her
eyes flutter. He moved his hand over her wet bra, grabbing it in the middle
and pulling hard. He heard the material ripping as she gasped, arching
against his leg at the action. Tossing the white cotton to the side, he
leaned over and caught her nipple with his mouth, no material separating them
this time. He felt her hands in his hair as she held him against her, her
hips rocking against his leg as he sucked on her nipple. He moved his left
hand behind her, cupping the soft swell of her ass as he pulled her up
against his leg. He moved their bodies until she was rubbing directly against
his erection with every thrust up. This time, though, he would not find
release in his pants like some silly schoolboy. He would have enough control
to wait. That didn't mean she had to wait though. He moved his hand along her
ass, a finger dipping between her cheeks, pulling her panties tighter against
her front. He heard her cry out as they pulled against her clit, the wet
material moving between her lower lips as he pulled on it. He released her
breast when he heard her soft moans, her deep gasps for breath as she moved
against him. He heard her low cry of release as she shattered around him, her
head going back against his duster as she screamed out his name, her juices
running down her thighs, wet against his jeans as she dazedly looked at the
sun overhead.
 

GOING ONCE (37/?)
 

Willow couldn't believe that the second time she had had an orgasm because of
Spike had also been against his leg. What was it about him that made her
forget who and where she was? She looked down at him, saw him watching her
with the most tender expression on his handsome face, and understood. She
didn't care who or what she was as along as he loved her. His opinion and her
own were all that mattered. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth as she
waited, wondering if he'd simply get up and leave her this time or if there
was more to come. Her question was answered when his head lowered and his
tongue ran along her belly button. She felt his tongue enter her belly button
as he moved his leg from between her thighs. He moved his position, his bare
chest pushing against her wet panties and then moving lower, nothing actually
making contact with her wetness.
 

Spike licked his way down her stomach, loving the taste of skin, a unique
flavor of Willow mixed with sweat from her release. He reached the top of her
panties, pausing as he rested his forehead against her lower stomach. He
could feel his own saliva against his skin, wondering what it was about her
that made him want to taste and touch every inch. He had been licking her all
afternoon it seemed. And, while it was true that most of his kind did have a
bit of a biting fetish, he'd never heard of a licking one. Acting like some
silly pup, marking his territory. Instead of making him angry, it made him
smile. Anyone that ran across her would sense his claim, his scent and smell
covering her already and they'd barely gotten started. He'd chalk this
peculiarity up to some deep rooted vampire need that he'd been unaware of
before. Hell, he wouldn't give it any more thought, he decided. There was
still more of her to taste, he thought with a wicked grin.
 

He sat up, kneeling between her legs, catching her eyes watching him. His
hand went to the button of his jeans, unfastening it without breaking eye
contact. He stood, his eyes still watching her. He was hard and throbbing,
pressing against the denim until he was certain he would break through it.
Deciding that he had didn't want to face Maurice with a torn pair of jeans,
he needed to relieve a bit of pressure. He chuckled as her eyes kept drifting
lower, her lip between her teeth as she waited for him to unfasten his jeans.
Wanton little hussy, he thought with a primal smile. His took his time,
teasing her a bit more as he struggled not to give in to his demon's coaxing,
seductive whispers of claiming her over and over until she was hoarse from
screaming his name. Oh, that part was coming for sure, but not yet. He slid
the zipper down, hissing softly as his cock was freed from the confines of
the tight pants.
 

Willow heard a soft gasp and knew it was her own. She found herself sitting
up as he slid the jeans down over his slim hips, her eyes focused on the
large cock jutting from between his thighs. He wasn't grotesquely large, but,
to her eyes that had only seen Oz's rather small manhood, Spike was enormous.
He was also aroused and ready. The swollen tip of his cock wet from pre-cum,
the veins practically throbbing in front of her. She raised her hand, moving
her fingers along his shaft, listening as he moaned at her touch. He was cold
and hard, reminding her of her comparison earlier to marble. But he wasn't
stone, he was flesh and blood. His body wasn't as cold as she had once
imagined, warmed slightly from the sun overhead and maybe from the intensity
of everything happening between them.
 
 

She ran her fingers over him, watching him move against her warm hand. She
smiled, having never really done anything like this before. With Oz, it had
always been straight sex. To have been in a band, he was rather boring in his
ideas of sex. Of course, maybe it had been her. Maybe she'd given off some
signal of not wanting to do anything daring and he'd simply acknowledged it.
With Spike, she couldn't think of a single thing she didn't want to do. She
looked up at him from beneath her lashed, asking huskily, "May I taste you?"
 

"Bloody hell," he cursed softly, hearing her question and feeling his cock
move towards her lips. He'd wanted this to be about her, not him. He opened
his mouth to object, to tell her that he wanted to taste her, to tell her to
lay back down and quit stroking him that way or he'd cum too soon. Instead,
he whispered, "Please."
 

She smiled at that, knowing that Spike didn't often say that word. She looked
back at his cock, deciding that it had to be nearly eight inches at least.
She giggled softly as she imagined measuring it with her ruler when they were
back home. That would make for an interesting experiment, she decided. She
licked her lips, not really sure what she was supposed to do, but wanting to
bring him the same pleasure he had just given her. She leaned forward
slightly, running her tongue the tip. She tasted something that was both
salty and sweet, wondering idly if vampires tasted the same as humans and
deciding she didn't really care enough to test it. She moved her small hand
around his width, noticing that he was wider than Oz had been. Her fingers
didn't quite touch as they encircled him. She began to move her hand much in
the way she had seen in movies.
 

She moved her knees, pushing a sharp rock out of the way as she rested her
panty clad butt on her heels. Her bare breasts swung as she leaned forward,
opening her mouth and taking the tip of him inside. She pulled her mouth
back, opening and closing her mouth several times as she tried to determine
if he would fit inside. During her logical thoughts, her hand continued to
stroke him, from tip back to the nest of light brown curls. She began to move
her hand slightly with each downward movement, twisting it just a little. She
heard him hiss and smiled as she figured she must have done something right.
With a determined look in her eyes, she opened her mouth and began to take
him slowly inside. She made several efforts, finally adjusting to a
comfortable position that allowed him inside without causing her to gag. She
began to move her head, her tongue running over his length with each
movement. She felt his fingers tangle themselves in her hair as he moaned
above her.
 

She was only able to take a little more than half of his cock inside her
mouth. She was sure that with time, she might be able to eventually get more,
but this wasn't the time for practice. Her left hand moved up to cup his
balls, squeezing lightly on the twin sacs as her fingernails brushed against
the tender flesh. She heard him growl above her, smiling around his cock as
she listened to his sounds. He was usually so in control, never letting her
see who he really was. Now, at her mercy, he couldn't hide. She loved every
single moan and growl and hiss and sigh, knowing that she had caused them. It
gave her a feeling of satisfaction that she'd never felt before.
 

She felt him begin to move slightly, his hips thrusting forwards to meet her
bobbing mouth. For a moment she had a wild fear that he might start moving
and forget that she was human. She trusted him, though, and the fear was
quickly gone. Her left hand left his balls and snaked its ways around his
ass, squeezing one of his tight cheeks possessively. Remembering his finger
play with her earlier, she slowly began to move her hand towards the crevice
between his cheeks. Just because she had enjoyed it didn't mean he would, but
she decided to try anyway. Her fingers moved between the crack, teasing the
rosebud between his cheeks as she took a little more of his cock inside her
warm mouth. She felt his fingers tighten in her ear as a low groan came from
above her.
 

"Willow," he cried out hoarsely, feeling her warm finger pressing between his
cheeks as she sucked and licked at his cock. His eyes flashed yellow as he
felt himself cum, a growl coming from his torn lips as he sent his seed into
her mouth.
 

GOING ONCE (38/?)
 

Willow felt him flood her mouth as she pulled her head back, swallowing much
of the cool, salty liquid. The rest dribbled down her chin or fell onto her
bare breasts. She licked her lips, excited to see that he stayed hard. There
might be even more benefits to loving a vampire that she had even imagined,
she decided. She looked up at him, saw the gentle look in his eyes and
smiled. She had never imagined that giving him pleasure would also give her
pleasure. She had almost found release from sucking his cock, without anyone
even touching her. Now, she could feel his seed on her breasts, could still
taste him in her mouth. She was tired of the teasing games and seduction. She
needed him.
 

"Spike," she said his name softly, her right hand pushing her hair from her
face as she looked up at him.
 

"Eh, luv?" he said hoarsely, still shaking from the orgasm that he had just
had. He could see his cum on her face and breasts, his demon pleased by the
sight.
 

"Fuck me," she said with an impish smile, "hard."
 

He looked at her in surprise, shaking his head slightly, "You don't know what
you're asking, pet."
 

She nodded, "You've been holding back. I can sense it, Spike. I want you, all
of you. Give yourself to me. Please?"
 

Spike smiled at her words, seeing the sincerity in her green eyes. As one, he
and his demon moved, claiming her mouth in a rough kiss as he pushed her
against the ground. His left hand skimmed down her body, finding her panties
and ripping them off easily. He held his cock against her warmth, pushing the
head inside as he heard her startled gasp. With a predatorial smile, he
entered her in one thrust, burying his cock inside her tight warmth, his
balls resting against her ass. She screamed out his name, her head going back
as her fingernails dug deep into his back. She arched up, feeling him in
places that had previously been untouched. His mouth along her face, down her
neck, capturing her breasts then moving back up again. He licked her and bit
her and sucked on her flesh until it was light pink. His hands were not idle,
his left snaking between her ass cheeks and his right kneading her breast.
 

Willow felt him begin to move finally, a pain between her legs that she
hadn't even felt the first time she and Oz had made love. She'd been right.
He was too large. It hurt, but in a fantastic way. She felt his finger moving
along her ass again, causing tingles that she had never felt. She began to
move against him finally, her muscles adjusting to his size finally. With
each thrust, she felt his curls brush against her flesh as he ground against
her clit. She ignored the rocks pushing against her back, her legs wrapping
themselves around his waist as they moved together in a rough coupling. Hands
were everywhere, teasing and pinching and squeezing, hers as well as his. She
knew that any mark she made would soon fade, but she enjoyed seeing the marks
in his skin from her fingernails.
 

She was so much more tighter than he had imagined. That silly wolf-pup had
never been man enough for her. Spike entered her with deep, penetrating
thrusts, a finger from his left hand easing itself into her rosebud. He heard
her cry of pleasure and smiled, noting her response for future use. He felt
her muscles squeezing him, her legs urging him closer. Blue eyes flashed
yellow as he felt the tension spreading over him. He heard her cry of
release, saw her head go back, her neck so inviting. He leaned down, the
ridges of his forehead against her cheek. He pushed into her once, twice,
three times before he felt his release. He bit into her neck as he came, his
body pushing her against the ground as his seed entered her. He heard her
soft cry of pleasure at his bite, her hand moving to his head as she brushed
his hair as he drank. Pulling back slightly, he looked at the deep wound on
her neck. With a possessive smile, he settled against her, his cock still
buried deep, his tongue lazily licking away from the blood as he began to
purr. Distantly, he heard her whisper I love you as she drifted off to sleep.
 

GOING ONCE (39/?)
 

"I see you completed the game," Maurice said with a smile as Willow and Spike
entered the room.
 

"Uh, yeah," Willow stammered, sure that he must know how they had spent a
majority of the day. After all, she was standing in front of him wearing her
T-shirt and cut off shorts, her panties and bra lost somewhere in the maze,
bites and bruises could be seen on her arms and legs and neck, and that was
just the area that he could see. Spike, too, had his own share of bruises and
marks, his lips torn from a rough kiss just before they had left the maze.
 

"Did you win?" Maurice asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked them both
over. Chuckling, he said, "Silly question. It is obvious that you have both
won."
 

"That we did, mate," Spike said, glancing at Willow and realizing that she
didn't have a bra underneath her tight T-shirt. He shrugged out of his
duster, resting it over her shoulders as he held the front. He gave Maurice a
narrowed look, "We'd better be off soon."
 

"Surely you'll stay for dinner," Maurice objected, looking at Willow with a
charming smile. "I'm sure you're ravenous. Especially after working off all
that energy."
 

Willow felt her face flame at his knowing smile. He was right, though. She
was starving. She and Spike had spent hours making love and fucking and
napping before waking to repeat the cycle. Finally, as the sun had set, they
made their way to the river and bathed, Willow finding out just how fun sex
in the water could be, then dressed to finish the maze. It had taken them
nearly another three hours to finish the game, would have been less but they
kept stopping to kiss. She looked at Spike, smiling when she saw him glaring
at Maurice. "Honey, I could use some food, if you wouldn't mind...."
 

Spike looked down at her, smiling as he realized that he couldn't tell no.
"Fine. We eat then back to Sunnyhell. How does that sound?"
 

"Great," she replied with a smile as she rested her head against his chest.
She looked at Maurice, "So, what's for dinner?"
 

"Let's go to the kitchen and see what we've got," he suggested with an easy
smile.
 

GOING ONCE (40/?)
 

Willow left the bathroom, her right hand covering a yawn as she walked
barefoot towards her bed. She looked down at the purple silk shirt that went
past her knees and smiled. The cool material brushed her skin and reminded
her of Spike. Her eyes moved to her bed, seeing her bleached blonde lover
laying on the bed on his stomach, his ass half covered by her sheet. Looking
at the pale globe cause an all too familiar tingle in her lower stomach. She
shook her head, wondering when she had turned into such a little nympho. It
seemed that, now that she had had sex with Spike, she couldn't stop thinking
about it. Not that all there was was sex.
 

They had left Maurice at nearly one in the morning, arriving back at her
house before two. They'd taken a shower, together, and then had a nap. About
four, they'd watched some cartoons and had a snack, spending nearly an hour
just talking and holding each other. That had drifted into the sweetest sex
that Willow had ever had and then sleep. She had woken up and gone to the
bathroom, and now wasn't sure if she wanted to try to catch a few more hours
of sleep or just stay awake. According to her clock, it was almost seven. She
had promised to meet Buffy and Anya at around six to get ready for the
auction which was taking place at nine that evening.
 

She sighed softly as she thought of the auction. She wasn't going to bid on
Spike. She had confessed his plan to her friends, knew that Buffy and Anya
would have some devious comeuppance in mind for him, but she couldn't save
him. She loved him and knew that he would not understand why she wasn't going
along with his plan. Somewhere, in the very back of her mind, the part of her
that was still clouded with low self esteem had to wonder still if this had
been some elaborate game for him, some way to guarantee a win against the
slayer. She hated that part of her, the her from before Buffy as she tended
to refer to it. All the doubts and insecurities that she tried to overcome.
Would she lose Spike by not bidding?
 

She frowned as she pushed her hair away from her face, moving to lay back
down beside him. She snuggled against him, her head on her soft pillow as his
arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer in his sleep. Did he love
her? Could he live with maybe losing a bet with Buffy and Anya just to help
her keep a clear conscience? Was she acting foolishly by not bidding? After
all, it was just some silly bet. An auction that everyone had a right to
participate in. He would probably win even without her help. Thinking of
another woman winning him, touching him, laughing with him, Willow's eyes
narrowed as they looked at her ceiling.
 

She was pretty much damned if she did, damned if she didn't she realized. One
way risked alienating Buffy and the others by helping Spike cheat on their
bet. The other risked losing Spike. She didn't want to lose anyone. She
hadn't made the damn bet. Didn't even care about it. Why, then, was she the
one that stood to lose the most either way? She almost wished it had never
happened, but knew in her heart that it had somehow brought her and Spike
together. Because of that bet and the auction, he had blackmailed her into
helping him and they had found each other along the way. For that, she was
grateful. Knowing her luck, she'd enjoy these couple of days of happiness to
find it all ripped cruelly from her at that stupid auction. She'd lost it all.
 

She smiled wryly as she realized how positive she was sounding. Pushing away
her negative thoughts, she decided to enjoy the time that she had with him,
just in case. Maybe he would still win and could then forgive her for not
bidding. Maybe she'd get in there and see those women eyeing him like a piece
of meat and max out his damn card. She yawned as she decided that there was
no point worrying now. She'd have no answers until the auction anyway.
Another fourteen hours that she could spend with Spike without worry or
concern. Smiling, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
 

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