Chapter One

William Madden walked up the steps to his old mate's house with trepidation. Hank Summers had approached him that afternoon with a favor and while normally Hank asking him favors was fine, this one was making him uneasy.

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"I need a favor, Will," Hank said as he sat across from Will on the leather chair in his friend's office.

Will raised a brow, "All right. This is pretty serious if you're tearing yourself away from your office upstairs and not just calling me for it."

Hank nodded, "Yeah, it is serious. Buffy's coming home."

Will blinked. "Okay, and that means?"

"I want you to give her a job."

Will blinked again. "What?"

"She's coming home to attend Boston College. She hated it over in
California and wanted to come back home. She's second year in pre-law."

Will nodded slowly, "I see."

"I'd give her a job with me, but you know how it is with favoritism and
such."

"Like it wouldn't be favoritism that I'm giving my mate's daughter a job?"

"Not as much as if I gave it to my daughter. You can be objective about
things; I wouldn't be able to be objective with her."

Will smiled, "Are you saying I'd be hard on her?"

Hank chuckled, "Maybe. But, she needs to learn what's it's like to work in
the field and I want to give her a hands on experience."

"I don't know Hank, I'm not sure if there's a position available to give to
her—"

"Look, I'm not telling you to give her a full time, forty hour position here.
I'm asking for a few days out of the week and give her something small if
you want at first to see how she does. Have her work with your assistant—"

"With Dru?" Will shook his head, "No. Buffy's a nice girl and Dru is a
barracuda."

Hank grinned.

Will glared at him, "We're not talking about Dru."

"Well, have you?"

"NO. Nor do I care to. She's just my assistant and I do not mix business with pleasure. This is a reputable law firm and my partners would have my head. You know what that's like having one of your own."

Hank cleared his throat. "Of course. So, will you?"

Will sighed heavily. "All right. I'll give her a job."

"Great. Come over tonight so you can tell her yourself. If I tell her, she'll think I'm interfering."

"She's not stupid, she's going to know."

"Yes, but she won't say no to you," Hank winked and got up. "Thanks buddy."

"Sure thing. You owe me one."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. She's not the same flaky teenager she used to be. She's grown up quite a bit."

**************************************************************

William and Hank had been friends for five years. Together, they worked in a twenty story building in downtown Boston. Hank had been part of McDonald, Morgan and Summers, P.C., which resided on the eighth floor of the building for seventeen years, and William had been part of Pryce, O'Connor & Madden, P.C.—on the seventh floor--for the past four years, having worked in other firms before. It was during his first case that he'd met Hank and the two had become fast friends. Hank was older by seven years to Will's thirty-five. Hank was more than just a friend to him, he was also a mentor of sorts, the older man having given William all the advice he'd needed to make partner in a short amount of time—two years—and had thrown him a congratulatory party when he'd made it.

William met Buffy, Hank's only child, when she had turned sixteen. He
remembered meeting the audacious and . . . bouncy girl and thinking that it
was probably a good thing she was beautiful because she hadn't seemed to
have too much going on upstairs.

He was wrong.

Buffy had graduated with honors and had been accepted to a prestigious
school in California, having decided she wanted to join in the footsteps of
her father and become a lawyer. Her grades had to have been good to be
accepted to BC for the upcoming fall semester, and Will was curious to see
just how much Buffy had grown, hoping that she had matured enough to
work with him at the firm. This dinner Joyce, Hank's wife, was having for
them would make or break Buffy and he sincerely did not want to be the
one to tell Hank his daughter would not fit in at his firm.

Knocking on the door, Will took a deep breath and closed his eyes to relax
himself just before the door flung open and there stood the most beautiful
girl he'd ever seen. She'd grown. She seemed taller somehow, though it
could have been the shoes. Her hair was no longer in school girl pony tails
that had been the fashion, but long and flowing down around her shoulders
in waves. It was darker, golden, instead of platinum and instead of pounds
of makeup; she wore her make up light and natural. She smiled at him, her
green eyes sparkling.

"Buffy?" he nearly squeaked out.

"Hello, William." Even her voice had changed. She didn't talk like an air
head; she spoke in a deeper, mature tone. Course, it was only two words,
but still. She stood aside and his eyes made the path down her slender
body. He tore his eyes away from her and met her eyes.

"Buffy, you've grown up so much," he finally said.

"Thanks. Why don't you come in? Dinner is almost ready. Would you like
anything to drink?"

"I – uh—do you have any beer?"

"I believe we do. Would you like me to take your coat?"

He blinked, "My God, you've grown up."

She chuckled, "You said that already."


"William! How good to see you," Joyce said, coming into the room, and
giving him a peck on the cheek. "Haven't seen you in quite a while, how are
you?"

William followed Buffy out of the corner of his eye, feeling quite unable to
tear his gaze away from her as he greeted Joyce. "I'm fine, thanks. Been
busy. You know what that's like."

Joyce frowned momentarily, "Don't I ever." Then she smiled again, leaving
William to wonder what the momentary lapse had been about. "Have you
been seeing anyone?"

William chuckled and then coughed nervously when Buffy came back in the
room, glowing and beautiful and handing him a beer. "No, no, I'm not.
Thank you, Buffy."

"Welcome."

"Buffy, dear, would you mind entertaining William while I finish dinner?
Your father should be home soon."

"I made it before Hank?" William said, surprised.

"Hmm," was Buffy's tight lipped reaction while Joyce simply nodded,
smiled, and walked away.

William followed Buffy to the living room, all the while forcing himself not
to ogle her. His British upbringing should have taught him to have some
manners. Suddenly, all he'd learned seemed to be forgotten.

Settling down on the couch, somewhat tense, William watched Buffy sit
down in the rocking chair across from him. She leaned forward, putting her
elbow on her knee and resting her chin in her hand. "So, I hear my Dad
asked you to give me a position in your firm."

William gulped, feeling like a bloody git. He was thirty-five years old and
this mere slip of a girl, all of twenty, was making him sweat. "Well, now
Buffy, I had a position open so he was only looking to help me out."

Buffy smirked and sat back, looking as regal as Queen as she rocked gently
in the chair. She raised her brows at him. "You didn't have a position open.
He asked you to do it as a favor."

She was challenging him. The bloody chit was challenging him and she
knew it.

God, it was a turn on.

He sat back, relaxed, sipped his beer and smirked back. "Where's your
proof?"

"My mother told me."

William's smirk fell. "Oh. Buffy, he's just looking out for you."

She started to laugh, a light hearted laugh that sounded like a choir of
angel's. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I lied William. She didn't tell me anything. I guessed when Dad called to
tell me you were coming over for dinner tonight with an offer for me."

William stared at her for a minute before breaking out in a broad grin.
"Buffy, my dear, you're going to make a fantastic lawyer."
 

Chapter Two

Buffy couldn't get over how incredibly—well, HOT, William was. She'd always known he was good looking, but back when she'd been an annoying teenager, he was just William. Like an uncle to her. And, in her opinion back then, kind of a nerd. She remembered him wearing glasses and now he didn't, so she surmised he'd gotten contacts. Good thing too. Those incredible blue eyes did not need to be hidden. They deserved to be showcased along with those chiseled, razor sharp cheekbones and lush mouth. She bit her lip and looked up at him from where he sat across from her at the dinner table.

His eyes met hers and he smiled warmly.

She smiled back and looked back down at her plate. He was her father's best friend and he was going to be her employer for Christ's Sake. It would do no good crushing on the guy. It was pointless and besides—he was fifteen years older! She looked back up at him; he only really looked about six years older, not fifteen. All right so maybe that was stretching it a bit but –

"So Buffy, were you very homesick?" William asked her.

She looked back up at him again and forced back the response that was on the tip of her tongue to that question, and instead smiled graciously, "A bit, yes."

He smiled, "I know your dad's happy to have you home. He raves about you every chance he gets."

"I'm sure he does," she said sweetly, thinking she wanted to spit. Her father had been less than thrilled when she'd told him she was coming home. He'd calmed a bit when she told him she was going to BC, but only a bit.

"Buffy was quite the popular girl over there in California. Part of every club, excellent grades and it seemed she was always out," Joyce gushed, taking a sip of her wine. Her eyes looked slightly glassy. Buffy frowned. Great, just how much had she had?

"So you must have left a trail of broken hearts back there," William said, staring at her.

The look he was giving her made her feel hot and uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and took a sip of her water. "Not really," she said evasively, thinking of her good friend Riley, who'd apparently been harboring feelings for her because he'd begged her to stay when she'd told him she was leaving.

"Not really? Sounds like there might be," William said, grinning good-naturedly and darting glances from Hank to Joyce. He almost looked nervous.

She shook her head, evading the question, feeling her face turn hot. One thing Buffy Summers was not good at was dealing with the opposite sex; especially if she was attracted to them. Her anger at her father for getting her a job, even though he wouldn't admit to it, had spurned her on to grill William earlier, but now, under his scrutiny, she was fighting the urge to flee.

The memory of her mother's earlier question to him sparked in her mind and she smiled slyly. Well, turnabout was fair play.

"What about you? With as busy as you are, there must be a trail of broken hearts for you as well."

Hank chuckled, "If you consider a trail his –"

"Hank," William cut him off abruptly, an edge to his voice.

Buffy raised her eyebrows. Interesting.

He looked back to Buffy and then at Joyce apologetically. "You know how it is with large offices. People talk."

"But you work downstairs from my dad," Buffy pointed out.

William narrowed his eyes, "The firms are close."

She nodded and said innocently, "I see. I'll be sure not to be part of all that crazy gossip."

He gazed at her warily and she fought the urge to laugh. Throwing him off
balance was just too much fun. She knew from stories she'd heard from her father and from around town that he was an excellent lawyer, not easily shaken. She wondered how she was able to have that power.

And she hoped she'd continue to have it.

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William was wondering what had happened to the flaky girl of the past who seemed at best unobservant to anything beyond hair and make up. He almost longed for her back.

If only because this Buffy was dangerous to him. Dangerous because every challenge she posed, he wanted more. He could already see her in a courtroom, like a lion, all glorious and radiant. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, disciplining himself from thinking about her in such a lustful manner. He'd laid eyes on her for the first time in two years and in less than an hour and a half, had managed to turn him into a poncy school boy all over again instead of the powerful attorney he was. How in the bloody hell had that happened?

He fought the urge to bury his head in his hands and moan in agony. This girl was going to be working for him. She was fifteen years younger than he was, she was the daughter of his best friend and she was his employee now.
Oh yes, she also made his blood rush to certain parts of his anatomy that she'd probably be disgusted to learn he even had. He was probably just an ‘old guy' to her. For crying out loud, he could have changed her diapers at one point.

Get a grip, he told himself.

Wait—Hank had told him he didn't have to coddle her. Well, he'd said it in so many words when he'd told him he was objective. That meant he didn't have to pussy foot around this arrangement. No way. No mixing business with pleasure—not that he would, EVER, but that just meant that in the work place, she was Buffy Summers, his employee and outside she was Buffy Summers his mate's daughter. So he could be as hard on her as he was on any new person that started. Buffy had to prove her salt just like the rest. He could multi task in this: Mold her into a ruthless attorney and maybe, in the process, drive her away from his firm so he would no longer have to deal with the dirty thoughts he was currently entertaining about her.

**************************************************************
Sneaking away for a smoke before dessert, William puffed on that cigarette as if it were the last one he'd ever had. He felt as if he'd been given one last request and this was it. A cigarette. An image of Buffy infiltrated his mind and he no longer wanted the cigarette, he wanted Buffy's body under his, hot and yielding to him. Then perhaps he'd ask for the cigarette.

"Will?"

He spun, to see Buffy coming out to join him.

"Uh, hi Buffy."

"I wanted to talk with you about the job."

He nodded, "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"What exactly is the nature of my job? I mean, I know I'm going to be
working at the firm, but am I actually working with you or with one of your
partners? Am I going to be responsible for putting paper in the copier, or
something more? I just want to know what I'm walking into."

"Well, you may be starting out with filling the copier with paper at first.
Just to get your hands wet and then from there, we'll see what comes up."

She nodded, "Makes sense. I should let you know that I know how to do
simple things like put together a letter. I can take dictation and all that."

"Were you working in California?"

"I was, at a law office."

"Oh, I didn't know—your dad never told me."

"Yeah, well-"she stopped and shook her head, appearing slightly
aggravated and he wondered what was going on. "He probably forgot," she
looked up at him. "I was a receptionist. They were starting to train me on
other things so I've taken dictation and put together letters and such. I just
figured I'd give you a base as to what I've done."

"Thank you," he said nodding, "That helps."

"So, if you don't want me working directly with you due to a conflict of
interest or whatever, that's fine. As long as your partners will have me. Or,
I could be an assistant to your assistant."

William smiled at her, "We'll work it out Buffy. I'm not too worried."

"Maybe you should call me Elizabeth at work."

"What?"

"Well, I'm just thinking that Buffy sounds so . . . immature. I want to be
taken seriously."

William smiled, "Buffy, with your attitude, I don't think you have to worry
about that."

She gave him a funny look, "My attitude?"

"Not that it's bad, just saying you're already pretty uh, forceful."


She smiled, "I like that."

"How about in the presence of others I call you Elizabeth? When it's just
you and I, I can call you Buffy?"

She smiled, "Sure. So, what are my hours?"

"What can you do?"

"I can be there at two every day."

"How about we ease you—"

"Will, you're open to what time?"

"Five."

"I can handle three hours a day every day."

"See? There you are, being forceful."

"Sorry," she said and blushed.

"Don't apologize," he looked at her sheepishly, "I like it."

She shifted and looked back at the door, appearing to be done with the
conversation. "Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow at two then?"

He nodded. "Perfect."

She stuck out her hand and he pondered pretending he didn't see the
gesture. But then his hand was reaching out as if it had a mind of its own
and needed to know just how soft her hands were. Their hands slipped into
each other and he felt a jolt of energy go up his arm. He didn't want to let her hand go, but when she forcibly yanked her hand out of his grasp, he scolded himself.

Yep. He was in big trouble.
 

Chapter Three

Buffy's palms started to sweat as she ran into the vast building and charged for the elevator. She was running late on her first day. It had been a bitch of a day. It'd started that morning when she found her mother had single handedly polished off a bottle of wine on her own and had had a massive hangover that morning. When she'd asked her father if he knew anything about it, he'd snapped at her and told her to mind her own business and that her mother was an adult and could do what she wanted. She'd retorted that maybe if he spent more time at home she wouldn't have to find her solace in a bottle. He'd stormed off without giving her an answer.
Then she'd gotten to school late and found out her books for one class had to be ordered and wouldn't arrive for a week. The one good thing was that she'd made a friend with the girl in said class and she'd offered to share her book with her. Buffy just felt off and her whole day felt skewed because of it. So, arriving late almost seemed par for the course, but she was also nervous so being late only upped the ante to terrified.

When the elevator door's opened, she was greeted by the receptionist, Harmony, who looked at her as if she had seven heads. Buffy looked down at herself to make sure she wasn't dressed inappropriately or had food on her. Nope, she seemed free and clear. She wore black, boot legged pants with a pink cami and a black velvet jacket.

"I'm Elizabeth. I'm here for—"

"Bu—Elizabeth, there you are."

Buffy turned to see William coming toward her and she tried not to gulp
and stare at the sight of William in a suit. It was simple, black with a dark
blue shirt, but my God, he was gorgeous. Great, now her palms were
sweating and her mouth had gone dry. In what universe did that happen
in?

"Hi, uh, Mr. Madden, I'm sorry I'm late—"

"Elizabeth, you can call me William," he smiled down at her. "You look a
little flushed, you all right?"

"Yeah, I just ran here."

"Busy first day of school?"

"You could say that. I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's all right. Only ten minutes."

"Still."

He grinned. "You have a great work ethic, I see." He looked over at
Harmony, "Some could learn from that," he said pointedly.

Harmony just smiled and shrugged.

William took her arm, leading her down a wide hallway. The offices on the
floor had been there for a long time, and yet they looked brand new still. All
wood and brass with dark carpeting, it was at once aesthetically pleasing
and intimidating.

"I want to introduce you to the partners and to my assistant," William told
her.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Are you nervous?"

She looked up at him, his eyes dancing with humor. "Terrified," she
admitted.

"Don't be, Buffy. You're going to do great."

He knocked on a heavy wooden door and a voice chirped, "Come in!"
Entering the room, they found a man sitting against a huge window
overlooking the city and drumming a pen on his desk blotter. He stood and
smiled. "This must be Elizabeth," he said warmly and came around the
desk. He was slightly shorter than William, lean, with blue eyes, glasses and
a thin smile. His hair was coiffed perfectly and his suit appeared impeccable
and expensive.

"Wesley Wyndham Pyrce," he said and stuck out his hand.

"Hi, Elizabeth Summers," she said and gave him a firm shake. "Nice to
meet you."

"Same here. Your father is a nice man."

If you say so, Buffy thought. "Thanks."

"Angel here, Wesley?" Spike asked.

"I believe he's in the conference room with a client."

"Well, you can meet him later then. Let me show you around and introduce
you to my assistant."

Buffy nodded mutely and followed William out Wesley's door and down the
hall.

"Wesley comes off as if he's uptight and extremely proper," William told
her as they rounded the corner of the hallway, "and he is—"

Buffy giggled.

William chuckled, "But he's a good guy and he'd give you the shirt off his
back."

"And Angel?"

William smiled, "Angel O' Connor is a good guy. He's tough, but kind. Really
just a marshmallow underneath it all. He's the one that gave me the job."

"And your assistant?" Buffy asked slyly.

William looked down at her. "What has your father told you?"

"She's got the hots for you."

William rolled his eyes. "She's made it known a few times that she's
interested, however—"

Buffy started to giggle. "Gotcha again. He didn't tell me anything. I guessed."

"Buffy, you've got to stop doing that," he said, but he was smiling.

"Why stop when it's so much fun?"

"I don't believe she's interested any longer. At least she's stopped making a
passes at me. I made it clear to her that I valued her as my assistant yet
that was as far as it could and would go."

"Very diplomatic of you, Mr. Madden," Buffy teased.

"Why thank you Miss Summers," he said graciously, grinning down at her
and making her blush.

"Hello, William. This must be Elizabeth."

The pair looked up to see a dark haired woman with haunting eyes and
ruby red lips watching them intently.

"Ah, here she is. This is Drusilla, my assistant. She will teach you
everything you need to know Buffy," William said kindly, smiling gently at
Drusilla.

Drusilla smiled, but it was forced. "So, you're Hank Summer's daughter.
How nice." And yet, she sounded as if it were anything but.

Buffy nodded and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you Drusilla."

Dru took her hand daintily and drew back. She looked up at William. "I've
received copies of the Smith deposition."

"Excellent," William nodded. "I'm just showing Elizabeth around. Do you
happen to know if Angel is out of his meeting yet?"

"Yes, he's just gotten out. He's in his office."

"Thank you, Dru."

"Would you like me to make copies of the deposition and send them off to
Attorney Jackson?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Dru."

"You're welcome, William."

William took hold of Buffy's elbow and led her down the hall. She looked up
at him once they were out of earshot. "Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure she's gotten the hint?"

He looked down at her, "What do you mean?"

"She seemed kind of intense."

"It's just the way she is. She takes her job very seriously."

"Whatever you say, Will," she muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, stopping in the hall and facing
her. He didn't look angry though, just inquisitive.

She shrugged, "I just think that maybe you have a lot to learn about
women."

"Oh?"

"I think she's lying if she said she was okay with just being your assistant."

"Really," he said, interested and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to
continue.

Buffy was starting to fidget and she found she couldn't look at him. "Just
women's intuition," she mumbled.

"Do you think it could possibly be you thought that only because you knew
she had feelings for me at one time?"

She looked up at him and said firmly, "No. I could tell by the way she
wouldn't shake my hand and the way she was staring at us. She was
probably watching us for a while before she made herself known."

"She's always been like that. I really think it's just her."

"Do you have a rabbit, William?"

He grinned at her. "You're saying I've got Glenn Close a la Fatal Attraction
working for me?"

"You said it, I didn't."

He gazed at her, his expression turning tender as he beheld her. "You've
changed so much Buffy."

Her body was getting hot. "Thanks. Um, Angel?"

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Yes, of course," and he turned a corner
and came to another door.

Just as he about to rap on it, the door swung open. A tall man with dark
hair styled so that it spiked up at the top, broad shoulders and a full face
greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hi," he said and stuck out his hand to Buffy. "You must be Elizabeth."

Buffy looked up at William. "Is there anyone who doesn't know who I am?"

Angel chuckled, "Probably not. Nice to meet you. I'm –"

"Angel," Buffy supplied for him, grinning.

He chuckled. "Yes, that's me. I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time to chat
but I'm headed to the hospital."

Buffy looked alarmed and William placed a hand on her arm, "It's all right,
luv—"

Love? Buffy thought.

"Angel's wife has her first ultrasound today. He promised he'd be there."

"Yes, and if I don't get going, she's going to have my head," Angel said and
grabbed his briefcase and jacket off the loveseat in his office. He swished
past them at the door. "Nice to meet you Elizabeth. Don't let William scare
you."

"Oh he won't," Buffy chirped and waved to him.

Suddenly she was very aware of William's presence behind her, his body
heat warming her as he whispered huskily in her ear, "Sure about that?"

Buffy gulped.
 

Chapter Four


"Buffy, do you have that letter of Intent I dictated to you done yet?" William asked; coming into the spare office they'd cleaned up just enough on short notice to give to Buffy.

She bit her lip, "Sort of."

He frowned, "What do you mean sort of?" he came around her desk where she was perched on the edge of her seat, staring at the screen in which it appeared a thousand windows were open. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out how to do it."

"What do you mean? You said you'd done letters before."

"I have, but when I did it and asked Dru to look it over, she said it was wrong. So I asked her to show me the correct way to do it and she talked in circles and told me to check all these different places for the format and then I got so confused, I didn't know what I was doing anymore." She sounded positively forlorn and all William wanted to do was take her in his arms and soothe her. It didn't help that her warm patchouli scent was settling over him, surrounding him and it was a scent his senses had already filed away as purely Buffy.

"Do you have the original letter you did?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Why not?"

"She shredded it."

William's eyes widened. "Where the bloody hell is she?"

"She said she had to go. She had an appointment—"

"Dammit, that's right. She told me she had to leave early today. Balls. You don't have it saved anywhere on the computer?"

Buffy nodded, "I do," and she clicked on one of the minimized windows, bringing it up.

William looked it over. "You just need a comma right there," he pointed at the screen and she punched in a comma. And then you just need to put what drive the letter came from and what it's called and you're done. The letter is fine Buffy."

Buffy looked up at him, "I told you she hated me."

William stared at her, hating how lost she looked. Gone was the confident woman he'd given the tour to just two hours before. "I'll talk to her," he promised.
"No!" Buffy said forcefully, shaking her head. "How will that look? Not only did Daddy get me a job, but then his best friend has to go and defend me like I'm a child and can't take care of myself?"

"Buffy—"

"I will take care of Dru," Buffy said resolutely and looked up at William.

"Buffy, I don't have to let on that I know what she was did or was trying to do."

"That might be true, but she'll know just the same. I'm an adult, somewhat; I don't want you or my father having to fight my battles for me."

"It's part of my job to make sure the work environment is harmonious," he told her, her stubbornness grating on him. He just wanted to help, why couldn't she just let him help?

"I can take care of it William," Buffy said stubbornly, grabbing the letter from the printer and stuffing it into an envelope.

"God, when did you become so damn stubborn?" he grumbled.

She stood and smiled, "I've always been stubborn William, you just didn't know me well enough back then."

"I didn't know you at all," he murmured as he watched her pink tongue dart out and lick the envelope. The act was positively mesmerizing and if he knew what she was doing to him, she probably would never lick another envelope in his presence again.
"No big deal," she said and shrugged. "I was a dumb teenager."

"Not dumb, not to be where you are now."

"I played at being dumb then. Thought it would get me friends; and it did. I learned they were not the friends I really wanted though."

"Growing and evolving is all part of growing up," he said, perching himself on the edge of her desk.

"Not just part of growing up; part of life."

"What are you doing now?"

She blinked. "Going home?"

"How about you let me take you out for dinner?" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. It was, after all, what he wanted. He hadn't planned on actually asking her though. He feared it was crossing a boundary, he feared spending time with her outside of the office would make him want more, and possible generate office gossip that he didn't need nor want. He feared he'd do something stupid with her.

He feared she'd say no.

"Uh, well—"

And again, before he could stop himself, "Please, I insist."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Is this part of the deal with my Dad? Get Buffy out of the house?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion, "No, why would that be part of the deal?"

She shook her head, "Nothing, never mind." She pointed at him, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Don't think you can convince me to let you talk to Dru either."

He grinned, "Wouldn't think of it. I just want to –" Get to know you better, spend more time with you, not let you of my sight – all sounded good and all sounded dangerous. "Think of it as a first day perk."

She grinned saucily at him and tilted her head to the side. "No wonder Dru got the wrong idea."

"I never took Dru out, there was no ‘idea' to get."

The words, more the possible implication of those words, hung between them and William wanted to kick himself. Down boy, he told himself. And when he saw her start to fidget nervously and then turn away from him, it was time to recover the situation. However, he wasn't sure just how to do that. He was aware that anything said at that point would be seen as him trying to recover the situation. Buffy had already proven her ability to get to the bottom of a situation and see through bullshit.

"Buffy, I'm sorry, I was just teasing you. You don't have to join me for dinner—"

She surprised him by spinning around and smiling, albeit nervously, "It's okay William. You're practically part of the family, right? So it's no big deal. Kind of like an uncle to me, right?"

He nodded dumbly; feeling very much not like an uncle at all, but a dirty old man.

"Great. Do you mind if we stop by and see my dad first?"

Trying to further salvage the situation, William added, "Maybe he could come with us."

"Maybe," she chirped and headed for the door. She turned to him. "Coming?"

William swallowed, "Coming." I wish, he thought.

**************************************************************************************************

"Do you mind if I call home?" Buffy asked as she and William made their way out of Hank's offices. Hank had already gone home it appeared.

"Not at all," William said.

She whipped out her cell and pushed a couple buttons as they rode the elevator to the first floor. She clicked it shut a minute later and frowned, slipping the phone in her purse. "No answer."

"Maybe they went out for dinner, "William offered.

"Maybe," she said distractedly.

He studied her; she looked perplexed. "What's going on, Buffy?" he asked.

Her head jerked to him, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so concerned about what's going on at home? Something's up. You want to tell me about it?"

"No."

"Fair enough, but since I've been around for the past couple years, maybe I know something you don't."
"Maybe," she said evasively. "But I doubt it."

"How would you know?" he asked, slightly exasperated.

"Because I know my father." The elevator door dinged open and she stepped out. "So, where are we going?"

"How do you feel about Italian?" He decided to let the comment about Hank go and file it away for later. She'd talk when she was ready and he wasn't going to cross-examine her; he was learning that that would make her clam up more. He wanted her to tell him things willingly.

"As it so happens, I like Italian," she said and smiled brightly at him.


"So, tell me about the string of broken hearts you've left behind," William said over dessert. They'd had a great dinner and William found himself becoming more and more enraptured by her. She was inquisitive, smart, and funny. Her laugh and smile touched something deep inside him. He always wanted to make her laugh and smile.

She rolled her eyes, "There wasn't a string."

"Come on," he goaded her lightly.

"Well, there was this one guy," she admitted slowly and took a bite of her Toll House cheese cake.

He watched her, thinking dirty thoughts and finding himself jealous of a bloody fork.

"And?" William urged her.

"His name was Riley. I thought we were just friends but when I told him I was leaving he begged me to stay. There was an awkward kiss that followed."

William chuckled thinking ‘What a ponce', and said "Are you planning to keep in touch with him?"

"Not bloody likely," she said cheekily and he grinned. "What about you? You know what they say William, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'"

"Then I guess I'm dull. I work too much and then I don't feel like doing much but getting home and watching crap TV."

"Do you visit my parents often?"

"Not often, no," he admitted sheepishly.

She gave him a look that said she caught his bluff, but continued on, "How long has Dru been working for you?"

"Couple years now."

"And how many times has she come on to you?"

Will sat back, "I had an idea that she had a crush on me when she first started, but I figured if I ignored it, she'd get the hint and it'd go away."

"Didn't work that way though, did it?" Buffy said, grinning.

"No, it didn't. She just came out one day and said ‘I like you Will and I think we should date.' She went on to tell me how great we'd be together and that she was a wild cat in bed—" He stopped when Buffy coughed on her cheesecake. "All right?"

"Didn't expect that. So, the wild cat thing didn't get you?"

"No. Her being my assistant and me being professional, I declined." Though being professional, he thought, seemed to have flown out the bloody window since you came round.

"How noble of you," Buffy quipped.

He smiled, "I try."

"She's testing me, I know that. Probably doesn't like how I just floated in like I have and thinks I'm an airhead. She wants you all to herself."

"And how do you plan to remedy that, Buffy?" he asked huskily, leaning forward, entranced by the light in her eyes.

She shook her head at him, eyes twinkling with humor. "Now, now William. Can't give you all my secrets. Don't worry. I'll only take her out if I absolutely have to."

William laughed. "Buffy, I have a feeling things are going to be lightening up at that office with you around."

 

Chapter Five

William walked Buffy to the door, apologizing for keeping her out so late on a school night.

"Would you stop saying that?" she scolded him. "It makes me feel as if I'm
in high school and you're my sugar daddy. I am an adult now, William, it's
okay."

He stepped back from her and nodded, looking guilty about something she
wasn't quite sure what. Then he looked back up at her. "Thanks for keeping
me company tonight, Buffy."

I'll keep you company every night William if you want me to, she thought
but instead she nodded. "Thank you for dinner."

"Sure you don't want me to talk to Dru?" he teased.

She smiled, "I'm sure."

He stared at her for a long moment before bidding her goodnight and
leaving her there on her doorstep feeling things she probably had no right
feeling about William. Lust to name but one. Waving to him as he drove
away, she sighed heavily and unlocked the door, entering her dark and
quiet house.

She held her breath and flicked on the lights, glancing up at the clock on
the wall that was in her line of vision in the dining room. Eleven. Her
parents were in bed by now. And my God, she'd been out with William
since they left at five-thirty? How was that possible? Oh yes, she smiled at
the memory. After dinner they'd gone to a nearby book store, Buffy
determined to find the book she needed for her class before it came in on
order. She just felt unprepared despite her classmate's kindness and the
bookstore assuring her it would be in soon.

The both of them had gotten caught up chatting and browsing the large
bookstore, having earned their share of glares from fellow browsers.

"Why does it feel like a library when you come to one of these bookstores?"
William whispered to her as he followed her through the New Age section.
She'd stopped abruptly and burst into a fit of giggles when he collided with
her back. She reached for a book on signs, and turned to him. He was
smiling down at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement and something
tender that made her warm all over.

"Sit with me," he said then, descending to the floor and making himself
comfortable, his long legs stretched out. He patted the spot next to him and
she plunked herself down with a shrug and they'd perused through the
book on signs, dissecting themselves and the people they knew. They'd
laughed and poked fun at each other and others and Buffy knew by the end
of the evening what was happening to her.

She was crushing big time on William.

And why not? He was smart, funny, gorgeous, direct, sweet, chivalrous,
kind and –oh God, she had it bad. She wanted more adjectives to add to
that list. She wanted to know what he wore when he sat alone in his living
room watching crap TV. She wanted to know what it would feel like
receiving a hug from him; she wanted to know what his apartment looked
like.

She wanted to know everything.

There had been definite moments when she thought he might want to
know the same about her, but then she dismissed it. He was her father's
best friend and he was doing her a favor – really her father a favor—by
giving her a job. He was just looking out for her. That was all it was.

That was all it could be.

Dru popped in her mind then. Dru wanting him; Dru laughing with him the
way she had; Dru seducing him. Nope, she couldn't see it. William was fun,
Dru –from the short time she'd known the woman—was too serious.
William loved to laugh, he needed a woman that could make him laugh and
that he could make laugh in return.

But it couldn't be her. No, it couldn't be. And she was loathe to make a fool
out of herself the way Dru had. Not that she could anyway. She was not
exactly the great seducer of men. Intimacy tended to make her nervous
only because she was grossly inexperienced and never knew what to DO.

And William definitely knew what to do which was why he wouldn't want to
waste his time on her.

Not that he could.

She shook her head. Talking herself in circles had just tuckered her out and
Buffy tried to firmly shove William out of her mind as she made her way up
the stairs to bed. Instead, she pondered what her parents had done that
night and hoped that instead of spending the night apart, they'd spent the
night together and at least had half the fun she'd had.

******************************************************************


The next afternoon, Buffy found herself having a better day. However, she was slightly nervous about facing Dru. She was hoping that William had kept his promise and hadn't said anything to her. She was also wondering if anything had changed between her and William. Did he regret spending so much time with her the night before? Did he feel that maybe he'd been leading her on and maybe he was afraid now that she'd developed a wildly inappropriate crush on him?

Or, she was just paranoid.

So, she entered the office with her head held high. She did learn from her
father that if you at least appeared confident, then the world saw you as
confident. Even if you were trembling inside.

"Hi, Harmony," Buffy said to the flaky receptionist who again stared at
disapprovingly. Making her way down the hall to her office, she kept a
lookout for William and saw neither hide nor hair of him.

Entering her office she found Dru placing some files on her desk. She
looked up at Buffy, expressionless. "William asked me to put some files on
your desk. He has some notes inside of what he wishes you to do with
them."

"Thank you, Drusilla," Buffy said.

"Were you able to get the letter done in time yesterday?" Dru asked as she
started on her way out the door.

"Yes, I was. I know what you were trying to do, Dru."

Dru stopped and turned to her, "And just what was I trying to do?"

"I'm not stupid Drusilla so don't treat me like I am. I'm not here to step on
your toes all right? I'm here to do my job and in actuality, I end up helping
you out more than I do William. I'd really like it if we could get along. I
know that my father had a hand in getting me this job, but I am going to
school; studying to be an attorney so it's not like I'm just playing a game
here. Do you think we could possibly try to get along and work together
instead of against each other?"

Dru pursed her lips together, "Very well then." And with that, she was
gone.

Buffy stared at the open door Dru had just retreated from. That was it?
That was all she had to say? Buffy shook her head and opened the files left
on her desk. Well fine, she thought. "Maybe she expected me to yell at
her," Buffy muttered to herself. "I think I handled that quite professionally.
Dad would have been proud. Maybe she wanted a catfight—"

"Do you usually talk to yourself?"

Buffy's head jerked up and felt her face turning twenty shades of red.
William was leaning against the doorjamb looking out of this world gorgeous
–again with the sexy suit!—and smiling at her.

She smiled shyly, "Yeah, I do it all the time."

"Do you answer yourself too?"

"Of course."

He chuckled. "I do it too." He came into the room fully and shut the door
behind him. "I just saw Dru leave. You talk to her?"

Buffy nodded, "I did. I told her basically that I wanted us to work together
instead of against each other. I tried to point out that I was helping her out
in the long run and that I wasn't trying to take her job."

"Well done, Buffy."

"I also told her that I would never get in her way of trying to have hot
monkey sex with you."

William burst out laughing. "No you didn't."

She smiled, "No, I didn't."

He came closer, walking around her desk and perching next to her. He
tapped the files on her desk. "I see she gave them to you."

Buffy nodded, her mouth again going dry with his proximity. It didn't help
that his eyes were boring into hers and she was having a damn hard time
turning away.

"Let me make sure she didn't fudge with anything here," William
murmured and grabbed them, perusing through them. He placed them
back down on her desk. "Pretty straight-forward stuff. A couple letters, a
couple faxes. Let me know if you need help all right?"

She nodded.

"Was your day better today?"

She nodded again.

He grinned, "Don't have anything to say to me? Am I not as good a
conversationalist as you are with yourself?"

She laughed quietly, "Sorry."

"Come see me before you leave," and he got up, walking toward the door.

"Sure thing," she said lightly. Sure thing? She thought to herself. Who says
that?

*****************************************************************

A light rap on her door jarred Buffy from her task and she looked over to
see Angel standing in the doorway grinning at her. "Hey, got a minute?"

"Yes, yes I do. What's up?" she asked, swiveling her chair towards him.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing. How are you doing?"

She giggled, "I'm doing well, thanks."

"William not scaring you?"

"No, but with all this talk about how scary he is, I might get nervous."

Angel shook his head, "Nah, he's not all that scary. Well, he can be, but only
when necessary. He's really just a teddy bear inside. You've known him a
while huh?"

"Sort of. He and my Dad are friends, but I never really knew him much. He
was just …"

"Your dad's weird friend?" Angel joked, sitting down on the chair across
from her desk.

She laughed, "Exactly. How's your wife?"

Angel's smile grew tender, his eyes softening even more. "She's doing
great. We're having a boy."

"Awww, congratulations."

"Thanks. She took the pictures to work today –she's an elementary school
teacher –I'm bringing them in tomorrow."

"I'd love to see them."

"How is Dru treating you?" Angel asked, his voice dropping to an almost
whisper.

"She's uh –okay, "Buffy said slowly.

"Don't let her get to you. She's intense."

"No kidding, really?"

Angel laughed.

"Don't you have some work to do O'Connor?" William said, coming in the
door.

Angel looked over his shoulder. "Actually heading on my way out. Just
wanted to say hello to Elizabeth." He jumped up and shot Buffy a grin. "See
ya. I'll bring the pictures round tomorrow."

"Can't wait. Bye Angel."

William raised a brow, "Pictures?"

"She wanted to see me in my Speedo," Angel said seriously. He shrugged,
"Too cold to wear that alone, but I have pictures."

William glared at him and Angel broke up laughing as he walked out the
door.

William drew his gaze to hers.

"Pictures from the ultrasound," Buffy clarified.

William nodded. "How's it going?"

"Good. Just have to fax this," she whipped out a paper from the printer,
"And I'm done."

"So you got my email?"

"Yep, got your email and ordered the files you need for tomorrow."

"Have dinner with me again."

The sudden shift and the demand in which that request was made caused
Buffy to become slightly disoriented. "What?"

"Sorry, I meant that to come out as a question. Will you have dinner with
me again?"

I should say no . . . "Yes, William. I'll have dinner with you again."
 

Chapter Six

William was thinking he really needed to think before he spoke. It was as if he didn't have any lease on his brain anymore. He just didn't want to part from her company, from her very presence. He'd thought about her all night, tossing and turning, dreaming of her. He felt like a schoolboy again, unable to wait to see his object of affection the next day.

Why don't you just have Angel pass her a note in the hall you bloody
wanker, he scolded himself.

And then, THEN he didn't even ASK her like a normal person, instead
it'd come out as this demand laced with desperation and fear of rejection.

Simply pathetic.

Now they sat across from each other and he was fighting the urge to
reach across the table and take her hand in his.

It'd be easy to dismiss if he could chalk it up to not having had sex in a
long time and just finding her attractive in a purely physical sense. If he
could chalk it up to just wanting to get laid, he'd be able to control himself so
much better. Especially since she was Hank's daughter and if Hank found
out, he'd have his head on a platter.

Not that he'd blame him.

Yet, it was not just purely physical with Buffy. It had started out that
way, yes, but now it was turning into something more. He enjoyed being in
her company. It was as if the world melted away when he was with her and
all he cared about was learning more about her, talking to her, getting her
thoughts and opinions on things. She was bright, vibrant, passionate, witty
and sweet. She had a dark side too, from what he could tell, and he wanted
to learn more. He wanted to crawl inside her head and learn every part of
her. And, of course, he wanted to know her body just as well. He wanted to
know if her lips were as soft as they looked and how they would feel under
his lips. He wanted to know if her body was firm or soft, he wanted to bury
his nose in her hair and smell her shampoo. When had he ever wanted to do
that with a woman?

Never, as far as he could remember.

He loved the way her nose wrinkled in disgust at something or the way her
eyes twinkled when she teased him. He loved watching her shift from
playful banter to serious conversation.

He felt free. Simply free. And it was all because of her.

Now he watched her as she gazed out at the dance floor, a wistful look on
beautiful face while she watched couple sway to the soft, melodious music.

"Would you like to dance, Buffy?" he asked huskily.

She jerked her head to him, blushing prettily and he felt hope take bloom.
Was she shy about dancing with him?

"I have two left feet," she told him.

He shook his head, dismissing the idea. "I doubt that. Come on," he stood
and held out his hand.

She looked fearful and doubtful and frowned slightly as she looked at his
hand.

"Please?" he asked.

"I could cripple you. I'm not much of a ‘slow dancer," she warned him and
slid her soft, warm hand in his. He wanted to close his eyes and savor just
that.

Straighten up, mate! He barked at himself. Then she smiled and all was
lost.

His heart was hammering in his chest at the thought of having her body
pressed against his filled him with bittersweet anticipation.

Hi, Buffy, maybe you didn't know, but I'm really seventeen bloody years
old, he chastised himself. And then he gathered her close and his mind
processed: soft, warm, Buffy.

Apparently, he was also turning caveman.

He cleared his throat nervously and when she placed her hand on his
shoulder and looked up at him, he smiled and relaxed. "Hi."

She smiled back, "Hi."

One arm around her waist and her hand in his, William felt bold enough to
lean in and sniff her shampoo. Fragrant and light and Buffy.

She stepped on his foot and he chuckled. She looked up at him, red-faced.
"I'm sorry. I warned you that might happen. Do you want to stop?" and she
started to pull away.

He held on tighter, "No, I don't want to stop, Buffy."

Their eyes locked and William was lost. "Buffy—"

"Did you see my father today at all?" she blurted out.

William blinked, switching gears in his mind, going from wanting to be
honest about his attraction to her to Hank. That was like cold water.

A cold reminder of the dangerous ground he was treading.

"I—No, I didn't."

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Buffy, can you tell me yet what's going on?"

Looking up at him, she studied him for a long moment before speaking.
"Can I trust you?"

He nodded, "Buffy, your secrets are safe with me. We're friends now,
yeah?"

She nodded and looked down, blushing again.

"Then you can tell me anything."

She looked back up at him, "I think my father is cheating on my mother."

He stared at her, disbelief being his first reaction. "What?"

She stopped and stepped away from him then. "Sorry, I just—I just don't
feel like dancing anymore."

"Ok, then we won't dance," he said gallantly and took her hand back in his.
"Instead, we'll go and talk," and he started for their table.

"Will—" she started and tugged on his hand.

"I want to help, Buffy, please let me," he said stopping and turning to her.

"Look, you don't have to get involved in this."

"Buffy, all I want to do is talk to you."

Sighing heavily, she nodded her consent.


******************************************************************
"So, tell me why you think your father is cheating on your mother," William implored after he'd shuttled them into what Buffy was beginning to think of as ‘their bookstore'. Which was funny considering this was only the second time they'd been there. It was funny how she was starting to latch on to each and every little thing they did. She supposed that's what happened when you had a crush—little things meant everything; words, gentle touches, romantic dances . . .

It also made you do stupid things when your feelings became intense and nerves took reign over reason. For example: Telling your father's best friend you believe he's having an affair.

Smooth move, Ex-lax, Buffy thought as she sipped her mocha iced latte.

William was waiting patiently, watching her and she felt as if she were being
examined under a microscope. She decided to resort to being a child. "Do I
hafta?" she asked on a slight whine. "Can we forget I said anything?"

He shook his head, "Fraid not. Cat's out of the bag, Buffy. It explains a lot
actually."

She looked at him warily, "Pray tell."

"The tight, fake smile you get whenever your father is mentioned, the tone
you take when talking about him, the worry you had over his whereabouts
last night and your watching your mother like a hawk the night I came over
for dinner. Not to mention the comments you made yesterday."

She stared at him, aghast. "You picked up on all that?"

He chuckled, "It wasn't that hard, Buffy."

God, if he could read her that well, then what else could he see? Her cheeks
flamed red. Blush number two hundred for the evening. All time record
folks. Briefly she wondered if The Guiness Book of World Records held a
spot for blushing profusely.

"It's awkward, William."

He titled his head to the side, studying her. He was waiting, a silent nudge.

"I just want to let you know that you suck," she told him resignedly.

He chuckled, "I know."

"The reason why I think my father is having an affair," she began as if
beginning a dissertation, "The clichéd reasons: Home late, no
communication going on between them—"

"You were away at school, Buffy. How can you know if there is no
communication going on?"

"Because my mother talks when she's drunk. Which was another reason.
She's been drinking more than usual lately. She polished off that whole
bottle of wine when you came over for dinner Will. My mother is not much
of a drinker. Well, she never used to be anyway. I noticed towards the end
of the semester that she'd been drinking a lot. And the story was always
the same: Dad was coming home late; Dad was out with a client." She took a
deep breath. "I came home to investigate, maybe put the kibosh on my
mother's drinking and to my father's possible extramarital activities." And
fat lot of help I've been to my poor mother. You say ‘jump' and I say ‘how
high William?'

"Does Hank know?"

"I think he suspects I suspect him. I think that's why he was less than
thrilled about me coming back home."

"Buffy, your father loves you—"

"Spare me. He loved the old Buffy that was his little puppet and did what
she was told and didn't ask questions. He loved that I had chosen to go into
the legal field."

"Don't you like the legal field?"

"I do, actually. But I think he avoids me now because he's afraid I'll start
cross-examining him."

"Do you know where they were last night?"

Buffy shook her head and fiddled with the napkin on the table. "They were
in bed by the time I got home and I was gone before my mom woke up and
my dad had already left for the office."

"I've been keeping you from doing your daughterly duties," Will observed,
sounding slightly—just slightly—guilty.

"Well, last night they were clearly not there," she said to assuage him.
Tonight though, she thought, who knows? I am powerless to resist you
William Madden.

"I wish I could be of more help, Buffy. If your father is having an affair, I
can honestly say I know nothing about it. I'm afraid I haven't been coming
around much lately, being busy on my own with work—"

"And watching crap TV?" she teased.

He grinned, "Exactly."

"It's not like you would think to do that, Will. You and my father are
friends, it's not like you'd think something like that about him."

William sighed. "I know. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No!" Buffy said forcefully and then looked around, wondering just how
loud that was. People staring at her gave her the answer. "Don't talk to him
about it, please Will," she very nearly begged. "Just let me handle it okay?'

William frowned and nodded, "All right. I'll butt out. For now."

"No, for good."

"Buffy, if he is then it's part of my job as the best mate to tell him he's being
a colossal asshole—"

"By all means, let him know when he's told you or you've caught him. NOT
because I told you."

He sighed, "Fine."

"Thank you."

Silence for a beat, then, "Buffy, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I'm glad you came home, no matter what the reason is."

Her pulse raced, her heart fluttered. "Thank you William."


 

Chapter Seven

Over the next couple days, William had stopped asking her out to dinner. Buffy was kicking herself for telling William her suspicions about Hank for a whole new reason now.
However, it did give her the opportunity to come home and
see what the what was around the house. Besides, how
many dinners could the man buy? Even if he was a
successful attorney; and even when she had offered to pay
her way, he had flatly refused.

One night, Hank came home late and Buffy had taken Joyce out to a movie. The next night, Hank came home at a reasonable hour and the three had dinner together, a tense dinner, but dinner nonetheless. Then he’d taken Joyce out for
ice cream. Buffy guessed he was covering. When she asked
him if he was feeling guilty about anything he’d ignored her.

Buffy was feeling antsy concerning William. She was
hoping he would have asked what she was doing over the
weekend, maybe ask her out again. She supposed she could
have asked him out, though the idea nearly sent her
hyperventilating.

Her new friend at school, Willow Rosenberg, a red
headed pixie, had asked her if she wanted to come out on
Saturday and attend a club by the name of ‘Envy’. Buffy
agreed, figuring a night out with some new people would
keep her occupied and keep her thoughts off William.

By the time Saturday evening rolled around, Buffy
was more than ready to go out. She’d dutifully spent sometime at home and now she needed to get out. She wanted to be going out with William. The thought struck her that perhaps he’d figured out her feelings for him and had decided it was best he distance himself. The thought cut her deeply.

She dolled herself up for the night. Not dressing for the crisp, cool weather Buffy wore black boot cut pants and a top held together by three ties on the back: One up on her neck, another across her shoulder blades and the other across her lower back. She fluffed out her hair and darkened her makeup for a dramatic effect. She smiled at herself in the mirror and practically ran out of the house when Willow honked for her, making note that Hank was holed up in his study and Joyce was blankly watching TV.

The girls chattered on excitedly and Willow told her all about her boyfriend Oz they’d be meeting up with along with Xander and Anya who would be joining them after their movie. Buffy grumbled that she’d the loser without a date and Willow assured her it wouldn’t matter.

Donning her stamp that clearly stated she could not drink at the fine establishment called ‘Envy,’ Willow led Buffy through the crowd. There was a live band there that night and Buffy wanted to cut loose and dance her little heart out. She felt a pang of sadness when she recalled her dance with William and how she wished he was there with her now.

Gyrating to the music, Buffy let herself go all the while imagining that William was there with her, behind her, his hands on her hips as she moved to the music, whispering how much he wanted her in her ear.

It was a fantasy, nothing she ever expected to happen, or, would be able to handle if it DID happen. She’d be much too nervous to actually have him there with her in such an intimate fashion. But God, how her body yearned for it. Her eyes scanning the crowd, she perused without much thought until—

Her eyes widened and she stopped dancing.

“Buffy?” Willow asked.

“Oh, uh, hold on. I think I see someone I know.”
Without another word, she made her way through the crowd
wanting to get to --

“William,” she said, tapping his shoulder as he leaned
over the bar. He turned to her and his eyes widened.

“Buffy!”

She smiled, “Hi, what are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know that you would be here,” he said,
looking distracted. “Buffy—“

“Hey Will, did you get my drink?”

Buffy turned her head as if in slow motion, having
already recognized the voice as female. She turned to see a
buxom blond with full pouty lips and big blue eyes smiling at
William and sending her the ‘get the hell away from him’ signal
with her eyes.

Buffy now knew what a punch to the stomach felt
like. Scratch that, she’d rather the punch than the all
encompassing . . . PAIN. She wanted to scratch the bimbo’s
eyes out, kick William between his legs and she wanted to
run. All at once. Suddenly there didn’t seem to be enough air
in the club. It was if all the air had gotten sucked out and
Buffy was having a hard time breathing. Could she have an
onset of claustrophobia?

“I’m sorry, I interrupted your date—“

“Buffy—“ William started.

“I’m just going to go back to my friend. I’ll see you later
William.” And she practically ran to Willow, fighting tears. So
much for crap TV, she thought, now I know why he didn’t
ask what I was doing this weekend and thank GOD I never
asked him!

“Buffy, are you all right?” Willow asked when Buffy
approached their table.

“Yeah, I think something didn’t quite—Hi, you must be
Oz!” It was the fake chirpiness that probably accounted for
the odd look Oz was giving her. He was cute. Red hair,
short, green penetrating eyes. Penetrating eyes. . . William.

“Hi, Buffy. How are you?”

“Great. Fantastic.”

He looked over at Willow who jumped at Buffy, “Want
something to drink?”

“No, not at all. Not ever again do I want to go near that
bar.”

“Buffy, what happened?” Willow asked,
concerned. “Who did you see?”

Suddenly, Buffy just didn’t want to be there anymore.
She wanted to be away. Far, far away from William and his
DATE and just . . . gone.

“I’m not feeling too well, Wills, I think I’m gonna go.”

Willow grabbed her arm, “No, don’t go. We’ll dance;
you were having fun when we were dancing.”

“No, I just . . . I gotta go—“

“How are you going to get home?”

“Cab. I’ll call a cab.”

“Buffy—“

“I do it all the time, I’ve got my phone. I’ll be all right.”

Snatching her purse and excusing herself again,
Buffy weaved her way through the crowd. Her heart was
racing with anticipation of possibly seeing William and his
date. The thought filled her with dread, so she kept her head
down on the way out.

Once outside, the cool night air hit her and she
relaxed a bit. Just a bit. She was at least able to breathe.
God, who was she? How did he meet her and when? She
knew it was ridiculous to feel betrayed, and it wasn’t that
she felt that really, she had no claim on him – only in her
fantasy world she did. She was a kid to him, that’s all. A kid
that he was probably –Oh God!! Hank WAS having an affair
and he’d told William to occupy her. He was just playing a
part for her father.

That bastard.

“Buffy, God, there you are.”

Buffy whirled around to see William standing there,
red-faced and breathing slightly heavy.

She glared at him, “What do you want?”

He seemed taken back by the coldness in her tone. “I
wanted to talk to you Buffy and tell you about my . . . that. . .
my. . . “

“Date?” Buffy supplied.

“Buffy—“

“Just admit it.”

“What?”

“Forget it, you don’t owe me—I’m going home William.
I’ll see you on Monday,” and she turned to walk away.

He grabbed her arm. “You’re not walking home.”

“No shit I’m not walking home, I’m calling a cab. Now
let me go.”

“No.”

“Goddammit William, let me go!”

“Buffy, stop and listen to me—“

“No, I hate you right now!”

“No, you don’t, Buffy,” he said deeply.

“Don’t start treating me like a child and don’t put me on
the stand!”

“I’m not –“

“Don’t you have a date to get back to?”

“She left.”

Buffy took pause, “Why?”

“It wasn’t working out.”

“So she just left? You let her leave in a cab, but you won’t let
me?”

“She called a friend.”

“Oh.” She was beginning to feel her ire leave, the fight was
fleeing. She felt ridiculous. She’d made a fool of herself. If he
didn’t know before how she felt, then he surely knew now.
Her jealous rage hadn’t left much question. “You can let me
go now Will.”



“Will you listen to me?”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me William. I’m really
feeling rather embarrassed right now and I think I just want to
make like an ostrich—“

“You have nothing to feel embarrassed about. You don’t
even know how –God, Buffy, do you have any idea what
you do to me?” He tugged her closer to him, so that her body
was flush against his and with a free hand he cupped the
side of her face.

Buffy’s heart was going to pound clear out of her
chest. “Will?”

“I went out with that woman because I was trying to get you
out of my system. I met her at some cafe and she asked me
out. I didn’t want to . . . Buffy . . . “ The intensity of his gaze
was spreading heat through her entire system. “Look at me.”

She did and his lips crashed to hers in whole passionate,
carnal, desire fueled, intense and explosive kiss that had
Buffy grabbing at him so that she wouldn’t crumble to the
ground. Her senses were filled with him. Her body was on
fire for him. His masculine scent with just a spot of cologne
surrounded her, his body hard and hot against hers made her
desire pool between her legs.

She throbbed for him.

“Buffy, Buffy, Buffy,” he chanted when he broke for them to
breathe and set about peppering her face with kisses. “I
want you.”

“I –I want you too,” she told him nervously.

His eyes glittered with desire as he gazed at her. “Come
home with me.”

Feeling inadequate in the intimacy department and yet feeling
that she’d combust if she didn’t have him, the answer was
simple.

“Yes.”
 

Chapter 8:

Silence fell between the pair as William nearly sped to his apartment, which, Buffy soon found out, was really a penthouse. She wondered what he was thinking about, but was too afraid to ask.

She was thinking she didn't want to think at all. She was also thinking his hands needed to be on her soon to prevent her from thinking or she was going to be beside herself with nerves and doubts.

Gliding up the elevator—which was large enough to be an apartment, Buffy looked over at
him and watched in fascination as his jaw clenched and unclenched.

She placed a hand on him arm. "William?"

That seemed to be all it took. Immediately he grabbed for her and smothered in her a kiss,
plundering his tongue inside her mouth as if he planned to learn every nook and cranny
inside her mouth. "Do you have any idea how much I want you?" he rasped.

"Since you came over to my parents for dinner?" she said hopefully.

His eyes widened, "You too?"

She let out a sigh of relief, "Thank God."

He smiled, "Did you doubt it?"

"Will, I'm not - - I mean I've had sex—"

He growled and kissed her hard. "I don't want to hear about some bloody git touching you.
They weren't fit to lick your boots."

She shivered at his possessiveness. "He, actually. Just one. He."

"You're practically a virgin," he whispered reverently and ran his fingers through her hair,
gazing at her with unmasked adoration.

"It doesn't bother you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, baby, it doesn't bother me. Why would it?"

"Because I'm not good at it."

His eyes narrowed, "Who said that? Did he?" he spit ‘he' out as if it were sour.

"No, I never. . . that is I never uh, ARRIVED."

He laughed, holding her close and burying his face in her neck. He nuzzled her, "Oh you'll
arrive, sweetheart. I'll make sure of it. I'm a gentleman. I believe in ladies first." He bit at her
earlobe; "I can't wait to see you cum for me. See the expression on your face, taste it on
my lips. I'm going to drink you, my Buffy. Make you see stars." He looked at her hotly, "And
to know that's it me that did it," he closed his eyes as if savoring the thought. He opened
his eyes and kissed her again just as the elevator door pinged open.

He led her out, taking her by the hand and leading her down a slate blue hallway with
various cushioned benches along the wall. They came to the end of the hallway and he
quickly unlocked his door and flicked on the lights.

Stepping inside, she gulped. It was huge. And gorgeous. And clean for a bachelor.

"Mind the steps sweetheart," he told her as he pulled her inside. The foyer consisted of a
small landing, a closet to the side, a mahogany desk with a plan and some papers on it.
Climbing up the steps, the penthouse then spread out.

"Wow," Buffy breathed. "I can't imagine you watching crap TV in here."

He chuckled, "Make yourself at home. I'm going to get a drink. You want anything?"

She smiled at him teasingly, "Are you trying to corrupt a minor, William?"

His face immediately paled and she wanted to kick herself for saying that. "William, I'm old
enough to be here."

"I know, but –"

"I'll have a Coke if you've got it," she said firmly. She didn't want to hear about
their age difference or about her father or any number of the reasons why she shouldn't be
here. She already knew them all, she just didn't want to care at that moment. Not to say
that she didn't care and that they weren't lingering in her mind, trying to invade her reason
and propriety, but she didn't want to acknowledge them.

She simply wanted William. Period. She'd deal with it tomorrow. After all, as her heroine
Scarlet O' Hara once said ‘Tomorrow is another day'

He seemed to understand and with a nod, he set off to what she assumed was the kitchen.
She kicked off her shoes and walked around the vast room he called a living room. A long
navy couch sat in the center of the room, with a long coffee table in the middle and
matching blue lazy boys on either side. The gargantuan TV sat against the wall across from
it in a huge entertainment system. Everything was just BIG. Including the window that
overlooked the city on the other side of the couch. Then, in the same room, to the right was
another desk with a laptop, papers, a calculator and various other office supplies with an
ornate chair pushed in. A plant sat in the corner. Beyond that was a room with a long table
and more windows overlooking the city and more elegant chairs with maroon and gold
cushioning. Obviously, the dining room. The drapes were a heavy navy blue and pushed to
the sides to get the full effect of the city view. The carpet was navy with maroon woven
through, adding a rich, warm flavor to the rooms. She supposed beyond that was the
kitchen and on the other side, to her left had to be his bedroom. On the far left side of the
living room, she noticed a pile of what appeared to be paintings stacked up against the wall
in ornate, thick frames.

She walked over and started to reach for them.

"Ah, you've found my paintings," William said and she snapped her hand away.

"May I?" she asked and pointed to them.

"Of course."

She didn't know much about artwork, but she knew enough to know that these were good.
They were flowing with rich colors and vibrant scenes of people and places. Whomever did
them was extremely talented and Buffy could just imagine how much they cost.

"Like them?" William asked, handing her, her soda.

"They must have cost a fortune," Buffy said. "They're gorgeous."

"They were free, actually."

"Friend?"

"I did them, Buffy."

Her eyes widened. "YOU did them?"

"I have many talents, Buffy," he said, curling his tongue behind his front teeth and leering at
her. He set his glass down on a nearby stand and then took her glass, of which she hadn't
even sipped yet and set it down. He pulled her into his arms. "You're my canvas tonight."

She felt the blush immediately and he growled at her, kissing her. "I love it when you blush.
Now I know why you blush, Buffy. All this time. . . it's because you wanted me too, right?"

She nodded, licking her lips. "And because I'm nervous."

"Don't be," he said huskily. Taking her hand he kissed the top of it and gazed up at her. "I
won't ever hurt you Buffy. I only want to see to you. My girl."

She nodded and gulped.

"I think I should warn you—"

"Here it comes."

He chuckled, "Nothing bad."

She grinned sheepishly, "Okay."

"This isn't just a one night thing for me Buffy. This is just one of the many ways I want
you."She gulped again. "And—j-just how many ways do you want me?"

"I want everything, Buffy."

"What's everything exactly?"

"You'll see," he whispered. "Come with me."

He led her down a hall, around a corner and into a dark room. The lights came on and then
dimmed. She could not take her eyes away from the bed in the room that seemed to take
up the entire room. And what struck her most about it was that it was ensconced in all
black. The pillowcases were black, the duvet was black, and she was betting the sheets
were black too. The drapes were black and the single, kind of still looking chair in the room
was red. It was a stark contrast to all that black. She looked down. The carpet was white.

Okay, sure, that fit.

She looked up at him and found him staring at her hungrily. She felt herself take a step
back, feeling that look could knock her over. He didn't let her go very far. He instead brought
her into the circle of his arms and kissed her senseless, letting his lips blaze a path from
her mouth to her jawline, up to her ears, across her forehead and back down to her neck
where he bit her gently and then licked the spot he'd bitten. She shivered in his arms, trying
to kiss what parts of him she could and wanting to kiss his lips again. When he made it
back, she kissed him ravenously, this time sliding her tongue inside his mouth and
caressing his. He tasted like beer and peppermints.

She giggled and he drew back. "Not exactly what I was hoping to hear," he said.

"Did you use an Altoid?"

He grinned at her, "I did, minx."

She leaned up and kissed him sweetly. "I like it."

Growling, he swept her up in his arms and she felt like a princess, as if she were someone
to be cherished and the way he was looking at her, she felt that maybe she really was in his
eyes.

Settling her down on the bed, he stared down at her as she propped herself up on her
elbows and gazed up at him. He nearly tore off the blue button down he was wearing and
then whipped the black T-shirt underneath off, carelessly throwing them to the floor. Unable
to resist how gorgeous his torso was, Buffy reached up and touched him, a bit hesitantly.
He closed his eyes in bliss and she felt bolder. Splaying her hands on his washboard abs,
she ran her palms up to his nipples and he moaned. She smiled and feeling safe because
his eyes were still closed, she knelt on the bed and leaned forward, licking one nipple.

"Bloody hell," she heard him say softly. She looked up to see him, his eyes dark with lust.
Encouraged, she flicked her tongue across it and then kissed her way to the other one and
did the same.

Suddenly he gripped her arms forcefully and she looked up at him. He wasted no time in
kissing her senseless. Somehow, she ended up on her back and he settled himself
between her legs. Her legs wound round him and he ground himself against her center. She

moaned and nuzzled his neck.

"Let's see. . . " he whispered and tugged on the tie on her top at the top of her neck. It
slipped easily through its knots and she felt the fabric pull. "God, I wanted to do that the
minute I saw you in this," he told her, undulating his hips against her.

"You did?" she asked, all wide eyed and innocent.

He smiled sexily, "Oh yes, I did." And he set about the task of reaching behind her. She
lifted a bit and helped him and soon he had strewn the top across the room with his own
clothes. She felt, well, naked and exposed and sought to press herself against him to cover
herself.

"No, I want to look at you. My beautiful girl," he whispered and reared back. Gazing at her
pert breasts he leaned in and suckled one his mouth, swirling his tongue over the hard peek
and eliciting a moan of pleasure from her. Leaving hot, open mouth kisses across her skin;
he made a trail to the other one and gave it the same attention. He surged up and kissed
her as he cupped her breasts in his hands. She ground herself against him, needing sweet
release desperately. She felt as if she were a live wire, waiting to go off from his touch. He
looked at her, searching her face. "There's no turning back after tonight, Buffy. After this,
you're my girl. I won't be able to let you go, do you understand?"

She nodded, wanting to tell him, but not being able to find the words, that she was his
completely and utterly. She wanted to beg him not to break her heart for he was taking it
chunk by chunk and she feared she'd never get it back. Nor was she sure she wanted to. If
this was what it felt like to give herself to him, then she wanted to burrow in him forever. He
made her feel safe, loved and cherished. As if he was worshipping her everytime he simply
grazed a hand across her body.

His eyes, she noticed, were filled with something she couldn't quite define, having not that
much experience in matters of sex or the heart. She saw desire, she saw passion, but there
was something behind it, giving those baser emotions the impetus they needed to be where
they were. It shook her to the core, but like a moth to a flame, she was powerless to stop it.


"My sweet Buffy," he murmured and sat back on his haunches watching her as he tugged
on her pants and slid them down, taking her panties with them. Tossing them over his
shoulder he gazed at her with such reverence she wanted to weep. Here, she couldn't
believe she was here with him and he was looking at her as if he couldn't believe he was
there with her. He stood and she whimpered.

"I won't leave you," he promised softly. "Not ever going to leave my beautiful golden girl. Do
you have any idea how crazy you drive me? How much you make me ache for wanting
you?"

She shook her head and he chuckled before sliding his hands up her calves and thighs.
"Scoot back, Buffy. I want your sweet pussy."

She obeyed him, feeling quite nervous and yet unable to tell him no. "How do you know it's
sweet?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

He smiled, "Because everything about you is sweet," he told her and started dotting kisses
up one shin and grazing his hand up the other. He kissed every part, up her thighs and
curled his other hand under her buttocks. His other hand shortly followed and he raised her
hips just a bit. He bent in and kissed her and just the simple touch made her jerk. She
leaned up on her elbows and looked down, wanting to see him.

"Such a studious Buffy," he murmured, looking up at her. "Watch me make you cum,
Buffy."

She gulped and held her breath when his tongue darted out and licked up her slit. One
hand slid around and spread her. "Heaven," he murmured and licked her again. "Honey and
sugar. . . " He attacked her clit, feeling as if he were drawing patterns on it that were making
her breaths come out in short gasps. When a finger slid inside her, she started cumming
immediately.

"Oh God, William!" she gasped, flopping back on the bed. He suckled, nibbled and tasted;
it was as if he couldn't get enough and soon she was coming apart again. "What are you
doing to me?" she whispered.

"Making love to you," he answered her, resting his head on her thigh and stroking her sliding
his hands up her thigh and stomach. "How do you feel? Still with me?"

"Yes," she said and her voice sounded hoarse.

"Good because I plan to make love to you all night long, Buffy."

"But—"

"You can call home later. Tell them you're staying at your friends. I want you with me in my
bed, Buffy."

"Yes."

He got up from the bed, smiling down at her as he got rid of his pants. She watched in
fascination as his cock sprang free. She'd never studied one before and she found she
wanted to study William's. Crawling to her knees, she made her way to him and boldly took
it in her hand, gliding her hand up and down it, watching as a bead of pre-cum glistened like
a pearl at the head. Wanting to taste him the way he'd tasted her, she leaned in and
suckled the head into her mouth.

"Fuck, Buffy," he gasped and his hips jerked forward, sending more of him into her mouth.

She slid him out of her mouth and stroked him with her hand and looked at him. He reached
for her and kissed her hungrily. She could taste herself and she found it highly erotic. "Tell
me how to please you."

"You always please me," he told her, his voice rough.

"Tell me."

"Put me back in your mouth."

She replaced her hand with her mouth.

"It's like a lollipop, Buffy. Suck me, but don't bite."

She giggled, unaware of what that would do until she felt his hands in her hair, gripping
lightly. "Fuck, that felt good," he muttered.

Like a lollipop, she thought. I can do this. I wonder how many licks it takes to get to the
center of this tootsie pop? She went at him with gusto.

"Suck the head, Buffy, please," he moaned; begging.

She did so and his grip tightened. "Touch my balls, Buffy."

She reached out and rolled them in her fingers as she sucked hard on the head of his cock.

In a flash she was on her back, looking up at him as he loomed over her, staring at her with
burning hot intensity.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head, "You did everything right. Now I want to be inside you. Be part of you."

"Yes, yes, please, William."

He moaned and crashed his lips to hers. "Say it again, Buffy. Beg me."

"Please, William. Please make love to me." He got up slightly and reached over to his
nightstand, pulling out a condom. He tore into it with his teeth and quickly sheathed himself.
In a flash was over her again.

She spread her legs wider and he bent them slightly to her chest. "Comfortable, my luv?"

She nodded, biting her lip.

"Gonna make you feel so good, Buffy," he said hoarsely and she felt him at her entrance.
She held her breath as his cock head split her lips open and he slid inside with ease. She
shut her eyes, feeling full of him. God, he was everywhere, all around her, over her, in her. . .
it was the best feeling in the world. Her eyes fluttered open and she watched in fascination
as his eyes rolled in the back of his head. He dropped his head to her shoulder. "God,
Buffy, you're so tight, so wet . . . so hot."

She kissed his shoulder and nuzzled his neck, ruffling her hands through his hair. She
turned his head and kissed him deeply and he started to move.

"Move with me, Buffy," he said roughly.

She complied and soon felt the slow burn begin to build.

"I'm not going to last long, Buffy, I'm sorry. I just want you so much and you feel so good,"
he whispered and thrust harder, his thrusts starting to build in speed. He lifted her legs just
a bit more and it caused him to slide even deeper within her.

"Oh God!" she gasped, the slow grind of him against her clit sending sparks of pleasure
shooting through her. Any minute now . . . "Will, I'm going to—"

"Do it, Buffy," he urged deeply and slid a hand on her clit, rubbing it in circles.

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she went off like a rocket. She didn't just see
stars; she saw the Milky Way. She felt her walls pulse around him and with a few quick
thrusts; he exploded, roaring her name. He stilled and collapsed on her, burying his face in
her neck. He rolled them to the side and drew her close to him. "How do you feel Buffy?" he
asked softly.

"Perfect," she whispered.

"Oh Baby, that is how you felt," he murmured and popped his head up to look at her. "I'm
never letting you go," he said urgently and claimed her lips fervently.

I don't want to let you go either, she thought.
 

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