Chapter Thirty One.

X Marks the Spot.


Cooper faced off with Spike. They’d been sparring or rather fighting, for forty minutes and Spike showed no signs of letting up any time soon.


Cooper was feeling the strain. Not that he was in bad shape it was just Spike was hitting to hurt and he was finding he had to defend himself for real.


Light on his feet the smaller man bounced around the matting like a little cricket, a cricket with iron fists and feet. He was sweating and breathing hard, but otherwise showed no other signs of discomfort. Cooper was getting a bit worried. It was unusual for Spike to remain so silent during these sparring sessions. He knew when Spike was mad enough to hit something he was usually mad enough to curse and swear in the most interesting and colorful way.


“Ooof…fucking hell Spike are you trying to rupture my kidney,” Cooper demanded to know. That last kick came out of nowhere.


Spike was still dancing around him like a six year old on a sugar trip. “You’ll live. Now c’mon…what the fuck are you waitin’ for? Hit me.”


Cooper launched himself at Spike. Letting loose with a volley of kicks and sharp punches to the blonde’s torso, head and legs. Spike staggered under a powerful kick to the back of his knee. He landed painfully on his hip as he tried to twist away from the attack. He swiftly bounced back up and struck, his anger making the blows vicious. Spike was a formidable fighter, lightweight and light on his feet. He moved with speed and precision.


Aim, dodge…smack.


Aim, duck…kick.


Aim, swerve…thump.


Spike hit everything he aimed at, leaving the taller man feeling as if he were under attack from three men and not just the one smaller and very pissed off Brit. The match continued with the two men trading blows until both were completely spent.


Lying on his back, Cooper waited for his breathing to return to normal. Spike’s own harsh and ragged breaths kept perfect time with that of his partner.


Gasping, Cooper rolled over to look at his boss. “I take it the lovely Ms Summers isn’t cooperating.”


“Uh-huh.”


“Do you want to talk about it?”


Spike lifted his head and scowled at him. “No – yes – what I want to do is rip her apart…AAARGH.” He thumped his head on the matting.


“Okay…so I take it she’s driving you mad?”


“What gave you that bleedin’ impression?” He replied sarcastically.


“Oh I don’t know. Stuff the others have said and because you’re in here trying to pound my ass into the concrete…and I think you chipped a tooth.” Cooper rubbed his tongue over his bruised gums probing the damaged tooth.


“Oh stop belly achin’ you big baby. I’ve given you worse than a smack in the gob before and you didn’t whine half as loud.”


“Only because I was drunk off my ass and since when do you take your shit out on me?”


“You were convenient.”


“And they say romance is dead. Come on Spike, just do what you’ve got to do and move on.”


Spike sighed. “I can’t…she’s…it’s not as straight forward as all that.”


“What…I thought it was this whole big revenge on Angel thing?’


“It was…it is…it’s just she’s…”


“What?”


“She’s everywhere…I can’t sleep without dreamin’ ‘bout her or spend any time away from her without thinkin’ ‘bout her constantly. She fills my head. I’m fuckin’ drownin’ in her,” he explained, exasperated.


“Right, so when you’re dreaming and thinking about her what exactly are you dreaming and thinking about?” Cooper probed Spike for answers as carefully as he’d probed his tooth.


“Everythin’…it’s…she’s…” Spike glanced at the other man. Cooper’s brows were raised in a silent question. “When I first brought her ‘ere, it was to get revenge on Angel and that’s worked out fine, ‘cause Angel’s in love with her and he hates that I’ve got control over her. Every time she does somethin’ nice, I give him jus’ a bit more comfort and that jus’ eats him up, wonderin’ what she’s done for him to be granted anythin’ that might be considered a comfort.” Spike pushed his hands into his hair, tugging at the blonde locks in frustration while thumping his head on the matting. “But the truth is she’s willful. She doesn’t obey me. Sometimes she ignores me and deliberately goads me into losing my temper. I’ve lost my temper ‘cause of her more times in the last few weeks then I ‘ave in a bleedin’ year. And once I thought I’d gone too far and completely blown it with her.” Spike shook his head in remembered shame and horror. “I really didn’t think she’d let me near her again after that, but I managed to smooth things over, but barely. Yet, even after nearly scaring her half to death, she’s still determined to make things as difficult as possible. She’s drivin’ me fuckin’ insane.”


Spike rolled over onto his side, facing Cooper. The other man stayed quiet, sure now that Spike would keep talking.


“But there’s a part of me that likes it, even though it’s drivin’ me nuts. I can’t help it, she’s sassy and brave and really infuriating and most of the time she’s not even scared of me. She blushes like a virgin at damn near everythin’ I say to her…you should see her, she’s so pretty…and she’s so tiny and fragile…and her kisses alone are enough to keep me hard all day…”


Cooper jumped in. “So the sex is good?”


“What…oh…er…wehaven’thadthatmuchyet.”


“Huh?”


“Well I told her I’d give her a bit of time to settle in…you know adjust. But she doesn’t want to adjust. She wants to go home.” He rolled his eyes and groaned.


“She does know that’s never going to happen…doesn’t she? You did explain what would happen if you let her go?”


“Of course I did, but the silly bint jus’ doesn’t get it. She thinks if I let her go, her life will go on jus’ as it did before. Don’t get me wrong she’s not completely stupid, but she can’t seem to understand the real danger she’d be in if I let her go. Though she has no problem respondin’ to me when I threaten anyone she cares ‘bout and if I do, it only makes it impossible for her to see me as anythin’ other than a thug and a bully. Then her walls go up, makin’ it damn near impossible to get anythin’ out of her except angry glares and sharp bitin’ little comments, and though that can be fun I don’t want that all the time. I want the other side of her. You know, the side where she’s all softness and warmth and hot kisses…fuck me…but she can kiss…and she…” Spike trailed off.


“What?”


“Nothing.”


Cooper chuckled. “Didn’t sound like nothing earlier…in fact, it sounded like a very big something. Does she scream like that often or just when you do her in the office? And what’s with that anyway? Couldn’t you’ve kept her quiet somehow?”


Spike smirked, remembering her passion filled cries. “Nah…I had her tied to her chair and my hands were busy…elsewhere.”


“Jesus Spike…you tied her up?”


The blonde nodded.


“To her chair…in the office?”


Spike nodded again.


“No wonder she hates you.”


“Huh! I never said she hated me…I said she’s–”


“Yeah, but despite that scream she hates what you’re doing to her.”


“What’d you mean?” Spike asked.


“You said it yourself. She knows you brought her here to get revenge on Angel. She thinks you’re trying to control her, and you are…any woman in her position would resist. Jesus Spike, think about it. You’re tying her up in the middle of the day and forcing her to accept your…er…attentions. She’s not Dru, who was definitely into that sort of thing and she’s not a whore who’ll do anything because you’re paying. She’s just a normal girl who probably never thought of kinky sex as anything more than watching porn while going down on her boyfriend.”


Spike was frowning and staring off into space.


“Tell me has she ever initiated anything or is it all you?”


“No, but that’s probably only ‘cause she’s shy. I know she likes what I do to her.”

“No doubt…but that doesn’t mean she welcomes it…look…” Cooper pulled himself up into a sitting position facing his boss. “You’ve got a couple of choices. You can either let her go and let her take her chances and hope she stays out of Masters’ way, and doesn’t help any more whores…and find a new way to torment Angel. Or you could ignore her protests and just take what you want and hope she comes round. Or you could back off completely and wait for her to make the moves. If I were you, I’d seriously consider the latter ‘cause I think in the long term, you’d rather have her willing then have her resent you.”


Spike was frowning and shaking his head.


“Do you think she’s interested on any level?”


Spike didn’t have to think about it. “Yeah…she is…she’s jus’ scared.”


“How do you know she’s interested?”


“What…I jus’ do...I can bleedin’ tell when a woman wants me despite the protests”


“Okay…so why’s she scared?”


“I don’t know…maybe she thinks…Oh fuck…I don’t know what she thinks.”


“Why not?”


Spike stared at Cooper wondering the same thing.


“You know what makes her mad, you know what makes her blush, and you definitely know what makes her scream…but do you know what scares her? You know she’s not scared of you…completely.” Cooper studied his boss and wondered if it was possible that he couldn’t or just plain didn’t want to see the problem. “If you want her…really want her and I think you do, you’d better figure it out or just plain ask her… because until you do, I think she’ll keep fighting you.” Cooper paused and thought for a moment. “Or you could try switching tactics and try and make her jealous, see if that has any effect.”


Spike immediately thought of Buffy’s reaction when she thought he fucked Drusilla. Cooper’s idea might work. He could always find someone willing to flirt with him. That Anya bird might do, but then he remembered she was dating Buffy’s mate Xander and that would make flirting with her too dangerous. He did know someone who was willing to help Buffy. She would be the perfect little actress. After all, she was a pro. Spike shook his head. No, there was no way he’d try and draw her out with another woman. She would hate him for it and he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do that to her.


Suddenly, Spike became aware of all the bruises he’d sustained from his sparing match and all the aches and pains that came with them. He groaned and rolled into a sitting position, facing Cooper.


“You’re right. I’ve got to ask her or figure it out, but I don’t hold much hope she’ll tell me, if she doesn’t, then I’ll jus’ have to change tactics like you said.” Spike sprang to his feet and headed off to the showers.


Cooper knew from years of experience, Spike wouldn’t fill him in on everything or explain his decisions unless he wanted to. When he walked away, the discussion was over. Cooper climbed slowly to his feet, groaning at the multitude of sharp pains shooting through his limbs, electrifying his nerve endings and cramping his muscles.


*****


For twenty minutes, Buffy stayed in the bathroom, crying like she was going to be sick before she ventured back out into the study. She was shocked to see Luke, sitting on the leather couch with a pile of paper work spread out on the coffee table in front of him.


On shaky legs, she made her way back to her desk. Luke stared at her as she crossed the room. When she settled in her chair, she caught sight of her stockings sitting in full view of Luke on her desk.


Luke’s eyes followed hers and landed on the scrapes of golden silk. He arched a brow at her, but his face remained passive. Buffy blushed when she noticed his eyes flicker to her bare legs under the desk.


Her face burned. Buffy snatched up her stockings and rushed back into the bathroom, slamming the door loudly, but not so loud that she didn’t hear Luke’s chuckles. Humiliation and shame suffused her. Quickly, she put the stockings on and returned to her desk, determined to brave out the big man’s smirks.


Five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Luke opened it and Jonathan carried in a tray of coffee, he placed it on the coffee table. Luke poured her a cup and brought it to her desk. Buffy glanced at the cup, but didn’t raise her eyes to look at him, is he trying to be friendly, she wondered.


“You know, if you keep pissing him off like this, he’s gonna snap.” Luke said as he took his seat again.


She kept her head down, pretending to be busy reading her files. Buffy answered, “And if he keeps pushing me around, I’m gonna keep pissing him off. It seems to me if he left me alone, I wouldn’t piss him off at all.”


“And do you think he will?”


Buffy looked up. Luke was staring at her with that blank closed off look of his. She shivered, wondering why he was bothering.


“No,” she said honestly.


“Do you think you’re going to achieve anything other than being on the receiving end of his temper by pissing him off?”


Buffy didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Luke was only pointing out the obvious.


“It seems to me that if you gave him half a chance, he’d treat you okay. I doubt he would knock you about or hand you over to Masters, but who knows what he’ll do if you keep this up.”


“Masters, why would he send me to him? I thought he needed me to control Angel?” she asked puzzled.


“Didn’t he tell you?”


Buffy shook her head. “Tell me what?”


Luke dropped his paper work onto the coffee table and honed his attention on her. “When Masters first heard about you and what you were up to with Angel and those girls, he wanted to bring you to New York and keep you for himself. He would have too, but the boss persuaded Masters to let him keep you here. He only managed to do that because he promised Masters you would never cause any more mischief or interfere with any more of the family’s business interests.” He paused to drink his coffee, giving her a second to digest what he’d told her. “If he lets you go, you’re as good as dead. Masters will put a hit out on you and if you don’t cooperate, Spike will have no choice but to send you to Masters, which means, you’re worse than dead.”


Buffy was pale and shaken. She never considered Spike might be trying to keep her here for any other reason than to torment Angel and make her life miserable. If what Luke said was true, then she was still in danger, but now it was from Masters.


“Nothing is secure here for Spike. He still has to answer to Masters.” Luke studied her for a second. He could tell she was thinking about the implications of that. “What do you think is going to happen to Angel?” He asked.


“I…I think Spike will keep him locked up, probably forever.”


Luke was shaking his head. “Eventually, Masters will decide he has punished Angel enough and bring him back to New York. Maybe he will punish him some more, but ultimately Angel will be brought back into the family. No one leaves and Masters looked on Angel as a son, so he will punish him severely, but Masters won’t kill him and he won’t let him go. Who knows, Angel might even make it back into Masters good graces and be given a second chance to prove himself. Then what do you think will become of you?”


Buffy didn’t have a clue. She never considered that Angel might be forgiven and be able to return to the life he once led.


“Masters hates two things…loose ends and liabilities and you are both. Spike secured you a place in the family. He even offered you his protection, but if you can’t fit in, Masters won’t give a second thought about killing you. If you can prove to Spike that you’re willing to work for the family and accept his authority, then you’ll be safe. If Masters wants Angel back tomorrow, then you’re as good as dead. Right now, Masters is never going to believe you’ll be loyal enough to the family to not spill everything you know to some cop or a reporter, so he’ll kill you, but if you accept Spike’s protection and stay close to him, he’ll be able to deflect any harm that Masters might want to inflict on you.”


Buffy found her voice. “But it’s still just blackmail.”


“How so…when Spike didn’t even tell you? You don’t know him well enough to know he’s actually trying to win you over.” He finished his coffee. “Maybe you should ask yourself this…do you want to live? Because no matter how he’s going about offering it to you, that’s what Spike’s offering you. A chance to live, but it comes with a price and that’s not his fault ‘cause you’re the one who was seeing Angel and sticking your nose in family business. If he’d asked my opinion I would have told him to send you on to Masters once he found out where Angel hid Drusilla.”


Buffy couldn’t help herself and asked in a small voice. “Why?”


Luke gave her a cold hard stare. “Because ultimately you’ll weaken him. If you don’t or can’t accept him and this life, you’ll be the rock he’ll break himself against, trying to make you accept and I’d rather see you dead then see him broken.”


Buffy was stunned. These revelations were the last thing she expected. She didn’t doubt Luke for a second. He wasn’t telling her any of this to help her. He was doing it out of a sense of loyalty to Spike. He believed Spike would prefer it if she was here and Luke would always do whatever was necessary to see his boss get what made him happy.


Again, Buffy was left reeling from the implications of the information she had received. Now she had to figure out what to do about it. Had she misjudged Spike? She didn’t think so because even if she took away the threat on her life, she believed Spike would still hound her to sleep with him, but she couldn’t remove the threat. It was real and that gave Spike a different reason for wanting her to sleep with him then just the sex. It secured her to him in ways she never even dreamed of. Suddenly, she wished it was Saturday. She glanced up at Luke. He’d returned his attention back to his paperwork. With no way of knowing how long Spike would be or even if he’d bother coming back, she was left with no choice but to sit and at least make an attempt at working. Though her troubled mind was too fixed on everything Luke had told her to really concentrate on her files. She was busy trying to work out how she could put things right with Spike.


Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Luke glancing at her. He was trying to gauge the effect of his words on her. He thought Spike had rather poor taste in women. He’d spent years pursuing Drusilla and look how that had ended. Now he seemed hell bent on chasing after the tiny blonde, who as far as he could tell, didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Still, if she could be made to see she would be better off with Spike, maybe she would have a change of heart and bend a little. It may be enough to give Spike a chance to prove himself to her. Luke could see she was thinking things over. He had a feeling she wasn’t stupid, far from it, but she was stubborn and willful. She was fighting the situation as much as she was fighting Spike, but Luke thought that was only natural. He just hoped she would get some sense before it was too late because she might be stubborn and willful, but so was Spike. If Luke had to guess who would win in the end, his money would always be on Spike.


Buffy was deep in thought, and no closer to coming to a firm decision. If only she could talk to Spike without either of them losing their tempers or putting up frosty defenses. She’d been so sure she was no longer in any real danger. Not since he declared he wouldn’t share her, but he hadn’t told her anything about this threat from Masters. Buffy wondered why. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to alert her to his one safe option of getting rid of her. If she didn’t give into him, would he really send her to New York, to Masters? She didn’t know the answer to that.


Angel’s words haunted her and suddenly she realized he’d guessed or even known all about the threat from Masters. He knew she would have no choice but to put herself in Spike’s hands if she wanted to remain safe. The realization hit her hard, like a blow to the heart. Was Angel trying to tell her he would willingly let her go? That he would rather see her with Spike than see her come to any harm? She wasn’t sure and only Angel could tell her. Buffy didn’t think Spike would allow her to see him even if she begged. Not after what she’d said to him.


She heard her own words fly from her mouth, like angry darts seeking a target. The instant she’d said them she knew she’d hit the mark. For a second Spike’s expression had been one of complete shock, and then a mask of cold fury had slipped into place hiding the rest of his feelings.


Buffy had felt crushed under the weight of his cold anger. She should never have mentioned Angel and Drusilla or made reference to Drusilla’s choice.


The afternoon stretched on and Buffy didn’t get any work done. She was trapped in the maze of her own mind. She was back at the beginning, as she viewed all the different circumstances that had brought her to this present situation. For the first time, she began to take some measure of responsibility for her new life.


She couldn’t deny both Cordy and Faith had warned her again and again that getting involved with Angel would bring her nothing but trouble. How ironic was it, the first time she saw Spike she thought he looked like trouble? Overwhelmed by Angel’s charm and flattered by his attentions she ignored her friends and started an affair with him. It was her choice, and this is where it led her. Luke was right, it wasn’t Spike’s fault, but was it hers? Can you be held at fault for falling in love with the wrong person? She wondered.


Hadn’t Spike also fallen in love with the wrong woman? Wasn’t he still dealing with the consequences of that? Yes he was, but the only difference was he’d coped a lot better than she was. Buffy reminded herself Spike had embraced this life even before he knew he’d made a mistake with Drusilla. Whereas, she’d tried so hard to avoid anything to do with Masters and his organisation, foolishly thinking she’d been so clever and gotten away with it.


Now, that very afternoon, Buffy realized she hadn’t. Now, her choices were very limited and if she wanted to live, Spike was her only protection. Buffy was finally beginning to accept, and she found it so odd that she didn’t seem to mind that much or that she didn’t blame Spike solely for her predicament.


*****


Spike and Cooper were playing pool and getting drunk off their asses. Spike wanted to reach the point of stinking drunk as quick as possible. He was knocking back the whiskey, neat from the bottle. Cooper was watching him carefully and making a pretty good pretense at keeping up with him.


“Can you clear your schedule of anythin’ that I can’t ask Wesley to take over?” Spike asked while he took a very unsteady shot at the table.


“Er…yeah sure…why?”


“I want you to watch Buffy on a full time basis. I can’t keep getting’ a different bloke to watch her every day and I only trust you lot. The others are pretty much tied up with their operations and Wesley has yet to prove himself. So that only leaves you.”


“What about Gilbey, he’s been watching her longer than the rest of us?”


“NO! After what jus’ happened definitely not. In fact, he might need watchin’ for a bit too. And besides, Buffy doesn’t seem to like him too much.”


“Hmm clever girl…okay I’ll watch your girl for you, but don’t ask me to play devils advocate for you. She either comes round to you on her own or not at all. And be honest Spike, after everything you’ve been through with Drusilla, would you really want it any other way?”


“No…bloody hell where’d that bottle go? Oh!” Spike picked up the empty whiskey bottle and scowled at it.


Cooper fetched him a beer, but Spike scowled at that too.


“So this watching Buffy…are we just talking sitting in the same room with her or do you want me to take a more active role?”


“You bleedin’ better not.”


Cooper chuckled. “Not that kind of role. I meant do you expect me to be her babysitter or her bodyguard?”


“Oh, right…got ya…well bodyguard I guess.”


“So do you think she needs guarding from someone or just from herself?”


Spike tried to think how best to answer, but his head was a bit fuzzy and he didn’t want to say anything he’d regret.


“Come on Spike, you obviously trust me enough to watch her so it’s only fair. If you expect me to do a good job then tell me everything that’s going on.”


“Yeah, right…right…er…Wesley said something yesterday that made me think she might not be all that safe ‘ere in the house.” He shrugged and took another shot. “I jus’ want to make sure when I’m not with her she’ll be okay.”


“Is that all?” Spike grunted yes. “This might not help your case you know. She’s going to hate being watched and it’s you she’ll blame. Things will get a lot worse before she starts to come round.”


“Like I don’t bleedin’ know that, but this is for her own good so she’ll jus’ ‘ave to deal with it and I’ll jus’ ‘ave to deal with her.”


“Oh God! I can just see the endless sparing sessions stretching ahead of me,” Cooper laughed. “But I think I might be able to soften it a bit.”


Spike arched a brow at him. “How?”


“Well you want me to guard her against something so how about if I teach her to guard herself. Teach her some self-defense; take over her fitness and exercise. Then a good portion of her time with me will have a purpose. You did say she’s really into the whole fitness thing. She might just buy it, but even if she doesn’t, it will still make her less resentful.”


Spike was nodding his head, a small smile ghosting around his mouth. “That’s a right good idea…don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”


Cooper dropped the last ball into the corner pocket. “Because you’re pissed as a newt mate,” he said.


Spike laughed at Cooper’s use of one of his own phrases. “Am not…well not yet.” He staggered over to the bar and fixed them both large drinks.


Cooper wondered if Spike was going to drink himself unconscious and if he did, how the hell would he get him back upstairs? Thank God there’s a lift. He was lucky he wasn’t the only one who would have to carry him. Luke was big and strong…and sober.

*************************************************************
TBC...soon.
 

Chapter Thirty Two.

Make-up.


At five o’clock, Luke escorted Buffy back up to her sitting room. He waited with her until a guard showed up to stand at the door, before finally leaving her on her own. She’d heard him on the phone, asking Spike for instructions about what to do with her, but she didn’t hear Spike’s reply and Luke didn’t
bother to tell her.


So now she sat on her own. Her wild thoughts and vivid imagination tormenting her…again, she contemplated going to lie down, but rejected the idea just in case Spike came back. She wanted to be alert when she faced him.


After half an hour of waiting, she decided to take a shower and order dinner as usual. She planned to order for both of them and to see if she could smooth over things by acting as normal as possible. She contemplated trying to apologize to him, but she didn’t think he’d accept it.


She’d just stepped out of the shower when a little plan began to form in her head. It was a bit risky, but it would definitely serve better than an apology. Though, if he was still mad at her, the chances were he would laugh and humiliate her. After what happened, she wanted to let him know she was at least willing to try. She squashed down her nerves, determined to see this through. She ignored the little voice that kept trying to tell her the chances were high he would reject her attempts at patching things up.


On this one occasion, she decided to take someone else’s advice and throw caution to the wind.


First, she ordered dinner. Choosing with care, she asked the kitchen to prepare some of Spike’s favorite foods and added a few of her own to compliment the dishes. Next, she scanned the wardrobe for the perfect outfit, taking a few minutes to decide on which color she should wear…blue or green. She decided on green. It would bring out the color of her eyes. She laid the items on the bed and went to the dressing table to fix her hair. For once, she took her time and curled the ends so they swirled softly around her shoulders. She applied a light covering of foundation, a sweep of mascara and a subtle coating of pink tinted strawberry lip-gloss in way of make-up.


Buffy dressed quickly, nervous that Spike would be back before she was ready, but when she glanced at the clock she was relieved to see it was barely seven. Spike was usually back by seven and she’d ordered their meal for the usual time of seven thirty, now all she had to do was wait.


Walking back into the sitting room, she opened the balcony doors, letting the warm breeze sweep through the room. She turned on a couple of lamps, creating a nice soft glow over the seating area which she viewed with a critical eye.


She pushed the coffee table back a bit further from the couch and placed several of the larger cushions onto the floor, creating a cozy seating arrangement around the low table. When the room was ready to her satisfaction, she glanced at the clock on the VCR. It was seven fifteen. Where was Spike? Damn, if he doesn’t show up. I’ll never get the nerve to go through with this again, she thought.


Biting her lip, she wondered what to do. He could be anywhere…with Dru…with Angel…in the gym. Or maybe he really did go for a drive this time.


Well, there was only one way to find out. Giving herself no time to think it through or to lose her nerve, she picked up the phone and dialed the switchboard. When the guy manning the lines picked up, she requested he put her through to Spike. She was nervously relieved when she got a ringing tone.


“Lo,” said a slurry voice.


Buffy looked at the phone in her hand. Was that even Spike? “Spike?”


“No it’s Cooopper.” Slurred the man.


“Er…well is Spike there?”


“Yep.”


“Well can I speak to him?”


“Dunno…who is it?”


“Buffy.”


“SPIKE…” he yelled. “Bufffyy’s on the phone.”


Buffy quickly pulled the phone from her abused ear and then quickly returned it. She could hear the phone changing hands.


“What?” he snapped.


Oh! What a prince, she thought.


“I…I’ve ordered dinner.” She hoped he’d take the hint.


“That’ss nice…now what do ya want?”


“I thought you might like to join me…for dinner that is.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out he’d been drinking. There was a slight slur to his voice and she could almost smell the fumes. Buffy’s doubts at the sensibility of her little plan were suddenly under assault. It was too late she’d asked him and somehow she didn’t care. A drunken Spike was as equally unpredictable as a sober Spike.


“No.”


“No?”


“That’ss right Buffyy…no.”


“Are you sure…I ordered your favorites from the kitchen and…”


“I’m sure…now, if that’ss all…I want to get back to my game of pool.”


“I’m sure Cooper won’t mind if you want to eat dinner with me.”


“But that’ss juss’ it Buffy I don’t want to eat you…I mean eat dinner with you…I want to play pool.”


Buffy nearly laughed at his little slip. “I see and there’s nothing I can say that will make you change your mind.”


“No.”


“Okay.” She hung up.


*****


“HA! That showed her.” Spike turned back to Cooper with a scowl on his face. He walked on slightly unsteady legs back to the pool table.


Cooper merely shook his head.


*****


Buffy stood looking at the phone wondering what to do. If she left things as they were, they could go for days without either of them being able to resolve the breach. Spike’s anger would simmer and her nerve would fizzle and die.


No…she couldn’t let that happen.


She marched into the bedroom and grabbed Spike’s robe and slipped it on over her outfit.


There was a polite knock at the sitting room door and Jonathan came through pushing the dinner cart. Biting her lip, she told Jonathan to leave the cart and explained she’d see to it herself. He left, giving her a small smile.


She paced the floor thinking over her next course of action. She scanned the cart and grabbed what she needed and strode to the door with purpose.


The guard was a bit startled when he saw her standing barefoot in the doorway, wrapped in Spike’s robe.


“I want to go to the game room, can you take me?”


“I don’t know…why do ya wanna go?”


“Because Spike’s there and I want to see him.”


“Oh…does he want to see you?”


“Well I just spoke to him and he didn’t say he didn’t want to see me.” She smiled sweetly at him and added. “Besides, I kinda want to surprise him.”


The guard was looking a bit doubtful, but then he saw what she had in her hand then he looked at how she was dressed or not dressed and shrugged. “I’ll have to clear it with Luke.”


Buffy shrugged and pretended indifference, praying that Luke would give her permission.


The guard spoke to Luke watching Buffy like a hawk. What the hell does he think I’m going to do, vanish in a puff of smoke? She wondered. She smiled innocently at him. He snapped his cell phone shut and gestured for
her to follow him.


Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator took them down to the ground floor. Her nervousness returned a bit when she thought about crossing the main hallway in full view of anyone who might be lingering about, but she didn’t allow that to distract her from her purpose. The door slid open. Luke was waiting for them. He arched a brow at her state of dress but made no comment.


“Okay you can go…I’ll take Ms Summers to the boss,” he said to the guard.


Buffy stepped off the lift and her guard pushed the button, taking him to wherever it was they all hung out when off duty.


Luke stood looming over her. Buffy wasn’t sure if he was looking at her disapprovingly or was just really suspicious. At the best of times, she found him the hardest person to read and his expression now could be read in several different ways. Bravely, she stood her ground, gazing up at him without flinching.


“You sure you want to see him? He’s drunk out his head and still in a mood?”


“Yes.”


“Fine…don’t say you weren’t warned.” He stood back to let her pass in the direction of the game room.


Luke pushed the door open for her. She ducked under his arm into the gloomy smoky room. Cooper was at the bar leaning against the counter with his eyes half closed. Spike was bending over the pool table trying to play. It didn’t look as if he was doing so well. Neither of them saw her as she ducked under Luke’s arm. Buffy heard the door close softly behind her and realized Luke had left.


Hidden in the shadows of the doorway, she took a moment to gather her courage before stepping into view. Cooper was the first to see her. He did a double take when he saw what she was wearing.


Growing a little bolder, she moved into the room properly. Spike glanced up from the surface of the pool table and blinked like an owl. Suddenly, he straightened up in a jerky motion, staring at her.


Slowly, Buffy made her way to the bar. Cooper glanced at Spike. It was obvious the little barefoot blonde enraptured his friend. She placed her things on the bar and looked at Cooper.


Fixing him with a cool steady gaze, she leaned forward and whispered. “Leave…now.”


Cooper swallowed and grabbed his jacket off the back of his bar stool. “See ya Spike…thanks for the game…good luck.” He rushed out the door before Spike had a chance to even speak. Buffy watched him race through the door before turning to a silent Spike.


She sat on a bar stool facing him, making no effort to cover her bare legs as his robe fell open, revealing nearly all of the smooth golden expanse of her limbs.


Spike’s eyes flickered to her legs and back to her face. It occurred to Buffy he didn’t seem nearly as drunk as she thought he would be. His eyes were a bit glazed and he was swaying slightly, but he didn’t look any drunker then the last time she’d seen him drunk.


“I brought you dinner,” she whispered.


Spike’s eyes flickered to the ice cream sitting on the bar. “That’ss dessert Buffy.”


“No that’s dinner. Dessert is something else entirely.” She untied the robe and let it fall behind her, leaving her sitting in nothing except his pale green silk shirt unbuttoned nearly to her waist.


Spike dropped his pool que and was by her side in a flash. Buffy blinked at the speed he moved. “I should break your bleedin’ neck,” he said, breathing heavy.


“Probably.”


“I should lock you up in a little room and chain you to a bed.”


“And no doubt you will one day.”


“I should beat you until you beg me to stop.”


“And I would…beg you.”


Spike was breathing raggedly, his eyes dancing all over her. He noted for once she wasn’t blushing. She looked sensational. She looked like a sex kitten, all small and soft in the baggy folds of his shirt with her pert breasts clearly outlining the silk and her lips wet and shinny. He swallowed painfully. His throat was dry despite all the booze he’d consumed.


“Why are you wearin’ my shirt?” he teased, hoping to get a blush out of her.


With a soft low whisper, she answered. “I couldn’t find my school uniform.”


FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK…FUCK! His throat was a desert.


Buffy noticed him swallow and took that as a clear indication he was interested. “Are you ready for your dinner?”


The ice cream might help with his parched mouth. Unable to speak, Spike nodded.


Smiling, Buffy grabbed the carton of ice cream and hopped off the stool. She padded over to the nearest pool table. Spike watched her walk away. He could see the faint outline of her tiny panties through the fine fabric of his shirt. Suddenly, he was sweating and his jeans were far too tight.


Buffy jumped up onto the pool table and patted the green felt next to her. Spike didn’t give himself the chance to question her actions. He was amazed by her. He was lost to her sexy little act and was dying to see where it was going to lead. He’d told her she could set the pace and he’d be damned if he was going to questioned that now.


He sat next to her.


“You look a bit…tired…why don’t you lie down,” she suggested.


Smirking at her, Spike stretched out on the surface of the table. He crossed his arms under his head, elevating it slightly. He wanted to look at her.


Buffy straddled his hips without giving him any time to get comfortable. Spike groaned as she settled the weight of her bottom over his groin. She opened the carton of vanilla and strawberry ice cream and scooped out a large spoonful. Spike had to open his mouth wide to fit it all in. She laughed when some of it missed, smearing his chin and dripping onto his t-shirt. Fleetingly, she wondered when he’d changed out of his suit.



“Ooops…now you’re all dirty. Maybe we should take this off.” She tugged at the t-shirt trying to free it from the waistband of his jeans.


Spike groaned again as she wriggled about on top of him. She leaned forward and he got a clear view of her perfect breasts swinging free inside his shirt. He groaned.


Buffy pulled his t-shirt over his head and dropped it onto the table. Spike snatched it up and stuffed it under his head. She continued feeding him the ice cream but much slower this time. She deliberately let the dessert melt over his naked chest. He jumped with each icy splash and groaned with each hot swipe of her tongue as she licked up the sticky mess.


Spike’s hands drifted up to her hips, but she knocked them away. “No touching while you’re eating dinner,” she scolded.


Spike laughed at her stern tone. “Can I touch durin’ dessert?”


“Maybe…we’ll see,” was her teasing answer.


A large drop of ice cream hit his chest next to a nipple. She lowered her head to suck it from his skin. Her hair fell forward caressing him with a torturous feather like touch. His cock was damn near ready to drop off. He was dying to grab her hips and grind her down onto his cock just to get some relief. Buffy was swirling her tongue over his nipple and biting him with her tiny teeth.


Spike was in heaven. He was good and buzzed from all the booze he’d drank and he had the most beautiful girl in the world sitting on his groin, wriggling her bottom on him and feeding him ice cream. If that wasn’t enough, she was wearing his shirt and nothing but a pair of tiny panties…yep…Spike was in heaven…or damn near.


Buffy could tell he was enjoying himself. His little moans and groans vibrated through his whole body, sending little tingles through hers. It was time to move things on a bit. Putting the half eaten ice cream aside, she kissed his chest, licking and sucking his skin as she worked her way up to his face. Spike tried to wrap his arms around her but she pushed them back and held them beside his head while she continued to pepper his neck and shoulders with kisses.


She hovered over him and gazed into his face, waiting for him to open his eyes. When he noticed she’d stopped, he looked at her and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. She was a vision floating above him. Her golden hair falling on either side of him, creating a gleaming curtain that cocooned them. Her green eyes were full of beauty and softness, and her lips were shiny and pink. Spike thought he’d die if she didn’t kiss him…he thought he’d die if she did.


“Would you like your dessert now?” she whispered.


“Oh Fuck yes…feed me.”


She kissed him…softly…gently…teasing…tasting…her velvet tongue slipping into his mouth, stealing his breath…his heart…his soul.


The kiss ended and he felt lost and lonely without the sweet imprint of her tenderness. Spike thought he’d die.


She shuffled her body nearer to his shoulders. Spike shook the dazed feeling from his brain. He was sure he was drunk more from her kisses than he’d ever been from any amount of alcohol. He gazed up at her face and saw her uncertainty. Instantly, Spike knew she’d never done this before. He was
amazed at what she was offering him, but he was determined to continue to let her set the pace. He waited for her to keep making the moves.


Buffy felt shy unbuttoning the rest of her shirt, but she didn’t remove it. With slow movements she placed her hands on her hips, drawing Spike’s attention to the tiny white panties tied at the sides. She pulled them and the white underwear slipped off her body. She draped the fabric over his chest. Spike picked up the scrap and brought it to his face, breathing in the scent of her heavy arousal. He watched her watching him. Her eyes widened as he rubbed the garment over his lips and smelled her as if she were the most
fragrant flower. Still he waited for her.


“You can touch now…if you want to,” she breathed.


Slowly, Spike slid his hands up her thighs then inside the shirt…his shirt. Gently, he cradling her hips in his palms, applying soft pressure as he eased her forward until she was directly over his mouth.


The first touch of his tongue made Buffy shiver. The second made her gasp and the third made her want to die. Spike used his mouth in ways he’d never done before. His lips kissed her. His tongue licked her. His teeth bit her and his mouth sucked her. All of it felt so new, so perfect, and mind blowing. Buffy gasped and panted, and when he started to move her hips back and forth over his mouth she nearly screamed aloud, and she would have, had she not muffled the noise with her hands. She squealed behind her fingers as her orgasm tore through her. Spike gazed at her as if he’d never seen her before.


Staggered by the force of her climax, Buffy slumped forward, her hands supporting her quaking body. Now on all fours, Spike helped to hold her above him as he continued to bring her to another climax. This one rippled through her. She was sure she was falling. She felt so light, her body far, far away. When she opened her eyes, Spike was cradling her in his arms, petting her face and hair, whispering silly nonsense words to her. Most of which she didn’t quite know the meanings of.


She wrapped her arms around him slowly recovering as they lay together on the table.


Silently, she began moving again, her small hands dancing over his arms and chest…teasing him with a light touch and stroking with a shy curiosity. Spike took his lead from her and remained silent; letting her do whatever she wanted to do. Gradually, her hands made their way to his belt buckle and with little hesitation, she worked the belt, snapper and zipper open. Kneeling over him again she helped him ease his jeans down his hips and off his legs. His cock sprang free, hard and erect.


Her eyes landed on the half full carton of ice cream. Spike groaned at the thought of what she might be thinking about.


Buffy smiled at him playfully and snatched up the ice cream. She surprised him by pushing the carton into his hand.


“Will you feed me?”


“Of course I will pet…come ‘ere.” He lifted the spoon to her lips, but she pulled back forcing him to sit up and follow her.


She giggled at the expression on his face when she hopped off the table and stood in front of him. He soon realized she wasn’t trying to leave and quickly relaxed. Spike swung his legs over the edge of the table preparing to hop down and follow her, but she stopped him by stepping in close between his legs.


He gasped when the soft flesh of her stomach brushed his cock. Buffy noticed his reaction, but ignored his obvious need. He groaned and closed his eyes, struggling with his longing.


“You’re supposed to be feeding me,” she complained smiling.


Groaning, Spike offered her the sweet pink and white dessert. But just as he was about to put the spoon in her mouth, she grabbed his hand and held him still, slowly licking the gooey treat from the spoon. Spike’s focus switched from his cock to her mouth. Blindly, he fed her the ice cream transfixed on her lips and tongue making love to the spoon.


Smiling sweetly, she leaned up and kissed him with her icy lips. Then in an unexpected move, she lowered her mouth to his cock and slid her lips…her very cold lips, down the length of him, taking as much of him into her mouth in one slow long slide.


“FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK…FUCK!...FUCK!!!”


The ice cream fell to the floor and Spike yelled in surprised pleasure. Buffy rubbed his thighs with her little fingers, skating over his suddenly sensitive flesh. He collapsed back onto the table, breathing hard and calling to her loudly, babbling complete drunken nonsense.


Buffy slowly teased and tormented him, using her cold lips and tongue that were slowly warming, to lick him from the base to the weeping engorged tip. She swirled her tongue over and around the sensitive ridges then gently sucked him.


Spike was lying back, moaning and babbling loudly. Buffy smiled, delighted at with his very gratifying response to her efforts. Becoming a bit more adventurous, she let her mouth release his cock and peppered his lower stomach with soft kisses while her fingers played in the dark curls around the base of his cock. Spike lifted his head, a protest in his eyes but not on his lips. Buffy smiled at his worried frown then stepped in just a bit closer and rubbed her breasts against his cock.


Spike’s response was electric…and loud.


“FUCKIN’ HELL! OH GOD! OH GOD!…BLOODY HELL BUFFY!”


He banged his head repeatedly on the table and slapped his hands against the surface.


Buffy couldn’t believe his reaction to the impulsive caress.


She swiftly returned her mouth to his cock, realizing he wasn’t going to last long. She set a steady pace, using his vocal expressions to guide her in giving him more pleasure.


Spike wrapped his legs around her, trapping her to him. Buffy wondered if he was afraid she’d stop again or maybe it was just a natural reaction to what she was doing. He was close. She gently touched him, fondling his already tight balls, rolling them lightly in her palms.


“BUFFY…I’M…GONNA…AAARGH…FUCKFUCK…OH FUCK!”


Understanding what he needed, she nodded her head.


“YES…LIKE THAT…OH…BUFFY…PLEASE! PLEASE!”


“FUCK! PLEASE…BABY…DON’T STOP!”


“OH FUCK! OH…YES…YES…THAT’S IT!”


“THAT’S IT…OH FUCK!”


“FUCK…AAAGH FUCK…BUFFY…AAAGH!”


Spike exploded into her mouth, coming hard as he slammed his hips towards her, spilling himself into her the soft warmth of her mouth.


Buffy gently soothed his softening cock, stroking him to calm. She looked up and was surprised to see he was fast asleep…or passed out.


She viewed him; a bit puzzled and wondered what she should do with him. She tried to wake him, but it was no use. He was out for the count but she couldn’t get him to bed and she couldn’t quite leave him like that. She lifted his legs and pushed them back onto the pool table so he was at least lying down properly.


She scanned the room for something to cover him with, but couldn’t see anything that would do the job and there was no way she’d manage to get his clothes back on. She hated leaving him like that, but there was nothing else for it. All she could do was hope he would wake up before anyone found him. Then she realized she was probably worrying over nothing. She was quite sure Spike’s men had seen worse than their boss naked.


She debated for a second if she should leave the robe to cover him but dismissed the notion quickly. She needed it to cover herself to get back to her room. Maybe she could call Jonathan and instruct him to bring Spike a blanket. With her mind made up, she looked at him once more. He looked so much younger asleep with his blonde hair tousled into a mess of childish curls that softened his sharp features. In a sudden impulse, she kissed him softly on the mouth. He moaned her name and settled back into sleep.


Buffy felt a bit guilty for leaving him on his own and wondered what he would think when he woke and found her gone…would he be angry? She spotted her white panties lying forgotten on the floor. Smiling, she picked them up and placed them in his hand, hoping he’d understand her message.


Quietly, Buffy opened the door and was surprised to see not only Luke, but Cooper and Dixon standing close by. Oh God! Have they been there all the time, she wondered. A swift glance at their faces told her they had. Her face suddenly burned with embarrassment, but she bravely pushed it down.


The three men were staring at her. All with identical expressions of shock…surprise…and…Buffy wasn’t sure, but she thought it might be wonderment on their faces. Squaring her shoulders, she braved it out and with her chin held high, she casually walked passed them. They glanced at her and then at the closed door to the game room.


“Where’s Spike?” asked Cooper.


Buffy glanced at them over her shoulder as she made her way to the elevator. Her blush threatened to burn her again, but she struggled with her control and answered as casually as she could.


“He’s inside…on the pool table…passed out.”


She didn’t wait to see if any of them followed her, but she did see the shock on Cooper’s and Dixon’s faces…but Luke didn’t look shocked. He looked pleased. Buffy made a hasty escape into the elevator and just as the doors were about to close, she pushed the button to hold the doors open and popped her head out into the hall.


“He kinda might need a blanket…or something…and if he wakes, tell him I went to bed…goodnight.” She quickly ducked back inside the safety of the lift and pushed the button to take her upstairs.

*************************************************************
TBC…soon.
 

Chapter Thirty Three.

What Was That?


Spike woke in the cold gray light of dawn, naked and clutching a pair of white panties. His head was throbbing and his throat was parched, but he had a smile on his face. He groaned and rolled over, feeling the effects of the energetic sparring match, the large amount of booze and the mind-blowing orgasm. He closed his eyes and tried to recapture the scene in his minds eye. He grinned as the events of that evening played out, starting with Buffy appearing out of nowhere.


When he first saw her, he thought he had finally flipped sure his poor sick mind was playing tricks on him. He was stunned to discover she was real and really standing there dressed in his robe with a carton of ice cream in her hand. He groaned again when he remembered what she’d done with the ice cream and her cold mouth. His cock began to harden.


There were some things he didn’t remember though and he strained to see if he could jog the memories loose. Where had Cooper got to? Spike didn’t remember him leaving. Did he fall asleep or pass out with the force of his climax? Did Buffy stay with him afterwards or did she just leave him to wake up cold and lonely? Somehow he didn’t think so. He had a distinct memory of tossing her panties on the floor and someone had put them in his hand. He smiled when he thought of Buffy pressing her underwear into his hand while he slept, leaving him, but letting him know she was still there with no regrets about what she’d done. Little minx.


Spike rolled off the table and stumbled around, trying to find his clothes. His t-shirt was still on the table but at first glance he couldn’t see his jeans. After a short hunt, he found them kicked under the table. He struggled into the cold clothes shivering, as he tucked her panties into his back pocket, smiling to himself. He hoped Buffy didn’t expect him to return them because after her little performance, there was no way he was going to part with the silky trophy.


He collected his boots and padded barefoot to the elevator. Thankfully, there was no one about at this hour of the morning to witness his state of half dress or his obvious appearance of a man who had just woke up from a night of drunken fun. Again, he found himself wondering what had happened to Cooper.


When he stepped off the lift, he saw Dave standing guard outside his rooms. As he got closer, Dave gave him a knowing look, but it quickly vanished when he saw the scowl on his boss’s face. Spike allowed himself another small smile as he shut the door on Dave.


It would seem his men knew something about what had happened last night. Spike wondered if he should kick Cooper’s ass for blabbing, but he shrugged realizing that as long as no one said anything to embarrass Buffy, he didn’t care what his men thought. Besides, no matter what they thought, it was bound to be wide off the mark.


Silently, he crept into his bedroom. He could see something dark lying on the carpet. He bent to pick it up and smiled when he saw it was his robe. Walking nearer to the bed, he found his green silk shirt lying on the floor in the same way as the robe. Buffy must have dropped them to the floor, as she made her way to the bed. That meant she was naked under the satin covers. He dropped the shirt and robe back to the floor then quickly stripped off his own clothes. Gently, he eased the covers back and slid in next to her. Inch by inch he moved closer to her, gradually draping his arm over her hip. He pulled her back into him, disturbing her sleep. She grumbled and shifted restlessly against him.


Smiling, Spike soothed her with soft whispers and soft strokes of his hands until she settled. Wrapped in his arms, she slept on and Spike closed his eyes, content to let sleep take him, now that she was nestled against him.


*****


Spike woke before his alarm. He lay next to Buffy, studying her face while she slept. Her features were fine and soft. She looked much younger than she was and Spike thought it was like being in bed with a sixteen-year-old virgin. The idea made him shudder because it reminded him of what she’d said about wearing a school uniform. He was hard and throbbing for her. Sooner rather than later, Spike knew that was one fantasy he would definitely have to play out with her. He wondered where he could get her the clothes.


He was still grinning like a fool when Buffy sleepily turned around in his arms. She snuggled into him. Not being able to resist the urge, he kissed her softly. There was a faint hint of strawberries on her lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at him sleepily, looking more and more like the teenage virgin by the second.


Gradually, she began to stretch her languid muscles. “Mmm morning,” she mumbled.


“Mornin’ pet.”


She yawned, her eyes watering slightly, making the green orbs sparkle and shine.


“Did you sleep well pet?”


“Uh…yeah…and you, did you sleep well?”


He smiled at her. “Yes, Buffy…I slept very well.”


She looked shy and a bit nervous. Spike knew they had to talk. Cooper was right. They needed to know more about each other.


“What was that?” he asked.


“You mean last night?”


“Yes.”


“It was an apology and…and just something I felt I needed to do.”


“Why? And I don’t mean the apology pet. Why would you feel the need to do that last night when you’ve never wanted to do anythin’ like it before?”


She shrugged, wondering if she should tell him she knew about Masters and the threat to her life.


“It seems to me luv I should be apologizin’ as well. I should never have said the things I said to you, but for you I suspect it’s more than a desire to apologize. So, why the change of heart pet?”


Buffy was feeling like a fool. Yet again, it was damned impossible to get anything past him. He knew it wasn’t an act solely in way of an apology and now she could either lie or tell the truth. As usual, she didn’t know what to do.


“I wanted to let you know I was willing to meet you at least halfway. Since you wouldn’t come back upstairs so I could apologize the way I wanted to, I had to do something to get your attention. I didn’t think you would listen to me so I…I did that.” That was the truth…just not all of it.


Spike thought he understood her logic. She knew he was mad and fearing what he would do. She went out of her way to deflect his anger by staging and performing her little act. Because that’s all it was…an act, not something she would have done if she wasn’t afraid of his temper. The knowledge saddened him, even if it didn’t affect the memory of her sitting above him sucking ice cream from his chest or giving him the best blowjob he’d ever had…drunk or sober. They needed to talk.


“You ‘ave a meetin’ this mornin’ right?” he asked.


“Er yeah…at ten.” She was as usual, baffled by his sudden change of subject.


“Okay…I tell you what pet, how ‘bout we get up and join the others for breakfast. Work our way through the mornin’ work load and then I’ll take you out for lunch so we can talk?”


“Talk…talk about what?”


“Us Buffy. We need to work through a few things ourselves. Ask a few questions and find a few answers…okay?”


There was a worried look on her face. What did he want to know? Buffy knew when faced with him; there was no way she could lie. If she tried, he would see it on her face. She didn’t think she was up to a lengthy discussion on any subject, especially a subject that revolved around them…there was no them…Spike is Spike and I’m myself…and okay so he wants sex with me, but that still doesn’t make us an…us…does it? Oh God! Yet Buffy knew there was more to it than that. She could feel the confusion swamping her.


Spike chuckled. “By the look on your face anyone would think I just told you your puppy died. It’s a talk Buffy, not somethin’ you need to tie yourself up in knots over. I promise pet.”


The alarm clock went off, saving her from having to make a reply. “Bloody hell. I was really hopin’ we had a bit more time before that thing kicked in.” She smiled at the disappointed tone in his voice. Spike caught her smile and returned it with a dirty smirk. “Oh sod it all…come ‘ere.”


Buffy squealed as he attacked her neck with his mouth.


*****


Side by side, they walked into the dinning room and like the day before, all conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at her or rather both of them. Buffy blushed horribly, suddenly remembering that Luke, Dixon and Cooper had been outside the game room last night and she hadn’t even mentioned it to Spike.


Spike froze, immediately aware something was going on. He looked at his men and at Buffy’s blushing face, confused as to what could have set her off this time. “What’s up pet?” he asked.


Her eyes met his and he could have sworn her blush deepened. She blinked at him and glanced timidly at his men. She dropped her gaze to the floor just as he thought she was about to go up in flames. Seeing that she was extremely embarrassed, he turned angry eyes on his men, believing them to be the cause of her discomfort.


“What the bleedin’ hell is goin’ on? What are you all gapin’ at?” He snapped.


There was a chorus of mumbled ‘nothing boss’ and ‘nothing at all’ from his men.


He guided Buffy to her seat next to the head of the table and sat next to her. Narrowing his eyes at them, he barked. “Well what are you all waitin’ for…invitations? Sit down.”


Cooper sat next to Buffy and Luke took the same seat he occupied the day before next to Spike. Dixon and Gilbey were sitting in the same seats as well. Buffy decided she wasn’t going to look at any of them. She kept her gaze fixed on the table to avoid seeing the amusement and knowing smirks on their faces.


It was a good plan, except Spike wouldn’t let her be. He kept asking her questions about the meeting she would be holding later that morning. Spike also noticed every time she finished answering, her eyes would drop back down to her plate. Growing more baffled, he noticed his men continued to smirk at each other, all except for Gilbey, who Spike caught sneaking glances at Buffy from the corner of his eye. What was going on? He felt like he was back in school and everyone was having a good laugh at a joke no one had bothered to let him in on. He ignored them all and concentrated on the usual breakfast talk of business, meetings and progress reports.


As soon as Buffy pushed her plate away, he could tell she was dying to get away from the table. Since he wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on, he pushed his chair back and took her hand, helping her from her chair.


“You lot wait ‘ere…I’m jus’ takin’ Buffy to the study.”


Buffy had never been so glad in her whole life to leave a room. She glanced at the men as she stood up and found them trying to hide their smirks. Spike took her hand, scowling at them as he tugged her away from the table.


He unlocked the study and opened the door for her. “I won’t be long luv…I jus’ want to ‘ave a word with that pack of hyenas.” He turned to go back into the dinning room.


“Spike wait!”


“What?”


Should she tell him? How should she tell him? Words failed her.


“Er…nothing.”


Spike studied her, tilting his head to the side as he scanned her blushing face.


“You know what they’re all sniggerin’ at don’t you luv?”


She nodded her head.


“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me…will ya?”


She shook her head.


“Right…guess I’ll go ask the source then. I’ll be back in a mo.”


Buffy blinked at the closed door.


*****


Back in the dinning room, Spike closed the door, not wanting any of his conversation to carry back to Buffy. Though he doubted she’d be able to hear any normal level of conversation. However, if he lost his temper and started yelling, he wanted to reduce the chances of her getting upset, especially if it was something that might make her feel bad.


Taking his seat again, he fixed his eyes on Cooper and demanded to know what was going on. “What the hell’s goin’ on…which one of you wankers has her so upset she can hardly eat?”


Cooper looked offended and held up his hands as if to fend off his boss’s anger. “Don’t look at me. It’s got nothing to do with me.” His grin didn’t help to convince Spike he was in any way innocent.


Spike fixed Luke with a hard look. “Well…do you know what this is all ‘bout?”


“Did you ask Ms Summers that question?” Luke replied.


“Yes…but she’s either too embarrassed or too upset to say. So now I’m askin’ you. WHAT the bleedin’ hell are you all laughin’ and smirkin’ at?”


“How much of last night do you remember?” Luke asked him.


Scowling and fully alert, Spike narrowed his eyes at the big man. “Why?”


“Because that’s what Ms Summers is all…worked up about,” said Cooper. “Maybe you should have had breakfast in your room to spare her blushes.”


“Okay, what did you tell them?” Spike demanded.


“Oh! I like that, but as it happens I didn’t need to tell them anything…you did.”


Spike was beginning to look pissed off, so Luke jumped in with an explanation. “What Cooper means is that last night when the two of you were playing pool, Ms Summers came down stairs because she wanted to see you.” He glanced at Dixon and Cooper who both just shrugged.


Gilbey remained a silent observer to the conversation.


“I know she came down stairs I was bleedin’ there, weren’t I…so quit stallin’ and spit it out before I lose my temper.”


Cooper jumped in this time. “Well, when she came into the game room wearing that robe…was that yours by the way?” Spike growled. “Er…yeah right…she came in wearing your robe and you kinda went blank…and she was kinda all calm and focused…and well she walked over to me and whispered to me-”


Spike cut him off snapping angrily. “WHAT...What did she whisper?”


“All right…all right I was telling you, wasn’t I? ” He could see Spike was getting annoyed, so he quickly rushed on. “She looked me right in the eye and she just had a certain look about her that told me she meant business.” Cooper glanced at Luke, who smirked. “And then she whispered two words to me and believe me Spike, there was no way I was sticking around to see what she would have done if I hadn’t left…so sorry mate if things got a bit out of hand, but it was the way she said it and not so much as what she said.”


“So what did she say?”


“Leave now.”


“That’s it…leave now,” Spike frowned, knowing there had to be more to it than that. “But that’s not all of it…is it?”


Gilbey was now paying avid attention to the conversation.


Luke, Dixon and Cooper were all shaking their heads. “No…so after she told me to leave, I bumped into Luke standing in the hallway. He was waiting for you to kick her out. So, I stuck around thinking I would go back in when she left…only she didn’t leave and you didn’t kick her out.”


Spike was beginning to understand. “So what…you jus’ hung around in the hallway…waitin’?”


“Yeah.”


“So why didn’t you leave when you saw she wasn’t comin’ out?”


Luke answered. “Because you told me she wasn’t allowed to be anywhere on her own, so I waited in the hallway because I didn’t want her to try and slip past me.”


“Yes, but after she’d been in there for a bit, we weren’t worried about her…we were worried about you,” said Cooper.


Dixon spoke up for the first time. “What these two idiots are trying to say is she had you screaming like a banshee and it sounded a lot like she was torturing you, but whatever it was she was doing to you… we couldn’t tell if she was killing you or if it was killing you…‘cause she had you screaming and begging very, very loud. So we hung about just in case. If you get what I mean.”


Spike couldn’t help himself. He laughed loudly. His men were smirking at him. Now that Dixon had spoken, he did remember the shouting and yelling and especially the begging, but because he was drunk and lost in the moment, he never gave it a thought they might be over heard. Inadvertently, Buffy had exacted the perfect revenge. Spike laughed loudly.


“Fuck.”


“Yep…that’s what you said, only a lot louder.” Dixon said.


Chuckling, Spike asked. “So, were you lot still hangin’ ‘bout when she came out?”


They nodded.


“And that’s why she’s embarrassed…cause she knows you all heard.”


They nodded again.


“But no one said anythin’ to upset her I hope.”


“No…we were too shocked to see her coming out of there without you. When we asked her where you were, she…she kinda shocked us again. She told us you were passed out on the pool table and she was going to bed and then, just before she rode the elevator, she told us you might need a blanket.”


“Bloody hell! So why didn’t one of you prats fetch me a blanket…it was bloody cold,” he laughed.


Cooper arched a brow at him. “Ha! I’m pretty sure if she didn’t kill you and we could see that she didn’t, then a night sleeping naked on a pool table wouldn’t do you any harm. Besides, if you were all warm and cozy you would never have woken up to go back up to bed with her,” he pointed out.


Spike was laughing so hard he thought he would be sick. Bloody hell…what a woman, he thought.


Buffy could hear their laughter through the study door. Oh God! What must Spike be thinking? He must be wondering why I never told him about them being outside the game room. Will he be mad? By the sounds of all the laughter, she didn’t think so.


Buffy pulled her files out ready to go over them, hoping work would distract her. She had some time to kill before her appointment with Mr. Suitor, so she phoned the next two clients on her list and arranged meeting dates with them. She decided they would be the last two clients she would phone as her week was now fully booked. She wanted to give each client equal time and attention and Spike said it was up to her to work out her own system.


She just hung up on Miss Emma Castle from The New Ocean Inn when Spike came in. A ghost of a smile played around the edges of his mouth. He didn’t say anything to her about his talk with his men. He took his seat behind his desk and started working as if nothing happened at breakfast.


Buffy felt oddly disappointed and wondered if she should say something but the moment passed and they both busied themselves with work. Buffy was surprised when Cooper joined Spike. The two of them worked together on the stack of paper work on Spike’s desk.


Mr. Suitor arrived and Buffy led him to the patio area and ordered coffee for the both of them as well as Spike and Cooper. She was glad she had a little privacy to conduct her meeting. The thoughts of having Spike watch her while she tried to settle into this new role was very daunting and oddly off-putting. Buffy wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because she was unsure of her ability to do her new job or because she was so strangely affected by Spike’s eyes on her, whether he was looking at her lustfully or quietly.


Mr. Suitor was a pleasant middle-aged man, small and portly. He’d worked at The Orange Grove Hotel for thirty-three years and knew his job very well. Buffy had no trouble deciding after the first five minutes she liked him. He had nice manners and a gentle sense of humor. Buffy warmed to him and the meeting moved along very smoothly. Mr. Suitor brought her a file listing all of the staff at The Orange Grove for her to update her files and to keep accurate and current files for Spike. Buffy thought it was a bit odd Mr. Suitor never mentioned Angel. Though she never questioned him, thinking it was possible Wesley had informed all the people she would be dealing with there was a change in management.


The morning flew by and before she knew it, Mr. Suitor was making his way out. She felt a gratifying sense of accomplishment that everything had gone so well. For the first time, she felt like she would be able to do a good job with the tasks Spike set for her. She wondered what Wesley had meant about her job being subject to change. She hoped Spike didn’t plan on involving her in any of the less than honest businesses. She didn’t think she could live with herself if he did.


She spent half an hour tidying her notes and integrating the new information Mr. Suitor gave her into her computer before Spike interrupted her.


“You ready to go to lunch Pet?”


“Er…nearly, just give me a few minutes to finish this and I’ll be all done.”


Spike watched her turn her attention back to the screen of her laptop and type up the last of her report. He was looking forward to reading them at the end of the week. He wondered if Wesley was right about her being wasted in this particular field. Spike waited patiently, happy to just sit and watch her. Cooper had left ten minutes before, but between them, they’d caught up on all the assignments pushed aside while Cooper was in England. Now, Cooper was working on clearing his own work schedule so Wesley could take over his workload. Spike had given him to the end of the week and Cooper assured him everything would be tied up neat by Friday ready for him to watch Buffy but until he was, Spike would stick with her everywhere she needed to go.


Buffy shut down her laptop and pushed away from her desk.


*****


The restaurant Spike chose for their lunch was the main dinning room at The New Ocean Inn. Buffy told him she had arranged a meeting with Miss Castle and Spike thought it might be a good idea to have a look at the hotel and staff at work, without them being aware they were being observed. The restaurant was big, bright and airy. It was decorated in an ultra modern style with a heavy use of mirrors and green plants. Crisp white table linens were teamed with chrome chairs and silver table decorations. Buffy liked it right away. It was modern, urban and very popular.


Their table was near an open wall, overlooking a modern water garden. The garden was filled with sculptures and beautifully colored rocks that were all individual water features in their own way.


Spike scanned the menu, debating on what to order while Buffy gazed at the water garden. He tapped her on the hand to get her attention, making her jump slightly. He smiled at her startled look.


“Oh! Sorry, I was miles away,” she said.


“It is kind of pretty isn’t it?” She nodded. “The menu looks good too. Why don’t you ‘ave a look and order for the two of us. I’ll ‘ave the minted lamb with baby potatoes and green salad,” he said as he stood up. “I’ll be right back…don’t go anywhere, okay?”


She looked at him hesitantly and shook her head. “I won’t,” she said.


Spike strode off and was quickly lost to her view, swallowed up by the crowds of diners. A few minutes later, a waiter appeared by her side. She placed their order. Spike arrived back just as the waiter turned towards the kitchens. Sitting opposite her at the small table, he reached for her hand and clasped it lightly in his own.


“If I tell you somethin’ will you promise not to freak out?” he asked.


Buffy stared at him. Oh God! Now what? She thought. “I can’t promise not to, but I can promise to try not to,” she replied diplomatically.


Spike nodded. “Good enough. Okay, now don’t jump to any wild conclusions, but I got us a room.”


Buffy’s eyes widened even as she scowled deeply and tried to pull her hand out of his.


“Now I told you not to jump to conclusions. Nothings goin’ to happen I jus’ want to talk to you somewhere quiet where we won’t be disturbed. Somewhere on neutral ground,” he explained, holding on to her hand.


“And why can’t we talk here? Nobody’s going to interrupt us here…this is neutral ground.” She demanded to know.


“Buffy pet…you blush at the merest suggestion of anythin’ embarrassing. Not that I mind, because I think you’re the most beautiful thing alive when you blush, but I seriously doubt you’d want to draw that kind of attention to yourself in a restaurant packed with people.”


Completely disarmed by his unexpected compliment, Buffy could only blink at him.


“I promise I only want to talk…okay,” he said sincerely.


Buffy nodded, her body relaxing with his promise. “Okay.” She quickly looked back out into the garden, unable to look at his earnest eyes.


Torn by her mixed emotions, she sat pondering his compliment. For some reason it disturbed her more than all the innuendos and naughty little things he’d ever said to her, but she didn’t understand why.


Lunch seemed to drag out and fly by at the same time, leaving her with a slightly disorientated feeling. Spike, of course, noticed and tried to distract her with idle chatter. He told her about a time when he was with Cooper in Russia. The two of them got so drunk they missed their flight home. They ended up having to stay for an extra ten days as a snowstorm gripped the city, making it impossible to leave. On their first night of enforced occupation, they fought their way through the blizzard to a local bar, where Cooper managed to get lucky with a local beauty. The only problem being, she was married to one of the cities notorious black market gangsters. Naturally, the gangster was incensed when he found out about his wife’s indiscretion. The two of them had spent the rest of their time trying to stay out of his clutches, moving around the city and finding a different place to hold up every night.


Spike made the story sound funny and light hearted, but Buffy could hear the element of real danger behind the humorous telling. She wondered if Spike had been as blasé about the actual events as he was about the retelling. Somehow, Buffy could see it all in her minds eye. Spike losing his temper with Cooper when he found out about the error he made by being with the woman, but taking charge in his usual way, thinking and planning their moves, probably even congratulating himself for successfully staying one step ahead of the gangster and outsmarting him at every turn. She was learning when it came to difficult situations, Spike was a quick and clever thinker. He kept his head and could damn near run circles around most people. He was not someone to be underestimated…in any situation.


When they’d finished their meal, he took her hand and led her to the elevators and up to the seventh floor. The room he’d rented for their talk was actually a suite and was easily bigger than her old apartment.


Buffy didn’t pay any attention to her surroundings. She was too focused on what he wanted to talk to her about. Spike on the other hand, took enough time to locate the mini bar and fix them both a drink. He handed her one and guided her to a seat while he chose to remain standing.


Wanting to put her at ease, Spike thought carefully about how to word what he wanted to say to her, but instinctively he knew it was best to just start and let things develop naturally. He began.


“The other day on the boat you asked me some questions and I’m sure you must ‘ave a million more. I thought now would be a good time to get some of those questions out of the way. ” He smiled at her, trying to convey a sense of calm friendliness. “But for every question you ask of me, I’ll ask one of you…okay?”


Buffy was immediately suspicious, but what choice did she have. This wasn’t her idea. She nodded very hesitantly.


“Okay…so do you ‘ave anythin’ you want to ask me?”


“Yes…what’s the point to this question and answer game?”


“Well it’s not a game pet. The point to it is to learn things ‘bout each other and I don’t mean the silly things like what’s your favorite color or any such nonsense like that,” he said. “Okay my turn…what were you afraid of that made you do what you did last night?”


Buffy remembered her conversation with Luke. She knew she needed to give Spike a more detailed explanation than the one she gave him that morning. Knowing he would spot a lie, she decided to give him the truth. She hoped she could live with the consequences. “Luke told me you might send me to Masters in New York. He also told me unless I proved to be useful and loyal, Masters would probably have me killed.”


Spike was stunned. Not because those things weren’t true, but because he hadn’t thought to tell his men not to divulge the information to her, and although he wasn’t happy Luke had told her about Masters and New York, he was doing his best to protect her from Masters for now. Spike knew there were other dangers that could hurt her, some she was aware of and others she was blind to.


“So it was fear for your life that made you act the way you did?”


“It’s not your turn,” she reminded him. Spike smiled at that but nodded, accepting what she said. “Will you send me to Masters?”


Spike sat next to her and held her hand. “I don’t want to and I’ll do everythin’ I possibly can to prevent it, but Buffy there are some things even I can’t fix. As much as I hate to admit it, Luke was right. If you don’t prove loyal and…and–” he sighed, struggling to find the words to explain without frightening her. “Masters won’t give me a choice. He’ll either send for you or order you killed, but I can protect you pet, if you stop fighting me and accept me for real…is that so high a price to pay to stay safe?” There were tears in her eyes by the time he finished.


“If you’re so concerned with protecting me, why don’t you just tell Masters I’m loyal and trustworthy and that we’re…we’re together. Why does it have to be real between us? Why are you even bothering? Luke told me there was every chance Masters would eventually forgive Angel. Then…then you would still have no choice but to send me to New York. Is getting me into bed and having victory over Angel that important to you? Why are you doing all this when it’s all so…temporary anyway?” Spike could see she was getting worked up.


“Buffy that’s a lot more than one question, but I’ll–”


She cut him off angrily. “No…no more games…just answer,” she snapped.


Spike sighed and decided to give her the truth even if it did hurt her. He would be there to ease things and it might make her stop denying the reality of her life. She might finally accept that she really didn’t have a choice.


“I need your physical presence to control Angel, but if Masters wants him back, and one day he will, then your usefulness in controlling him will be over. Then Masters will take you off my hands either to use you against Angel or to punish him.” Spike paused, wondering how to explain things without hurting her too much but it was no use and sometimes you just had to be cruel to be kind. “And if you think I can jus’ lie to Masters and tell him that you’re completely trustworthy and that we’re together, and you’ve embraced your new life, then you’re a great deal more naïve then I thought it was possible to be. Buffy…Masters has spies everywhere. At a guess, I’d say there are at least half a dozen living in the house with us. You won’t be able to live a lie…we won’t be able to live a lie. Not one that big over a long period of time…someone would find out. Then Masters would find out and what do you think would happen then…I’ll tell you what…I’d be in the same position Angel’s in right now and you’d be dead.


Frustrated, he stood up and began to pace restlessly. He pushed an irritated hand through his hair, dislodging the neat slicked back style into a mess of curls.


“When I first brought you ‘ere, all I wanted was to use you to control and punish Angel. You were my only tool to use against him to get Drusilla back, and yes, I’d always planned to coax, bully, persuade or blackmail you into my bed because that would be the perfect and fitting revenge on Angel for all the years and years that he took Dru from me. Because the only reason he did that was because he could, because he wanted to hurt me, he enjoyed it.” He stopped pacing and looked at her. “But if he’d loved her, the way I loved her or even the way she loved him, I might not have hated him so much…but he didn’t and so I wanted revenge.” He stalked over to her with a cold hard menacing look on his face. His body was stiff and angry. He loomed over her, holding her eyes with a burning gaze. “And there would be no better revenge then fuckin’ you…‘cause you’re the only woman he’s ever loved.”


He turned away from her abruptly and strode over to the window, looking out at the city below.


The force of his words shocked Buffy. His hate for Angel went deep and he couldn’t always hide it.


Still looking out of the window, he spoke to her in a calm voice that belied the depth of his feelings. “You’re wrong though when you say this is all so temporary. Death is a permanent state Buffy, but you could choose life…stop fighting me, be my mistress and I can protect you. You’d never have to worry ‘bout Masters…I promise.”


Buffy gasped when he used the word mistress. “How…how can you promise?”


This is it, Spike thought, if I can’t convince her now, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to convince her.


He turned to look at her. Slowly, he walked back and took a seat opposite so she could to see the truth on his face. “When Angel first disappeared, Masters asked me to find him. He told me if I found him and brought him back alive to be made an example of and punished, he would let me name my own reward. ” He sighed, wondering if he was doing the right thing by telling her all this, but he wanted her and he wanted her willing or as willing as possible. “If you’ll be mine…willingly mine…and turn your back on Angel regardless of what Masters wants to do with him. I’ll name you as my reward. He won’t be able to refuse me because he swore it was up to me what I chose and he would never guess I would choose a woman, but I would. I would choose you, but only if you give your consent…and Buffy…it would be real and it would be permanent.”

*************************************************************
TBC…soon
 

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