Chapter Forty Eight.
Life, Work and Stuff.


“Come on pipsqueak…is that the best you can do? I don’t know why I waste my time trying to teach you anything…a little girl could do better.”


Buffy panted.


“Oh! I forgot…you are a little girl,” her tormentor goaded.


She moaned with the effort to remain still. Her arms were burning…desperate to collapse.


“If you let those arms down before I say you can, I’ll make you do double tomorrow…now, hold…Hold…HOLD!”


Buffy nearly screamed. She was sure the bastard was trying to kill her.


“Okay, release.”


Groaning, she dropped her arms and released the weights.


“Well done…that was good…you’re getting better,” Cooper smiled at her.


Buffy gave him a dirty look. Her whole body ached.


“Come on pipsqueak, that’s enough for today. Do ten minutes of cool down and then you can hit the pool.” He was already turning away from her.


With no energy to argue, she stuck her tongue out at him.


“You know I can see you,” he laughed at her as she caught sight of him in the gym mirror.


Blushing, she stammered. “So…that’s the least you deserve…you’re a slave driver.”


“Yep, I sure am and look at the results. In the last two weeks you’ve made great progress…when you’re not whining like a toddler that is. You should be proud of yourself…I know Spike is,” he said.


The reminder of just how proud Spike was with the progress she’d made with her self defense lessons had her blushing all over again.


Cooper tidied the equipment away as she began the slow stretching excises, designed to relax and cool down her abused muscles.


Cooper watched her covertly in the mirror. She’d worked hard today and she was showing good signs and making quick progress. In the short time he’d been training her, they’d learned to work well together and though she was unsure of herself a lot of the time, he usually managed to goad and bully her into coming out of her shell. Once she’d even snapped back at his hard handed tactics, but he was impressed with her fierce determination and spirit and it was clear that Spike was damn near bursting with pride with each new advancement she made.


Buffy was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn’t notice Spike entering the gym. Cooper nodded to him and Spike gave him a quick smile and returned his nod. He watched Buffy slowly work through her routine, she looked hot and tired, but glowing.


“Well you’re a little late, we’ve just finished,” Cooper called.


Buffy stopped and looked at Spike. “Oh, I don’t know, looks to me as if I’m jus’ in time for the best bit.” He smirked at Buffy.


Buffy knew Spike was talking about the swim in the pool. It was the only part of the exercise routine he insisted Cooper left entirely to him.


Cooper looked between his boss and the tiny blonde. He could see Spike had already tuned him out and decided to make a discreet exit. “Yeah…well...if you’ll excuse me I’ll shower in my room. I’ll see you two later.” He glanced at Buffy. “Good work pipsqueak, but don’t let him interrupt the rest of your routine.” She nodded and waved him away as he walked toward Spike and the door.


When he reached his boss, he lowered his voice. “If you’re planning anything, make sure you lock the door,” he grinned at him.


Spike shot him a look. “Sod off.”


Cooper chuckled, and left the two of them alone.


Spike hadn’t as yet, spoken to Buffy. He thought she might be wondering where he’d been, but in the last couple of weeks they’d come to an understanding of sorts and though it was still in the early stages, it seemed to be working. He thought she was settling in, though at times he would notice her gazing off into space, lost in thoughts she always refused to share.


He smiled at her and casually took a seat on one of the workbenches, watching her go through the paces of her routine. “Did he work you hard pet?”


“He always works me hard and I still have to meet with him later to go over more plans for the reception. No doubt, that will be hard work too,” she said tiredly.


Spike nodded in acknowledgment. He knew how hard she was working on the arrangements for the reception and according to Cooper; she had a natural flair for organizing and a knack for trouble spotting. The plans for the party were moving forward with promise.


“Well when you’re ready we’ll go for a swim, that should help you relax and put you in a better frame of mind,” he suggested.


“Actually, I was thinking of skipping the swim and taking a sauna instead…I’m too tired to swim, but I could really use a long hot soak in all that nice steam,” she told him.


“Okay, that sounds like it would work jus’ as well.” He stood up and started to make his way towards the sauna room.


Buffy quickly looked at him. “Er…would you mind if I…” He glanced at her and stopped when he noticed her nervousness. “If I used it alone?” she finished.


Spike sighed and nodded with disappointment. “Sure pet…I’ll jus’ ‘ave a swim while I’m waitin’ for you.” He changed direction slightly and headed towards the pool instead.


Buffy could tell he wasn’t exactly happy about her request, but at least he didn’t make a big fuss about it. She heaved a sigh of relief and headed off to the sauna.


*****


The steam felt good. Buffy sat on the wooden shelf soaking in the warmth and enjoying the peace and quite. She wondered why Spike hadn’t joined them for the defense lesson. He hadn’t told her he was going anywhere and it was only when she arrived at the gym with Cooper, that he told her Spike had to be somewhere and wouldn’t be able to join them. He teased her mercilessly and laughed at her blushes, when he suggested she was as bad as Spike and couldn’t keep her mind on anything but him.


Completely relaxed, with her eyes closed, Buffy thought about that. In the last two weeks, things had settled into a bit of a routine. They would both work through the mornings. Spike usually in his study while she was with Cooper, working on the reception, which could take them just about anywhere. There was a lot to organize. A good deal of the time she and Cooper would end up having lunch together, so most days she only saw Spike in the evenings for the defense lessons. When they finished with that, Spike would go back to his study, doing his part in preparation for the reception and Buffy would head back to Cooper’s office, where they would work until dinnertime.


The schedule was tiring, but Buffy had to admit she was also enjoying herself. Cooper was a good teacher, both in the gym and in the office. He was friendly without being overly so, though Buffy suspected his behavior had more to do with Spike’s obvious possessiveness than anything else. Yet, without either of them discussing it, they’d managed to draw a line in their relationship and were getting along really well. Buffy smiled when she realized she now thought of the tall handsome brunette as a kind of older brother, similar to Xander and Oz.


Her relationship with Spike was a different matter. They were only really together in the evenings and even then Spike had to do paperwork after dinner. Not that she was complaining. It wasn’t as if she wanted to spend that much time with him or anything, but since their first night back at the mansion after their trip to the cabin, he’d been keeping an odd distance from her.


Although, there was one good thing that had come out of it and that was, Spike deciding to get rid of all the bugs and cameras. He told Buffy he’d been in touch with Masters and informed him he suspected the feds were trying to get something on them and it was now too important to take risks, so he took the necessary measures to protect himself by disabling all cameras and bugs. Masters was apparently quite concerned, and Spike told her the old man even offered to send someone to help with the problem, but Spike had convinced him everything was in hand and now they were living bug free. Or so they hoped. Spike had unnecessarily reminded her, they still weren’t safe. There was still Masters spies to be mindful of, but she was never the less ecstatic that the electronic bugs were gone.


Buffy shuddered, remembering their one night together with Masters watching. She never wanted to go through that again and she was careful whenever they were in the company of any of the men, to be what Spike expected her to be, meekly letting him treat her like his personal property. She hated it. Though she more than suspected Spike loved it. He would tease and taunt her in front of his men and even touch her inappropriately, regardless of how she blushed or squirmed with embarrassment. It was only when they were completely alone he would back off and give her some space of her own, though his appetite for sex hadn’t lessened one little bit. In fact, Buffy thought he was worse than ever.


He’d made her an appointment to see a doctor and ‘talked’ her into going on the pill. That had nearly caused a major fight as Spike had insisted that from now on, she use the doctor approved by the family. Buffy was horrified to think her medical history would be accessed by people who worked for Masters, but Spike coaxed and tried to sweet-talk her around and when that didn’t work, he yelled at her and eventually lost his temper. He drove her to Doctor Bryson’s clinic and practically shoved her through his office door. The whole thing had been extremely humiliating. Spike refused to leave her alone with the doctor and stood guard over her, as the doctor went through the standard examination and asked her some straightforward questions about her general health. Doctor Bryson then asked Spike what his relationship was with Buffy and to her shame, Spike had smirked at her and simply replied there was no relationship, she was merely his. The doctor didn’t bat an eyelash at Spike’s statement; he simply looked at Buffy’s burning face and wrote her a prescription for the pills.


Buffy had huffed with Spike and silently fumed for a whole day, but he just smirked at her, satisfied he’d got his way. When she threatened not to use the pills the doctor gave her, he’d casually shrugged and said that was up to her, but he’d only continue to use condoms for as long as it took for the pills to take effect, then she’d have no one but herself to blame if she got pregnant. That had made her blood run cold and she’d started taking the pills straight away.


When she’d asked Spike why he wanted her to go on the pill, he’d pulled her onto his lap, kissing and fondling her as he explained if she was on the pill, it would give them so much more freedom…from covering the necessity of birth control as well as allowing them spontaneity. Buffy had pointed out to him it was only him that required spontaneity. Spike had chuckled and pointed out to her she was the only one who required birth control, so she should stop complaining and be happy they both benefited from the new arrangement.


She sighed, remembering how the argument had ended up. Spike had kissed her senseless, pushed her to the couch and proceeded to strip her slowly out of her clothes, making her gasp and moan until she was begging him to make her come again and again. She blushed in humiliation, just thinking about how without removing any of his own clothes, he’d managed to get her to come three times in a row and make her beg for more, and still leave her unsatisfied as he wouldn’t allow her to touch him. By the time he’d worked her up, she really, really wanted to touch and taste him.


It occurred to Buffy as she soaked in the steam, that in the last two weeks Spike had spent a great deal of their intimate time together going to great lengths to pleasure her, introducing her to new experiences and always making sure she came more than once. There wasn’t a single night where he would let her go to sleep, without making her climax at least twice. He kept assuring her, that once the chaotic preparations for the reception were done and the reception was over, he would be able to devote more and more time to showing her new heights of pleasure. Buffy wondered if Spike thought she somehow expected him to please her in this way as a sort of consolation, for all the things he’d done to hurt her. She sighed, shaking her head and thinking she would probably never figure him out. Though he was proving to be a great lover…much better than Angel…though she hated to admit that, even if it was only to herself…yet she wondered why he’d go to such lengths to pleasure her and yet always somehow avoid letting her return the favor. Maybe he thought she wasn’t very good at pleasuring him. In the last two weeks, he hadn’t asked for a single blowjob and if she tried to casually begin one, he’d distract her and somehow she’d be the one who would end up climaxing again.


Yes, he was definitely keeping an odd distance from her. Maybe he was waiting for the pill to take effect or possibly he was tired because of the excessive work load at the moment, but whatever it was, Buffy didn’t think she would figure it out anytime soon. Spike was a complex man and it was going to take time to learn how to read him. Still, she didn’t think she had anything to worry about. He still wanted to have sex with her. No, he definitely had no trouble with taking her whenever the urge struck him…and it struck him often. It was just, he didn’t seem to want her overly touching him.


A soft knock at the door jarred her from her thoughts. She wrapped her towel around herself and pushed the door open.


Spike stood there naked and dripping wet from the pool. “You had enough luv?” he asked.


Buffy swallowed…My God, he looks so hot, he’s been swimming naked again, she thought. Buffy couldn’t help but notice how the water clung beautifully to his hard toned body. Her eyes swept his naked form and Spike caught her appraising look. He smirked at her knowingly. “Unless, you want to work up a sweat of a different kind pet?”


Snapping indignantly, embarrassed because he’d caught her looking at him, she brushed past him. “No thanks…I’ve had more than my fair share of exercise for one day.”


Spike chuckled dryly. “Fine by me pet…it only means I’ll ‘ave more energy for you tonight.” He slapped her bum playfully as he passed her at the shower door. Then thinking better of it, he grabbed her and dragged her into the shower room with him. Buffy shrieked. Taken by surprise, she struggled against him.


“Spike what are you-” He cut her off with a deep kiss, pulling the towel from her and backing her into the shower. She gasped when the cold water hit her hot skin. Spike chuckled at her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. “It’s freezing…turn it up a bit.” She spluttered, her teeth chattering.


Spike just laughed and kissed her as he held her under the cold jets of water. Seeing that he was in a playful mood and would probably only continue to laugh at her, Buffy decided to try and persuade him another way. Running her hands down his back, she gently cupped his ass and squeezed him. He stopped laughing and looked down into her face. She blinked at him and rubbed against his hard body.


“Please,” she pouted.


Buffy smiled at him as he adjusted the water to a nice warm temperature. Spike’s hands glided over her back and he mirrored hers by resting them on her bum and rubbing his hardening shaft against her stomach. Lowering his head, he kissed her, groaning into her mouth as he explored its soft warmth.


Caressing her bum, he murmured at her mouth. “I like the way you say please pet…it turns me on…see.” He rubbed his fully aroused length against her soft flesh.


She moaned.


His hand crept around her, gently pushing between them and snaking down to fondle her pussy. “God, I want you,” he breathed in her ear.


She parted her legs, allowing him access to her folds, sighing as his fingers quested inside her.


Spike nuzzled her neck, lapping at the drops of water that rolled down her smooth throat, eliciting soft moans from her. He pushed his fingers in deeper, seeking her G-spot as he caressed her wet breasts.


Buffy took advantage of his distracted state and reached for him grasping his, thick length in her small hand. He groaned and caught her hand, stopping her arousing movements. “Let me see to you first luv.”


Spike didn’t give her a chance to reply before kissing her and gently pushing her back against the shower wall. Buffy gasped as he rubbed her clit while pumping his fingers steadily inside her. “You’re so nice and tight pet…” he groaned at her breast, licking her nipple with a flat tongue. “Are you safe yet…can we do it without worrying?”


It took Buffy a moment to process what he was asking her. “No…but soon,” she whispered breathlessly.


She was nearly there and he could tell she was enjoying what he was doing to her. He pinched her nub and watched her pretty face express her pleasure. Buffy tried to reach for him again, but he stopped her by pulling her hand away from his cock and placing it on her breast. “Touch yourself for me kitten, I want to watch you pinch and rub your pretty titties.”


She groaned as his fingers pushed deeper. He was gazing at her hand on her breast and she watched his face as she began to move her hand, rubbing her nipple lightly. He was looking at her with a look of open lust in his eyes, breathing hard. “Oh yes that’s pretty kitten…don’t stop,” he panted.


Buffy closed her eyes as she felt the first waves of orgasm wash over her. Spike pushed deeper and faster. She cried out as he suddenly leaned down and bit her nipple, even as she was caressing the other one. Bright colors burst behind her eyes and she gripped his arms pulling him to her, thrusting her hips towards his pumping fingers, panting and gasping as he whispered dirty words to her.


“I love watchin’ you come baby…you scream and gasp like being finger fucked is the best thing in the whole world.” He slowly stroked her soft folds gently, bringing her down as he kissed her neck.


It was long minutes before she was able to speak. “Oh, God…” she moaned softly.


Spike kissed her lips tenderly and held her shaking body in his arms. Slowly, her hands began to move again and for a few moments he allowed her to explore his body. Gently, she caressed him, running her fingertips down his back and ass as she peppered his chest with tiny kisses. Spike groaned when he felt her lick a flat nipple. Gritting his teeth, he pushed away from her. “I wish I had more time kitten, but I don’t…we both ‘ave to get back to work, but I’ll see you at dinner and I promise I’ll attend to you properly then.” He kissed her and tried to move back but she grabbed him.


“No…now,” she demanded. “Or don’t you want me to touch you any more?”


“What’d you mean pet? Of course I want you to touch me.”


“Then why do you always stop me from touching you?” she asked.


“I don’t…well I do, but only because I didn’t want you to think I only wanted you to pleasure me constantly. I jus’ wanted to show you I was happy to concentrate on pleasin’ you,” he explained.


“Really?” He nodded. “Then if I said I wanted to touch you, you’d let me?”


“Yes of course, but not now, the others will be waitin’ for us and we’ve still-”


Buffy pressed her fingers over his mouth, hushing him. “Let them wait. What are they going to do…complain?” Spike arched a brow at her and opened his mouth to protest, but she hushed him again. “I thought you were the boss or maybe that doesn’t really count for much…maybe it’s just an empty job title-”


He interrupted her. “What did you ‘ave in mind pet?” He was thrilled she was acting on her desires.


She shrugged her shoulders. He could see she was thinking about what she wanted to do next. She smiled suddenly and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. “Can I tell you something?”


“Of course pet,” he smirked at her, wondering what she was going to say.


“I heard you…that first day when you brought me to the gym,” she told him.


“Heard me what luv?” He was puzzled.


“You…I heard you. You were in here and you were making a lot of noise…groaning and gasping…but you sounded like you were enjoying yourself,” she stammered and blushed.


Spike knew what she was talking about. He remembered it clearly. He smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye as he thought about her in the next room listening to him jerk off. He’d had no idea at the time she could hear him, but he was desperately turned on that she would share the information with him now.


“And did you like hearin’ me pet? Did it make you all shivery and wet?” He tried to caress her breasts, but she pushed his hands away roughly pinning them to his chest.


“Yes,” she admitted.


Spike gapped at her. There was no way he would have guessed she’d been affected by him in that way, not at that early stage or ever admit it to him, but she just had.


“I want to hear you again,” she whispered.


Spike was amazed when she fell to her knees in front of him. Suddenly, he was transported back to his fantasy all those weeks ago, where his dream Buffy had done just the same thing. The real girl was much better.


Buffy looked up at him and caressed his thighs with her fingertips, stroking him in a teasing manner meant to entice and tantalize him…it worked. Spike forgot all about being late for his meeting as she caught hold of his throbbing cock with a light tormenting touch and slowly brought her lips closer to his raging need.


The second she touched him with her mouth, he gasped loudly and braced his hands on the tiled wall. Determined to watch every minute of her sucking him off, he kept his eyes fixed on her mouth. Looking at him, she slowly licked him, her small tongue dancing around the blunt head, tickling the sensitive ridges and gliding up and down the bulging veins.


Spike was breathing hard, unable to control his racing heart. She’d gotten much better at this, and he couldn’t believe she was doing it for him. He gazed at her lustfully as her tongue slid over him, torturing him with the teasing way she was avoiding taking him into her mouth. He swore loudly when she sucked gently on his balls.


“Do you like that?” she asked him needlessly.


“Fuck yes!” he panted.


Buffy smiled and caressed his balls with her nails, making him gasp. Spike reached for her, but she gently batted his hands away, conveying with a look she was in control.


Realizing she wanted to do things her way, Spike placed his hand back on the tiles and resigned himself to letting her do what she wanted. He didn’t have long to wait and she took his cock into her mouth. “Oh God…yes…yes,” he moaned hoarsely.


His eyes closed involuntarily with the intense sensation and he had to force them back open. She was moving rapidly and Spike was lost to her talented mouth as she bobbed her head back and forth, humming around him with her eyes closed. Gasping, he gently touched her face. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Buffy faltered for a second, seeing something on his face, but it was gone in an instant and she picked up her pace again. Spike slid his hand to the back of her head and pulled her wet hair out of her face, so he could have an unobstructed view of her mouth.


She placed her hands on his hips and pulled him towards her, sucking on him deeply as she slid her mouth over his hard length. Spike gripped her hair tightly without pulling at her scalp, resisting the urge to thrust into the sweet wet heat of her mouth. He groaned as she licked her way up to his leaking tip and sucked him hard.


Buffy could see he was straining to hold back, but she didn’t want him to hold back she wanted him to lose control.


She let him slip from her mouth and pumped him with her hand as she rubbed his blunt head against her cheek. “Did you think about this when you were in here that day?” she asked curious.


“Oh, fuck yes! Jus’ like this, but this is better…Aaargh…you’re better…aaargh…” he groaned, thrusting his cock into her hand.


“Was it me you were thinking about?” She stroked his balls.


“AAARGH…It’s always you I’m thinkin’ ‘bout baby,” he gasped.


She smiled and slipped his hard length back into her mouth. She quickly sucked him as she fondled his tightening balls. Her pace was quick and she kept drawing him in deeper and deeper, until the tip of his cock was nudging the back of her throat. She relaxed her muscles and swallowed around him and squeezed his balls gently.


“OH! FUCK! BUFFY, THAT’S FUCKIN’ PERFECT. HARDER PET…AAARGH…OH FUCK YES! YES!” he yelled.


Buffy could hardly believe his response. He was gasping and shouting, the sound echoing loudly around the tiled shower room. He let her push him against the wall as she went faster, sliding her lips over him again and again, rubbing the sensitive ridges with her tongue each time she reached the tip.


“BUFFY…AAARGH…I’m gonna come pet…oh, God…yes…FUCK!” he warned her just as he started shooting into her mouth. She gasped slightly and sucked him gently, swallowing, as he filled her mouth with his hot salty seed.


She pulled back, licking her lips when she was sure he’d finished. He gazed at her mouth longingly, just before he pulled her up and kissed her.


“Fuck Buffy you do that so well,” he told her when he released her mouth long enough to speak to her. She mumbled something and he kissed her again, tasting himself in her mouth.


He smiled at her as he picked up a sponge to bathe her with. She stood meekly, letting him wash and caress her with the sponge and his hands. “Tonight I want to try somethin’ different kitten,” he whispered to her.


She looked at him quizzically. “What is it?” she asked.


He smirked lewdly and kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, tasting all of her. “You’ll jus’ ‘ave to wait and see my girl,” he teased.


Buffy arched a brow at him and with a small smile on her lips; she turned around so he could wash her back.


Spike smiled and kissed her shoulder as he glided the sponge over her breasts and rubbed his groin onto the soft flesh of her bum.


*****


When they eventually arrived upstairs, they were greeted with a host of knowing looks. Spike successfully ignored them, though Buffy knew her blush gave her away. Spike smirked at her and patted her butt as she passed him to go into Cooper’s office. She shot him an angry look and swatted his hand away. He chuckled at her and watched her hips sway enticingly as she walked away.


Luke watched the exchange with amusement as he waited for his boss to join himself and Dixon. Cooper, who was waiting in the hallway with Luke and Dixon, shared a look with the other two.


“What’re you lot gapin’ at,” Spike demanded of his men.


They all shrugged their shoulders and broke apart, Cooper heading for his office and the other two to Spike’s study.


Dixon closed the door behind him and took a seat next to Luke.


Spike got straight down to business. “Okay, I need an update on those clients who returned their invites, declinin’ the reception,” he looked at Luke.


“Well so far there have been seven and Dixon and I went to see three of them this morning to try and persuade them they were making a mistake in refusing to attend,” Luke informed him. “But each time we got there, we discovered that Ms. Summers had either been there herself or phoned the client and managed to get them to change their minds…so that leaves only four to check up on, but I think I’ll check with Cooper or Ms. Summers first and see if she’s been in touch with those clients as well, before I go in all gung-ho.”


Spike was taken aback. Buffy hadn’t told him she’d been in touch with the clients and talked them into changing their minds about attending. He shook his head, pleased that once again, she’d surprised him. “Who was it exactly that she got to relent?” he asked.


Luke looked at his file to refresh his memory. “Taylor, Linlee and Palmer,” he informed his boss.


Spike looked thoughtful. He knew Taylor was one of the clients Angel had been trying to net before he defected. Old man Taylor was an international shipping tycoon, he was hard headed and had a reputation for been extremely unapproachable and he was also extremely suspicious. Angel had been after him for nearly two years with no luck at all. Spike wondered how Buffy had managed to persuade the old man to accept the invite. “And who are the other four?”


Luke answered quickly. “O’Rourke, Rush, Wilson-Smith and Samuels…Samuels is that guy Dixon was having so much trouble persuading to think about joining us. He opened another new restaurant last month and though he’s small fry compared to the others, he’s in an area that you wanted to branch out in.”


Luke checked his notes and glanced at Dixon before asking him, “The last time you spoke to him, did he give you any indication he was just holding out for a better deal?”


Dixon shook his head. “No, the puffed up little prick practically threw me out of his restaurant. He told me to stick my offer somewhere warm and dark.” Dixon smiled without humor as he told them, “And I was being nice too. Still, I can always go back and break his knee caps if he refuses to play along,” he said hopefully.


Spike fixed him with a serious expression. “It might come to that, jus’ to teach him a lesson and set an example for others. I can’t afford to let little guy’s like Samuels disrespect me, but before you go back I think I’ll let Buffy ‘ave a crack at him…see if she can bag him for us.” He pulled a pack of smokes from his top draw and lit one up. “I’ll ask her later if she plans on tryin’ to get these others to change their minds and if she says yes, then I’ll give her the chance, but if they refuse her, then we’ll go in and persuade them in are own special way.”


Luke and Dixon nodded. Spike guessed they both liked the idea of sending Buffy in first. She was proving to be more helpful than he thought possible and his men weren’t stupid, they could see she was getting better results than they were. Spike glanced at the list she’d given him earlier. It detailed all the people who had accepted his invitation to attend the reception, and looking at the large number of acceptances, the reception was going to be quite an event. Spike knew Buffy must have worked hard to get the more difficult men to relent; so far he couldn’t fault her efforts.


There was a knock at the door and Cooper walked in. “Sorry to interrupt, but Buffy’s on the phone arranging to meet with some musician her friend Oz put her in touch with and she wants to go talk to him now…so I thought I’d let you know, we probably won’t be back for dinner.”


Spike shrugged, casually feigning indifference. “Okay, where’s she meetin’ him and who is it?”


“Sorry I don’t know, she hasn’t had time to fill me in yet…but she seems all excited about it. I’ll give you a call when we get there.” He hovered by the door ready to leave.


“Okay, keep in touch and stick with her,” Spike told him.


“I will,” he said as he left the room.


Spike stared at the closed door. Thoughts of Buffy and her meeting with this musician had him wondering what kind of musician this guy was…Is he a rock musician? Is he young and good looking? Maybe he’ll try it on with her. Cooper said she was all excited. What if she flirts with this guy? I’ll kill her if she does Luke coughed, pulling him from his suspicious thoughts of Buffy and the musician. He shot the big man an angry scowl.


“What?” he snapped.


“Since Ms. Summers won’t be joining you for dinner, now might be a good time to go over those reports I pointed out to you yesterday,” Luke suggested.


Spike had to think for a second before he caught on to what Luke was hinting at. “Fine,” he sighed angrily and looked at Dixon. “Find Gilbey and get him to do a bug sweep and double check his findings. With the reception only a couple of weeks away…I don’t want anythin’ going wrong and I would definitely consider it a slip up if the feds, or someone else managed to get wind of what we’re doing.”


Dixon nodded and stood. “Do you want us to bring you our finding tonight?”


“Yes…if I’m not ‘ere…I’ll be on the top floor and if I’m not there…page me,” Spike told him. He flicked ash from his cigarette into an ashtray and looked at the older man. “And I want your report on the security measures for the reception by tomorrow.”


“Yes, boss,” he said.


Once Dixon left, Spike addressed Luke. “Okay what is it?”


“Gilbey,” Luke got straight to the point. “Trick called last night to inform me he turned up looking for a girl.”


Spike had a bad feeling, but he indicated for his first in command to continue.


“Trick thought he looked half stoned so he talked him into taking two girls, figuring there was safety in numbers. He followed your orders and made sure he didn’t get the chance to see any of the real young girls,” Luke shifted his big body in the chair.


Spike got up and poured himself a drink. He waved a glass at Luke, in way of an offer. Luke nodded and Spike poured him one too.


“And I take it somethin’ happened,” Spike said dryly. He just knew it would be asking too much for it to be all about nothing.


“Yeah, the girls turned up this morning. Gil took them to some apartment and in the course of the night, he got one of the girls to tie the other one up and then beat the other one so badly she won’t be able to work for a month…or more, according to Trick,” Luke took a swallow of his whiskey.


Spike scowled, this was all he bleedin’ needed. “What ‘bout the one who was tied up…what did he do to her?”


“That’s the odd thing, he didn’t do a thing to her…didn’t even touch her.”


“What…didn’t he even fuck her?”


“Trick said the girl who was tied up told him Gil was only interested in the first girl, Alyx…I think that’s her name. He spent the night repeatedly fucking and beating her…leaving the other one tied up and gagged to watch. She seemed to think that after she was tied up…Gil didn’t even notice she was there.”


“So how did they get away?” Spike wanted to know.


“Gil dumped them in an alley down town. The one who was tied to the chair all night was still trussed up and she had to wait until Alyx regained consciousness to untie her before they could make their way back to Trick’s.”


“Did Trick tell you what damage he did…did he use a knife on her?” Spike asked anxiously.


Luke slowly shook his head. “No…no knives, but he did break all of the fingers on one of her hands, and besides beating her black and blue, he cut her hair.”


“He cut her hair! What the bleedin’ hell is that ‘bout?” He frowned, looking at Luke, who was shrugging his big shoulders.


“Don’t know boss, but I think you should know, when he cut up that other one…he must have cut her hair too ‘cause the basin and bin in his bathroom was full of it. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but when Trick told me what he did I thought I should tell you.”


Spike thought back to the day when Gilbey had cut up the young whore. He remembered her short choppy hair. He remembered the feel of the sticky strands in his hand as he pulled her head to the side to check for a pulse…bile rose in his throat and he pushed the memory away. The heavy repulsive smell of the room resurfaced, but he couldn’t remember seeing any hair in the bathroom when he’d washed his hands afterwards. That didn’t mean Luke was wrong. In fact, Spike was sure the big man was right, but why would Gilbey cut their hair?


“Where is he now?”


Luke looked at him. Surely his boss hadn’t forgotten he’d just sent Dixon to find Gilbey to do a bug sweep. Luke realized his boss must be pretty worried about Gil if he was forgetting things. “Hopefully, he’s with Dixon doing that bug sweep you wanted,” he supplied.


Spike nodded, distracted and thoughtful. This thing with Gilbey was getting worse and though Spike intended to deal with him for what he’d done to Buffy. He had planned on waiting until after the reception. Gilbey’s input was still needed to help clinch things and Spike didn’t think he would be able to replace him quickly, but now Gilbey had attacked another whore. Spike wasn’t sure it would be wise to wait…it was only a matter of time before he killed another one, or worse, some innocent kid and then the cops would be sure to start sniffing around and that was something he didn’t want at any cost, not when he was trying to prove himself to Masters. Gilbey was a danger to them all. Spike had to do something…but what?


Angry, he fumed. “Fuckin’ hell…he’s off the rail. Find out from Trick where that apartment was he took them to and arrange to ‘ave those girls relocated…both to different cities and make sure Trick gets replacements to compensate him, but make sure he knows he has to keep his gob shut. See if you can find out if either of those girls talked to any of his other whores and from now on…I want Gilbey followed whenever he leaves the mansion.”


“Yes boss, I’ll talk to Trick later…see what else I can find out and get back to you as soon as I’ve got something for you,” Luke assured him.


Spike knew Luke had something else on his mind so he asked him straight out. “There’s somethin’ else isn’t there?”


Luke chuckled. “Yeah, but don’t worry it’s nothing bad,” he grinned at his boss who seemed to relax slightly when he said that. “I think I’ve got a replacement for you, which you have to admit is good news.”


Spike sat forward, his interest definitely engaged. “Oh, who?”


“Marti…I’ve been taking him with me to the docks and he shows promise and potential. He has a head on his shoulders too. I asked him to look over some fake books, knowing what he should find and he worked it out just fine. He even added a solution to boot and the fact that he’s an electronic whiz kid helps,” Luke said dryly.


Spike arched a brow. “I take it you ran the usual checks and he checked out?”


“Yeah, I even had Masters’ men in New York double check…he’s clean,” Luke stretched out, sipping his whiskey, looking relaxed and comfortable but still deadly. “I gave him the latest batch of bugs we found and he was able to tell me what they all were and what they did. Of course, the only draw back is that despite all the checks and his talents…I can’t be sure he isn’t one of Masters little plants,” he sighed.


“Do you think he’d fit in?” Spike asked.


“Yeah.”


“And what does your gut tell you ‘bout him…he seems a bit young,” Spike mused.


“No younger than Ms. Summers and she’s working out well,” Luke pointed out.


Spike arched a brow at him and chuckled. “Okay, point taken but you didn’t tell me what your instincts tell you ‘bout him.”


Luke shrugged. “To be honest…I wouldn’t like to say. I’m a suspicious bastard at the best of times and this is not the best of times. Since Angel disappeared things have been thrown out of whack and now we’re here and you’re in charge and just by adding Ms. Summers to the mix has tripled the complexity of life around here. Admittedly, more for you than the rest of us, but what affects you ultimately affects us,” he tossed back the rest of his drink. “Then Gilbey has to turn rabid and there’s only one thing to do with a rabid dog. Masters is spying on us and breathing down our necks and we’re on the brink of make or break with this reception…so you’ll have to excuse me if my instincts are spread a little thin…but HELL!...You’re the boss…so I guess it’s up to you to tell me what you want me to do.”


Spike laughed and snatched the empty glass out of the big man’s hand and refilled it. “Okay! Here’s what we do. We keep going as we are. Gilbey stays where he is until after the reception, but watched night and day until it’s over and I’ll deal with him then. In the meantime, you take young Marti under your wing and groom him to fill in as our new electronics expert and if you think he won’t work out for whatever reasons, then we’ll jus’ ‘ave to remain one short…but Gilbey goes,” he stated calmly and firmly.


Luke merely nodded his head. “Yes, boss.”


Spike sipped his drink and glanced at the clock. He wondered why Cooper hadn’t called in yet.


Luke knew his boss was probably thinking about the tiny blonde and he could understand why. He’d made some tough decisions concerning Gilbey and the big man knew it must be hard for his boss to accept having Gilbey around at all, considering what he’d done to Buffy. Yet, Spike had put his personal feelings aside in favor of securing all their futures. Still, he would make sure Gilbey was watched and do what he could about Marti and he knew Spike was taking no chances with Buffy. Cooper was with her constantly when she wasn’t with Spike. Once the reception was over and Gilbey was taken care of, Luke believed his boss would relax and things might finally begin to settle down, but until then, everyone would remain stressed and overworked.


The ringing phone broke the silence. Spike snatched up the handset.


“Hello.”


Luke listened to the one sided conversation.


“What was that you said pet?”


“Oh, right…no…I’m glad you rang. What?”


He glanced at Luke.


“No, Luke’s ‘ere…”


Spike’s brows arched sharply and a smirk slowly crept over his face.


“Really, you don’t say…what kind of surprise…really. Bloody hell!”


Luke was intrigued.


“Bloody hell…Buffy.” He swiveled his chair around so his back was to Luke and lowered his voice. Though Luke still had no trouble hearing what was being said.


“What time will you be back?”


“Fuck…too long. What? Okay, I like that plan much better. Where? Okay, I’ll meet you there…in…” he paused to look at his watch. “Forty minutes…and pet…if you get there before me…book a suite with a hot tub…okay, see you there…bye.” He hung up, turned around and was half way out of his chair in one smooth move.


Luke didn’t need his boss to spell it out for him. He knew when he wasn’t wanted. He drained his glass and bid Spike a goodnight as he locked the study door.


Spike mumbled a distracted goodnight. He told Luke to let Dixon know of his change of plans and disappeared through the front door, rushing off to meet Buffy.


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

 

Chapter Forty Nine.

My Secret Heart.


Dixon yawned…again. God, how he hated these damn endless nights watching Gilbey…it was bad enough when he had to tag someone who was a stranger to him, but Luke insisted it had to be one of them following Gil and because Cooper was babysitting the boss’s bit, he got stuck with this job…again.


Gilbey had arrived at the bar about three hours ago and Dixon had been sitting in a rental car across the street ever since his scarred friend showed up. Luke had told him what happened with the whore and Dixon knew when Luke ordered him to follow Gil that Spike expected more trouble, but what the fuck was he supposed to do about it…Luke told him to watch Gil and as long as he didn’t pick up any girls, he was to stay put and remain unseen. Dixon yawned…again.


*****


Wesley stretched his tired muscles and rolled his stiff neck. He closed the book he’d been reading for the last two hours and yawned. The story was failing to catch his interest in the usual way. Restless, he headed downstairs, hoping there might be someone up for a game of pool or cards. The last few weeks had been hell. The workload alone was a terrible a strain and everyone was on edge, frantic to get all the preparations for the reception perfect. Spike was on everyone’s backs and Luke was keeping him swamped with extra work for Buffy. Not that he was complaining. He liked working with the tiny blonde. She was proving to be quite the little organizer and businesswoman, but with the new duties Spike had thrust upon him he was feeling the strain. Cooper was also proving to be something he hadn’t expected, and though he was at first prepared not to like him on principle, Wesley found the more time he spent in his company, the more the other man grew on him. He certainly treated Buffy much better than anyone else so far and Wesley didn’t think it had anything to do with Spike ordering him to be her bodyguard. Wesley believed in the few weeks the two were working together, Cooper had become fond of her and though Wesley watched both of them carefully, he couldn’t discern anything other than friendliness on either side, and the couple of times he’d seen them with Spike, had been an eye opener.


Cooper seemed to have a knack for tapping into a side of Spike that wasn’t normally seen, and it was a bit of a shock the first time Wesley saw the three of them in the game room, laughing and joking as they played pool. Buffy was looking relaxed as she sat at the bar, laughing at Cooper tormenting his boss about his lousy skills as a pool player. Spike had taken the taunting in good grace and shot back some quick and cutting remark that made Buffy laugh until she cried.


The three of them froze when they spotted him hovering in the doorway. Spike’s happy and relaxed mood of only moments ago turned frosty. Cooper nodded at him coolly, but Buffy had jumped off her stool, glaring at both Cooper and Spike and dragged him into the room properly. She insisted he stay and partner with her in a game of pool against Spike and Cooper. They won the first game and Buffy’s reaction was ecstatic. She’d jumped up and down, hugging him and stuck her tongue out at Spike and Cooper, who both burst out laughing. From that moment on, the mood in the room was friendly and relaxed.


Wesley pushed open the door to the empty game room and walked in. He still found it odd to be treading these rooms so cautiously, but that’s what he’d been doing ever since Spike took over from Angel. Life was certainly very different…different for him and different for Angel. Spike wouldn’t allowed him to get anywhere near Angel. Wesley wasn’t even sure if Angel was aware he was still here and working for Spike. Though Wesley could admit that despite the rocky start, he was enjoying working for Spike. He always thought Angel had never used him to his full potential. He’d kept his job description within a narrow margin and never allowed or asked him to do anything other than what that description dictated, but Spike was constantly challenging and pushing him, giving him more and more responsibilities and taking it seemingly for granted that he would rise to the challenge and Wesley liked it that way. The only negative aspect to his new life was the other men…Gilbey especially, though he couldn’t say he was comfortable with Dixon or Luke either and despite the friendly pool game, Spike still remained hard to get along with. It was only Cooper who was in any way sincerely friendly.


Buffy on the other hand, made living and working at the mansion better than ever. When he was with her, he was able to remember why he thought it was so important to remain in Spike’s good graces. Her bravery and resolve to deal with the situation she was immersed in, gave him courage and it wasn’t because he thought she remained ignorant of the dangers. No, he could tell she now knew exactly what she was dealing with. Yet, despite the immense dangers to herself and her loved ones, she was doing her best to cope with all the new changes and he didn’t doubt, frightening things that went on around her, including the biggest danger of all…Spike.


Spike was still keeping him on his toes. Just when he thought he had him figured out, the man would do or say something to confound him again, forcing him to rethink what he thought of his new boss. The night he’d woken up to find Spike sitting casually in his room had been unnerving and Wesley still shivered whenever he thought about the shock of waking up to see Spike staring at him. Spike’s interrogation at the time had seemed angry and one sided and Wesley thought Spike only wanted to know about Gilbey’s attack because he wanted to hurt Buffy in some way, despite telling him about his plans to protect her. Wesley had tried to get back to sleep. He was suspicious of his boss’s motives and sure there was more to it than a desire to protect Buffy. She was supposed to be his hostage and the means of tormenting Angel, but when Wesley woke the following morning, he found three electronic bugs sitting on the small table next to his reading chair. They were all disabled and clearly left for him to find, leaving him to conclude his angry and bad tempered new boss was trying to warn him they were being watched.


The information was an eye opener and Wesley figured the only person who would possible bug them and who Spike wouldn’t speak about out loud was Masters, but Spike’s warning him was a much bigger shock.


Wesley wandered outside thinking of going into the city. He was still restless and the empty game room and his thoughts were for some reason making him uncomfortable. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He shrugged and headed to the garage. A drive into L.A might help him shake off his mood and if that didn’t work, well then he knew a pretty brunette with a soft Texan accent who would.


*****


Faith opened her door and scowled at her visitor. “What the hell are you doing here?” she snapped.


His expression unreadable, Luke brushed by her, arrogantly striding into her apartment and scanning the rooms for signs of anyone else. Not that he cared if she was entertaining a client, he would just kick the bastard out, but she was alone. He turned to look at her. She was standing by the open front door tapping her foot with her arms crossed under her ample breasts, glaring at him.


He arched a brow at her and casually returned to her side. Staring down at her, he slowly began to shut the door. She tried to pull it open again, but he was stronger and he wrestled it from her and shut it with a loud bang.


“You can’t stay,” she snapped.


He just looked at her steadily. “Says who?”


“Me.”


“Really,” he sauntered back into her sitting room and sat himself on her couch.


Angrily, she strode after him. “I mean it. You can’t stay. I’ve got a client arriving in less than fifteen minutes.”


“Then send him away,” he said coldly.


“No, why the hell should I…he’s a good customer, a regular and he tips fucking great?” she fumed.


“I got here first,” he reasoned.


“What! No you fucking well did not…he booked.” She grabbed a stack of magazines from beside him and slapped him with them. “Now move your big ass off my couch and get out of my house.”


Luke chuckled and snatched the magazines from her, dropping them on the floor. “Make me,” he taunted.


Screeching, Faith grabbed a cushion and swung at him. Luke blocked the blow and pulled her down on top of him. “Temper, temper,” he laughed.



“Let me go you mother f…” he cut her off abruptly, his hand muffling her mouth.


“Now, now…none of that…you know I don’t like bad language.” She struggled against him, her eyes full of outrage. “Come on Faith be reasonable, I didn’t come here to fight,” he said. He held onto her easily despite her struggles.


The doorbell rang. Faith froze against Luke’s chest, her eyes conveying her anxiety. Luke released her and she jumped up quickly, straightening her clothes as she did. “You have to leave…NOW,” she hissed.


Annoyed, he scowled at her. “And I told you, I got here first.” She was shaking her head in disagreement. Luke grabbed her by her upper arm, his fingers biting painfully into the soft flesh. “Yes, now you either go out there and tell that loser to get lost, or I will…and believe me…you don’t want me to go ‘cause I’ll do a lot more than just tell him.” The bell rang again. “MOVE,” he barked as he shoved her in the direction of the front door.


Faith stumbled slightly. She threw her hands out to prevent herself from bumping into a cabinet. Fuming, she went to the door, rubbing her sore arm.


Luke listened to her muffled voice tell the guy at the door she had to cancel. He didn’t hear the guy’s reply, but he heard Faith’s soothing tone and words as she apologized to her client. It went unsettlingly quiet. Frowning, Luke crept to the partially open sitting room door and looked through the gap into the hallway. Faith was locked in some guy’s arms, kissing him for all she was worth. Luke took a good look at the man. He was older…much older than Faith…tall and distinguished looking, slim built and rich looking. Luke didn’t like him and he liked him even less when he ran his hands down her back and fondled her ass.


Faith giggled and pushed him away, smiling and wriggling against him. She whispered something in his ear and coaxed him reluctantly out the door. After another long and lingering kiss, she shut the door and heaved a tortured sigh, hanging her head wearily for a second or two. Luke moved away from the door and helped himself to a drink from her bar. He heard her come back into the room.


“Happy now?” she asked.


Turning, he smirked at her and saluted her with his drink, sardonically.


Angry, she marched over to him and snatched the drink from his hand. “You just cost me a night’s work…plus tips. Glory’s going to be mad. She was pissed at me the last time you did this,” she drained half the glass in one swallow. “What the hell am I supposed to say to her?” She glared at him. “Oh, I’m so sorry Glory, but Spike’s bull dog barged his way in again and demanded I get rid of my client,” she drained the rest of the drink. “God damn it, why do you keep doing this…why can’t you just go through Glory and book like every other client…you’re going to get me into trouble,” she ranted.


Luke arched a brow at her and shrugged out of his jacket. “I’ll explain it to her if it’ll make any difference,” he offered.


Faith snorted and flounced off in the direction of the bedroom. Luke followed her, admiring the swing of her ass and her toned legs. Silently, she started to undress, carelessly dropping each item onto the floor. Luke watched her as he undressed. Slowly, he placed his clothes over a chair beside the door. Naked, Faith climbed onto the bed and propped herself up against the pillows. Luke joined her.


He pulled her to him, fondling a breast and kissing her face. She was stiff and unresponsive in his arms, sighing he asked. “Are you going to act like a spoiled brat all night, or are you going to snap out of it and show me a good time.”


She looked at him and pushed his hand away irritably. “Well if you don’t like it you can always leave,” she snapped.


Smirking, he rolled and pinned her beneath him. “Not before I get what I came for,” he teased, kissing her neck.


“Fine, you know where the rubbers are,” she said coldly. “Let’s get this over with and maybe I can still salvage something of my evening.


Sighing, he pulled away from her “Why are you being like this?” he growled.


“Oh, that’s rich. You barge in here, unannounced, demanding I cancel my client and treat me like a convenient fuck and then you act surprised because I’m annoyed…well fuck you asshole,” she seethed.


“Is he so good you’ll miss him that much and risk making me mad?” he asked honestly curious.


“Don’t be stupid, he’s just a John same as every other John,” she snapped.


“Then what’s the problem…you were going to spend the night fucking him and now you’re going to spend the night fucking me…what’s the difference or does he pay you to act like a bitch?”


Faith shifted slightly under his heavy weight, but she didn’t let him see she was uncomfortable. “Yeah, well I like him…he’s nice to me,” she groused. “You I don’t like…and although I’d normally hide it when I don’t like a client…you’re not a client…you’re just some crazy annoyance who keeps showing up at my door whenever the urge grabs you…demanding sex and getting me into trouble with Glory…so you tell me how the hell do you expect me to act?”


He rolled off her and sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, if that’s the way it is…that’s the way it is.”


Faith watched him reach for his pants. Damn, she hadn’t meant to make him leave…well not without paying first…but Glory really threw a fit the last time he did this. The client she lost that time was someone her boss was trying to impress, and Luke showing up that night messed everything up.


He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Get dressed,” he told her, slipping into his shirt.


“Huh…what for?”


“You’ll see…now get dressed.” He grabbed his shoes and headed for the sitting room. “I’ll wait for you in the other room.”


Puzzled, Faith slithered off the bed and began to redress. Luke was on the phone when she walked back in the sitting room.


“There…that wasn’t exactly hard,” he said, putting the phone down.


“What wasn’t?” she asked, frowning. Her arms were folded under her breasts as she maintained an air of annoyance.


“Glory…I just told her I made you get rid of your John and that you were spending the night with me.” He stuck his hands casually in his pants pockets and gazed at her. “So…now that’s done…are you going to stop acting like a bitch?”


She shrugged indifferently. “That depends on whether or not you’re paying…a girl’s got to earn a living after all.”


Luke chuckled. “Of course.”


He could’ve just been agreeing with her, but Faith decided to take his reply as his consent to pay up. “Then I don’t see a problem.” She smiled at him and went to fix them both a drink.


“Have you had dinner?” he asked.


She shook her head as she poured whiskey into crystal glasses.


“No.”


“Leave the drinks, we’ll go out and eat,” he said.


She shot him a startled look. “You want to take me to dinner?” she questioned.


“Sure, after all, you just accused me of using you as a convenient fuck and I figured I could at least buy you dinner before I fuck you.” He took the bottle from her hand and placed it back on the bar. “Now do you want to go for dinner or not?”


“Erm, sure,” she replied.


“Okay, then go get your coat.” He slapped her ass as she rushed off to fetch it.


Luke waited for her to leave before phoning the mansion to make sure everything was okay there. Spike picked up and Luke told him he wouldn’t be back until late, but that he would keep his cell phone on just in case he was needed.


Faith came back wearing a soft brown, suede knee length coat over her dress. Luke gave her a lingering look, his desire apparent. He strode to the front door and opened it for her, smirking, as she approached. She smiled at him, her eyes full of sultry heat and mischief as she passed him. Luke closed the door behind them and shook his head…she sure was something. Luke realized that for the first time in a long, long time, he was enjoying the company of a woman, and it had nothing to do with how good she was in bed.


*****


Buffy laughed at Cooper’s disgusted expression. “How can you eat that? It’s sickening.” he grimaced.


“Quite easily,” she chuckled as she spooned another scoop of the homemade dessert into her mouth. “I grew up on this,” she told him.


“Well it’s amazing you didn’t grow out on it. What the hell’s in it?” He took a drink of water to purge his mouth of the lingering taste of too much sugar, ice cream and sickly, sweet fruit sauces.


“Well let me see…there are five different ice creams, three fruity sauces, a ton of whipped cream, raisins and chopped mixed nuts and green Jell-O.” She licked her spoon gleefully. “Mmm delicious.”


Cooper pulled a face and she laughed again. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” she laughed.


“I beg to differ, but I do…I just tasted it remember, and I never want to again,” he shuddered. “That much sugar can’t be good for you,” he warned her.


Buffy just smiled and kept shoveling the sickening mix into her mouth. Cooper shook his head and went to get a real drink…anything to wash the taste out of his mouth.


She mumbled something around a mouthful of ice cream junk that Cooper only caught half of. “What was that?” he asked.


“I said…did Spike tell you how long he was going to be?” She pushed the half eaten dessert away, already full.


“No…he just said he had some calls to make and he would be up when he was done.” He saw her sigh and wondered if it was because she was missing Spike or because she was tired.


Stretching, she rose from the table. “Well if that’s the case…I think I’ll take a bath and get an early night.” She looked at him guiltily. “Why don’t you get someone to stand at the door and get an early night yourself?”


He shook his head. “Nah…you go take your bath…I’ll just watch some TV until Spike gets here,” he told her.


She gave him a short nod, knowing there was no point arguing with him. He wouldn’t leave her no matter what, not until Spike showed up.


She shrugged and smiled at him as she headed off to the bedroom. The phone rang just as she was passing it.


“Hello.”


“Hello pet…miss me?” She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.


“No,” she glanced at Cooper and silently mouthed that it was Spike. “What’d you want?”


“Same thing I always want pet,” he laughed.


She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oookay…now what’d you really want?”


Spike chuckled. “Cooper…or at least I need his help in the study, but since I don’t want him to leave you on your own…you’ll ‘ave to come with him.”


“Right now?” she groaned.


“What’s up luv…’ave somethin’ else planned?”


“As it so happens, I do...a bath and an early night.” She noticed Cooper grinning at her and rolled her eyes again.


“Oooh! Poor baby…well if I can get Cooper down ‘ere…this won’t take long and you’ll still get your bath, but I won’t promise you an early night,” he teased. “Now get your pretty little self down ‘ere, and bring your shadow with you.”


“Okay…okay, we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Spike told her to hurry and rung off. Buffy pulled a face at the receiver in her hand and looked at Cooper.


“So much for my early night…Spike needs you downstairs and I have to go with you.”


Cooper gave her a look of sympathy and stood up. “Then we’d better not keep him waiting.” He gestured towards the door. Buffy groaned tiredly and preceded him out.


*****


It took just under an hour for the two of them to sort out the problem. Buffy guessed it was something he didn’t want her involved in because he was vague and refused her assistance when she offered, for the sake of speed, to help them. Spike smiled at her and shared a telling look with Cooper. Buffy took the hint and retreated to the couch to read her book, while they worked on whatever was giving him such a headache.


When they were done, Cooper bid them both a goodnight and Spike started locking his files away. Buffy tried not to be aware of him as he moved about the room, shutting various things down, but she couldn’t help it. The last couple of days had seen a change within her and she wasn’t sure what it was all about. On a mad and giddy impulse, she’d phoned him the other evening and told him she fancied a night away from the mansion and to her surprise, Spike jumped at the chance and rushed to meet her at a hotel half way between her location and the mansion.


She’d arrived before him and set everything up for a night of relaxation. Champagne, ice cream, candles and she’d even stopped off at a lingerie store and bought a sexy negligee in a dazzling shade of white. It was so fine…it was almost transparent. Her nerve had wavered when she put it on and waited for him in the semi-lit room, but the look on his face as he walked through the door was worth it. Buffy could tell he liked the surprise. He’d whispered huskily that she looked like a bride and spent the whole night making tender love to her. The experience had been amazing. He was so tender and caring, everything about him was soft and gentle…from the way he looked at her to the quiet and almost reverent way he undressed her. Every touch, every sigh was full of wonder and when he started to move within her, she had almost cried with the slow intense beauty of his body as he swept her away again and again. After hours of this slow tenderness, she had expected him to pick up the pace and possess her with his normal wild passion but, he just held her in the dark and stroked her body, soothing her to sleep in his arms.


When she woke the next morning, he was still holding her, smiling softly with a strange light in his eyes. She’d gazed back at him, lost in the unfathomable moment. Much to Buffy’s amazement, he’d dressed her as tenderly as he’d undressed her the night before, taking every opportunity to kiss and touch her. It had been a side to him she’d never seen before and she was still reeling from the effect he had on her.


Now she was here with him, alone in his study and her body was zinging just from being in the same room with him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He was lighting a cigarette and opening the patio doors to lean against the frame and allow the smoke somewhere to escape. Rising from the couch, she walked to the seating arrangement outside and sat in one of the cushioned chairs. She could feel his eyes on her.


The silence stretched out between them…not strained or awkward like other occasions when he first forced her into this life. Now the silence was just a silence…quiet and still…waiting.


“Cooper tells me you managed to persuade the people who weren’t comin’ to change their minds.”


She gave him a half smile and shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah it wasn’t hard…not if you know how to appeal to their vanity.”


“Yeah…he told me how you got Samuels to change his mind…very clever luv and very effective.” He smiled at her and flicked ash from his cigarette casually onto the slabs of the patio. “But tell me, how did you manage to get that renowned food critic to go to his restaurant and promise a review of his next openin’ night?”


“Oh, that was easy…but I’m not sure I should tell you…you might be mad and then I’ll…” she could see his scowl clearly in the half light from the study. “Mmm…maybe I should keep it to myself,” she thought out loud.


“Secrets luv…don’t you know I’ll jus’ ask Cooper?” he said dryly.


“Ha! Well for once that won’t do you any good because he doesn’t know how I did it either,” she informed him smugly.


Truly intrigued now, he probed for answers. “So if Cooper doesn’t know how you did it, who does…Wesley?” He knew she was spending quite a bit of time with the tall Brit, maybe he’d helped her out.


“Nope…you might as well give up…you won’t find out by guessing,” she laughed.


Spike looked at her laughing face. She was animated. Caught up in her mirth he laughed with her. So if Wesley and Cooper didn’t help her, who did? He hadn’t even had the chance to ask her about old man Taylor.


“What about Taylor…how did you persuade him to accept, ‘cause he’s never accepted an invitation before, and yet you managed to get him to change his mind almost effortlessly…so tell,” he coaxed.


“Really…he’s never accepted an invitation before?” she asked, surprised.


Spike shook his head. “Not one…Angel was after him for two years and he refused every single time.”


“Cooper told me he might not accept, so before he returned the invite, I got Wesley to give me everything he had on him…though it didn’t mention anything about Angel trying to snag him.” She slipped her shoes off and curled her feet up underneath her, snuggling into the cushions. “So anyway, I read the report and found out he’s very interested in art…so I just happened to be visiting an art museum in L.A one afternoon and Mr. Taylor was there and we got to talking and before you know it he’s buying me lunch and we’re chatting like old friends.”


Spike arched a brow at her but remained silent, tossing his spent cigarette to the ground and casually folding his arms across his chest. He was the image of relaxed and confident as he continued to lean against the doorframe. He suspected her visit to the museum was staged and he guessed Cooper was rubbing off on her.


Buffy shifted a bit nervously. “So we started chatting and it turns out he visits this museum all the time just so he can look at one painting…a portrait of a young and beautiful woman.” She blushed slightly. “It turns out the woman was his mistress. She died years ago in an accident and despite the fact he was married and loved his wife dearly, he never got over the loss of his first love…and he even told me the portrait in the museum was a copy and that he has the original at home, but he loved to look at her where he could see the reaction of other people. He said over the years he’d witnessed many men fall in love with her. He said it made his secret heart swell with love every time he watched her waive her magic over yet another man, knowing they might fall in love with her face, but he had once had her heart.”


Spike was stunned. Buffy had somehow managed to get old man Taylor to open up for her…he’d exposed himself to her…but why?


“And he jus’ told you all this…did he know who you were representin’?” he asked, quietly.


She shrugged her small shoulders. “Sure he did…I told him before I accepted his invitation to lunch that I was your personal assistant.” A breeze blew her blonde hair around her and she reached up to tame the floating locks. “And he didn’t just tell me all of that. He seemed a bit shocked when he first saw me…he said I had her eyes and coloring. I didn’t see it myself, but I wasn’t going to disagree with him so I went to lunch with him and listened to him tell me that beautiful story and before I knew it, I got him to promise to come to the reception…he said he’d bring his grandson,” she finished.


Spike was even more stunned…Taylor had promised her he would come. Well this was an unexpected development, but then Buffy was always surprising him. He looked at her thoughtfully. He suspected old man Taylor might have seen more than just a similarity in appearance between Buffy and his dead mistress, because the woman before him could surely waive her own kind of magic. More than ever he wanted to know how she arranged for the critic to accompany her to Samuel’s restaurant. He uncoiled from the doorframe and walked over to her to squat down in front of her.


He picked up her hand and turned it over to kiss the palm. He could feel her pulse racing against his lips. He loved how he affected her and how she couldn’t hide it. With feather light touches, he kissed up her arm making her shiver. He placed soft kisses on her shoulder and slowly licked her neck, pressing his tongue to the racing pulse. She was breathing hard. She didn’t fight him as much these days and he found her new acceptance to be unbelievably arousing. She made him feel powerful. He kissed her mouth. She sighed, and he felt her body yield.


“Tell me how you got that critic…what’s his name, Terrance Wolfe…to go with you,” he murmured against her mouth.


Sluggishly, she pulled away from his mouth, trying to read his mood, but besides the feeling she got that he wanted to do a lot more than just kiss her, she couldn’t tell if he was tricking her somehow. She knew he would find out eventually and he seemed pleased about Mr. Taylor, so maybe it would be better if she told him now.


“Okay…but if I tell you, you must promise me you won’t tell anyone who introduced me to him,” she stressed.


He smiled at her cloak and dagger attitude. “Okay, you ‘ave my promise and my word…I won’t tell anyone who introduced you to him,” he said solemnly.


“Cordy…he’s one of her clients,” she whispered.


Spike smiled slowly and laughed. Of course…why hadn’t he thought of that? Of course she would talk to her friends and those friends must have a vast network of important and influential clients. Some of them, probably for sexual favors would be willing to do certain things for their whores. Now he could very well understand why Buffy hadn’t wanted to tell him her source and why she made him promise not to reveal her secret. It would destroy the reputation of any of the men if it became public knowledge they were paying a whore for sex.


He nodded his understanding. “Your secret is safe…I won’t mention it again.” He kissed her cheek and smiled at her. “But can you tell me exactly what was Cooper doing while you were charmin’ old man Taylor?” he chuckled.


She looked suddenly fearful, but bravely explained. “Oh…erm…well, I didn’t want Mr. Taylor to spot him. I thought it might put him off talking to me so I persuaded Cooper to hang back and keep out of sight.” She twirled a strand of her hair nervously around her finger. Spike was frowning deeply. “I wasn’t in any danger. Cooper kept me in sight all the time and I made him do it…he…he said you’d be mad, but I told him I’d take the blame.”


He was mad but not for the reasons she might think. Cooper hadn’t even told him about Buffy’s meeting with old man Taylor, or that he’d left her side and allowed her to put herself at risk. Maybe he needed to talk to him…ask him what the bloody hell he was playing at, by allowing her to talk him into something that could’ve been so potentially dangerous.


He shrugged off his bad mood…he’d talk to Cooper another time, now he wanted to reassure Buffy. She was looking at him apprehensively, her little fingers still twisting her hair.


He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “Sssh luv, its okay…clearly there was no harm done…you’re ‘ere and in one piece.” He stood up, pulling her with him. “Fancy a walk before your bath pet?”


Buffy slipped her feet back into her shoes and nodded her head. “Okay.”


Spike flipped the switch on his alarm as he shut and locked the door. He slipped his arm around her and led her into the garden. These little walks were becoming a bit of a routine. Spike found that ever since he’d told her about the bugs and his decision to get rid of all of them, Buffy not trusting Gilbey’s expertise, still preferred to talk more in the gardens. So he would often take her outside to coax her into opening up and it had the added bonus of being perfect for a bit of fun of the naughty type with her. Though she remained shy about so many things, Spike could tell she was beginning to become accustomed to him and the sex was getting better by the day. Only the other night she’d called him to ask him if he wanted to spend the night away from the mansion.


That night would be forever burned in his memory and heart to the day he died. She’d been so beautiful dressed in a white sheer gown, looking like a teenage virgin bride. His heart had flipped and his stomach had clenched nervously the second he saw her standing by the open window with the room’s soft light shinning through her gown, hiding nothing of her form from his gaze. She was breathtaking…a goddess...and she had let him make slow love to her again and again, fulfilling a long buried fantasy that the sight of her in her white gown had reawakened.


There was no resistance on her part. She surrendered herself to him completely, allowing him to do whatever he wanted, moving her body in exactly the way he requested of her and together they’d made love for hours. Spike had never felt the way she made him feel and as she moved with him he thought he saw something close to affection in her eyes. The notion had been so strong, but his fear of being wrong was so frightening that he hadn’t asked her. So he’d continued to thrust into her silently, pretending she felt the same way he did and whispered sweet endearments to her as she sighed and moaned her pleasure.


When he felt sure she was completely satisfied, he rocked her in his arms and soothed her lovingly until she fell asleep. There hadn’t been that much of the night left, but he’d closed his eyes, content beyond belief as he slept next to her. Waking only moments before her, his heart had swelled again. She looked so small, all soft and sweet and innocent and the look on her face as she remembered their night together had been full of wonderment. Her shy smile told him of her joy at the memory and once again he felt moved to show her it wasn’t just a fluke occurrence while he spent the rest of their time in the room gently dressing her, delighting in her soft smiles and sweet kisses.


Spike glanced at her and his heart…his secret heart…beat strong and true for her. He knew after that night he would never be the same again. Buffy was his, but he was also hers, yet, sadly she didn’t even know it and if she did, he feared like Drusilla, she would reject him. So he kept his feelings to himself, knowing this was the price he had to pay in order to keep her. Though after the other night, he thought he could live with it a bit easier. He might not be able to tell her how he felt, but he could show her and he would every single opportunity he got.


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

Chapter Fifty.

Green is my favorite color.


With only two days before the reception, everyone was working hard on checking and rechecking all the details on everything from the seating plan to the security. Buffy was really nervous. She’d never done anything this big before and despite Spike’s confidence in her, she was terrified something was going to go wrong and then it would reflect badly on him and he would lose all that potential business. She shuddered to think what might happen to her if they failed completely.


She was sitting on the patio outside Spike’s office, going over the seating plan for the millionth time with Cooper and Wesley. They were gathered there so they could collaborate with Spike and Luke, who were going over the extra personnel that would be required to oversee the safety of the guests as well as the mansion. Spike didn’t want anyone wandering around where they weren’t wanted. It wouldn’t do to open the house in an effort to net all the new clients only to have the feds plant a spy, intent on breaking in and infiltrating their files and computers.


It was Spike who came up with the simple, but clever idea of relocating all the incriminating paper work and computer hard drives to empty cells down in the holding rooms. Making it relatively easy to guard all the dangerous and damning evidence the feds would love to get their hands on, but much, much harder for anyone to get by three sets of locked armed doors and a state of the art security system. The only drawback was all normal business would have to be suspended for at least three days because it would take a day to move everything and then, it would remain suspended on the day of the reception and the following day while it was all being moved back. Buffy didn’t know how much material Spike was talking about, but she knew it included files and computers from all the men’s offices, so she guessed the job on its own was a whole operation that could only be handled by someone he completely trusted. At the moment, everyone was tied up with their current tasks. Yet, it was his only choice if he wanted to safe-guard their work and it also solved the problem of upping the security on Angel. With all the dangerous material in one place, his men wouldn’t be spread too thin. The holding rooms were designed for this and he’d be a fool not to use it to its full potential.


Buffy heard Luke say her name and she looked at him through the open doors of the patio. He hadn’t called her, but must’ve been discussing her in some way because Spike looked in her direction. Their eyes locked and he waved her over. Rising, she excused herself for a moment and went to join him.


“I was jus’ tellin’ Luke that old man Taylor rang earlier wantin’ to speak with you. He was rather upset to find out you were unavailable and had to settle for me instead.” He frowned at her. Buffy shrugged, glancing at Luke’s stoic face.


“What did he want?” she asked, innocently.


“Oh, he jus’ wanted to make sure you’d be sittin’ with him on Saturday.” He looked at Luke and smirked. “I think the old boy’s quite taken with her.” Luke didn’t comment. He merely arched a brow and nodded. Buffy blushed.


“And what did you tell him?”


“I told him you would arrange to sit right next to him,” he winked at her. “But I didn’t mention, I would be on the same table keepin’ my eye on him,” he teased.


Buffy rolled her eyes. “And did you tell him, his grandson was also going to be sitting with us?”


Spike’s smile instantly vanished, replaced by an angry scowl. Taylor’s grandson had a reputation for being a ladies man and Spike didn’t want the young pup sitting anywhere near Buffy, but for the sake of the deal he was hoping to pull off, he had to swallow his distaste and relent. David Taylor, on his grandfather’s insistence, would be sitting on the other side of Buffy, which was another very good reason to be seated at the same table.


“Yes,” he said, sullenly.


Both Buffy and Luke laughed at him. Spike glared at them. “Yeah, well I didn’t say I liked it,” he wagged a warning finger at her. “And you jus’ remember what I told you ‘bout him…he’s an oily snake.”


“Whereas you’re prince charming,” she pointed out.


Luke snorted.


Spike didn’t think that was very funny. “I may not be prince charming, but I’m all that stands between you and Masters and you’re mine Buffy,” he scowled at her. “And you’d be well to remember that when you’re sittin’ next to that puffed up playboy, or I jus’ might be forced to remind you,” he warned.


Buffy didn’t have a clue what he had in mind, but she could well imagine the humiliating scene he would kick up, if he thought she was paying the younger Mr. Taylor too much attention.


She shook her head and sighed. “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t even met the man and you’re acting as if I’m planning on throwing myself at him…will you get a grip,” she reasoned.


Spike ground his teeth and exchanged a look with Luke. He could see his first agreed with Buffy, but he couldn’t help the feelings of jealously that surfaced whenever he thought of Buffy…his beautiful and desirable Buffy, sitting next to that womanizer for the entire meal. He bit back his reply. It wouldn’t help to upset her, this close to the reception and he didn’t believe she was the type of woman to flirt with another man under his very nose. That had been Dru’s way not Buffy’s, but he’d been wrong before.


Buffy looked at Luke. He read her unspoken desire to talk to his boss without his presence complicating things. He gave her a tiny nod and rose from his chair and walked outside to join Cooper and Wesley, discreetly closing the door behind him.


Spike watched him leave, amazed he would concede to her wishes and leave without seeking his approval. Spike suddenly realized his first truly had accepted Buffy, and even decided her wishes and desires were to be catered to whenever possible. Spike should be thrilled, but when it took priority over his wishes, it pissed him off that Luke would evaluate the situation and opt to support Buffy instead of his boss. Though Luke wasn’t afraid of giving it to his boss straight, this time the message was clear. Luke thought Buffy was right.


Spike scowled at her, determined to remain annoyed. Bravely, Buffy met his scowl with a steady and calm gaze.


“I’m going for a swim,” she stated.


“What! No you’re not…we’ve got far too much to do and I can’t spare the time jus’ to pander to your little whim,” he said coldly.


She smiled sweetly, moving around the desk. “The work will keep. So you can either let me go on my own or you could allow Cooper to escort me for once.” His scowl grew deeper. She moved closer to him, sitting on the edge of his desk and giving him a perfect view of her legs. “Or you can come with me, but one way or another I’m going for a swim.”


Spike gapped at her as she slipped off his desk and headed for the door. He blinked suddenly when he realized she was serious about going alone. Quickly, he locked his paperwork in the top drawer. Glancing at his men, he could see they were caught up in their own conversation and were unaware of what was going on in his study. Buffy had left the door to the hallway open. She was halfway to the elevator, walking with a quick purpose. Spike leaped after her.


The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside, without checking to see if he was following her. She pushed her thumb to the button holding the doors open. Spike rushed in, glaring at her.


“Oh…you changed your mind…I’m glad,” she smiled at him, ignoring his glare.


“I didn’t ‘ave any bleedin’ choice…did I? Not with you rushin’ off.” He complained. “One hour Buffy…that’s all I’ll give you, and don’t think jus’ because I’m comin’ with you, means I’m not still pissed off.”


“Oh…I don’t doubt it, but this is more for your benefit than mine. You’re all wound up and snapping at everyone…you’d put snapper fish to shame,” she informed him.


“I am not…I would not,” he snapped.


She arched a brow in contradiction. “Mmm…yes, you’re just the perfect example of calm and composed.”


He glared at her.


Buffy could tell he was nearly at breaking point and had been for the last four or five days. He was snapping at everyone including her, even poor Jonathan hadn’t escaped, and while everyone cowered and jumped when he snapped, she’d learned to ride his moods like a surfer, backing away when he was pacing; which was his way of thinking his problems through and coaxing him to open up when he started glaring and snapping at people.


She realized everyone was under great pressure, but Spike was obviously under the most. He had the most to lose with this venture and he was relying on her to help him pull it off. He was placing a lot of trust in her and over the last four weeks since he’d agreed to try her plan, she had come to realize just how much was riding on the success of this one single event, and in a strange kind of repayment for his trust and faith in her, she tried to be patient and understanding of his ever changing and volatile moods.


She didn’t want him to see just how nervous she was so she pushed back her fears and concentrated on the job at hand. Cooper and Wesley were fantastic, both putting in long hours advising and helping her develop her ideas until they had a working plan. Wesley put her in touch with so many useful people that there was no way, with all these professionals working for her that the reception could fail. There was an army of waiters, caterers, musicians, florists, bar staff, and miscellaneous people working to perfect every little detail. Even now, a team of workmen were erecting a giant marquee in the garden, big enough to seat the three hundred guests who had accepted Spike’s invitation. One hundred and twelve of those were potential clients. The rest were made up of their family members, VIPS and celebrities, who Buffy had persuaded Spike to invite, turning the reception into something more of a social event and taking the focus off the desire to secure the new clients.


Spike had resisted the idea at first, but when both Cooper and Wesley openly agreed with her, combined with her softly, softly approach, he wavered. It was only when Luke added his voice of support that Spike relented, but he warned her he didn’t want to turn the evening into a media, frenzy and she should keep in mind, some of the potential clients wouldn’t appreciate having their pictures snapped by nosy press hounds.


Now all that was left was to recheck the details yet again, but at this moment, she was confident Cooper and Wesley could manage without her. If they found anything that needed adjusting in the next hour, they could either wait for her and Spike to get back, or deal with it themselves. Getting Spike to relax was much more of a priority than anything else at this moment. If she could get him to relax, he would stop snapping at everyone and they would all be able to work more efficiently.


Spike was just about to turn into the changing rooms when she caught hold of his hand and tugged him into the poolroom. The room was deserted and Buffy breathed a sigh of relief at finding herself in all that quiet empty space. She needed this too. There had been no time in the last couple of days for exercise of any kind due to the workload.


“Let’s change here,” she whispered.


Spike arched a brow at her suggestion and a slow smirk spread across his face. “You got the urge to be naughty baby?” he asked.


She stepped around him and eased his jacket off his shoulders. “Maybe,” she breathed.


Spike swallowed and closed his eyes as she continued to undress him. He reached for the buttons of her blouse and began to undo them. Coyly, she looked at him and he could have sworn he felt his bad mood start to evaporate. Bloody hell! This girl is dangerous, he thought.


As soon as the last of her clothes were gone, she darted away from him and dived into the pool naked. He watched as she swam nearly half the length of the pool before breaking the surface to breathe. She turned to look at him. Seeing him just standing there gazing at her, she slowly swam back to him, a small smile ghosting her sweet mouth. When she was directly beneath him, she blinked up at him, licking her lips and slowly turned to give him a full view of her naked body.


Fuck, fuck, fuck, he gulped. She smiled as she watched his cock expand and rise. Gazing, at his rapidly swelling erection Buffy said, “Why don’t you come on in…it’s nice and wet…and warm…and I think I can guarantee you’ll be nice and relaxed when you’ve had a little…exercise.” She looked at him, leaving him in no doubt as to exactly what she was talking about.


Spike dived into the water. Surfacing quickly, he was surprised to find her already beside him. He opened his arms and she wrapped herself around him, sighing. He groaned and chuckled. The little minx was playing him and he knew it, but he didn’t care if her reasons for initiating this had more to do with trying to work him out of a mood or a genuine desire for some physical contact. He would take her anyway he could.


Relaxing, he pushed his worries away and turned himself over to her. “So you feelin’ in the need of a little exercise pet?” He caressed her back and fondled her round bum. She hummed against his chest. “Or maybe what you need is more than jus’ a little…maybe you need a lot?” he asked hopefully.


Buffy grasped his swelling cock and smiled at him. “But I thought you said you’d only give me an hour.” She stroked him and rubbed against him suggestively. Spike groaned as his arousal flooded through him, spreading from his cock and speeding along his veins like quick sliver. “I’d need more than an hour if we’re going to have more than just a little,” she whispered.


Spike kissed her hard, pushing his tongue into her mouth, stealing her breath. His fingers found their way to the nest of soft curls between her legs and pushed inside. She was right. Her quim was nice and wet and warm…very warm. His cock wanted in…wanted to feel that warmth surrounding him.


In a swift move, he impaled her on his hard shaft. Buffy screamed, shocked by the speed and force of his body. She gripped him tightly. Spike moved them both to a corner so she could hold on to the railing that ran around the pool. She transferred her hands to the rail as soon as it came within reach and Spike thrust into her hard.


“Hold tight baby, ‘cause I’m gonna fuck you nice and hard.” Buffy wrapped her legs loosely over his hips and let her head fall back, exposing her throat to his hungry mouth. Spike thrust as fast as the weight of the water would allow, but it wasn’t fast enough to satisfy his need, but he could tell Buffy was turned on by the situation so he concentrated on bringing her off and saved his own pleasure for later.


He groaned, loving the feel of her tight muscles gripping his cock as he thrust deep inside her. He’d thought she felt good before, but since they’d started doing it without the barrier of the condom, he had to rethink his definition of the word good. Whether he was thrusting into her or she was astride and riding him with abandon, she felt fucking fantastic. Her wet heat slid over his rigid cock, sucking him deep inside her welcoming core. He just loved the feel of her and he didn’t think he would ever get enough of her.


Buffy trembled and came suddenly, crying out as her climax hit. She went limp for a moment before pushing away from the corner and slipping off his throbbing shaft. She took him by surprise when she ducked under the water and slid her mouth over his cock. He gasped and jerked, thrilled by her imaginative and arousing move. He gripped the railing she had just abandoned and held still while she sucked him again and again. Bloody hell…Oh God! Her mouth was a small version of the heaven that was her pussy. Spike groaned and pushed back the desire to come in her mouth.


Gasping, Buffy resurfaced, grinning at his pained and frustrated expression. “I wish I could stay under long enough to have you come in my mouth.”


“Oh Fuck, Buffy! Where did you learn to do that?” He pulled her face to him and kissed her mouth passionately.


“Did you like it?” she whispered.


“Oh God, yes,” he kissed her again then moved his mouth down her neck, sucking on the wildly beating pulse point.


“Would you like me to do it again?”


“Another time kitten…right now I want to fuck you…from behind.” He began to tug her way from the corner, but she resisted. He looked at her puzzled.


“No…do it here.” She slipped under his arm and turning her back to him she gripped the rail. She gazed at him over her shoulder, blushing.


Spike smiled and slid up to her, fondling her pretty breasts as he rubbed his cock against her bum. He nuzzled her neck, delighting in the soft moans and whimpers that escaped her lips. “You sure luv…because I should warn you…I’m gonna want to get you out of this pool and go at you nice and fast on one of those lounge beds.” He sucked softly on her ear lobe, making her shiver.


She pushed her ass back against him and looked at him. “So what are you waiting for?” She teased.


“Oh baby…you are so my type of girl.” He lightly pinched her nipples and nudged her legs apart from behind. Gripping her hips, he pulled her back to angle himself into her wet heat. “Does it feel good Buffy…does my cock feel good inside you?” He thrust high. She squealed and thrust back.


“That’s it Buffy…fuck with me…squeeze me…oh yeah, good girl…do it again.” She kept pace with him, using the rail to push against to aid her thrusts as he moved within her.


He felt so good and she could tell he wanted more than the slow but intense joining they were sharing. She gasped and tried to look at him over her shoulder. “Make me come quickly Spike…oh, oh…then I want to ride you until you come,” she promised.


“Oh fuck…yes…Buffy…Buffy…oh God, you feel so nice pet.” He took hold of the rail with one hand and slipped the other over her mound, searching for her clit. She bucked against him and moaned. Her pussy began to throb with her approaching orgasm. “Yes, come for me kitten…squeeze me.” She began to pant and push back harder.


Spike thrust harder for a moment and then held still within her so he could rub her clit rapidly.


“Oh God, no…oh, oh…more…go faster,” she panted, pushing against him trying to get him to move again. Wailing she cried, “Don’t stop…I want to come on you…I want to feel you moving…please,” she moaned.


Relenting to her pretty pleas, Spike thrust into her, pulling almost all the way out and pushing back in hard, pinching her clit and swirling his tongue over her ear. Buffy panted as he pushed harder. Spike looked down as she placed her hand over the back of his, entwining their fingers and gripping him tightly. “OH! YES! YES! MORE PLEASE! OH YES!” she came, squeezing him gasping and panting.


He pulled out of her grasping pussy and swam with her to the shallow end. “Still want more pet?” he whispered huskily.


She nodded weakly.


Spike lifted her out of the water and placed her on a lounge bed. Buffy opened her arms and he fell into them, nestling against her, his throbbing cock demanding attention. Gazing into her eyes, Spike thrust into her taking her fast, his pace relentless as he fucked her. Buffy whimpered with the force of his thrusts, recognizing his need for her and knowing he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he took what he needed. She gave herself over to him, trusting him not to hurt her. Gently, she ran her hands up to his shoulders, soothing him. She touched his face, trying to remind him she was with him. He gazed at her wordlessly, lost to his driving need, thrusting hard and fast, stealing her breath with each powerful forward push of his hips.


She tangled her fingers in his wet hair then pulled herself up to meet his mouth. She sucked and nibbled on his lips and finally licked him with the tip of her tongue. Spike’s thrusts were turning painful as he maintained his amazing pace, grunting and cursing with the effort. Buffy needed him to come, but he seemed capable of going forever.


She nibbled his neck and murmured against the taut damp flesh that covered his throat. Lifting her knees, she locked her feet behind him. He slammed into her, grunting.


“Oh God…I need you to come,” she gasped.


The light in his eyes was wild and he smirked. “What’s the matter baby…too much for you?” He teased.


A strange look crossed her face. “Never…but I want you to come.”


He smirked and kissed her softly. “Make me,” he challenged, slowing his pace.


“You want me to make you come?” Her small hands played with his hair.


“Yes,” he groaned, loving the feel of her hands and body as she moved with him.


Smiling, Buffy pushed on his shoulders. Gradually, Spike realized she was trying to reverse their positions. He obliged her and rolled them so she was on top. She rose up, placing her knees on either side of him. Buffy wriggled as she settled herself on his cock, squeezing him. He groaned and she smiled a knowing woman’s smile. Spike swallowed. Slowly, she began to move, staring at him. His desperate need had eased some, but he tried to make her thrust faster by gripping her hips and thrusting up into her dripping pussy as she rode him.


“Would you like me to make you come?” He nodded. “How do you think I should do it?”


“Fuck me hard Buffy…ride me fast…let me feel your gorgeous pussy suck me dry,” he panted.


“If I make you come now and you enjoy it, will you go down on me?” She flicked his nipples with the tip of her tongue.


Spike nearly came when she voiced her request. She had never asked him before and the thoughts of tasting her after he got to come inside her was such a fucking turn on, that he prayed she wasn’t just saying it in a effort to get him to come.


“Fuck yes baby…I’d love to taste the two of us from your pretty pussy.”


Buffy was nervous. She rarely talked dirty to him and even when she did she was hesitant, but she wanted to. He’d challenged and she knew if she didn’t surprise him, he might be disappointed or worse still frustrated, and in the light of their present stressful workload, she wanted to get this right.


She dropped onto her hands, resting them beside his head, her hair creating a dark, damp curtain around him. She picked up the pace, allowing her lack of weight to help her move her hips rapidly. “Suck my tits,” she whispered.


Spike groaned and raised his head to suck and lick one perfectly shaped breast, loving her new approach. “Harder…Oh yes…don’t stop.”


His mouth tugged hard at her nipple, sending thrills shooting through her. “I have something to tell you…something naughty…” she whispered, blushing.


Her nipple popped out of his mouth. “What kitten?” This was something he wanted to encourage…this shy sweet attempt to entice him. If she only knew all she had to do to entice him was smile and he was lost.


“I have a surprise for you.”


“What kind of surprise…a naughty surprise?” he asked, panting as she slid over his rigid cock.


She nodded. “Yes…it’s for tonight. Would you like me to tell you what it is?”


“Yes pet.”


“I’m going to dress up as a schoolgirl for you…” his eyes widened and he grunted, thrusting into her.


“Oh Fuck Buffy…really… please tell me you mean it…? I–”


“Sssh…of course I mean it. Nice tight white blouse…short pleated skirt…long knee socks…and pretty little knickers, just like you told me.”


He was breathing hard, straining as he met her thrusts. She gazed at him panting with her own need.


“I’m going to sit on your cock and call you naughty names,” she promised.


“OH FUCK BUFFY!” he shot his load into her, pumping his hips hard as she clenched around him. “Fuck Buffy! AAARGH…AAARGH.”


“I’ll be your naughty schoolgirl and you can teach me how to fuck.”


He gritted his teeth with the force of his climax, gripping her hips painfully as he spent himself inside her body, spurred on to heights of pleasure he’d never achieved with anyone else before, as she whispered her shy, naughty promise. Crying out, Spike slumped back. Buffy moved herself over his still hard cock, shuddering as she came again.


The sound of their heavy labored breathing filled the poolroom as they slowly came down. Once he recovered enough to talk, Spike turned to her.


“Really pet…you really bought a schoolgirl outfit?” She nodded. “Oh fuck! I can’t believe you would do that for me,” he kissed her passionately. “Tonight…you’ll wear it tonight?” he asked his blue eyes, scanning her face in wonderment.


“Yes,” she murmured, blushing.


“Dear God! I’ve never wanted the day to hurry up and pass into night so much in my whole bleedin’ life…I can’t wait.” he kissed her again and again. “You’re perfect…did I tell you that before?” She shook her head. “Well you are and if this is how you react whenever I get stupidly jealous…I’ll ‘ave to get jealous a lot more often.”


She giggled and swatted at his shoulder. “You have nothing to be jealous about and I’m not doing this to deflect your misplaced feelings…I’m doing it because I want to. Now we better get back before someone comes looking for us.”


Spike was overjoyed at her admission and hugged her tenderly. “Hey, I thought you wanted me to go down on you,” he complained.


“I do,” she reassured him. “But I think we should save something for later.”


He swirled his fingers in her wet pussy. “Are you sure luv…I bet I could ‘ave you screamin’ in less than five minutes…we can spear another five minutes…” she looked doubtful. “C’mon kitten…I’m dyin’ to taste you…jus’ give me five minutes.”


He rubbed her sensitive clit, making her moan. She was amazed that her body could still respond to his simple touch with alarming and swift arousal. She nodded her consent and opened her legs for him.


Spike dived at her, going at her like a starved man and she was the last meal. He was as good as his word and she was panting and gasping as she came on his talented tongue in under the five minutes. Spike moaned and hummed his pleasure as she fell apart under him. He loved being allowed to worship her sweet moist core.


Buffy was exhausted when he finished. He held her until she regained the use of her limbs again, stroking her hair and kissing her brow. Spike decided to take her back upstairs to rest for awhile, giving her time to compose herself and taking the opportunity to order them both a late lunch. He called Luke to inform him they would be back in the office when they’d eaten.


*****


Spike walked back into his study in a much better mood, his arm casually slung around Buffy’s waist. Blatantly, he patted her bum before she stepped away. She scowled at him, irritated he would continue to touch her like that in front of his men. It was bad enough they all knew she was sleeping with him, but did he have to flaunt it all the time? She promised herself when this reception was over, she would speak to him about it. Surely, he could spare her the embarrassment of having his men see him fondling her.


Spike smiled at her little scowl. He knew she hated it when he made public displays of his claim on her, but she still didn’t understand that even these little displays confirmed and maintained their relationship in front of anyone who might be watching and reporting back to Masters. She might not like it but he did, her angry frowns and sweet blushes were always gratifying.


If Spike wasn’t discreet, at least his men were. The three men politely pretended not to notice the exchange and got straight back to work. Cooper pulled out a chair for her as she joined them on the patio. He smirked at her, and when she blushed, he couldn’t help laughing. Wesley shot him a nasty glare as Buffy took her seat, trying her hardest not to take any notice of his mirth. Quickly, Wesley came to her rescue and drew her attention to the latest stack of paperwork from the various workmen. Buffy groaned and got to work.


Spike’s good mood held for the rest of the working day and everyone made good progress. It was decided Luke would oversee the moving of all the materials to be stored down in the holding rooms. Dixon would be in charge of guarding the holding rooms once all the sensitive goods were stored there. Spike gave him free choice in choosing the men he wanted working with him and told him he could take as many of the house guards as he wanted. Gilbey he relegated to working the security on the ground floor. Spike wanted him in full view of himself and the others, so having him work the marquee and the ground floor of the mansion would put him in someone’s view nearly all the time. Spike had discussed Gilbey with Luke on more than one occasion. Dixon was tailing him whenever he left the mansion, but for now things were quiet with the scarred man. Luke had been unsuccessful in locating the apartment Gilbey had used to rough up and tortured the last whores and so far, Gilbey hadn’t gone back to Trick’s looking for anymore girls. Spike didn’t think it mattered too much at this point. Gilbey would soon be taken care of and that would be an end to his sick games with the whores he picked up and payback for hurting Buffy.


The phone rang, distracting him from his thoughts. “Yes,” he asked the switchboard.


“Sorry to interrupt you Mr. Winters, but I have Mr. Masters on the line and I didn’t think you’d want me to tell him you were unavailable.”


Spike frowned. What could his boss want at this time of the day? He glanced at his watch. It was only five fifty. Masters never called before ten pm. Spike knew he had no choice but to take the call. He placed his hand over the receiver. “Luke, clear everyone out,” he ordered.


Luke nodded, recognizing his boss’s no-nonsense tone. He gathered the others. Buffy looked at him as she passed his desk, but his eyes darted quickly away from her. Luke nodded again with his hand on the door handle as Wesley passed through the door. “I’ll be right outside boss.”


Spike nodded, knowing Luke would guard the door, preventing anyone from approaching. Turning his attention back to the phone, he instructed the operator to connect him.


He apologized for the delay as soon as he heard Masters’ voice. “I had company that needed getting’ rid of.” He kept his voice even and calm.


“That’s quite alright William…I understand the need for secrecy and I would be very disappointed in you if you didn’t take every measure possible to protect yourself,” his boss reassured him pleasantly.


Suspicious, Spike cautiously asked. “What can I do for you?” He hoped it was nothing more than a courtesy call, but he didn’t really expect his hopes to come to much.


“I got word you’re holding a reception this weekend,” Spike hadn’t told Masters about the reception and he knew it was just as likely that Masters’ spy could have informed him as well as any number of clients or family members. “I hear you’re planning on trying to recruit all of your new clients in one go.”


Masters sounded calm, but Spike wasn’t fooled. The old bastard had a temper worse than his and the tone of his voice was no indication as to what he was thinking or feeling.


“Then whoever your source is they’re correct. The reception is this weekend and I hope by the end of it to ‘ave one hundred and twelve new clients workin’ for us,” he paused, thinking carefully about what he wanted to say next. “I know it’s ambitious, but I ‘ave a good team workin’ for me, and so far everythin’ is lookin’ very favorable to work out in our benefit.”


“I see…and tell me is Ms. Summers one of those team members?” The old man’s tone was frosty.


Spike chuckled, bluffing away his anxiety. “She is…in fact, it was her idea.”


There was a long silence, so long that Spike nearly spoke just to see if Masters was still there.


“And did it not occur to you William she might be trying to sabotage your operation. Why would you involve her in something as important and potentially dangerous as this? I won’t be very pleased to learn that Ms. Summers has yet again turned the head of one of my children. William…you promised me she wouldn’t make any more trouble for me, and now I hear from your own mouth that she’s in a position of great importance. She could make things very difficult for us…if she said the wrong thing to the wrong person,” he ranted shrilly.


Taking a deep breath, Spike prepared himself to explain. “I understand your concerns, completely, but surely you don’t think I’m so stupid as to let her know the nature of these clients’ business interests or what their worth is to us? No…Buffy merely believes she’s organisin’ a reception for one hundred and twelve businessmen and their families. She has no idea in what way we will use their businesses and we will use them, ‘cause with her help, I’m going to net every last one…but thanks to sweet innocent Ms. Summers and her shiny new approach, we’ll ‘ave all of them sewn up tight in no time and that will include old man Taylor…” Spike paused to let that piece of information register.


“Taylor…you managed to persuade him to attend?”


Spike could hear Masters was calming down. “Not me…Buffy.”


“How?” he asked, disbelievingly.


Spike sighed and made a decision. “You know what…I’d love to tell you but if this reception is going to be the grand success I want it to be…I need to get back to work…but if you can wait for your answer…I’ll call you tonight…but it’ll ‘ave to be late. I ‘ave plans with Buffy and then I’ll tell you everything.” He knew if Masters wasn’t happy or didn’t trust him he would demand his answers now. Spike hoped the old man would give him this one sign that he still had his trust.


The silence stretched out.


“What plans?” he asked.


Spike chuckled. “I’ll tell you later,” he promised. “It’s a shame you didn’t ask me a couple of days ago to set up a secure camera, but it’s too late now…you’ll jus’ ‘ave to be satisfied with my recounting of the juicy details.” He hoped his ploy worked and Masters’ interest was tweaked enough to get him a reprieve.


Masters laughed. “Very well William…we’ll talk later, but be prepared to give me all the answers I require.”


“Yes sir, I will. You won’t be disappointed…I promise,” Spike reassured him.


“I better not be William…because if I am, someone will pay.”


“I understand.”


“We’ll talk later…goodbye William.” Masters hung up.


Spike breathed a sigh of relief. He was surprised to find out his boss didn’t know it was Buffy who had secured Taylor’s attendance. Maybe Masters’ spies weren’t that good, but he didn’t allow that thought to settle. He couldn’t afford to relax his personal guard. Masters’ call wasn’t that unexpected, but Spike wondered what had caused his boss to break his habits and call him out of routine. Was he that worried about Buffy? Now more than ever, it was vital for this weekend to be a success. It would secure so much more than just the new business connections, new clients and new family members. It would secure Buffy’s future and he wanted that more than any of the other things.


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

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