CHAPTER 11: Hawaiian magic



The limousine stopped in front of the i’o restaurant, the driver walked around the car to open the door for them. The day had been amazing and Buffy was expecting the night to be even better. She could not, even if she tried, remember why she'd thought for so long loving Spike would be a mistake. Granted, they'd only been together for a little more than twenty-four hours. But so far, it had been the happiest, most intense and carefree twenty-four hours of her life. Buffy couldn't remember a time when she'd felt this way. It was like the elusive happiness she'd been chasing for years had been right under her nose the entire time. All she had to do was open her eyes and embrace it. Nothing had ever felt as right as taking the hand Spike was extending to help her get out of the limousine. The coolness of his palm against hers, the spark in his blue eyes, the silly grin on his face. Yes, this was right, and she was glad she'd come to her senses and ended years of fruitless search for "normal".

"The bloke who made the reservation for us at the hotel said i’o was one of the best restaurants in town. He better be right about this, pet. I want this night to be perfect."

Buffy squeezed his hand, a permanent smile plastered on her face. "Don't worry, it will be. The only thing that could ruin this would be a clan of Grulaf demons attacking the place." She frowned, her smile faltering. "I think I might have jinxed us by saying that."

Spike chuckled, obviously not worried. "Nah. The climate is too hot and humid for Grulafs, we should be fine." He let go of her hand and put his arm around her bare shoulders. "I wonder what kind of demons they have here? We should have looked into it before leaving, just to be prepared in case some local nasty decides to try to take a bite out of us."

Buffy laughed and smacked his chest playfully. "Don't kid around with stuff like that. I sooo don't want to have to slay anything while we're here. Beach, cocktails, sun--well, for me at least--and naked fun. Nothing violent, no guts and blood, and definitely nothing slimy or gory."

"Bleedin' hell... I guess that means I'll have to call off the massacre I had planned for you as a surprise then."

"Ha ha, cute." She rolled her eyes but there was no mistaking the good humor in her smile.

They walked in and stopped in front of the hostess. Buffy noticed the girl checking Spike out discretely, but couldn't blame her. He looked absolutely gorgeous. To her request, he'd agree to leave his hair curling wildly, which gave him a disarmingly boyish charm. He was wearing black pants that nicely displayed his firm ass, and a loose white linen shirt. The sleeves were rolled up on his muscular arms and the first few buttons were left casually undone. His usual heavy jewelry, a chain around his neck and silver rings on his fingers added an edge to the look. Definitely drool worthy.

Buffy had opted for a simple, yet sexy black strapless dress, and let her hair tumble over her shoulders in golden waves. She couldn't help the girlish pride sweeping through her and making her cheeks flush slightly knowing they looked like such a hot couple. As soon as they walked into the restaurant, they attracted admiring as well as envious glances from the other patrons.

"Reservation for Summers." Spike told the hostess.

His arm tightened slightly around Buffy's shoulder and he gave a dangerous look to a man who'd been staring a Buffy longer than was considered acceptable.

The hostess told them to follow her and she led them to a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. Buffy was grateful for the privacy. The server came over to give them the menus and offer them a drink. Buffy ordered a Sea Breeze and Spike a Scotch on the rocks. There was a moment of comfortable silence between them as they look at the menu.

"What are you having?" Buffy finally asked.

"Maui steak. Bloody rare." He added, winking at her.

She chuckled. "Of course. Everything has to be bloody with you, Mr. The Bloody."

"Why ruin perfectly good meat by over cooking it? It kills the taste. What are you having?"

"We're not paying for this, so I think I'll indulge and have the Lobster Tahitian. Sounds yummy."

The server came back with their drinks and took their order. Spike ordered wine after barely looking at the wine list. The server looked impressed.

“Excellent choice, sir.” The man said, nodding discretely before walking away.

“What did you order?” Buffy asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She just couldn’t picture Spike as being the kind of man to know fine wine.

“Something you’ll like, I promise.” He answered vaguely before taking a sip of his Scotch.

Buffy raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “It took you barely ten seconds to chose, Spike. So either you pointed at the most expensive thing on the list, or we’ll have a surprise.”

“First of all,” he replied, looking slightly offended “the most expensive bottle was a Chateau Petrus and cost $980, so no, I bloody well did not order it. Second, what makes you think I don’t know anything about wine? When you‘ve been around for more than a century, pet, you tend to pick up things as the years go by.”

“Uh… Sure. I guess. I didn’t mean… Oh come on! Can you blame me for being shocked? You’re not exactly the type to frequent fancy restaurants and wine tastings.”

“I did the sophisticated bit for a while. I have layers I’ll have you know.” He was almost pouting now.

The waiter came back and presented Spike with the bottle of wine. “1990 Mouton Rothschild, sir.”

Spike looked at the label and nodded, waiting for the server to open the bottle. He sniffed the cork while the other man poured some of the dark ruby red wine in a glass, then tasted it.

Spike nodded his approval and the server put the bottle in an empty bucket next to the table.

“Expensive,” Spike commented after the other man had left, “and the hotel isn’t paying for this--there was a bottle of house wine included but this is so much better, you’ll see. And since we’re saving on the meal, I think we can afford it. It’s our first official date and we haven’t spent any money during this trip yet. So why the bloody hell not.”

“Wow.” Buffy commented, clearly impressed. “You do enjoy that stuff. I would have never guessed.”

“You don’t know me all that well, luv. Never cared to find out.”

At the wounded look she gave him, Spike quickly amended his statement.

“What I mean by that is that we were enemies for most of the time we’ve known each other. Can’t blame you for not caring too much about my past. A fight to the death isn’t exactly the best time to play twenty bloody questions.”

Spike started worrying that he might have spoiled the evening already. **That would be a bloody record** He thought sourly when she didn’t say anything.

Buffy was looking down, playing distractedly with her napkin. Finally, she managed to smile a little. “I know, but we haven’t been enemies for a long time, Spike.”

“Yeah? And did you forget that you’ve been dead most of this time? Before you died, we weren’t enemies, but we weren’t friends either. And after you came back, things might have changed, but you had a lot on your mind.”

“Still, I could have stopped being selfish for a minute. After all, you know everything there is to know about me,” she said, smiling sadly at the vampire sitting across from her.

“And believe it or not, you know everything there is to know about me as well. You know who I am, that’s what matters, pet. The past is just that; the past.”

“Well, it matters to me.”

Spike sighed when he realized she wouldn‘t let this go. “Buggering hell, woman. Just ask questions and I’ll answer.”

She gave him a winning smile. “OK. What’s your last name?”

“Don’t rightly remember.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not believing him, but moved on to the next question anyway. “Fine. When’s your birthday?”

“Sorry, don’t remember.”

“Did they do research on the abusive use of bleach? Maybe it affects memory. They really should look into it.” She took a sip of her Sea Breeze and pouted petulantly. “I bet stupid Drusilla knows what your last name is..”

“Actually, no she doesn’t. She never thought of anything besides herself long enough to care.”

“Out of respect for you--since she’s your sire and your ex--I’ll refrain from commenting on this.” Buffy said, her loathing for Drusilla obvious on her face.

The server brought their appetizers and wished them bon appetite.

“Trenton.”

Buffy looked up from her plate, not sure what he was saying. “What?”

“Trenton. My last name. William Henry Trenton.” He said gruffly, not looking at her. “Right poncy name.”

“Sorry to disagree, but it’s a perfectly fine name. Nothing wrong with it.”

“No one has celebrated or even mentioned my birthday in more than a hundred years. After a while, you stop thinking about it because it doesn’t mean anything anymore. So I did forget the exact date. But it was sometime in August.”

She nodded thoughtfully, not sure what to say. “Why didn’t you want to tell me this?”

“I’d rather not remind you that I was human once upon a time.”

“You think being human is a bad thing?”

“No, pet. Being a vampire is a bad thing in your eyes and talking about my human days would only remind you of what I am and that I wasn’t always like this. It’s hard to explain.”

“Why don’t you try? Because right now, you’re not making much sense.”

“Not exactly the kind of light hearted conversation I was hoping for, but I’ll try.” He paused, looking for the right words to explain himself. “I might be wrong; you’re not exactly a transparent woman, no matter how I say that I know you. I just think that me being what I am is something you had to overcome in order to give me a chance, and it makes me nervous to remind you…”

“And there I was thinking that I made it clear this morning that I know damn well what you are and it doesn’t bother me.”

“Was that what that was?” His eyes widened in realization, remembering the kiss she‘d given him that morning when he was wearing the face of his demon.

“Men,” Buffy rolled her eyes. “We always have to spell everything out for them. Yes Spike, that’s what that was. I didn’t think it could get any more clear. You don’t have to tip toe around me when it comes to what you are and who you are. I’m fine with it. I won’t lie, I am confused about a lot of things, including my feelings for you, but I’m working on it.”

“What kind of things are you confused about, Slayer?” He couldn’t help but ask, his insecurity bubbling to the surface.

“Being with you raises questions that never occurred to me while dating Angel because he was always pretending to be human. He was doing everything to shield me from his true nature and because of that, things were different.”

“Bloody poofter…”

Buffy chuckled. “You can’t help yourself, can you?”

“Sorry pet, don’t mind me.”

“I feel things for you that I need to understand. Understand my reactions to you. But it’s not a bad thing. It’s not the bad kind of confusion. Sometimes, things need to be a little complicated to be interesting.”

“Maybe, but I’d still worry a little less if things were simple for you. I don’t want you to decide that things are too complicated and it’s not worth the trouble just to be with me.”

“Spike, things have been confusing between us since the day we met. Nothing ever makes sense when it comes to you and me, nothing ever goes according to plans, and yet, it always makes complete sense. My life would be incredibly plain and boring without you in it. And yes, it is totally worth the trouble to be with you. It’s only been a day and I’m happy.”

He grinned. “Good. That was my evil master plan: to make you happy.”

“Congratulation, honey. It’s your first plan that didn’t blow up in your face. I’m proud of you,” Buffy mocked, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He glared at her and she giggled happily, obviously proud of herself.

“Let’s get back to the ‘get to know Spike better’ game, shall we?” Buffy asked, a humorous gleam in her hazel eyes. “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

Spike groaned, and Buffy burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

He’d do anything to keep hearing this laugh though, even answer bloody embarrassing questions. Spike was whipped and he knew it. But he didn’t give a toss as long as his Buffy was smiling.

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Tourists were milling around her, strolling leisurely hand in hand, lovers were kissing, and children were enjoying one last ice cream with their parents before returning to their hotel for the night. The evening was particularly hot and humid, which was not helping Carlita's already impatient mood. She walked quickly, sidestepping one distracted tourist after another. With every step, she regretted not taking a cab just a little more. She hadn't wanted to attract attention to herself by having a local driving her to the shop. A local cab driver would have known what this address was, despite the fact it was disguised as a souvenir shop. So she'd taken the shuttle bus into town and walked the rest of the way.

She was sweating, her feet were hurting, and she missed Rome terribly. But tomorrow night, everything would be over and she could finally go home and forget about this place. Why in the world people would spend thousands of American dollars to vacation here was beyond her. She preferred the cool indifference of Europeans to the wide eyed wonder of sun travelers.

A little boy plowed into her. Carlita grabbed his arm and stopped him from running away. "Do you know what happens to rude little boys like you?" she asked him, her voice terrifyingly cold. The boy stared, shaking his head in answer. "The boogie man eats them in their sleep."

She let go of the boy and he ran into his father's arms, a few feet away. The man opened his mouth to defend his son, but he shrank back at the leveling glare Carlita sent his way.

The Italian woman walked away quickly. She turned left to walk down a much smaller and quieter street. There, on her right, was a little shop. Nothing special about it. It looked just like the hundreds of other shops that sold junk to tourists eager to spend their money. Post cards, key chains, gift bags full of macadamia nuts or Hawaiian coffee; not the kind of place a woman like Carlita would shop at. But she went in anyway and walked up determinedly to the woman behind the counter.

The young woman barely looked up and greeted her in a bored tone. “Aloha. May I help you?”

“I would like to see Samara.”

The woman’s attitude changed in a matter of seconds. She stood up, her demeanor suddenly stiffer. She was obviously nervous. “Follow me.”

Carlita followed the much smaller woman to the back of the store. A door was opened for her and she walked in without a moment of hesitation. There, she found exactly what she’d been looking for. The only underground magic shop on the island. Only serious magic users knew of this place and the knowledge was well guarded from amateurs. The name of the owner was enough to get you in, but very few people knew it.

The young woman disappeared, leaving Carlita to do business with Samara herself.

The owner of the magic shop was standing a few feet away; she was lost in a book, her back turned to her, but Carlita knew better than to assume the renowned witch wasn’t aware of her presence.

Samara had black hair that fell to her waist; she was wearing a red cotton dress and was barefoot. Carlita’s preconceived idea was shot to hell. Having quite a fair amount of powers herself, she wasn’t one to assume a witch had to be old and ugly, but with a reputation as impressive and international as the one Samara had earned, she thought this one must be very old. Wrong.

“How do you know of me?” The clear voice that asked the question was the voice of a very young woman. She didn’t bother turning around to address the visitor.

“We gravitate to the same circles. Your store was recommended to me by a friend in Rome. Paolo…”

“Guzzo. Yes, I remember Paolo. Interesting character. Such darkness.” Samara said dreamily. She turned to face the visitor.

Carlita couldn’t help looking down. She chastised herself for doing so. Nobody made her look down. But the black eyes of the girl were disturbing.

She was only a girl. Samara couldn’t be much older than eighteen. Or maybe she only looked very young. Looks can be deceiving.

The Italian woman took a step forward. “My name is Carlita. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Samara nodded thoughtfully. There was a dreamy quality about her. Almost as if she wasn’t really in the room with Carlita. It was unsettling to say the least.

Carlita hesitated only for a moment, then spoke again. “I came because I…”

“Because you want to do very bad things.” The soft spoken girl interrupted. “I know. I see it in your eyes.”

Carlita got flustered despite herself. “Well… It’s… justified.”

The girl smiled. “The human mind is a beautiful thing. It can find ways to justify just about anything to get out of feeling guilty. I’m sure Hitler would agree. Don‘t you think?”

Carlita stared open mouthed. For once in her life she was speechless.

The girl laughed, and light crystalline noise in the empty room.

Without another word, Samara started walking through the store, gathering supplies as she went. She put everything in a box and returned to the still stunned Carlita.

“Here.” She said without preamble. “Everything you need to raise the starving monster you’ve been thinking about.”

Carlita nodded gratefully, taking the box from the girl after giving her money for the supplies. “Thank you for your help. I can see why people recommended you.”

Samara looked at her retreating back.

“He’ll eat them, but will still be hungry. He’s always hungry. It’s his curse. Poor monster.”

Carlita shuddered and shut the door after saying goodbye.

That was one strange girl.

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CHAPTER 12: Dessert

Buffy's bare foot was resting on Spike's thigh under the table, the whole display hidden by the floor length table cloth. She was massaging his tight muscle with her toes, a sly smile on her lips while she was casually sipping coffee from an expensive looking china cup. Spike couldn't hide the look of amusement and lust in his eyes at her action. Her small foot traveled further until it came to rest on the growing bulge in his pants. Her smile turned into one of satisfaction at getting the reaction she wanted. She was obviously pleased with herself.

"Having fun, pet?"

She batted her eyelashes innocently. "What do you mean? In general tonight, or right now?"

He didn't answer, merely raised an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged her bare shoulders, the smile never leaving her face. "It would be a yes to both questions anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?"

She curled her toes, gently kneading his cotton covered erection, and got rewarded by a quiet groan.

"What do you say I pay the check and we bugger off, kitten? This evening is just getting even more interesting." Spike asked in a strained voice.

"Mm Hmm."

She smiled and Spike couldn't help wondering what she was up to. He waved the server over.

Buffy stood up, taking her evening purse as she did.

Spike gave her a questioning look.

She turned to leave, then stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "I'll be in the bathroom... if you need me."

She grinned and walked away, making her hips swing seductively, knowing he was staring at her retreating back.

Spike gaped in amused shock, almost not believing that she might have implied what he thought she implied. But he wasn't a man to look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly pulled his wallet out of his pocket. When the server came back with the check, Spike had the money all ready for him.

"The only charge is for the wine, sir. Of course you'll understand that the hotel..."

"Yeah, I know. Here..."

He gave him enough money to cover the bill, and an extra fifty for the tip, then stood up, almost knocking his chair over in his haste.

"Thank you, sir, and have a good evening." The server said before walking away to attend to another customer.

"Oh, I think I will." Spike mumbled under his breath while making his way to the ladies' room.

He hesitantly pushed the door open and peeked inside. Buffy was sitting on the counter by the sink, her bare legs crossed in an enticing way. She crossed her arms over her chest, pretending to be annoyed.

"Took you long enough." She said, matter of factly.

Spike walked inside and shut the door behind him. He leaned against it, looking her up and down with a predatory look in his eyes.

"Sorry, pet. The bloody waiter took forever to come back with the check." He hooked his thumbs in the waist of his trousers, his fingers framing the object of Buffy's lust. "Feeling naughty, kitten?"

She pouted, one hand coming up to twirl a strand of her blonde hair. "I haven't had dessert yet." She complained in a girlish voice.

"Is that so? Well that just won't do."

She crooked a finger and motioned for him to come towards her. Spike was happy to oblige. With a swagger to his steps, he crossed the posh, richly decorated bathroom. He came to stand in front of her and she automatically wrapped her legs around him.

"Never pegged you as the public sex kinda girl, Slayer. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised." He whispered against her ear before gently biting her ear lobe and sucking it into his mouth.

Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying the attention.

"You bring that out in me. But... maybe this is a bit too public?"

She tilted her head towards the stalls and Spike chuckled.

“More privacy. Got it."

He wrapped his arms around her and carried her to the bigger stall at the back of the bathroom where they would have a bit more privacy in case somebody walked in.

Pushing her against the wall, her legs still wrapped tightly around his hips, Spike attacked her mouth with his. It didn't take long for the kiss to heat up and things to get out of control.

With one hand holding Buffy’s back firmly, he let the other one trail from her waist to her thigh, then back up underneath her dress. He broke the kiss to give her a surprised look when no underwear obstructed his exploration.

"And the surprises just keep on coming. Going without knickers, pet?"

"Just thought I'd speed things up... Took it off while I was waiting for you." She said in a breathless voice before forcefully pulling his head back to her to resume the kiss.

Spike chuckled against her lips, then gasped when he felt her reach between them to grab his cock through his pants. She squeezed him rhythmically, feeling him grow harder beneath her palm.

She hurriedly fumbled with his zipper. When she didn't manage to get the button open fast enough, Spike helped. He pushed her hand away and opened it himself, afraid she'd let her impatience get the best of her and rip his pants open. Wouldn't do to have to walk out of the restaurant with his pants hanging open when he didn't have his duster to cover himself with.

Buffy reached into his trousers and pulled his throbbing erection out, giving it a few loving strokes. Spike braced himself against the wall, meanwhile still holding her to him. She guided him to her already wet opening and he pushed in with a groan of pleasure.

"God, Buffy. I've been thinking about this all night."

"Me too." She admitted unashamedly.

She moaned and threw her head back with abandon, banging it against the unforgiving wall. "Ouch." She chuckled lightheartedly, too relieved at feeling him inside her again to care about a bit of pain.

“You OK?” Spike asked with concern, slowing his movement.

“Don’t stop... I’m fine.”

He bent his head to suck on the tender skin of her neck, pumping his cock inside her in long, deep strokes.

Buffy was panting, the pleasure steadily building inside of her. Her nerve endings were on fire and she knew she wouldn’t last much longer. Suddenly, there was a noise in the bathroom and they both froze.

They heard the bathroom door closing, then the sound of another stall door opening and closing could be heard. A thrill went through Buffy at the idea of getting caught. She bit her lip to stop a nervous giggle from coming out.

But the pleasure of Spike’s thick cock filling her quickly made her forget her fear and she teasingly flexed her muscles around him, earning a gasp and a warning look.

She snorted lightly and hid her face against him, biting his shoulder to keep the giggles at bay. Spike inhaled sharply, clearly enjoying the light biting. He retaliated by thrusting inside her. She whimpered and shut her eyes tightly, praying that whoever was in the bathroom with them would just hurry up and leave.

They heard the water running, then the bathroom door shut with a click.

Instantly, Spike resumed his thrusting in a nearly desperate rhythm. That little pause in their love making had not been welcomed by either of them and they were glad to be alone again. Having to stay still for so long had been near torture.

“Spike...” Buffy whispered, her head still buried in the crook of his neck, “I need...”

“I know, luv. Come for me... I’m so close.”

Buffy sighed and moaned, doing her best to be quiet but not doing a great job at it.

The door opened again, and this time, someone cleared their throat.

Buffy’s eyes widened and she blushed furiously. Spike narrowed his eyes and failed at holding back the growl.

There was a nervous voice that Spike identified as belonging to their waiter. “Uh... You know... Well, this isn’t... a motel. You, huh, someone complained. Please leave...”

Buffy let go of Spike and hid her burning face in her hands. “Ohgodohgodohgod...” She mumbled under her breath, not believing this was happening.

She saw Spike reaching for the lock on the stall door and snatched his hand away. “What the hell are you doing?” She hissed as quietly as she could.

Spike broke her hold on his wrist and put her down. He pushed her in the corner of the stall and cracked the door open.

“What the bloody hell do you want?” He snapped at the red faced server. “Didn’t I give you enough tip to keep your bleedin’ trap shut?”

“Oh.. uh... sir... It’s just that...”

Spike pulled out his wallet and got a fifty dollar bill out. He handed it to the waiter. “Here. Give us a minute. And watch the bloody door!”

“Yes sir.” The young man hurried out of the bathroom and Spike turned back to Buffy.

“Now, where were we?”

“W-what?!” Buffy spluttered, turning even redder. “Did you just give this guy money so we could... finish what we were doing?”

Spike frowned, pretending not to understand what the problem was. “Well... yeah.” He smirked at her. “C’mere kitten.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No way! This is too embarrassing.”

He growled playfully. “C’mere before my soddin’ balls turn blue and fall off. You wouldn’t want that to happen now, would you?”

She pouted, glancing from the stall door to Spike. He could see she was tempted.

He got closer to her and tenderly kissed the side of her face. “Come on... I know you want to. You’re all shivering and unsatisfied. I can make it all better.”

His words made Buffy more conscious of her unfulfilled state and she trembled slightly.

Teasingly, Spike closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “It turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“What? No! Of course not...”

He smirked sexily. “Don’t deny it, I can smell it. You’re all hot and bothered at the idea that there someone in the hallway who knows what we’re doing in here.”

The hands that had been resting lightly on her waist slid down to her ass and he lifted her up. As soon as she was in his arms again, she forgot all about the waiter standing vigil outside the bathroom. Spike rubbed the head of his cock against her wetness and she was lost in him again.

Right away, Spike started pounding into her. She met him thrust for thrust, both desperate for release. When he felt her body shudder against him, he reached between them and rubbed slow circles on her clit with the tip of his fingers.

“Let it go, kitten. Come for me.”

Seeing her opening her mouth, he pressed his lips to hers, swallowing her loud moan and desperate pleas. Her inner muscles clenched around him, clamping down on his cock with a strength that only a Slayer could possess.

As she rode the waves of her intense orgasm, he started pumping faster inside of her in a pace that only she could take without pain. He came, holding her tightly to him.

They calmed down, both a little stunned by the intensity of their orgasms, then Spike put Buffy down. She was staring at him, mouth slightly opened as if trying to understand what had just happened. Then they burst out laughing.

“Oh my God!” Buffy said while brushing tears of hilarity from her eyes. “I can’t believe you gave money to that poor guy so he would give us time to come!”

“Hey, a vamp’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, pet. No way I was leaving you unsatisfied; it would have ruined my reputation. And,” he added with an amused grin “can you see me walking out of here with a raging hard on?”

That got more giggles from Buffy.

He helped her smooth down her hair and her dress, then opened the stall door.

Buffy froze.

Spike turned and gave her a puzzled look when he saw she wasn’t moving.

“What now?”

“...I’m not walking out of here.”

“Why the bleedin’ hell not?”

“The server...”

Spike scuffed. “Who gives a toss about that wanker?”

“And he probably told all his little server friends...” She continued, biting her lip nervously.

Spike grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “So what? They’ll just be jealous. They’ll all wish they’d be me.”

She couldn’t help smiling at that. “And you like that idea, don’t you?”

“Love it.”

He pulled her towards the bathroom door. “Come on. The trick is to look more confident than you feel. Head held up high, smirk a little if you can... like the cat who ate the mouse. They’ll never know you’re faking it.”

She nodded hesitantly and did as he said. Spike opened the door and walked out. She followed him with confident steps. The waiter was still standing there, still red in the face. Spike nodded in his direction.

“Have a great evening.” He told the blushing waiter before walking away, Buffy by his side. “As good as mine, I hope.” He added, a satisfied smirk on his face.

That got Buffy to chuckle and forget about her embarrassment long enough for them to make it out of the restaurant under the stares of the staff members. As soon as they were on the side walk, they burst into side splitting laughter.

When the laughter died down, Spike put his arm around Buffy’s shoulders and led her down the street. They stopped for ice cream, enjoying the warm and quiet night, truly comfortable in each other’s company.

Spike never told Buffy that he saw the strange Italian woman standing on the other side of the street holding a box and staring intently at them. No need ruining such a perfect night.

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CHAPTER 13: Hot tub, bubbles and fantasies

Carlita was sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room part of the suite. Her legs were folded to the side, her skirt covering her up in a dignified way. Everything she did had to be proper, it didn't take Ben too much time to realize that. But he also knew that beneath all the ladylike mannerisms, she was nothing but trash.

He'd been raised in high society, his family was wealthy. From generation to generation, the family fortune had been passed on. His cousin and he had attended the best, most exclusive private school in England, and since being part of the Council was a family thing, would move on to an even more select school where they'd learn to be watchers. So yes, he had experience smelling rude, ignorant people from a mile away, no matter how much money and manners they were hiding under. Carlita was just that: an ignorant twit decked in expensive, designer clothes who used affected words. God did he ever hate the woman. He had to constantly remind himself that it was only for a few more days, and then he'd be rid of her. He promised himself he'd do everything he could to never see that woman again. Might be hard considering she was a family friend and his uncle was so fond of her, but he'd try.

“I see you’ve been busy.” He finally commented casually, trying to hide the disdain in his voice.

Carlita looked up from the articles she’d been sorting through. There was a small empty box abandoned to the side and items laid out in front of her. She had a pair of reading glasses resting on the tip of her nose, the heavy black frame making her features look even harder. Without a word, she started collecting everything and placing it back in the box. She then stood up and took time to smooth her skirt down before facing him, her usual fake smile firmly in place.

“Nothing you should concern yourself with.” P> He frowned, his thick dark brows drawing together. “I see.”

Ben walked up to the wet bar and poured himself a drink. His back still to Carlita, he spoke up again.

“Does this have anything to do with the Slayer and her vampire?”

“Whatever would make you think that?”

Her overly cheery voice was grating on his last nerve.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact that it’s all you’ve been concerned with since we got here, and suddenly, you stopped talking about it altogether. This would be quite enough to have me worried. Whatever you’ve been up to, I’d appreciate it if you’d fill me in. We’re in this together in case you conveniently forgot.”

He turned to face her, an angry scowl on his face. But it apparently didn’t faze her in the least.

“Not anymore, Benjamin, dear.”

“Says who, if I might ask?”

“Quentin.”

Ben almost choked on his drink. He coughed to get the liquid out of his now burning lungs and took a deep breath.

"Rubbish. My uncle sent me here with you; I don't see why he would change his mind so radically as to..."

"My poor boy. You don't get it, do you?" The tone of her voice was insulting in its sweetness. She was obviously mocking him by talking to him like he was a small child.

She approached him with a cold smile on her thin lips and reached up to touch his cheek, trying her very best to make him feel pathetic. It worked. Benjamin flinched away from her touch and she chuckled.

"What the bloody hell do you mean; I'm not part of this anymore?"

She shrugged indifferently and turned away from him. She picked up a crystal glass and admired it for a moment before pouring herself a glass of red wine. Still not facing him, Carlita sighed.

“Quentin and I had a little talk last night. He finds you too... reluctant to do what needs to be done. And he was not pleased that you lied to me, mio caro.”

“I did not lie.”

She sharply turned around and pinned him with a malevolent look. “Do not, I repeat, do NOT mistake me for one of your little--how do you Brits call these females--trollops? I’m not one of your pathetic little trollops back in London. I could make your life so miserable that you’d beg me to kill you. Never lie to me again. You can’t fool me darling. I can sense deceit and lies from a mile away.” Her eyes still terrifyingly cold, she managed a smile. “On this not so friendly note, let’s get back on topic, shall we? I’m following orders, Ben, and you lied to try to stall my progress. Quentin was furious and gave me permission to act without you if I deemed it necessary. And I do.”

“You bloody cow! You’re going to kill an innocent girl.”

“Santa Madonna, do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth? Innocent girl? How ridiculous! If she’s innocent, then I am a saint.”

Benjamin was getting frantic. He paced the length of the room, desperately trying to come up with an argument that would soften Carlita’s stance on the Buffy Summers case.

“This young woman goes out every night, risking her life for the sake of the world. Don’t you think she deserves a chance? Contrarily to Faith, she does what she’s supposed to do, saving innocent people despite the risks to herself. I’m sorry if I’m not more eager to end her life, Carlita. I’m not like you. I’m not...”

She cocked an eyebrow in question. “You’re not... what?”

“Dead inside. Incapable of any human feelings.”

“Oh you delightful little hypocrite.” She winked at him before sitting down in a plush armchair and taking a sip of her wine.

Ben spluttered indignantly. “Beg your pardon?”

“If I recall, you were positively horrified at the notion that she was sleeping with a demon. You were happy beyond words when your uncle announced that she would be away from her family and friends for a week, making it all the easier to disguise the kill as an accident. You were the first one at the jet.”

He looked away from her in shame, staring out the window. “I was eager to please my uncle. He scarcely sends me on missions, especially not one as important as this. I was glad he trusted me. And I did believe the slayer defiling herself with a demon was sickening.”

The Italian woman chuckled. “And your views on the subject changed when you came face to face with Buffy Summers’ obvious charms. How very convenient.”

“I know what you’re implying,” he said through clenched teeth; anger simmering in his dark eyes. “and, it has nothing to do with my attraction to her. She’s good at what she does and the world might need her. And as far as the vampire goes, I haven’t changed my mind. I still find the idea disgusting...”

“As a woman, I beg to differ.” She laughed at the look on his pinched face. “Oh come on, don’t be such a prude.”

“As I was saying, having a relationship with a vampire is immoral and I can’t condone it, but that doesn’t mean Buffy needs to die.”

Carlita swiftly stood up and took the few steps that separated her to where Benjamin was sitting in another armchair. She braced herself on the armrests and leaned forward until she was eye to eye with him, her face dangerously close.

“And as I was saying, you don’t get it. Quentin couldn’t care less about the vampire. He’s merely a nuisance in the way that he follows her everywhere. The true reason Quentin wants to be rid of her is because she’s been a constant pain in his behind since the day she was called as the Slayer. Fighting him and the Council’s authority every step of the way. He wants things back the way they’re supposed to be. Sweet, obedient little puppet Slayer controlled by her watcher who in turn, is controlled by the council. Buffy Summers brought chaos to this perfect little arrangement and he’s sick of it. The Council is useless without the Slayer and her watcher under their thumb. He decided it’s time to end it. Whether you agree or not. And Ben?

She waited until he looked back up before continuing on with what she was about to say.

“The only reason you’re here is because your uncle wanted to get you as far away from him as possible. So don’t fool yourself thinking you’re actually needed.”

The young man pushed her away from him. He stood up, gathering the little dignity he had left and walked towards the door.

She watched him and waited until he reached for the door knob before speaking again.

“If you’re thinking about confessing all this to Miss. Summers and her boy toy, I’d think twice.

He didn’t answer, only waited for her to get the threat out in the open.

“Not only is it not going to save them, but it would be so easy to add you as a hit. Don’t mess with me.”

He opened the door and stormed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rolled bonelessly onto her back, arms extended to the sides. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her golden skin was covered by a light sheen of sweat. Spike and she had decided to kill time in the most pleasurable of ways until it was time to leave for their little safari adventure, and so far, there hadn’t been a dull moment. It was now two o’clock in the afternoon, the rental Jeep was parked by the door, the front desk had given them maps and pointers to the most interesting sights on the way to the volcano and in about two hours, food would be delivered to their room. A bag of sandwiches and other goodies they could take with them on their late afternoon trip.

"Did I tire you out, pet?"

A grinning vampire appeared above her, and she grinned right back at him.

"Tired? Me?" She snorted. "Yeah right. If we didn't have to leave soon, I'd make a bet with you on which one of use would pass out first from too much sex, or beg the other one to stop."

"Oh you're on, kitten. Too bad we can't do this today though. I'd be well on my way to win."

"God you're so full of yourself." Her harsh words were softened by the humor in her eyes. "I'm the Slayer, buddy. You can't outdo me. You can try though. I wouldn't complain about that."

Spike gave her naked body a lustful look. "I'll die trying if I have to. Shagged to death... Nothing wrong with that. Beats a stake through the heart any time of the day."

He lowered his head and kissed a path across her breast bone, from one shoulder to the other. Buffy let her head hang over the edge of the bed and sighed contentedly. Then she spotted the open bathroom door.

"You know..." She drawled, her voice a sexy purr. "I had this little fantasy when we first got here... Wanna hear about it?"

She lifted her head back up to look at him, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Depends. Is it naughty."

"Yes."

"Is it dirty?"

"Nope. It's actually as clean as it can be."

Spike frowned and sat back on his heels, his gorgeous naked body on display for Buffy to admire. She let her eyes roam over him. Seeing him so sexy and obviously comfortable being naked around her made her so hot, she could have sworn the A/C had stopped working. She saw Spike's lips moving, but just stared without answering. She finally snapped out of her contemplation, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"Sorry, I spaced out for a moment. What did you say?"

He smirked knowingly. "I said, you got me bloody curious. What did you have in mind?"

She blinked.

"Fantasy, pet?"

"Oh. Right! Bathroom, that's it. Hot tub. Bubbles, champagne, yummy, wet, naked Spike."

"And when exactly did you think of that?" He asked, his blue eyes shining with mirth.

She flushed a little more under her light tan. Suddenly feeling too naked, she pulled the white sheet to her, covering her breast almost demurely.

Spike chuckled at her little display of modesty and swiftly ripped the sheet away from her and sent it flying across the room. "Not hiding from me now, you little minx." He lowered his head and gave one of her puckered nipples a wet suck. "And I believe I asked you a question."

"First night we got here." Buffy mumbled.

"Is that right?" He asked with the beginning of a smug smirk forming on his lush lips.

"Mmhmm. We'd just arrived and we were looking around the room before unpacking. You were playing with the T.V. I think and I went into the bathroom. Everything seemed to be arranged for a couple to have a romantic vacation. The huge tub with the bubble bath bottle next to it, the scented massage oils, the candles and the champagne. I found myself thinking of you and me taking advantage of the romantic setting. Can you blame me?"

Spike's expression soften, the smirk turning into a warm, gentle smile. "No, Buffy. I don't believe I can." She was very much a girl still. With a yearning for normal and girly. He had to admit that her romantic side spoke to the foolish human poet that was still, and always would be, part of who he was.

“As a matter of fact,” he continued. “I think we still have that bottle of champagne. The maid put it in the mini-fridge when she made the room the next day. What do you say we act on that fantasy of yours, kitten?”

She nodded her head, a happy smile lighting up her face.

Spike planted a kiss on her forehead and stood up. Buffy tried to follow his lead, but he stopped her.

“Lie down, relax, and let me take care of everything.”

She watched him disappear into the bathroom and rested her head back on the mattress. Only a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Buffy got up and went to retrieve the sheet that was now in a heap on the floor. She wrapped it around her slim body and went to open the door. Assuming it must be their picnic food being delivered earlier than expected; she opened without even looking through the peep hole. She groaned when she saw who was standing there and automatically regretted opening the door.

“What the hell do you want? How did you know what room I was in?!” Buffy asked angrily.

In front of her stood the man who had flirted with her the other night and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He looked haggard and for a moment, Buffy thought maybe he was psychotic and she’d have to kick his ass to make him understand the meaning of ‘not interested’.

The man ran nervous fingers through his shaggy hair. He looked shifty.

“I said, what do you want?” Buffy snapped when he didn’t answer right away.

“Miss Summers... Please, could we go somewhere together. We need to talk...”

“You know what? I changed my mind. Don’t care WHY you’re here. How did you find me? Are you some kind of psycho stalker or something? I told you to get lost.”

Spike walked back into the room still naked, his very manly bits on proud display and obviously not bothering with fake modesty. Buffy turned her attention to him, giving him an amused look. Ben didn’t seem so amused by the scene.

“Please, I beg of you... Give me a chance to...”

“Oh my God! What is wrong with you?”

Spike came to stand behind Buffy, and looked genuinely shocked when he got a good look at who she was talking to. “Bleeding hell, mate; you’re thick as a brick wall, aren’t you?”

He dropped a kiss on Buffy’s shoulder, his eyes never leaving the other man’s wary ones. “The lady’s spoken for. I’m the one who gets to shag her. BUGGER. OFF.”

“You don’t understand...”

But the door was unceremoniously slammed in Ben’s face. He stood there for a long moment, dumbstruck. He raised his hand to knock again, ready to insist, but changed his mind when he heard a loud thump behind the door, followed by giggles and moans.

Bloody hell. Where they shagging against the door for his benefit?

He took a step back and hesitated for a moment, but then decided it was best to leave. Maybe this wasn’t worth risking his life after all. He knew he should be doing something sensible, like sliding a note under their door to warn them, but truth be told, he was too insulted by the way he had just been treated to do such a thing. With an attitude like that, they could get out of this mess on their own for all he cared. He’d tried, his conscience was at peace. Not his soddin’ fault if the two twits wouldn’t listen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike had carried Buffy into the bathroom while still deep inside her body. He had managed to climb up the two steps that led to the bath tub and get in the water without dropping her or slipping out of her. Then they relished the feel of the hot, sweet, scented water sloshing around them as they made love. There was now water all over the floor. It looked like the bathroom had been hit by a hurricane.

Spike smiled down at the woman in his arms. He pushed her wet hair away from her face. She was strangely quiet and he wondered what was going on in her head.

“You alright, luv?”

She nodded her head, cheek pressed against his wet chest and arms holding him firmly around the waist. “Yes. Alright doesn’t cover it. I’m better than I have ever been. Why?”

“Don’t know. You’re just quiet, is all. Was wondering what you were thinking about.”

When she didn’t answer his indirect question, he decided not to pry. He reached over her and grabbed the opened bottle of champagne and the two glasses. He poured the sparkling treat into the glasses and handed her one. She took a small sip and smiled.

“Yum. Bubbly goodness.”

Spike grinned at her and took a sip. “Yeah, this is pretty good stuff for complimentary champagne,” he commented while pulling her back into his arms. They lapsed back into silence and again, he wondered where she was.

“Wanna share, pet?”

“Uh? Share what?” She asked, pretending to be clueless. Truth was, she was a little embarrassed to voice what had been bothering her.

“You’re a million miles away. If you want to talk, I’ll listen. ‘is all I’m saying.”

He was surprised to see her blushing bright red. “I... Forget it. It’s stupid. Just thinking about this makes me feel like an idiot, never mind talking about it with you.”

Spike’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Pet, you do know you can tell me anything, right? I would never think less of you or judge you. If you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. But don’t think even for a second that I’d bloody well make you feel like an idiot.”

“I know that. It’s just a little embarrassing.” She took a shuddering breath. “It’s just... Yesterday. Remember in the morning, after Xander called?”

“Yeah. What of it?”

“When you were all with the bumpies and everything...?”

The look of confusion on Spike’s face could have been comical if Buffy wasn’t so flustered at the idea of confessing what she was about to confess.

Spike nodded his head carefully. “Yes, pet, I do remember that.”

“Well, it’s just that... something happened. And it happened again just now while we were having sex. It’s...” She let out a frustrated breath and Spike ran a soothing hand on her back to try to get her to relax.

“It’s weird and twisted but...”

Understanding dawned on Spike and his eyes widen a little in shock. “You wanted me to bite you.” He stated in a soft voice, almost afraid the words would make her run away.

She looked away and nodded her head slowly, her cheek flaming red in embarrassment. “I don’t know why. I don’t know what got into me. “Buffy, pet, look at me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s normal.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s... complicated and I wasn’t sure if... with a human... but it’s normal, believe me. And you’re not sick or twisted.”

“But, I’m around vampires all the time and it never happened to me. I never thought of being bitten with anything but disgust and fear. And even with...” She decided not to say the name, but she could tell he knew she meant Angel.

“I bleeding well hope so! Doing your job would be a tad more dangerous if you started getting aroused at the thought of being bitten by the first pathetic fledging crossing your path.”

He gave her a look and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

“Yeah, that could get awkward... and potentially deadly.”

“And luv, it probably didn’t happen with...” He scrunched up his nose in obvious disdain at the idea of even referring to his grand sire in relation to Buffy and sex. “...the poof because you had other things to worry about that night. But sex with vampires and biting kinda goes hand in hand. Just never thought a human might feel that way. Maybe it has to do with you being the Slayer.”

“So... I’m not crazy or perverted then? I don’t have a death wish?”

Spike relaxed against the tub and pulled Buffy closer to him. He ran a hand over her wet hair and kissed the top of her head. “No luv. You’re not crazy. There are different kinds of bites.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Well, there’s the obvious. The bite to feed. Clean, quick, over in a snap. That one you know about, of course. Then, there’s the one to kill and hurt. Angelus’ favorite. I don’t think the magnificent poof ever made it quick. He was a sadistic bastard. Sorry pet.”

“’s ok. I know how Angelus was. Or at least, I have an idea. Keep talking.”

“There’s the bite to dominate, between sire and childe. It’s a hierarchy thing... to show who’s the boss.”

Buffy nodded her understanding.

“But what you felt... That was a totally different thing. Biting can be pleasurable during sex. It’s very intimate and creates a bond between lovers.”

“Oh.” Was all Buffy could manage to say.

Seeing that she was once again lost in her thoughts, Spike kept talking. His next words sounded almost shy.

“But there’s also the most important of bites. The claiming. A vamp and his or her lover exchange blood to become mates. That bite creates an unbreakable bond between them.”

Buffy was now staring at him with her big hazel eyes, her pretty face serious. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Do you think... Do you think we...”

Spike put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. “No.”

She looked hurt by the rejection so he tried to explain.

“I don’t mean never. I just mean... Oh bloody hell.” He stopped talking, frustrated with himself for not finding the right words.

Spike polished off his glass of champagne and served himself a refill before continuing. How did he get himself into this mess? He didn’t know how to explain to her how foolish what she was asking was without hurting her feelings.

“It’s sacred to vampires, pet. It’s a huge deal. You don’t just rush into something like that. It would be like getting married to some wanker you just met in Las Vegas while you‘re drunk, only worst.”

Her dejected look was slowly replaced by a sort of understanding.

“I’m not saying never, Buffy. There’s nothing I’d want more. But we’ve only been together for a few days. And honestly, I have no clue what your intentions are for when we get back home. Kitten... I don’t even know how you feel about me.”

She had the decency to look ashamed. She knew she hadn’t said the words to him yet even though she wanted to. “I know...”

Spike crushed her lips with his, kissing her fervently. He quickly pulled away and smiled at her.

“Baby, if we go back to Sunnydale and manage to make things work between us, then we‘ll see what happens next and we‘ll suss out together where we go from there.”

“Yeah, I know. I guess I just wanted to know if you’d want to. I know it’s too soon. I’m not even sure I really understand all of this.”

“Of course I would want to. Just not now. It’s too soon.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met again. He felt her shivering against him and pulled away.

“Let’s get out of here. Water’s getting cold.”

Spike helped Buffy stand up and wrapped her in an oversized towel, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. They were putting on clothes and getting ready to leave when there was a knock on the door. Spike answered it. It was room service delivering their food for the road. He gave the guy a good tip then shut the door.

“You ready to go pet?”

“Absolutely!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC