SHIVER

All human fic. NC17. B/S, W/T, X/A. A/C.

Joss and Mutant Enemy own it all, the stingy bastards!!

Mucho Thankies to my Bestest Friend and Beta, angelslovebite aka Kat!!! You RAWK girl! LOL

When her mother dies, Buffy inherits her art gallery. While poking around in the attic one day, she discovers a strange painting. Learning the identity of the man in the painting becomes her obsession.

Chapter One

Buffy gazed around the gallery and sighed contentedly. The entire day had been spent reopening the gallery; cleaning and hanging newly arrived stock, interspersed with far more customers than she had ever dreamed. Thank God she’d had Willow and Tara to help her out, as well as Xander to handle hanging the new stock. Anya had been more than happy to handle the customers and Buffy suspected that she was the reason for so many great sales.

She realized that for the first time in over a year, she felt like something in her life was going right. The death of her mother, followed by her miscarriage and subsequent divorce from her husband of five years, had left Buffy hanging on to her sanity by her fingernails. The only things that had saved her from giving in to her depression were her younger sister, Dawn, and the loving support of her friends.

All was quiet now. She had closed up at five o’clock and her friends had left shortly after that. For once, Buffy hadn’t felt guilty when she turned down their offers of dinner or some dancing at The Bronze. The first day had gone smoothly, thanks to her friends, but there was still a lot of stuff she wanted to get done before she met Riley for their date.

Dawn came from the office; book bag slung over one slim shoulder. “Hey, I’m heading over to the library with Janice. You gonna be okay?”

Returning her sisters hug, Buffy smiled. “I’ll be fine, Dawnie. Big date tonight with Riley. Are you going to stay at Janice’s or do I need to come pick you up?”

“If Riley is going to be there I’m definitely staying with Janice.” Dawn made a face. “I wouldn’t want to cheat you of your weekly dose of hot monkey loving. Not that I think you would really miss it.”

“Dawn…” Buffy warned.

Flipping her long hair over her shoulder, Dawn pinned Buffy with narrowed blue eyes. “Buffy, you majored in Psych. Tell me the big attraction to Riley isn’t the fact that he’s nothing at all like your ex husband.”

“Riley is a good person, Dawn.” Buffy defended him.

“And he leaves you colder than the polar ice cap. The only reason you’re dating him is because he’s safe. I just hope you don’t do something stupid like marry him because you think I need a male influence. ‘Coz, hey! Little old for that!”

Buffy couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on her sister’s face. “No danger of that happening. Not with Riley, or any other man for that matter. Once was more than enough for this girl.”

Dawn flung herself down in the chair beside her, taking Buffy’s small hands in her own. “I hate him. I hate what he’s done to you, Buff. You used to be so…full of life. So full of love.”

“I’m still full of love, Dawnie. I’m just a lot more careful who I share it with than I used to be.”

“No.” Dawn shook her head. “You’re locked up tighter than Fort Knox. All you need is for the right man to come along and rock your world.”

Pulling her hands away, Buffy stood and moved away a few steps, the intensity of Dawn’s expression causing her to feel a deep uneasiness. “No world rocking here, please. I’m fine, Dawn. Really.”

Dawn sighed. “Whatever. Just don’t be pissed at me when it goes down exactly as I said it would. You can’t fight fate.”

A horn sounded out front and Dawn crushed Buffy with one last hug before bolting out the door. “See you after classes tomorrow! Don’t let Riley bore you to death tonight.”

Locking the doors once more, Buffy let out a sigh of relief. Dawn saw far too much for a normal teenager. All of the others thought that Riley was perfect for her. Well, except for Tara. She claimed that Riley’s aura was *wrong* and didn’t mesh well with Buffy’s. Willow agreed, but also insisted that it shouldn’t be an issue if Buffy were only dating Riley.

Sometimes it was a pain to have Wiccas for friends.

Her chat with Dawn had taken up most of the time she had left free before needing to get ready for her date, but Buffy decided to go on up to the attic and check out what her mother had left stored up there. One quick look around and then she would really have to get going.




Hurrying up the stairs, Buffy flipped the light switch and grimaced at the one bare bulb that was supposed to illuminate the whole room. Maybe Xander could run a few more lights up here for her.

The attic ran the entire length of the building, with small windows at each end. It was crammed with all kinds of interesting things that her mother had collected on buying trips around the world. Buffy wished she had more time to nose around. Maybe Willow or Anya would come tomorrow and help out downstairs so she could come up here for a while and start sorting through this mess.

She was turning to go when a stack of paintings fell over behind her. Buffy jumped and gave a squeak of fear, then laughed at herself. She must have brushed against them when she came in. Hoping she wouldn’t have a mess of broken glass to sweep up, she began picking them up and leaning them back against the wall.

The last one was still wrapped in heavy packing paper, but when she lifted it, Buffy heard the tinkle of broken glass moving inside. With a sigh, she lay it face down so the glass wouldn’t spill out of the wrapping and tore the brown paper from the back. I hope all that glass didn’t scratch it, she thought, lifting it carefully and laying it on a nearby table before she turned it over and tilted it back to rest against the wall behind it.

“Ohhhh my…” she gasped.

The painting took her breath away. It was done in oils. The rich colors and the use of light and shadow were amazing, but it was the subject of the picture that fascinated her. A wave of dizziness swept over her and she stepped back, clenching her hands around the fabric of her skirt and staring with amazed eyes.

It was a portrait of a man. And God! What a man! He was the most decadently gorgeous looking thing she had ever seen.

He had been painted while sprawled on a small sofa covered in lush, golden brocade. The only clothing he wore was a pair of black trousers and a coat with a purplish-grey pattern and a black velvet collar that gaped open to reveal his bare chest. His hair, so blonde it was almost white, was attractively mussed. Velvety dark blue eyes stared back at her from under slumberous eyelids. He had high, sculpted cheekbones, a beautifully shaped nose, and lips that begged to be devoured. All in all he was one scrumptious package. Not even the scar that slashed through his left eyebrow detracted from his male beauty.

Buffy stepped closer, unable to tear her eyes from the portrait. There was no signature anywhere, but whoever the artist had been, their use of color was masterful. Those deep, sapphire eyes seemed to track her every move as she studied him from several different angles. She shook her head slightly as if to clear it and took another step forward.

“Who are you?” she asked, softly.

A/N ~ This is my first ever fic, as you can probably tell LOL Many of you have probably seen the photos of James Marsters that I’m basing the portrait on (truly inspired work in my opinion *wink*) Feedback would be positively orgasmic, not to mention greatly appreciated!!





Chapter 2

All human fic. NC17. B/S, W/T, X/A. A/C.

Joss and Mutant Enemy own it all, the stingy bastards!!

Mucho Thankies to my Bestest Friend and Beta, angelslovebite aka Kat!!! You RAWK! LOL

When her mother dies, Buffy inherits her art gallery. While poking around in the attic one rainy day, she discovers a strange painting. Learning the identity of the man in the painting becomes her obsession.



“Who are you?” she asked, softly.

Buffy laughed at her question. Was she expecting him to answer her? She shook her head as if to clear it. He just looked so…lifelike. As though any moment he would rise up and step out of the painting. Without conscious thought, she reached out with a fingertip to trace the lines of those wickedly sensual lips.

The shrill tones of her cell phone rang out and Buffy snatched her hand back; looking around almost guiltily. Realizing what it was, she snatched it from her pocket and looked at the display. Riley. Feeling an irrational burst of irritation, Buffy answered.

“Hey Riley,” she said, trying to sound happy to hear from him.

“Hi, honey! Are we still on for tonight?” Sometimes Riley’s enthusiasm reminded her of a used car salesman on crack.

“Umm, yeah. I just need to go home and get cleaned up first. We got a lot accomplished today but I’m a total mess.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven then, babe!”

Buffy said her goodbyes and tried to work up some excitement at the thought of seeing her boyfriend in a few hours. All she really wanted to do was have a nice, hot bubble bath and then curl up with a good book.

Shoving the phone back into the pocket of her skirt, Buffy turned once more to the painting.

“Somehow I’m pretty sure that a book would be the last thing on my mind if you were my date tonight.” She said softly. She giggled at the foolish thought.

Buffy picked up a black drape and started to cover the painting, but the thought of Dawn or one of the others coming up her for some reason and seeing it made her pause. The idea of someone else looking at her dream man filled her with irrational jealousy. She suddenly decided to take the portrait home with her. After all, it was legally her property, she justified, before snatching it up and carrying it to her car.

The storm that had been threatening all afternoon decided to make itself known as she locked up the gallery and drove home. Thunder rumbled in the distance and she could smell rain in the air as she made the short drive to the new condo she and Dawn shared. She hoped the rain would hold off until she was home from her date.

After their mother’s death, she and Dawn had sold the family home and divided the money equally. Buffy had used her share to buy the condo, while Dawn had banked hers for college. It was a perfect arrangement for both of them, allowing Buffy to mother Dawn when she needed it while still allowing Dawn her precious freedom.

Pulling into the garage, Buffy carried the painting in and went directly up to her bedroom. She couldn’t explain her urgency, only knew that she had to do this before anything else. Taking down the Thomas Kinkade that usually hung across from her bed she hung the other and stepped back to admire the effect.

Perfect.

She tilted her head and moved closer, unable to shake the feeling that those bottomless blue eyes were following her every move.

“What kind of artist doesn’t sign their work?” Buffy wondered aloud after another fruitless search. “At least if I had that that I could do some research and find out who you are. Were, I mean. Not are. Because of course you can’t still be alive, damn my luck. And could I be any lamer! I’m standing here talking to a painting!” With a huff, she slammed out of her room and went to bring in the rest of her things from the car. She had less than an hour to get ready. Riley could get downright pissy when she made them late and she was *so* not in the mood for whining.

Dumping her briefcase, laptop, and purse on a chair by the door, she ran back up to her room. Flinging her clothes off, she grabbed her robe and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom for a lightning quick shower. The hot water felt delicious but she ruthlessly scrubbed and rinsed, not giving herself time to enjoy the soothing heat. Back in her bedroom she flung off the light robe and grabbed the first dress she saw in her closet. Slipping into a red demi-bra and panty set, she dragged the black silk dress over her head. A few more minutes in front of the mirror with her hairbrush and a bit of make-up and she was perfectly pulled together in spite of her accelerated heart rate. One last spritz of her favorite perfume and a dash of cherry lip gloss and she was out the door and downstairs waiting with ten minutes to spare.

Chapter 3

All human fic. NC17. B/S, W/T, X/A.

Joss and Mutant Enemy own it all, the big buttheads!!

Kudos to my Beta, angelslovebite aka Kat!



At first, he had been blinded by the sudden presence of light. After so many years of complete and utter darkness, William’s eyes actually hurt from the glare. Gradually the pain had faded, leaving him to deal with the sudden onslaught of sights, sounds, and smells. Fighting dizziness and nausea was hell when you couldn’t move a muscle. He had vague impressions of a tiny blonde wearing far too few items of clothing, a light, almost girlish voice, and the fragrance of vanilla and cherries and…woman. He had just started coming to grips with all of this when the darkness descended once more. He wanted to howl with rage. To be so close and have it taken away so suddenly! His anger began to fade when he realized he could still hear and smell.

Hear her.

Smell.

Her.

God! This one smelled wonderful.

He wondered idly how long he had been cloaked away this time. It felt like a long time, but who knew? He certainly didn’t. Time meant nothing when you were trapped in a void.

God damn that witch for doing this to him anyway! And damn him for getting mixed up with her in the first place. Cecily had been a sweet girl in spite of her obsession with the dark magiks, but he couldn’t bring himself to return her affection. He should have lied to her face. Should have given the chit a quick poke and sent her on her way, leaving him free to disappear for a few months at his father’s estate until she found someone else to obsess about. But, no, he had to be all noble and try to let her down gently when she professed her undying love. A look of angry disbelief, a muttered incantation, and a snap of her fingers were the last things he remembered until a few hours later. When he woke up, he was in Hell. Actually, Hell might have been preferable to what that stupid bint had subjected him to. Cecily’s spell had imprisoned him in one of his own unfinished paintings. He could see, but not touch. Listen, but not talk. Smell but not taste. He was nothing but an observer of whatever happened to be moving through his line of sight. Such was his life. At first he had tried to make his presence inside the painting known to others, but they only saw the painting itself, not the man within. Cecily had disappeared after she had cast the spell, leaving him with no clue how to break the curse. And even if he did know, William thought bitterly, he wouldn’t be able to break it himself since he was a bleedin’ work of art!

He felt movement once more and heard that light, little girl voice muttering. A few scuffling sounds and then the darkness lifted once more. This time he was ready for it, quickly closing his eyes to allow time for them to adjust to the brightness. When he opened his eyes he was taken aback by the vision before him. Good God, the chit was nearly naked!! The skimpy camisole she wore left her slender arms and quite a bit of her full breasts bared while clinging to her in a manner that would have been obscene if the skin that was revealed weren’t so satiny smooth and touchable looking. Her skirt ended at mid-thigh, revealing her shapely legs. When she stepped back so he could see her face, William mentally swallowed his tongue. She was breathtakingly beautiful with her large green eyes, tiny, tip-tilted nose, and full, pouty looking mouth.

For the first time in forever, William felt desire coursing through his blood. His Keepers, as he had come to call them, had come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The majority of them were women, Thank God. A few of them were memorable. But none of them had ever, EVER made him feel this way. Oh, the things he wanted to do to that delectable body while he devoured those shiny pink lips with his. He longed to bury his hands in that golden hair and find out if it was a soft and silky as it looked. Suddenly her voice broke thru the lustful haze that had once been his brain.

“What kind of artist doesn’t sign their work?” she was saying. “At least if I had that I could do some research and find out who you are. Were, I mean. Not are. Because of course you can’t still be alive, damn my luck. And could I be any lamer! I’m standing here talking to a painting!” With that said she spun away and out of his sight, leaving William to curse the sound of a door slamming somewhere close by. At least she hadn’t left him in the dark again. He looked around with interest. Hmm. A bedroom. This could be interesting. Usually he ended up being stuck above some dreary mantle. It was obviously *her* bedroom since it smelled of her. It was a lovely room, but his attention was drawn to the huge brass bed that was situated directly in front of him. It looked like a satin and velvet playground.

This situation just keeps getting better and better, William groaned. It was bad enough to desire her and not be able to act on it, but to be forced to watch while someone else took what he wanted? God, he hoped she wasn’t married! Reaching out with his sense of smell, he tried to identify a man’s scent. Ugh! A nauseating piney scent. Unless they had separate rooms she wasn’t married, but there was someone. The scent was very faint, but it was there. Jealousy and impotent rage flared inside him, causing him to laugh bitterly at the futility of it all. This was it. This was the torture Cecily had promised him when she had cast her spell all those years ago. To want someone desperately and not be able to have them. To be as miserable as she had been. His newest Keeper could shag a hundred men every night, all night, and there wasn’t a bloody thing he could do about it.

Chapter 4

All human fic. NC17. B/S, W/T, X/A.

Joss and Mutant Enemy own it all, I only lust after Spike…

Shout out to my Beta, Kat J



With a guttural moan, Riley jerked above her and aimed a sloppy kiss in the general direction of her mouth. Rolling off of her, he flopped back against the pillows and hauled her up beside him, throwing his meaty arm over her and smacking her on the ass.

“Great as usual, babe. I didn’t hurt you did I?” he yawned. “Wake me in an hour, okay?” Before she had a chance to reply, a loud snore erupted from his mouth.

Hurt her? Buffy rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to punch her boyfriend right in his snoring mouth. She eased herself out from under his arm and sat on the edge of the bed, covering her face with her hands. Her body was screaming for release and she stifled a growl of frustration.

Sighing, she got up and shrugged into a short silk robe, pacing quietly as she tied the belt loosely around her waist. Her little talk with Dawn had shed some light on a few things. She really needed develop some backbone and put an end to this relationship. Riley was merely a convenience to her now; someone to keep the loneliness at bay. It wasn’t fair to either of them.

Her divorce had been final for almost six months when she had finally agreed to go out with Riley. At first he had seemed to be just what she needed after all the bitterness and turmoil she had gone through with Parker and their subsequent divorce. It wasn’t until they had progressed to a sexual relationship that Buffy had discovered what an uptight, macho prick Riley could be. One position (Buffy had become accustomed to having her face smashed into Riley’s chest). No talking (it broke his concentration and where had she learned those filthy words anyway?). One time (didn’t she realize that *normal* men needed a few days to recover?). Oh, and least we forget, NO oral (well none for her anyway…HE sure didn’t mind if she played the old skin-flute!). He also treated her like she didn’t have a brain in her head, which annoyed her to no end. He decided where they would go when they went out and what they would do when he crawled into her bed. She knew that he fully expected them to get married when he decided the time was right, but it was a sad fact that she had no intentions of ever getting married again. Not after her experience with Parker.

Now that she thought about it, there was a lot of resemblance between her ex and Riley. Not so much in looks, although both were fairly large, bulky men, but in their outlook on life and their attitude towards women. Granted, Riley's disposition was much more open and sunny when compared to Parker’s, but Buffy had a sneaking suspicion that Riley hid a lot behind that carefree smile he wore constantly. It was definitely past time to break things off with him. She didn’t want to hurt him, but things couldn’t go on as they were. She needed…well she wasn’t entirely sure what she DID need, but she was positive it was more than what she was getting from Riley.

Feeling an enormous sense of relief now that she had made her decision, Buffy decided that she would tell him tomorrow when she met him for lunch. For now, though, she needed a shower before she had to wake him up. And she really, REALLY needed to change the sheets. Riley’s fondness for Aspen cologne could be a bit much sometimes!

An hour later, she locked the door behind Riley and went to make herself a cup of cocoa. Carrying it up to bed with her, she turned off the bedside lamp and sat on the window seat in the dark, sipping her treat and gazing up at the moon.

She really should get some sleep. Far too many of her nights in the past year had been spent doing just this…sitting in the dark pondering what might have been. She felt a wave of sadness for the loss of her mother and the baby. With a heartfelt sigh, she set aside her half finished cocoa and untied her robe. She started to climb into her freshly made bed when something stopped her.

The painting. On silent bare feet, she crossed the room to stand before it. It had never been far from her thoughts all evening. In fact, when Riley had joined her on the bed she had fought the urge to find the black drape and cover it. And while Riley had been huffing and puffing away on top of her, she had found herself staring into those amazing blue eyes.

Releasing the breath she had been unconsciously holding, Buffy wiped her moist palms down the front of her robe. She had thought about doing this since Riley’s phone call had interrupted her earlier at the gallery. Nervously biting her bottom lip, she raised her hand and ran her fingers lightly over the face of that divinely handsome man.

Static electricity sparked from her fingertips on contact. Gasping, she pulled her hand back and pressed her tingling fingers to her mouth. Well, that was…different! A slight frown drew her eyebrows together as she reached out once more.

More little sparkles this time, but also a sensation of warmth that was both soothing and arousing. Buffy closed her eyes, letting her head fall back on her neck and rolling her shoulders. A rush of delicious prickles swept over her entire body. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled from her mouth with a blissful purring noise. “Mmmm…”

She slowly lowered her hand and took a step back, hugging her arms around herself in an attempt to contain that warm, glowy feeling. A soft smile curved her lips as she gazed into his lifelike eyes.

“I wish I had known you when you were alive,” she whispered. “I’ll bet you were something special.”

Forcing herself to turn away, she dropped her robe and slid between the cool sheets. For the first time in over a year, insomnia wasn’t a problem. She was asleep in seconds.


**A/N** I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews! They’ve given me a MAJOR happy LOL…Pipergirl ~ I’ve never heard of “The Purple Orchid” but I was intrigued so I did a search…NADA! Any info you might have on it would be appreciated!! *Smoochies to my Beta, Katrina! Without her support I would never have gotten the nerve to post this fic. **HUGZ** to all!! ~Tam~


Chapter 5

The second they walked through the door, he had realized what was going to happen. The man reeked of the piney cologne that William had caught faint traces of earlier.

In spite of the raging jealousy he felt, he had been unable to tear his eyes away from them once the girl had started undressing. That and the look of resignation on her face had caught his attention. William had thought that perhaps, as long as he kept his eyes on her, it wouldn’t be too bad. Maybe he would even get some vicarious thrill by pretending he was the one making love to her. At least that’s what he tried to convince himself of, until the great lout had climbed on top of her. What followed had to have been the single most pathetic excuse for lovemaking that he had ever had the misfortune to witness.

All five minutes of it.

William wanted to throw up.

No wonder she’d had that resigned look on her face before it even started. A few thrusts and a grunt and the champ had been out for the count. And, to his utter astonishment, she had kept her eyes focused on him the whole time.

What kind of an idiot was this man? He had no idea how to treat a woman!

At least he now knew her name. That overgrown git had moaned it several times.

Buffy.

Odd, how it suited her.

He watched her shrug off the man’s arm and sit on the edge of the bed. William felt her frustration like a tangible thing. Poor darling girl, he thought, as he saw her bury her face in her hands and heard the frustrated noise she made. You deserve so much more than that. And you have no idea how badly I want to be the one to give it to you!

She stood up and shrugged into a robe, hiding her delectable body from view. If the frown on her face was any indication, she was doing a lot of thinking about something. William found himself entranced by the many different expressions that crossed her face. Well, that, and the way the silkiness of her robe caressed her thighs as she paced. He might be imprisoned in a bloody painting but he was still a man, by God!

When she seemed to have sussed out everything that was plaguing her, she disappeared through the doorway at the other end of the room. Obviously the bathroom, he thought, hearing the sound of running water. It wasn’t long before she came back and roused the sleeping man. While he stumbled around getting himself dressed, she busied herself changing the bed linens. William smiled inwardly. The stench of his cologne must be getting to her too. The great lout came up behind her and tried to kiss her but she ducked neatly under his arm and led the way out, turning off the lights as she went.

While waiting for her to reappear, he took a closer look at his surroundings. It was a pretty, feminine room. All the ruffles and lace and flowery fabrics seemed to suit her. And the smell…he could get drunk on the combination of scents that drifted through this room.

Presently she came back, carrying a mug of something that smelled like chocolate. She curled up on the window seat, staring out at the night sky and occasionally sipping her drink. William was content to study the way the moonlight played over her delicate features. She was easily the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He was completely enthralled by her. There was an air of sadness that surrounded her now that he hadn’t noticed earlier. He wondered what she was thinking about that brought the shadows to her green eyes and the quiver to her bottom lip. She drew herself up with a sigh and left her vigil at the window.

He saw her undo the ties on her robe, eagerly anticipating another glimpse of her perfect form. What happened next shocked him to his core.

She came to stand in front of him. Those bottomless green eyes studied his painted self in a way that clenched every muscle in the body of the man trapped inside. Her eyes had held that same expression earlier when she had gazed at him instead of her lover.
William was spellbound as he watched her raise one small hand. Oh God, she’s going to…

Touch me.

God, yes! He wanted to scream.

He felt the jolt of electricity that caused her to jerk her hand back. He held his breath. Come on, Luv. Don’t be spooked. Touch me again.

She did.

And he FELT her! He could actually feel the delicate fingers tracing his face. The sensation of her soft skin against his after living without the touch of another for so long was indescribable. He felt gloriously alive! His felt totally consumed by the warmth of her touch and he craved more, his body crying out for hers.

It was over all too soon. William cried out in despair when she moved away and stood quietly, slim arms curled around her. He was gasping for breath in the aftermath, struggling to come to grips with what had just passed between them. As he stared at her in amazement he saw her lips curve into a sweet smile before she spoke so softly he almost didn’t hear her.

“I wish I had known you when you were alive,” she whispered to him. “I’ll bet you were something special.”

Every ounce of air left his body at her words. He could only watch helplessly as she turned away and got into her bed.

Alone.



tbc...

 

**A/N** Just a friendly heads up to all you Riley lovers out there (if such a creature actually exists. I’m inclined to believe I have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot riding a Unicorn to Santa’s house to gang bang the Tooth Fairy with Elvis and Jim Morrison) Heads up…Riley Bashing is a key point in this story. If this bothers you just close your purty lil eyes and I’ll walk you thru the scary parts LOL
Once again thanks for all the reviews…they’ve whipped me into a veritable frenzy of writing!! ;-)~
XOXO for muh Beta~Kat!

Chapter 6

Riley was making her very nervous. He sat calmly through her carefully worded rejection speech and when she was finished, he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Don’t be silly, sweetheart. We’re perfect for each other!”

The feel of his hand on hers made Buffy’s skin crawl. Pulling her own hand back, she fought the urge to wipe it on her skirt. “No, Riley, we aren’t.” she said, hoping her voice didn’t betray her nervousness. “I’m very sorry but I think it’s best if we just end it now. You expect far more out of this relationship than I’m able to give you. You deserve better.”

She saw a brief flash of anger in his eyes before he quickly covered it with one of his patented toothy grins. “Nonsense! I’m willing to wait until you overcome your stupid little phobia with marriage. I’ve invested far too much in this to just walk away.”

Buffy gaped at him. “You’re not walking away, Riley. I am. This isn’t what I want. YOU aren’t what I want.”

“You’re wrong, Buffy. I’m exactly what you want. No one will ever love you the way I do,” he said confidently. “I can see it was a mistake to be so gentle with you in bed. You obviously like a little monster in your man. In time, you’ll realize that only I can give you that.”

Horrified shudders wracked her body and Buffy jumped to her feet, suddenly desperate to get as far away from him as possible! “You’re sick, Riley! This stops now! It’s over between us and I don’t ever want to see you again, so stay away from me!” she spat.

“It will never be over for us, Buffy! I’ll make you believe that if it takes the rest of my life!” he bellowed like an enraged bull. Evil seemed to roll off of him in waves. “If I can’t have you, no one else will!”

Everyone in the restaurant was staring, and the manager was making his way towards the table, wearing an angry frown.

Riley made a grab for her and Buffy whirled out of reach, nearly plowing down the concerned manager in the process. She heard Riley screaming her name as she ran from the restaurant but refused to look back. By the time she made it to her car she was a trembling mess. She couldn’t get away fast enough and instead of going back to the gallery she drove home. There was no way she could deal with customers right now, not in the shape she was in. Willow and Tara were minding the place and she would call them the minute she got home, after she had a really large drink to help her calm down a little!

Reaching the sanctuary of her home, Buffy closed the garage and ran inside, where she spent the next fifteen minutes checking every window and door to make sure they were locked up tight. The only alcohol in the house was a dusty old bottle of scotch her father had sent one Christmas. She was still shaking so badly that a good amount ended up spilled onto the counter instead of in the glass, but she determinedly downed half of it in one swallow.

“BLEAHHHH!!” she yelled when she got her breath back. “God that’s awful stuff!”

Taking a more cautious sip, she was relieved to feel some of the awful shakiness abating. Feeling more in control of herself, she topped off the drink and made her way upstairs.

She wasted no time in calling Willow, telling her everything Riley had said and done. To say the redhead was shocked was an understatement. She’d wanted to come right over, but Buffy had assured her that she was fine. Willow agreed to call Xander and give him a heads up. Once that was taken care of, Buffy called Dawn’s cell phone.

“Dawn here, what’s your damage?”

Buffy took another large sip of scotch. “Dawnie, it’s me.”

“Hey, Buff! Why are you calling from home?”

Running a hand over her face, Buffy fought back the urge to cry as she told Dawn what had happened. “I want you to be very careful, Dawnie.” She finished. “If you see him or if he comes anywhere near you I want you to RUN! H-he isn’t right in the head.”

“Okay, Buffy. I knew there was something weird about that asshole! I just KNEW it! Nobody smiles THAT much! I was going to wait on Janice to get out of her geometry class, but RJ is here with me now. I’ll get him to bring me home. Will you be alright until I get there?”

Buffy felt a fierce wave of love and protectiveness for her sister. “I’ll be fine. I had a little of that scotch that dad sent us, so I’ve calmed down quite a bit. I’ll see you when you get here.”

As soon as Dawn hung up, Buffy dropped all pretense of being in control. The phone dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers as she sank to the floor, finally allowing herself to cry. Sobbing helplessly, she dragged herself up on the bed and curled into a ball of misery.

She had never been so scared of someone in her life. How had she missed this facet of Riley’s personality? Granted, she’d had her suspicions that he used his artless smiles to mask his true nature, but in her wildest dreams she hadn’t suspected this! She took a small measure of comfort in the fact that she wasn’t the only one he had fooled. Everyone but Dawn had been taken in by that charming, boy-next-door attitude. Maybe she should have Dawn *read* all her prospective dates. It would be funny if it weren’t so frightening.

Finally she was all cried out. And tired. So very, very tired. The morning had started with so much promise; she had actually woken up with a smile on her face, eager to start her day. She had spent several hours searching the internet art community for any mention of her painting before leaving to meet Riley. Nothing had turned up, but she had posted a brief description of it on several art forums in hopes that something would turn up.

Feeling the same inexplicable pull she had felt last night, Buffy rolled over on the bed and focused her tear filled eyes on the blonde man in the portrait. The now familiar warmth spread through her, but this time there was something more. A mixture of emotions; anger, fear, concern, and protectiveness, suffused her body. If asked she wouldn’t have been able to explain any of it, she only knew that she suddenly felt comforted and safe. Waves of sleepiness beckoned and she welcomed it with a smile. Just before she drifted off, she thought she heard a masculine voice whisper in her ear.

“Sleep.”


**Reviews would be lovely…so would a package of Oreos…**A/N**Sorry for the delay in updates. My Betas hubby had a birthday so she’s been uber busy spoiling him LOL Happy Birthday Steven!! **waves**
This one is a bit short but I promise to make it up in the next few chappies. Heartfelt thanks for all the reviews! It gives me such a thrill to read your comments. Shout-Outs to Sara and Sarah (LOL) for the extra special encouragement they’ve shown me J
~Tam~



Chapter 7

William had never felt as helpless as he did right now. He listened with growing horror as Buffy told someone named Willow what had happened to make her so upset. Apparently she had attempted to end her relationship with her fumbling Romeo and things had taken an ugly turn.

He had FELT her fear. Felt it long before she had burst into the bedroom and snatched up the phone to call her friend. In fact, all day he had been picking up brief flashes of whatever emotion she happened to be feeling. Empathy wasn’t something he had experienced with any of his other Keepers. William could only assume that last night, when Buffy had touched the painting; touched HIM, something had changed. The balance of the spell had shifted, somehow. He hadn’t imagined it; he had physically felt the warmth of her touch. Her tiny fingers had ghosted over his face as if she had been standing right there in front of him. For the first time since 1880, he had felt the touch of another person.

“It was awful, Wils! He was…I don’t know, it was Riley’s voice, but something else was talking through him. Something dark and…and EVIL. What? No, I told you…everything was fine until I told him I didn’t want to be with him anymore. That’s when he went all Jekyll and Hyde on me!”

She jumped up and began to pace back and forth. “He…he said that it had been a mistake to be so gentle with me in bed, then something about my liking a little monster in my man, and that I would realize that he was the only one that would be able to give me that.” Buffy took a large swallow of the drink she held and made a face.

“Weird? Try INSANE! You weren’t there, Willow! You didn’t see the look in his eyes! I am trying to calm down, dammit! No, I’m going to call Dawn. She’ll come home. You and Tara can close up early and come over after. Could you call Xander for me? Yeah, I think so too. Okay, I’ll see you soon. ‘Bye.”

While she made another phone call, William tried to deal with his own feelings. He was filled with a fierce need to protect her. The rational part of his mind knew that this wasn’t possible, that he was powerless to do anything to help her. The irrational part was screaming to get out somehow, to hunt down that stupid ponce and beat him down for scaring her so badly.

Harsh sobs broke through his inner monologue. His heart broke for her as he watched her curl up into a tight ball on the bed and cry out some of the fear and misery. He wished there was some way he could hold her, comfort her.

A sudden inspiration struck him. No. He tried to dismiss the silly idea, but it wouldn’t go away. Just because he had felt her touch and could sense her emotions didn’t mean that she would be receptive to his. Did it? Well, it wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?

William closed his eyes and took several, deep, calming breaths before reaching out to her with his mind, trying to establish some kind of link with her.

For several moments nothing happened. He was getting ready to give up when Buffy suddenly turned over and looked at him. The familiar warmth surged through him. It was working! He wanted to shout with joy, but instead he concentrated on expressing the concern and protectiveness he was feeling for her.

“Sleep.” He murmured. He wondered if she could hear him. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He might not be able to protect her physically, but at least he could reassure her in this manner. For now, it would have to be enough.

Buffy visibly relaxed, the sweet smile that curved her mouth remaining long after she drifted off to sleep.

Reviews…Slimey…yet Satisfying!! LOL Sorry we’re watching Lion King today!!

**A/N** I wasn’t going to post this chapter until tomorrow but I wanted to answer a few questions that Rana asked in her review *big smile*
1. William has been in the painting since 1880.
2. His hair isn’t bleached, it’s white-blonde. Like you, I wasn’t sure if hair bleach was even around at that time so I fudged things to suit the story LOL! So when I described William in Chapter One I gave him white-blonde hair.
3. You will get your wish for more background info on the curse but it’s coming in a later chapter *wink*
Hope that clears everything up sweetie!!
~Tam


Chapter 8

Buffy had only been asleep for a little over an hour when she heard Dawn calling for her through the locked bedroom door. Groaning, she dragged herself up and staggered over to let her sister in. Before the door was even open she was swept up in a crushing hug.

“God, I hate it when I’m right!” Dawn sniffled, trying her best to squeeze the life out of her big sister.

Buffy was confused by Dawn’s emotional outburst. She had seemed in control on the phone earlier, but now she was close to hysterics. She noticed RJ standing in the doorway, his face set in angry lines. “What happened, RJ?” she asked, hoping to get an answer from him, since it looked like Dawn was going to be out of it for at least a few more minutes.

“We were on the quad. I walked away to talk to another TA. She was reading the notices on the bulletin board while she waited for me. I was only gone for a minute, I swear. When I turned back he was there. He had her by the arm and was trying to get her to talk to him. Before I could get to her, she went all damage-bound on him, punching and kicking, and screaming at him to stay away from you.” RJ reached out and ran his hand over Dawn’s silky hair. “It took me and two campus cops to pull her off of him,” he said with obvious pride.

Buffy tightened her arms around her sister. “Dammit, Dawnie! I told you to run if you saw him!” she scolded.

Dawn snuffled. “No way! There is no way in hell I’m going to let him get away with saying things like that about you!”

She couldn’t imagine what Riley might have said to upset Dawn so much, but she had a feeling that RJ shouldn’t be around when she coaxed it out of her. “RJ, would you mind making a cup of tea for Dawn? You know where everything is, right?”

RJ was a smart young man. He smiled at Buffy. “Sure. Can I get one for you, too?”

“That would be great. You can also call down to Antonio’s and order a couple of pizzas. Just tell them to put it on my account. Oh! And Willow and Tara should be here soon. Would you let them in?” Buffy asked.

“Consider it done,” he grinned. He pressed a noisy kiss on the top of Dawn’s head and disappeared down the stairs.

Buffy led her sister over to the bed and sat down beside her. “Gosh, he’s cute! I hope you’re planning on keeping that one, Dawnie?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Dawn pulled back and wiped her eyes, trying for a nonchalant shrug and failing miserably. “He’s a keeper, alright. He just hasn’t realized it yet!” she said with a sniff.

Grabbing the box of Kleenex off the nightstand, Buffy set it on Dawn’s lap. “Tell me.”

Face crumpling once more, Dawn shook her head. “No! It was all just a bunch of hateful lies anyway.”

“Dawnie, if I’m going to go to the police with this, I need to know everything he said. You’re probably going to have to write it all down, too. They usually want documentation on these things. Now, tell me.”

Dawn scrubbed at her face with a Kleenex then turned to face her. “He said that there was something wrong with you. That you were really depressed over Mom and Parker and you needed professional help. Then he said that he had talked to Parker and found out from him that you didn’t really lose the baby. He said Parker told him you’d been crazed with grief over Mom and had an abortion.”

Knowing they were lies didn’t stop the stabbing pain in her heart. Buffy struggled for control. She had never given Riley any details about her divorce and she knew Parker would never lower himself to discuss any aspect of his life with Riley. That left only one way he could have known about her miscarriage. Moving with calm deliberation, she went to her desk and opened the middle drawer. Inside was her journal. Picking it up, she let it fall open in her hands.

Every detail, all the pain and misery of the past two years, all her hopes and fears, everything, was laid bare in this book. Riley had deliberately sought it out and read it. He knew all of her secrets and he had twisted them to suit his own sick purpose. He had already tried to coerce Dawn into believing him. He’d failed at that, but whom else in her life would he try to influence? Buffy tried to stifle a sob behind her hand. It was like being raped. She felt completely violated.

Her sister was beside her in an instant, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Buffy, anyone who knows you won’t believe a word he says.”

“But what about the people who don’t know me? I have a business in this town now, Dawn. Riley could ruin me with his lies. He can say whatever he wants to, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Buffy said in a defeated voice.

Dawn grasped her shoulders and shook her gently. “No, we aren’t going to let that happen! We’re going to call the police right now and file a report. When Willow gets here we’re going to hunt down Mr. Finn on the internet and find out what his real story is. I’m betting this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this!”

As if on cue, they heard the sound of the front door slamming and Willow’s excited babbling, followed by Tara’s more soothing voice. Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes. “And the cavalry has arrived!”

“You go on down, Dawnie. I’m going to take a quick shower.”

“Are you sure? I can wait and we can…” Dawn’s voice trailed off. “Oh my Gooodddd! Where did you get THAT?” She was staring at the painting, mouth agape.

Buffy went to the bureau beneath the painting to take out some clean clothes, careful to keep her back to her sister. “I found it in the attic at the gallery. I thought he deserved to be put on display.”

“Whoa! You’re not kidding! That man is brutally hot!” Dawn moved to stand beside her as she gawked.

Feeling a stab of jealousy, Buffy tried to keep her voice neutral. “Yes, he certainly is.” Closing a drawer, she lifted her head in time to see Dawn reaching out to touch the painting.

“DON’T!”

Dawn jumped, snatching her hand back and turning to face her with a frown. “Okay! Geez… What’s your damage, Buff?”

“Dawn Summers, have you learned nothing about art? You don’t touch a painting because the oils on your skin could damage it!”

Eyes wide, Dawn covered her mouth with one hand. “Oops?” she said with a meek smile.

Buffy forced a laugh. “Go on downstairs so I can get cleaned up,” she said, giving her sister a playful shove.

“Okay, okay!! I’m going, but hurry up!”

The minute Dawn was out the door; Buffy ran over and locked it. She rolled her eyes and leaned back against the door, glaring across the room at the painting. “Could I be any more of an idiot?” she exclaimed.

She could have sworn she heard muffled masculine laughter in reply to her question.


The only thing better than a review would be ‘Nekkid Jello Wrestling’ with James Marsters!! (Shut up! I can dream…RIGHT??) LOLChapter 9

The night had seemed endless and it didn’t look like any relief was in sight. Buffy had come downstairs earlier to meet with Detective Charles Gunn of the Sunnydale Police Department. He took statements from Buffy and Dawn, and then advised them to have all the locks changed and invest in a security system. It didn’t matter if she had never given Riley a key, he could easily have taken them and had one made with her being none the wiser. He also suggested they all keep a detailed log of any phone calls, sightings, and actual face-to-face confrontations.

“I know I don’t have to tell you to avoid him, Miss Summers, but please be extra careful. Avoid going out alone, especially at night.” He said.

As he was on his way out the door, Xander and Anya had shown up with more pizza and some beer. An impromptu party wasn’t what she needed, but she didn’t have the heart to disappoint her friends.

Xander had rented some videos and they were currently immersed in ‘Van Helsing’. Ordinarily, Buffy wouldn’t have passed up a chance to ogle Hugh Jackman, but tonight she just couldn’t settle down. She felt tired and cranky and her head was beginning to hurt from Anya’s running commentary on the movie and Mr. Jackman’s physical attributes.

She jumped nervously when a soft hand rested on her shoulder. Tara knelt down in front of her and held out a steaming mug with a sweet smile. “Drink this, sweetie. It’s a special tea I’ve mixed up for you. It’ll help you relax and take away that headache you’ve been too nice to mention.”

“Bad aura, huh?” she quipped before taking a small sip of the tea. “Mmmm, this is very good!” Tara was one of Buffy’s favorite people. She was sweet and gentle and, at times, alarmingly perceptive.

Tara studied her, tilting her head to one side. “Your aura is fine, but anyone can see you’re in pain.” She turned to the others. “Guys, I think we should get out of here. Buffy needs to rest and she’s too nice to tell us to leave.” She said firmly.

Everyone but Dawn and RJ got up. “RJ has offered to stay here tonight since we can’t do anything about the locks and alarms until tomorrow.” Dawn informed Buffy with a pleading look.

Buffy wasn’t about to argue. She would rest a little easier knowing that there was a man around in case Riley decided to make an appearance. She wasn’t that crazy about him sleeping with her little sister, but Dawn was old enough to know her own mind.

“I’ll just take my yummy tea and go on upstairs then. Goodnight everyone and thanks for being so supportive about this whole mess.” Buffy said.

“Go on, Buff. RJ and I will make sure everything is locked up tight.” Dawn offered.

“Okay. Night Dawnie. Night RJ.”

Once she was back in the safety her room, Buffy dropped the cheerful façade she had maintained for her friends benefit. She’d begun to think they were never going to leave. With a heartfelt sigh she stripped down to her tank top and panties and climbed into bed. Whatever Tara had put in the tea had left Buffy feeling relaxed and drowsy. She was asleep the instant her head hit the pillows.

She sighed when she felt an arm slip around her waist and ease her back against a hard, warm male body. In spite of the escalating situation with Riley, she wasn’t frightened. Buffy knew in her heart that she had nothing to fear. She knew who lay behind her. The warmth was within her again and she felt completely safe. She turned in his embrace to face him.

“H’lo, pet.”

“Is this a dream?” she asked, afraid he would disappear.

“For now, it is.” A smile tugged at his mouth at her question. “Don’t know what’s to come, though.”

“What’s your name? Not knowing has been driving me crazy.”

“William.”

Buffy smiled. “It suits you. My name is…”

“Buffy. It suits you, too.”

They lay on their sides facing each other. Buffy realized he was completely nude and wondered why she wasn’t feeling self-conscious about it. Instead, she braced herself up on her elbow and she stared down at him. He didn’t move, allowing her to look her fill. His pale, muscular body glowed in the moonlight filtering through the lace curtains.

“Can I touch you?” she asked. “I mean, you won’t disappear or anything if I do, will you?”

“It’s your dream, Luv. You can do whatever you want.” He answered, looking up at her from under thick eyelashes in a way that made her tummy flip.

After the briefest of hesitations she leaned over and rested her hand on his face. There were no sparks this time, just warm male skin under her fingertips. He turned his face into her hand, pressing a light kiss into the softness of her palm before giving it just the faintest swipe with his tongue. She gasped as that light touch swept all the way to her core.

Her fingers drifted down his throat, dancing over the hollow at its base and then trailing delicately over the hard, well-defined muscles of his chest and stomach. She lingered there, tracing the lines that defined his six-pack and circling his naval. She smiled when his muscles clenched under her questing fingers. She’d always had a weakness for ripped abs and his were perfect.

“You feel so real. How can this be a dream?” she whispered.

William didn’t answer. Instead, he mirrored her movements, laying his own hand on her cheek, his fingers skimming downwards until they reached the scalloped lace edging of her tank top. He paused there, using just the tips of his fingers to ghost back and forth where the lace ended at the tops of her breasts, as if asking for permission to go further.

“Please…” Buffy whimpered, arching towards him slightly, seeking more.


**Are ya’ll feeling it? I know I am!! Let me know what you think

Chapter 10

William rested his hand between her breasts, smoothing down over the soft cotton of her shirt to the satiny skin revealed below. Once again mimicking her earlier touch, he traced a few lazy circles around her bellybutton, but instead of stopping there as she had, his hand swept back upwards. She moaned softly and threw her head back as his hand slid under her shirt and curved around her left breast, his thumb lightly flicking over her taut nipple.

Exerting the slightest bit of pressure against her, he eased her onto her back and moved to lean over her. Blue eyes locked with green for a heart stopping moment before he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

At the first silken caress of his lips against hers, Buffy was lost. Never before had she felt so much from such a simple gesture as a kiss. His tongue glided across her bottom lip and she eagerly reached out with her own to welcome him inside the warmth of her mouth. She wound her arms around his neck, luxuriating in his weight as he moved to cover her body completely with his. She had no idea how long they worshipped each other with lips, teeth, and tongues, but when William moved away she gave a wordless sound of protest.

“Shhh, Luv.” He moved to her neck, biting down gently on the sensitive spot where it met her shoulder. “Not going anywhere, I just want to see all of you.” William leaned away slightly and, with a few expert moves, relieved her of the few wisps of cloth left between them. His eyes darkened to deep smoldering indigo as he took in every dip and curve of her petite body.

Buffy drew in a hiss of breath as he came back to her, his mouth bruising hers with a hard kiss as he settled himself in the cradle of her thighs. Her eyes widened as she felt his hard length brush the slick wetness of her sex. He gave her a wicked smile and rocked slowly, sliding back and forth against her. Feeling utterly wanton, she lifted her leg and curved it over his hip, opening herself further to him and arching demandingly as she dug her nails into his shoulders.

William laughed, the sound vibrating deliciously through her. “Easy, pet. It’s MY dream too, and believe me when I say I’m in NO hurry.” he drawled, flexing his fingers into her hips as he ground against her one more time. He captured her lips in a drugging kiss. Lips, teeth, and tongue all came into play as he ravished her mouth, biting lightly at her soft mouth and sucking gently on her tongue. She gasped when he moved to her neck, licking and nipping at the velvety skin from her ear to her collarbone.

"God, sweetheart, you taste so bloody good!" he growled against her flesh. "Like vanilla and honey." His tongue circled the shell of her ear. "I could just eat you right up."

Buffy moved restlessly under him, the timbre of his voice causing her skin to prickle with delight. She slid her hand down his stomach and gripped his hard cock, stroking it firmly up and down.

He lunged into her hand. "Mmmm...Want you so bad," he murmured, clenching his jaw.

"Then have me," she whispered, her teeth nipping at his earlobe. “Make me feel…”

Pulling back, his hands kneaded her soft breasts. Bending his head, he drew one pebbled nipple into his mouth and suckled gently, while his hand continued to shape and stroke its twin. Buffy groaned and arched again. His hand left her breast and skimmed lightly over her soft stomach. He felt the muscles there tense as she held her breath, waiting for him to move lower. He wasn't about to disappoint her, but if she thought he was going to rush this, she was wrong. Not knowing if he would ever get this chance again, he planned on doing everything in his power to make this a night she would remember forever.

Releasing her nipple from the warm cavern of his mouth, he began kissing down the middle of her stomach, taking a great amount of satisfaction in the way she squirmed in eager anticipation when he dipped and swirled his tongue around her navel. Sliding his arms under her thighs, he reached up and linked their hands.

The first sweep of his tongue over her wet slit nearly brought her off the bed. He did it again, stopping this time to circle that little nub of flesh at the top, biting down on it lightly. Buffy threw her head back and moaned as he tried to drive her insane with his wicked tongue. He slid first one, then two fingers into her and wiggled them around, searching for the sweet spot. When he found it, her eyes flew open and she arched against the mattress.

"Ohhhhhhh...William!" she panted.”Ohmygoddddd!"

William raised his head but kept his fingers within her, stroking her to a second orgasm while he watched her face. He thought her the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. When she came down from her second peak, he slid up her shaking, sweat soaked body. Claiming her lips in a bruising kiss, he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Buffy! Look at me, Luv."

She opened passion glazed green eyes, trying to slow her breathing.

Holding her gaze, William entered her slowly. The urge to slam in to the hilt was strong but he knew he would hurt her badly if he did. He shook with the effort to stay in control.

"God, you're so bloody tight!" he hissed. He withdrew a little, and then eased forward again. He repeated this a few more times, hearing her gasp each time he pulled back. Finally he was coated with her juices and he slid all the way inside her. He rested his sweaty forehead against hers, struggling to give her time to get used to his full length inside her.

The pressure inside her had built to a fever pitch with every shallow stroke and Buffy was almost mindless with the need for release. She squeezed the muscles of her inner walls and lunged upwards, tossing her head back and forth in frustration.

"Please!" she moaned. “I want to…I need…”

His formidable control snapped at her breathless pleading and he buried his face in her fragrant neck as began to move, each hard thrust bringing them closer and closer to the edge. Buffy cried out her pleasure and raked his back with her nails. William groaned and caught her hands, pinning them on either side of her where they tangled in her thick golden hair. He covered her mouth with his, sucking and biting at her lips as she returned the kiss with equal fervor. Mindless, broken words passed between them, heightening their desire.

William felt he was close to coming and cursed. So much for taking his time, he thought, wryly. He reached down between them. Determined that she would find her release first, her began to stroke her clit. He smothered her scream with his mouth as she came, her muscles clamping around him, milking him. He threw back his head and roared as he joined her, his final hard thrust filling her with his seed. The world exploded around them in a shower of sparks and everything went black.


**Lies back and takes a drag of her cigarette** So…..Was it good for ya’ll too? LOL

TBC

**A/N Well, I dunno WHAT the hell that was all about LOL but here is the REAL Chapter 11 (I’m blaming Dennis…I think Stacy and Rae sent him to my house last night to wake me up after I passed out on my keyboard LMAO)


Chapter 11


The bright morning sun forced it’s way through Buffy’s tightly closed eyelids, forcing her awake. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, trying to hide from the encroaching sunlight behind the wild tangle of her hair. She felt like she’d been run over by a Mack truck. Twice. No more scotch for this girl, she thought, gingerly cradling her aching head.

Every muscle in her body protested as she staggered out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. At least her dreams had been sweet, she thought with a wistful smile. Too bad real life sex couldn’t be that mind blowing!

She turned on the shower before taking care of the necessities, and steam billowed around her as she stepped in, sighing blissfully as the hot water poured over her.

William.

It was silly of her to think that it might be his real name. It was probably just the first one she had drawn from her subconscious to satisfy her need to call him something besides ‘hunk of salty goodness’. Still, it really did suit him.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, her headache had finally subsided enough so that she could open her eyes without wanting to yank them from her head. After drying off she wrapped her hair in a towel and grabbed her toothbrush. The mirror was still steamy and she was leaning forward to wipe it clean so she could brush her teeth when she saw it.

At first her mind simply refused to accept what she was seeing. At the curve where her neck met her shoulder was a quarter-sized, dark purple bruise. A love bite! As she stood there with her mouth hanging open in disbelief, her mind flashed back to last night’s dream.

*His first shallow thrusts driving her insane with need. Her voice begging for more as he drove his full length into her depths, his face buried in the curve of her neck…*

No. It wasn’t possible!

Was it?

For the first time she looked down at her body. There was another mark on her left breast right over her heart, then two very small ones on the inside of her right thigh. And on each hip there were faint, finger shaped bruises.

“Oh. My. God.”

Snatching up her robe, she pulled it on and tied it with quick, jerky movements. Storming into the bedroom, she skidded to a halt at the sight of her sister standing in front of the picture.

Touching it.

Before she could open her mouth, Dawn shrugged and turned away, plowing into her sister.

“Buffy! God, you scared me!” she laughed. Her mirth faded when she caught Buffy’s expression. “Okay, okay! You caught me. I touched your precious portrait but I made sure I washed my hands first!”

“You didn’t…feel anything did you?” Buffy strove to act nonchalant and she walked over and sat on the bed, her legs refusing to support her any longer.

Dawn looked at her like she had suddenly sprouted a second head. “Umm, no? It’s a painting, Buffy, what am I supposed to feel? Are you alright?” she frowned.

“I’m fine,” Buffy said faintly.

Picking up the scattered bedding, Dawn set about remaking the bed. “Well, you need to get dressed. The witches are watching the gallery so you and I can go talk to RJ’s locksmith friend. Go on, I’ll finish this mess.” She snickered. “Jeez! Did you dream you were in a hurricane or something? This bed is trashed!”

Buffy’s hand froze as she pulled a brush through her wet hair. “Yeah, something like that. Weird dreams.”

“Well, come on then! I have a class at one o’clock that I can’t miss.”

Braving a quick glance at the painting, Buffy pulled on pink track pants and a high-necked white tank top, relieved that Dawn was busy with the bed and didn’t notice the marks on her body. She was desperate for answers but unable to do anything with her sister hanging about. With one last frustrated look, she followed Dawn out the door.

RJ’s friend was more than happy to change all the locks immediately. With that taken care of, Buffy treated the young couple to breakfast.

They were happily digging into their pancakes when a shadow fell over the table. With a deep sense of dread, Buffy looked up.

Riley smiled down at her benignly. “Hello, sweetheart! Mind if I sit down?” He slid in quickly, shoving her over roughly.

“Get away from me!” Buffy hissed, pressing herself against the corner of the booth to keep from touching him.

“Now is that any way to treat the man that loves you?” Riley asked in a syrupy voice. He grabbed her arm and squeezed viciously until he felt someone’s hand take his own wrist in a crushing grip. He looked up into RJ’s steely gray eyes.

“You heard her, Finn. Leave her alone!”

Riley gave a feral smile and turned to face this new threat. “Mind your own business, son!” he sneered, preparing to leap at him.

“Yes, I need to speak to Detective Charles Gunn. This is Dawn Summers. He’s expecting my call.” Dawn said calmly into her cell phone, smirking coolly at Riley’s stunned expression.

Cursing, he flung himself out of the booth, his enraged eyes lingering on Buffy. “This isn’t over by a long shot, bitch!” he hissed as he turned and walked away.

Shaking visibly, Buffy stared down at her plate with tear-filled eyes. Dawn handed her phone to RJ and hurried to embrace her frightened sister. “Shh, Buff. It’s gonna be okay, you’ll see.” She soothed. “We’ll get him, I swear.”

Buffy could hear RJ talking on the cell phone. She scrubbed at her rapidly bruising arm, trying to eradicate Riley’s touch. Several people were staring at them with avid curiosity. All of this, added to her confusion over what had happened last night, was almost too much to bear. She struggled to control her breathing. She felt as if she was going to hyperventilate.

Closing the phone, RJ motioned for them to get up. “Gunn is going to meet us at the gallery. Are we finished here?”

As they made their way up front to settle their bill, a tiny gray-haired woman approached them. With a reassuring smile, she pressed a paper napkin into Buffy’s hand. “My name is Grace Sanders, dear. I saw and heard everything that just happened with that awful man, and I want you to know that I’ll be happy to repeat all of it to a judge. This is my address and phone number. Please don’t hesitate to call me!”

The unexpected kindness and support from someone she’d never met before amazed Buffy. She managed a watery smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Sanders. You have no idea how much I appreciate this!”

“Pish! Anyone with an ounce of compassion would do the same.” She cast a censoring eye at the other occupants of the restaurant. Quite a few had the decency to look ashamed of their avoidance of the scene. “Go on, dear. And please be careful, there is something about that man that just isn’t right.”

After giving the little woman an impulsive hug, Buffy turned to follow Dawn and RJ out the door.

Chapter 12

After the confrontation with Riley, Buffy’s day went steadily downhill. Detective Gunn was both supportive and sympathetic to her situation and urged Buffy to file assault charges against Riley for the incident at the restaurant and any others that followed, no matter how inconsequential. He walked her down to the prosecutor’s office himself.

Buffy was learning far more than she wanted to know about stalker laws in California. The clerk was helpful and gave her some literature to look over, but in her current state of mind it, just made her more anxious. Her protectors followed her to the gallery and left her in the care of Willow and Tara before heading off to school.

She was hiding out in the office; browsing listlessly through the pamphlets she’d been given. Suddenly she realized she was doing exactly what the women she was reading about had done. She was allowing Riley to gain control of every aspect of her life. Damn stupid Riley!

Shoving her chair back, she began pacing the small confines of her office. How had she let this happen? she asked herself. It had only been two days and already she was setting herself up to be the perfect victim for his sick obsession.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides, righteous indignation coursing through her. Where was her backbone? She had weathered far worse than this without breaking! No more of this cowering in the dark. She wasn’t going to hide from him anymore. And she was going to get some answers about what happened to her last night.

Feeling a surge of empowerment, she snatched up her purse and made her way out front. Willow and Tara were talking quietly and the redhead frowned when she saw Buffy head for the door.

“Buffy, shouldn’t one of us go with you?” she asked, anxiously looking at Tara.

Buffy waved a hand at them airily. “I’ll be fine, Wills. I’m through being his victim. He’s not going to make me change my life because he has some personal issues. You can close at the usual time, but take tomorrow off, okay? I’m going home to take a nap. I’m exhausted”

With that she breezed out the door and jumped in her car. She wasn’t really tired, but what was she supposed to tell them? ‘I’m going home to confront the dead-sexy *ghost* that I had quasi-dream sex with last night?’ Yeahhhh that would go over well! They might be her friends but they’d have her locked up down at Sunnydale Mental Health before she knew what hit her.

She locked up carefully behind her when she got home. She might be all empowered girl but she wasn’t stupid. Throwing her things down, she stormed up the stairs and threw open her bedroom door.

The room was quiet, bathed in buttery afternoon light. So much for grand entrances, she huffed, stomping over to the portrait and glaring up at it. She stood there, feeling sillier by the minute.

“What am I supposed to do, knock on the damned thing and wait for an answer? Say ‘Excuse me, I’m the girl you MIGHT have dreamed you had sex with last night but now I’m confused because dreams don’t leave BIG HONKIN HICKIES!’?”

“It started out as a dream for both of us.”

Buffy turned towards the bathroom, her mouth falling open at the sight that met her eyes. “W-William?”

He grinned at her then looked down at himself. “In the flesh. Well…sort of.”

Until this moment, Buffy hadn’t allowed herself to fully believe that this might be real. That HE might actually be real. In spite of the bite marks, a part of her had held back. Seeing him standing there stark naked in her bathroom doorway with the sun pouring over him convinced her.

“Haven’t had a bit of luck with tryin’ to suss this out. You?” he asked.

“It’s kind of been a strange day for me. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it,” she fibbed. Raising her hand to brush a lock of hair from her eyes, she inadvertently revealed the deep purple bruises that marred the soft skin of her arm.

William was at her side in a heartbeat. “Please tell me I didn’t do this?” he growled, taking her hand in his and running his fingers lightly over the marks.

“No! Oh no, you didn’t do this.” She was quick to reassure him. “My psycho ex-boyfriend did this today.”

His sigh of relief was palpable. He looked down at her and quirked an eyebrow. “But the ‘big honkin hickies’ are mine, huh?” he teased gently.

Breathing normally was becoming an issue with him standing this close. “Yeah, I wanted to talk to you…about…those…” Her voice trailed off as he lifted her arm to his mouth and began brushing feather soft kisses over the bruises. Every few kisses his tongue would dart out and moisten her skin.

“You were saying?”

“Huh? I was?”

William chuckled. She was adorable even when she was incoherent, he thought. Taking both of her hands in his, he started walking backwards into the bathroom, his cerulean eyes never leaving hers.

“Wh-where are we going?” Buffy asked, nervously wetting her suddenly dry lips as he pulled her forward.

“To heaven.”

“Oh God…” she gulped.

Without another word he moved around her, her clothes falling away under his magical hands. He reached in and turned on all three shower heads, causing steam to begin rolling out. He stepped behind the clear plastic shower curtain and crooked a finger at her.

“C’mere, luv.”

As though hypnotized, she stepped in beside him, sighing as the hot water hit her skin. “Mmmmm…”

Moving behind her, William threaded his fingers through her hair and began working the vanilla scented shampoo through it. He massaged her scalp and neck with a firm touch, easing the day’s tensions from her.

Using the foam from the shampoo instead of the bar of soap, he ran his hands over her body with painstaking slowness before easing her under one of the shower heads to rinse.

“Feel better, luv?” he asked, his voice rough in her ear as he nibbled a path along her shoulder.

Buffy let her head fall back against his chest and reached up, winding an arm around his neck to pull his mouth to hers in a steamy, open-mouthed kiss. Arching her back, she rubbed the curve of her bottom against his hard cock, grinding her ass against him.

In one smooth motion, William had one of her legs over his arm and thrust into her from behind. Buffy was in awe of his strength as he held her against him, slowly pumping in and out while he slid a hand between her legs. He drove her insane as he alternated between circling her clit and tracing around where their bodies joined together. It was the most erotic thing she had ever felt.

“Can you feel it? How good we are together? Ungh…” William groaned as she tightened her inner muscles around him and whimpered. “You’re close, aren’t you, baby? Hm? Cum for me, luv...”

The sound of his voice, rough with passion, was enough to send Buffy soaring over the edge. She came with a short scream, clamping down on him and feeling a rush of her inner fluids spilling from her to coat his still rigid cock.

William paused for a moment, giving her time to calm down a bit. Easing from inside her, he turned her limp body in his arms and lifted her, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. He braced her back against the cold wall and covered her mouth with his as he entered her once more.

Buffy let out a harsh, sobbing cry as she felt another orgasm building within her so soon after the first one. She was captivated by the expression on his face as he slammed into her. She wound her fingers through the hair at his nape and leaned in for another juicy kiss as she ground her pelvis into his.

He was close, but wanted her with him this time. Reaching between them, he rolled and pinched her clit between his fingers. Buffy bit down on his collarbone to smother her cries when her orgasm hit her this time. At the feel of her sharp little teeth, William howled, his body jerking against hers as he came hard. They gasped for breath as their still-joined bodies sank to the shower floor.
 

Chapter 13
 
            "I had no idea my legs were that limber," Buffy muttered weakly into the mattress. Round three of the Buffy and William Sexcapades had decimated her bedroom once more. There wasn’t a stitch of bedding left on the mattress and a towel revolved lazily on the ceiling fan. 
         
William laughed. "Feeling a bit tender, baby?"
 
            "Just a little. In a good way." She felt his fingers running along her spine and shivered with pleasure. Turning her head to look at him, she made no attempt to hide the adoration in her eyes. “I don’t see how this could get any stranger than it is,” she commented, a frown puckering her eyebrows. She’d engaged in mind-blowing, body-numbing, toe-curling sex with him three times and still had no idea who he really was.
 
He bit her shoulder lightly then kissed it. Buffy swatted at him half-heartedly. “What is it with you and biting? Were you a vampire in a former life? God, all these hickies and bite marks…I look like I have a disease,” she groused in mock irritation. “And stop trying to distract me. I want some answers before you go poof on me again.”
 
“Poof?” William looked down at his groin with an indignant expression that had her giggling helplessly. “I’ll show you *poof*!”
 
“Maybe disappear would be a better word?”
 
Mollified, he settled back against the one remaining pillow on the bed and pulled her against him, smiling as she cuddled as close as she could get. “Ask your questions, pet.”
 
“This…” she waved a hand at the painting. “Whatever it is. How is it even possible?”
 
William sighed. “With magic anything is possible. I learned that the hard way.” He concentrated on winding a lock of her hair around his finger. “Lesson the first; never EVER do anything to make a witch mad at you.”
 
“What did you do?”
 
“She claimed to be in love with me. I told her I was flattered but I didn’t return her feelings. She became angry, chanted a few words, and I’ve been in there since that night; April 25th, 1880 .”
 
Buffy gawked at him. “You’re 124 years old?”
 
“Actually I’m 148 now. I was 24 when it happened.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Guess that makes me a very dirty old man!” 
She laughed, rolling her eyes at him. “Next question. Do you know how you ended up in the attic of my mother’s gallery?”
 
“My parents never did learn what had become of me. I suppose they assumed I had taken off for the colonies or something like that. All of my belongings were sent back to them. When they died, a distant relative inherited everything and sold the contents of the house at auction. I was sold to a charming widow from Bath who had far too many lovers and the most annoying lisp I’ve ever heard. Five bloody years of agony.”
 
“And after that?”
 
“Lots of different places, luv. I began calling them my Keepers, since the painting was a prison of sorts. I’ve been all around the world. I have to say, I wasn’t impressed with the tour since I didn’t get to go sightseeing at all,” he grumbled.
 
Buffy thought he looked adorable when he pouted and reached up to kiss him. She rested her chin on his chest. “The things you must have seen over the years!” she marveled.
 
William considered her remark. “I guess so. The wars were the worst, of course. I was in Russia for the first one and in France for the second. Technology has been the best. Television? Bloody BRILLIANT concept! The last bird left her telly on all day. I was in heaven.“ When Buffy swatted at him, he grabbed her hands and flipped her over onto her tummy. “Anything else you want to know?” he asked.
 
“Has this happened with any of your other Keepers?”
 
The vulnerability behind her question touched his heart. “No. Never. Even when your sister touched the painting nothing happened.” He sat up on his knees beside her, idly rubbing the satiny skin of her back. “Buffy, I really don’t know what is happening. Maybe you’re the golden princess sent to rescue me from the evil witch’s dark magic. Maybe it’s all just a fluke and everything will go back to what passes for normal for me tomorrow. I do know that it isn’t a dream; it’s real, and I intend to make the most of whatever time I have with you. Are we done with questions for now?”
 
She felt dizzied from the force of his words and could only nod in reply.
 
            "Mmm…that’s good.” He moved down the ruined bed until he knelt between her spread legs, lightly skimming his fingers up the insides of her thighs. He leaned down and nipped her butt, then soothed the bite with his tongue while he held her down with a hand on her lower back. “Want you again, luv.”
 
            "Again?" Buffy asked, dazed. She moaned as he eased two fingers into her moist heat, finding her nub with his thumb.
 
            "And again, if we have time. Been over a hundred years; I’m thinkin’ I need the practice." His voice roughened with the intensity of his emotions as he curled over her back, still working her over with his hand. He rested just enough of his weight on her to ensure he had her complete attention, rubbing his tumescent cock between the cheeks of her bottom. "Besides, there will never come a time,” he murmured, pausing to run his hot tongue around the shell of her ear. “When I have had enough of you.” Slipping his fingers out of her, he grasped her hips and pulled her up, entering her in one long, silken glide. “You’re all I bloody think about."
 
            Buffy couldn’t stifle a shriek of pleasure. She threw her head back and braced herself on her arms, glorying in his deep thrusts. “UNGH! Oh…my God…so…big…” she gasped through gritted teeth as she pushed back into him.
 
            "I'm guessing you like it this way as much as I do, hmm?" William teased, rotating his hips to provide maximum friction, tormenting her with long, slow strokes. “Love this, don’t you? Your pretty little quim is just begging me to pound it. To make it mine. Are you mine, Buffy?”
 
            "Unghhh...William, please!" she ground out, biting her bottom lip and tasting blood. Her entire body throbbed with pleasure.
 
            "Gets you hot when I talk to you like this, doesn't it, pet?" He leaned over her heaving back and cupped her breasts, tweaking and pulling on her nipples. "Never dreamed it could be this way, did you? God, Buffy! The things you do to me... So tight. So wet. You fit me so bloody perfect," he praised her. Picking up the speed and roughness of his strokes, he gathered her long hair into his fist, pulling her face around, so he could devour her swollen lips.
 
            She groaned into his mouth, "What have you done to me, Will?" She reached back and grasped his hair tightly as he ravaged her mouth. "Never...like...this...no...one...else...ever..." she muttered, brokenly, almost sobbing as she writhed against him. "Only...you..."
 
            William quickened his pace, slamming into her roughly. "Mine!" he hissed through his teeth. "Tell me you're mine!" He slid his hand under her and found her bud, forcing her to orgasm with firm strokes.
 
            "Yes! Yours…always yours! Yessssssssss!" she wailed. He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her on her knees when she would have fallen forward.
 
            "Almost...there...luv!" he grunted. "So...fucking...good!" With a final thrust he arched into her, feeling his cock explode as he came deep inside her. With a groan he collapsed beside her, gathering her close and brushing the tangled hair from her flushed, sweaty face.  
          
Buffy lay limply against him. "That was..." her voice trailed off tiredly.
 
William could barely nod as he tried to calm his racing heart.
 
            "Fucking unbelievable," she finished with a dreamy smile.
 
            He opened one eye. It was all he had the energy for. "Did you just say *fucking*?"
 
            She squirmed self-consciously, hiding her flushed face in his bicep. "It's your fault. You're a bad influence."
 
            William kissed her tangled hair. "Can’t help it. You‘re so much fun to corrupt."
 
They lay quietly, legs entwined, while the cool breeze from the open window wafted over their bodies, neither aware of the insane rage in the eyes of the man watching from his perch in the tree outside her window.
This Chapter is for Beth, who very nicely included the lyrics in her review. The name of the song is “Insatiable” and it’s sung by Darren Hayes. I HIGHLY recommend downloading it to listen to while you read, it’s downright…motivating? *purrr* Beth, I Thank you for both the lyrics and the inspriation, sweetie! I have a new favorite song now! Hope you like it!

Chapter 14

Buffy was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard music coming from the sound system in her bedroom. The opening notes of one of her favorite songs brought her head up sharply and she met her eyes in the mirror with a slow grin; evil thoughts forming in her mind. And to think she had been afraid that there wasn’t anything she could show him sexually! Before she could change her mind about what she was going to do, she grabbed her short silk robe from the back of the door and slid it on. Turning the light out, she leaned her back against the doorway and waited for William to notice her as the first words of the song spilled from the speakers.

When the moonlight crawls along the street
Chasing away the summer heat
Footsteps outside somewhere below
The world revolves, I let it go
We build our church above the street
We practice love between these sheets
The candy sweetness scent of you
It bathes my skin, I'm stained in you

William sensed her presence and looked up to see her in the doorway, framed by candlelight. Her back was arched provocatively, hips thrusting out, breasts barely covered by her silky robe. His nostrils flared at the sight of her, tongue coming out to wet his suddenly dry lips.

And all I can do is hold you
There's a racing within my heart
And I am barely touching you

Moving away from the door, she began to undulate slowly towards him, leading the way with her hips, keeping her movements in time with the heavy base beat of the music as she arched and rolled her entire body sensuously.

Turn the lights down low
Take it off, let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on, never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable

She came close but never touched, swaying teasingly in front of him, becoming deliciously aroused by the heated lust in his eyes. He reached out to touch but she slapped his hand away, softening her rebuke by blowing him a kiss, Certain that he understood her rules, she moved ever closer, silk to bare skin, and began to move against him, never losing contact as she made a tight circle around his body with hers.

The moonlight plays upon your skin
A kiss that lingers takes me in
I fall asleep inside of you
There are no words, there's only truth
Breathe in breathe out, there is no sound
We move together up and down
We levitate, our bodies soar
Our feet don't even touch the floor

Ending her circle with her back to his front, she leaned back into him, rolling her body from her shoulders to her butt, a continuous wave of sinuous movement against his chest and groin. The robe slipped from her shoulders and pooled on the floor at their feet.

But nobody knows you like I do
This world it don't understand
That I grow stronger in your hands

Lifting her arms above her head, Buffy ran her hands through her hair, pulling it up and letting it drift down around her flushed face. The warm, sugary scent of her vanilla fragrance wafted in the air around them. William held himself rigid, fighting the urge to take control and bend her taut, dancing body to his will.

Turn the lights down low
Take it off, let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on, never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable

Buffy twisted one arm around his neck, holding on to him as she rubbed her ass up and down his erection. Resting her head back on his shoulder, she ran her free hand down the front of her body, dipping her delicate fingers into her quim and stroking her clit rhythmically. Her eyes met his as she raised her hand and slid her wet digits between his panting lips. She moaned softly as he greedily nibbled and sucked the moisture from her fingers.

We never sleep, we're always holding hands
Kissing for hours, talking and making plans
I feel like a better man, just being in the same room

William’s body began moving in perfect sync with hers, his eyebrows drawn together and his jaw flexing in an expression of complete lustful need. “Sweet Christ, baby…You’re killing me…” he hissed through his clenched teeth.

We never sleep, there's just so much to do
So much to say, can't close my eyes
When I'm with you
Insatiable
The way I'm loving you

Twisting suddenly to face him, she draped her leg over his hip and ground her wet heat into him relentlessly. Pressing down on his shoulders with her hands; she followed him down to the floor until he rested on his knees between her trembling thighs. The muscles in his arms shook as he braced them behind him to support his upper body at an angle. A hoarse cry ripped from his throat as she swiveled her hips and impaled herself onto his turgid shaft.

Turn the lights down low
Take it off, let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on, never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable

Buffy threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck and pulled him up from his angled position. Chest to breasts. Eye to eye. She raised and lowered herself almost viciously upon him, strangling his cock with her tight inner muscles.

Turn the lights down low
Take it off, let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on, never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable, baby

Knowing he wasn’t going to last much longer, his monumental control finally snapped. William sank his fingers into Buffy’s hips and held her still, grinding his pelvic bone into her clit and sending her screaming over the edge. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he claimed her lips in a savage kiss and pumped into her four more times before coming so hard his ears rang. Groaning their satisfaction into each others mouths, they fell sideways onto the carpet.

When I look in your eyes...


A review would be just dandy. So would a new Pollinex shower head to replace the one I killed after writing this chapter…

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