Chapter 16
Chapter Notes: Thanks go out to Dusty273 for her input and for betaing this chapter. I love you, Mari!! You’re the best!
Never in a million years would Spike have guessed that things could have ended up this way. He was lying on a borrowed bed with the Slayer curled up against his side, wearing his mark on her throat and his scent between her legs and fuck, it was a beautiful day. Which was why they were indoors, consequently.
He was a thousand miles away from her hate, a thousand miles away from her friends, a thousand miles away from her past. His only fear was that when those miles decreased, when they made their way back, that somehow this spell she was under would fizzle out and then she’d regret it. Of course, having claimed her made it impossible for her to escape him, but it would tear him up inside if she ever doubted what had happened between them.
And Christ, it was the best moment of his unlife. Granted, he’d preferred if it’d happened somewhere other than the back seat of a rental car, but he more than made up for it when they arrived at the hotel. Knowing that her love for him was real, feeling it first hand through the link was too beautiful to put into words. He felt a sense of completion that he’d never dreamed could exist, as if all the years he’d spent in agony, pining for someone to love him back, were just a segue, a preparation for this woman in his arms. And he’d do it all over again. Maybe he’d refrain from trying to kill her the next time, but he knew better than that.
He smiled wickedly as he stroked her bare back. Oh, trying to kill Buffy was half the fun. He knew he’d never go through with it, even in his past he knew he never would. She was too much fun to tease and taunt to even think of offing her. Fighting her was brilliant, always had been, even when she dropped an organ on him.
“My lil’ gladiator,” he whispered against her sleeping head before placing a soft kiss on her temple.
All sorts of sinister ideas flooded his mind as he thought about the Great Git’s reaction to his claim. Should he tell him right out or make it casual as if it were no big deal? Maybe he’d take Buffy to the mall and get in one of those $2 photo booths, sit in blissfully happy poses, kissing and giggling like a bunch of wankers and mail them to the bastard. That might work…or what about an Aurelius Family Newsletter stating his claim on the Slayer?
“Stop laughing, I’m sleepy,” Buffy stirred against him.
“Sorry, pet,” he said softly and ran his hands through her hair. She made a contented noise in the back of her throat and snuggled against him, falling asleep again. He looked at the clock on the end table and sighed. She’d have to get up soon so they could go over their plan at the caves. He didn’t know how many of those Githyans would be guarding the stone but he was looking forward to the brawl with his slayer at his side. Oh, and didn’t that image bring up what a ponce he’d become? Spike was looking forward to fighting the baddies with the Slayer! Maybe they could get matching latex suits…
“Spike, you’re poking my leg,” she grumbled as she shifted her body away from his erection.
“Could be pokin’ somethin’ else,” he said seductively.
Buffy sat up and glared at him. “God, do you ever sleep?”
“I’m antsy,” he pouted as his feet rubbed against each other beneath the covers. “Got Slayer juice coursin’ through my veins. ‘s like bloody speed.”
She was so sexy when she was grumpy. “When are you not antsy?”
He bit his lip and trailed a finger down her chest. “When I’m doin’ naughty things to you?”
It was a tiny smile, just a flash of a thing, but he saw it. Oh, she liked it all right. “Spike,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Buffy,” he said mocking her gesture. And then he slipped his hand beneath the sheet, slowly, nearing his favorite place in the universe.
She shuddered and weakly swatted his hand. “I see what you’re doing down there,” she said coyly. “And it won’t work.”
“Oh, no?” he said innocently, batting his eyelashes as his hand crept further, ignoring her squirming as she tried to get away. When he finally made contact and felt how wet she was, he chuckled cruelly. She gasped. And it was all over. In a flash of vampire speed, Buffy was flipped onto her back and Spike was on top of her, nudging his slim hips between her thighs and nibbling on her claim mark.
“Spike!”
“You rang?” he said considerately, rubbing her in just the right spot with the tip of his cock.
“Don’t…have time,” she weakly gasped, even though her hips rose with anticipation and her eyes fluttered shut as his tongue laved the mark on her throat, making her womb clench with desire.
“I’ll make it quick,” he whispered and without further delay, he was inside her, enveloped in tight, warm, Slayer pussy and he hissed through his teeth. “Fuck, Buffy…always so…fuck!”
“Oh, Spike,” she moaned, “please, please, please!”
She wanted him to make it quick? Abso-bloody-lutely. He hooked his hands behind her knees and pushed her legs back and started thrusting, locking his lust filled eyes with hers, drinking in the image of her sprawled out beneath him, biting her rosy red lips, pinching her own nipples and grinding her hips against his like only a Slayer could. She belonged to him! She was his, dammit! His! “Oh, I love you,” the words tore from his throat as he increased the speed of his thrusts, pounding the headboard against the wall with every violent jerk of his hips.
She could feel his need for her through the link, his possessiveness, his eagerness, his pleasure. The combination of his senses with the sight of him above her was a heady mixture, almost overwhelming, but she remained focused on him, on his face as it contorted in bliss, on his mouth as it opened slightly to let out unneeded breaths, his arms as the muscles beneath his skin flexed as he gripped her behind her knees, his perfect abs as they rippled with every thrust of his hips.
“I’m close,” she panted, reaching her arms high above her head to claim purchase on something, anything, finally landing on the headboard and holding on to it.
He knew she was before she uttered a word, could feel it as she squeezed him, could bloody taste it she was so close. His tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip as he focused on his task, grunting as his flesh slapped against hers. She threw her head back and shouted an incoherent stream of phrases and he dropped one leg so he could touch her where they were joined, squeezing the base of his cock to hold off a little longer, and watching her body give in to him. Her skin turned pink, starting at her stomach and crawling up her chest and neck. Spike felt the pressure building inside her through the claim, watched in awe as she panted and writhed beneath him. He wrapped his arm around her leg and moved his other hand to the mattress next to her head and his demon came forward. His fangs sliced through her neck and he drank the sweetest nectar he’d ever been offered, eyes rolling back into his skull as she wailed and clawed at his back.
“Yes!”
He growled against her neck, feeling her inner walls fluttering around his cock, her blood warming his throat, her sweat sticking to his cool skin, her pelvis slam against his as she lifted him off the bed with a powerful thrust of her hips. In a whirlwind of movement, he’d been flipped over and she sat astride his waist, bouncing on his cock and shouting the most beautiful words he’d ever heard.
“Come! Oh, Spike, come inside me!”
Licking the remnants of blood from his lips he gripped her waist and practically roared with his release, pressing his head into the pillow as his body grew taut like a bowstring, and still she moved on top of him, milking him, gripping his chest as she commanded his pleasure to last a little longer. “Yeah, Buffy…oh, fuck!”
“More, more, more!”
Her hands raked through her hair as she sat up straight, exhaling a steady stream of air through her pursed lips, green eyes locking with his before they disappeared beneath her eyelids as a second orgasm abruptly possessed her. His greedy hands rose to squeeze her breasts and she placed hers over his, her head lolling on her shoulders in ecstasy as she smiled and shouted her praise to him. She fell limp on top of him yet held him inside, not wanting to let go just yet, gasping for air as her head rolled into his throat, planting sweet kisses there.
He licked his lips as he inhaled deeply through his nose, grinning like an idiot and petting the back of her head. “An’ that is how it’s bloody well done, my friends!”
She giggled and weakly lifted her head to look down on him. “I think I’ll keep him.”
“No choice in that, pet,” he said with a cocky grin before he kissed her.
“Mmm, as much as I love Spike lips, I need a shower.” She placed her finger over his lips before he could speak. “And you are staying right here.”
“Oh, come on! I’m a great shower buddy,” he pouted.
She reluctantly slid off of him and got off the bed, stretching her arms high above her head. Spike swallowed and pulled the sheets up to his nose, hiding the lecherous grin that appeared involuntarily due to her nakedness. “The only thing you’re good for in the shower we don’t have time to reenact.” She gave him a knowing glance as she bent over to retrieve the clothes she was going to wear that day.
“But I need a shower, too.” He craned his head forward, trying to peek at her luscious derriere as she dug into her suitcase.
“Don’t worry, I won’t use all the hot water,” she winked and walked into the bathroom, leaving him all by himself on the bed with the images of naked wet Slayer running through his mind. He grumbled and pounded his heels on the mattress in frustration, folding his arms across his chest. He looked down at the tent he’d made in the sheets and rolled his eyes.
“Stupid vampire stamina,” he pouted, and slid his left hand beneath the blanket to alleviate his predicament.
~*~*~*~
After they’d both showered and dressed, Spike stood behind Buffy watching her reflection in the mirror as she put on her makeup. “War paint?”
She smiled slightly, which wasn’t easy as she swiped her lips with gloss. “Complaining?”
“No, jus’ don’ understand why you’d get all dolled up before a fight.”
Buffy slid the lip gloss wand back in the tube and turned around as she twisted it closed. She grabbed one of his hands and cocked an eyebrow as she inspected his freshly painted black nails.
He rolled his eyes and yanked his hand away. “They were chipped!”
“Uh huh.”
“Don’ look at me like that.”
“Oh, is the big bad Spike sensitive about his manicure?”
He clicked his tongue and glared at her.
“Where did you get nail polish anyway? I know Giles wasn’t that thoughtful when he packed your bag.”
“Nicked it from the grocery store,” he said proudly, feeling his evil persona return with that statement and smirked at her, waiting for the explosion that never came.
“Wow,” she laughed, “women and children lock your doors! An evil vampire is on the loose stealing L’oreal cosmetics! Ooooh,” she shuddered and wiggled her fingers for effect. The bint!
“Shut your gob,” he shouted. “It was Cover Girl, by the way,” he mumbled.
Buffy stared at him for a moment, blinking, before she abruptly started laughing again, singing the Cover Girl slogan. “Easy, breezy, beautiful!”
He grumbled under his breath and turned around, stomping towards his duster. “I’m goin’ out for a smoke.” He slammed the door behind him, blocking out the cackling of his mate. He chuckled quietly to himself as he lit a cigarette, shaking his head. He really should learn to keep his mouth shut. Stupid chit pounced at an opportunity to mock him as fast as he would if the shoe was on the other foot. It was partially why they were so good together.
Buffy giggled as she touched up her mascara and walked to her suitcase to pull out a map. Her face formed a stern mask of concentration, instantly switching from giddy girl in love to a focused Slayer. This wasn’t going to be easy by any means and she wanted a clear plan before they made any sudden moves. According to the map, the entrance to the cave was tight and wouldn’t allow much cover. She liked to scope a place out before an attack, get a feel of her surroundings and then solidify her plans. However, such a narrow entrance might not bode well for them to be sneaky. Even though the necklaces that Harriet gave them bought some precious time and gave them a slight advantage, the Githyans would be expecting an attack. She decided to call Giles, having just then realized how long it had been since she’d touched base with him. He might have a game plan in mind, and while she usually went with her own instincts when it came to fighting, it couldn’t hurt to hear the perspective from the man who’d trained her.
“Oh, Buffy, thank God you’re all right,” Giles said after he’d heard her voice.
“Yep, I’m fine. Sorry I haven’t called.”
“Where are you now?”
“We’re in Boones Farm, Maryland.”
“Boones Farm is a dreadful wine, Buffy. It’s Boonesboro, and you’ve only just arrived there?”
“Well,” Buffy said as she bit her lip, “we ran into more Githyans.”
“Dear Lord,” he gasped, “What happened?”
Spike saved me looking like sex in denim, she thought inwardly. “Um, I was sort of hijacked, drugged, a-and then Spike rescued me and took me to some weird Linda Richman look-a-like and she gave us stinky necklaces and now we’re about to go into the Crystal Grottoes. Ooh, do you think there might be actual crystals in the caves? I’ll snag one for Willow if I find any.” Her excitement was ignored by the watcher as his mind wrapped around what she’d just told him.
“Buffy, would you mind repeating that?”
“I said I’d snag a crystal for Willow if—”
“No, not that,” he sighed. “You were drugged?
“Yeah, almost died. If it wasn’t for Spike, you’d be out of a job.”
Giles was silent for a moment though Buffy could clearly hear him pouring a glass of scotch. This news wasn’t setting well with him. “I should have come along with you.”
“Oh, I don’t think you would have wanted to do that,” she said with a nervous laugh. “But hey, look! I’m OK, Spike’s OK and now we’re going to kick some Githyan butt and save the world. No worries.”
“Your casual tone is doing nothing to calm my nerves, Buffy. What if something had happened to you? What if Spike had somehow decided to take advantage of your vulnerability and killed you?”
“But he didn’t, Giles,” she said firmly. “He…Spike’s changed,” she said simply, not wanting to explain any further what had taken place between them over the course of the past several days.
Giles laughed incredulously. “Buffy, I hope you haven’t fallen prey to his…whatever it is Spike does to lure the innocent to his fangs. He’s evil, soulless, and might I add, a master vampire who has tried countless times to end your life?”
“He’s saved my life twice in the past week, Giles! He could have killed me so many times and he didn’t.”
“Because we’re paying him, Buffy!”
“No,” she shook her head as if he could see it, “Spike isn’t in it for the money. He’s not crippled anymore, you know. He could easily go back to his old ways of stealing and gambling now.”
“Oh, well that’s comforting.”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Look, I didn’t call you to talk about how evil Spike is or isn’t so can we get to more important matters?”
With a reluctant sigh, Giles conceded. “Very well.”
“How are things there, by the way?”
“Quiet, actually. There’s been virtually no activity over the past few days. Odd, considering the demon community must have word that you’re gone.”
Buffy scratched her head and screwed her eyes shut. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, it doesn’t, but I suppose we’ll handle it when you return, assuming nothing happens before then.”
“Always with the optimism,” she said sarcastically. Speaking with Giles was only frustrating her and she didn’t think he’d be much help anyway. “You know, it’s already getting late and I should probably go over the plan with Spike.”
“Do be careful, please,” he said with concern, “and call me when you return.”
“I will.” She hung up the phone and jumped when she noticed Spike reclined against the wall. She hadn’t even heard him come in. “God, Spike! David Copperfield, much?”
Spike smiled at her warmly, not paying any attention to what she’d said. “Thanks, Slayer.”
“For what?”
“For standin’ up to Rupes for me.”
“Oh,” she blushed and tucked her hair behind her ears. “You heard that?”
“Yeah,” he bit his lip and then said in mock seriousness, “But I am in it for the money.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to the map. “We have more important things to discuss, Vampire. Like this stupid cave with only one entrance.”
Spike peered over her shoulder thoughtfully and then pointed to a tiny area on the map she hadn’t noticed. “What’s that?”
She turned around and smiled at him beatifically. “That,” she said with a quick kiss to his lips, “is our way in!”
“See? ‘m useful,” he smirked. “Although, it’ll be a bit tricky gettin’ in that way.”
“How do you figure?”
Spike’s façade transformed into that of a little boy, full of excitement. “The entrance is 80 feet above ground! We’ll have to rappel down.”
“You watch way too many action movies.”
“Oi! I saw the harnesses and ropes in the back seat. Might as well use ‘em!”
Buffy shook her head with a smile and folded up her map and started grabbing their gear. “Ok, 007, let’s get this show on the road.”