Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Can I ask you something?” Buffy said turning to look at him. After a full night of lovemaking, interspersed with talking, and very little sleep, it was time to get back to real life. As much as both of them would have liked to have stayed in bed for the next six months, Buffy did have a teenager with a penchant for trouble at home. So, they had gotten up and gotten dressed, only stopping once when their hormones got the better of them. Now, they were in Spike’s Mustang, heading towards her house.
“Sure,” he answered, sliding a glance at her.
“Why Crystal?” His eyes widened at that. He’d thought that was settled. He pulled to stop at a stoplight, and turned to look at her. Relief that she didn’t look mad, only curious, rushed through him.
“What’cha mean, pet?”
“Just that, she doesn’t look like the sort that hangs around race tracks. And since Johnny met her hanging out backstage, how did you meet her?”
“Backstage.”
“Huh?” He chuckled at her confused look, and started driving again.
“I guess it was about two years ago. Went to one of Mark’s shows in New York. She was there, hanging about.”
“And you just decided to take her home?” A scarred brow popped up at that.
“Not exactly. She had seen me talking to Mark. Thought I might help her get where she wanted to be. Which was firmly impaled on Mark’s parts.” Buffy blushed crimson at the blunt description. “Didn’t mean anything pet. Took what she offered and left town the next day. Unfortunately, she seemed to think it did. Spent a good three months fighting her off. Started to see her at every race, she’d even contacted my owner with some lame story about how she was my sister, and she HAD to get hold of me. Sheldon threatened her with lawsuits and all sorts of crap to get her to back off.” He sighed, and shook his head. “Needless to say, that little incident made me rethink casual sex with a quickness.”
“Good. She’s still set on Mark, though.”
“I could tell. Little bint. Told her then to stay away from him. Willow’s a good woman, and Mark’s my friend. I’d hate to have to kick his ass.” Buffy giggled at that.
“Yeah. After Willow got through with him first. If there was anything left.” They both chuckled at that, knowing full well that Mark would never do anything to hurt Willow. He’d walk away first.
“Well, here we are,” Spike said, pulling up in front of her house.
“You wanna come in?”
“I think I’m going to go round up the men folk and show off the new toy,” he said with a grin. Buffy smiled back at him, that old saying about men and boys and the price of their toys floating through her mind.
“Alright, but come back for dinner,” she told him, leaning across the gear shift to kiss him goodbye. They lingered on the kiss, neither wanting to pull away first.
“Is there going to be dessert?” His wicked grin nearly had her dragging him out of the car and straight up to her bedroom.
“Maybe. Let’s see how much of a good boy you are.” She started to pull back, only to be hauled against him again when he fisted his hand in his T-shirt that she was wearing.
“Oh, I can be very good,” he whispered huskily, before swooping in to plunder her mouth. She stared dazedly at him when he pulled back, her eyes bright with desire.
“Hurry back,” she managed, sliding back into her seat. She had to try twice to get the door open. She smiled at him again, then stepped out onto the pavement, holding onto the door to keep her balance. Her knees were the consistency of Jell-O.
When she finally felt steady, she closed the door, leaning down to look in the window and wave. He flashed her another grin, coupled with a smoldering, blue eyed look, then peeled off down the street. Buffy watched the car until he disappeared around the corner, a huge smile on her face.
~*~*~
“And she’s all yours?” Xander gasped in awe as he walked around the dark blue Chevrolet. Spike and Mark were leaning against the workbench, smoking.
“Yeah. Now all I gotta do is get her ready for Daytona.”
“You have a driver?” Spike shook his head at Mark, flicking ashes on the floor.
“No. Not yet.” Mark and Xander exchanged a look, the expression on Spike’s face telling them a lot. “Don’t have anything yet. Just bought the car. Still have to contact NASCAR, plus get a crew together. Can’t keep her here, so I have to get a proper garage. Then there’s the need for a sponsor. Won’t worry about that too much until we get to Daytona, though.”
“I’ll do it. Or rather, Native Soul will do it.” Spike’s eyes shot to the black ones of his friend.
“Wha?”
“I said, we’ll sponsor you.”
“You want to sponsor the car?” the blonde repeated, just to make sure he wasn’t hearing things. Mark rolled his eyes, and nodded.
“Why not? I mean, look at the other sponsors. You’ve got M&M’s, Cheerios, beer, UPS, Tide. Viagra sponsors a car for Christ’s sake. Why not a band?”
“Don’t forget the Cartoon Network. They had a car for a while. Matchbox, and didn’t Kiss sponsor a car once?” Xander chimed in, coming to stand next to them.
“I don’t think that was for NASCAR. I think that was for NHRA,” Spike replied. “It’s pricey, Mark. Sponsors have to take care of all the entry fees, plus get their logo on the car. And that’s just the beginning.”
“I know.” Spike stared at the Indian for a long moment, before a grin cracked his face.
“Alright. You’ve got a deal.” They shook hands, sealing the deal. “Guess I need to put that lawyer of mine to work. Need to get stuff all legalized.”
“Yeah. Just have your lawyer call my lawyer. Maybe they can do lunch,” Mark quipped, smiling.
“So, what do you think of her, Xan.”
“She’s beautiful,” he practically sighed. His eyes ran longingly over the car, shoulda, woulda, coulda’s swirling in his brain. Spike watched the brunette’s face, a smile forming on his lips.
“Want to be my crew chief?” Xander’s head spun around to pin Spike with wide eyes.
“What?” He tilted his head, his brow scrunching up at the question. He was afraid that Spike was playing with him, and he didn’t want to be part of the joke.
“I said, do you want to be my crew chief?” Spike repeated, tossing his cigarette to the floor and stepping on it.
“Are you serious?”
“No, I just asked so I could snatch it away and crush all your hopes and dreams. Of course I’m serious, you git.” The two men watched as a slow, goofy grin started to spread across his face. Without warning, he grabbed Spike in a hug, speechless. Spike just laughed and patted Xander on the back, rolling his eyes at Mark.
“Thank you, man. God, yes. But, I have no experience at this sort of thing. Are you sure?” Xander babbled, when he pulled back. He was too excited to worry about the unmanly display he was putting on.
“Look, everybody’s got to start somewhere, right? I didn’t have all that much experience when I started. Had none when it came to asphalt tracks. But I think I did alright, and so will you,” Spike assured him. “Now, we just need to find a crew.”
“Wow. This is so cool,” Xander gushed, walking around the car again. He was itching to get under the hood and get to know it as well as he knew Cordelia’s body. Mark and Spike started talking about what had to be done, while the brunette inspected the car with a new enthusiasm.
~*~*~
“Hi,” Buffy said, smiling brightly at Spike. He was leaning against the doorframe, a single white rose in his hand.
“Hello, luv. For you.” He handed her the rose, then pulled her into his arms for a kiss. She sighed as his mouth closed over hers, her body leaning into him. “Mmm. Keep that up and dinner is going to burn,” she murmured when he pulled back.
“Screw dinner,” he growled, leaning back down. She evaded him and stepped out of his arms, giggling when he growled again.
“Uh uh, mister. Dawn’s in the living room,” she warned. “Go say hi to her. I’ll call when the food is ready.” He shut the door, and watched her sashay away. She cast him a seductive look before she disappeared around the corner, her throaty laugh drifting after her. Snorting at the display, Spike went into the living room, where Dawn was curled up on the couch, reading.
“Hey, Nibblet. What you reading?” She held up the front for him to read, never looking up from the page. Spike looked down at the blonde vampire on the cover, the gold eyes seeming to stare back at him and his mouth open in a snarl to expose the elongated canines. A large clock was superimposed behind him. The title, written in big, drippy red letters, was Doomsday Clock. “Well, isn’t he attractive?” Spike quipped, settling on the couch next to her. Dawn glanced up at him, then turned the book to look at the cover.
“You don’t think? He kinda reminds me of you.” Spike snorted at that. “It’s good. You should read it,” she insisted.
“Sorry, Nibblet. I like a little reality in what I read.” Dawn just rolled her eyes, marked her place, and put the book on the coffee table.
“What’s up?” she asked, draping an arm across the back of the couch and resting her chin on it.
“Nothing. Did we miss anything exciting last night?”
“Not really. Nothing that would compare to what you and Buffy were doing last night, anyway.” She gave him a knowing grin, snickering when he blushed.
“Dawn,” he said in a warning tone. She just rolled her eyes again.
“Whatever, Spike. I am seventeen you know,” she reminded him.
“Yeah. I know. Doesn’t mean I like it,” he grumbled.
“You missed your dad and Anya. They came in about a half hour after you left. I like her,” she added when a scowl crossed his face. He hadn’t been lying when he said he wanted his father to be happy, but he was still having a hard time dealing. He supposed he should get over to meet the girl when she had her clothes on, he just wasn’t up to it yet.
“I’m sure she’s a lovely person,” he said, glaring at her when she giggled.
“She is. Very blunt. And she kept Giles hopping last night. Everything she needed, he got. Usually without her asking. They were very sweet.” Dawn smiled at the memory. Then, her face twisted into a scowl of her own. “And that Crystal, what a ho. After you left, she just wrapped herself around Johnny. The things she was doing were definitely not made for a PG audience. I mean, she was just so obvious. And when she thought no one was looking, she would just send these nasty looks at Willow. What’s her damage?” Spike shrugged, glad that he hadn’t had to deal with Crystal all night.
“Don’t know, pet. Some people are just naturally hoish,” he said.
“Yeah, well, I think nature gave her an extra helping.” Spike chuckled at that.
“What are you doing after school on Monday?” he asked, changing the subject. He’d heard more than enough about Crystal to last him a lifetime or two.
“Straight home for me. Grounded, remember?” She frowned as she said it.
“Oh yeah. If I can clear it with big sis, you wanna come with me somewhere?”
“Sure. Where?”
“Need your opinion on something. And that’s all I’m saying,” he said when he caught a glimpse of Buffy coming into the room. Dawn arched a brow at that, but didn’t pursue it.
“Dinner’s ready,” Buffy announced, turning to head back to the kitchen. Dawn and Spike pushed off the couch and followed her to the kitchen, teasing and laughter filling the air.
~*~*~
“I’m coming!” Mark yelled, unstrapping his guitar. He had come home after seeing Spike and Xander to find a note from Willow. She had gone to the library to study and would be back around eight. As it was seven thirty now, he just assumed it was Willow at the door, having forgotten her key.
“Hey, baby. You forget your key?” He pulled open the door, a smile on his face. The smile faded when he saw Crystal standing outside. She stared seductively at him through her lashes. He scowled down at her, a cursory glance taking in the black trench coat she was wearing. Warning bells started to sound in his head. He was pretty sure of what she wasn’t wearing under the coat. “What are you doing here?”
“Can’t a person stop in to visit a friend?” Her voice was saccharine sweet, her smile just as sugary.
“You’re not my friend,” he told her bluntly, starting to close the door. She put her hand up and stopped it, her unusual eyes glittering.
“That’s not true. I’m with Johnny, which makes us practically family.” Mark angled himself so she couldn’t slip past him.
“I don’t consider Johnny’s fuck mates family.” His voice was cold, his words wiping the smile off her face.
“Why do you have to be like that? I could be so good to you.” Her lush mouth curved into a pout, and she dragged a well manicured nail down his t-shirt clad stomach. Revulsion ripped through him at her touch.
“Why don’t you listen? I have a fiancé. Who I love. Sorry if that’s a concept you don’t understand, but it’s something I take very seriously. Besides, what would Johnny think if he knew you were over here?”
“Johnny doesn’t own me.” Mark shook his head at the audacity of the woman in front of him.
“Look, I’m only going to say this one more time. I’m NOT interested. Even if I wasn’t with Willow, I wouldn’t be interested. Fast and cheap is my cousin’s style, not mine.” Her face twisted into an ugly mask, her eyes glittering with rage.
“You better be nice to me, Mark. I can make your life very miserable.”
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you just try, you bitch?” Both Mark and Crystal’s heads snapped around at the sight of the very pissed off looking redhead stalking down the hall from the stairs. A brief glance down the opposite way showed that Crystal had blocked off the doors to the elevator. “Get the fuck away from door,” she spat, shoving the girl none too gently to the side.
“Watch it you little. . .” Willow reared around, green eyes sparking with electricity.
“DON’T finish that thought if you want to leave here with all your teeth.” Mark eyed the two women warily, wondering if he should run and hide. “Get. OUT. Of. Here.” Willow said slowly, enunciating each word.
“You have no idea what you have there. He needs a woman who understands what it’s like to be a star.” The unladylike snort that Willow replied with had Crystal bearing her teeth in anger.
“You think? Since I’ve been with him for five goddamned years, I’d say I understand him pretty fucking well. And I know him well enough to know that there is absolutely NO chance of him EVER sticking his penis into you. Not with one condom, not with ten condoms. You are nothing but a skanky little hanger on that seems to think sleeping around with musicians is going to get you somewhere in life. All it’s going to get you is pregnant or dead. Now, walk your little two dollar ass down to that elevator, get on it, and get the fuck out of here. And you can expect to get back to Johnny’s house and find all those Frederick’s of Hookerwood clothes of yours out in the front lawn. All it will take is one phone call, and he’ll toss you out quicker than you can say blowjob.” Mark didn’t even bother to stifle the laugh that her monologue brought on. Willow just continued to stare at the other woman, disgust and anger vibrating off of her.
“I don’t think so,” Crystal said, straightening. Willow grinned ferally at the hint of fear she heard in the other woman’s voice.
“Don’t think you’re THAT good in bed, honey. Johnny is Mark’s cousin, and with them, that’s everything.” At that, Willow backed up a step and swung the door closed, slamming it in the stunned groupie’s face. When she turned with a triumphant smile, she found herself slammed up against the door, a very aroused Indian plundering her mouth. She arched into him when his hand skimmed under her skirt, her panties coming away with a flick of his wrist. Desire slammed into her when she heard the rasp of his jeans coming open. Her hands fisted in his hair, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist. He slid into her with one smooth stroke, the pace hard and fast. She ripped her mouth away from his to scream as she came. He slammed into her three more times, his final stroke pumping his seed deep inside of her. She held onto him, her muscles turned to jelly at the unexpected lovemaking.
She smiled at him when he pulled back to look at her, a rakish smile on his face.
“Not that I’m complaining, or anything. But what was that all about?” He chuckled and rested his forehead against her shoulder.
“Seeing you all ‘stay away from my man’, just turned me on. Had to have you, right that second.”
“Too bad you waited until I closed the door. We could have shown her how it’s really supposed to be done.” Mark looked up at her then, his black eyes wide, his smile large.
“You are a wicked little girl, aren’t you?” he whispered, his voice growing husky.
“Why don’t you take me to bed, and I’ll show you just how wicked I can be.” She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on as he spun them and started to walk in the direction of their room.
“Hope you don’t have plans with anyone, because you’re going to be unavailable for the rest of the weekend,” he growled in her ear, his words causing her to shiver.
“So I’ll fail my test on Monday. I don’t care.”
“I’ll write you a note.” With that, he dropped her on the bed, making quick work of their clothes, then sliding next to her. Willow had to giggle at that thought.
“Yeah, I’m sure my professor will understand.”
“Bloody well should.” Her laugh at the use of Spike’s slang turned to a moan when he started to touch her. Nothing meant more to her than him, and she didn’t care if she flunked out. As long as he was by her side, she could do anything.
AN: NHRA, National Hot Rod Association. Drag racing. Just for those that wanted to know.