Part Seven.....

Run to Me

~~~~~

If ever you've got rain in your heart
Someone has hurt you, and torn you apart
Am I unwise, to open up your eyes to love me?...

~~~~~

Buffy opened the door to her room, and flung herself down on the bed, face first. Her throat was aching from trying to hold back
her tears, and she was still horribly aware of a lingering soreness between her thighs.

She cried and cried into her pillow, then reached for Mr. Gordo and cuddled him close. It didn't take her long to realize
that her poor stuffed piggy wasn't gonna be able to help this hurt go away.

The phone rang suddenly, startling her.

The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk on the phone, but she knew if her mother was calling she would be expected to answer.

"Hello..?" she said softly, sniffling.

"Hi, angelface. How are you feeling?"

She shot straight up in bed. "William?"

"Course, it's me. Told you I'd call, didn't I?"

She reached for a tissue and wiped her runny nose, glad that he couldn't see her at the moment.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm in my car. Nearly home. Just couldn't wait any longer to talk to you is all."

Buffy smiled widely, flopping back onto her pillows.

"You feeling all right, angel? I imagine you're still a bit sore, huh?"

"A little, " she admitted.

"God, I'm sorry, baby."

"I'M not," she whispered.

There was a long moment of silence from the other end of the line. For a moment she thought he'd lost the connection going under
a bridge or something.

"I miss you already," he finally said. "When can I see you again? Tonight?"

"Okay...yeah. I'd like that."

<Understatement of the century!!!..>

"All right then," he said. "You get all dressed up pretty and I'll pick you up about 8:00. And don't eat dinner first."

She giggled. "Then I should warn you that I get kind of grouchy when I'm hungry."

He laughed too. "You can have a little snack or something but that's it! I'm taking you somewhere special and I don't want your tummy all filled up, got it?"

"Okay," she said, knowing she'd agree to just about anything he asked of her.

"Get some rest today, sweetness..and I'll see you tonight."

"Bye." She waited for him to disconnect, then decided she was being way too high schoolish. As she started to replace the phone in the cradle, he spoke again.

"Hey, wait a minute..."

Beaming with glee, she put the phone back to her ear. "Yeah?"

He hesitated for only a moment. "You're still my girl, aren't you?"

Buffy was about to melt into a sugary puddle of pure happiness. "Yes," she said softly. "I'm definitely your girl."

"That's good to hear. See you tonight, angelface."

"Okay...bye."

This time she was the one to call out.

"William?"

"What, honey?"

A sudden attack of shyness tried to clamp her mouth shut, but she refused to allow it. "I...I love you," she said quietly.

"I love you, too, sweetness," he responded instantly, without having to even think it over. "Get some sleep, now."

When the phone was securely replaced in it's cradle, she squealed and tossed Mr. Gordo into the air. Catching him,
she jumped to her feet and danced him around the room, changing partners twice, and spinning giddily with Pooh Bear
and Eeyore.

The phone rang, and she practically dove for it.

"Hello?" she sang out happily. "Oh, hi, Mom...I wasn't expecting anyone else...I do?....I don't know....Just in a good mood I guess....Yeah, I went to bed early....I guess I didn't hear it....No....I just forgot....Yeah, the machine is on....I haven't been downstairs yet....A hamburger and some fries...."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Here it was, coming straight at her...Mom's Inquisition, given whenever she had to be away from home for more than a day and customed tailored to fit any given situation.

"I took them yesterday....Because I haven't gone downstairs yet....I will....Yeah, two vitamin Cs...I won't forget...I don't have any....Just a French test on Monday....Willow's helping me....I know....Um...well, actually, I have a date tonight...No...I just met him....I will....Midnight?...Mom, it's Saturday...Come on....William Hamilton....yeah, a lot...."

~~~~~

Let it be like they said it would be
Me loving you, girl...and you loving me

Am I unwise to open up your eyes to love me....

~~~~~

After fending off phone calls from Willow and Xander, she was tempted to take the phone off the hook.

But she couldn't quite force herself to do it. What if he called?

In the end, she wound up with the phone next to her in bed. Keeping her hand close to the receiver,she drifted into a sound sleep completely devoid of dreams.

~~~~~

Run to me whenever you're lonely
Run to me when you need a shoulder
Now and then, you need someone older
So, darling...you run to me....

~~~~~

Her internal alarm clock sounded off at exactly 6:15 p.m., bringing her instantly awake.

The first thing she became aware of was a feeling of excited anticipation. Less than two hours from now, he would be there.

The second thing she noticed was that her lower parts were not feeling as ravaged as they'd felt that morning.

Oh, good.....

She rolled over in bed and punched Giles' number into the phone's keypad.

After checking in to make sure that there were no new disasters looming before her like a pissed off cobra, she informed her watcher that she had a date and would NOT be available. Tonight, the world was on it's own.

Since he also had a date that night, he could hardly object. Beyond a few mutterings about 'Sacred Duty' blah-blah-blah; 'Shirking Her Responsibilities' blah-blah-blah; and "Protection of the Tax Paying Citizens of Sunnydale' blah-blah-blah...he hoisted his white flag and surrendered without firing a shot.

Setting the phone back down, she stuck her tongue out at it, then hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, stripping her clothes off and letting them lay right where she dropped them, choosing to ignore the uneasy certainty that her 'Neat as a pin, with a floor clean enough to operate on' mother could see everything she was doing clear on the other side of the country, and didn't much care for what she was seeing.

She squashed a nervous impulse to call the hotel where her mother was staying, making sure she was really there and not just hanging around waiting to ambush her when the first one of her commandments was broken.

In the shower, she washed her hair and shaved her legs, then filled the sponge mitt with a lavender scented
body wash and scrubbed herself from head to toe.

After drying off, she plugged in her hot curlers and dried and rolled up her hair.

Strewing the contents of her closet all over the room, she tried on and rejected seven different outfits.

She stood in the middle of her room, hands on her hips, frustrated beyond imagining with her teeny-bopper wardrobe.

He had told her to get dressed up, but most, if not all of her clothing couldn't even BEGIN to make the cut.

Feeling the unmistakeable signs of an impending temper tantrum, she stamped her foot like a spoiled child being forcibly dragged away from a playground by her

parents, who had the nerve to want her to go home and eat her dinner.

As she stood there fuming, a sudden memory came to her.

Ambling casually down the hallway, straightening the pictures on the wall as she went, she accidentally/on purpose nudged open the door to her mother's bedroom.

She felt a little silly for all the stealth, considering that there was no one there to be suspicious of her.

Determinedly, she slid open the doors of her mother's closet and began rifling through her clothes, wrinkling her nose and making an "Eww" face with each garment she rejected.

Dropping to her knees, she lifted the side of the dust ruffle and looked under the bed.

Ah-ha!

With a softly muttered "Yes!" of victory, she reached beneath the bed and pulled out a box.

It was wrapped in paper with a pattern of roses, and there was a card on top of it with her name on it.

Smiling, she shook the box gently, delighted when she heard the soft rustle of fabric.

It had to be the dress. The one she'd tried on while shopping with her mother, and had been dropping hints about that were as subtle as an anvil landing on a foot.

She felt a moment of guilt for what she was about
to do.

Not that she was about to let it stop her...

Carefully, she unwrapped one end of the box, then slid it out and took the lid off.

There was a sheet of pink tissue paper laying across the contents of the box. She removed it and set it to one side.

When she saw the dress, she squealed with happiness.

It was black and sleeveless, with a V-shaped neckline and a hem that ended only an inch or two above her knees. The fabric was silky and it clung lovingly to her curves.

She'd known exactly what her mother was up to when she'd parked Buffy in the food court of the Sunnydale Mall, then excused herself to go to the bathroom.

If what her mom said had been the actual truth then, considering the amount of time it had taken her, Buffy had figured that the bathroom must be clear on the other side of town.

She took the dress back to her room, laying it out on the bed, then sat down at her vanity and pulled the curlers out of her hair. Wielding her hairbrush, she ran it through her hair until it was a soft cloud framing her face.

When she was satisfied, she made up her face, expertly applying eye shadow, highlighter, liner, mascara, lipstick and blush.

Donning a black lace bra and matching panties, she then slipped on her black garter belt, clipping a new pair of stockings to it.

After smoothing the dress down over her hips, she tossed a few odds and ends into a black clutch purse, then grabbed her black shawl from where she'd hung it over the back of her vanity mirror.

The half hour between 7:30 and 8:00 crawled by with a maddening slowness.

~~~~~

And when you're out in the cold
No one beside you, and no one to hold
Am I unwise to open up your eyes
to love me....

~~~~~
 

Part Eight.....

I Can't Hold Back

~~~~~

There's a story in my eyes
Turn the pages of desire
Now it's time to trade those dreams
For the rush of passions fire....

~~~~~

The doorbell rang at exactly 7:59.

Buffy's heart jumped from her chest, to her throat, then down into her stomach, before it returned to the place it belonged.

Forcing herself to walk, she opened the front door with a smile that could light up the entire town of Sunnydale.

William was standing on the front porch, holding a single long stemmed red rose.

"Hi" she said softly, feeling ridiculously shy considering what she'd been doing with this man.

He looked her slowly up and down. "God...look at you. And I thought you looked beautiful last night."

As they always did when he spoke this way, her cheeks pinked up prettily. "Thank you," she said, her smile shining brightly.

He waited a moment, then said, "Can I come in?"

"Oh!" Buffy stepped back a little. "Yes. Come in. I'm sorry...I just...."

He shook his head. "Not to worry, angelface. It takes a little getting used to."

She led him into the front room, watching him as he glanced around, taking in his surroundings.

He was wearing a white button down shirt, with a dark

gray silk tie. His suit was black, and beautifully tailored to fit him to perfection. Buffy didn't know a lot about men's clothing, but even she could tell that this particular ensemble was expensive.

"You look nice," she said, gesturing at his apparel.

"Well, I'm taking a lady out on the town," he said with a shrug. "Gotta look my best." Handing the rose to her, he added, "For the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

"Thank you," she said, turning to go into the kitchen. "I'll get some water for...."

She was cut off when a strong arm suddenly caught her around the waist and pulled her close. Surprised, she looked up at him.

"Sorry," he said, with an unrepentent grin. "Can't wait one more second to kiss you."

Without another thought, she twined her arms around his neck and whispered, "Kiss me."

When his mouth touched hers, all the wonderful and dizzying feelings from the night before rocketed through her small body. Their mouths moved together as though they'd been born for nothing but this.

He pulled back first. "If you kiss me like that again," he said, nuzzling her cheek, "I'm going to carry you up those stairs and make love to you right here and now."

Since that was perfectly all right with her, she immediately began to initiate another kiss.

He laughed a little and held her off. "Now you wait, little one. You must be hungry, and I'm going to make sure you eat a good dinner." He lowered his voice a little and gave her a wickedly sexy smile. "You're gonna need your strength, after all."

Buffy folded her arms across her chest, pouting. "Oh, phooey. You're no fun."

Without a pause, he bent over and picked her up, making her gasp in giddy excitement. "Oh, don't worry, angelface. There's plenty of fun in store for tonight. But you need to eat your dinner, like a good girl."

He carried her to the front door and set her on her feet. "Besides," he added, "I want to take you out and show you off."

Buffy sighed and placed the rose on the small table at the foot of the stairs, then picked up her handbag and shawl. "All right, then. Take me out and feed me. But I'm starving," she warned him,"so I hope you brought your American Express card."

He smiled as they stepped out onto the porch. "I never leave home without it," he said, taking her keys and locking the deadbolt for her.

After handing the keys back to her, he reached for her hand, helping her down the porch steps as though they were a treacherous and slippery slope. He didn't release her hand, but led her to his car and opened the passenger side door for her, seating her gracefully.

Buffy watched him as he went around the front of the car, mentally saluting whoever had taught him such old fashioned gallantry. Vampire or not, he had excellent manners. Not one other boy she'd ever gone out with had opened a car door for her.

He closed the door and keyed the ignition. The powerful

motor started up instantly, and he backed out of the driveway and out into the street.

Cruising down the highway at a steady speed, he turned to smile at her, patting the seat beside him invitingly.

Buffy promptly scooted her rear across the cold leather seat, and snuggled up next to him.

"Did I tell you how pretty you look tonight?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Hmm. Mind if I say it again?"

"No," she giggled. "Of course I don't. What woman in her right mind would?"

He stopped at a red light. "You look," he said, briefly pressing his lips to her hair, "absolutely beautiful, angel-
face."

"So do you," she replied without thinking. Realizing what that she'd spoken out loud, she flushed and turned her head
to look out the window.

He seemed to understand, and let the subject drop.

~~~~~

I can feel you tremble when we touch
And I feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us

~~~~~

Buffy stood in the ladies lounge, staring into the

mirror with a smile that refused to be controlled.

She brushed her hair, and touched up her lipstick, then left the restroom and walked up behind William as he spoke with the hostess.

The woman was obviously charmed by whatever he was saying to her. She leaned forward over the hostess stand, her body language blatantly announcing her availability.

She was tall, with raven black hair and a figure that defied the laws of physics.

Buffy hated her on sight, and had no intention of letting her get away with anything.

Standing behind William, she slipped her arms around him from behind, giving the hostess the dirtiest look she could come up with.

"I'M back," she said, leaning hard on the first word.

He turned and dropped a hard kiss onto her lips. "So you are."

The hostess muttered something about making sure their table was ready, then walked away with a seductive sway of her hips.

In less than a minute, Little-Miss-Look-At-My-Ass was back, indicating that they should follow
her.

The dining area of the restaurant consisted of several tables in the middle of it, with a number of booths recessed into the walls. Each booth had a curtain that could be pulled to insure privacy.

The hostess seated them in one of the booths, then placed two menus on the table in front of them.

She informed them that their server would be with them shortly, and asked if they would care to order something to drink while they waited.

William glanced at the wine list, and ordered a bottle of champagne.

At that point, the hostess looked at Buffy. "Would you care for a soft drink?" she asked cattily. "Or maybe a glass of milk?"

Buffy's cheeks turned bright scarlet at the woman's obvious attempt to point out to William that he was dining with a child.

He looked at the hostess, then at Buffy, then back at the hostess. "A soft drink will be fine," he informed

her. "But not a diet drink." Returning his attention to Buffy, he said. "I mean..just look at her. She doesn't need to watch her figure. She's already perfect...aren't you, my love?" he added, kissing her lightly.

Elated at the way he dealt with the hostess, Buffy had to fight back a childish impulse to stick out her tongue at the woman.

After the hostess left, he reached up and pulled the curtains almost all the way closed. Taking Buffy's hand, he kissed the tips of her fingers and smiled.

"Bitch." He gestured in the direction the hostess had gone. "Sit close to me," he said.

Buffy slid along the seat until she was pressed up against him.

Wrapping one arm around her, he opened up the menu in front of him. "What are you hungry for, angelface?"

~~~~~

I've been holding back the night
I've been searching for a clue from you
I'm gonna try with all my might
To make the storyline come true

~~~~~

The hostess kept her distance from them for the remainder of their time in the restaurant.

The champagne was brought and poured and when the waiter had taken their orders and left, William pulled the curtain closed a little more and held his glass up to Buffy's lips.

"I shouldn't be doing this," he said, winking at her. "I've already contributed enough to the delinquency of this particular minor."

Buffy grinned at him, then promptly sneezed.

"Oh!" Her hands flew up to her face. "I'm sorry."

He looked at her with a tender smile. "Catching a cold, are you?" he teased.

"No, it was the bubbles, they kind of went up my nose...and you already knew that, didn't you?" she groaned, hiding her eyes.

William laughed. "Now, none of that," he scolded, pulling her hands down. "I have to see those beautiful eyes all the time," he added. "Make sure you still love me."

She moved her face close to his and stared right at him. "What do you see?"

After taking a long moment to examine her, he slipped one hand behind the back of her neck and pulled her close. "I see...the woman I love," he whispered as his mouth came down on hers.

Thrilled that he considered her to be a woman...to be HIS woman, Buffy kissed him with great enthusiasm.

When she pulled away, she asked, "Do you see the woman who loves you? Cause she's right here, you know."

He took hold of her shoulders. "Don't stop," he pleaded, searching for the sweet taste of her lips again.

She made a kitten-like sound in her throat and moved even closer, gasping when his mouth traveled down her neck to nuzzle the hollow between her breasts.

"I love you," he murmured as he tasted her skin. "I do...I love you so much...waited so long to find you."

Buffy let her head fall against the padded back of the booth. Her eyes closed, she concentrated on her other senses; the sound of his voice as he told her that he loved her; the feel of his hands and mouth touching her bare skin; the clean scent of soap; and the taste of his lips and his tongue.

Her hand slipped down his side and came to rest of his upper thigh. He knew it must be unwittingly, because there was no way she was ready to do such a thing in public.

~~~~~

Can you feel me tremble when we touch
Can you feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us
This love affair can't wait....

~~~~~

But when she failed to move her hand away, he began to wonder.

<Maybe she's ready to learn something new...>

He placed his hand on hers, and moved it over and up a little.

Her eyes flew open in shock as she broke their kiss and stared at him...

But didn't move her hand.

<That's my girl...so brave...>

He slipped his own hand under her skirt, and up between her thighs, exploring the elastic of her garter belt, the smoothness of her stockings, and the suddenly damp silk of her panties.

But when one finger began to work it's way into her underpants, her thighs clamped shut like a time lock at the bank.

"We can't" she hissed.

"Why not?" he asked, smiling. "No one can see us in here."

"But...but we're in public...it's...we can't..."

His other hand, which had been resting on her shoulder, slipped down and brushed against her breast.

She gasped out loud, and he chuckled at what she had unknowingly revealed.

"You like this," he said quietly. "It's turning you on, isn't it, pussycat?"

"What...no. Of course...not."

"Yes it is," he insisted. His fingers tweaked the hard tip of her breast. "Your nipples are hard. Like ripe cherries."
he added, nuzzling her ear. "You wish I would push your dress aside and suck on them, don't you?"

"Well...yes...but...but not here," she protested, trying to sound like she meant business.

He wasn't buying it. "Yes. Right here and right now. Because that's part of the excitement...the possibility of being caught. It makes everything hotter."

"William," she whimpered weakly, knowing she was about to surrender. Her thighs loosened up just a fraction, and he took advantage of the momentary lapse in her
defenses.

His finger slid into her panties and found her clit easily.

"Ohh..yikes!" she yelped, her eyes widening with surprise.

"Shhh," he cautioned her. "Wouldn't want to attract unwanted attention."

Buffy shook her head. "No..stop."

He immediately stilled his finger and looked up at her. "Do you really want me to stop, angelface?"

She could see by his expression that the question was a serious one, not a teasing "oh, you don't really mean that"
one.

Problem was, she wasn't sure what she really wanted. Part of her was loving this roller coaster thrill ride she found her-
self on whenever he was with her. But the other part of her, the sensible part that had been raised by her mother not to even
let her bra straps show in public, was telling her to smack his hands sharply until he put them back where they belonged.

Before she could say a word, the curtains were whisked back and the waiter appeared with a huge serving tray.

Although he straightened up a little, William kept his hand where it was down below, secure in the knowledge that the
tablecloth hid everything from prying eyes.

Instead of withdrawing, he moved his finger just the tiniest bit, eliciting a squeak from Buffy as she stared at the waiter.

The young man arranged an assortment of food in front of them, with the obligatory small talk of warning Buffy to be careful because the plate was quite hot, and would she care for another drink, and was everything to their satisfaction.

William deliberately didn't answer any of these questions for her. All he did was move his finger in the most deliciously tantalizing way he could, faster and then slower.

"Wha...what?" Buffy asked, looking at the waiter through glassy eyes.

"Would you like another soft drink?" he asked again.

"Ohh! Oh...yessss. That's good...that's A good...idea! I like that...I WOULD like that....a lot. Thank you." she said, grabbing her napkin to dab at her hairline.

The waiter hesitated, noticing her flushed face and damp skin. "Is it too warm in here for you, Miss?" he asked politely.

"Uh..no. No, I'm...I'm just fine, thanks," Buffy said absently, forcing her eyes to stay open. "How are you?"

William nearly laughed out loud at the bewildered waiter's expression. By this time, Buffy's thighs were splayed open
a little more, and he could work his other finger in, enabling him to gently pinch her clit between his thumb and forefinger.

Buffy nearly jumped off the seat, which focused the waiter's attention on her again. "Is everything to your liking so far?"

She nodded frantically. "Yes...yes...yes," she said. "It's good...really, really good. You can...go now."

The waiter turned to leave.

"Close the curtain!" she yelped, then swallowed hard when people turned to look at her. "Please. Thank you."

Once the curtain was safely closed, she fell back against the seat. Panting slightly, she looked into his eyes.

He just smiled, gently stroking her. "Did you come?" he whispered.

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, gosh," she whimpered. Spying his glass of champagne, she grabbed it and emptied it in one swallow. "I have to go to the bathroom."

She slid around to the outer edge of the seat, but he caught her arm.

"Buffy...you're not angry with me, are you?"

She answered him by leaning over and kissing him on the mouth. "It's the champagne," she whispered in his ear.

He smiled. "Hurry up, then."

~~~~~

I can't hold back, I'm on the edge
You're voice explodes inside my head
I can't hold back
I won't back down
Girl, it's too late to turn back now...

~~~~~

"Are you full, sweetheart?"

Buffy looked up from her completely cleaned dinner plate. She was about to claim that she couldn't possibly manage another bite of food, then remembered that she didn't have to play that silly game with him.

"What's for dessert?" she asked, smiling cheerfully.

As though he'd been standing by waiting for his cue, the waiter appeared with a dessert cart.

Buffy looked on it as though it contained priceless gems, instead of sweets. She counted four different kinds of cheesecake, chocolate mousse, white cake with coconut frosting, key lime pie, custard with raspberry syrup drizzled over it, a dish of strawberries dipped in chocolate, and the biggest slice of devil's food cake she'd ever seen.

She felt William move closer to her. "Choose as much as you like, angel. You don't have to eat all of it," he said quietly.

"Well," she said seriously, "I'm kind of undecided between the strawberries and the chocolate cake..."

"Bring them both," he instructed the waiter.

"But I really like cheesecake, too."

"And the cheesecake," he added.

"Of course," the waiter said. "Which kind?"

"All of them," William replied, without looking at him.

After the waiter left, Buffy hid her face against William's shoulder. "He must think I'm such a pig," she said.

"Who cares what he thinks?" William said. "He's not being paid to think. He's being paid to bring you anything your heart desires."

Right now, Buffy realized, her heart was desiring something far more appetizing than mere food and drink. The mundane necessities of daily life concerned her not at all. The only thing she wanted, really and truly needed, was him. With his arms around her, she would be perfectly content to let the world pass by, and would never notice or care who saw them...

"Buffy?"

Oh, perfect.

"Hi, Giles...hi, Miss Calender," she said, sitting up straight as though she'd been called on in class to answer a question.

"Hi, Buffy," Miss Calender smiled. "You look nice tonight."

"Thank you," Buffy said weakly. "You too."

Giles cleared his throat, reminding Buffy that her manners left a lot to be desired at the moment.

"Oh, umm...this is William Hamilton. This is...this is..."

"Rupert Giles," Giles supplied with a slight eye roll. "How do you do?"

"Pleased to meet you," William said smoothly.

"And this is Miss Calender," Buffy added.

"Jenny...Calender," the woman said, "We're not in school now, Buffy," she added, then smiled at William.
"Nice to meet you."

"And you," he said, with a nod.

There was a brief silence, which Giles broke.

"Well, I trust you're having a pleasant evening?"

"Very pleasant," William replied.

Their little comedy was brought to a halt by the arrival of the waiter bearing a tray loaded with desserts.

Giles scanned the contents of the tray, then gave Buffy a rather disapproving look, one that William intercepted as Buffy squirmed uncomfortably.

"I have such a sweet tooth," he claimed gallantly, a comment that didn't convince Giles. He'd had enough arguments with his charge about proper nutrition to know who was behind this little feast of gooey delights.

However, he was polite enough not to embarrass her. "Well, we should be going," he said to Jenny, taking her arm. "Buffy, I'll see you on Monday. We'll talk then," he continued, making it clear that they would definitely be talking.

After their departure, the waiter unloaded the tray and excused himself.

Buffy looked at William, her heart in her eyes.

"What?" he asked her as he picked up a fork and cut off a bite of the chocolate cake and offered it to her.

She opened her mouth and accepted the morsel, letting the fork slide slowly back out of her mouth, then licking her upper lip to clean off a bit of the frosting.

He knew she was shooting for seductive, but as he watched her try to deal with the cake, it quickly became obvious that it wasn't gonna work out that way.

She mumbled something to him, and he had to ask her to repeat herself, then nearly collapsed with laughter when he heard what she had said in such garbled words: "I think I could use that glass of milk now."

~~~~~

Another shooting star goes by
And in the night the silence speaks to you and I
And now the time has come at last
Don't let the moment run too fast...

~~~~~

TBC
 

Part Nine....

Everlasting.

(Yes, I like Survivor)

~~~~~

Heart and soul I come to you

Are we meeting here on cue

Just in time for a love affair

~~~~~

"What are you thinking about?"

Buffy turned her head and looked up into his eyes. She'd mostly been concentrating on watching his hands as he maneuvered the huge car through heavy Saturday night traffic.

She shrugged and snuggled closer. "That you're a really good driver," she said.

"Ah, well," he smiled at her, "I've been at it for a while."

"Is it fun?"

There was a wistful tone in her voice that caught his attention. "Would you like to drive?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't have a license"

He shrugged. "Neither do I."

"Well...I wouldn't want to damage your car."

"This car's a tank, angelface. It was built to last. Nothing short of a train hitting it is gonna cause a lot of damage."

She squirmed in her seat, staring down at her hands. "That's not..completely..impossible."

He chuckled. "What if I take you someplace where there's nothing you can run into?"

"Like where?" she asked.

He considered the options. "Down at Main Beach, there's a big parking lot."

She just looked at him.

"You hit something there?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "Parking meter."

"Scratch the beach, then," he said. "What about at the mall? No cars there at THIS time of night."

"Streetlight," she mumbled.

"All right..the mall's out as well." He paused to think. "Your school, maybe? There must be.."

"Math building...twice."

He looked perplexed. "Who on earth was teaching you?"

"A friend of mine, Xander. But, he had to stop be- cause he was developing an ulcer."

"Xander?" He felt a flash of jealousy. "Your little boyfriend from the other night?"

"No," She nudged him with her elbow. "I told you..I don't have a boyfriend."

"You've got one now," he pointed out. "Come on, angelface...let's take our chances at the mall."

~~~~~

Like a fool that walked through fire

Just to reach my heart's desire

Baby , would you be waiting there...

~~~~~

After adjusting the seat as far forward as it would go, he scooted her behind the wheel. She placed both hands on the wheel, holding it in a death grip.

"Baby..relax," he said, rubbing her back. "This isn't rocket science. You just need a little practice."

"That's what I thought," she said. "But no will let me use their car."

"Well, I'M here now." His hand slid around to the nape of her neck. "Just turn the key."

The engine fired up with a roar.

"Put your foot on the brake..good..now pull that lever down into 'Drive'...foot off the brake and step down on the accelerator..."

Buffy turned to look at him like a scared bunny rabbit.

"You...you have insurance don't you?"

He didn't...but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"Heavily insured, baby. You'll do fine."

~~~~~

Could we afford to wonder

If this could be the one?

Looking for a love that's everlasting

Wonder if the feeling's strong enough

Tell me, are we merely lovers passing

Or an everlasting love.....

~~~~~

"Buffy...honey, please stop crying."

She shook her head, sobbing into a handkerchief he had given her. "I...I can't...I ruined your car. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

"Baby...it's just a little dent. It can be fixed. " He sighed deeply. "Now stop crying...you're getting your pretty dress all wet."

He pulled the car into the driveway and cut the engine, then came around and opened her door. Without a word, he picked her up in his arms and kicked the car door shut with his foot.

Carrying her to the front porch, he set her down and opened her handbag to find her keys, then unlocked the door and ushered her inside.

He relocked the door, and turned to see her staring at herself in the wall mirror at the foot of the stair- case.

Her face was streaked with tears, and her eye make-up had become a melting mess, giving her the appearance of someone who'd come out on the wrong end of a fistfight.

She was a sad little sight to be sure, and his heart turned over inside of him. He felt an odd amalgamation of guilt for pushing her into trying to drive the car, pity for the obvious misery written all over her face, and the protectiveness she'd brought out in him from the moment he'd seen her for the first time.

He would have cheerfully killed anyone else who made her cry, without even stopping to find out why. Knowing that this was his fault, he was determined to find a way to dry her tears.

"So," he said, watching her dab at her watery eyes. "Was that REALLY the same streetlight you hit the first time?"

She blew her nose and nodded. "Yes."

"Hmm...what do you suppose the odds are of that?"

Buffy turned around, biting her lower lip, and shrugged.

"Gotta be pretty high, don't you think?" He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. "I guess we'd have to go back and count how many are there, then we could average it out," he mused, then winked at her. "Want to drive?"

It was working. That abused lower lip of hers was beginning to curve in the smile he loved.

"That's better," he said. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed both her cheeks and then her lips, tasting her tears.

She burrowed closer to him for a moment, then looked up as he smoothed her hair. "Shouldn't you call your insurance company?" she asked, sniffling.

"My...oh, yeah..." he nodded, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I'll take care of that tomorrow."

There was a brief pause. "You don't have insurance, do you?" she asked.

"No," he confessed. "But don't worry. I can afford it."

She stirred fretfully in his arms. "No, I should pay for it. I'm the one who made the dent."

"Buffy..."

"I...can't pay you for all of it at once...but I get an allowance from my mom every Saturday...and my dad sends me..."

"Buffy, hush!" he said firmly. "I'm not taking your money, angelface. I have plenty, and I don't need yours."

She settled down a little. "...and I was thinking about getting a job this summer."

"You have a job. Concentrate on that."

Pulling back from him, she lifted her tear stained face to look in his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to pay for..."

"I'm sure," he cut her off. "Listen...I had a sizeable inheritance from both my mother and my grandfather. And you'd be surprised how interest can accumulate over a hundred and twenty five years."

Her eyes grew round. "A hundred and twenty five years?" she squeaked. "That's how old you are?"

He laughed. "That's when I became a vampire. I was twenty-eight when it happened, so I suppose, tech- nically I'm one hundred and fifty three."

"Wow," she murmured. "My mom just about had a fit when I went out with a senior last year. What's she gonna say about this?"

"Where is she?"

"She's in New York, visiting some friends. She owns an art gallery in the Plaza, and she's looking for some new pieces while she's there."

"And she left you here all by yourself?"

Buffy shrugged. "Believe me, she didn't want to. But my dad is...well, he's ...not around much. I was gonna stay with some friends, but someone in their family died and..it just wouldn't work out."

She stepped back out of his arms. "I need to use the bathroom," she said, as quietly as though there was someone else that might overhear.

While he waited for her to return, he shed his jacket and dropped it over the back of a chair, then removed his tie.

He moved around the living room, looking at the vast collection of photographs. Mostly of Buffy, they ranged from what looked like a newborn photo taken in the hospital, to what had to be a school picture taken recently.

He smiled as he examined the visual display of her infancy and childhood. "God, she's always been adorable."

She seemed to have gone through no awkward phases whatsoever. Even the pictures where she was clearly missing her front teeth showed clear promise of the beauty she'd grown up to be.

There was one picture that caught his attention instantly. It looked as though it had been taken when she wasn't aware of it, for she wasn't looking into the camera, but off to one side of it.

In the photograph, she was wearing a white sun- dress, with matching white sandals. She had a light golden tan and her hair was sun streaked, held back from her face with a gold clip.

There was a faint smile on her face, as if she was seeing something amusing out of view of the camera.

He had picked the framed photo up and was still examining it when she came back into the room.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked.

"Looking at you," he replied. "How old were you when this was taken?"

She looked over his shoulder. "That was last summer, so I was almost sixteen." She watched him stare down at the picture and she smiled. "Would you..like to keep that picture?"

"Yes," he said immediately, with no "Oh, I couldn't" or "Are you sure your mother won't mind?" type of responses. He slipped it out of the frame, and placed it on the table.

"Thank you," he said, putting the frame down and turning to face her.

Buffy stared at him with wide eyes. "Take your shirt off!" she said loudly. "Take it off!"

He blinked, a little surprised at her boldness, but did as she asked, and unbuttoned his shirt. After dropping his cuff links into the front pocket of his trousers, he felt her hands yanking the shirt down his arms and off.

When he turned to face her, he was even more surprised to see her nearly running from the room.

"Buffy?" He followed her into the kitchen.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god." She was saying it over and over again as she flung open a door and ran down the stairs that, he assumed, led to a basement of some kind.

By the time he caught up with her, she was standing in front of a washing machine, spraying something onto the front of his shirt.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked. Looking over her shoulder, he saw the black mascara staining the garment.

"Look what I've done to your shirt," she moaned. "First your car...now your shirt," she added, opening the lid of the washing machine.

"Um...sweetheart..." he began.

"You must think I'm a total jinx," she ranted, dropping a capful of liquid detergent onto the shirt.

"No, honey, but you can't..."

Wrenching up the lid of the washer, she threw his shirt in and closed it, then began spinning a dial on the instrument panel. "I'm so sorry," she kept repeating.

The machine began to fill, then to agitate. "I can fix this one, though," she said. "I can even iron it for you when it comes out of the dryer."

"The..the dryer? Well...all right, but I...."

She flung herself into his arms. "You don't hate me for being such a klutz, do you?"

Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "No, angelface," he assured her. "I could never hate you..no matter what."

"Good," she murmured happily. "That makes me feel so much better."

He pressed a kiss against the crown of her hair. No way was he going to tell her that she'd thrown a silk shirt made for him in France..a shirt that was supposed to be laundered by hand in cold water and never see the inside of a dryer..into a machine filled with hot water that was agitating with a violence reserved for soiled corduroy.

Nope. He wasn't gonna say a damn word about it.

~~~~~

On this first night, we are one

Kindred spirits on the run

Taking hold of our destiny

In this world of chances missed

Does forever still exist

This side of the fantasy...

~~~~~

"Um..do you want some coffee, or something? While we're waiting for your shirt?"

He closed the basement door, and followed her into the kitchen. "I don't think I should," he said, "Coffee keeps me awake at night."

"Well, we've got decaffi....very funny," she smiled, her eyes sparkling.

He sat down at the kitchen table and waited till she walked close by, then reached out and grabbed her, pulling her down onto his lap.

"I'd rather have you while I'm waiting for my shirt," he said, nuzzling the back of her neck.

She tilted her head to one side, totally exposing the soft flesh of her throat. "Kiss me there," she asked sweetly.

When she felt the gentle press of his lips on her pulse, she turned in his lap. "Let me see you...you know..."

He looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I want to know all of you."

"You won't stake me, will you?"

"Silly," she tsked. "Come on...show me."

When he'd changed, he sat quietly as she examined his face with her fingertips, feeling the ridges and looking into his golden eyes. Then, placing her hands on either side of his face, she lifted the sides of his upper lip, exposing his fangs.

She sat back, her arms loosely draped around his neck. "Hmm."

He shook his head and changed back. "Well?"

"It's funny," she said, tilting her head to one side. "The others all look so ugly. But you don't." She stroked his cheek with the tip of her finger. "You look wild and otherworldly...is that a word?"

"I think so," He squeezed her around her waist. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Should I be?"

"No. I promise..you'll never have a reason to be afraid of me."

"Same here," she said, quite matter-of-factly.

~~~~~

Can we afford to wonder

If this could be the one

I'm looking for a love that's everlasting

Wonder if the feeling's strong enough

Tell me, are we merely lovers passing

Or an everlasting love....

~~~~~

The zipper of her dress slid down easily, and he traced the line of her vertebrae with his lips, lingering in the small of her back, gently touching his tongue to her skin.

He was still sitting, she was standing in front of him, facing away.

"Can I take your dress off?" he asked.

She smiled and turned around. "Yes," she said softly, reaching for his hand and tugging him to his feet.

When she began to pull him across the room, he stopped her.

"Where are we going?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Um..upstairs. To my room."

He shook his head. "Let's stay here."

Right on cue, her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. "In the kitchen?"

He had to laugh. He just couldn't help it. "In the kitchen," he confirmed. Placing his hands under her arms, he lifted her onto the counter, and stepped between her legs. "There's no law that says you have to make love in a bed every time."

Slipping her dress down, he helped pull her arms out of it, then let it gather around her waist. She sat there, wearing a black strapless bra, that made her skin look like cream.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against the hollow between her breasts. "That's very pretty," he said, "What have you got on down below?"

"Stockings and a garter belt, and my underpants, which you already knew about," she reported seriously. "What's so funny?"

He was sincerely trying not to laugh, but her humor was so unintentional that it caught him off guard every time.

"Nothing, angel. It's just the way you talk sometimes. So serious and innocent."

"Innocent?" She actually looked disappointed. "Still?"

"A little," he nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with it, baby. I think it's cute."

"But I'm not supposed to be innocent anymore," she said. "I have experience now."

"Oh, baby," he said tenderly. "You're just getting started with your experience. And your innocence is one of the things I love most about you. I don't want you to lose it, no matter how much experience you get under your belt."

She framed his face in her hands and kissed him, then pulled back and said, "Teach me how to talk..sexy. I want to learn."

"Later" he promised. "Right now...we're gonna have some kitchen fun."

Buffy sat and watched him pull open the refrigerator door and hunt around inside.

"Ah-ha!" he announced, pulling a bowl of fruit out. He placed the bowl on the counter and peeled off the plactic wrap. There were strawberries and raspberries, apple slices and orange wedges in the bowl.

Buffy looked at it and shrugged. "You know, I'm really still full from dinner."

With his face buried in the curve of her neck, he laughed and kissed her and told her how much he loved her.

Then, he helped her slip her dress all the way off and unfastened her bra. She lifted her hips and wriggled out of her underwear, but he instructed her to leave her stockings and heels on.

He pulled the curtains securely closed, then dimmed the lights.

When he had the room the way he wanted it, he reached into the bowl and took out an wedge of orange.

"What are you...oh!" She gasped when he squeezed the juice from the orange, letting it trickle over her breasts. Tossing the peel away, he leaned over and began licking the juice off her skin.

Buffy leaned back on her hands, thrusting her breasts forward, allowing him to clean her thoroughly with his tongue. When he was finished, she picked up another orange slice and squeezed it on herself, wanting more of his meticulous clean up.

As his tongue slid wetly over her breasts and circled her hard nipples, Buffy's head dropped back and she began to breathe a little faster.

He licked her roughly, then took a fat red strawberry from the bowl. Holding it by the husk, he rubbed the other end against each of her nipples, then slid it up to her lips, inviting her to bite into it.

She did, and the berry exploded between her teeth, releasing it's sticky juice to stain her lips, a stain he promptly licked away also.

He kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth and finding hers.

To his absolute delight, Buffy's little fingers began working at the button of his trousers. When she had it undone, she carefully lowered his zipper, then lost her nerve and placed her hands back by her sides.

He took one of her hands and guided it back to the opening of his pants. Tearing his mouth away from hers, he rasped out two words, "Touch me."

Tentatively, she reached in and curved her hand around his erection.

"Yes, baby," he whispered, sucking on her ear lobe, "Touch me like that...rub up and down...that's it...harder...yeah."

He pulled her forward on the counter, then let his pants drop down around his ankles.

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he said, "I want to feel your stockings against my bare skin." He paused to admire the sight of her in her garter belt and nylons. "I'm going to buy you one of those in every color," he promised.

He slipped one hand between her thighs and stroked her with his fingers. "So wet," he murmured, kissing her throat. "I want to be inside you, angel. Buried inside you where you're all warm and soft."

Buffy whimpered when she felt his mouth on her breast, sucking at her nipple. He reached into the bowl with his free hand, and extracted a raspberry. Squeezing the berry between his thumb and forefinger, he popped it open and spread juice around the light pink tip of her right breast, then repeated the process for the left.

When he had her the way he wanted her, he cupped his hands beneath her breasts and lifted them slightly, pushing them together. He applied his tongue to her sugary tasting curves, suckling hard on the very tips until he had them nearly the same color as the raspberry he'd painted her with.

"William," she moaned hoarsely. "Please...I..."

She honestly didn't know how to articulate her desire.

"S'all right, baby," he whispered. "I know what my girl needs. What she wants."

He urged her to lay down on the counter, then ducked between her legs and began to lick her there. He had to keep a firm grip on her hips to keep her still, since she was doing everything she could to get closer to his teasing tongue.

Pausing to adjust her a little, his eye fell on something he hadn't noticed before.

Buffy was laying on her back and staring at the ceiling when she felt his mouth leave her, and she whined in protest. Before she could say anything though, she felt a thick substance being applied to her labia. When she raised her head, she saw William squeezing the honey bottle her mother kept by the toaster, letting the honey drip down and coat her sex.

Looking up, he caught her watching him. "Not that you aren't already adorably sweet," he grinned like a naughty child with a serious sweet tooth, "But I just love honey."

Pushing the bottle away,. he ducked back down between her legs and began to meticulously clean up every sticky drop.

When neither of them could wait another second, he straightened up and aligned her opening with the head of his erect shaft.

As she felt him began to enter her, she dug her nails into his arms. It hurt, but not nearly the way it had the first time, so she assumed it would get a little better each time they did it.

But when he started to thrust, she noticed that the pain ebbed a lot more quickly than it had last night. When it was completely gone, she began to return his thrusts as best she could from the position she was in.

Turning her head, she saw the honey bottle. William's eyes were closed, so she reached for it and coated her finger with the golden syrup, then touched his lips with it.

His eyes flew open, and when he saw what she was doing, he smiled and opened his mouth, allowing her to slide her finger in so he could suck the honey off of it.

She imitated the motion he was performing for her, using her finger. He sucked it, and licked it, and bit down gently on it, continuing to thrust harder and harder in and out of her tight passsage.

Buffy was close to orgasm, and she tightened her legs around him, using the strong muscles to hold him firmly inside of her, then grinding herself against him until she came.

He let her gyrate against him, giving her the pressure she needed, and when she was finished and looking up at him with sleepy, satisfied eyes, he pumped into her hard and fast, grunting with his efforts, exploding inside of her with a shout of pure carnal pleasure.

He fell forward, covering her mouth with his and kissing her deeply, then buried his face between her breasts and closed his eyes.

Buffy stroked his shoulders and back, caressing and petting him until he raised up off of her.

He saw her looking at the fruit bowl, and asked her what she was thinking about.

"I was just wondering...what were you gonna do with the apples, and....why are you laughing? What did I say?"

~~~~~

This could be an everlasting love....

~~~~~

End of part 9