[Reviews - 177]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2844 times

- Text Size +




Cousin Arabella by Lilachigh


Chp. 13 “I dare you!”


Buffy laughed at the slime demon and planted her feet more firmly on either side of Spike’s body as it sprawled on the black and white marble hall floor.

“Do you know, I wish I had a dollar for every time a demon or vampire has said those words to me. I would be so rich, I could buy myself a beautiful tropical island and live there for ever!”

“Silly little girl - prepare to die!”

‘I - ” thwack! “am not” - slud! - “silly!’ Flumpf!! Two kicks and a back punch sent the demon flying across the hallway. “And I’m not little, just a smidgeon under average!”

Swiftly, she bent and hoisted Spike upright. He groaned and muttered something very rude under his breath as she half carried, half pushed him out towards the main doorway of Arabella’s house.

Even in a situation like this, she loved the feeling of his muscled back and chest under her hands.
“Come on, Spike, be a big brave vampire and walk on your own two feet, damn it.”

“Why, the views better from here,” Spike groaned thickly, his nose buried in the soft flesh showing above her bra.

Buffy dropped him and he rolled over and was up on his feet, groaning. “My head hurts! Who hit me.”

“Slime demon. With a flower vase! Just be grateful it wasn’t an axe. We need to get out of here - fast!“

“Spike! Miss Summers! What’s happened? Are you all right?” The vast bright green bulk of Div‘vid, the Frovlax regurgitating demon appeared in front of them, his soulful brown cow gaze worried and upset.

He turned to the demons who were still spoiling for a fight and waved them away with one gesture of his huge hand.

“OK, everyone, settle down. This party game’s over now. There’s a new supply of champagne being served downstairs and snacks of all sorts of sizes are being set loose at the moment in the basement. There’ll be some great hunting, so run along everyone and have fun. Some lovely fresh blood for all you vampires! Off you go. No more fighting. It’s been fun, I’m sure, but enough is enough!”

The mutterings and growlings died down and with a final clicking of claws and hissing through whiskers, the angry crowd wandered off to hunt for their supper.

“Come in here,” Div’vid said, ushering them into what turned out to be his library.

Spike collapsed into a large leather chair and groaned, holding his blond head in his hands.

“Div’vid, we need to go,” Buffy said urgently. ‘It’s nearly dawn. I must get Spike home before the sun gets up too high. We came in a convertible!”

The demon shook his head with its silly little cow ears. “Buffy, the sun’s up already,” he said anxiously. “You’ll have to stay here till the evening.” He bent to examine Spike’s head. “This needs a bit of attention. I’ll deal with it.”

“I’ll have to ring home and let them know.”

“Yes, of course. Here’s the phone. When you’ve finished, I’ll get one of the servants to get a room ready for you. I’m sure you’d be glad of a nap and a shower — ” he waved his paw at her transparent pink trousers and lacy peach bra, all she was wearing - “you seem to have, er, mislaid your dress! I’ll get Arabella to find you something to wear. Then maybe some brunch? I”m sure my lady wife will be delighted if you join us later in the day.”

Arabella would probably be horrified to find they were still there, Buffy thought grimly and would have seen drinking holy water a better option than having to find Buffy some clothes!

She picked up the phone and rang Willow.

There was no reply. Buffy sighed and left a message on the answerphone. She knew Dawn was at Janice’s and would go straight to school from there. She could only hope that Willow would be home before her. And oh god, she would probably get the sack from the Doublemeat Palace for not turning up for work.

A timid little demon showed her the way up a private staircase to a guest room on the first floor. It was decorated in dark red, heavy velvet curtains hung at the windows and the huge bed looked incredibly inviting with its pure white sheets and red velvet covers and cushions.

Buffy realised just how tired she was. She ached all over and knew she smelt of all the pongy demon blood that had spattered over her during the evening.

She stripped off the remnants of her clothes and stood under the shower, luxuriating in the steaming hot water and frothy bubbles. It was marvellous to feel clean again, to rub shampoo through her hair and watch the goo and blood dissolve down the drain.

She expected Spike to appear at any moment and smiled to herself as she raised her face to the water, eyes shut, body pink with the heat. She could imagine what would happen if he walked into the bathroom now. She could picture him kicking off his boots; the speed in which his trousers and T-shirt would hit the floor.

She ran her hands slowly across her nipples which were hard and erect under the water, down to the drenched curls between her thighs, imagining his fingers following the same path, teasing, stroking, playing, demanding.

The water thundered harder as she opened her legs and let her fingers pleasure herself.

God, she wanted him inside her so badly. They’d never showered together. This was an ideal chance, and where was he? She came down to earth with a bump. Huh! He was probably off somewhere letting Arabella play nursie to his bad head!

Buffy shut off the water with an angry snap, wrapped herself in a huge scarlet towel and was drying her hair when she heard the bedroom door slam shut.

“Oh great, you’ve decided you’re well enough to put in an appearance,” she said from beneath the towel. “I hope you realise your rotten party means I’ve probably lost my job!”

“Oh dear, is the little Slayer a teensy bit upset?”

Buffy dropped the towel and spun round. Arabella stood in the middle of the bedroom, holding an armful of clothes which she threw disdainfully on the bed.

She’d changed out of her blue evening dress and was wearing golden silk trousers that made her waist look tiny, high heeled gold sandals and a creamy wrap top that did nothing to hide her beautiful breasts.

The dark brown ringlets had been caught up to one side of her head with a golden clasp and the sapphire blue eyes, so like her cousins, glared out at Buffy from the flawless face. She looked elegant and rich and powerful.

Buffy sighed and hitched the scarlet towel tighter round her bust. Why did this woman always catch her at a disadvantage? And where the hell was Spike?

“These are some old things,” Arabella was saying. “They were going to charity, but Div’vid said you needed something to wear, so - well, here you are. I don’t know if anything will fit - ” She raised an eyebrow in an alarmingly accurate copy of her cousin. “You are a little thin and small for high fashion, aren’t you? But then, not many Americans know how to wear good clothes, do they?”

Buffy was determined not to let her see how much she irritated her. She turned over the pile of clothes and found a plain lavender dress with a tie belt that she was sure she’d seen one of the waitresses wearing earlier in the evening.

Yup, well that made more sense. If Div’vid really believed his wife was going to lend Buffy anything that belonged to her, he was even more naive a demon than she believed already!

Arabella had obviously not thought to bring any lingerie so Buffy dropped the towel and slid the dress over her head, tying the belt as tightly as she could.

She knew she looked frumpy, but she didn’t care. She just wanted the vampire to go away so she could get some sleep.

Arabella was wandering round the room, pushing a picture straight on the wall, plumping a cushion, running her finger along ledges looking for dust.

“He’ll never be yours, you know,” she said in an off hand fashion.

“Who’ll never be what?” Buffy replied puzzled.

Arabella sighed. “Don’t be obtuse, dear. William will never love you. Not completely. Part of him will always belong to me.”

Buffy sat on the high bed and pulled her legs up under her. “Arabella, I know you’ll find this very difficult to understand, so I’ll use five very simple words. Spike is not my boyfriend! He’s an evil vampire who has a government chip placed inside his brain making him harmless. I have absolutely no desire for him to belong to me.”

As she spoke, she realised her fingers were buried deep in the dark velvet cover on the bed and, for some strange reason, she’d crossed them, like she and Dawn used to do when they were little girls. I’m telling a lie, Mum, but, look, I’ve got my fingers crossed behind my back so it doesn’t count.

Arabella spun on her high heel and stalked over to the bed. ‘That prim little act won’t work with me, Buffy Summers,’ she spat. “William might be taken in by it, but I’m not. I can sense the hunger you have for him when you’re together!”

She laughed harshly. “Even now I can tell, one part of you is listening for his step, waiting to hear his voice, alert for his touch. But although he might take what you offer so readily, because I’ll admit he’s a man who’s always enjoyed sex, he’ll never be yours. Deep down in his heart, he’ll always be mine.”

Buffy shrugged. “In that case, why are you so worried about us being together?” she said casually. “If you’re so sure William loves you and only you, then I’m no threat.”

Arabella’s eyes glittered and her mouth tightened. “All right, then, tell me yourself,’ she said. ‘Say out loud that William means nothing to you - if you can! That this - this - freak show you share, is just that. Just physical. Just sex. Lust. Nothing else. No emotions, no feelings, no love.”

Buffy turned away from her, but the vampire caught her arm . ‘Don’t walk away from me! Tell me!’

Buffy shook herself free. “This whole conversation is absurd. Go away, Arabella. Go back to your husband. He’s a nice guy who loves you. God knows what you feel for him, but be glad you’ve got him.”

Arabella laughed shrilly. “You can’t say it, can you? You’re scared. The great Slayer, the great Buffy Summers, is scared of a few little words. I dare you, Slayer! I dare you to look me in the eyes and say, ‘I love William!”

to be continued





You must login (register) to review.