Chapter 7: The pink-eyed monster
Buffy took a deep breath as the double doors to the harem swung closed behind her.
Willow heard the noise and came rushing from one of the adjoining rooms. "Buffy," she said cheerfully, "How did it go?"
Buffy shrugged trying to hide her saddened face. "I don't know. Not so well, I guess."
"Oh," Willow said compassionately while tapping her shoulder, then added with a scared rabbit face: "Was there something wrong with the picnic?"
Buffy smiled weakly. "No, your advice was perfect. Spike told me the whole thing was your work. Thanks. You thought of everything...and I mean everything, you should have seen all the food Spike brought. It was actually a good evening..." Her expression darkened. "Safe for the end of it."
Willow raised her eyebrows in sudden alarm. "But... you're staying... right?!"
Buffy looked at her, expression puzzled. "Of course I'm staying."
Willow was thrilled. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, louder than necessary, jumping a little and giving Buffy a big, crushing hug, "because the two of you are so totally in love!", she said finally making some kind of dance that reminded her of Snoopy.
Her friend's gaze was skeptical. "We are?"
"Of course!" Willow said happily, then a thought crossed her mind. "But how did your mom react?" she asked compassionately.
The unexpected mention of Joyce brought Buffy to the verge of tears for the second time that evening. "My... my mom?!!"
"Yeah," Willow confirmed, "I imagine she wasn't thrilled to hear you've decided to stay here with us, was she?" As Buffy's face fell, it dawned on Willow that the evening had probably taken a different course than she had expected. "You talked to her, didn't you?" she asked carefully.
Buffy fought against despair and lost. A tear slid down her cheek. "No," she said weakly, her voice trembling. "No...", feeling faint she went to the nearest chair she could take a hold of.
Willow rushed up to her and embraced her, while Buffy was sobbing at her shoulder. "I don't understand this," Willow said in confusion, "When I talked to Spike this afternoon, I was totally positive he would let you call your mom - he said the picnic was his parting gift, and that he was letting you go because he... God, Buffy, he loves you! I know he does, and so much!!, that's why he had resolved to let you go... I'd never thought he'd change his mind! I even saw him putting a satellite cell-phone in his pocket!"
Buffy stared at Willow in terror, still no feeling the strength to stand up. Spike's face came back to her mind in a rush. Buffy... we need to talk... "I fell asleep before he started talking," Buffy remembered. You didn't hear a word of what I was saying! "I didn't..." She recalled the little scene by the fire ... you're never ever gonna give me as much as one chance to tell my mother I'm alive... "His face... the sound of his voice... his reaction had been so strange, why didn't I..." You don't know that... "His... his clothes," Buffy stumbled, "he was holding on to that bundle tightly all the time... I didn't think... and then I said..." If you really loved me, you wouldn't hold a sheik's garments in your hands now, but a satellite cellphone. She buried her face in her hands. "No... this isn't happening..."
"Buffy?" Willow asked tentatively, not quite understanding what had passed between them, but having heard enough to know that it wasn't a good thing.
It took Buffy a moment to calm down and form a thought. Then she straightened her shoulders, stood up and resolvedly said "I need to see him."
"NOW?"
"Now," Buffy confirmed. She headed for the exit when a black-clad figure blocked her way. "No going out after curfew for the little girls," Drusilla drawled.
"I have to see Spike," Buffy told her. "This is important, so buzz off, Dru!"
Dru shook her head. "What you have to say can wait until he calls for you. Good night."
Buffy tried to push her away, but the eunuchs had already bolted the doors for the night.
Buffy knocked at the doors angrily, but to no avail.
"Maybe it's better this way," Willow tried to comfort her, "When you both have slept over it and get a chance to cool down, it'll be alright."
Buffy looked doubtful. Clearly not satisfied at how the evening had worked out for the worst and in frustration and fear of the following morning, she went to bed, laying out a careful apology, going through her lines over and over again. It was a misunderstanding. She would go to see Spike first thing in the morning, tell him how she had fallen asleep during his speech and never heard what he had said, and that there was in fact a lot going on in the romance department, that he wasn’t alone in all this. And if he wouldn't listen, she was just going to kiss him again. For a moment Buffy pictured herself dialing her mother's number, telling her where she was and that she was in good health. Her mother would come over with Dawnie, and Buffy almost giggled a little when she imagined her little sister's face on being told that Buffy was technically a married woman. Joyce and Dawn would adore Spike, she was sure. Willow was right. Everything was going to be alright. And in that sweet act of self-deception, Buffy drifted off to sleep.
*
The next day brought a surprise for Buffy. She was called for immediately after breakfast, yet not by Spike, but Drusilla. All the way, she wondered what the sheik's first wife wanted from her. Buffy could not put her finger on it, but something about Dru made her blood run cold every single time she saw and talked to her, like she was brewing some evil plan to get rid of her. Drusilla was waiting for her in the reception room. And she was not alone.
A young woman about Buffy's age was standing next to her. She was dressed in a pink costume and had apparently brought a hoard of pink bags, suitcases and cardboard boxes. Her long blond hair was carefully styled, her pink nail polish and lipstick matched exactly the colour of her clothes and accessories so that Buffy felt immediately reminded of a Malibu Barbie that had been Dawn's pride and joy a few years ago. The woman looked around with big baby blue eyes and beamed when Buffy entered the room.
"Buffy, there you are," Drusilla said in a casual tone, "This is Harmony."
"Oh my god, I LOVE your dress," Harmony giggled.
Dru ignored her and addressed Buffy. Her tone was that of an educated lady addressing a particularly daft slave. "Harmony is going to live with us," she informed Buffy, "Take her baggage to the serail."
Buffy blinked. "What are the eunuchs here for?"
Dru sighed impatiently. "The eunuchs are guards to the serail, not baggage handlers at a five-star hotel. Do not question my orders. I hate having to say things twice, but it seems that I have to spell it out for you. Take. Harmony's. Baggage. To. The. Harem. You don't have anything else to do anyway since you do not view yourself as the sheik's wife and therefore you have none of the duties and responsibilities that WE have." She smirked ambiguously.
I'm not your wife, Spike, and I never will be. Buffy felt the heat rising in her face. He told her?
Drusilla did not seem to notice Buffy's agitation, or she simply ignored it. "So? What are you waiting for then? Show Harmony around her new home and give her something... else to wear. When she's settled in, take her to Khari."
Her condescending behaviour made Buffy furious. "Why don't you do it yourself?" Buffy said, sounding more snappish than she had intended.
"I have a child to look after," Dru replied coldly, "So, while I'm trying to explain to my son that his father is not evil, even though one of his wives avoids him like the plague, would you kindly take care of our new housemate!" She turned on her heel and floated out of the room, taking the bad vibrations with her.
"She seems nice," Harmony commented.
"Yeah," Buffy said and cast Harmony an odd look. Dru? Nice? Sensitive much? With a sigh, Buffy tried to take Harmony's first suitcase. It was so heavy Buffy was unable to lift it from the floor and only succeeded at the third attempt. What on earth did that woman pack?
"This is such a great place, with all the decorations, the exquisite marble, and have you seen the gardens? So beautiful!" Harmony continued, not realizing Buffy lived there in the first place.
"As far as jails go," Buffy conceded.
Harmony looked puzzled. "Jails?"
"Well, you've been kidnapped, too, I guess," Buffy said.
Harmony laughed. "You're pulling my leg! Very funny, Bunny, great sense of humour."
Buffy stared awkwardly at the suitcases, hands in her hips. Kidnappers did not normally allow their hostages any luggage. "Well, coming here wasn't.... your own idea, was it?" Buffy asked in a shock.
"Khari is so wonderful," Harmony explained with puppy dog eyes, "We met in Los Angeles, I was working for Wolfram & Hart, a law firm representing his business interests on the US oil market. What can I say? It was love at first sight! That was six months ago. You wouldn't believe how long it takes to quit a job, find a new tenant for your apartment and pack your things. Can't believe I'm here at last!"
Buffy took in a sharp breath. "You chose to be here?"
"Well, duh, of course! What's your problem?" Harmony shrugged. "Who would want to be a secretary if you can be a queen?" She giggled. "Let alone his queen. You'd have to be an idiot not to jump at the chance! Did I mention I just LOVE your dress?"
Buffy showed Harmony around the palace, avoiding conversation, if you could call it that, as far as possible and took her to the bathroom. With annoyance, she noticed Harmony was surrounded by a fresh scent despite of her long flight and had acquainted herself with the local customs, explaining she had had the waxing done back in Los Angeles. Teacher's pet! Buffy frowned at it, but did not make a comment. Given the choice between a similar range of dresses Buffy had been presented with, Harmony immediately picked the same pink nothing Buffy had been forced to wear on her first day, insisting it was "so cute". The dress flattered Harmony's luscious curves. To Buffy's dismay, the dress suited the ex-secretary much better than herself. Willow cast Harmony an admiring look when she brought a collection of expensive jewels, "the sheik's welcome present".
Harmony beamed.
Buffy was boiling inside. She hadn't gotten any welcome presents.
"They're pink, look how well it goes with the dress, pink is my favourite colour, how did he know?!" Harmony asked in a high-pitched voice.
Buffy looked at the pink cases, bags and the clothes Harmony had worn. "Yeah, who would have guessed?" she commented acidly.
Willow shook her head slightly in warning. "Isn't she lovely, Buffy?"
Buffy shrugged. What would Tara say if she caught Willow's gaze on Harmony's perfect breasts, which showed clearly through the transparent satin?
"Why don't you take Harmony to Spike?" Buffy suggested immediately. She wanted to talk to Spike, yes, but certainly not in that bimbo's presence.
Willow smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I can't. Dru said explicitly that Spike wants you to help Harmony settle in."
Buffy sighed in resignation. "C'mon, princess," she told Harmony.
The irony in her voice was completely lost on the newbie. She followed Buffy to the sheik's quarters without ever stopping her yapping. The corridors had never been that long, the palace never that spacious.
Buffy wanted to weep with relief when they finally reached the now familiar double doors.
"Here we are," Buffy said, "If you don't find your way back, ask one of the eunuchs, they're always glad to help."
"Don't leave me here," Harmony begged, "Can't you stay another minute? I haven't seen Khari in six months, what if it's weird? I just don't wanna go in there alone. Pleeeease."
Her voice was so panicky and high Buffy almost felt sorry for her and for the million-dollar vases nearby. She knocked firmly at the door.
When there was no reply, she opened the door and walked in, with Harmony in tow. "Spike?" she asked, bracing herself for the encounter. "You have some company!"
There was some noise in the adjoining bathroom. Water was being turned off. After a moment, Spike appeared in the main room, his hair wet, drops of water still glistening like pearls on his skin. He had tied a white towel loosely around his waist. 'God, THIS was torture!!' Buffy thought.
He smiled when he saw Harmony. "Sorry 'bout that, I didn't expect you this early," he apologized, ignoring Buffy.
Harmony smiled back. "I took an earlier flight."
He walked up to her, his hand touching her arm, and kissed her cheek lightly. "Glad you made it. Welcome."
Harmony giggled when his wet body brushed against her thin dress, leaving cool spots of water. "Thanks. Did I mention I LOVE those jewels? Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure. They flatter your beauty."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
Spike did not seem to notice. "Did you have a good flight, luv?" he asked Harmony.
"The flight was alright, but those stewardesses! One of them told me a colleague of hers was traumatized because of a hijacking that occurred recently, on her flight. They even took hostages, and one girl is still missing!"
Buffy tensed, her heart beating faster. "What about that girl?"
Harmony blinked. "Huh?"
"That girl. The girl that was kidnapped. Are they still looking for her? Has her mother talked to the authorities? Do they have any clue where they took her?"
For the first time, Spike acknowledged her presence. "Stop questioning Harmony, Buffy," he said warningly, while, he could tell, Buffy was fuming inside. "I'm sure she's very tired after her long journey." He ran his fingers through Harmony's hair. "Aren't you, pet?" The expression on his face was that of a predator, undressing Harmony with his eyes, seducing her with a smile, making Buffy's knees go weak until she reminded herself it was not her he was looking at.
Harmony flung her arms around him and kissed his neck. "Not THAT tired." She pressed against him in a way that made Buffy feel queasy.
While Spike was kissing Harmony, his hand traveled down her body, making her shiver with anticipation.
He broke the kiss and gazed at Buffy over Harmony's shoulder. "Thank you for showing Harmony around, Buffy. I think I'll take it from here. You are dismissed"
"Of course," Buffy replied, trying to keep her disgust and heartbreak out of her voice.
"So, unless you want to join us, you should really go now," Spike suggested, slowly unbuttoning Harmony's dress.
This was too much for Buffy. She could not just stand there, watching him making out with that woman when there was so much she had to say. "I need to talk to you," Buffy said in a low and rasping voice.
Spike's eyes showed just a glimpse of sadness and longing, but only for the fraction of a second for he immediately replaced it with a carefully stage-managed cool look. Buffy was confused. Could it be that he was just as uncomfortable with the situation as she was? She searched his face for another sign of emotion, but Spike's face was unreadable once more, as if the soulful look she had caught just for a moment ago had never been there at all.
Come on, Spike. Give me something. Anything.
But his voice was even and cold when he replied, "I have nothing to say to you. Just go."
Without looking at them, Buffy fled. When she was out in the corridor again, her back against the wall holding her upright, she hesitated before closing the door. But then, she heard Harmony's little moans and cries from the room, and she heard Spike talking in a soft voice, commenting on her smooth skin and her lovely hair. Buffy shook her head. No, he was not going through with this. He was in love with her, so no wonder he was hurt, disappointed and waiting for his chance to get his own back on her. Not a chance in hell that he could be serious about Harmony. Soon enough he would be crawling back to her to kiss the ground she walked on. She could go back to the harem without worries. She hesitated. Better be sure. Better see by herself how he refused Harmony. What if she did not close the door completely? She left a crack open and peeped through it into the main room. What she saw made her gasp.
They were both naked, their clothes crumpled heaps on the floor. Harmony was bent forward over the divan while Spike was standing behind her, running his hands over her body, tantalizingly slowly, while she was clutching the divan and shivering in anticipation.
Buffy watched with morbid fascination.
Suddenly, Spike raised his head to look at the door.
Buffy wanted to back away immediately, but too late. Their eyes locked. Spike slowed down his movements, making Harmony whimper in frustration. Not taking his eyes off of Buffy, he turned Harmony around towards him, pulling her so close her head came to rest on his shoulder. He began to stimulate Harmony's clit, torturing her with light, delicate touches and slow movements until her wetness was gushing all over his hand.
Buffy's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. This wasn't happening, couldn't, shouldn't!!
"Please," Harmony whispered.
"Please stop, or please go on?" Spike asked her, his voice low and rough, his eyes still on Buffy.
"You know exactly what I mean," Harmony complained, her words trailing off in a soft moan.
"The latter then, I guess," Spike replied silkily. Instead of an answer, Harmony spread her legs and pulled him closer.
Buffy meant to turn and run away, but she remained at the threshold petrified. Spike winked at her, very briefly, as if blinking away something in his eye.
He must have done something else Buffy did not noticed because at that very moment, Harmony clasped his shoulders, shaking with the force of her climax. Spike lifted her in his arms and lay her down on the divan, then joining her.
Buffy watched the scene. It was like extremely good porn, as if they had had years of practice together, as if Harmony belonged there, in his arms. It made her mad. And she really wanted to go away. But she needed to see if he was going all the way with Harmony. If Willow was correct, if Spike really loved her, there was no way he would do that with her. It was just a feeble attempt to make her jealous. And to Buffy's dismay, it worked... Up to now, all she had seen was foreplay, while Spike was never looking at Harmony's face, but exclusively at Buffy.
"My turn," Harmony declared and flung herself on top of him. She slid a hand down his body and began to stroke his shaft.
Buffy stared disbelievingly.
Spike's skin was slightly flushed, his blue eyes watered, and she saw the vein at his neck throbbing as he bucked his hips. He shivered and was breathing heavily, his eyelids fluttered. "Oh, God, B... baby," Spike murmured incoherently.
Buffy shivered. Oh, God, Buffy. 'No, that's not what he said,' the little voice in Buffy's head insisted.
Buffy shuddered, eyes watering. She had to get the hell out of here. So, she ran, faster than ever. It was only when she arrived at the harem that Buffy realized her face was burning, with what? She didn’t know. Perhaps rage, maybe jelousy, heartbreak almost certainly. She hated Harmony with all her heart. And how about Spike? How could he do this to her?
Even before Buffy entered the harem, she heard Faith's voice from within.
"Seems like our husband has found a new favourite," Faith remarked, "Spike's never been that generous with welcome presents before. And, he usually asks five of us to see him and picks the newbie, but he asked for Harmony explicitly!" She grinned. "Must be looove!"
Buffy tried to sneak past the girls, but Willow spotted her. "Hey, Buffy," she said, "Sit down! We were just talking about Harmony."
"Great," Buffy said gloomily.
"So what can you tell us?" Faith inquired.
Buffy shrugged, trying not to blush. "I've hardly spoken two words with her. Probably because she kept talking all the time and I had no breath left 'cos I had to carry her tons of makeup."
Faith smiled. "Someone's a little jealous, huh?"
"Shut up, Faith," Buffy protested, "I'm not jealous, I don't care what Spike does..."
"Or whom..." Faith added with a sheepish grin.
"And even if I did, I certainly wouldn't be jealous of Malibu Barbie! She hasn't got any style, or taste, or a brain..."
"Definitely, no jealousy," Faith said ironically. "Take it easy, B, we all went through this. Monogamy is for wimps. Learn to share!"
For no obvious reason, Tara blushed deeply, casting Willow a shy side glance. Buffy realized that it was not sharing Spike with the other women, but sharing Willow with Spike that caused the quiet girl trouble. Buffy felt very sympathetic with her.
*
A little earlier...
Some time before Harmony arrived, Spike woke up to the dazzling morning sun shining through his windows. In the light of the morning sun, things did not look quite as bleak for him as they had the night before. It had stung to hear what Buffy was thinking of him and their situation, but she had made it very clear that there was not going to be a romance of any kind between them, not in these conditions. She had very well said so. But he had kissed her, and she had kissed him back. He had seen the look on her face when he had taken off his shirt. He still had the marks where her fingernails had dug into his shoulders. She had told him she felt safe with him. Safe enough even to fall asleep in his arms. Buffy hadn't just been caught up in the moment. She wanted to dance. Soon enough, she would come crawling back to him, to kiss the ground he walked on.
Spike went to his spacious shower to clear his thoughts. As the hot water was pouring down his body, his spirits awakened. He recalled the evening in his mind's eye. He could see her there, in the garden, the fire casting a red-orange glow in her hair, her skin showing through the wet dress. As she was sitting there, lips slightly parted, with a shy glance, practically inviting him to kiss her. He smiled wolfishly. What if the stupid fireworks hadn't started just then? In his mind, he ripped her dress to shreds while she battled with the belt of his jeans with her trembling hands, then she would push them down his legs, running her hands down his body. Spike's hand would travel south as more water poured down on him, trying to accommodate his massive hard-on. He thought of Buffy's lips, her little pink tongue, how she... his grip around his length tightened. He told himself that this was just a normal reaction, that he would get his release quickly and then go back to normal, no big deal. As he was stroking himself, he imagined Buffy spread eagled on the diwan, with hooded eyes and shallow breath, pulling him down to her, in her, screaming his name as he started pounding into her...
"Spike!"
His eyes flew open. This wasn't part of the fantasy. Buffy's voice, here, in his rooms, steps, getting dangerously close to the bathroom. He cursed under his breath and turned the water to cold, clenching his teeth as his erection diminished abruptly.
"Spike?" Buffy's voice came from the adjoining room. "You have some company!"
Company... he swore silently. Harm. He had completely forgotten that she was arriving today. The pretty secretary at his American law firm had been a nice distraction on his travels, and he had been eager to add her to his harem. The puppy dog eyes she gave him had been both flattering and adorable, you can say that he was fond of Harmony, no doubt, though she was as daft as a muffin. But that had been before Buffy. Everything now counted as before Buffy, BB if you like. Now he desperately wished he had not inspired hopes in Harm he could never fulfill now. He turned off the water and fastened a white towel around his waist hastily. A look in the mirror told him that there was no clue in his face about what he had been doing. He put on a false smile and entered the main room.
"Sorry 'bout that, I didn't expect you this early," he apologized, making efforts not to look at Buffy at all. Buffy was eyeing him attentively. He could tell from the look on her face that she meant to talk to him, that she was not pleased with the way the evening had ended. But he was surely not bringing the topic up, especially not in Harmony's presence.
Harmony smiled at him. "I took an earlier flight."
Did he imagine it or was Buffy looking daggers at Harm? Spike decided to test his hypothesis. He walked up to the new girl, his hand touching her arm, and kissed her cheek lightly, deliberately brushing against her. The icy drops made her nipples harden when they made contact with her skin, soaking her dress. "Glad you made it. Welcome."
As was to be expected, Harmony giggled like a schoolgirl. "Thanks. Did I mention I LOVE those jewels? Thank you so much!"
The jewels. He thought hard. Which jewels had he given her, again? "My pleasure. They flatter your beauty."
Buffy rolled her eyes. Yeah, that's it, baby. Roll your eyes. Jealous much? He rejoiced, but pretended he did not see her agitated face. "Did you have a pleasant flight, luv?" he asked Harmony.
The girl was babbling something about stewardesses, and Buffy started questioning her about the world outside of the palace. There was strong evidence that the kidnapping Harmony was talking about had been Buffy's. Buffy's kidnapping still touched a nerve. Spike pushed the feeling of remorse away. "Stop questioning Harmony, Buffy," he said warningly. "I'm sure she's very tired after her long journey." Harmony's eyes didn't remotely look tired. I'm sure there are other things on her mind than sleep right now... He ran his fingers through Harmony's hair. "Aren't you, pet?" He was stalking her with a cold, almost professional strategy, while he kept watching Buffy from the edges of his vision. She was reacting. She was melting. Unfortunately, Harmony was melting even faster. She flung her arms around him and kissed his neck. "Not THAT tired."
Well, at least she was his type. Blond, pretty. Maybe, if he didn't look at her face, he could pretend... Spike shook his head. It was unfair to use Harmony to make Buffy jealous. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't hold a sheik's garments in your hands now, but a satellite cellphone..." I had that bloody phone in my hands! he thought in frustration. You think I'm a bad rude man with no feelings and a Casanova complex? I'll give you a Casanova complex... He started kissing Harmony, his hand traveled down her body, making her shiver with anticipation. Then his gaze met Buffy's. She was positively suffering.
He broke the kiss and gazed at Buffy over Harmony's shoulder. "Thank you for showing Harmony around, Buffy. I think I'll take it from here. You are dismissed"
"Of course," Buffy replied, evidently disgusted and shocked, but a little fascinated and curious as well. He decided to push things a little. "So, unless you want to join us, you should really go now," he suggested, slowly unbuttoning Harmony's dress before Buffy's very eyes.
Buffy looked at them with a hurtful expression that made him want to hug her, take all the pain away from her. But he kept a straight face, utterly resolved to remain distant. She had to take the first step.
"I need to talk to you," Buffy finally said in a low and raspy voice.
For a split second, Spike wanted to shove Harmony away, very very far away, to go find a sweet little farm boy with a good constitution for her and claim Buffy as his, accept her apology and profess his undying love for her... He fought the impulse down. He had to be sure she loved him first, before he made a fool of himself again. He would talk to her. Later. For the moment, he wanted to see her burn with jealousy. So he replied levelly: "I have nothing to say to you. Just go."
Buffy fled. He closed his eyes and listened closely. He heard neither the closing of the door nor her steps fading in the corridor. That meant she was still standing there, watching them, wanting to know if he would go all the way with Harmony. He had to play for time. He took an eternity to undress the girl and even longer for an elaborate foreplay, though his heart wasn't in it. Harmony was dying with tension. He felt Buffy's gaze on them, so he slowly raised his head to look at the door.
There. Locking his eyes with her. She was watching them, blushing furiously as he acknowledged her presence. He held Buffy's gaze, never looking away while he began to please Harmony with his talented hands. This show was just for Buffy. He'd be damned if he couldn't make her burst into the room and drag him off of Harmony, confessing her undying love for him.
"Please," Harmony whispered.
"Please stop, or please go on?" Spike asked her, lowering his voice, his eyes still on Buffy. Come on, girl, what are you waiting for? Does this look like fun? I want you here, Buffy, don't you see that?
"You know exactly what I mean," Harmony complained, her words trailing off in a soft moan.
Of course I know, but that's the fun in it. "The latter then, I guess," Spike replied silkily. Instead of an answer, Harmony spread her legs and pulled him closer.
Spike winked at the petrified Buffy, very briefly, but she had seen it, because she was blushing to an even darker red. When Harmony whimpered his name again, he turned back to her guiltily. There was no way for him out of this now. Unfortunately for him, Buffy had not burst into the room and made a scene, like he had wanted and dreamed of. But how was he supposed to go through with this without making Harmony feel rejected? Harmony had traveled so far just to be with him. She deserved a little attention. He shoved his fingers up her entrance and whispered naughty things into her ear, about how he wanted to see her come, and immediately Harmony reacted, shaken by the sheer force of her orgasm. Spike lifted her in his arms and lay her down on the divan, then joining her. Harmony shifted a little, spreading her legs, but he ran a hand lazily along her thigh.
"My turn," Harmony said and flung herself on top of him, then sliding a hand down his body. Spike surrendered to the moment, he was only just a man after all, with a beautiful woman on top of him of all things, and secretly admitting to himself that Harmony was extremely good at driving him insane. It gave him a sense of comfort, but that never altered the fact that while he enjoyed her attentions, he was thinking of another blond girl doing the same things to him right now. From his position, all he saw was long blond hair curling over naked shoulders, so he gave himself over to the illusion that it was Buffy, beautiful and sexy and everything he dreamed of. "Oh, God, B..." Buffy, he thought, but got himself under control at the very last second. "...baby," he sighed, his heart pounding in the face of this narrow escape. Luckily, Harmony did not seem to have noticed his little Freudian slip.
Like from far away, he heard hasty steps in the corridor. Buffy had left.
Spike clasped Harmony's hand. "Gotta stop doing that," he murmured.
Harmony smiled. "Showtime, then?" she asked and positioned herself above his groin.
Spike kissed her forehead. "Listen, pet," he said softly, "I'd love to, I really do, but... let's save some for tonight, ok? I have still loads of... places to be, I wish it was different, but the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be back."
Harmony's face fell. She looked utterly disappointed, heartbroken. "Did I... did I do something... wrong?" she stammered.
Spike shook his head, taking her hands and dropping a leisurely kiss on her shoulder. "You did great, pet. I just have too many things on my mind right now. You deserve better than that. I want it to be perfect. For you. That’s ok, isn’t it?"
Harmony nodded, still a little disappointed, but determined to please.
Spike let out a sharp breath of relief.
*
Buffy was lying awake at night. Harmony had not come back yet. Buffy knew by now that it was Spike's habit to keep a woman in his rooms all night, and they all had their little tasks - business advice, language classes -, but she could not imagine for the very life of her, what else Harmony might be good for except fantastic sex. She shook her head to get rid of the images in her head that only brought her despair. How could Spike even think of taking another woman to his bed after what had passed between them the night before... with a twinge of guilt Buffy remembered that she had pushed him away, accusing him of being indifferent to her pleas, while he was about to tell her he loved her and was ready to prove it by setting her free, one of the hardest thing you could do when you love deeply someone, letting them go.
The nagging voice in her mind told her that he had a little bit of a right to make a tantrum, for his pride was wounded. Her mind traveled back to her freshman year. What had been the first thing she had done after Angel had left her? She had turned to a bad copy of his, Parker, for comfort. And then, a year later when she had accidentally run into Angel on an L.A. visit to her father's, she had had nothing better to do than brag about her new boyfriend Riley and how happy they were, while in fact, she had been sorely missing Angel. Could it be that Spike was more similar to her than she wanted to admit? All in all, what she had been watching had been a little foreplay and a bj, but nothing that looked remotely like deep feelings or romantic love fests.
It made her sick to think of the way Harmony had touched him. She remembered his voice in the throws of passions, Oh, God, B... baby. A little less self-control, a little more ecstasy, and it would have been Oh, God, Buffy. It had to be. His voice rang in her ears, "So, unless you want to join us, you should really go now." Unless you want to join us... She had no desire to join Harmony, she could go to hell (or her law firm, no big difference there) for all Buffy cared. But the look she had seen in his eyes for just a fraction of a second, he thought it hadn't shown in his face, but it was not lost on her...
Buffy wished she had acted differently, been smarter, sexier. In her fantasy, Harmony vanished, leaving her alone with Spike. Buffy remembered the way he had looked, wearing nothing but that towel.
"I don't want to," she would have said.
Spike would have arched an eyebrow at her and replied something witty like, "The day you suss out what you do want, there'll probably be a parade. Seventy-six bloody trombones." [Trombones? Why did she come up with trombones in her fantasy? She had no idea, but it sounded so much like something he would say]
She would have taken a hesitant step towards him.
"Look, you don't have to say anything," Spike would have said, lowering his head and making a stop sign with his hand.
Instead of talking, she would have taken his hand in hers, with the other, she would have seized the back of his head and she would have kissed him. She recalled how his lips felt, soft, firm, gentle, demanding. Her breath sped up. She was going crazy just thinking of him. She tried to calm down. It was only a natural reaction. She was lonely, and she had been for too long.
Buffy looked around carefully. Even breaths all around her. The girls were sound asleep. No one would know if she tried to relax a little, take some of the tension out.
Buffy blushed slightly in the dark. It was always embarrassing to meet someone you had fantasized about face to face again, she couldn't possibly... or could she? Spike had blocked her attempt at apologizing, he probably wouldn’t like to speak to her again, so there would be no harm [no pun intended] done. So who cared if she let off some steam thinking about him, fantasizing about him? It was just a natural reaction. She would get her quick release and then pretend this had never happened, no big deal. Everyone was asleep. No one would have to know.
She knew it was forbidden, they were told to save their sexual energies for the sheik, but Spike had made it clear she was released from her duties in his bed. Buffy reached under the covers, pushing down her underwear. No preliminaries. She had to keep quiet under all circumstances.
"Why won't you sleep with me?" His question and his gaze sent shivers through her.
He walked closer. "C'mon, pet."
Buffy shook her head. Her mouth was dry.
"Take off your clothes," Spike said.
"No," Buffy replied defiantly.
He did not bother to ask twice. He pushed her dress up to her waist, parting her legs with his hands. His fingers found her clit.
Buffy gasped when her arousal became an overwhelming feeling in her body. She was not wasting a thought about stains which might betray her as she was touching herself, picking up speed, rubbing her clit desperately, so close to climax. She tossed her body from one side to the other, restlessly trying to get her release. Sweat was breaking from her skin, her wrist hurt, but she was getting closer and closer. She imagined Spike's perfect built, his hands all over her body. The heat between her folds became unbearable, wetness gushed over her hands, her muscles contracted uncontrollably as orgasmic bliss swept over her like a wave, carrying her away, far far away. With a silent cry and a soft moan, Buffy sank back into the pillows.
Only then did she open her eyes.
All the girls around her were awake, staring at her in despair and horror. The room was lit by torches, which were held by the eunuchs standing all around her, shaking their heads, serious expressions on their faces. Right in front of her was Drusilla, holding a torch, a cruel smile playing around her lips. With a jerk, Drusilla yanked away the blanket from her, leaving Buffy exposed to their gazes, her nightdress shoved up to her waist, lying in her own wetness, her fingers glistening with moisture in the dim light.
Buffy wanted to die of embarrassment, though she was sure now that literally she would get her wish, though a little extreme for her, those were the rules. Hectically, she put her nightdress down to cover herself.
Drusilla immensely enjoyed her triumph. "Hope you had your fun," she said coldly. "If you think the rules of the harem do not apply to you any more, you are gravely mistaken." A joyful, malicious little smile played around her lips. She turned to the guards. "Arrest her and take her to the sheik. Now!!!"
TBC...
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Author's note: All Spuffy shippers will have to be very strong this chapter. But trust me, this is just one more step on the way... Thanks to the wonderful Mariana, here's your update...