William watched the fireworks steadily being launched closer together, signaling the show’s impending finale. As the night sky continually lit up, he noticed a set of dark clouds moving in rapidly to cover the stars that previously filled the heavens.
When the end arrived with the successive bursts of pyrotechnics being fired, he was reluctant to break the beautiful spell the atmosphere wove around them. But of course, all good things must come to an end.
Buffy pushed herself forward and let Spike’s duster fall from her shoulders. He quickly jumped up so he could offer his hand to help her stand.
“There’s storm clouds comin’, luv. We better hurry in case it decides to rain.”
No sooner did he finish his sentence than she felt a giant rain drop plop heavily against her chest and roll down beneath her dress. She held her hand out and bluntly replied.
“Too late. ARGHH.” Another hit her face. “Spike, hurry,” her voiced shrilled.
He chuckled as her face scrunched up, following her lead when she scrambled, throwing the remains of their picnic haphazardly into the basket.
He quickly snatched the blanket from the ground and placed it around her shoulders. Picking up the basket and his coat, he felt her grab his hand, leading him in a jog towards the sidewalk. They weaved their way among the other, slower fleeing couples until they were clear where she broke into a run whose speed impressed him for a woman in heels.
The faster she tried to run, the harder she laughed. It seemed impossible to remain dry as the sprinkle quickly turned into a downpour before they’d gone one block. She turned to see him put on his coat then run to catch up. He grabbed her outstretched hand and together ran as best they could. Rounding the next block, she suddenly felt him tug on her arm, forcing her to slow before being pulled underneath a covered bus stop.
Her giggles died down as she peeled the now drenched blanket from her shoulders. The rain had completely soaked through every inch of fabric she wore. Looking to Spike, it appeared his duster offered better protection than her thin throw.
Now that they were out of the rain, he wiped his eyes so he could see properly. He set the basket down and turned to find Buffy tilting her head to one side, attempting to ring the excess water from her hair. When she finally gave up and dropped her hands by her side, he drank in the way her purple dress clung intimately to her breasts, evidencing her lack of bra when he noticed her hardened nipples threatening to tear through the thin fabric. He drew in a much needed breath.
“You know this is useless don’ you... runinn’ and all?” He smiled when she began to laugh.
“Pretty much. I’m so sorry about all this. I didn’t mean to drag you out tonight just so you could get soaked.”
“`S’alright, `s jus’ a lil rain.”
She watched him shake his head back and forth rapidly, forcing the rain from his hair to fly from him like a dog. She laughed as she tried to shield herself from it, raising her hands despite the fact she was already wet. He mumbled his apologies then sighed heavily with a look of defeat.
“The way I see it, we got three options. One, we wait this out, though I doubt it’ll let up any time soon. Two, we continue to run like we aren’t bloody well already wet, or three... walk the rest of the way like dignified adults lookin’ like the drowned rats we are.” He cocked an eyebrow when she pretended to weigh the options.
“Option three it is then.” She placed her hands on her hips and nodded, seeing his logic and knowing it was senseless to wait or run. Stepping forward to leave their temporary shelter, she felt him grab her arm and pull her gently back, bringing her face to face with him.
“If `s any consolation, you look amazin’... even like this.”
Her first instinct told her his mind had been in the gutter, but the small smile that graced his beautiful lips told her it was a genuine compliment. She turned a serious look on him, her eyes drifting over his expressive features before returning her attention back to his mouth. Stepping closer, she took his face in her hands and stroked the sharp line of his cheekbones with her thumbs.
Watching her eyes close, she pulled him towards her and nuzzled her nose against his, their rain slicked skin aiding her motions. His arms snaked around her waist loosely, barely holding her, grateful for yet another tender moment.
He mirrored her actions until her tongue came out to slide along his bottom lip, tickling his senses. Tightening his hold and moving forward to kiss her, she evaded him by pulling back just out of reach. They went back and forth in a small play for control until he stopped. If she didn’t want to kiss him, then so be it. She brought her lips back to his but he remained still, wise to her game and no longer willing to play. Releasing her waist, he resigned himself to receive nothing. He had no desire to force himself on her anymore... either his girl wanted him or she didn’t and amazingly, Spike had no argument either.
She kept leaning into him, trying to coax him into their little match but he stood stock still. He almost looked sad when she studied the worry lines now furrowed in his brow. Enough is enough, she thought and gently pulled his bottom lip into her mouth, sucking gently until he moaned in response. Once he did that, she parted her lips in an open invitation and tilted her head to the side.
As she engaged him in a kiss, he gave in, pouring everything he felt for her into kissing her back. After the way things had gone tonight, there was no use denying it any longer... both William and Spike were in love. They threw in the towel and succumbed to everything that was Buffy. Surrounded by her warmth, her beauty, her kindness and sweet kisses, his heart opened and made room for her, along with hope for a future.
Hands slowly roamed the other’s body, seeking every bit of rain soaked flesh without attempting to go beneath the other’s clothes. On and on they continued, drowning in the sounds of the rain and their own breathy moans until she finally pulled away to slide her cheek along his twice before settling against it.
“I want you,” he whispered desperately. When he felt her nod against him, he changed the tone of his voice to make sure she understood. “I want YOU.” She pulled back to face him, a hint of question filtering through the lust in her eyes.
“Let’s take this home.”
It sounded different the second time he said it, but she didn’t want to assume anything. Although he admitted a strong physical attraction to her, she still needed to know if he had feelings for her beyond any form of business relationship. Maybe when they got back to the house she would find out.
It was a command, not a request. One to which he merely nodded his consent to as he took her outstretched palm. Stepping out into the cold foul weather, he watched her raise her face towards the sky, letting the rain wash over her like a welcome hot shower instead of icicles slicing down from the clouds. She ran her free hand down her neck and over one breast, stopping right above her sex.
He just stared, his brain completely draining of blood as it rushed south. He’d never understood the phrase ‘putty in her hands’ until this moment; he deciding he liked it more than he should.
---We weren’t looking for this, mate.
Spike finally spoke, trying to reason the turn of events.
That’s when things tend to find us. William surmised.
---Very insightful nancy-boy.
Ponce!
---Whelp!
Git!
---Whipping boy!
Yeah, and you’re lovin’ every minute of it.
---Damn right I am.
Buffy interrupted the inner argument when she laced her fingers through his. They walked back to her house in mutual silence, letting the rain pelt against their bodies as the first signs of lightening flashed across the sky.
A couple blocks later found them climbing the steps of her porch. He watched her glance at his motorcycle in the driveway before turning back to inform him.
“Looks like you’re staying the night.” Though she hadn’t actually planned on that, the idea didn’t necessarily bother her either. She truly wanted to talk, but the more they touched, the more he left her body wanting. For the second time tonight, she cursed herself for being too attracted to him.
“Bloody shame,” he replied with a smirk on his face. He thought for sure he was expected to ‘perform’ soon. And though he had no problem with it in the physical sense, had been craving for days to take her, he dreaded the idea of letting Spike drive, forcing William into the backseat only to watch.
She pulled her keys from his front pocket and proceeded to unlock the door to her house. He trailed behind and followed her example as she took off her shoes. She walked away without a word as he removed the lead weight of his rain drenched duster. He stood there and wondered if he should go and find her but waited, figuring that’s where she wanted him.
Seconds later she reappeared; her dress still clung to her curves, dripping. She set down a small stack of towels she’d brought back on the side table next to where he stood.
Turning her attention back to him, she reached up and began unbuttoning his top.
“I love this shirt. It brings out your eyes. You should wear this color more often.” She dolled out the compliments as she worked each button from its hole and studied his chest. When she finished, she stepped behind him and peeled it slowly from his shoulders down his arms to let it drop to the floor without a second thought.
She took her time to appreciate the rippling muscles of his back while dragging her fingertips down his spine. Reaching the waist band of his pants, she inserted both forefingers just beneath the material and inched her way around to his stomach, stopping to caress the soft hair near his belly button. She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades, noting how he shivered in response.
She hadn’t hired him tonight for sex; it was, actually, the last thing on her mind. But after they had established an unspoken connection, her desire to hold him, to kiss him, to be with him had her impulsively working the belt from his pants. She pulled it completely out from the loops and let it drop where his shirt lay. Returning her fingers to the single button of his fly, she flipped it open, feeling the weight of his swollen member strain against the zipper, forcing the fabric away from his body. She couldn’t resist teasing him just a little as she let her hands wander his length, scraping her fingernails over it when her hands rose.
“Bloody hell, Buffy. You’re gonna be the death of me.” He placed a hand over both of hers to stop the torture. He really didn’t want to do this unless it meant as much to her as it would to him. His heart simply couldn’t take it. Before Spike could utter the word ‘duty’, or ‘job’, she spoke.
“Do you want me to stop?” Yes, she would be slightly disappointed, but if he said yes, she wouldn’t push the matter any further. Just to have him spend the night holding her would be enough and she wanted him to know that.
Did he want her to stop? No, but his insecurities concerning her ran so deep he couldn’t help it.
“Spike? I’m not going to ask anything from you you’re not willing to give, I promise.”
He had a choice? His girl was giving him a choice? He felt her move to stand in front of him. The look of concern on her face as she placed a palm to his cheek moved him. He closed his eyes and made his decision.
“No. Don’ stop... never stop. I can’ ever get enough of you.” He opened his eyes to see her smiling.
She took a step back and turned around. Holding her hair to one side, she asked him.
“Could you unzip me please?”
Raising shaky fingers, he used both hands to slowly do as she requested. The fabric still clung to her and he noticed the goose bumps that formed when his fingers grazed her skin.
“You’re freezing.” His concern had him reach for one of towels she’d brought out and immediately wrapped it around her, rubbing her shoulders vigorously in an effort to warm. Taking a second one, he used it to dry her hair as much as possible.
She closed her eyes against his gentle touch as he fussed over her. Again, no one had ever been this thoughtful as to her well being. When she felt him finish she turned around to thank him then shrugged the towel from her body.
He stared transfixed as she stripped the only two articles of clothing she wore from her body. He quickly bent to pick the towel up and placed it around her again. She moved to secure it by tucking the edge in just above her chest. He held his breath when she approached him, placing her fingers to the front of his zipper, readying to pull it down.
“May I?” He said not to stop, but she still wanted his permission.
He nodded. The second he felt his manhood spring forth he let out a small groan of relief. She’d kept her eyes on him the entire time rather than look down at his erection. Working her hands to try and pull down his pants proved difficult with how wet they were, so he took it upon himself to roll them down his legs inside out till he stepped out of them.
She took a towel and carefully dried him from head to toe, patting his skin until it was completely dry. He’d never been taken care of like this and it surprised him that she would even think to do this. When she finished, she draped the towel around his waist and secured it for him.
“Better?”
“Yeah.” He choked out his reply, still amazed by how gentle she was being with him. She held her hand out to him and he took it, still slightly shaking, though whether from nerves or the cold he wasn’t sure.
She noticed the small tremors in his grip and sought to warm him up as soon as possible.
“Come on, we need to get some blankets around you.”
Leading him towards the stairs, she went to let go of his hand but he clung to her. She smiled inside and gripped him back. He seemed to need reassurance, and she was more than happy to give it to him in any form she could.
Yes, he had come to mean more to her than a simple business transaction but the problem of his temporary profession and how long he had left still plagued her thoughts. She didn’t want to let on what Lorne had told her, so she hoped that he might confide in her of his own free will. She wondered if he would tell her what his primary job was, what this life long goal of his was that was so important that he sold his body to achieve it, how much longer did have left, how much money did he need... the list of questions went on. When, no, if she got the answers to these questions, they would only produce new ones. If she found that he did care for her, could they have something more outside of this arrangement, as a real couple? Would he want that? Did she even want that? Could she overlook his past? Could he overlook the fact she paid for him like a slab of meat from the butcher?
She shook the thoughts from her head as she realized they were now standing in front of her bed. These matters would have to be dealt with, but for now they could wait. Tonight had been perfect so far. Even the lightening and thunder had leant itself in creating a cozy type atmosphere for them when they had dried each other off downstairs. She wasn’t about to spoil that.
“Buffy? You okay?” He could see she was thinking about something as she stared at the bed and wondered if she wasn’t about to change her mind on having him staying the night.
“I’m fine, really. I just can’t remember if I locked the front door or not.” Okay, so she lied, somewhat; she really didn’t remember whether she’d secured the lock or not.
“Don’ worry, I’ll take care of it. Get in bed, warm yourself up, pet.” He smiled when she nodded. Following her to the side of the bed, he opened the blankets and carefully tucked her in before heading downstairs.
She did her best to clear her mind in the short time it took him to return. Rolling on her side, she watched him slip under the covers beside her, mimicking her position so that they faced each other.
The need to break the silence was overwhelming when he felt himself being drawn in by the beauty of her sea green eyes.
“I want you to know that tonight was, was...” He dropped his head and sighed. Even the poet in him couldn’t find the right words to describe just what it meant to be here tonight with her. He felt her tiny hand reach under his chin to bring his attention back to her.
“I know. Me too.”
“Do you?” Cocking his head to one side, he wondered what kind of answer she would give him. Part of him wished he hadn’t asked, still afraid because of the power she held over his heart.
“I think so, yes. Tell me?” She couldn’t put herself out there by verbalizing anything more at this point, not unless he was willing to do it first, so she left the door open for him through her question.
She really did scare the hell out of him. That was a loaded question, one to which he didn’t want his answer to frighten her. Since he didn’t want to lie, he opted to answer her question with a question.
“Can I show you instead?” Like the last time he’d slept with her, he would tell her with his body rather than words. He moved to kiss her but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“Spike, I... I want to, to tell...” She took a deep breath, readying herself to start again when he interrupted her.
“Sshhh, sshhh, sshhh. No more games, Buffy.” He couldn’t take any more talking right now. All he wanted was to hold her close, kiss her over and over, love her body thoroughly until there was no doubt in her mind how he felt.
“You’re right, no more games.” She agreed. “Which is why I need you to know something; when I asked for you tonight, it wasn’t for your pleasures, but more for the pleasure of your company.”
He reared back, the shock evident in his face. She’d spent her money just to be with him, not for what he could do, surely that meant she felt something for him... didn’t it?
“I need you to understand that. The last thing I want is for you to feel obligated to do anything with me. I’m perfectly happy just going to sleep, or if you prefer to sleep alone, you can stay here and I’ll go down to the couch.”
“Like hell you will.” Lunging for her, he wrapped his arms around a startled Buffy, pulled her over his chest and began placing kisses all over her face seconds before he froze. He suddenly worried that maybe all she really did want to do was go to sleep. “`M sorry, I should have asked first. Did you want to just sleep, kitten? `S it alright if I do want to be with you? What I mean to ask is...”
“Spike, hush. You’re babbling.” She giggled as she watched his face relax. “You want the truth?” When he nodded, she placed her lips next to his ear to whisper. “I could never say no to you, not as long as you want me too. So the decision is yours.”
His cock twitched at her words.
She felt his hands pull her face back to pin her with stare so intense it made her heart race.
“I always want you.” He turned them over and brushed his lips against hers. It was time to take things slow, do things right, let her know how much he loved her by making her body sing over and over again.
The kiss was languid and sweet, full of promises yet to be made where their hearts were concerned. He swore right then and there he would find another way to get the money he needed, somehow. And once he did, he’d pursue her unremittingly, woo her in everyway imaginable in hopes she’d come to love him back.
His words felt like silk against her skin every time he whispered terms of endearment between soft kisses and the need for air. She opened her legs instinctively when he raised his hips up, allowing him to nestle between them. He didn’t try to enter her right away, instead she felt him slide his erection along her folds as if they were already joined, taking long, torturously slow strokes.
Thunder cracked loudly as it followed a bright flash of lightening, causing a popping noise from her table lamp as the bulb blew and all the power in her house to go out, startling them both.
“Do you want some candles, luv?” He hoped she’d say no as he moved a hand in between them, testing her with his fingers to see if she felt wet enough. The ache between his legs from being away from her too long was driving him insane along with her kisses.
“Not unless, OHH, ahhh, you do.” A thought occurred to her right when she felt him place the head of his cock against her opening. “Wait, stop!”
“Wha’s wrong, I didn’ hurt you did I?” Damnit! He still held himself there, waiting for her answer, hoping he hadn’t caused her any pain.
“No, it’s just, well... last time we didn’t need a condom, but uhmmm...” It occurred to her that he may very well have been with another woman, and she didn’t want to risk disease if he hadn’t been tested since she last saw him.
What did she...? Ahhhh, of course, he thought. Naturally she had every right to wonder if he’d slept with other woman, even if it hurt him for her to think it.
“I haven’ been with anyone else since you.”
Really?
“Really?” Wow that was, well, great news. It shouldn’t have made a difference since he wasn’t hers to start with, but she couldn’t deny her jealousy at the thought either.
“Really. I swear to you, Buffy... NOONE.” He could sense the doubt and sought to erase it. Even if he were offered a million dollars he wouldn’t do it. There would never be another, she’d ruined him.
He was telling the truth, had to be. She recognized a serious Spike when his tone took on that dangerous quality, and though she couldn’t see him very well, she felt the weight of conviction in his eyes as they bore into her.
“I believe you.” And she did, but she wouldn’t fool herself into thinking that he wouldn’t, eventually.
“Good, cuz I’d never lie to you, never.”
He captured her lips in a searing kiss, much more demanding compared to moments ago. When she felt him push his monstrous tip inside her she stiffened, digging her nails into the flesh of his forearms. Was it going to be like this every time? In a way she hoped not, but if so, at least he wasn’t stretching her permanently, right? The thought made her shudder; reminding her he was still trying to fit the beast inside.
“`M sorry, baby. Jus’ relax.” Stroking her hair and kissing her forehead, he hated hurting her at all. “Relax and let me in. Wanna show you jus’ what you... tonight has meant to me.”
She gasped when he pushed forward again but not from the pain. This time it was because of what he’d said. He wanted to tell her what he thought about their arranged evening, but the fact she heard him say ‘you’ didn’t escape her attention. Oh God. Was this how the answer to her burning question of ‘did he care for her’ to come about? She flexed her fingers when his hips began moving, a slow and deliberate pace meant to ease his length in little by little. Taking deep breaths, she willed herself to open up, concentrating instead on the sensation of him filling her heart as well as her body.
“Tha’s my girl,” he cooed, unaware of the fact he kept referring to her as his anything.
He kept saying that, ‘my girl’. She recounted the other times she remembered hearing him say that. Some were in the heat of passion that she could dismiss, others were during moments that had nothing at all to do with sex, like tonight in the park as he held her close to keep her warm. Did he really feel like she was his? When he was fully seated within her depths she returned his thrusts; seeking fulfillment, seeking her answer, silently hoping it was ‘yes’ despite all the questions it would raise for her to struggle with in the days to come.
He felt her move with him, her tiny hands wandering down to grasp his bottom, trying desperately to draw him deeper inside though he go no further. He loved her like this, his wanton golden goddess. Knowing he was the only one that could make her cum greatly pleased the prideful alpha male within to no end, but it was the desire to satisfy her emotional needs, to fill her soul with everything it needed to feel well and truly loved that kept his hips plowing into her tight, hot channel.
Flickers of light filled the room, illuminating the striking features of his face as it moved over hers, twisting with a beautiful combination of ecstasy and... determination? She didn’t have the energy to ponder what for if that was indeed what she saw. She squeezed his backside harder, seeking more contact though there was none to be had. Lifting her legs, she wrapped them around his waist and arched into him. His full weight pressed against her chest as he reached both arms under her, pulling her body closer to his, digging his fingers painfully into the soft skin of her bottom.
Another deafening crash of thunder echoed off the walls when the light suddenly came on. The sound of music rang low but clear, coming from somewhere in the house. They stared at one another from the interruption.
“The radio. In the bathroom,” she explained.
He nodded, leaning over and shutting the light off. He could deal with music, but the dark was where he wished to remain, until the day came he could tell her he was no longer a slave for money.
Thankful for the cover of darkness, she willfully slipped back under the irrevocable spell that bound them together since opening her front door when he first arrived tonight.
William recognized the song being broadcast across the air waves, a tune by Darren Hayes. He thought it fitting. Knowing the words by heart, they ideally described how he felt about her. He already told her he could never get enough of her and the timing of the ballad seemed more than perfect, spurring him on to show her that’s exactly how he felt about her, insatiable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03hw7NfjW9w
We practice love between these sheets the candy sweetness scent of you
It bathes my skin I'm stained by you
And all I have to do is hold you
There's a racing within my heart
I am barely touching you
She loved this song. The words conveyed a rich, deeply sensuous, almost torturous need on a man’s behalf for his lady love’s returning affection. She noticed his hips suddenly take on the slow sexy, beat. She gave into it, bathing in feelings she still had yet to fully understand for the man who’d entered her life by such unconventional means, the one who continually inspired her to new and undiscovered heights... the man above her now.
Turn the lights down low
Take it off
Let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on
Never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable
She’d secured a place in his heart, but he wanted her in his life; to know his every thought, every dream, his life’s goal, to share in her day-to-day life too, right down to every last minute detail no matter how insignificant. The sound of thunder rattled through his chest after lightening blazed brilliantly through room, giving him a glimpse of her eyes which locked with his. He’d never experienced this kind of need, this longing to be lost in another human being, to never want to be free from the clutches of everything she represented to him. To have her love would be the greatest gift life could ever bestow upon him, and he silently prayed harder and harder she would see that.
The moonlight plays upon your skin
A kiss that lingers takes me in
I fall asleep inside of you
There are no words
There's only truth
Breathe in breathe out
There is no sound
We move together up and down
We levitate our bodies soar
Our feet don't even touch the floor
And nobody knows you like I do
The world doesn't understand
But I grow stronger in your hands
Their emotions, like the storm outside, raged through their individual souls with preternatural, deadly force. Curious, how nature, whether human or earthly, could be so very beautiful yet so utterly destructive at the same time. Heedless of the danger they moved as one, each striving to reach their own destination, each seeking to reign supreme over the very forces they fought so hard to conquer with understanding.
Turn the lights down low
Take it off
Let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on
Never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable
The walls of her passion closed in around her, tightening its hold on her heart as well as his shaft. She could take no more. He reached every nook, every cranny, every sweet, sensitive curve of her heart and womanhood imaginable.
Turn the lights down low
Take it off
Let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on
Never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable
He was drowning in her, yes, but he didn’t want to be saved. The desire to let go, to surrender, be swept away by the current of a promising and dreamful state of negligent bliss was too strong to resist. With every flash of light the storm emitted, he slipped inextricably further and further over the edge, past the place where logic and reason had its own definition of what love was.
We never sleep we're always holdin' hands
Kissin' for hours talkin' makin' plans
I feel like a better man
Just being in the same room
We never sleep there's just so much to do
Too much to say
Can't close my eyes when I'm with you
Insatiable the way I'm loving you
Clutching his arms, gripping him tight, she could only wait and watch like a passerby as the magnitude of her orgasm swept through and over her in waves, engulfing every fiber, every cell within her body.
Turn the lights down low Take it off
Let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on
Never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable
“WILLIAM!!!” She cried out, never doubting for one moment who it was bringing her to the place she felt she belonged.
What?!?!
He froze. He never told her his given name. Despite being caught in the throes of passion, he at least remembered that much.
She placed a hand to his cheek and stared into his very soul, making him quake with fear.
“You heard me......................... William.” He had let her know in his own way that he cared for her; she felt it was only fair to tell him she knew who she was with... the man, not the gigolo.
Any trace of self control he might have possessed vanished in that moment. He pulled her against him forcefully, pumping into her as she gripped his cock tightly with the force of her orgasm.
“BUFFY!!!” The feel of her surrounding him, filling his heart with these new emotions triggered his release. He kept his eyes locked with hers his, burying himself as deep as could, still rocking against her to prolong her pleasure. The knowledge she was with him, with William, was beyond what he could have dreamed possible tonight; it meant more than anything in the world.
Turn the lights down low
Take it off
Let me show
My love for you
Insatiable
Turn me on
Never stop
Wanna taste every drop
My love for you
Insatiable
The last of the song played out, leaving the couple to wallow in the afterglow of the shared revelation.
A/N:Are the good times over yet? No, not really... I have another, non-angsty, chapter to go before we hit rocky terrain. Please leave reviews, you all know my muse by now – the more he gets, the more he wants to write..... thanks, hugs and kisses for being patient for the delay in updating. Disclaimer: The song used in this fic is owned by its respective artist and writer. Use of the song is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.