Friday………
Spike never made it back to work yesterday and that was just fine with Buffy. Hell, he could take the rest of the damn day off after their meeting this morning for all she cared. Revenge was petty but in the air. And just to see him sweat a little, make him want what he’ll never have just a little bit more? Now that was sweet. Forget the burlap, forget the neon eighties dress, she chose instead to torment him on a level he understood. She knew it wasn’t nice to tease, especially when she had no intentions of ever allowing him near her, but she really couldn’t resist.
She could hear him whistling through the door of their shared office as he came closer so she swallowed her enthusiasm, positioned herself according to plan and geared herself to act as nonchalant as possible despite the erratic beating of her heart.
Spike felt like a million bucks this morning. He’d finally found and secured what he’d been searching for yesterday after leaving work, got an early night’s rest and his jet lag felt like it’d finally worn off. Whistling a happy tune as he reached for the door handle, the only thing he could think of that would possibly make him feel any better was if today were the day Buffy were to...
All the breath in his body left through the last chord of his whistle as it dropped two octaves then fell off the baritone scale altogether. What stared him in the face forced all his blood to head south. Bent over with her arse in the air, picking something up from the floor was Buffy, wearing a short, navy blue skirt that rode up high from her present position revealing the long shapely legs he suspected she had but always kept hidden from his lustful gaze. He just wanted to grab those two perfect globes stretching the material taut and rub his erection between them before…
“You’re late,” she told him upon standing, shuffling the papers she ‘accidentally dropped’ around in her arms.
More like right on time, I wager. She was bustling around the office grabbing things from the filing cabinet, her desk and then his, packing her briefcase as she went. Despite the alluring vision in front of him, something was wrong with this picture, he was sure of it. Too bad there wasn’t enough blood in his body to run both brains simultaneously so he could figure it out.
“There’s no time to make any changes to the portfolio so I hope you like what I came up with.” She continued to appear oblivious to the way he just stood there, gaping at her.
“Uhhh...” He had to clear his throat in order to find his voice. “`M sure however you dressed-er, ahem, changed it up will be fine.” Very fine indeed! His eyes followed her every movement, taking in the details of the ensemble she wore. It wasn’t trashy or flashy by any means, in fact it was very business-like but in an ultra sexy way; a shimmering silver button-up rayon shirt and a skirt that was cut at least four inches above the knee. And the way she left the first three buttons of that shirt undone, well, suffice to say if she bent over just right it could potentially reveal her twin peaks. And bloody hell how that skirt hugged her curves just right... too right! Maybe she was warming up to him, took his suggestion and wore this just for him like he’d-
Hold on a sec. If it made him tight in the pants, wouldn’t it do the same to every bloke that laid eyes on her? He felt a flicker of possessive rage course through him for a second before focusing on what she was saying.
“Here.” She shoved a folder into his hand then grabbed her matching suit jacket. “You can look at it in the car on the way. We need to leave.”
~~~*~~~
The meeting was a bore and they hadn’t even been there ten minutes. Spike did most of the talking leaving Buffy to wonder why he even brought her along in the first place.
Spike’s attention, however, was divided. He did his best to keep his mind on business but found it difficult and was irritated that he couldn’t remain focused.
Sitting next to the blonde goddess with her legs crossed, skirt hitched up to reveal a fantastic view of her thigh, her slender ankle moving up and down as if she were bored drew his eyes to the pointed toe heels that were higher than anything he’d seen her wear before was driving him to distraction. That’s not what irritated him though; it was the fact Parker ‘Playboy’ Abrams, as he was known, was also enjoying the sight, a little too much. The bloke was clearly paying more attention to Spike’s assistant than he was to the business at hand. At least Spike was sure of two things... one, Buffy wouldn’t be open to his advances if the boy were to make any and two, she was clearly unaware of the attention she was being paid... by any of the males in the room.
Wrong!
She was all too aware of Parker eye-fucking her and Spike stealing sideways glances at her whenever he could as well. What she wasn’t tuned into was the fact Spike was becoming so increasingly aggravated with Parker that he had the nerve to occasional shoot challenging looks his way, like two dominant male animals vying for territory.
“I’d like some time to discuss this further with my colleagues before making a final decision.” Parker addressed Buffy, ignoring Spike altogether much as he had from the start of their meeting.
“I understand, Mr. Abrams,” Buffy answered enjoying Spike’s seething mood. “I realize you’re a busy man but perhaps we could arrange a second meeting?” He sat back with a contemplative look on his face before nodding.
“My schedule is tight over the next month buuuut... I might be able to squeeze in lunch sometime next week. If that works for you, Miss Summers?” He didn’t want anything to do with the over-bearing bleached wonder and made it understood he might do business with their company, but he was only willing to deal with Buffy.
Tight schedule my arse, bloody wanker. Spike knew this maneuver like the back of his hand having done it himself a time or two, three, maybe more.
“Absolutely. I appreciate you taking the time, Mr. Abrams.”
“Great. I’ll need to check... hold on. I can do that right now.” He picked up the phone, asking his assistant to check his agenda for him. “How about this upcoming Monday? I’ll make reservations for two at Hirotaro's Ryouriten for twelve thirty?”
“Sounds good. Is there any additional material you’d like me to bring?” Sparing a glance at Spike, she noticed his eyes were narrowed with a dangerous glint behind them and did she just hear him growl?
Spike was livid but in no position to say anything about what was taking place right in front of him. This was business. Business they needed to land and Buffy was apparently the only person Parker wanted to work with even if the ‘business’ the pillock really wanted to land was his assistant.
“No, just bring yourself.” He sat back and smiled triumphantly, already picturing how the blonde would look on all fours in his bed. “I’m confident we can pound out the remaining details. After I’ve had a closer inspection of your... portfolio, of course.”
Creep! She didn’t like the leer that accompanied the not-so-hidden connotation to his choice of words. But hey, what mattered most was that they secure the account, so she forced a polite smile of her own. “Of course.” she echoed him.
Oh, that was fucking it! Spike had had enough. He may not be able to say anything, but he could damn sure do something about squashing Parker’s hopes.
“Well,” Spike started. “I’d like to thank you for your time, Mr. Abrams.” Standing up and grabbing his material off the table, he looked to Buffy. “Ready, Miss Summers?” He waited until the pleasantries of goodbye-handshakes were exchanged and when Buffy turned her back to walk out the door, Spike placed a hand lightly on the small of her back in a subtle gesture of possession.
Parker followed behind them to return to his own office, eyes still trained on Buffy’s legs and backside watching curiously as the platinum blonde retrieved her trench coat off the rack, helping her into it.
Buffy tried not to put much thought into Spike’s gentleman type behavior. He was probably being courteous towards her for show. Yeah, right! It became hard to ignore when he took it upon himself to button her coat up for her like a child and when walking out the door into the chilly New York air, held the door open with one hand while the other went to her waist. Innocent enough until she walked forward and he slid a firm hand further down towards her bottom.
Once outside, he moved his arm back up around her shoulders, hugging her close as if protecting her from the wind, intending to walk her to the car like this when she tried to push him away.
“What are trying to pull, Spike?” He tightened his grip so she couldn’t get away and she noted for the first time with surprise just how strong he actually was.
“I should ask you the same, pet,” he grumbled and glanced over his shoulder noting with a satisfied smirk that Parker was still watching them. “Now, keep walkin’.”
“What the hell are you talking about? If you don’t take your hands off me right now-”
“You’re gonna what?” he sneered. “Cause a scene? Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “You’re not that bloody stupid.”
Erghh! Did he think she was stupid? Oh, he was so going to get it the second they were out of sight. She huffed in irritation while watching him dismiss their driver with a wave and open the door to the company car for her. When his hand, again, found its way too low on her backside, her temper got the better of her. As soon as he closed the door behind them, she went to slap him across the face.
He anticipated she might do this and snatched her wrist with lightening speed before her palm ever made contact with his face.
“Eh-eh-eh, pet. No time for foreplay.” He grabbed her other wrist so she couldn’t get away, pinned them to her sides and made his move.
His mouth came crashing down on hers, catching her off-guard. Tiny whimpers of protest formed in her throat but when she parted to lips to give them voice, he slipped his tongue inside.
Tha’s more like it! He took full advantage of her need for air so he could taste her. And bloody hell if she wasn’t sweeter than jam, causing his cock to spring to life.
She struggled, she really did, but his kiss was so demanding. He took total possession of her mouth and her senses with the feel of those beautiful lips on hers. The way he was devouring her felt like a powerful drug that soon had her lids fighting a useless battle to remain open. A flicker of desire crackled beneath her skin and she became feverish as it spread like wildfire throughout her entire system. She felt a tingling sensation begin building deep in her belly and then a warm, wet sensation between her legs. That’s when she woke up from the spell induced lip lock.
He moved his tongue across hers, over and over and just when she began to respond to him, the little minx managed to shove him away and land a stinging blow to his cheek that had him chuckling.
He hadn’t wanted to force a kiss on her, he really didn’t, he wanted her to be willing but his anger towards Parker overrode his ability to remember that. “Trust me, luv, `m doin’ you a favor.” She looked positively flustered, an adorable look on her if he did say so himself.
“A favor? You-you arrogant piece of shit! How dare you?!?!”
Oh, he more than dared. He was protecting her virtuous interests. And his interest, frustratingly enough, had become the virtue of one fiery Buffy Summers. “Parker wouldn’t dream of tryin’ anythin’ at lunch with you... now that he thinks you’re mine.” Naturally he refused to acknowledge the jealousy he’d felt earlier to be anything more than temporary insanity. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be at the same restaurant come Monday to keep his eye on the git either. If he even thinks about making a pass at her, I’ll rip his throat out.
“I do not need to look like I belong to anybody. For any reason. If we lose this deal because of what you just did, I-” He interrupted her by laughing at her outburst which served as fuel for her temper. “That kiss was pointless.” She rapped her knuckles against the window. “This is tinted glass, you moron.”
Oooops?!?! Oh well. Sometimes the best laid plans… He sat back, spreading his legs wide in the process and framed his manhood by hooking both thumbs through his belt, all with a deep smirk gracing his lips. “Huh. Imagine that.” Giving him a murderous look, she situated herself into the far corner of the seat.
Glancing at the driver who was staring curiously at them from the rearview mirror, she barked, “What are you looking at?”
“N-nothing, ma’am.”
“Drive!” Okay, she didn’t mean to take it out on him necessarily, but the source of her greatest irritation had reduced her to total bitch status. As the chauffer pulled out into traffic, she brought her attention back to Spike. Lowering her voice, she ground out, “Don’t talk to me. Matter of fact, don’t even look at me.”
It turned out he was deaf as well as dumb because he tried to engage her in conversation several times before she pulled her iPod from her purse and effectively ‘tuned’ him out during the short ride back to the office.
Arriving at the front entrance of their building, the driver promptly got out and opened the back door on his side for Buffy.
“Ma’am.” He tipped his hat then held out his hand.
Guilty didn’t begin to describe how she felt for snapping at him earlier, but when Spike came bounding around to her side, offering his own hand to help her out of the car, she quickly grabbed the driver’s instead. “Look, Mr.-”
“Owen, ma’am. You can call me Owen.” Her smile was sincere, but he didn’t miss the fact she was also using this small chat with him to snub her co-worker. It was obvious she hadn’t welcomed his ‘attentions’ earlier judging from the hand print on the guy’s face.
“I’m really sorry for getting snippy earlier, Owen. I shouldn’t have directed my anger at-” Her eyes darted to Spike who stood there miffed that she was disregarding him completely. “-you. And please, call me Buffy.”
“It’s quite alright, ma... Buffy.” Tipping his hat again as soon as she dropped his hand, he returned her smile, closed the door and watched her walk away while the man she’d called Spike continued standing there next to him. When Owen turned to find he was being glared at, he dropped his smile after a nervous cough and got back in the car. He didn’t mean any disrespect, but the platinum blond executive was unquestionably jealous and in one deadly look, had staked his claim over the woman… whether she accepted it or not.
The doors to the elevator were inches from shutting when she saw Spike sprinting towards her. She waved her fingertips ‘bye-bye’ with a sarcastic smile as they were about to close, but unfortunately he was as fast as he was strong.
She huffed and crossed her arms as the doors came together after he got in.
“We need to talk.” Whether or not she saw it as such, he had done her a favor and he’d make sure she at least understood that if not appreciate it. Setting aside Parker’s infamous reputation when it came to women, Spike got a vibe he definitely didn’t like from the dark haired pillock and didn’t want Buffy anywhere near him by herself.
Couldn’t God cut her a break? Just this once? It wasn’t too much to ask for an elevator ride alone, was it? “No... we really don’t.” She reached a finger out and pressed ‘2’. Spike could take this elevator if he wanted, but she would be catching another.
“What are you doin’?” Stupid question when he could tell she was preparing to get off on the second floor. “No-no-no.” His hand hit the emergency stop button before turning on her. “This `s gonna stop. Right now!” The bint `s more stubborn than I am!
“You’re right. It is.” She pressed ‘go’ to get them moving again and gave him a triumphant little ‘hmmph’.
Bloody bitch! He struck the ‘stop’ button again, but with a little more force this time. “We’re not done here.”
“Yes-” she slapped her palm over the ‘go’ button. “-we are.”
It became a face off, both hitting their respective buttons one right after the other, moving faster and faster with each successive turn until it became a blur of limbs. Well, if she was going to act like a child, then he bloody well was going to treat her like one. He smashed his fist over his button then blocked the panel with his body.
Cl-clunk!!!
A few groans more of the cable followed by another clunk and the elevator shifted, throwing them slightly off balance.
Spike ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly while Buffy pressed ‘go’ repeatedly then tried every other button before it was blindingly obvious they weren’t going anywhere. With a perfectly French manicured index finger pointed in his face, she accused him, “This is so your fault.”
“My fault?” he cried. “If you woulda jus’ talked to me instead of bein’ so bloody stubborn…”
“Me stubborn? If you could see past yourself long enough to recognize when a woman doesn’t want to talk, you would have let me get off the elevator. But noooooooo, all Spike cares about is getting his way. You’re such a-a spoilt little rich boy. You disgust me.”
That hit a nerve. Granted, it was true, but it really set him off. “I disgust you?” he chuckled. So she wanted to play Miss High-and-Mighty, hmmm? “Tha’s not what your kiss told me.”
“Uhh!” she gasped in outrage. “Get over yourself.”
Unfazed and unconvinced by her retort, he shrugged. “Proof’s in the puddin’, sweetheart.” However fleeting the moment, she had kissed him back... telling him all he needed to know even if she had yet to realize it.
She didn’t have a comeback she was that angry right now, so she plucked the phone from out of the control panel and held it out. “Why don’t you put your mouth and all that hot air coming out of it to better use by getting us the hell out of here?” When he snatched it from her, she turned her back on him, mainly because she needed to gather her thoughts. Despite the current annoyance of him even breathing, she was still trying to rationalize with herself over what happened in the car. His mouth was so warm, lips so soft despite the firm kiss and the way his tongue caressed hers... She shuddered. He’d made her body react in a way that was beyond her control. He’d tricked her. He’d made her like it, and she didn’t like that she’d liked it at all.
“Looks like we’re stuck for a bit, pet.”
“What?” She whipped around in time to see him snapping his cell phone shut.
“Phone doesn’ work and I can’ get a signal with my cell. Shouldn’t take long before someone notices the elevator isn’ workin’ and come fix it.”
Great! Just fucking great! Now she was not only stuck in a confined space with Spike, but for an indefinite period of time? There must be a higher power out there she’d pissed off.
He watched her sigh then slump down the wall to sit on the floor, stretching her legs out in front of her. Copying her example, he asked, “Can we talk now?”
“Say what you have to say then please... just leave me alone,” she said tiredly. Might as well just let him have his way. It wasn’t like she had anywhere she could go at the moment. Maybe afterwards, he’d afford her some peace and if not, there was always lunchtime where she could get away from him.
“I don’ want you seein’ Parker outside of that meetin’. He’s bad news.” She looked at him as if he were stupid.
Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe that that was what he considered so important to get off his chest as to break the stupid elevator. She knew of Parker’s womanizing reputation, hell, everyone did. Then she got mad. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Spike. I have no intentions of seeing Parker anywhere beyond that lunch, okay? And though I appreciate your concern, you need to understand something... you’re my boss, not my father.” She watched the muscles in his jaw twitch.
“You’re right. I am your boss, and as your boss `m tellin’ you to keep it strictly professional... with any man in the circle of this company’s business dealings.” Bracing himself for the anticipated impact of her verbal attack, she surprised him when she closed her eyes and responded with a weary ‘that won’t be a problem’.
There was nothing but silence over the next fifteen minutes for which she was grateful. She briefly thought about pounding on the doors of the elevator to get the attention of anyone near enough to hear, but she was too damned tired and the silence she was being graced with was blissful. If she just kept her eyes closed, she could almost pretend Spike wasn’t here with her. Almost. He only wore a hint of cologne, but it was the smell of his masculinity that bothered her... it was intoxicating. She found her thoughts wandering down a road where, disturbingly enough, she imagined what lay beneath his expensive suit, the muscles she’d felt when he held her on the way to the car. As if on cue, the sudden rustling of clothes made her eyes pop open.
Spike had taken his suit jacket off and was loosening his tie, preparing to take that off, too. She closed her eyes again but the sounds didn’t stop. This time when she opened them, she saw him making quick work of the buttons on his shirt until he lost that as well and was wrestling his white tank top from the waistband of his pants. “What the hell are you doing?”
Not appreciating the tone of her voice or the fact she was backing herself into the corner as if threatened, he asked, “Are you bloody daft? In case you haven’ noticed, ‘s hot in here.”
The lack of circulating air in the elevator gave noticeable rise to the temperature, but she suddenly felt the heat in an entirely different way as she blushed when Spike removed his undershirt. Oh, she tried not to stare, but his chest, shoulders... and-and those abs... Sure, she had an idea as to how fit he might be, but the notion was shattered when the man revealed such definition in his physique as to put Brad Pitt to shame.
“You should take off your jacket before you overheat.” He noted the stain in her cheeks, not quite sure whether she was hot, or bothered. Hopefully both, as long as he was the cause.
“I-I’m fine.” Anything but if she were honest. He was the one who was absolutely ‘fine’ in her estimation and oh-my-God! She actually had to remind herself again... he was her boss and a royal jerk. She couldn’t afford to be attracted to him; no good could come from that.
“Suit yourself.” Fumbling around in his suitcase, he pulled a slender, six ounce bottle of water from it and cracked the cap. After taking a sip, he offered it to her. “Best to keep hydrated... under the circumstances.”
He gave her a wink and she immediately refused, pulling her jacket tightly around herself despite the trickle of sweat she could feel dripping down her spine and shrinking even further away from him.
It was thirty minutes later before workers showed up and got the elevator running again to release the stranded couple and thank God he redressed himself after the first sign of the cable car starting to move. She was already mortified at the indecent thoughts running unbidden through her mind about Spike, but to have anyone see the two of them had spent that much time trapped together, and with half his clothes laying the floor? Even if she was fully dressed? A world of ‘no thanks’.
~~~*~~~
When the doors finally opened on their floor, she announced, “Unless its work related, don’t talk to me.” Then she flounced ahead of him towards the office.
And for the rest of the day, that’s exactly what happened. He tried; Lord knows he did, several times to engage her in regular everyday conversation, but when she either ignored him or repeated that same statement, he got fed up.
“Fine. Here’s business related.” He slammed a stack of reference books and folders on her desk an hour before quitting time. “I want all `f these reports finished and on my desk by Monday mornin’.”
She shot him a contemptuous look. “It’s Friday and almost four o’clock, Mr. Giles. It’ll take me at least a full day to compl-”
“`S not open for discussion. Get it done!”
She watched him grab his briefcase and jacket then head for the door. “Where are you going? It’s not five yet.”
“I have other things to tend to.” He did. Sort of. He felt the need to leave the hostile environment she’d created and go home to kick off the beginning of a long, relaxing evening. So what if he left her with enough work for two days straight. She wanted to be all about business… fine! He’d give her enough ‘business’ to last her all weekend. Come Monday, he expected to see a lot more bite marks on that raggedy pen of hers since the chit was also being stubborn about accepting the gift he so carefully picked out, hoping she’d like it. And did she? No, probably not. He didn’t even receive the slightest acknowledgement, not even a thank you! Bloody bint!
Next chapter we’ll see the ‘24/7’ come into play – be prepared for more sparks. Again, check out the new fic called The Road to Redemption by Sandara – very original and the writing is superb. Have a great week.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it’s food for my muse. I do hope you enjoy the chapter. Thank you Dusty273 and Sotia for all your help – you two are amazing, I luv u both so dearly. And of course thanks to Edgehead73 for the awesome banner – smoochies to your talent and brilliance. If anyone has some time, I recommend checking out a new fic called The Road to Redemption by Sandara – it’s very original and the writing is superb.