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I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Chapter Eight

Buffy was just locking her door, glad to finally be on her way home, when she heard someone call her name. When she looked up and saw Spike jogging down the corridor in her direction, she cringed. Damn. She really hadn't expected to see him again today, not after the spectacle she'd made of herself at their meeting.

“I'm glad I caught you,” he said between pants when he reached her. “I was just wondering if you have that book handy. I thought I might read it over the weekend.”

“Oh, of course. It's on my desk.” Refusing to look at him, she set about reopening the door and walked into the darkened room. Thankfully, she remembered where she'd left the book, so it only took a moment to find it.

When she turned to leave, she almost ran into him. He really should have stayed out in the corridor. Something about them being here alone together, in the darkness, was too great a threat to her already tenuous composure. “Here it is,” she muttered as she thrust the book at him. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“I'm sure I will,” he said in a low voice.

She waited a few moments, hoping he would leave. When he just stood there looking at her, she decided to take the initiative for him. “Well, that's that then,” she said as she walked around him and gestured for him to follow her out of the room. “I'll see you next week.” She relocked the door and headed straight for the lift.

He followed, shoving the book into his bag. “It's dark out. I'll walk you to your car.”

“That's really not necessary.” Buffy punched the button on the lift with unnecessary force. All she wanted to do right now was get the hell away from him and any other reminder of today's humiliation.

“I have to go this way anyway and it will give us a chance to talk. I wanted to ask you a question.”

Oh crap. This can't be good. “R-Really?” she asked, trying her best to sound calm. “What's that?”

The lift arrived and they both entered the empty compartment. With a gentle whoosh the doors slid closed, trapping them inside – alone. Buffy felt her pulse go into overdrive. Part of her wished he'd just speak and get it over with, the other part dreaded what he would say. She glanced sideways at him. His gazed was fixed on her with steadfast determination.

“A few weeks ago,” he began, finally breaking the silence, “when you said we couldn't be friends or...anything. Did you mean that?”

In her head, Buffy screamed every curse word she could think of. She should have known her behaviour today would come back to bite her in the ass. How the hell was she going to get out of this one? “Of course I did,” she replied, continuing to stare at the glowing numbers above the door.

“Then why were you flirting with me today?”

Holy hell! He really doesn't pull any punches, does he. Buffy forced a laugh but it sounded more like she was choking. “Flirting? What ever made you think I was flirting with you?”

He took a step closer, crowding her. “Buffy, don't play games with me.”

She sighed. This was ridiculous. They both knew he was right, she might as well act the grown up and just admit it. “I'm sorry. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't seem to help myself. I've been working too hard and spending too much time alone and it's been a really long time since someone looked at me the way...the way you looked at me. Or at least the way you looked at me before I told you not to.”

A broad grin stole across Spike's face and he took yet another step towards her. “So that's why you did it?” he murmured into her ear. “To get me to...look?”

She swallowed. She leaned a little to the side to put some distance between them, shivering when he chuckled. Parts of her she'd nearly forgotten existed began to throb with painful awareness at his closeness.

The doors parted in front of her and Buffy burst out of the lift, sucking in lungfuls of the cool night air. “Please excuse me. I have to go now,” she called back over her shoulder.

“Oh, no you don't.” Spike argued, still one step behind her. “We need to settle this.”

“Look, I'm s-sorry I made you uncomfortable. Okay? It was a t-terrible mistake on my part and I apologise profusely. Let's just leave it at that.”

Fumbling in her purse to find her car keys, Buffy pushed the button on her remote, grateful to hear the reassuring chirp of her alarm. Now all she had to do was make it into the car and she'd be out of here.

“That's not good enough this time, love.” He held one hand firmly against the car door, preventing her from opening it. “You can't keep changing the rules on me depending on your mood.”

“I know that. I just wanted–”

“You wanted?” he yelled, frowning down at her. “What about what I want? When do I get a say in this?”

He was right. She knew he was right. Again. She'd been making all the decisions and so far she'd been pretty damn fickle. She could hardly blame him for calling her on it. “All right.” She looked up at him with a sigh. “What do you want, Spike?”

He only hesitated for a moment before he answered. “This.” Then his mouth was on hers, claiming her, daring her to deny him. His hands tangled in her hair and she clutched at his forearms as he tilted his head, deepening their kiss with a muffled groan.

Buffy melted against him, all rational thought falling away at his touch. His smell, his taste, the very feel of his tongue plundering her mouth, all clashed in a tumult of sensation. Her arms wound around his neck and she pulled him closer, wanting to make this moment last.

When their lips finally parted, he leaned his forehead against hers, cupping her face in his hands. Their breath, heavy with lust, mingled between them. “Christ, Buffy. I've been wanting to do that from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

She couldn't help but smile at his admission. “That makes two of us.”

He leaned in for another taste, breathing her name against her lips. Every touch of his mouth was a study in subtlety, as if he was savouring each individual caress. Then he pulled back again, to stroke her hair with his fingers.

She looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes, feeling as though she'd been drugged by his kisses. “That was...wow.”

“Yeah, it was.” He licked his lips, as if he could still taste her on his tongue and she almost whimpered. “So, what now?” he asked quietly.

And with the utterance of those three simple words, the intimacy of the moment shattered, the remnants of her desire left to lie like so many shards of glass at her feet.

Her whole body snapped to attention and she backed away. Nervously, her eyes darted around, searching the shadows for anyone that might have witnessed their indiscretion. God, how could she have been so stupid as to make out with him right here in the university car park? Outside her office building no less.

Seeing no one, she let out a sigh of relief and turned back to him. “I honestly don't know, Spike. I need some time to think.”

She fully expected him to argue, so she was grateful when he nodded, albeit reluctantly.

He stepped away, giving her room to open her car door, but placed a hand on hers to stop her just as she was about to get in. “I'll give you time, love, if that's what you need. But know this: If you try to put that wall back up between us, I will tear it down.”

Heat lanced through her anew at the forceful tone of his voice, the intensity in his eyes. “I know,” she said, meeting his gaze head-on.

Without another word, she got into her car and pulled quickly out of the car park. When she looked back at the place where she'd left him, in her rear view mirror, he was gone.





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