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Author's Chapter Notes:
This story has been back-burnered a bit but it is still simmering so updates will keep coming.
Extra Special Thanks to Puddinhead for beta-reading and enthusiasm!!!

I hope you all like this chapter-let me know. Okay? Thanks. ;)
Spike heard Gunn calling out.

“Hey pretty girl, we missed you around here.”

Spike scowled as he heard Buffy giggle before responding. “Thank you.” Did she have to be nice to everyone?

“Heard you finally got the grumpy bastard to take you out. Did he treat you right? ‘Cause I can smack him around a bit if you need me to.”

Spike walked over and tossed the rag he’d used to wipe his hands at him. “Shove off.” He smiled at Buffy. “We’re really gonna start with the cookies again?”

“Cheese straws, actually.” She shrugged.

“I’ve never had a cheese straw.” He started to reach for the bag and stopped. “My hands are filthy.”

“Here.” She opened the bag, pulled out something that looked like a flakey breadstick and held it up to him. “I can hold it.”

Spike could feel the other guys watching him, but couldn’t bring himself to turn her down. He leaned forward and took a bite. “It’s good.”

“It’s a Paula Deen recipe so…mostly butter.”

“Is that right?”

She nodded.

Spike looked at her for a couple of moments. She was a touch more casual in a pale blue tank top and a short printed skirt. Spike assumed the unusually warm weather was to blame. She still looked perfect. He wished his hands were clean enough to brush the stray piece of hair on her cheek back behind her ear. Somehow she’d gotten so far under his skin that not touching her hurt. He glanced at the clock. “You busy tonight? I could call it quits in about ten minutes if you want to wait.”

She rewarded him with a blinding smile. “Yeah. I can hang.”

Spike noticed the other guys still watching her and bit back the unwelcome sensation of jealousy. “There’s nowhere clean to sit in here. Maybe wait outside. I’ll be out soon.”

He watched her leave and headed in to the office to pass on a couple of progress reports.

Spike was outside in seven minutes and he’d spent most of that time scrubbing the grime off his hands and face. He saw her talking on her phone and stood off to the side until she hung up.

“I was just telling my mom that I’d be out for a bit.”

That’s right, he thought, you’re hanging out with a teenager who lives with her mum. You are a bad, bad man. “How’s she doin’? Still feeling better?”

“Yeah, she’s good. She even stopped by the gallery she manages today.”

“Good. Glad to hear it.” He needed to kiss her. He lifted her chin and brushed his lips over hers. “So sweet. Sweet girl.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

He almost laughed; instead he raised one eyebrow and gave her a pointed look. She blushed a perfect shade of pink. “I ought to stop by my place and take a quick shower. I must stink. Got all sweaty in the shop this afternoon.”

She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “Yup. Pretty stinky.”

He chuckled. “Thanks, pet. You want to follow me. I’m on my bike today.”

Her cheeks got even pinker. “Could I just come with you?”

“Thought you just said I stank. You want to get all close and personal like?”

“I don’t mind.”

Spike had come to a realization two days before. He wasn’t going to be able to stay away from Buffy. He was going to have to date her. He was just going to have to do nice girl things with her. He’d probably still end up hurt at the end; he was certain she get bored with him soon enough, but at least he wouldn’t be responsible for snatching away her innocence. Taking her on his bike was probably not a nice girl thing to do. Still, he couldn’t say no, not with her giving him her big-eyed hopeful yet shy look. He shrugged. “Alright.”

She put the bag of cheese straws back in her car and slipped the strap of her little bag over her head so it crossed her body and rested on the opposite hip. “All set.”

He walked across the lot and climbed on his bike. He wasn’t surprised to see her hesitate even after asking to ride. “You could just follow in your car. I live close by.”

She shook her head. “Nope. I’m good.” She climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He was hard instantly. He reached down and moved her hands up a few inches. “Let’s stay in the PG zone, yeah?”

She kept his hands where he put them, but it didn’t matter since she was still all snuggled against his back. The ride home was exquisite torture. Thankfully, it was quick. He adjusted his pants as discreetly as he could as he climbed off and then turned to help her. “I’m on top.”

Her eyes got big. “What?”

“The house is split. Two floors. Two apartments. Mine’s the upstairs. The entrance is around the side.”

“Oh.” She nodded. “Of course.”

He laughed. “As to the other…I’m not picky.” He watched her blush and lower her eyes before he leaned over and whispered near her ear. “I told you, you’re just too bloody cute when you’re blushin’. Now I’m gonna need a kiss.” Spike waited for her to look up and then he kissed her. He kept it light, even managed to keep his hands off of her. Barely. “Come on. I’d best get showered before I offend your little nose.” He tapped her nose and headed towards the stairs that led up to his door.

He opened the door and stood aside to let her in first. She took two steps in and looked about. He wondered what she was thinking. It wasn’t a large apartment, but it was a lot better than the place he’d had a few years earlier, and he kept things tidy. He supposed she was used to the warm, girly touches she had at home. Spike had a good television, a game system and a big, comfortable black leather couch. He’d considered that good and done. He hadn’t wasted time or money with pillows or plants or anything of that nature. “I guess it’s pretty obviously a bloke’s place, huh?”

“It’s nice.”

He laughed and nodded towards the couch. “Make yourself at home. The remote’s over there somewhere. I won’t be long.”

Spike headed straight into his small bathroom, stripped and got into a hot shower. There, as he scrubbed with a chalky white bar of soap and washed his hair with a salon brand shampoo he’d have never admitted to buying, he considered his decision to bring Buffy by his place. Of course they were better off in public, that was a given. But it was odd that he’d even thought to bring her there in the first place. He almost never brought girls to his place.

Then again, Spike didn’t date nice girls. He’d be stretching things to say he dated girls at all. He hooked up with girls. Sometimes he hooked up with the same one a few times, but he never offered monogamy and they didn’t seem to be seeking it.

When he was confident that he’d scoured the sweat and grease from his skin, he shut off the water, toweled off and pulled on a pair of basically clean jeans he’d left hanging from a hook on the bathroom door. He ran his electric razor over his chin and cheeks even though he wasn’t particularly stubbly yet and used a healthy glob of mousse to shape his hair.

She was sitting with her legs pulled up on the couch playing with her phone when he came out.

“There’s got to be something other than beer in the fridge if you’re thirsty, love. Should have offered before, but you can help yourself.”

She turned and gasped softly. Her gaze slid down his chest and she swallowed before abruptly turning away.

Spike shook his head. “You have seen a man without a shirt before, yeah? You must go to the beach or something. We live in California.”

She made a little noise that he assumed meant yes.

Spike sighed. “Right. Fetching a shirt as we speak.” He headed into his bedroom and pulled a clean dark blue tee shirt from his drawer. He was about to pull it on when he heard her walk up behind him. He turned.

She closed the distance between them with three quick steps and kissed him.

He dropped his shirt and let his hands slid down her arms. Her hands were fisted at her sides. He covered them with his own and squeezed. “Well, hello there, cutie.” He lifted her hands up and brushed his mouth over her knuckles. “Were you having trouble finding the soda?” He gently pried open her fingers so he was holding her hands.

“Spike.” She looked at his bed.

He took a step back and sat down on its edge, still grasping her hands. “I guess it’s time for us to have a little chat. So, am I right in thinking that you’ve never—that you’re a…”

She saved him from finishing the sentence by nodding. “Yes,” she said quietly before licking her lips.

He’d known, but hearing it still flooded him with a myriad of contradictory feelings. A part of him, a small part, was decidedly too pleased to have it confirmed. “So maybe you should stay out of my bedroom, yeah?”

“You don’t want me?” She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He placed her hands on his knees and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You know I do. Can’t keep my hands off you, no matter how hard I try.”

She stepped closer, fitting her feet between his. “Stop trying.”

He felt her trembling; her knees shook and bumped against his legs. “Why?” That was the real question, why had this beautiful, sweet girl set her sights on him. It didn’t make any sense.

She gave a breathless little laugh. “If I have to explain that part to you, we are in trouble.”

He exhaled a snort of laughter. “You know what I mean, love. Why now? Why me?”

She swallowed visibly and took a deep breath. “I want you.”

Oh it was a heady feeling, being wanted by someone like her. She’d have been out of his league even back when he was a nice boy. “We’ve only been out once,” he reminded her gently.

She lifted one hand and shakily placed it on the center of his chest. He wondered if she could feel his heartbeat thumping far too quickly despite his calm appearance. It would give him away. “I wanted you before that,” she said.

“You’re gorgeous, Buffy, and clever and your cookies are better even than the ones Gunn’s mum makes, which is…” He shrugged. “You can do a hell of a lot better than me.”

“It makes me sad when you say stuff like that. You…you take my breath away. It’s like you’re a code and I think I could learn it and see you, really see you. And it’s all I want.”

He was shaking then too. “And what if you don’t like what you see when you get inside?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think it works that way. I think maybe being the one that gets inside is all that really matters.”

He cupped her face between his hands. “I don’t know if I believe that.”

She leaned towards him. “That’s okay. Maybe I believe enough for both of us.” Her lips brushed against his ever so gently before she kissed him.

He returned the kiss, sliding his tongue over her soft lips to explore her mouth for a few wonderful moments before pulling back. “What am I going to do with you?”

She frowned.

‘Unh…that pout.” He leaned in and nibbled on her bottom lip. He grasped her waist, lifted her and set her a few inches back before standing up. He tugged his shirt on as he walked out of his bedroom and into the tiny kitchen area.

“Spike?” She sounded confused and more than a little annoyed. He figured that was good. It was better than hurt at least.

He pulled open the fridge, took out a beer and dug around the back until he found a can of soda. “Thirsty?” He handed her the can and then used the bottle opener stuck to his fridge with a magnet to open his beer. Spike took two big gulps before speaking again. “I think we should do something. Maybe go see a movie or—“He almost suggested the beach and laughed. He wouldn’t survive seeing the girl in a bathing suit all wet and perfect.

“I want to stay here.” She reached for the bottom of her tank top and started pulling it up.

He grabbed her hand. “Take off whatever you want, kitten. My clothes will be staying on.”

Her mouth made a cute ‘o’ of surprise before she smoothed her shirt back down and grabbed the soda off the counter. She popped it open and dropped onto his couch with a frustrated sigh. Fuck, but she was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. He took another big gulp and followed her into the living room. He sat down on the opposite end of the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. “How about we find something on pay per view and in a little bit we order in, maybe Chinese?”

She nodded but continued to pout.

He sighed. He was doomed.


Chapter End Notes:
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