Curling her legs beneath her, Cordelia sat close, facing him as she watched the play of emotions cross his handsome face. Distraction was the key. Reaching out with one fingertip, she traced the curved cartilage of his ear, following the whorls.
She sidled closer, hot breath on his ear. Placing a kiss on his earlobe, on the spot high on his neck, hands smoothing over his broad shoulders, Cordelia felt a rush of power at his vocal reaction.
Low and deep, the sound rumbled from his chest, sound waves traveling straight from her ears to her loins and reminding her that this little stop on the tour was only a delay. Suggesting, “Let’s go.”
Angelus couldn’t believe he was actually holding her back, wanting desperately to do this right and not rush her into it. There was more than just a little bite in his words, “You’re not here to be my sex kitten.”
Startled at first, Cordelia squashed the sudden urge to remind him it was almost the twenty-first century. Angelus was obviously trying to tone it down for her sake, but who wanted that. Smiling against his ear, she whispered teasingly, “Meow.”
Their eyes locked for an eternal moment, sparkling hazel and dark amber, a test of her determination and his resolve. Angelus couldn’t see past the beauty staring back at him. Lost in her eyes, he was trapped by the mischievous glint and desire swirling within their depths. Mesmerized by her mouth’s tempting curves, Cordelia’s smile physically affected him. Tangled up in the way the silken strands of her hair caressed her face and shoulders as it cascaded down her back, he imagined burying his hands in its softness.
Fuck it! He had to touch her again, now, dammit. Only inches away, there was too much space separating them.
All she had to do was glance his way and he wanted her. Tugging her into his lap, Angelus proceeded to kiss Cordelia breathless. His fingers curled into the waves of her hair just short of pulling and held her face close to his. Cordelia’s lips swelled in response as he alternated hard moves and soft caresses. Lining her lips with his own, he had no need to coax her mouth to open for it parted on another throaty trill.
Angelus swept his tongue inside, darting in and out imagining how soft and moist, how tight and hot she would be surrounding his cock as he fucked her. Cordelia’s knees were on either side of his hips, gripping him. He yanked her down hard onto his lap fitting his renewed erection into the juncture of her thighs, releasing a growl of frustration at the barrier of his leather pants between them.
His hands swept down the curve of her back to grasp her hips guiding her to move against him. Cordelia’s fingers curled into his shirtfront holding tight. Her skirt had ridden up and she felt her slick folds sliding across the smooth leather riding along a long hard ridge. It felt impossibly good. So good. She wanted more. Wanted to touch him everywhere, needed his skin on hers.
Staring at her hands through lust-filled eyes, Cordelia was hit by an overwhelming urge and she went with it. Both hands yanked the buttoned edges of his shirt ripping it open. Buttons popped randomly, one hitting Angelus in the face. With a start, Angelus lifted his mouth away to gaze down at his exposed chest.
“Oops!” Cordelia looked as surprised as he did, but the sight of his bare torso was an instant distraction.
Angelus thrilled at her aggressive move, which was followed by her attempt to press her hands on his cool flesh. Grabbing her wrists, he held them behind her. Taking them both in one hand and using the other to press her closer, he felt her breasts crush against his chest. Then he was kissing her again, devouring her mouth as Cordelia rocked against his loins. Whenever Angelus let her up for air, she sounded out her escalating pleasure.
She was clinging to him and staring starry-eyed at his mouth when he finally broke away. A husky protest moaned from the back of her throat eliciting a knowing chuckle from the vampire. Releasing her wrists, he commented, “Baby, I know you’ll be a screamer just by listening to your needy little moans. Keep that up and I think you won’t have a voice left by sunrise.”
“Egomaniac,” Cordelia slapped his chest and then found herself rubbing her hand along the hard wall of his chest. “Never gonna happen. This never-ending tour of yours gives me too many chances to rest.”
Having no intention of taking her for the first time right here on the couch, Angelus lifted them both to a standing position. Her resultant pout led him to kiss the tip of her nose before continuing his role as tour-guide. Asking her, “How does the living room measure up to the kitchen?”
With her insides clenched in frustrated arousal, Cordelia grumbled, “It sucks. Lots of potential for entertainment here, but lacking in essentials.”
His head snapped up from staring at Cordelia’s glossy pedicure and the way her toes curled into the carpet. Caught only half-listening, he had to ask, “Lacking in what? I’ve got everything essential right here,” he promised while adjusting his erect cock to a more comfortable position. Thick and hard, it left a visible line across his tight leather pants.
“Pfft! Big problem,” revealed Cordelia, not noticing, now sorry that she had reminded him about the damn tour.
“Big,” Angelus muttered in complete agreement, but on a totally separate tract.
Cordelia waved her arms in the air and settled them on her hips, tapping her bare foot to a silent beat. “Yeah, there’s no television, VCR or DVD player in here. These are human necessities. Vital for survival.”
Close to telling her that the only vital issue was burying himself in her heat, Angelus fought hard to control his rising instinct to throw her down on the floor and take her. Later, he counseled himself. Sometime later they could try out the carpet, or the tile or the hardwood floor. Tonight was only the beginning. For now, he just needed to slow down and hold to the plan of showing Cordelia that she could be comfortable staying right here at the mansion.
Truthfully, Angelus had not even thought about the contents of the living room. It was adequate and a room where he spent little time. Angel was more of a reader and he was never one to occupy himself with televised amusements. That obviously wasn’t the case with Cordelia. “I can fix that.”
Laughing at his quick response, Cordelia told him that she did not expect him to buy things just to please her. A serious look came over the vampire’s face as he told her, “This is your home too, Cor. I want you to be happy here.”
Listening to the way he phrased it, Cordelia was a little flabbergasted. “You want me to move in with you?”
Angelus frowned at the confusion in her voice. “I know your parents will still expect you to be at their house when they’re in town, but I hope that you’ll spend the rest of the time here with me.”
“I’m only seventeen,” she reminded him half-seriously.
Was she implying that he was a cradle-snatching demon? “You’re human and going to stay that way. I want every second of time you have to give me.”
Cordelia felt a little dizzy at the prospect of spending that much time with Angelus. Not that she didn’t want too. She had not expected him to feel the same way. Trying to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere, she joked, “Next thing you know I’ll be barefoot and pregnant.”
Laughing, Angelus glanced down at her bare toes again. “One out of two isn’t bad.”
Then he was suddenly serious, asking her, “Can you do that, Cor? Be here with me when you can?”
“Yes, I want that,” she answered truthfully.
The relief that came over him surprised the vampire. Cordelia evoked such emotions in him that he had never felt before. Not without the accompaniment of the soul. He hadn’t thought it possible. After Angelus had been freed the first time when Angel found his one moment of perfect happiness with Buffy Summers, he had gone on a tirade just to avenge himself against the feelings the blonde had awakened within his souled self.
Now Angelus wondered if the soul had shielded him from the full effect of those emotions because the feelings stirring within him seemed overwhelming in comparison.
The idea of it confused him and Angelus hated that, but not enough to give Cordelia up. If he had to put up with these damned emotions getting in the way then he’d do that as long as he could keep her near. Maybe he was just being possessive, but Angelus truly had no intention of ever letting her go. Still, it was good to know that Cordelia wanted to be here.
With Angelus’ gaze affixed on her so intently, it struck her that there was a reason this grand tour of the mansion was so important to him. He was showing her around her new home away from home. No wonder he growled when she couldn’t seem to keep her hands off him. “So what’s next, Angelus?”
“We just take one day at a time.”
“Yeah, but I meant with the tour.” Cordelia pointed out with a little grin.
“Oh.”
Score one for the home team. Letting out a laugh, Cordelia darted into the hall and went into the next room.
“This is Angel’s space,” Angelus followed behind her.
Bookshelves full of musty old tomes and newer books covered the walls while a huge mahogany desk dominated the rest of the room. Walking further into the study, Cordelia easily pictured Angel sitting behind the desk, his feet up reading through some boring old book. Even more likely, just sitting here in the dark brooding.
“I’m guessing you don’t spend much time in here,” Cordelia commented. “You called it Angel’s space.”
“Action guy here,” explained the vamp. “I’d rather be outside killing something than brooding about it. Or researching for that matter. I really hate that.”
“Join the club,” Cordelia muttered. Then sending him a sideways glance as she walked her fingers across the flat surface of the desk, she added, “I meant about the research, not the killing part.”
Nodding, Angelus got that without saying.
Curious, Cordelia suddenly asked him, “Why does Angel need such a big desk? Not like he has a job or bills to pay.”
The desk actually came with the house. Angelus suggested, “Maybe it has other uses.”
Catching the gleam in his eyes, Cordelia’s brows arched. “Like what for instance?”
Angelus stalked up to her from across the room, lifting her to sit on the desk. Holding onto her bare thighs, he pulled her forward and then separated them to move right on in. “Getting closer.”
“I like close,” she muttered against his mouth.
Winding her arms around Angelus’ neck, Cordelia felt herself fall into the gentle tug of his lips. This kiss came softer than the last, but roused her again to a near fever pitch as it teased and touched and tasted in little greedy bits. Her breasts ached for his touch and as if she had begged him, Angelus’ hands lifted up to wrap around her firm mounds. Letting out a loud moan, Cordelia felt rather than saw his mouth kiss its way down her neck toward her tender breasts.
He kissed her through the barrier of her clothes, but as his mouth closed over one peak Cordelia let out a cry of pleasure. She had a fist full of his short hair as she clutched him to her. The other arm propped her against the desk while her legs wrapped around his waist tugging him even closer.
Angelus moved a hand under her body-hugging shirt caressing the smooth skin of her abdomen before moving up to rub his thumb over her silk covered nipple. Then he pulled the shirt off over her head tossing it to the floor. His hands quickly returned to her breasts letting his fingers roam over the silk bra and watching her nipples poke up against it.
He was about to suggest that they start upstairs when Cordelia’s hands moved down his bare chest to hover just above his leather belt.
“Can I touch you?”
Her question went strait to his groin. Hell yes she could touch him, now in fact. “Don’t ask permission. Just do what you want and trust that I’ll let you know when you’re out of line.”
That sounded both delicious and scary at the same time, she decided. Biting her lip in wanton anticipation, Cordelia unbuckled Angelus’ belt. Pausing in contemplation of the moment, she waggled her index finger around his navel before reaching for the button on his pants.
The prominent bulge made it all too clear that Angelus had not exaggerated when saying he would stretch and fill her. While on his lap, Cordelia had felt the size of him and of course had Harmony’s description to go on. Apparently, Harm wasn’t handing her a fish story. Now wanting more than just her naughty imaginings, Cordelia itched to see and touch that uniquely male part of him.
Undoing the zipper, the back of her hand accidentally slid over the front of his pants and caused his penis to jerk sharply. Sucking in a deep unnecessary breath of air in reaction to the sensation, Angelus kept his gaze locked on Cordelia awaiting her next move. Except that her next move was to pull her hands away and lean back on the desk suddenly not certain that this was a good idea.
“Just touch me,” Angelus guided her hands back to his chest, apparently a safer zone for his alternately playful and skittish siren. Her heart fluttered in fearful excitement. “There is nothing you can do to me, baby, that I won’t enjoy.”
Cordelia knew that it was silly, but she was suddenly shy again. After crawling all over him, practically swallowing his tongue and tearing open his shirt, she was a little afraid of what was going to happen next. Angelus sensed fear rising beneath the scent of her arousal. He didn’t want that. Once maybe, but not today.
“Touch me. Just reach down and do it,” his voice softened, but Cordelia seemed certain she wanted to wait. Angelus didn’t want her to be fearful of his body. He decided she needed to see what she was going to be getting soon. “Then watch me do it.”
Pushing his leather pants down around his hips, Angelus exposed the semi-erect state of his penis to her wide-eyed gaze. “You’re so big,” her mouth quirked upward.
Angelus fisted his cock, running his fingers up to the crowning tip and back again to the base. At least Cordelia was talking again. Never a good sign when she clammed up. “You might as well get used to this bad boy because you’re going to see a lot of it.”
Knowing better than to titter at Angelus’ pet name for his penis, Cordelia quickly got side-winded by the sight of him pumping his rigid flesh. He fisted it hard, his fingers curled around his engorged cock, veins along its length bulging. Up and down. Hard, harder. Slow, smooth. Other hand sliding down to take hold of his heavy sac, rolling his fingers and applying controlled pressure.
“See what you do to me,” Angelus gritted his teeth and tried to slow down. “Do you have any clue how many times I’ve done this thinking about you? About having your hands on me, your mouth on me, or thrusting into you.”
Trying to goad her out of her shy response, Angelus knew that her natural defenses wouldn’t allow her to take it in silence. While her mouth fell agape, Angelus smirked at her all the while stroking his rapidly engorging member. Letting out a low grunt of pleasure, Angelus watched her through hooded eyes.
“You’re creaming all over Angel’s desk, Cordelia,” he commented wickedly, a dark glint appearing at her visible shudder of excitement. “Spread your thighs. Let me see you.”
Instead, Cordelia rubbed them together, enjoying the slight friction. “Maybe that’s not such a good idea. Here, I mean.”
Releasing his cock, Angelus moved his hands to her knees, his fingers gripping just firmly enough to pull her to the edge of the desk. Pushing her legs open, he stepped close, moving his hands to either side of her hips, palms flat on the desk. “I want your hands on me.”
Then Angelus was kissing her again, distracting Cordelia from self-doubts she had no need for. The hands that were clutching at the edges of his open shirt transferred to his chest, her fingertips brushing across his flat nipples. As he let out a moan in response, Cordelia grew bolder moving her palm down his muscular torso to close around the wide girth of Angelus’ erection.
Covering her hand, Angelus guided her in her first strokes and then released his fingers, returning his hands to the desk. Touching her only with his mouth. Cordelia leaned closer into his kiss marveling at the dual sensations of his potent kiss and the feel of the steel velvet of his erection in her hand.
“You’re so hard,” she whispered against his mouth. “Angelus?”
Groaning out, “Yes, baby?”
“When is this damn tour gonna end?” Cordelia removed her hand from his penis and watched it bob heavily as she leaned back on the desk letting her legs swing loose on either side of him.
“You’re stopping?” Angelus growled almost furiously.
Cordelia shrugged feigning disinterest. “I really wanted to see those etchings.”
Reminded of his intentions to finish what he started, Angelus actually wished Cordelia would finish what she started. Almost painfully erect, the vampire tucked himself back into his leather pants and zipped them up. Now there was no longer an almost about it. He needed to get the pants off real soon or he was either going to bust a seam or injure himself.
Angelus held out a hand to her. Commanding, “Off the desk. Now.”
“We’re going somewhere?”
Not answering Angelus took her around the rest of the ground floor areas that were habitable, Cordelia had to hold back her laughter at the increasing speed of the tour. He showed her the music room, though barely pointed out the direction of the old servant’s quarters and laundry room. Then they were on their way upstairs. Trying to keep up with him, Cordelia was happy that she was in great shape. Vampire speed on the stairs was a little much, so she slowed him down.
“Did I ever tell you that your butt looks great in leather?” Cordelia’s question had Angelus pausing on the second level instead of continuing on upstairs. It allowed her to catch up.
“Yes, actually I think you did.”
Thinking about it, Cordelia realized he was right. “Well it is definitely a fact.”
Grinning at her, Angelus realized he might as well give her the low-down on their current location since they had stopped here. “This floor belongs to Angel.”
“Can we look?” Suddenly buzzing with curiosity on top of her other aroused senses, she knew that she couldn’t go on without a quick peek.
Shaking his head, “No.”
“Pfft! He won’t mind,” she told him, already roaming down the hall.
Angelus didn’t tell her that the last thing he needed was to have Angel arrive home to find Cordelia’s scent all over his things. Not after the way he had responded to her. His twin’s “goodbye” indicated a lot, actually answering some of his questions since his separation from his souled counterpart.
Despite Angel’s love for Buffy, there had always been an attraction to Cordelia. It was there in the background, not anything that Angel consciously pursued. Angelus preferred the cheerleader to the Slayer, naturally, so he had wondered whether this split would also divide those invisible ties of attraction. Apparently not, although Angel was no longer in a position to do anything about it.
Angelus was too distracted by his thoughts to stop Cordelia as she located and walked straight into Angel’s bedroom. She only intended to peek inside, but the state of the room was not at all what she expected from Mr. Obsessive-Compulsive Vamp. Besides, where was all the stuff that Angelus mentioned them fighting over? This room was so bare it was Spartan. Except for the iron-wrought bed there was nothing else inside. Just a few random holes in the wall.
“Is Angel redecorating?” Cordelia frowned.
“Uh— Buffy and Angel had a thing with the furniture.”
“So they did what? Threw it out the window?”
“Not exactly.” Angelus suddenly wondered why he was protecting the Slayer and his double against Cordelia’s honest and innocent curiosity. The subject was actually rather hilarious. At least to him. “Do you want to know?”
Considering it, Cordelia told him, “No. I get the feeling this is not something I need to hear right now. At least they left the bed.”
With a snort of laughter, Angelus commented, “I’m surprised it survived.”
“What? The fire here in the mansion?” Cordelia referred to the reason that the building had initially been abandoned.
Smirking, “No.”
A light dawned in her eyes, “Oh, you’re talking about the chandelier-shaking event. I guess it must be a good bed.”
Angelus looked at her standing next to it with her hand curled around one of the wrought iron posts. So tempting. They shouldn’t be in here, but at the moment Angelus could care less about pissing off his goody-two shoes double by taking her right here. The third floor was still a long way up and Cordelia was right here in front of him looking thoroughly kissed, aroused and ready. Her scent pulled him closer.
A surprised look came over her face as he approached with that stealthy swagger. “Lift up your skirt, Cordelia. I’m going to taste you.”
“Here?”
“Right here.”
Trembling in anticipation, Cordelia realized excitedly that her house tour had ended. She moved her hands to do as he asked pulling the short skirt back up to wind about her waist. Moving her, Angelus tossed her down on the bed before stripping himself of his clothes. Cordelia watched every swift move with that playful smile on her face until Angelus stood totally nude before her. She held out her arms to him, calling out his name in a voice that emanated from the depths of her emotions.
The vampire eased himself into her embrace as he lowered them to the mattress. “I can’t wait any longer to make you mine.”