Part 8
The moment Angel’s lips touched hers, Cordelia nearly blacked out from the surge of lust that overtook her. She moaned, the sound swallowed by Angel’s mouth, and arched her body into his. Curling her hands around his biceps, she stood up on her tiptoes and angled her mouth against his, meeting him full force, kiss for kiss.
Angel had gambled on this, thinking that tasting her would be enough to quench his thirst for her, but it only made him want her more desperately. He’d lost something of himself when he’d seen her tears, when he’d gathered her into his arms and comforted her and soothed her fears of Sebastian. It hadn’t mattered that Groo was standing there. All he knew was that she belonged in his arms, and he was going to make sure she knew it.
Now, standing with her wrapped in his arms, his lips frantically moving against hers, he lost all coherent thought. Sensation ruled him now, and he went with it. His big hands spread wide on her back then closed into fists and gathered the soft fabric into his hands. He pulled, drawing the hem of her shirt upwards, and moved his hands down to the warm skin he’d exposed. He moved his fingers gently, whisper-like against her skin, marveling in its softness, even while his mouth ravaged hers.
Desperately needing breath, Cordelia finally pulled her mouth away and looked up at him with lust-glazed eyes. Her body throbbed and tingled and she felt hot, extremely hot. Her face was flushed, her mouth parted as she panted in an attempt to catch her breath.
In that moment, Angel knew she was going to say something, going to protest and the moment would be lost. He knew that if any words escaped her mouth, she’d talk herself, and him, out of this, and that was the last thing he wanted. So, before she could say anything, he turned, grabbing her hand, and pulling her toward the basement. She questioned him, but he didn’t listen.
Quickly, he pulled her down the stairs, not bothering to turn on the light. With his enhanced night vision, he could see the lust on her face, lightly mixed with wariness. It was that lust that he was counting on. Right now, all he could think about was being back inside her, back where he belonged. He needed her. He needed her so badly he thought he might explode.
Cordelia didn’t know why she followed him, why she let him take her downstairs, but she did. In that moment, something inside her snapped. It was as if the logical part of her brain was suddenly off-limits, and her libido was the only thing that was working. Something within her was demanding that she take him, that she throw him to the ground and ride him until her lust was sated. That force within her kept her mouth shut and her body hot, her mind unfocused thought. She wanted him with an animalistic urgency. She knew that she needed him, that she would die if she didn’t have him again. The wounds in her neck throbbed with every heartbeat, underscoring her need.
Still, something compelled her to speak. She opened her mouth to say something, what, she didn’t know, when Angel rested his forefinger against her closed lips. The feeling of his rough skin against her made all thoughts of speaking flee. Parting her lips, she drew his finger into her mouth and closed her lips around it. She sucked on it, rubbing her tongue against the roughness of his skin until he closed his eyes and groaned. Slowly, she pulled back, drawing his finger out of her mouth until the wet digit was released, the tip of her tongue flicking the end of his finger one last time.
After that, everything was a blur. They were both touching and fumbling, each unbuttoning and pulling at clothing until they were both free of the confines between them. Cordy sighed with relief as soon as her breasts were bare, her nipples hardening painfully as they touched the cool firmness of his chest.
The darkness of the basement only added to their frenzy. They couldn’t see each other’s faces, at least Cordelia couldn’t see Angel’s, and it only heightened her lust. All that seemed to matter was being together, being joined, and suddenly, their feelings for each other had nothing to do with this. It was lust, pure and simple.
He growled, reaching his hands down to grab her ass and pull her against his hardness. She brought her legs up around his waist, her back resting against the brick wall. Angel ground his hips into hers, feeling the hot wetness of her arousal seep through the fabric of her pants and soak his own. Their breaths mingled in the stillness, the only sound in the quiet room seeming harsh and rough.
Breathing heavily, Cordelia leaned forward, avoiding his mouth. She nipped at his chin, then ran her tongue along the smooth angle of his jaw, ending her quick exploration at the shell of his ear. She sucked the lobe into her mouth, then bit down, earning a growl from the vampire between her legs.
Angel answered Cordelia’s bite with one of his own. His blunt teeth scored her shoulder, sinking into the golden flesh, his tongue laving the area before he began to suck on her skin, bringing blood near the surface. The pull of his mouth on her skin made Cordelia shudder, and she ground herself more fully against him. His hands reached up to cup her breasts, squeezing the nipples briefly between his fingertips until they ached unbearably. She whimpered, the sound soft against his ear, and suddenly, he’d had enough play. He needed her. Now.
Reaching behind him, Angel grasped Cordy’s legs and unwrapped them from him, setting her roughly onto her feet. He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, shoving them and her panties to the ground in one swift motion. She stepped out of them as he discarded his own pants, then pressed herself against him again.
Angel didn’t give her any time for more foreplay. Forcefully, he cupped her ass in his hands and shoved her hard against the wall, her back abraded by the roughness of the brick against her skin. Then, sliding his hands down to the backs of her knees, he pulled her legs up around his hips again, bringing the tip of his erection against her entrance. She whimpered at the contact, closing her eyes and biting her lip as arousal brought a flood of wetness to her core. He pressed against her, a momentary resistance, then sheathed himself fully within her.
They both groaned as they joined into one. Cordy gripped his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his skin, and squeezed her heels against his ass, pulling him deeper within her. Angel growled, burying his head in the crook of her neck, and began to thrust deep. The rhythm became frantic, desperate, as they both took their pleasure with an urgency that overcame everything else. Cordy’s whimpers echoed off the stone walls as their skin slapped against each other, her swollen clit rubbing against him and making her whole body tighten.
Feeling her muscles clamp down on him, Angel’s jaw tensed and he growled. He thrust against her more forcefully, shifting into the face of his demon, his mouth watering at the sight of her throat, arched so delicately before him. Leaning down, he nuzzled her, fangs scraping her skin lightly as she gasped. He paused, hesitating, wanting to bite but feeling guilty. Even in this haze of lust, his soul admonished him for wanting to claim her so badly. And in the end, his conscience won. He pulled back, his human features sliding back on, but he pushed the guilt down, shoving it away.
Instead, he concentrated on bringing himself as much pleasure as possible. He grabbed her thighs from around his hips, hooking an elbow under each leg and bringing her higher up, angling her hips against him. The angle sent him even deeper within her, rubbing against her g-spot and causing her to cry out, then whimper.
In the midst of their frenzy, neither of them heard the click of the door opening, or saw the shaft of light that suddenly bathed the stairs, stopping just feet from where they were locked together. Their eyes were closed, mouths open in breathy ecstasy, and their visitor didn’t stay long. One look at the goings-on downstairs made him stop, gaping, then close his mouth and the door, leaving them to their frenetic coupling.
In time with the click of the door closing, Cordy gasped, tightening around Angel’s shaft, stars exploding behind her eyes as she climaxed. Angel stilled as he felt her convulse around him, shifting again to his demon’s face, unable to help the transformation. With two more heavy thrusts, he spilled himself inside her, groaning. His fangs pierced his lip, drawing blood before he could force himself to change back into his human features.
After a few moments, their breathing slowed, and Cordy reached her hands up to cup Angel’s face in the dark. Her thumbs traced his cheekbones, and it was only then that she realized what they’d done. One kiss from Angel, and she’d been swept away. One kiss, and one kiss only. Down here, in the dankness of the basement, their lips hadn’t met once. It was as if it wasn’t important, as if fucking was the only thing that had mattered. That one thought was enough to make her throat close in shame.
In the same instance, Angel felt the guilt of his actions overwhelm him. He’d wanted to taste her, just briefly, in order to soothe his demon and help him sort out his feelings for her. He loved her, damn it, and he’d just used her as if she were nothing more than a whore. There had been no whispered declarations of love, no gentleness, no consideration for her pleasure. He’d only sought to slake his lust, and she’d met him, thrust for thrust. God, he’d nearly bitten her. Nearly let his demon come out again and claim her.
Choking back a sob, Cordy pushed at him. He lowered her legs, sliding out of her and backing away. Not saying anything, they both gathered their clothing, shoving things back on and avoiding looking at each other. Every detail of the past few minutes flashed in her brain like evidence convicting her, and yet her eyes remained dry. She didn’t cry, didn’t even feel much of anything, really, except numbness.
It didn’t take long for them to right themselves. They both paused as the last button was fastened, looking everywhere but at each other. They both seemed to want to say something, but neither of them had the courage to do it, and the moment passed. Not knowing what else to do, Cordy turned toward the stairs and climbed them, Angel behind her. And at the top, they opened the door, and escaped into the hotel, each separating, without a look back. It was only as Cordelia walked away from him that she realized what had changed.
The lust she’d felt so constantly since Sebastian’s bite was nearly gone.
***
“Princess, I must speak with you.”
Two hours had passed since the unmentionable incident in the basement. Cordy was at her desk, trying to keep her mind occupied in files. All she’d wanted to do was escape to her apartment, but she knew that she wouldn’t be safe there. She wasn’t ready to face Angel yet, though, so she’d buried herself in a backlog of filing.
She hadn’t counted on Groo wanting her attention though.
Sighing, she looked up at him with tired eyes. “What is it, Groo?”
“Can I speak with you alone?” His eyes looked sad, and she felt guilty. Immeasurably guilty as she remembered that technically, she’d led him on.
After a moment, she nodded reluctantly. “We can go into Wesley’s office,” she said, knowing that the ex-watcher had gone out to get some books. Fred and Gunn had left for food, and Angel was upstairs, she thought.
Once the door to the office had closed, she turned to Groo, her weary eyes questioning.
“What did you have to tell me.”
“I am leaving, princess,” he said quietly.
She was momentarily mystified. Hadn’t he just arrived? Tonight, in fact?
“But you just got here.”
“Yes,” he said, then paused. “But I did not find what I was looking for.”
“And what was that?” she asked.
“I had hoped that you still loved me. But I can see now that you love the vampire.”
She had nothing to say to that, only a tired sigh. “You’re leaving tonight?”
He nodded. “I believe it would be best.”
Crossing over to him, she raised a hand to his face. “I never meant to hurt you, Groo,” she said softly. “I really do care about you. I just can’t—”
“I understand,” he said, smiling sadly. “I hope you are happy, Princess.”
Her eyes filled with tears as the hopelessness of her situation struck her. “Thank you,” she said, the words barely a whisper.
Groo leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead, squeezing her in a quick hug. Her eyes slid closed and she swallowed at the lump in her throat.
Her eyes still closed, she heard Groo softly leave the room, and the stillness pressed at her from all sides.
***
From the shadows, he watched, a smile in his mind. The young dumb one hadn’t mattered after all. True, he was no longer in place to distract his prey, but she was miserable enough without the help. Soon, her despair would be enough to destroy her. Then, he would be ready.
He’d watched as she and Angelus had writhed against the basement wall. At first, his anger had consumed him, knowing that all it would take was one well-placed bite from Angelus and she would no longer be within his reach. But as he watched, his anger had abated. Angelus had had plenty of opportunities to claim her, but he’d taken none of them. A smile had crept onto Sebastian’s face as he realized that Angelus’s soul prevented him from completing the claiming. That his soul made him feel guilty for wanting her.
It was his soul that would cost him her life.
Sebastian must be patient, but only for a small while longer. Her lust would overtake her soon, driving her insane. Then he would come to her, offering her salvation from the pain. Only then would his revenge be complete.
Part 9
