Part 3
Angel slammed the door of his suite shut, sucking in deep breaths, even though he didn’t need to.
“Oh God.” He whispered. “Oh God, oh God, oh God!” He rubbed his hands over his face and fought the urge to touch himself. The ache in his groin was getting painful and the only place he wanted to be right now was inside Cordelia. The only thing he wanted right now was Cordelia. But he’d have to settle for a cold shower.
Peeling his clothes off as he headed towards the bathroom, Angel tried to push away erotic images of his best friend, images that his apparently creative imagination was pumping into his brain, due to her earlier display of torturous ways to eat ice cream.
It was ice cream, for crap’s sake! Little children ate ice cream! Angel stepped underneath the cool shower of liquid droplets, all the while grumbling about whether anything was left uncorrupted.
***
“I’m back!” Connor jumped down the front stairs and into the lobby, rucksack loosely slung over his right shoulder. He dumped it onto the sofa and collapsed next to it, opposite Cordy.
“School sucks.”
“So true!” Cordelia raised her hand in mid air and he high-fived it, grinning. “But you only have a year left. And hey, once you’re out, the fact that you actually lived through it is a huge accomplishment.” She nodded, then snorted. “In my case, quite literally. My high school being on a hellmouth and all-“
Connor smiled and rolled his eyes. “Where’s dad?”
Cordelia didn’t look up from filing her nails but Connor was sure he saw a smirk flitter across her face. “I dunno. He went upstairs a while ago after we had ice cream. Maybe you should go check on him.”
Connor shrugged. “I’m sure he’s fine.” He glared. “You had ice cream? Without me?”
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Don’t have a baby, we left some for you.” She cleared up her stuff from the couch and stood up as Connor bounded towards the kitchen. Angel hadn’t been down in a while and it was beginning to drive her crazy. Her plan wouldn’t work without him there as a guinea pig. Well, if he didn’t come to her soon, she would have to go to him. She smiled as an idea struck her, and she rushed over to where Gunn was seated at the counter.
“Gunn!”
The black man turned around and gave her a huge grin. “What’s up girl?”
” I sorta-need you to do me a favour.” She gave him her most charming smile and Gunn’s grin immediately faltered.
“No.”
“Aw come on! One teeny, tiny favour?”
“No. I can tell by that look that it’s gonna involve some bad health on my part and I ain’t up for that.”
Cordelia rolled her eyes, then softened them, pouting slightly. “Please?”
Gunn glanced at her, then glanced away. Then he glanced back again and cursed, swirling around in his chair to face her. She’d used that damn face-
“Fine. What?”
Cordy beamed and clapped her hands, hugging him once before rushing on. “I need you to take Connor out tonight. Actually, now would be better. Take him out now. And Fred. And Wes. Take everyone out.”
“Out? As in-“
“Yeah, as in dinner, movie, I really don’t care, just take them out. And don’t come back before twelve.”
Gunn raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Why?”
Cordy looked at him innocently. “Well, I just thought that you guys could spend some quality time together.”
Gunn snorted. “Us guys or you and Angel?”
Cordelia tried to fight the blush that crept up onto her cheeks and glared at him but Gunn just laughed and slid off the stool, kissing her forehead lightly before moving away.
“Alright Cordy. I’ll do it. But you owe me, bigtime.”
Cordelia smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
***
Angel shifted in his bed, mattress creaking slightly under his weight, His dreams of Cordelia were becoming increasingly vivid and increasingly worrying. If he didn’t touch her soon, it was going to end up being detrimental to his health. And that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
But what if she didn’t want him? No, that was out of the question, he knew she did. Hell, if he didn’t know any better he’d think she was up to something. Something concerning him. Every time he caught her eye there was something mischievous there, a glint of something sly and cunning. And if he wasn’t careful, that, like everything else, was also going to start turning him on.
But he still didn’t want to push her. After all they had been through, and all she hadn’t been able to stop, he didn’t want to take it too fast. He didn’t want to pressurize her. If she wanted him, he was right there. So he just stayed in his room, snugly wrapped up under the covers, hoping that Connor got home safely from school and that someday in the near future, he would be able to make love to Cordelia Chase.
***
“Come on ladies, we’re being kicked out for the night.” Gunn grabbed his jacket and tossed Wesley his coat. The ex-watcher caught it, confused.
“We’re-what?”
Gunn rolled his eyes and gestured towards the door. “All of us. We’re going out. Now. Let’s go.”
Fred jumped up excitedly. “Ooh, where are we going? I’ll go get Angel and Cordy-“
“No, they ain’t gonna come. It’s just the four of us. They’ve got-stuff to do.” Gunn raised his eyebrows suggestively and Fred looked lost. A second later she caught on and her eyes went wide, laughter bubbling out of her throat. Connor grumbled about having to move from in front of the TV until Wesley gave him a disapproving glare. The boy got up from his seat with a huff and stalked towards the exit. Fred patted him on the back as she followed him out, smiling.
Wesley waited for Gunn as he closed the large door. “Gunn?” Gunn grunted in response. “You haven’t noticed anything slightly-odd in Cordelia’s behaviour lately, have you?”
***
Cordelia walked slowly up the stairs, creeping along the landing of the now empty hotel. When she reached Angel’s door, she knocked once. No answer.
“Angel?” When the vampire failed to answer the second time, Cordy pushed open the door and stuck her head around the frame. Angel was sprawled across the bed on his stomach, sheet covering his back, one arm thrown out over the side. Cordy rolled her eyes and went forward, gripping a glass in her hands and standing by the bedside table.
“Angel?”
Angel didn’t budge.
Cordy let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her now brown hair. She smiled. She had forced Angel to come along with her to her hairdresser, male hairdresser she might add, who had flirted with the vampire throughout the visit. Angel hadn’t been happy. Terrified and growly was more like it…
“Angel? Wake up.” Cordy pushed lightly against Angel’s shoulder. Angel let out a snort and rolled over, facing her, eyes still firmly closed in slumber.
“Angel!” Cordy whispered harshly, hoping for a reaction.
“Mmm, Cordy-” Angel mumbled, stroking the pillow with his fingers. Cordy’s eyebrows shot up and a grin involuntarily broke out on her face. She blushed. So that’s what he was dreaming about-
Cordy lowered herself onto her knees and placed the glass onto the table, reaching her hand out again and tapping Angel on the shoulder in an effort to wake him up. But it backfired. The hand that was stroking the pillow shot out and grabbed her own, holding onto it for dear life.
“Mmm, Cordy-don’t tease-” Angel murmured, rolling slightly and taking Cordy’s hand with him. Cordelia’s eyes widened as her arm was pulled under Angel’s body. She tried to tug at it but it was firmly in Angel’s grip and the vampire refused to let go.
“Oh crap.” Cordelia whispered, settling on her knees and resting her chin in the palm of her free hand. She made another attempt to tug but although Angel shifted slightly, Cordy’s hand was still firmly in his grasp. She was almost prepared to give up.
But when the vampire lifted her hand to his face, smoothing it over his brow, Cordy yelped and yanked her arm back viciously, jerking Angel out of his delightful dream. Angel’s eyes shot open and he sat up in bed with super speed, lifting the sheet to cover himself.
“Cordy?” His confused gaze met with the horror filled one of his best friend. Cordelia gulped, glancing around the room from where she had landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Angel swallowed the embarrassment that was bubbling up inside of him.
“How-how long have you been there?” Cordy’s eyes widened and she blushed deeply. Angel was a step away from dying of humiliation. “Cordy?”
“Uh-not long.” She got up and placed a hand on her face, determined to cool the crimson heat that was quickly spreading along her skin. This was a good thing. Getting caught wasn’t, but the fact that he was dreaming about her was definitely good. And not just for the purpose of her plan. It made her want to jump for joy that the man she loved was murmuring her name in his sleep.
“I brought you some blood.” She picked up the glass and sat down opposite him on the bed, careful not to look at him until the red colour had disappeared from her cheeks. But when she did glance at him, she felt the blush creep back. Because he was staring. Staring at her with so much love it made her heart ache. She quickly looked away, biting her lip.
Cordy jumped slightly when she felt a cool hand trace the outside of her ear, gently tucking a rebellious strand of hair behind it. Her heart raced when she felt him lean forward and place a gentle kiss on her cheek, his lips lingering there for a moment longer than necessary.
“Thank you.” He whispered.
She gave him a quick smile and got off the bed. “You’re welcome.” Her voice came out croaky and she cleared her throat. No Cordy, don’t get all soppy and emotional! Stick with seductive! Seductive dammit! She played with her hands and tried to remember what she came here to say. “So-you wanna do some training?”
Angel looked up at her. He wanted to reach out, pull her down and kiss the living daylights out of her. But his hands stayed around the mug she had brought him. “Sure. Can I just-?” he held up the mug and then pointed to his sheet covered body. Her eyes lingered on the sheet and then she shook her head, nodding. Angel smiled and waited for her to leave the room before collapsing back against the mattress, a heavy sigh escaping his parted lips.
How was it possible for two people to be so in love with each other and bottle it up for so long without breaking?
***
Cordelia placed a CD in the system, pressing play and letting the loud music echo through the basement. She put down her sword and stood in the centre of the room, waiting patiently for the basement door to open and for Angel to come down the stairs. Seduction was her aim and dancing was her territory. She thrived on the beat of music, the energy of movement. Cordelia smirked. Angel wasn’t going to know what hit him.
She closed her eyes as she heard the door above the stairs open. With a quick glance, a black T-shirt came into view and she quickly turned away, focussing forward and letting the music guide her.
Cordy lifted her hands, running them over her chest and face until they hovered elegantly above her head. She pushed one foot off the ground and spun around, hands criss-crossing in the air and then unravelling to land by her sides.
Her body moved in sync to the loud beat of the music, arms, back and legs stretching elegantly as she kicked out, combining the movements of a warrior in battle and a dancer in practice. Her lithe form curled backwards, spine arching as she lowered herself towards the ground then slowly rose again.
Her hair stuck to her face and her neck, slick with sweat, as she danced around the room. Cordelia twisted her body, kicking her legs out in the air and wrapping her arms around herself as she moved, muscles twitching and flexing as her own fingertips raced over them.
Every movement was controlled by the rapid beat, provoking the deep sensuality that lay within Cordelia to come out and play, and leaving Angel vulnerable to it.
She quickened her pace as the music sped up, moving furiously as everything around her vanished and all she could hear was the heightened beat of her heart. All she could see was the frantic movement of her limbs as they moved in time to the music.
Angel gasped lightly when she turned, and he caught sight of her, face flushed, sweat and flimsy cloth clinging to her delicious skin, hair wild and free. All she could hear was the beat and she danced madly, seductively, for no one but him.
Her tank top curled up slightly at the bottom, exposing toned muscles and shiny skin. Her dance was an understatement of flexibility, her body twisting and turning, dancing and fighting, seducing and battling with an invisible force.
Angel gripped the banister so hard he was sure it would crumble beneath his fingers. He had been through decades of torture, years of complete and utter torment. But this was the worst he had ever suffered. It was also the sweetest. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
But, as always, all good things came to an end, and the music slowly drowned out. Cordelia ran her hands over her face and opened her eyes abruptly, letting out a small gasp for effect when she saw Angel standing there. She inwardly smirked as he bought it, raising his hands, then smiling sheepishly.
Angel was desperately trying to control his body’s reaction to her flushed appearance and sweaty skin. All he wanted to do was run his tongue over the sweet curve of her breast-
“Angel?”
The vampire’s gaze snapped up from where it had landed on her chest and met with amused hazel eyes.
“Enjoying the view, perv?”
Angel’s jaw dropped and Cordelia laughed, coming forward and taking his hands in her own. They were so soft and warm that Angel wanted to pull her to him, soak up her heat and never let her go.
She did it for him, pulling him closer and wrapping her arms around his neck, cuddling into his chest. Angel froze. The gesture was a friendly one but there was something in her eyes, something unfamiliar. He had seen hints of it there before but it had never been so clear, so brilliant.
“Dance with me.” She whispered softly against his collarbone. Angel gulped and raised his hands, seizing her shoulders and lightly pushing her away. Cordelia looked at him confused, then annoyed, her hands coming to rest on her hips.
“Angel-“
“C-Cordy-I don’t think-“
“I know you hate dancing but this isn’t exactly fast, is it? No one’s asking you to be John Travolta.” Cordelia tapped her foot against the floor. “Come on, it’s just me.”
And that’s the problem. Angel thought to himself. He shook his head.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because-I-we-we’re supposed to be training!”
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “And we will, I just wanna do this first.” She came forward again, reaching for his hands and Angel immediately stepped backwards, snatching his arms back.
“Cordelia-“
“Grr! Angel! For crap’s sake!” She grabbed his arms and pulled him to her, placing his hand on her hip. He tried to jerk it away but she restrained him. Clearly he wasn’t using all his strength and something about that told her he wanted to keep it there. She smiled inwardly, placing his other hand on the other side of her hip and lacing her arms around his neck.
“Just relax, okay?” She smiled at him, fluttering her eyelashes. Oh yes, the queen of seduction was once again in action. Cordy began to move against him, smiling lightly at his rigid form. Slowly, he began to relax, sliding his hands across her skin and resting them on the small of her back, pulling her even closer to him.
Cordelia tucked her head under his chin, sighing softly, the movement sending puffs of warm breath tickling across Angel’s skin and shooting shivers down his spine. He revelled in the moment, the feeling of having her so close sending blasts of happiness throughout his entire being. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being played though. He ignored it. He was being paranoid. After all that had happened in the past year, who could blame him?
Angel concentrated on the feeling of Cordelia’s heartbeat against his lifeless chest, her breath against his collar, her hips snugly encased with his, a position in which he had wished himself in time and time again. She was so close and he felt the overwhelming need to do something. A boldness that he didn’t know he possessed, swept over him in waves and he pulled her closer.
It was now or never.
He lifted a hand and ran it up her back, bringing the cloth up with him, soft fabric bunching up in his large fingers. He chased the shiver as it spiralled up Cordelia’s vertebrae, hand finally coming to rest on her jaw. He ran his fingers along her jaw line, gently making patterns on her skin with the tips, tucking strands of silky hair behind her ear before following the neat curve of her jaw once again, settling under her chin.
Cordelia’s heart beat had quickened and her breathing was getting more and more rapid by the minute. He pushed up her chin, tilting her head upwards so that it left it’s position on his shoulder and levelled with his own, eyes locking together even as an electricity passed between them.
“Angel-” Cordelia whispered.
“Ssh.” Angel ordered softly, pressing a finger to her lips, eyes still holding her own in a mesmerising stare. He brushed her cheek and gently leaned down, his lips hovering millimetres above hers. He felt her breath on his lips as her own parted in anticipation.
But that wasn’t all Cordelia was feeling. As excited as she was because of how close she was to achieving her goal, somewhere inside, underneath the triumph, she felt guilty. Guilty that he was here, holding her with more love and adoration than she could ever dream of, wanting to kiss her and show her exactly what she meant to him. And all she was doing in return was playing him, seducing him into wanting her.
When the truth was that she loved him more than life itself.
But the fact that their first real kiss, one that couldn’t have been more perfect, was being inspired by something false and completely artificial, made her pull away suddenly, resting her hands on his chest and pushing him away, refusing to look at him, to see the hurt in his own.
“Cordy?” She heard Angel’s confused voice and glanced up.
“Bathroom! I need to go to the bathroom!” Cordelia fled for the stairs.
“Cordy-what?” A look of uncertainty flashed across Angel’s face and Cordelia mentally kicked herself for putting it there.
“God Angel, don’t look so confused, I just need the bathroom!” Cordelia piped out nervously. She closed her eyes and gripped the banister, running up the stairs and away from the perfect moment that she had just destroyed.
***
Cordelia slammed the basement door shut behind her and walked across the landing as fast as she could. What the hell was wrong with her? She had been just about to achieve exactly what she wanted. Angel had been about to kiss her, really kiss her, and she had walked away from it. Because she felt guilty.
Cordelia slapped her forehead and leaned against the wall. She had set out to seduce him and if she wanted him to kiss her, just to find out whether or not he really was a bad kisser, she would have to ignore the feelings of guilt and good morality and just get on with her seduction. It was already proving successful and if she wasn’t careful, she would completely blow it.
She shook herself and took a deep breath. The truth was, she wanted Angel to kiss her simply because he wanted to, not because she had falsely motivated his feelings in some way, nor because she had seduced him into doing it. But Cordelia was an impatient woman and she wasn’t going to wait for Angel to find his balls and take the lead. That would take too long. And she wanted to know now.
But she was so in love with him, it hurt. It hurt to know that she couldn’t just say the words and fall into his arms and have him kiss her because the moment was perfect and he wanted to. And despite the fact that from Angel point of view that was exactly what was happening, Cordelia couldn’t shake off the truth.
Well she would just have to.
Cordy took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. If she wanted him to kiss her, she’d just have to make him. If she wanted to move their relationship along, she would just have to be the one to push it in the right direction. Screw the feelings of guilt and dreams of the perfect kiss. After all, if she managed to seduce him into kissing her and their kiss turned out the way she wanted it to, then there would be plenty of time for her and Angel to share all those other significant kisses she had always dreamed of.
Regaining her courage and her determination, Cordelia quickly ran up the stairs as an idea hit her, taking them two at a time in her hurry.
***
Angel glumly strolled into his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he paced towards the bathroom. Thanks to Cordelia and her little private dancing number, he was having to take a shower for the second time that day. And they hadn’t even begun training.
But that wasn’t the biggest of his worries.
Cordelia hadn’t come back down after her little trip to the bathroom and more than anything, Angel was scared. Scared that he had pushed his best friend into doing something she didn’t want to. Was that why she had fled the room when he had tried to kiss her? He had been so sure that he had seen it in her eyes, the way she wanted him, the way she loved him. But maybe he was wrong.
The vampire shook his head and unbuckled his belt. He had recognized that look on her face. She was flirting with him, why, he wasn’t sure, but she definitely was. And he had simply taken the initiative any warm or cold blooded male would have. He had tried to kiss her. He hadreally wanted to kiss her.
But when she pulled away, everything shattered, the perfect moment that held its breath collapsed and left confusion and anxiety. The fear and paranoia that Angel had been desperate not to feel, bubbled up through his body, entering every cell and locking into place. He didn’t want to alienate her from him by scaring her or moving too fast. What Angel did want more than anything was obvious and he was so sure Cordelia wanted it too. But now he was uncertain and confused, and frightened that he had lost his only chance.
Angel headed for the bathroom door, too caught up in his thoughts to notice the steam rising from underneath the doorway, or the sweet fragrance of lavender coming from inside. But when he opened the door, the scent of Cordelia hit him full force and he nearly stumbled by the sudden rush of desire that went shooting through his being, as he drunk in the sight before him.
A long leg ascended from the blanket of snowy bubbles and from the porcelain interior of the tub, bending in the air, toes pointed elegantly downwards. Angel’s hungry eyes followed the delicate beads of water as they trickled down bronzed, sun-kissed skin, slowly making watery patterns over the surface and then meeting with the sea of bubbles at the bottom.
A hand emerged from the water, running long, graceful fingertips over wet, slippery skin, pushing away the bubbles to leave a flawless plane of irresistibly delectable skin.
Angel caught a glimpse of creamy thigh, barely hidden just beneath the foamy water. His throat went dry as the thigh shimmered, covered in a thin layer of shiny liquid, and his gaze journeyed lower, and lower and lower-
He swallowed hard, and jerked his gaze up, eyes once again on the move, boring steaming holes into the slender limb as they travelled up the leg once more, along the soft curve of Cordelia’s knee and back down to the very tip of her toe.
Angel retraced the path backwards and then looked up slowly, his eyes locking with the owner of the leg he had just been drooling over.
“Hi.” Cordelia said, almost shyly.
Angel was unable to speak for a moment, every cell in his body screaming for him to grab her from the bathtub and take her on the bathroom floor. His hand clenched at the doorframe it was resting on.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Cordy raised her eyebrow as though he had just asked the stupidest question in the world. “Uh-taking a bath?”
Angel gawked. Was she kidding? “This-this is my bathroom.”
Cordelia pouted and Angel was sure his self restraint was going to snap any second. Sure, he didn’t want to push her or scare her, but did she have to make it so damn hard?
“God Angel, didn’t your mother ever teach you to share? My faucet’s not working.” She sat up slightly and Angel’s gaze immediately went to her chest, where underneath the layer of bubbly covering, he could make out the curve of her breast. He didn’t see Cordelia bite her lip to keep from laughing.
“Angel?”
The vampire jumped, nearly falling over, quickly looking away from her naked form and focussing on the rack-he winced. The towel rack, notthat rack!
“Geez, I didn’t realise you were gonna get all possessive about a bathtub.” Cordelia falsely rolled her eyes and made a move to get up. “I’ll get out if it’s that important to you-“
“NO!” Angel yelled, making the brunette jump slightly, scared that she would bare more skin and then he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself. He was already like a dog on a freakin’ leash, he didn’t need another challenge. He held his hands in front of him as a shield, staring at her through the parting cages of his fingers. “No, stay there, I’ll go…make the bed or something.”
“But-“
“No, it’s fine, I’m fine, you’re very fine, I mean, in the sense that you’re okay not that you’re, ya know, I’m just gonna go-” Angel abruptly turned and stalked out.
“Wait!” Cordelia called out, wincing and then laughing softly when she heard what sounded very much like a shriek. Or a groan. Or both. She had told him to wait-
The door burst open once again, and Angel stood before her, face flaming red and breathing heavily, fists scrunched up so tight, his knuckles were white and it was evident he was holding onto the last threads of self control.
“Cordelia!”
“They’re too delicate for the dryer!” Cordelia protested, biting her lip, barely able to keep in her amusement, immediately recognizing what he was so wound up about. She had left her delicates hanging all over the posts of Angel’s bed, half in an obvious attempt to drive him crazy and half because they really were too fragile for the dryer. “Geez Angel, it’s just underwear-“
Angel didn’t say a word. Just glared at her before walking out and slamming the door loudly behind him.