PART 9
He’d had no idea that the whole incident had been watched by someone else in the building. If this were a movie, the hero would have got a prickling sensation or something to show he was aware of some danger but Angel was oblivious to it.
She watched him leave, her large eyes watching him with a kind of sick hunger, a wide smile on her mouth. Dark as midnight hair curling around her heart shaped face. Her eyes did not turn to the other two until the door had closed behind him with a bang.
Then she came out of her hiding place; she was tall for woman and walked with unusual grace across the dirty floor, as if all she needed was a full swinging skirt to follow the gentle sway of her hips. She stopped beside the fallen demon and its spawn.
The youngster looked up at her with its saucer like eyes, all blazing green. “He hurt my mom”
“Mummy’s fine darling” she said curling hands around its chin, digging her nails in for a second on that fragile looking skin.
“You said you’d pay me if I got him here, but I don’t want it now.” Its lips quivered “I shouldn’t have done it”.
She pouted at him, still stroking his head “I needed to see Daddy, but I should have known I was too late”, she wrapped her feminine looking hands around its little throat and started to squeeze with crushing force.
“I’m always too late”, tears squeezed out of her eyes and her head swayed from side to side as if unable to understand something. She looked down to find it lifeless now, lying next to its oblivious mother.
She giggled and smacked her own hand; she hadn’t meant to kill it. She’d wanted to find out more about the picture and what was so important about it?
“It’s all his fault you know”, she hissed in a whisper “The Angel beast”
“I’m all alone, nobody loves me or cares for me” Tears dripped freely down her face now, “But not him, he has a new family and a new love”. She threw back her head and gave a howl of rage.
*He has to pay you know” she said harshly to the dead demon-child.
Then in a horrifyingly abrupt change of mood, she burst into song and twirled and pranced back toward the door, her arms held out as if she were holding a partner at a dance.
CORDY’S APARTMENT
She answered the door to find him standing there looking nervous and yet smiley at the same time. She smiled back, all he needed to do to complete the picture of a nervous boy was shuffle his feet, which was kinda funny coming from such a big man.
Angel relaxed when she smiled at him and then stood back in silent invitation. Until she remembered he needed more than that and grinned cheekily at him, cocking her head to one side as if considering what to do. He raised a brow and assumed a ferocious scowl, playing the game.
“Come on in”. No admonishments about behaving himself this time at least.
“Here let me take the wine, Ooh I like this one” she said to him as he followed her across the small living room towards the tiny kitchen.
He had the package under his coat; she hadn’t spotted it yet. He laid it on a table before joining her. “Nice place” he said looking around him and then back at her, unable to keep his eyes off her.
It had been difficult before to not just stop what he was doing and stare, it was even harder now since last night. Now he knew her body in the way he’d wanted to for so long but had never dreamed he would be able to.
She smelled absolutely gorgeous, all warm damp femininity and slightly flowery, she must have only just recently bathed and her hair was still a little damp but as glossy as ever.
She was wearing a sleeveless blouse that was dainty and feminine and a flirty skirt that showed off her fantastic legs. He looked away before he embarrassed himself, adjusting his pants where they had gone snug in the last few seconds.
He took the glass she offered him, filled with ruby coloured red wine and lifted it to his lips as she did the same.
“So you were going to tell me what got you haring off after Eve today,” he said it with only a touch of exasperation.
Cordy told him about the camera she’d found and the fact that the tape was missing and then described the confrontation and the fight that followed. He took the tape she handed to him and turned it over in his hands.
“I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know what’s actually on there. It can’t be played on a normal video player without the equipment so”. She shrugged and left it at that. Angel decided to do the same.
Angel the tucked the tape into a pocket in his leather duster and then took the coat off, placing it carefully on a chair. Cordy sat down on one corner of the couch and he sat next to her, they faced one another, suddenly awkward.
Cordy hated awkward silences and so decided to jump in at the deep end. If she wanted to know how he felt about her, she was going to have to poke away at some sore spots. She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, her hazel eyes watching him carefully.
“Tell me about Buffy”? She asked it was more of a demand than a request, however soft the words were uttered.
He’d been expecting it, he still hated talking about it but he’d known she would want to know. So he started from the beginning, telling her about the trip to Sunnydale and what had happened.
He left nothing out and he couldn’t look at her when he got to the bit about kissing Buffy so he missed Cordy rolling her eyes towards the ceiling, when he told her Buffy’s Cookie analogy.
“Why did you do it, tell her you would wait”? She wasn’t going to let him get away with that one.
“I don’t really know” He ducked his head, embarrassed, knowing it wasn’t good enough. He had to try and make her understand he wasn’t being evasive, it was the truth.
“I can’t explain it; I got over Buffy a while ago”
He defended himself quickly when she gave it him ‘that’ look. “Longer than even you know” he finished with a direct stare.
He moved closer, a determined look on his face. “Look, what I do know is that I don’t want to be given a choice, for me there is no choice to be made”.
He was going to lay himself on the line, he’d decided earlier that he had to take a risk and tell her what was in his heart, either that or lose her again.
“I feel bad about Buffy, because she deserves to be loved, but I can’t do that anymore, not in the way she needs. I love you now, love you and need you in a way that I never have before even with Buffy”.
“You left thinking I was going back to Buffy, but I didn’t and even if you hadn’t come back, I still wouldn’t do it. I’m not the guy for her and she’d not the girl for me”.
Cordy’s eyes dropped, hiding her expression, her cheeks becoming a little flushed. Then she looked back up him and smiled. She leaned forward and clasped his large hands in her own so that they were joined when she spoke again.
“I love you too, but just so you know, I’m not sorry that I left”. He looked like he had mixed feelings about her answer, but he let her carry on without interruption.
“I was too needy and dependent; I had to get over that”
“I didn’t mind,” he said quickly.
“I did,” she said back just as quickly.
He nodded understanding that was part of what he loved about her, the strength and independence. Although he had to admit her independence did cause him a few headaches.
“So where do we go from here”? She asked him
He looked at her, the lamplight reflecting the depths of his brown eyes, turning them into liquid pools, hiding and revealing some of the emotions he was trying to keep hidden or at least less obvious. He didn’t want to scare her off; he pursed his lips before twisting them into a wry smile.
“I want it all,” he said clearly, watching for her reaction.
She cocked her head again, her brows lowering just a bit in confusion, “What do you mean”?
“I know that I shouldn’t expect too much, I’m a vampire and a freak of nature. But I want”. He stopped as if searching for the right way of putting it.
“Before you decide if you want to be with me, I need you to know that it won’t be like with Buffy”. He looked at her, wanting to see that she understood what he meant.
“I won’t stand by and just watch if you decide you want someone else. I’m jealous and possessive and I know that’s wrong, but I can’t help it”.
If he breathed he would have been holding it now, all he could hope was that he hadn’t just dug his own grave.
“Angel…”, she stopped herself, looking into the distance. The only thing stopping him from panicking was the half smile tugging the corners of her full lips.
“If you decide to be with me, I need to know that you’re mine and that you won’t get cold feet and just leave”. There he’d said it. He watched and waited, not knowing what to expect from her.
“I’m not going anywhere Angel and as for the rest. I don’t care what’s PC these days. I’m a woman and when a guy loves me he damn well better be possessive of me, or I’ll know why not”.
They stared at one another for second then Angel eased forward to press a kiss to her parted lips, lingering for moment to see if she would pull back. She didn’t, instead she kissed him back, her tongue darting inside his mouth once before she broke the kiss and leaned back so that she could see him fully.
“I have a present for you” He said, looking into her slightly dreamy hazel eyes and watched them widen with excitement, enjoying the blazing smile that lit up her whole face.
“You do, where is it”? Her eyes darted over him and then came back to his face with an expectant look.
He got up and went over to the table, where the package lay as yet unnoticed by Cordy and brought it back to her. Instead of sitting back on the couch he squatted down in front of her, just before her knees and placed it on her lap.
“I hope you like it” He said softly hiding a sudden feeling of uncertainty, maybe he should have just got a cactus again.
She darted him a glance full of excitement and pulled at the wrapping, he stayed where he was, watching her. Finally she held the picture and frame on her lap, staring down at it.
“It’s just a house warming gift,” he said to her.
Her fingers traced the photograph over the glass cover and along to the edge, feeling the smooth carved wood of the frame. She looked at him then with tears sparkling on her lashes.
“It’s lovely, thank you”, he wasn’t so sure she wasn’t just saying that, what with the tears and all but then she put the picture carefully down beside the couch and threw her arms around him in a bear hug, simultaneously placing a smacking big kiss on his lips.
Relieved and chuckling Angel picked her up off the couch so that she was high against his chest; she carried on kissing him, trying to wrap her skirt-clad legs around his waist. She moved onto his jaw, nipping slightly and then soothing it with a lick. His neck beckoned her, especially where it joined his ears but he had other ideas.
He sat down on the biggest of the chairs, ignoring the couch now, he wanted her as close as possible. Cordy found herself on his lap, with her head laid gently down on one arm of the chair and her legs draped over the opposite one.
She looked up at him quizzically, she couldn’t really do much in this position, he was too far out of reach. She tried to sit up but he placed a hand on her chest, his lips turned up in a sensual smile as he said, “Turn about’s fair play”.
She was still confused and then it clicked, He was talking about her exploration of him the night before, while he was still out. At least she thought he’d been out, maybe not. She’d ask him later she decided, too engrossed in watching his strong fingers as he started to undo the tiny buttons of her top, one by one and taking his own sweet time about it.
Finally she was bare to the waist and laid back spread before him like some kind of golden offering. She didn’t mind, in fact her belly was swirling with excitement and a keen sense of anticipation that made her skin roughen and goosebumps appear on her skin.
She licked her lips and watched his face as it tightened and darkened with desire, it was a look that she could easily learn to crave from him.
But she was a bit nervous too; her relationships so far hadn’t really prepared her for this. The only one with regular sex had been Groo and he’d been eager to please but not exactly creative when it came to love play. She shivered slightly.
Angel speared his fingers into her hair and gently the cupped the top of her head, kneading with sensitive fingers. He lowered his head until his lips hovered over hers.
“Do you trust me”? He asked; she nodded, her eyes wide.
“Then give me your tongue”.
He closed the distance and touched his lips to her, she did as he asked and he sucked gently and rhythmically on it. Cordy was forced to clutch her thighs together as desire speared straight to her loins causing a piercing ache to start there.
His free hand cupped one firm breast, circling the taut peak of her nipple, tormenting her with the need for increased pressure. He leaned further over her, to take the nipple in his mouth and suckle, strongly. She moaned at the pool of increasing heat between her legs.
He moved his lips further down her body, stopping to gently kiss the bruised area that Eve had caused, before dipping a pointed tongue into her belly button, stabbing repeatedly, all the while his callused fingers continued to tease her breasts with incredible skill.
She wished he would undress too so that she could touch him, but he snagged her fingers when she tried to undo the buttons on his shirt. He brought the hand to his mouth and nipped warningly at the middle finger, before kissing the same spot and draping the arm back out of his way.
He moved back up to her breasts to torment with kisses, dangerous little nips and flicking licks of that clever tongue. His hand travelled down her taut belly, stopping to knead it firmly with his long fingers spread, occasionally dipping below the waistband of her skirt to touch the beginning of curly damp hair.
She squirmed on his lap, desperate to feel him touch her there. He was hard under her bottom and she pressed down trying to incite him to go faster, do more. God please she needed him to touch her there.
Then he did and she nearly shot upright at the sweet pain of finally feeling him rub and stroke the sensitive flesh, he kept her down by the weight of his forearm and his mouth still suckling at one breast. He stroked her with one finger, inside and around, spreading the moisture her frantically aroused body was producing, nature’s way of enticing penetration.
He pushed one long finger into her and pressed deep, searching for the spot that would bring her the most pleasure, he found it and she arched, her legs widening as she helplessly tried to increase the depth. His lips returned to her mouth where he penetrated her with his tongue at the same time as with two fingers between her legs, matching the rhythm of both to drive her to the edge.
His thumb circled her clitoris and then stroked the stretched flesh of her vagina, the nerves made more sensitive by the invading, smoothly thrusting fingers. She couldn’t bear it and came after only a short time; the pleasure almost too much. She arched wildly up, the feelings so intense she tried to evade him; her hips bucking and thighs clenching tight.
She came back to her senses to find he had turned her so that she was curled up on him, her skirt straightened and tucked back down. He held her tight, one hand under her bottom to keep her high, the other stroking the back of her neck.
He kissed the top of her head and she could feel his smile and guessed he must be looking pretty damned pleased with himself. She thought; well, two could play at that game;!- After all, it was only fair.
She could feel him still rock hard beneath her hip and raised her head off his chest to kiss his smiling lips, “My turn now”. He leaned back and gave a quirk of a brow, amused.
“Well if we’re doing a role reversal thing here, then I think it’s my turn to hold you down and take us both for a ride, don’t you”?
She didn’t wait for answer but wrapped both hands around his face and plunged her tongue into his waiting mouth.
