A whisper, “I can’t believe she’s gone,” gave way to Cordelia’s tears. Stubbornly, she had held them back determined not to cry. The effort left her breathless, a broken sob cracking the air. Warm droplets clung to her lashes sparking a trail along her cheeks. One by one, they soaked into Angel’s shirt as she melted into his embrace.
Crying in front of others was not her thing. It left her way too vulnerable, and open to judgment. Also, it was hell even on smudge proof makeup. That did not matter when her tears were for Bev and Angel’s arms were a comforting band of steel as he pulled her closer, his hands soothing and gentle.
With Angel, somehow her tears did not seem wrong. That surprised. Yet Cordelia did not question it.
Feelings swamped her with a reality she did not want to face rushing in despite her determination to stay strong. Cordelia had only known about Bev for a short time. They had just started to understand each other. Now she was lost forever. Cordy knew where the fault lay. She had seen it happen, knew who was to blame.
Nothing in Cordelia’s experience prepared her for this. No loss compared. Maybe Angel trying to dump her for her own good qualified— the dumbass. Xander’s betrayal, the loss of the family fortune, her injury, even the totally bogus loss of the homecoming crown seemed trivial now.
Memories flashed, bittersweet pangs immediately following.
Bev’s face was completely clear in her mind. Her bright smile was capable of chasing away gloomy doubts. The twinkle in her eyes seemed both wise and mischievous when she had teased Cordelia about Angel’s hotness. Her style had been a lesson on how to avoid looking like a low-budget hag when deprived of designer labels. The way she had lectured Angel about ‘protecting’ her. How she fought for what was important to her by going up against the mayor.
Now she was gone. Dead. Nothing could bring her back. Cordelia felt cheated. Robbed of something precious. Other girls got to think about prom dresses, but she would be picking out funeral wear instead. More than just the clothes, there were arrangements for the services, too.
Wondering what Bev would want, Cordelia felt panicky. Angel’s assurances that she was not alone, that she had friends to help calmed her a little. After all, Giles knew about funerals. When Angel winced at the comment, she raised her head from his chest and wiped at her moist cheeks with the edge of the sheet before dropping it to her lap.
“I feel responsible for what happened tonight,” he admitted steering the subject away from the Watcher’s experience with funeral arrangements. “If I’d been there—”
“We both know who’s to blame.”
A bubble of anger welled until Cordelia let it go. This was depressing. She did not want to think about this right now even if she accepted that it was not going to go away. Not everything about tonight was worthy of tears. She turned her thoughts to Angel. There were still a few things to clear up between them.
“About us,” she laid her palm against his chest, “we’re not breaking up.” It was a statement, not a question.
Angel’s eyes dropped to her mouth watching her tongue dart across her lips. His fingers tightened subtly as their movement stalled along her back and thigh. The compassionate concern shifted almost instantly. A possessive streak intensifying his gaze, he confirmed, “No, we’re not.”
Caught up in the weight of that stare, Cordelia held her breath, mouth dropping open as she recognized the hot streak of want that slammed into her. Just a look and her heart started pounding. “Good,” she muttered sliding one arm around his neck to lean in for a kiss, a soft peck to claim her territory.
Angel palmed the back of her head preventing her retreat as his fingers threaded through her hair. His mouth brushed across hers coming back to stroke her lips again, and then lifted away only long enough to pull her onto his lap. Cordelia’s legs splayed across his powerful thighs riding up against an insistent bulge.
It made her aware that she wore nothing under the shirt seconds before his big hands slipped underneath to cup her bare bottom. They curved over both cheeks, squeezing and releasing, kneading her warm flesh. Eyes open, transfixed by the look on his face, her mouth formed an open circle for a throaty, “Ohhh.”
She clasped his shoulders. Held on tight. Watched his eyes turn black with want. Cordelia melted under that smoldering gaze. Her hips shifted, a little gasp sounding when she bumped up against that hard ridge just right, the contact igniting a slow burn flickered in her belly.
He licked his lips, guiding her movements in a way that set off pleasure sparks for both of them. Riding him, grinding against him— it felt so damn good. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and concentrated on that feeling. Angel kissed the soft spot beneath her jaw, nibbled tenderly at her earlobe only to let out a guilty moan against her ear, “I’m sorry.”
Cordelia stilled her movements to ask, “Sorry for what, breaking up with me? Hell yes you should be sorry.”
Saying he meant something else, Angel commented, “I thought we’d decided to forget that.”
“Forget it?” Cordelia traced her finger across his chest in the shape of a large C. Grinning at him. “I’d say there was some serious groveling to be done first.”
The tension in his shoulders got tighter. “I don’t grovel to anyone.” Angel’s voice darkened giving her goosebumps. She had seen far too much of the groveling type when she was with Xander anyway.
“Just don’t think you can seduce me into a case of selective amnesia,” Cordelia pressed her bottom back toward his hands secretly delighting as they tightened their hold again.
Arching under his touch, Cordelia felt another wave of desire shudder through her. Angel gave her ass one last squeeze before sweeping his cool hands upward along her curving spine. “I can’t look at you and not want you,” his voice dipped down to a sexy octave. Cursing softly, “The timing is off. We shouldn’t—”
“Shouldn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t…pfft!” Cordelia looped her arms around his neck. “I think we can,” she leaned in to press her breasts against his hard chest enjoying the way the sensitive peaks rasped against the shirt. Grinning, placed a teasing little kiss on his chin. Adding, “We should,” as she shimmied her hips, “and I’ll bet we will.”
“Cordy,” he chided chasing after her mouth with his own, his laughter swallowed up by a moan as her back arched, head tilted to let his lips graze her throat. Just a touch, a soft kiss was enough to leave her craving his mouth.
When Angel clasped her head with both hands and brought his lips to hers, she knew she would have her way. Nothing else mattered right now except being with him again. Taking back what was hers and nearly lost because her vampire had a bad case of chivalry. She had lost too much tonight already.
Cordelia kissed him hard, her mouth eager against his. A smile formed on his firm lips for an instant before Angel opened up to her eager exploration. Letting her taste him before taking over again, eating out her mouth, devouring her.
The wet rasp of his tongue left her shuddering, aroused to an almost frantic state. God, she wanted more. It incensed her to think that Angel nearly walked away from their relationship, that she had almost thrown it away to save what was left of her shredded pride. Pulling away long enough ask, “How could you think about giving this up?” Cordelia muttered the accusatory question almost breathlessly.
For an instant, Angel stared back lust-glazed, his tongue swiping across his lips. Looking like he wanted to answer, but closer to stealing her breath away again, a hint of topaz appeared in his eyes. Cutting him off at the first syllable, Cordelia curled her fingers around his big biceps pulling closer. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Then they were falling. Angel rolled back taking her with him. She landed on top, clinging to his broad shoulders when he reversed their positions. Legs butterflied, her hands dropped down to pluck nervously at the buttons of her shirt, suddenly ultra aware of what they were about to do, yet also feeling a triumphal thrill that Angel wanted her as much as she wanted him.
Braced above her, Angel’s eyes roaming over her face, lingering at her mouth and throat before slowly drifting down toward the spread of her firm thighs to where his knees were planted on the floor between them. Her eyes were all over him, too. Every sexy inch. The stretch of his dark pants across those powerful thighs and his obvious arousal. His shirt half open where she had somehow unbuttoned it to get at his smooth chest. That handsome face showing hints of his true nature.
One problem: he was too damn far away. Scrambling for a handhold, Cordelia grunted exultantly when she grasped two fistfuls of shirt and tugged hard. The already tangled sheet twisted beneath them as Angel followed her to the floor. The impact stole her breath away again, but having Angel’s weight on top of her felt delicious. Even when he shifted easing away so as not to crush her, she felt his solid strength.
Angel’s head dipped blocking out the dim light an instant before he captured her mouth, their lips meshing feverishly. She clasped him close suddenly fearful that he would stop. When he kissed her, it was all she needed, just him and that mouth, and the hands that coasted along her skin as if they knew every curve. There was something else too, knowledge new to her but vital— she needed him inside her again.
Recognition that she wanted him like that now was enough to make her forget all about the interlopers on the lower level. It was just the two of them there on the floor, Angel struggling to pop the buttons on her shirt without ripping it open and her laughing gleefully at his efforts as her wandering hands reached down to squeeze his ass.
“You don’t play fair,” Angel nipped gently at her exposed shoulder. Pushing the half-open shirt aside, he slid a hand upward filling his palm with her breast. He plumped it, ran his thumb close to the hardened peak, muttered “Cordy” against her skin before taking her into his mouth.
Cordelia arched toward him melting hotly at the wet sensation, “Seems fair to me.” She was quivering at his touch, clasping him to her. Now she wanted to feel him skin to skin. Her hand trembled as it moved between them connecting with the solid shape of his arousal.
He bucked against her hand, growling softly at her anxious motions spurring her on. Spreading kisses along her throat as she cupped and squeezed. He nibbled her neck as she rubbed, stroking him with her fingers, trailing his own hand down to press his long fingers through the soft fur at the apex of her thighs, touching her there, spreading her wetness, fingers thrusting shallowly where it was still a little sore, but felt too good to care.
Her eyes slammed closed, hand stalling its eager actions as she writhed beneath him, her hair thrashing around her shoulders as pleasure closed in. Cordelia let out a shriek as she came feeling the waves vibrate through her. Then his fingers were gone. A zip ripped the air even as she moaned in protest.
Before the sound died on her lips, he was there, the blunt tip pressing thickly along her slick sex. Into her. Filling her with an insistent thrust. It was insane how good it felt this time. Cordelia curled her nails into his shoulders, her eyes shut tight, cheek pressed into his neck. She felt her body clench him as his hips shifted back nearly pulling out only to slam back down.
His dark head shook in denial, “I’ll never give this up,” Angel gritted his teeth as he answered her earlier question. Lifting himself up to free his hands, he stroked them up the curves of her hips, waist and higher to fondle her breasts, bending down to flick his tongue across one velvet peak. “Now that I can have you, Cordy, you’re mine.” Ardently emphasizing it again, “Mine.”
Angel gathered her close again, kissing her, nuzzling his face at her neck as his steadily thrusting hips banged rhythmically into hers trying to be gentle. Sensing him holding back Cordelia knew she needed more than that right now. Something primal rose up inside her demanding release. “Show me.”
Only knowing that she wanted more, Cordelia shifted her legs higher. Scraping teeth across his shoulder, she licked and nibbled her way up to his neck knowing it was dangerous territory, how sensitive he was there. Lashing her tongue over one particular spot made him moan, shudder, pivot harder.
Their pelvic bones connected, curls tangling between them, her clit nudged with each heavy stroke. “Cordy,” he growled a warning. A hand tangled in her hair yanking back to see her sly unrepentant grin. Amusement flashed for an instant before something wickedly hot made his eyes go dark. “You want it like this?” Angel banged into her.
Cordelia keened with pleasure at the change of pace, the way her body tried to slide along the floor, the strength he used to hold her there. She thrust her hips up to meet his. Her hands darted everywhere clutching his shoulders, clasping his neck, dipping down the back of his loose pants to palm the flexing muscles of his ass as his hips worked back and forth.
“Yes,” she hissed confirmation knowing she was close, that he could take her over the edge.
Angel’s hand moved from her hip, slipping between them, his fingers sliding down the wet crevasse where they merged until his thumb brushed against her swollen nub. Lightning flashed behind her closed eyes at the rough little rubs that followed until it rolled through her. “Good, yes, Angel, so—,” her words broke apart into an unintelligible cry as she came.
Her whole body flushed, skin salty and damp with hair tangled and clinging to her cheeks, Angel changed the pace again, drew her orgasm out until it seemed like it went on for ages. Cordelia felt the hard column of his sex moving within her as her body spasmed joyously around it. She opened her eyes to marvel at his gorgeous face damp with sweat, eyes piercing hers deeply.
“Beautiful,” Angel captured her mouth for a kiss. His hands moved up her torso to trail down her arms enclosing her wrists. The light grasp pushed her arms above her head, her wrists now locked together in one handhold.
Her body tensed, eyes uncertain. Angel’s other hand dropped back to move her leg so that it draped over his shoulder. She felt him slip in even deeper, her eyes widening, mouth curling expectantly. Waiting until she relaxed, Angel flexed his hips forward again.
Staring down sinfully, his mouth hovered above hers. Voice dark and throaty in a way that made her melt, “Do you like what I do to you?” Angel stroked inside shallowly and then gave it to her deep. He knew the answer, Cordelia figured, but just wanted to hear her say it.
“What do you think?” Eyes flashing stubbornly, she licked her lips, and tried not to gurgle in pleasure at the way he made her feel.
“I think I’d give you anything you want,” Angel said with certainty managing to surprise her.
Cordelia could not help but smile happily at his admission. She only wished that her hands were free to wind around his neck as he kissed her. Soft kisses full of feeling. “Then I think,” she paused to suck softly on his upper lip, “we’ll be,” and kissed the corner of his mouth, “doing this,” and moaning as his tongue swept across the plump curve of hers, “a lot.”
The almost lazy, controlled thrusts came earnestly now rousing her again to a fever pitch. “Angel,” Cordelia panted his name reveling in sensation at the wet slap of their bodies, the deep penetration, the sight of his hard sinewy body as it worked hers.
Suddenly, he moaned hoarsely, his thrusts shorter, uneven, almost frantic. She knew he was going to come and the thought thrilled her. Before Cordelia could think about her words, she was telling him, “Do it. Let it go, c’mon, Angel,” and crashing her hips against his with as much energy as she could muster.
“Cordy,” he shouted coming hard, filling her up with his essence. Another little burst of pleasure washed through her, not as wild as before, but enough to cause her to squeal in his ear as he collapsed forward. Cordelia reveled in the full body contact.
Angel released her hands. She felt him softening within her, slipping wetly from her body and trembled at the sensation. Panting happily, a smile tugging at her mouth, she palmed his face. “God, that was amazing.”
“You’re amazing,” he corrected smooching the tip of her nose and then moving down for a lingering open-mouthed kiss.
“Mmm,” Cordelia had to agree to that. “I was pretty sensational. Just think about how it will be after some practice.”
Propped on his side next to her, Angel traced a finger around her navel before reaching over to clasp her waist in a lightly possessive hold. He stared down at her with eyes that held the secrets of the universe. She flushed under his stark gaze realizing he was still half-dressed.
They had not even taken the time to get naked. She snorted at the thought. “Too bad it’s over,” she exaggerated a woeful sigh propping herself in a similar position on her side. “Now I suppose that we’ll have to go downstairs and face the Scooby Inquisition.”
A chuckle sounded next to her ear, a sound that was far more sexy than funny. Angel moved with a speed that left her dizzy, scooping her into his arms. “Who said we were finished?”