Prologue * Chapter 1
* Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5
It was a sultry Friday
evening during the summer of 2000 in Southern California. Twenty-six year old
Buffy Summers sat in front of her computer at the law offices of Rosenburg and
Jenkins. The office’s interior was dark and austere with its cherry wood
paneling and black marble floor. Buffy had been working there for just under a
year. For most of the employees of Rosenburg and Jenkins the year had flown by,
but not for Buffy. For Buffy the year had passed one agonizing day at a time.
She paused for a brief
moment and looked at the calendar on her desk, "One year yesterday,"
she thought, as she leaned forward to read the paragraph of text that appeared
on her computer screen. The words blurred before her. At about the same time
Buffy realized that her glasses had once again slipped down the bridge of her
nose. She simply removed her glasses then, and set them on the desk.
Buffy rubbed her eyes,
wearily as she inhaled through her nose and pursing her lips, softly blew out a
settling breath. She struggled to hold back the tears that were starting to
form and she remembered. In rapid succession the memories came flooding back,
that first phone call, followed by the awful images, the images on CNN of
LAPA’s Boeing 737 on fire.
She could still see the
twisted wreckage, the bodies scattered like forgotten litter around the crash
site, one of them her husband’s. They had told her that the plane had overshot
the runway, skidded across a service road and into a vehicle at the golf
driving range that was located just outside of the airport in Buenos Aires.
Buffy hated golf.
"Goodnight, Buffy.
Looks like you’re the last one," said her boss, Willow Rosenburg, as she
walked past Buffy’s desk on the way to the elevators. "Thanks for taking
those briefs downtown, by the way, I really appreciate it. I know it put you
behind. Wrap that up and go home, for heavens sake! You know the saying, ‘All work
and no play-’."
"So says the boss
that works sixty to seventy hour work weeks!" teased Buffy.
"Hey! Do as I say,
not as I do," scolded Willow.
"I’m right behind
you," said Buffy with a smile. "Really, just two more minutes."
"If you stay much
longer you’re going to have to take the stairs. We’re scheduled for grid
shutdown tonight," Willow reminded her, as she walked out the door.
"Right! Got
it!" said Buffy, absently, as she replaced her glasses and once again read
the last paragraph that she had typed.
Willow walked towards
the elevator banks that were located in the lobby on the 10th floor.
Her high heel pumps announced her arrival as she walked across the gleaming
black marble floor. As she rounded the corner Willow saw her law partner, Anya
Jenkins, standing in front of the elevators shaking the hand of a client.
"Wish I could say
it was nice doing business with you, pet" said the gentleman with the
British accent as he cocked his head to the side and smirked.
Anya shrugged her
shoulders, casually, "That’s okay. Look, I know this was a rough one, but
it’s over. I have to say, I still wish you had let me hold out just a little
longer. You really could have gotten away with-"
"No. I…I needed for
it to be over," he said quietly, seeming to lose all bravado, as the
elevator doors opened.
"Coming?"
asked Anya as she stepped into the elevator.
"I’ll be right
along, you go ahead," said the man, wearily, as he crossed the hall and
pushed open the door to the men’s room. Although Willow noticed that he was
incredibly handsome, with his white blonde hair, chiseled cheekbones and pale
blue eyes, she also noticed the underlying sadness that always seemed to mark
Anya’s clients. Divorce was hell.
"Hold the
elevator!" called Willow as she approached, slipping in just before the
doors closed.
William Giles stood in
front of the bathroom sink and studied his reflection. "You look like
hell," he said to himself, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He
vowed to start eating again, sleeping again, hell…living again. His hands shook
slightly as he placed them under the tap of running water. William found the
cold water refreshing as he splashed it onto his face. He ran his hands through
his hair and a shudder passed through his entire body, "That’s it, mate,
shake it off." Several hours, sitting in a conference room wearing suit
and tie, across from his now ex-wife and her snide attorney had all but done
him in. "It’s over," he assured himself, as he turned off the taps
and reached for the paper towels, "it’s over."
Buffy turned her
computer off and waited for it to power down. She then turned off her desk
lamp, slipped the black jacket to her suit on over her red silk blouse, and
headed towards the elevators As she rounded the corner she saw the doors
starting to close. "Hold the elevator!" she called out as she began
to run, grateful that she seemed to have caught it. She saw a hand reach out to
hold the door open. "Thanks!" she said as she stepped in, forgetting about
Willow’s earlier warning and paying no attention to the bright pink neon sign
that had been taped to the elevator door.
Attention:
Stage 3 Alert!
Electricity curtailment
anticipated for this grid
6:00-10:00PM
Friday, September 1st
Just as the elevator
doors started to close William heard someone shout out, "Hold the
elevator!" Without a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and placed his
arm in front of the closing doors, ceasing their movement. He watched as a
woman slipped in, quickly turned, shouted out a brief "Thanks!" and
punched the "L" button.
The elevator doors
swooshed close. There was a slight audible clunk as it engaged; beginning it’s
decent to the lobby. The numbers above the doors lit up as they passed by the
various floors. The couple stood, on opposite sides of the elevator, saying
nothing. They both looked straight ahead, barely even aware of the other's
presence. Buffy shifted her purse from her right shoulder to her left just as
they passed the eighth floor. At the same time, William stuffed his hand in the
pockets of his trousers to retrieve his keys.
Suddenly, they were
surrounded by darkness. The cage swayed back and forth as it’s decent came to
an unexpected, screeching halt. For a moment the silence was deafening. Dark,
silence, and then he heard her voice. "Oh, my God!" he heard her say
as she patted the floor with her hands.
"Are you alright,
pet?" he asked.
"What? Um. I think
so. I was thrown off balance and stumbled a bit. I think I’m fine though. I
seem to have lost the wall I was standing next to," she said as she stood
up and smoothed down her skirt. "And I think either I’ve gone blind,
or-"
William chucked,
"Blackout," he said.
"Right. I knew
that," she replied as she stood up.
"Of course,"
said William, rolling his eyes and thinking, "Oh, this is going to be
fun."
"My boss reminded
me not fifteen minutes ago. I can’t believe I was so stupid. I knew the
grid was scheduled for shutdown tonight. I’ve been staring at those bright pink
neon signs all week! What kind of an idiot misses that?" finished Buffy
with an indignant stomp of her left foot.
William merely cleared
his throat.
"Oh, sorry,"
she said, ending her rant.
"It’s
alright," he started. "So, since you’ve been studying those signs all
week, care to share how long this is going to last?"
"Four hours,"
she said as she slowly and carefully stepped away from his voice until she
again felt the wall of the elevator against her back.
"Four hours,"
he repeated as he slid his back down the wall, and crouched on the floor.
"Yup, four hours.
Aren’t elevators supposed to lower themselves to the bottom floor when
something like this happens?" she asked.
"Only hydraulic
elevators that have emergency return units automatically lower to the
ground," he said as he ran his hand through his hair.
"I’m guessing this
isn’t one of those," she said, disappointed.
"I’m afraid not.
This building, charming though it may be, obviously has no generator backup for
emergencies. We’re stuck until the power comes back on or until an elevator
mechanic comes and manually lowers the damn thing."
"Hence the
importance of the signs," chimed in Buffy.
"Hence the
importance of the signs, luv," agreed William.
"It’s Buffy, by the
way. My name is Buffy," she volunteered.
"William," he
offered, "Will."
"Well, Will, what’s
a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?" she asked. Then suddenly
a little panicked added, "You-you are a nice guy, right?"
"Well…I haven’t
killed anyone…yet. Today, that is" he said dryly before adding, "I
came awfully close though."
"You did?"
Buffy asked, curious.
"Nah, not really,
was just trying to appear interesting," he explained.
"But there was some
truth to what you said," Buffy coaxed.
He was silent.
"What do you
do?" asked Buffy. "For work, I mean."
"Architect,"
he answered.
"Architect huh? Is
that how you know about elevators?" asked Buffy.
"Probably,"
said Will vaguely.
"Any exciting plans
for the weekend?" tried Buffy.
"Not really,"
he responded.
"First time stuck
in an elevator?" she asked.
"Yup," he
answered.
"You know? I can’t
believe that some folks think that conversation is a lost art. I mean, look how
easily I’ve been able to draw you out?" said Buffy sarcastically.
She heard him move
quickly and an involuntary gasp escaped her lips. Then she heard the rustle of
clothes.
"Wh-what are you
doing?" she asked with trepidation.
"It’s getting as
hot as a bleeding furnace in here! If we’re going to be stuck for four hours I
am not keeping my suit-coat and tie on," he explained.
"What? You can’t
undress in an elevator!" exclaimed Buffy.
"It’s only my
jacket and tie," explained Will dropping them onto the elevator floor. As
his jacket hit the floor he heard a dull thud.
"Hey! My cell
phone! We can call for help!" he said as he knelt down onto the floor to
search through his coat pockets.
"Don’t think it’s
going to work," Buffy started to say as he flipped his phone open. The
display emitted a pale yellow-green glow. Although it lit the area around his
hand, it wasn’t bright enough to illuminate his face. "Bugger," he
said, "no cell signal in here. And, unfortunately, it seems to be running
low on battery anyway. What about you?"
"What about me,
what?" asked Buffy.
"Any better luck
with your cell?" questioned Will.
"No cell," responded
Buffy with a shrug of her shoulders, "I’m cell-less. I know, it’s hard to
imagine how someone could survive without being ‘connected’ 24-hours a day,
seven days a week, but somehow I manage. No cell, no pager, no home computer,
not even an answering machine."
"No cell?"
asked Will mystified.
"Don’t even have a
car," responded Buffy.
"No cell?"
asked Will again.
"No! I don’t have a
cell!" said Buffy, clearly agitated and on the verge of shouting.
"What I have is…is…is-"
"What?" asked
Will in a hushed whisper.
"Nothing," she
said, so quietly that his almost didn’t hear. But then he heard a gasp,
followed by a ragged exhalation of air.
"S’not
nothing," he said gradually moving towards her. "You’re crying."
"I’m fine,"
insisted Buffy. "It’s just…been a hard week. And, I have a horrendous
headache."
"It’s almost
over," he assured her as he reached out to pat her shoulder.
"Breast!" she
squealed.
"Damn, not the
shoulder," he thought and he pulled his hand back as though it had been
scalded.
"Sorry, I was
trying to, um, pat your shoulder," he said feeling foolish.
She reached out and
somehow zeroed in on his hand in the darkness. She effortlessly interlaced her
fingers with his and then she lifted his hand to her shoulder, resting it
there. "That," she said, "is my shoulder."
William patted her
shoulder stiffly at first, then, when she didn’t pull away he relaxed and let
his hand rest on her upper back. He became acutely aware, in that moment, of
how deliciously good she smelled and how incredibly warm she felt.
"You should take
off your jacket," he said, removing his hand from her back and leaning
against the back wall. "Without the air conditioning the temperature’s
going to continue to increase pretty quickly in here."
"I’ll be
fine," said Buffy.
Will shrugged his
shoulders, "Suit yourself."
They stood in silence
for a few moments before she asked, "Who is it that you wanted to kill
today and why?"
"It’s a long
story," he said.
"Well, lucky for
you, Will, I seem to have a short break in my otherwise very busy schedule.
Plus, I’m bored," she said.
"It’s not that
interesting," he said evasively.
"It’d be a fun
distraction," she suggested.
He said nothing.
"It would make the
time go by more quickly," she added trying to convince him.
Again nothing.
"Okay, let me
explain something. You can’t see me, but I am wearing my resolve face. No one,
and I mean no one, can resist it. Also the trapped thing, I think, will work in
my favor. I have hours upon hours to chip away until finally-" she was cut
off.
"Alright! If you
must know, it was my ex-wife and it was because…because…" he said,
drifting off.
"Because why?"
she asked turning to angle her body towards him.
"I don’t bloody
well know, exactly," he answered turning to face the wall and leaning his
forehead against it, "I guess she just brings out the homicidal maniac in
me."
"So, you were here
because of the divorce?" she asked.
"Finalized
today," he said with a mixture of relief and regret.
"What went
wrong?" asked Buffy.
"There was someone
else," he said, fingering the wedding ring that he had been carrying in
his pocket as a reminder of the pain, of the betrayal.
"Ah," she said
softly, "and she couldn’t bring herself to forgive you."
"Wasn’t me,"
he said, suddenly exhausted. "It was her that was unfaithful. I walked in
on them, Dru and my partner, shagging like rabbits…in my office...on my
desk."
"I’m sorry,"
said Buffy quietly reaching out and placing her hand on his back.
"It’s over,"
he said. "It was a long time ago."
"But it still hurts
to think about," added Buffy.
She felt his body move
slightly. He turned around and Buffy again heard the rustle of clothing. When
she had placed her hand on his back seconds before she had felt the intensely
radiating heat through the cotton fabric of his shirt. She clearly heard him
throw it towards the general direction of his tie and jacket. His sudden motion
caused the cage to sway, slightly.
Her own body temperature
had been steadily rising, the darkness was disorienting and she was still
wearing her heels. The slight motion was all Buffy needed to throw her off
balance. She lost her bearing, and then as she lost her footing she lurched
forward. On instinct she put her hands out in front of her, hoping to brace her
fall or make contact with a wall. Instead, she slammed, hard, into his body.
Will hastily unbuttoned
his shirt. He was stuck, he was hot, and now he was angry. It all came flooding
back. The image of the two of them, his wife’s hair splayed out on his desk,
her skirt hiked up around her hips as he watched Angel thrust into her over and
over. Her screams of encouragement and moans of pleasure still rang, mockingly,
in his ears. He ripped the shirt, savagely from his body and in one fluid
motion he flung it across the short span of the cage towards the rest of his
clothes.
Suddenly she crashed
into him. With quick speed he rotated, wrapping his arms protectively around
her. He positioned himself between her and the floor, breaking her fall as they
landed. Her body was now draped enticingly across his, her left leg resting
between his thighs her hair cascading down one side of his neck. As she lifted
her head, the silken strands swept up, brushing against his bare shoulder.
As Buffy fell she was
aware of the pair of strong arms that wrapped around her in a protective
embrace. When they landed the first thing she noticed was the feel of his bare,
well-toned chest under her hands. The second thing she noticed was that she landed
with her skirt hiked up. She was straddling his leg and his muscular thigh was
pressing into her sex. Embarrassed, she moved quickly to disengage herself.
William held his breath
as she maneuvered herself into a sitting position. She placed one of her hands
on either side of him and pushed up pressing her left knee into the floor. For
the briefest of moments her hipbone drove into his pelvis. She was kneeling
now, straddling his left leg. He tried, desperately to remember what she had
looked like, but he had barely glanced at her before they were shrouded in
darkness. She was blond, he remembered, and petite. He reached out and up, his
hand connecting with her face.
"You’re hot,"
he said, feeling a light sheen of perspiration.
"I bet you say that
to all the girls," she said, swaying slightly.
Will smirked, "I
was talking about your temperature," he clarified placing his hand over
her forehead. "Come on, your getting out of some of these clothes."
"I can do it
myself," she said stubbornly, pushing his hands away. She reached for the
buttons of her jacket and began to wrestle with them. He lay there, propped up
on his elbows with her straddling one leg, and listened as she struggled with
the buttons.
"Stupid
buttons!" she exclaimed.
"Let me help?"
asked Will, softly. "It’s not like I’m going to see anything," he
said as he reached up to grasp her hands. They were trembling.
"You’re hands are
shaking," he said, mildly alarmed.
"Are they?"
she asked feeling woozy.
"Are you a
diabetic?" asked Will, worried.
"No. Just a busy
legal secretary with no lunch and…is the elevator moving?" asked Buffy as
she collapse against him.
"We’re still, but
it’s probably close to 100 degrees, Pet. Do you have any water or anything to
eat in your purse?" asked William.
"Water and a half
of a pack of M&M’s," answered Buffy rolling off of him and onto the
floor.
William slipped his arm
underneath her back and pulled her up against him, into a sitting position. He
first set to work divesting her of her suit coat. She was like a limp rag by
then. She seemed to be wearing a blouse underneath; it was clinging to her
skin. "Buffy, does your blouse have buttons?" he asked.
"Huh? Buttons? No,
Riley, no buttons," said Buffy softly.
William pulled her
blouse out of the waistband of her skirt and over her head. He gently lowered
her back down to the floor. Then he slid his hand down her body, released the
side zipper on her skirt, and eased it over her slender hips. Next came the
shoes, and then finally her….stockings? Damn! Now he really wished he had some
light, he loved the sight of a woman in stockings. "Focus, Will!" he
said to himself. "Save the girl from dehydration now. Have lewd and
lascivious thoughts later."
As he reached up along
her thigh to unhook the clasp to the stocking her hand grasped his wrist. She
moaned, "Oh! It’s been so long, baby," as she began to pull him
towards her.
"Buffy, it’s Will.
I’m going to find the water for you and maybe something to fan you with he said
as he removed her last stocking. You’ll be fine in just a minute. You’ll see,
you’ll be right as rain," he assured her as he patted the floor looking
for her purse.
He located her purse,
managed to get it open, and found both the water bottle and the candy fairly
quickly. He shook the bottle. It sounded like it was almost full. He helped her
sit up once again, and then tipped the bottle to her lips allowing her to take
a few sips. He replaced the cap and put the bottle back onto the floor. Will
dumped the contents of the candy pack into the palm of his hand, and then
popped a few into her mouth. "Eat those, it’ll help," he assured her
as he searched for something to fan her with. A piece of paper…something?
Nothing. "Better?" he asked, handing her the bottle of water.
"Mmmm," she
said, accepting the rest of the candy. After finishing the M&M’s and taking
a few more sips of water, she eased back down onto the cool marble floor.
"Just lay
still," he commanded as he hovered over her. Near as he could tell she was
now dressed in a slip and possibly, probably, some panties. Maybe there was a
bra under the slip. At any rate she wore considerably reduced layers. He pursed
his lips together and blew gently. He used both hands to orient himself to her
body, concentrating on her face and neck first and foremost, hoping to cool her
down.
Buffy felt a gentle
breeze blow across her face. She closed her eyes, stretched, and smiled. The
cool air felt soothing and she released a contented sigh. "That feels
good," she whispered as he continued his ministrations "don’t
stop."
Will smiled, "Nice
to know I haven’t completely lost my ability to please a woman. Who’s
Riley?"
"My husband,"
she answered dreamily, then added, "you’re stopping."
"Sorry," he
answered, resuming his blowing for another minute or two. "So, you’re
married," he said, pausing, trying to sound casual. "I guess that
there really is a ‘happily ever after’ for some blokes."
"I should have said
former husband," said Buffy as she sat up on her elbows. "Can I have
another sip of water?"
"Course, Pet. It’s
your water, after all," responded William as he handed her the bottle.
"So, you’re a victim of divorce as well? What ended it for you?"
Buffy handed him back
the bottle, "Thanks!" she said as he screwed the cap back on and sat
it down on the floor. "I think I’m okay to sit up now."
"We’re both better
off on the floor. It’s cooler," he suggested.
"You’re
right," she said, easing back down. The marble feels cool. But, God! What
I wouldn’t do for a fan right now," she said.
"Tell me the lurid
details of your divorce and I will be your personal air conditioner," he
said as he leaned back over her and once again began to blow cool air on her
face, neck, and chest.
"I’m not divorced,
I’m a widow," said Buffy, quietly. "I always feel ancient when I say
that. Twenty-six year olds are not supposed to be widows."
"No," agreed
Will. "You-you shouldn’t be. How?"
"Plane crash, last
year," she said.
"Were you very much
in love?" asked William.
"In love? I loved
him very much. He was a good man, a hard worker, dependable, loyal. We’d known
each other a long time. We were comfortable with one another," she
finished.
William rolled onto his
side to face her and repeated, "Comfortable."
"Yeah. Weren’t you
and Dru comfortable around one another?" asked Buffy. "That was her
name, right?"
"Yeah. That was her
name. Comfortable? God, no!" said William, laughing. "Being with
Drusilla was like dancing in fire, flames constantly licking at your feet. She
was such a beauty though. Dangerous. Seductive. From the moment I set eyes on
her, I had to have her. In all the time we were together, she never stopped
surprising me. Have to say that was true right up until the very end."
"You were very much
in love," she Buffy.
"I was. She wasn’t.
Not enough, anyways," he finished.
Buffy reached out and
gently brushed her fingertips along the side of his face. William flinched,
surprised at first. "I want to know what you look like. Is it
alright?" she asked.
William nodded, ever so
slightly. Buffy reached over with both hands and caressed the chiseled outline
of his face. As she did so, William reached up with his hands and did likewise.
He swept his fingers over her forehead, down her nose, across her cheeks and
along her jaw-line. As he reached her neck he lifted her silken hair and
brushed it aside.
"I’m going to kiss
you," he whispered to her in the darkness. "You have ten seconds to
tell me not to," he added as he slowly moved towards her outlining the
shell of her ear with his left index finger. "One, two, three…oh,
hell," he thought, "never was very patient," as his lips softly
grazed hers.
She gasped as she felt
the pressure of his full lips on hers. As she opened her mouth, slightly, he
placed his hands on either side of her face, and swept his tongue lightly
across her bottom lip. The first thought that crossed his mind as he pulled
back from the tender kiss was that she tasted like chocolate.
"I don’t think that
was ten seconds, Will," whispered Buffy.
"I find that if I
don’t give a women the full ten seconds, the chance of rejection is far
less," he explained quietly leaning his forehead against hers.
"Go around kissing
women often, do you?" she asked.
"No. As a matter of
fact, it’s been a rather embarrassingly long time," he said.
"How long?"
asked Buffy.
"June 17th,
1999. Kissed my wife goodbye before leaving for what was to be a 2-day business
trip. I was able to wrap things up unexpectedly quickly and I came back a day
early. Since it was only two, I decided to swing by the office. That’s when I
found them," he finished as he caressed her face.
"Fifteen
months," she observed. "How long do you suppose this last kiss will
sustain you?"
"Not very long, I’m
afraid," he said as he traced her lips with his fingers.
"I’m a bit out of
practice," she admitted as she rolled onto her back.
William leaned up on one
elbow and rested his head in his hand. "Well, I happen to be free for
awhile if you want to work on perfecting your technique."
"What’s wrong with
my technique?" she asked.
"Well-" he
started to say before Buffy cut him off.
"There’s nothing
wrong with my technique! It’s just that you have strange lips," she
declared.
"Strange lips? I
have perfectly normal lips and that was a perfectly fine kiss. In point of fact
it left me wanting more," he revealed.
"Really?" she
asked smiling brightly.
"Really," he
said.
"What I meant was
that your lips are unfamiliar, non-Riley, lips," she clarified, feeling
less defensive.
"You haven’t kissed
anyone since Riley?" he asked.
"Nope," she
answered. "Well, that’s not true, exactly. Once, when we were 16 we were
at this party and we both had had a couple of beers. A few of the kids were
playing spin the bottle and we joined in. Some boy kissed me. It was… a great
kiss," she drifted off, sounding wistful.
"Well, Pet, we
happen to have our very own bottle here," he said as he laid the bottle on
its side and spun it. "And, look! It’s pointing to me!"
"You can’t possibly
see where the bottle is pointing," she said.
"No, I can’t,"
agreed William. He reached around the back of her head entwined his fingers in
her hair, and pulled her closer. "But, the first kiss has expired and I
didn’t think that you’d fall for the ten second trick again."
"No need for
tricks, Will. It’s just you…and me," she said.
William sat up, rolled
her onto her back and crushed his lips to hers in a bruising and desperately
passionate kiss. Buffy’s eyes widened when he covered her mouth with his. As
his tongue swept across her lower lip, she released a moan and opened her mouth
in invitation. He explored, tentatively at first, then with growing confidence.
There tongues wrapped
around one another’s over and over, in an enticing rhythm, as they gradually
deepened the kiss. William was hovering over her now, his knee positioned
between her legs. Buffy could feel the evidence of his growing arousal pressing
against her and she involuntarily moaned, arching into him, seeking more
contact.
As Buffy moaned and met
his thrust, Will suddenly pulled away and rolled off of her.
"What’s
wrong?" she asked.
"What color are
your eyes?" he responded.
"Why?" she
asked, hesitantly and more than a little confused.
"I’m a complete
stranger and you seem like a really nice girl. I shouldn’t be trying to shag
you senseless while we’re trapped in an elevator in the dark," he said,
seemingly changing the subject.
"You
shouldn’t?" asked Buffy.
"No. You’re the
kind of girl that one takes home to meet mum. You’re the kind of girl that you
make love to in a nice, comfy bed by the glow of candlelight. I so want to look
into your eyes," he explained.
"Green," she
said. "My eyes are green."
"Green," he
repeated. "Green happens to be my very favorite color."
"So, you stopped
kissing me because you like me?" asked Buffy.
"Yeah. You know the
drill, attraction, consummation, commitment, brief period of sheer bliss,
then…" he drifted off.
"They leave,"
they said in unison, seconds later.
After several moments of
silence Buffy worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.
"Will?" she asked.
"Hmm?"
responded William.
"What’s true, for
me, is that I’m terribly lonely. I didn’t really even realize how lonely until
you touched me. I miss that. Being touched. I watch couples, lovers, in public
and I resent them. Even mothers with children make me jealous. I miss feeling
wanted. I miss… I miss wanting someone. And, I want you. Here. Now," she
concluded.
"And
tomorrow?" he asked.
"I don’t care about
tomorrow. I can’t think about tomorrow. There may not even be a tomorrow,
Will," finished Buffy.
"Oh, there’s always
a tomorrow, Pet. It’s one of lifes big cosmic jokes. After you make it through
one insufferable day you get to wake up to another insufferable day," he
said sarcastically.
They laid quietly for a
while, side by side, in the darkness. He reached over, grabbed his suit coat,
folded it, tucked it under his head and then rolled onto his side. Buffy
spooned up behind him and draped her arm across his waist.
"I miss sleeping
with someone," he whispered. "And, I mean sleeping. You get used to
it. You know what I mean? Then, when that person isn’t there it just doesn’t
feel right, your bed. You just feel empty."
"I know what you
mean," shared Buffy, rolling onto her back. "After Riley died I
couldn’t sleep until I was totally and completely exhausted. I hated my bed,
and I hated him for not being in it."
Will rolled onto his
back and reaching for her said, "Come here." Buffy moved into his
embrace. As he enfolded her in his arms she laid her weary head on his chest and
closed her eyes. Will leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head.
"What are you
thinking?" asked Buffy.
"I was thinking
that this feels good, having you in my arms," said William, truthfully.
"You sound
sad," observed Buffy.
"I guess I feel a
bit sad," admitted Will, reaching out into the darkness, searching for her
hand. And then he found it, on his chest, tracing little circles around his now
erect nipples. She leaned forward and brazenly took one into her mouth. Buffy
sucked on it, then released it. She began to trace the same circular pattern
she had used earlier, only now, with her tongue. Buffy could feel his heart
beating under the palm of her hand. The sounds of his breathing, the way he
smelled, the taste of his skin, it was all… intoxicating. Buffy moved over to
his other nipple and, after licking it twice, she pursed her lips together and
blew out a stream of wonderfully cool air.
Will moaned and Buffy
continued, licking and blowing across his chest. She enjoyed the taste of the
salt on his skin as she bathed him with her tongue. "Does that feel good,
baby?" she asked as she moved down to his abdomen.
"Yes," he
said, struggling to remain in control. "I’m not Riley, you know."
"I know," she
said, smiling, "Riley would never have let me do this. He liked being in
control."
She had moved so that
she was settled now, between his legs, her hands poised on the belt of his
trousers. She took one hand away, just long enough to find and trace the
outline of his erect cock through his trousers. She placed her open palm over
it giving it a firm squeeze.
William moaned, turning
his head to the side. His eyes were wide open, yet he could see nothing. He
could feel her reach back for the belt buckle. As she started to slide the
leather back through the clasp he placed his hand on top of hers.
"Are you
sure?" he asked.
Buffy didn’t hesitate.
She quickly finished unbuckling the belt. Then she unbuttoned his trousers,
pulled down the zipper, and slid the trousers as well as the boxers underneath,
down his legs and completely off, pausing only to remove his shoes and socks.
Buffy took her time,
leisurely running her hands up the length of his legs. He desperately wanted to
grab her, throw her onto the elevator floor and shag her, hard and fast. What
she said earlier, however, gave him pause. "Buffy?" asked Will.
"Should I
stop?" she asked.
"No! It’s just
something you said, about Riley-" he was cut off when she resumed her
licking and blowing on his inner thigh.
"Let’s not talk
about Riley," said Buffy as she continued, moving closer and closer to his
cock.
"I just want to
know what you like-" said Will, trying to explain why he had brought it
up.
Buffy paused. "What
I like?" asked.
"Yeah," said
Will, leaning up onto his elbows.
"What I like?"
she asked again.
"I’d like to know
what you want, how you like to be touched," he clarified.
"You want to talk
about it? I’m not sure I can do that," said Buffy.
"Of course you can!
Just tell me," he prompted. He sat up and pulled her onto his lap so that
she straddled him. Will spread a trail of open-mouthed kisses up her neck and
behind her ear. He could hear her begin to almost pant with excitement as her
breathing became more ragged. "You like to have your neck kissed?"
"Mmmm," Buffy
moaned, tilting her head to the side giving him better access.
William reached up,
cupping one breast through the silk of her slip. At the same time he sucked on
the pulse point of her wrist. Then, as he lowered the strap of her slip with
one hand, he stretched up, placed his lips around her earlobe, and bit down
gently but firmly, grazing it with his teeth as he tugged on it.
"Oh!" groaned
Buffy, arching into him.
Will pulled away and
wished once again that he could see her. He moved his hands slowly down the
length of her arms, lowering the straps of her slip and pulling it down,
exposing her breasts. "You could have just told me that you like having
your ears nibbled on," he said as he kissed along the edge of her collarbone.
"Although, discovery is fun too."
"I didn’t
know," she said, quietly.
It was his turn to
pause. "Your husband never kissed or nibbled your ears?" he said
incredulous.
"No," she
answered.
"The man made love
to you for ten years and never kissed your ears?" he asked.
"Riley was a
perfectly fine lover," she said, defending him. "Better than fine,
even."
And then he realized,
"You’ve never been with another man."
"Never," she
admitted.
He hesitated.
"Great!" she
exclaimed climbing off of him and reaching down, pulling her slip back up and
covering her exposed breasts.
"What?" he
asked. "And, where are you going? And, what are you doing?"
"Now you think I’m
a freak and you don’t want to have sex," she said, bluntly.
"I do not think
that you’re a freak," he insisted, "And…and come back here."
He heard her move back
towards him. William slid back against the wall and spread his legs out in
front of him. He pulled Buffy to him, positioning her between his legs. She
leaned back, stiffly against his chest. William brushed her long silken hair
aside and over one shoulder. He placed his hands on her shoulders and firmly,
but gently, began to knead her tense muscles.
"Well, I’m not a
freak. And, I’m not ugly either, if that’s what your worried about," she
said, pouting.
"Are you
pouting?" he asked amused.
"No! I don’t
pout," she said dropping her head to her chest as he began to work on her
neck muscles.
"Well, that wasn’t
it. And, Buffy, I’m completely certain that you’re beautiful. You
feel…beautiful," he finished moving his hands now to her temples.
"How’s the headache?"
"Better," she
said. "This is helping, thanks."
"My pleasure,"
responded Will.
"So, why did you
stop?" she asked.
"I guess I just
suddenly realized what this would mean for you. That this was serious," he
explained.
"As opposed
to?" she asked, curious.
Will shrugged his
shoulder and casually said, "Fun."
"Fun?" asked
Buffy.
"Yeah, you know,
like ‘Sexual Fantasy number 43: Sex in the elevator with a mysterious
stranger’," replied William.
"Can’t it be both
serious and fun?" asked Buffy.
"Sure! But for
"Serious Fun" we’d need two girls in here," said Will as he
leaned down and playfully bit her neck.
"Oh my God! What
was I thinking? You’re a…a…" she drifted off.
"A what?" he
asked.
"I’ll think of it
in a minute," she snapped. "A sex fiend. That’s it! You’re a sex
fiend. What, with the mysterious elevator sex fantasy and threesomes-"
William chuckled,
"Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve never been part of a threesome, pet. Dated
this chit once that was interested, but I couldn’t manage to satisfy her
requirements."
"Her
requirements," repeated Buffy.
"Boy-boy- girl,
which frankly held no interest for me, or Charlize Theron. Charlize never
returned my letters," he said.
"You wrote to
Charlize Theron?" gasped Buffy, shocked. "You actually wrote to her
and asked if she would have sex with you and your girlfriend?"
William was silent for a
moment then asked, "Have you ever seen Charlize Theron naked? The bird’s
absolutely stunning!"
"You’re kidding,
right?" asked Buffy.
"About which
part?" he asked, trying to sound serious.
"Any of it?"
she squeaked out, hesitantly.
"Yeah, I was just
kidding…sort of. Everybody has fantasies," he replied dismissively.
"Even Buffy has fantasies, I’d wager."
"Yeah, but mine’s
about being kissed outside in a thunderstorm, or skinny dipping in a lake in
the moonlight, things like that," she said.
"You know
what?" he whispered into her ear as he ran his hands up the length of her
arms.
"What?" she
responded as he slowly eased down the straps of her slip.
"I almost believe
you," he replied his voice seductive and low, "almost."
Buffy could feel her
arousal building as he once again lowered her slip, exposing her breasts. She
still faced away from him, looking out into the darkness. His hands were warm
and his fingertips slightly calloused. "I want to make you come," he
said huskily as he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and his forefingers.
He felt her body instinctively arch towards his touch. He released her right
breast and slowly ran his right hand down her waist.
He continued to knead
her left breast as he searched out the hem of her slip. Finding it, he slipped
his hand underneath. He began by rubbing his fingertips across her inner thigh.
His thumb moving steadily up and towards the center, until finally it connected
with her panties. He wasn’t surprised to find the dampness that was there,
seeping through. What surprised him was the little tremor that went through her
body as he confidently ran his thumb over it. "Ask me to," he
demanded as he licked around the shell of her ear.
"Ask you?"
repeated Buffy.
"Say, ‘Will, make
me come’," he said as he slipped his hand underneath her panties.
Buffy gasped as he
covered her mound and applied pressure with the heel of his palm. She leaned
her shoulders back and as they pressed into his chest her hips lifted, slightly
off the ground. He swept his index finger across her wet slit. "Come
on," he encouraged. "You can say it. It’s only you…and me."
"W-W-Will, make me
come," she whispered in a voice tremulous with passion as her head rolled
back onto his shoulder. He quickly removed her panties and pulled her slip up
over her head, leaving her totally nude. He took a moment to run his hands over
her body, enjoying the feel of her, and getting to know her curves. Then his
hand returned to the apex between her legs. He separated her folds, now slick
with her juices. Will took his time exploring, registering her responses.
Slowly, he slipped two digits inside of her moist channel in search of that one
special spot.
Buffy was almost
overcome with sensation. "Oh, that feels so good," she moaned as he
slipped his fingers inside of her. His thumb began to rhythmically rub and
palpate her clit in time to his thrusts. He leaned over and began to kiss the
side of her neck.
"Oh!" she
gasped arching up, now moving her hips, meeting his thrusts.
"God, Buffy, you
are so wet for me, baby," he said before taking her earlobe between his
teeth and pulling on it, harder this time, fueled by passion. "You feel so
bloody good, so bloody tight. Can you feel what you’re doing to me?" he
asked as he pressed his erection into her back. "Do you have any idea how
exciting your body is? Do you, luv? God, how I wish I could watch you."
Buffy was panting, her
lips were starting to feel numb and she felt as if she were coming apart. There
was this visceral sensation of uncoiling or unraveling. For a brief moment she
was terrified. She was burning up, she couldn’t breath anymore, she felt dizzy
and weak and…
William could tell that
she was close. She was right on the edge. He added a third digit and curved his
fingers upwards once they were buried deep inside of her tapping expertly on
his target. "Come for me," he demanded as he pinched her left nipple,
"let go."
And she did. The orgasm
broke through. "Oh, yes!" she screamed as she came, flooding his hand
with her juices.
Wave upon wave of
tremors shook her body before her breathing finally began to return to normal.
She became aware then that his fingers were still moving inside of her and she
could still feel his rigid member pushed up against her back. In one fluid
motion Buffy pushed his hand away and turned herself around. Straddling Will’s
legs, she impaled herself on his stiff cock.
"Buffy!" Will
gasped in surprise as she quickly wrapped her hand around the base of his cock
and guided it in. She was sitting astride his lap, her legs wrapped around his
back, his cock buried deep inside of her. She crushed her lips to his in a
kiss. Not a sweet, tender kiss. This was a kiss born of passion, fierce and
intense. Then, Buffy began to move, languidly, against him. As she did, their
kiss began to adopt the same slow pace. Only Will didn’t want it slow.
He broke off the kiss.
They were both panting desperate for air. "Lean back," he said
placing his hand on her chest encouraging her to arch backwards.
Buffy did as he asked
until she was completely bowed back, resting on her elbows, fully exposed and
open to him. William placed his hands on her hips and continued to increase the
pace of his deep thrusts, his cock dragging across her already swollen clit as
he moved in and out of her over and over again.
How long they had been
at it, she didn’t know. Both of their bodies were slick with sweat. They were
on fire. The last thing she remembered was him shouting out her name as he
exploded inside of her, spilling his seed deep into her womb.
Buffy awoke. As she
opened her eyes a harsh blinding light immediately accosted her. She felt
disoriented as she quickly took in her surroundings and tried to assimilate the
information. Motion, cold marble, naked, draped across… "Oh. My.
God," she thought. "Don’t panic!"
Buffy tried to shift
gradually so as not to wake him. As she sat up she looked at him for the first
time. He was exquisite, really. The ring of the elevator announcing their
arrival to the lobby interrupted her study of him. As the doors started to open
she kneeled up and quickly hit the "close" button, then punched the
one for the tenth floor.
When Buffy turned around
he was propped up on his elbows, staring at her.
"Buffy, I
presume?" he asked with a smirk. "Have a last name?"
She was suddenly acutely
aware of their nakedness and reached for her slip. She held it protectively
against herself terribly embarrassed. "Summers," she managed to get
out, unable to look at him.
He reached out and
tugged on the slip, pulling it out of her hands. "No sense in covering yourself
up, I’ve already seen the goodies. My Christ! You’re beautiful."
"I am not,"
she pouted grabbing her slip and pulling it over her head. "I’m cute. On a
really good day, possibly pretty."
"No, darling, you
are beautiful," he insisted as the ring of the elevator announced their
arrival on the tenth floor.
Buffy stood up and
quickly gathered her clothes. "I’m sticky and sweaty," she said as
the doors opened up.
"Yeah," he
said reverently, in total appreciation, as she stepped out of the elevator on
the way to the ladies room.
Buffy froze and looked
back over her shoulder. He was standing there in all his naked glory openly
staring at her.
"You are a very
strange man," she said to him before starting off again towards the ladies
room.
"Well at least I
don’t pout!" he shouted after her.
Buffy whipped around and
with a stomp of her still bare left foot shouted back, "I do not
pout!"
Will looked down at her
foot pointedly then back up to her gorgeous green eyes. She waved her hand
vaguely in his direction and with a roll of her eyes said, "Geesh, will
you put some clothes on already?" Then she spun back around, pushed open
the door to the ladies room and disappeared inside.