The Winning Hand

Chapter 17 - Just One More Night

Spike drove back through the desert his thoughts of Buffy and the
night they'd shared. He'd never had such a rush of feeling overwhelm
him during love making before, and he wasn't quite sure how to react
to it. His first instinct was to deny it.

After all, they had only just met. And even if he did have stronger
feelings for her than he'd originally thought, there was still no way for
him to reasonably give in to them. He had no right to keep her here,
in Vegas, with him. She deserved the whole picture, the husband, the
house, and the kids. What could he give her? A casino full of money
hungry gamblers? No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Even if she thought
she was in love with him.

He regretted ever touching her. Oh, not because he hadn't wanted to,
or because he hadn't love every minute. But because it would only
make it that much harder for him. He wanted her even now, only
hours after they'd made love. Spike closed his eyes and sighed. Gods
how he wanted her.

Opening his eyes once more he stared at the long stretch of road
ahead. He would have to give her up soon, he knew, but he wanted
just a little more time, just one more night. He rubbed at his chest, an
unfamiliar ache seeping through his skin.

***

Buffy woke the next morning so full of joy she thought she'd burst.
The night they'd spent in the desert could have been taken right from
her dreams. The beauty of the land and the warmth of William's touch
combined to make her whole body tingle and sigh.

She hummed as she got herself ready for the day, smiling at her
image in the mirror as she brushed out her hair. She could still feel
Will's slender fingers combing through the strands as he kissed her
last night. Closing her eyes, she sighed and let her love for him engulf
her. Could he be falling in love with her too? She could only pray that
he was.

The things she saw in his eyes, and the gentle feel of his hands on
her last night had to mean that he felt more than just physical
attraction. She was naïve, she knew, but she couldn't imagine that he
didn't care for her at least a little bit. And who knew if that caring could
blossom in to love?

Putting the finishing touches on her lip gloss, Buffy strolled out of her
suite intent on spending the day enjoying life and the prospect of a
new found love.

***

'What am I doing?' Spike thought as the door to Buffy's suite swung
open. He should end this now, before he got any deeper, but the
moment he saw her he knew that he'd need at least this one night
before he let her go.

She stood before him dressed in a black velvet cocktail gown that
came to just above her knees. It was sleeveless, but she had topped
it off with a sheer black scarf that she'd wrapped around her neck
twice yet still hung down to brush against her calves. She spun for his
approval and Spike was unable to keep his eyes from devouring her.

She'd left her hair loose, but had curled it to give it some body. It
framed her face in a soft halo that bounced as she spun. The soft
colors she'd chosen for her makeup only accentuated the natural
beauty she bore.

Spike caught his breath. He felt himself grow hard at the sight of her.
Growling he entered her room, shutting the door with a snap of his
wrist. "Buffy," he groaned at as he reached for her.

He kissed her hard, feeling desperate for want of her. In the back of
his mind the thought that this would be their last night together drove
him. "Let's not go out," he whispered between kisses. "I want to make
love to you," his mouth trailed wetly down her throat. "I *need* to
make love to you," his voice was filled with the urgency that drove
him.

"Yes, Will. Yes." She whispered back, letting him explore her body.

He lifted her gently, cradling her slim body in his arms. Swiftly he
carried her to the bedroom, laying her down on the silk sheets. He
stood back and drank her in. Her mouth already swollen from his
kisses, her eyes dazed with desire for him.

Slowly he returned to her, his hands steeling out to undo the zip on
the back of her dress. He lifted her to her knees, sliding the dress
down her body, leaving her in nothing but a lacy black thong and her
calf length scarf. His body twitched at the thought that she hadn't
been wearing a bra and at the sight of her nearly nude form.

He moved forward and took one of her hardened nipples in his
mouth, suckling it gently. He teased her puckered flesh with his teeth
and tongue, until she moaned and swayed toward him, her hands
reaching up to grasp his head.

The moment her fingers touched his scalp he lost control. Tearing his
mouth away from her, his hand reached down and grasped the elastic
band of her panties. Pulling hard he ripped the material from her
body, leaving her shuddering and gasping at his aggressiveness.

She kneeled before him now in only the sheer black fabric of her
scarf. The material framed her body, the contrast bringing out the
stark paleness of her skin where the sun had not been able to tan.
She shivered at the intense look he used to peruse her naked flesh.

Even as he stripped his own body bare Spike never took his eyes off
her.

Once he was free from any cloth barriers, Spike pounced. He
maneuvered Buffy so that she was lying beneath him, his body
encased by her naked thighs. Lowering himself he let their lips meet
in a languid kiss, until the urgency once more built up into a frenzy,
and he found himself shuddering at the need coursing through him.

He entered her then, her name a moan escaping his lips, "Buffy." He
felt her trembling beneath him; her hands coming up to roam across
his back as she met him thrust for thrust. Her breath became ragged
and she panted his name, "Will...oh...will!"

He could feel the pressure building and knew it wouldn't be much
longer. His body ached for release. Ached to fill her, marking her as
his. Unknowingly he began chanting her name under his breath,
"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy."

When her climax hit, Spike was unprepared for the force of it. Her
shudders became wild and she contracted almost painfully around
him. The sensations nearly overwhelmed him, but they were nothing
compared to hearing her cry out for him. Hearing her sharp intake of
breath and the shout that escaped as she came, "Will, oh god! I love
you!"

The words washed through him, making him tremble and shake. He'd
known it, but having her say it aloud made him feel giddy and fearful
all at once. The thought of it...of having love...having *her* love
caused own own orgasm to peak. The thrill of it rushed through him as
he spilled inside her.

Afterwards they lay together in quiet satiation. Their bodies tired and
glinting with sweat, Spike wrapped an arm around Buffy and pulled
her close. And in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Spike's heart
wrenched.