The Art of Seduction

Disclaimer: Still don't own, wished I did.

Authors Notes: Words in *'s are emphasized. Words in 's are thoughts. For more information, check out chapter one.

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Xander stared at the fence looming before him, a frown on his face. "How am I supposed to get into this place? It's like trying to get into an army camp. No, wait, I've already broken into one of those. *That* was simple," he muttered. "Ok, Xander, think. If I were a Jehovah's Witness, how would I get to the front door?"

Suddenly, Cordelia's voice cut through the stillness of the night, causing him to jump and spin around.

"Xander, what are you doing here?" she demanded. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."

The young man looked around, confusion etched into his features. "Yeah, well, you know me. I'm always looking for new ways to annoy you. This was just too good to pass up," he replied. Then, he added, "Uh, Cordy, could you maybe stop with the Invisible Man routine? It's kinda freaking me out here."

There was a moment of silence, then his girlfriend's voice returned. "Xander," she said slowly, as if speaking to a child, "You have to push the button on the intercom while you're talking. Otherwise, I can't hear you."

Xander groaned, grateful that no one was around ttnestness his moment of idiocy. Looking around, he saw a small box on the side of the gate. Slowly, he walked to it, pushing the button on it. Then, he hesitantly spoke into the speaker.

"Hey there. Sorry. I-uh-I know you told me to leave you alone. And, I was going to. Really. But, then I got to thinking, and I realized that I don't like you being mad at me. I don't like the feeling that I've done something to upset you. Well, something other than being really mean and rude to you earlier. So, I decided to come over to make sure that you were okay." He laughed softly, leaning his head against the cool metal box. He closed his eyes, trying to organize his thoughts and shake the feeling that something was wrong with his girlfriend. "You know," he added after a second, "This would be a whole lot easier if you would let me in."

He paused, waiting for an answer. After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes, frowning at the box. "Cordy, you still there? You didn't call the cops, or something, did you. Because, that would be bad."

Finally, she replied, her voice much cooler and distant than he had ever remembered hearing it before.

"Xander, I want you to leave. Go away, and don't come back. Understand? If you don’t leave right now, then I'm going to make you leave. Good-bye." Then, there was nothing.

Xander gasped, pressing the button again. "Cordy, wait! Look, I know that I was a jerk. But, don't you think that you're over reacting just a little? I mean--" he paused, trying to reign in his emotions. "I said I was sorry! How much more do you want?"

"Damn it, Xander, I told you to leave! Why won't you just listen to me? I don't want to talk, I don't want to kiss and make up, I don't even want to see you right now! Just leave!"

The young man took a step back, staring at the intercom in shock. He turned his head, his gaze settling on the Chase mansion, willing the front door to open and Cordelia to exit. He glanced once more at the gate, hoping that it was going to suddenly open and she was going to tell him to come on in, that she'd made him suffer enough. However, none of that happened. The gate stayed closed, the front door stayed shut, and the house continued to look as ominous and foreboding as it had when he'd first gotten there. Sighing, Xander shook his head and began his long walk home, his mind now plagued with even more questions than he'd had before he'd left his own home, over an hour earlier.

Cordelia watched Xander leave, looking like a little boy who had just caused his team to lose the game. Blinking back tears and swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned from the window, locking eyes with Angelus. She ignored the guilt she was feeling, instead clinging on to the anger and indignation that the vampire before her had caused. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. She bunched her hands into fists, resisting the urge to smack him.

Angelus watched the conflicting emotions pass across her beautiful face, knowing that she was on the verge of either attacking him or breaking down and begging for her life. Personally, he could care less which route she took. Either option worked for him. For, no matter what she did, they both knew that he had won.

Pushing himself away from the counter, he sauntered towards her, a predatory gleam in his eye. He reached her, grabbing her by her slim waist and pulled her to him, pressing his body against hers. He noticed that she flinched at his touch, yet she didn't try to pull away. Instantly his attraction to her grew, as did his smile.

"I must admit, my dear, I'm impressed. Normally, someone in your position would be hysterical and begging for their life by now," he said, peering into her bright hazel eyes. He began moving his fingers against the small of her back, caressing the soft flesh beneath her tank top. Slowly, he moved his right hand up, gently grasping one of the straps of the shirt, pulling it down her shoulder. Not breaking his gaze with her, he lowered his head to the spot where the strap had been, kissing and nipping at the bare flesh.

Cordelia moaned slightly, unable to look away from his dark eyes. Breathlessly, she whispered, "Yeah, well, I'm not your typical person. Begging won't do me any good, so, why bother?"

Angelus moved his kisses to her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "That's where you're wrong, Delia," he said in between kisses. "Begging works well." Raising his head to gaze once more into her face, he added, "It just depends on what you're begging for."

She felt her breath catch in her throat as his words registered. Then, he was pressing his lips to hers, kissing her. Cordelia felt his tongue running along her bottom lip, seeking entrance into her mouth. He wrapped his fingers in her long hair, forcing her head back to allow him better access. She whimpered at the slight pain and he deepened the kiss, holding her tighter.

Consumed with passion, Cordelia returned this kiss. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feelings that were coursing through her. Their tongues dueled, battling for dominance. Finally, when she felt as if she were going to pass out from lack of oxygen, he broke the kiss.

As she gasped for air, he watched her with an unreadable expression on his face. Slowly, he raised his hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek. She stared back at him, her eyes widening at the way he was acting. She took a step back, not trusting herself around him. He was causing sensations within her that she'd never felt before.

As soon as she was out of his reach, the spell that he was under seemed to break. Growling, he grabbed her roughly, squeezing her upper arms until she cried out. "Don't you ever pull away from me," he hissed, his eyes flashing yellow as his anger increased. "I am the one who decides when this ends. Not you."

Cordelia nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying. She was certain that she was going to have bruises and idly began wondering how she was going to hide them from her friends. Then, she remembered her conversation with Xander a little while ago.

Satisfied that he had destroyed any notion she might have that she was still in control, Angelus released her, watching her closely. She moved her arms, sighing as the pain began to recede. She stood perfectly still, making certain not to step away again, as much as she wanted to. Finally, blinking back tears, she whispered, "Please, Angelus. Just do whatever it is you're going to do."

He laughed, a smile spreading across his face. "Don't you get it, Cordelia? I already am," he replied. Then, he leaned down, his mouth inches from her ear. "And don't act as though you weren't enjoying it, either."

Cordelia shivered, her mind bringing back the pleasure that kissing him had given her. In a rare show of embarrassment, she lowered her head, staring at the floor. Her cheeks were burning and she was certain that she was blushing. After a second, her eyes began to burn as well, but for a very different reason. She blinked, taking in a shaking breath, trying in vain not to cry. Slowly, a tear leaked from her eye, traveled down her cheek and fell to the ground.

Angelus' smile increased as he smelled the telltale saltiness of tears. However, he was puzzled. Why was she crying? She wasn't overly afraid and he was fairly certain that he hadn't been especially cruel to her. Finally rolling his eyes, he ground out, "Enough with the waterworks, already. I haven't hurt you, yet."

She whipped her head up, her eyes blazing with anger. "Please. I'm not crying because of you, you egotistical jerk!" She furiously swiped at her tears, glaring at him.

His smile faded as he narrowed his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deadly calm. "It would serve you well to remember who you're talking to, Delia. I'm not one of your pathetic friends who cowers under your wrath. My temper is far worse than yours could ever be and I've had several lifetimes worth of experience in showing people *exactly* what happens when they piss me off."

This time it was Cordelia who rolled her eyes. "Oh, would you give it a rest, already? Just because you have an inferiority complex due to the fact that you've spent the last eighty plus years cursed with a soul doesn't mean that you have to be Mr. Alpha Male all the time!" she snapped. Then, her eyes widened.

Whimpering in pure terror, Cordelia stared at him, too afraid to even blink.

Roaring in fury, Angelus' true demonic form came to the surface. He grabbed her by the throat, lifted her off the ground, and slammed her against the wall. "You're going to regret that, bitch," he growled, tightening his grip as she began to struggle. He stared into her wide eyes, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the sweet smell of her fear. "Stop moving," he snapped. "It's annoying."

Cordelia didn't even hear him. Horrified, she continued to claw at his hand, trying desperately to get loose so she could breath. She kicked out with her feet, praying to whomever was listening that she would injure him enough that he dropped her. However, he easily deflected her flailing legs with his free hand, his fangs showing as a cruel smile crossed his face.

"You know," he said conversationally, "This is fun! I can finally enjoy your company without having to listen to the whiny sound of your voice. You really should work on that, actually. I mean, the bitchiness is almost endearing. But, the nasal twang that you get whenever you're trying to make a point is really, *really* annoying."

Angelus sighed as her eyes rolled back in her head. He released her, watching in disdain as she slumped to the ground, unconscious. He stared at her, his face morphing back to it's human mask. After a few moments, he knelt down and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

"What to do, what to do," he said, his mind going over the options that he had. He could drain her and leave her body for the Slayer to find. He could take her with him and torture her for his own pleasure. Or, he could simply place her in her bed and leave, ending their game. Staring at her flawless face, he finally made his decision.

******

The first thought that crossed Cordelia's mind as she began to regain consciousness was the fact that her head hurt. The second thing that occurred to her was that she couldn't move her arms.

Fighting the panic that threatened to consume her as this fact became realized, she forced her hazel eyes open, trying to discover where she was.

As the young woman began the difficult task of trying to remember what had happened to her, she let her gaze wonder around her room. Nothing looked out of place.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, nothing's off at all. I *always* wake up tied to my bed. That's *totally* normal," she muttered. Then, she noticed the doors to her veranda were covered with a blanket. As were all the windows. That's when the memories leading to her current position returned.

"Oh, God. This is definitely of the bad," she whispered, blinking back tears.

"Always the one to point out the obvious, huh, Cor?"

Gasping, Cordelia turned her head to the side, her eyes landing on Angelus. He was leaning against her doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. He leveled his gaze on her and walked towards her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Slowly, he moved his hand to her hair, brushing it back from her face.

She flinched slightly as he touched her, grimacing as she attempted to swallow. He frowned, obviously unhappy with her reaction. "I'm not going to hurt you, Cordelia," he stated softly, looking very much like his souled counterpart at that moment.

However, she wasn't about to fall for his charade. Her throat felt as if it was on fire and her head was pounding; and it was all his fault. Narrowing her eyes, she hoarsely spat, "And choking me was supposed to tickle?"

Angelus couldn't help but laugh. Cordelia was tied to her bed, completely at his mercy, with a rather nasty looking bruise covering her neck and she was still managing to argue. He shook his head, suddenly kissing her forehead. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you, my dear," he said, grinning down at her.

The young woman's eyes widened and she gasped, her heart skipping a beat. "B-Break me? Just what is *that* supposed to mean?" she demanded, refusing to let him see how he was affecting her. How his voice was giving her chills, not all necessarily bad, or, how his unique scent was making her quiver. And, she definitely wasn't going to tell him that the way he was looking at her made her want to rip his leather pants off and ride him until she passed out.

Angelus smiled, his heightened senses picking up on the increase in her heartbeat and the smell of her fear--and arousal? The vampire's eyes widened as he realized that, somehow, she had gotten turned on.

Quickly, he moved his hand under the blanket, caressing her warm thigh through her thin shorts. He locked eyes with her, a gleam in his eye. "If I told you what I planned on doing to break you then it wouldn't be a surprise," he answered her question casually, moving his hand in a gentle manner.

Cordelia fought the urge to moan, instead focusing on his words. "Yeah, well, I hate surprises," she snapped, gasping as he moved his hand higher up her leg. Her legs parted involuntarily, inviting him closer. However, he acted as if he didn't notice, just chuckled darkly.

He grinned as frustration filled her face. She obviously wanted him. But, he was determined to have her begging for him. Then, and only then, would he consider giving her what she desired. However, he decided that he was going to up the ante a little. Locking eyes with her, he glided his hand underneath her shorts, making small circles against her soft skin.

The young woman's eyes darkened with desire and she was unable to stifle the moan that rose from her throat. She arched her hips slightly, pulling against the chains that covered her wrists. Frustration filled her and she frowned slightly. All she wanted to do was touch him. Yet, she could tell that he had no intentions of releasing her. So, she decided to try another tactic.

"It must be awful," she said softly. Seeing him raise his eyebrow in question, she continued, "To know that the only way you can have a woman is to tie her up." Then, she braced herself for the explosion.

Angelus growled warningly, ceasing his ministrations. He gripped her thigh, forcing himself to calm down. She was just trying to goad him into untying her.

"Nice try, Delia," he laughed, standing up. He watched with glee as her face practically crumpled in defeat. Yeah, this was going to be fun.

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