Au Contraire, Au Pair

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Chapter 6

She dropped the blanket to the floor and stepped into the shower, already steaming hot. Her perma-grin stayed on her face, that is until the hot water hit a certain spot. She hissed in air and hunched forward trying to block the spray of water between her legs. Carefully she soaped herself and giggled a little, remembering what made her so sore.

After a few moments of kissing and reassuring love talk William wrapped her in a throw blanket and sent her to relax and shower with a promise of a good night kiss later. When she was sure she was out of his view, she duck walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. She stood under the spray letting the water wash over her face. *It felt so good to be with someone who really cares about me. Please don’t let me screw it up.*

After wrapping her hair in a big fluffy towel, she put one foot on the counter to rub lotion into her skin. She felt him enter the room before he even said anything.

“You know, I promised myself that I would give you at least a day to let you heal before I ravage you again, and I find that I can barely go an hour.”

Feeling shy, Buffy reached for her robe to wrap herself in. William crossed the room and wrapped her up in his arms. “Feeling alright?”

“Mmm. Feeling happy. And sleepy.”

She walked to her bid and laid down, giving him room to join her. He chose to sit on the edge of the bed, but took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “If I don’t go soon, I might not leave. But I am not sure how we should handle this. First and foremost we have to think about James and how he is to understand what’s happening here.”

Buffy began to feel like snakes were wriggling in her belly. He isn’t going to end this already, is he? It’s just starting to go somewhere! “William, I am not sure how to either, but I know that James wants to see you happy. Does this, do I make you happy?”

With that, he leaned over and kissed her slowly and deeply. “Very. However, there are things to consider. I think that we should keep this between ourselves for a bit. Let James see things the way they’ve been. My son is a smart little boy. He’ll let us know when it’s okay to talk about it. Once we know what he thinks about it, then we’ll be able to know how to handle this better, alright?”

Another reason why she was falling for him. Always putting his son first, even before himself

“But pet, I want to talk honestly about this relationship. I know what I want in life. I know what I need to feel complete. I have had bad relationships, good ones too. I can see who you are and I can see us together. I can’t deny though, that I am afraid that I may be a passing fancy to you. You said yourself that you haven’t had a lot of experience, and I don’t want to hurt my son either. Would you like some time to think on it? I’ll follow your lead.”

She wasn’t expecting that. Honestly, she imagined blissful yumminess and nookie with her handsome, talented lover. She imagined the fairy tale: handsome man, she came into his and her son’s life, epilogue to happily ever after. She had to admit that it was pretty naive. Still, it hurt to think that maybe he was putting the brakes on.

Buffy decided to just tell him what she felt. “Well, I like the idea of keeping things quiet. I am not sure how this will all turn out, but I don’t like the idea of not being with you. If that is a little young on my part, it’s because I am.” She shrugged and smiled at him. She sat up, and began toying with the neck of his shirt. “I just realized a big fantasy with my ideal man, so not quite ready for the heave ho.”

He took her in his arms. “I’m not letting you go. You misunderstand me! I just won’t push anything until you’re ready, pet. I don’t want to scare you off. I plan on keeping you in my life as long as you’ll let me.”

He stroked her hair back from her face. “Now, you need to get some rest, as do I. Sweet dreams, and I’ll see you in the morning.” He kissed her, rose and walked down the hallway to his rooms.

She snuggled into her down filled bed and was asleep in seconds.

**********

The course of the next week was the same as it had always been. With the exception of William sneaking behind her at the fridge and giving her bum a pat when no one was looking. And when he joined James and Buffy at the pool, she would swim past and run her hands along his thighs underwater.

They hadn’t found a chance to be alone for almost two weeks. William was putting in long hours on his project, and Buffy was getting things ready for James to start kindergarten in the fall. The tension building up between the two was almost palpable. Buffy was pretending to watch James eat his pizza, but was secretly watching William mouth across the room what he wanted to do to her when he got the chance. She was just making out “spread your thighs and...” when she heard a *ahem* from the direction of Cook, washing some vegetable at the sink.

Buffy turned beet red and tried to convince James to hurry so they could practice riding his new bike. William suddenly found himself not hungry, and needing to get back to work.

That evening while James was outside eating a sundae, Cook mentioned offhandedly to Buffy, “I know what goes on in this house, you know.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I mean to say that I KNOW what goes on here. A blind man could see the two of you panting over each other day in and day out. I’ve seen cows with less moon eyes than you’ve got in your head. But don’t think I’m one for judging. That’s not my place. But I’ve been in this house for 15 years, and four years beside that with the she-demon who left him, and all I have to say is you better watch out for me if you’re not here for the right reason. Not one more woman is going to hurt my boys, make no mistake.”

“You were Drusilla’s servant before they married? Is that what you meant?”

“Ach, ay. That girl was wrong from the start, but it wasna my place to say. Cold as a witch’s... Just mean and always looking for her own needs, never anyone else. Spent almost all of her family’s fortune, and most of those of the lads of Ireland. Then that fine young man came in to her life, tried to make some place for her away from her family on the Island, and you know the rest. That young master cried so... Not one word from her since. Not so much as a ‘how do you do’ or ‘Happy Christmas.’” Cook looked like she could chew nails.

“You listen to me, lass. You hurt my boys... If you’re here to get a leg up in this world, or here to have it easy for a spell, I would suggest you pack your things and leave us be. Now, if you’re here because you’ve got eyes in your head that can see a fine looking man such as our fair William, can can see the luck in finding a sweet lad as our James, well then you’ll not hear anything but honey from these lips. But don’t for one moment think I don’t know what happens in my own house.” And with a wink, she went back to washing and prepping vegetables.

Buffy felt quite clearly that she had been dismissed from the conversation. She collected James and took him upstairs to get clean and ready for bed. William came in a few minutes later to help with the bedtime story.

Buffy sat in a rocking chair across from the two and watched James reach across the covers to rest his hand on his dad’s leg while he read. They were the perfect picture of what family meant to her. She knew she was being given a chance to join something real. It was something she had always wanted, but she wanted to be sure she was truly welcome before it became serious.

After the story was over, William gave hugs and kisses, and James reached for Buffy for her turn. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight with little fists in her hair. “Good night, James. I’ll see you in the morning, ‘kay?”

“Good night, Buffy. I love you.”

She thought her heart would burst. It was the first time he had told her that. He turned his little face to his pillow and was almost instantly asleep. As she turned to walk out she saw William leaning against the doorframe smiling at her. “I think you got his approval.”

“Well that makes two for Buffy.”

He looked at her quizzically. “Did you know that Cook knows? About us the other night. She pretty much told me while chopping things with her very large knife that she approves as long as I am not a gold digger. Oh, or out to get my jollies.”

“So if everyone else thinks it’s fine, all that’s left is to know what you think, Ms. Summers?”

She smiled and walked towards him forcing him to walk backwards down the hall and towards her room. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”