Chapter 1.
The meeting.
Throughout the length of her life, Buffy had always felt like a part of her was missing, that no matter what she did or tried, she had to fight a somewhat persistent feeling of being… incomplete.
She was beautiful, deep green, emerald eyes matched with her long, curly, blond hair. She was petite in built, though through a life of exercise and horseback riding had shaped her body into a stunning figure, followed by the eyes of many men.
Luckily, just as her family had wanted she had found what they considered a suitable suitor. Riley Finn. He was the son of one of her father´s best friends, and, just as it was expected of her, after a relatively short courtship, they had gotten engaged.
Riley was an enough pleasant man. He was tall, well-built, green eyes, and dark blond hair. Her mother had said their children would have amazing looks, and even if she agreed, the thought of sharing her bed and her body with him woke something dreadful in her.
She was 22, and still a virgin. She had met many guys, but she had gotten serious with only 2. First, her childhood crush, Parker Brams, who had cheated on her with every single girl on the school before she realized he was with her only because of the status being associated with the Buffy Summers could bring. The second, a short liaison with her longtime friend, Xander Harris. This one she had dumped because he was overly clingy, he got insanely jealous over no good reason, and he basically, once he became her boyfriend, stopped her from being who she wanted to be, so, with a lot of tears and determination, she had broken things up with him, and even if she knew he was crushed, she knew it was the right choice.
Now, Riley was a different matter. Sometimes she could call him… forceful. When they were kissing, she could always sense the restraint and the need for something more. He had tried to grope her breasts, and more than once he had tried to get his hands under her skirt, his intent clear to her eyes. She had been adamant she would never sleep with him before they were married. He had reluctantly agreed, and deep in her woman´s core, she was thankful, and at the same time regretful, because once they sealed the deal, she would be able to deny him nothing.
The funny thing is that sometimes, at night, she dreamt of a stranger with the darkest eyes imaginable. She imagined the phantom touch of his hands, igniting a fire she didn´t know she possessed, a fire that woke her up drenched with sweat and with a throbbing ache between her thighs. She was still too shy to relieve it, and anyway she knew only his hands could quench the thirst that was suddenly inside her.
There was a longing behind those dreams, a note of deep, undeniable sadness that sometimes made her wake up in tears, her eyes leaking endlessly, a stream that seemed to be coming from the deepest parts of her soul, and whenever she thought about that stranger that seemed to haunt her every sleeping hour, there was that mixture of dark, unabated desire and that heart-wrenching sense of loss and sadness. Sometimes, she felt herself plunging into a dark abyss, and then the sensation of her lungs filling with dark, murky water, dreams that didn´t allow her to go back to sleep, so afraid she was of the sensation of impending death.
She wanted to talk to her best friend, Cordelia Chase, about it, but knowing her, she knew Cordelia would just dismiss it and advise her to sleep with Riley and stop her "puritan tendencies", which didn´t clearly suit a woman of the 21st century with her looks, position and status.
She stared at herself in the mirror, after having dried her body of the glistening water from her afternoon shower. She let her mind wonder, and she had a very distant feeling, exactly the one she had whenever she dreamt of him. She breathed even more deeply, and the sensation was lightening each and every one of her senses. She felt a pair of hands traveling the expanse of her naked body, and her breasts felt achy and impossibly full under his ministrations. She moaned softly and the careful, soft touches continued.
It was getting worse, every time she thought of him she would get this sensation, like someone was setting her body ablaze, and she couldn´t fight it. Suddenly she felt the hands go lower, impossibly lower, reaching her navel and long, elegant fingers dancing around her midriff.
She didn´t know what force kept her standing, but whatever it was, it was a miracle that she was still on her feet, so strong were the sensations inside her.
She was certain of something. This longing, this flood of heat in the place between her thighs wasn´t created by the thought of Riley, and it unnerved her. If she did believe in magic, she would think someone was doing this to her.
She moaned deeply as a fleeting touch passed on top of her curls, but she was startled as a very insistent knocking sounded on the door that joined her bedroom to her bathroom.
"Miss, are you ok? Is something the matter?", it was Tilly, her maid-of-sorts, more like a nanny and a confidant.
"Yes, Tilly. I´ll be out in a minute", she bent to pick the towel that she had dropped to the floor the minute her daydreaming had begun.
If she had looked harder, she would have seen a pair of dark eyes staring at her in the mirror she had just looked upon.
He woke up, his silk sheets tangled around his naked lower body, his pale skin glistening with sweat.
He had already lost count of how many times he had had the same dream, and it frustrated the life of him, because no matter what he did, he didn´t seem to find the source of them, and mostly, he was annoyed he hadn´t found a way to break the spell that seemed to have fallen upon him. It was rather uncomfortable, since he tended to woke up rock hard and aching beyond belief. It didn't matter that he searched for one of his brides, it didn´t matter that he went hunting, his thirst satiated only in the physical. His soul still ached.
In fact, his soul had ached for a very long time. It had ached the moment he had lost her.
The strangest thing is that despite his undying love for her, a love as undying as his very body, he had always thought that he had moved on. He yearned for her with the longing of the past, but the sensation he had had the past weeks left him confused and incredibly sad.
Once upon a time, he had had his taste of Heaven on Earth. It had been her. It had been feeling her love, making love to her, spending endless night lost in her depths, truly becoming one with the woman he adored. It had been smelling her hair, which always smelled of fresh apricots and cinnamon, it had been the taste of her essence, which was his favorite taste, beyond all foods and decadent desserts. It had been seeing her trust in him,, knowing that the only man who had touched her like that had been him, that she only let go like this with him.
He recalled their wedding night, her frantic nerves, but also her sweet surrender to him, accepting the intrusion of his body inside her, how she had softly begged him to take her higher and higher, without hesitation, never minding the pain that was coming as he went pass her innocence. That night, he had changed: all his previous lovers forgotten, aware that no woman could make him feel whole.
That had changed the moment he lost her. The cruelty of how she was stolen from him was a testament of everything he had done to serve others, and he had paid the ultimate price. But the consequences had been unavoidable. The hatred, the lust for death that now consumed him was not to be denied, and he reveled in it, though a tiny part of his soul still ached for her, and it would always be that way.
It didn´t matter if the hunt was filled with sensuality, and part of his allure was knowing how to lure his pray, enjoying the pleasures of their bodies before draining the life out of them. He let them taste the pleasure before he showed them the absolute pain he could bring.
But ever since he had come to this land, the new world calling to him, these dreams had haunted him. And despite he was in control of everything, his mind, his body, the elements of nature surrendering to his will, the fact that mere dreams could make his body almost reach the brink of insanity, he had to wonder what was going on around him.
And for the first time in centuries, he had to acknowledge that perhaps he wasn´t in control of everything, and his dead heart almost beat.
Her parents had arranged a lavish engagement party. She had chosen a beautiful red silk dress. It outlined the figures of her body perfectly, her lush breasts looked enticing and yet the dress was completely tasteful. She watched herself in the mirror, and a wave of something unfamiliar, but still incredibly… she didn´t know how to call it, but if she could find a word, she would label it as coming home went passed her, so strongly she had to grasp the end of her vanity.
She was trying to regain her breath when her father entered her room, and she turned to face him, plastering a sweet smile that gave nothing away of the inner turmoil she was in.
"Hello, dad", she said, and Hank Summers smiled at her.
"You look… ravishing, dearest. Riley will be pleased. You´re going to be the star of this evening", he said and she returned the smile, though she was doing things more for appearance´s sake than for Riley´s. She didn´t love him, but right now, a sad resignation had taken place where her normal feisty spirit had been.
Hank noticed it, and he braced both hands on her shoulders, "Buffy, I know you are not particularly in love with Riley, but he´s a decent man, and I would hate for you to fall in the hands of a man who was only after our money. He will make you happy, and if you don´t believe me, I can assure you, in time, you will grow to care for him, as I have come to care for your mother. She´s the most important thing in the world to me. And you´re the single most important thing in the world, to the both of us".
Buffy stared at her father, and saw that what he was saying was completely true. She knew her father loved her, and he wouldn´t ever rush her to get married if he thought it would be safe, but part of her had to agree with him. Many men would pursue her just because it was the general knowledge her bank accounts were loaded, and if she added her looks, she was a most desirable catch. And given her kind heart and her tendency to judge people with an indulgent attitude, she could fall prey to who knows what kind of man.
"I know that, and I…", she sighed deeply, "I hope that in time, I grow to love Riley. I can only say that I will do my best", she said, and her father embraced her, kissing the top of her head lovingly.
"I´m very happy to heart that, honey. Let´s go, people are waiting", he said, and she could only follow.
The Summers mansion was lit up, flowers and candles making it shine like a jewel. The terraces and gardens were filled with her family´s and Riley´s family´s acquaintances, and she had to spend the next 2 hours greeting everyone, just like it was expected of her.
Riley had stood right next to her, and she had done her best to endure his presence. The party seemed endless, and she was exhausted. She took advantage of a moment during which Riley had left her to go and talk with his father and some of their mutual business associates. She found Tilly, and told her she would be outside, getting some fresh air. Tilly had assured that she would cover for her, and now she was standing on one of the terraces, hands against the railing, just enjoying the peace and quiet.
But as the minutes passed, a steady sensation of being watched made her nerves stand on end. She felt like someone was staring at her, and the awkward part was that it didn´t feel uncomfortable like she would expect, it was more… She was startled as she recognized the sensation, the same she got in her… dreams every night, and her eyes started perusing the scenery, trying to find where the source of her increasing nerves was coming from.
It wasn´t long before she spotted him, and something hot and sensual began awakening inside her body. He was impossibly tall, his skin pale and youthful, though she assessed he had to be reaching his mid-thirties. His body, clad in what obviously was a very expensive, tailored black Armani suit, was muscular, and it didn´t matter that the fabric covered most of his skin, she could tell that underneath them, he was simply… beautiful.
His face was another matter. His eyes were boring into hers, and she had the very definite sensation of feeling scorched, like a fire that just didn´t die. He was looking at her, his eyes, a combination of the darkest chocolate with hints of something gold, boring into hers, and that throbbing sensation she had come to associate with the guilty pleasure her dreams provided started to ignite. They didn´t give nothing away, but looking into them, one word came to mind: sin. He was positively sinful, and she didn´t know why she had the certainty, but he had the self-assurance of a man who had mastered the fine skills of passion, and she somehow knew many women had had their taste of him. He walked towards her, and she could see his moves: smooth, strong, defined, like a predator that had spotted its victim and was going for the kill.
She was rooted to the spot until he was standing next to her, and he bowed slightly, his eyes never tearing from hers, "Good evening, miss Summers". Ohhh, that voice. If his body wasn´t enough, his voice could inspire the most delicious, sinful thoughts.
She swallowed, willing her voice to sound strong even if her nerve endings were screaming in his presence, her skin felt like it was stretched too tight on her bones.
"I don´t think we´ve met", was the only thing she could say, and he smiled, and it was so beautiful, she almost gasped. Who was this man, and why was she reacting so strongly to him?
"You´re right. I don´t think I would have forgotten such a beautiful lady if I had met your acquaintance earlier. Allow me to introduce myself. I´m… I´m Liam Angelus, Lord of Aurelius", she was startled. He was nobility? No wonder he had those chiseled bones and impossibly beautiful hands, his voice rich and with a cadence that made her blood boil.
"Lord?", she said, thinking that it was surprising that in the 21st century, someone would have a nobility title, and he smiled, "Yes, though my family is long gone, and I´m… I´m the only survivor of our lineage. I don´t use it often, just when I´m meeting people such as yourself", he said, and he took her hand in his, raising it so that he could kiss her knuckles softly, his eyes dead-locked on hers.
She knew that if she didn´t say a word, she would end up looking like a blabbering fool. The sensation of his lips on her skin could only be compared to what she felt when she placed her hand on a burning stove, and she was torn between the desire to continue experiencing the sensation or pulling away, so disturbing it was, embarrassed as she felt a flood of moisture rushing between her legs, something she had never felt from her wildest kisses with her boyfriends, least of all Riley, who was so intent on taking her to bed.
"I´m… I´m pleased to meet you", she said, and he replied, "I can assure you, beautiful Buffy, that the pleasure is all mine", his voice oozed seduction, and she knew she had to break his hold on her, but all her body wanted was to move forward.
She softly pried her hand away, but the sensation of his lips on her skin still remained.
"As I said before, I don´t think we have met before, and therefore I don´t know who invited you, if you don´t mind my asking", she said, staring into his eyes, unable to look away.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Finn before, and we have come to succeed in several business affairs", she nodded slightly.
"So, I take it you´ve met Riley then?", she said, and he shook his head.
"My business has been with Mr. Finn senior, not with his… cub", she found the word he used to refer to Riley incredibly amusing. In fact, she had to agree the word described Riley to perfection. He was decent, but he was somewhat spoiled, he was used to having all the benefits of a lush life, always getting his way due to his money. He didn´t even work with his father, stating how those business bored him, and that anyway he would inherit the Finn fortune, since he was the only heir. That was the part of him that had always put her off, never feeling the fire the man in front of her was igniting only standing before her, his smile enigmatic and she was certain full of secrets.
There was something in his gaze, he looked youthful and she could see a long history behind his eyes, like he had seen and lived through centuries, and she found herself inching closer to him.
"So he was the one who invited you?", he only nodded, "Have you seen him?", she asked and he shook his head.
"As you can see I was detained with more… pleasurable company", she knew she was blushing to the roots of her head, but her feet were unable to move, he was flirting and despite that he was doing so at her own engagement party, she couldn´t seem to bring herself to care.
She smiled softly, "If you´d like, I could take you to him", though there was nothing she wanted less than to break this moment, her body aching to be in his presence.
"I don´t think that´s what you want to do", his bluntness startled her and aroused her, and she couldn´t tear her eyes away from him.
And she couldn´t help but ask, "And according to you, what is it that I want to do?"
He brushed his knuckles against her cheekbone, and with a voice so deep it seemed to reach her bones, he said, "You want to stay here, and drop that stupid charade of an engagement your family has tricked you into. My beautiful, are you certain that going to them is what you want? Because what I´m feeling from you tells me otherwise", he gave her a half-smirk, and she didn´t know how she hadn´t become a huge pile of Buffy-goo by now.
"I… I should probably go, they must be… waiting", she hated how breathless she sounded, but she found she couldn´t get enough air in her lungs.
"Then I won´t keep you any longer", he said, and turned on his heels.
When their skins broke contact, she felt such a sense of loss, she couldn´t stop form calling out, "Angel?", she didn´t understand why she had called him that, but it fit him, and he turned, his face giving away nothing.
"I´m sorry", she walked towards him, feeling remorseful, not understanding why the thought of him in pain distressed her so, "I was very rude. If you´re looking…", he reached for her hand, and kissed her knuckles sensually again.
"I am most remiss, my dearest Buffy, and I am sorry you felt I was detaining you from fulfilling your duties. Forgive my ignorance", he said, and the glint in his eyes was so breathtaking, she found herself nodding, and yet she couldn´t break away from the promise she found there.
"I… Mr. Finn must be looking forward to seeing you", she said softly, "I´ll take you to him, and then I´ll… carry on with my… obligations", he nodded, and he followed her lead as she stepped away from him, hiding his smirk.
He had found her. At last. And the world would pay if she was ever taken from him again.