Chapter 9

"Angel! Seriously, do you ever stop? I never realized you took your lovers in the office, and with your little protégée! Is this part of your healing plan for her?"

Buffy felt Angel stiffen with fury but he did not let her move from him. She could still feel his erection, his fingers brushed against her breast. He could face Cordelia with ease but he couldn't let Buffy go. Desire was still cracking between them.

"Why don't you try making an appointment next time you want to see me," he suggested effortlessly. "That way you won't be surprised."

"I'm not surprised. I know you have a lot of women. It's just this one seems to be a little...docile?"

"She's not docile enough." Angel said unsympathetically. "She refuses to marry me. I'm persuading her."

Cordelia's face fell. Buffy was unable to move, all the energy and drive in Cordelia was fading right before her own eyes. Cordelia stared at him in disbelief and then turned to the door, her face red with anger.

"Better give in, Buffy." She cried out. "He always gets what he wants. He's never wanted to marry one of them before. I really can't believe he'll settle down, so there must be a plan somewhere. Better watch out. He never does anything without a reason."

The door slammed and Buffy stared at Angel as though he was the worst kind of criminal. It was a look he interpreted easily and his anger grew by the second.

"Why did you tell her that?" she whispered, pulling away from him.

"Why not? It's the truth." He walked back to his desk, putting some distance between them. "Don't think she'll spread the happy news. Cordelia plays a game of her own and believe me when I say that she's more determined than most women I know."

"I don't care what she tells anyone. I'm still not going to marry you."

"Time will tell," he snapped. "I'm getting tired of this. We both know what was going to happen. Get the hell out of here before I decide to start all over again!"

Angel didn't push his advantage further. Since the first time she had seen him there had been a feeling of tension whenever he was near, and now she admitted that it had not gone away when he had left.

Her feelings for Angel were meant to be. His dark eyes watched her, his presence dominated her. Now she understood why and she also understood her primary fear of him. He had wanted her and deep inside she had always known it. She had wanted him too, but she had been too innocent and restricted of either realize it or admit it.

Now he became her boss and in a peculiar way, her friend as well. She was also proud of herself, something she had never been in her whole life. She was his personal assistant and more and more work was being delegated to her. Only now did she understand how much she had learnt while she had been here and how good Angel was at teaching. For the first time in her life she was somebody. She knew that she couldn't have risen so fast in any other company. She was here because Angel wanted her close to him, but she was doing her job and doing it well. She had surprised him.

She was happy and it shown, in the brightness of her face and the sparkle of her eyes. When Buffy discussed plans and details with Angel she felt completely at ease. It was only when their eyes met that any feelings of desire were showed into surface and Angel erased them at once, turning away or breaking the silence with some sarcastic comment about the staff that had her laughing. He was a great boss. She had to admit it.

Riley never called her again. He had apparently decided that she had been deceitful and, although she felt guilty, she was glad when she realized he would by now be gone. Cordelia didn't come to the office again either but Buffy wasn't sure if Angel was still seeing her. The fact of him being married wouldn't scare Cordelia away. She was sure of that.

Angel announced that he would be out of the office on Monday, and left a several orders that she was now able to deal with. What she couldn't deal with was the disappointment of knowing that she wouldn't see him for the rest of the week.

"I'm going to look at that new shopping complex we're building in Chicago," he informed her.

She nodded and then nervously looked away. She had been staring at him intently, wanting to keep an image of him in her mind until she saw him again.

"If anything happens, let me know." He finished, after looking at her for a few minutes as she kept her head turned away.

"Anything like what?" Buffy asked, meeting his solid stare by gathering her nerves firmly.

"You can never know," he murmured sardonically.

He turned to go and Buffy went back to her scrutiny. He was letting his hair grow a bit longer these days. She noted that however late he worked, he never looked tired the next day. He had this sort of invincibility around him. What would it be like to be married to him?

He turned back quickly to look at her; his dark eyes were sparkling when he caught the look on her face.

"If you're not cautious, you'll start to like me," he warned gently. "Added to the desire you already feel for me, that could prove to be a problem." She just gazed at him, color flooding into her face, and he added softly. "Remember who's the boss when I'm out."

Buffy stared at his retreating form. Did he imply that she was the boss while he was out? Did he trust her that much? It was true that she took all his calls and it was also true that he was delegating more and more work to her. She couldn't do a sole thing without consulting Angel first, but other employees were asking for her opinion nowadays. Nobody had asked for her opinion before in her life. Jenny took care of the house and her father of everything else.

True, she had planned the parties and seen to it that all ran efficiently, but that's all. Angel had taught her and she had learned quick. She knew it was not just her resolve to get the better of him. More than anything else, it was his admiration she wanted.

She was starting to like him more and more everyday; more than that, she was falling in love with him. Angel must never know. She knew things could not go on as they were going, with Angel keeping firm control of his desires. Besides, she was beginning to feel ill when he wasn't present.

By Friday, Buffy was pale and lethargic she felt a little discomfort all the time. It had been there on and off since her father death, and she had believe it was just her nerves, but now she suspected that it was something else. Whatever it was she felt pretty bad, but she still went to work and settled for the day.

Angel arrived at eleven and the only reason she knew he had arrived was because Harmony had told her so. It annoyed her so much, and she knew why. She had wanted him to call to see her first.

When he finally saw her she was sitting tight and pale, right back where they had stared. And all because of her jealousy. She wanted to ask him where he had been, why he was late! Instead she took refuge behind her cool poise.

"I'll take you to lunch," he offered when she looked up and then quickly looked away.

"I'm not very hungry, thank you."

"What's wrong with you?" he walked across to her desk, looking down at her intently.

"Nothing at all. I've been very busy this morning. The phone never stopped and..."

"And you resented it? I had things to do." He started to explain.

"You're the boss and besides you don't have to explain yourself to me." Buffy managed in a tight voice. After longing for him to come, she now wanted him to go because she felt more pain than ever.

"You're angry with me," he murmured with satisfaction. "Come with me to lunch like the good girl you are, and I'll promise to make it up to you."

"You're treating me like an idiot!" Buffy snapped angrily, and he stared at her in amusement.

"What else do you think you are, beloved?"

The ironical tone silenced her, that and his words. He hadn't called her that before. She wanted him to call her nice things, and all it meant to him was a joke.

A shudder ran over her and he noticed.

"Are you all right? You're paling again. Buffy, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"Buffy!" the harsh warning note had her looking up and his hand came out to angle her face and keep it turned to him. "I'll take you to see a doctor."

"Just leave me alone! I know how I feel and I'm not going anywhere with you. You can't treat me like an idiot one minute and then...then..."

"Make love to you the next?" he finished for her. "Come on, I just want to look after you."

"Why?" it was her turn to ask the unexpected question, a trick she was learning from Angel. His face darkened and his eyes were gazing at her pale face.

"Because...Hell! Suit yourself! I'll ask someone else." He released her and stormed out, and as far as Buffy was concerned that was the end of the day, because she didn't see him again.

He seemed to be deliberately keeping out of her way and by Wednesday she was resigned to it. One of the calls she answered that day was from Cordelia. So their affair wasn't ended! She felt so desolated with nothing to look forward to anymore.

When Angel walked in at the end of that day he stopped abruptly and looked carefully at Buffy, calling her into his office and closing the door.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. "No lying to me this time, Buffy. I haven't seen you for a couple of days and you look terrible."

"You don't think it's because I'm missing you. Do you?" she murmured sarcastically.

"I don't have those illusions," he bit out. "I know that in normal circumstances you wouldn't even look at me."

His harshness made her even paler than before.

"You're white as a sheet." He came to stand over her. "I'm taking you home to Sunnydale. Jenn will be able to look at you properly."

"No! I'm all right." She was so apprehensive that she was snapping at him again, and his face tightened from concern to annoyance.

"Very well," he said awkwardly. "As your boss. I'm ordering you to leave now. Right this minute."

"Fine!" She stood and went to gather her purse, he never moved but his eyes were fixed closely on her white face. She winced with pain and he was up to her in two seconds.

"Forget it," he snapped. "We'll go in my car, and if you start to argue," he added angrily when her head came up insolently, "I'll carry you to the elevator and across the lobby to the parking lot. Try to fight your way out of that, Miss Summers!"

"My car!"

"Damn it! I've warned you."

Knowing he was quite capable of anything, Buffy didn't try to fight at all and when he held the door open for her she simply went submissively; glad to be on the comfort of his car because she felt she might not be able to make it on her own.

The pain was increasing. All the way home, she remained silent; fighting the pain that went over her. The pain was growing with each passing minute. Angel said nothing but he drove faster. When they finally came into her house, he carried Buffy to her bedroom and ordered her to rest.

She ignored him and sat on the bed struggling with her clothes, when Angel came in.

"The doctor's on his way," he announced, looking at Buffy anxiously.

"Doctor? I don't need a doctor. He's going to think you're an idiot, calling him for a stomach ache."

"It might be food poisoning! You look terrible."

"Thank you!"

The doctor arrived in record time and after examining her. He concluded it was appendicitis. "I'll call an ambulance; she needs to go to the hospital."

"I can get her to the hospital before you can get an ambulance here," Angel said brusquely and the doctor gave a cynical scowl.

"The anxious fiancé, I presume." He murmured. "Yes...I want her there as quickly as possible. But she's a girl. She'll need time to gather a big suitcase full with pretty robes and make up to take with her."

Buffy found herself glaring at him, her white face relaxing a bit as she discovered that Angel was doing the same thing. He wasn't used to being told what to do as if he were a boy. Their eyes met and he grinned at her, making her heart leap. He never grinned like that.

A secret look passed between them and for one second they were in the same page.

"I'm taking her now," he ordered to the doctor.

"No arguments?" Angel murmured as the doctor left to alert the hospital.

"No. I didn't like him. It gave me great pleasure to see him put in his place."

"Then we both agree," Angel confided in her. "I don't like to be called the anxious fiancé."

"I didn't tell him you were my fiancé."

"No I told him that over the phone. I objected to the anxious part. I expected him to start calling me 'boy'. That would have been too much." He reached for her dressing gown. "Let's get you moving."

"Thank you for..."

"Bossing you around?" he asked. "Don't thank me. I intend to keep on doing it. This is good practice."

"Angel. Why can't you understand? I won't marry you," she murmured tearfully, having to lean on him as the pain washed over her. He picked her up to his arms, treating her very carefully, keeping his voice low.

"If you don't marry me, we'll end up living together and you know it. Your armor has cracked. You've had for the first time a taste of freedom and it's done you good. You're a real woman now."

"Am I?" she had to rest her head on his shoulder as he carried her down the stairs.

"One hell of a woman," he muttered. "I'll explain it to you after you agree to marry me."

Tbc...