Warning: This chapter has explicit sex scenes. I tried to edit them but I just couldn't.

Chapter 14

"Will you be my wife?"

"If you want me still."

"If I want you? Oh, Buffy. I've looked at you, waited for you, longing for you until I nearly went mad."

He was watching the movement of his own hands as they traced the back of her neck and moved lower to the curving rise of her breasts, and she was unable to move, her breathing fast and uneven.

"Belong to me...now," he said urgently. "Belong to me, because you're mine and I'll never let you go."

"I won't want to go," she whispered against his lips.

"Let's go to the yacht." His voice hoarse with desire.

As soon as they went to the cabin, he pulled down the zip on her dress, letting it slide to the floor, his eyes running over her as she trembled in front of him. She was still wearing her bathing suit. Her nipples showed through the thin material and his jaw clenched as he stared down at her.

"In my mind I own you already, but each time I look at you it's the first time."

His breath was shaky and uneven as he pulled her tightly against him, his hands moving restlessly over her as he buried his face against her hair. Her breathing seemed to stop as he spoke and she looked up to look deeply into his eyes. She was trembling wildly; trying to stop her frantic heart from bursting.

He was being so careful, not forcing things, but her body was filled with rushing excitement, an almost frenzied desire to be joined to him. He tightened her to him until they were breathing the same breath and he buried his mouth in hers, draining her of anything she would give.

"This time it will be heaven," he whispered heavily. "You'll never be left hurting inside again." His voice was possessive, filled with desire. His lips covered hers again as his arms closed around her, his fingers trailing down the length of her spine until she arched against him.

Even with her eyes closed she could see him because her mind had always seen him and seen herself right here. Her arms locked around his neck in surrender, he made a low sound of joy deep in his throat as he swept her up into strong arms, gathering her against him, his lips never leaving hers.

She felt her bathing suit being gently removed and then the bed cool and soft beneath her. His face was dark above her as he stripped off his clothes, he bent repeatedly to kiss her, she could not get enough of him, her arms clinging to him until he came beside her.

"Say it, Buffy." he demanded huskily and she just looked into his eyes, drowning in the darkness.

"I...I love you..."

"Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!" he groaned.

"Touch me," he ordered heavily. "Show me how much you want this."

He was hypnotizing her with his voice and his eyes, overwhelming her with his dark power, and her hands did as he commanded, moving over his chest and his shoulders. He was ensnaring her soul but she gave it up willingly and his smiling lips recognized it, the harshness leaving his face.

"Buffy," he whispered. "Is this real?"

His hands cupped her breasts, his mouth moving over them, and she arched wildly against him. His lips moved over her ribcage to her stomach, searching her skin, caressing and arousing, finding all the places to give her pleasure, and she was impatient in his arms, on the edge and waiting for the unknown happening, the increase of ecstasy that only he could bring.

"Angel!" Her voice was an unfocused whisper; her hands were urging him closer, her fingers on his hair. He looked down at her with his eyes holding hers.

"I've waited a long time, Buffy. Now I want you begging."

She didn't know how much she would beg as he explored her body with lips and hands, bringing her to wild responsiveness and then easing her back until her face was flushed with desire.

Her small cries brought the comforting ministrations of his lips, first to her breasts and later to the skin of her inner thighs. When his kisses moved deeper, more closely to her core, she trashed beneath him, and he trapped her legs with his body.

"Angel!" She gave a wild cry. "Angel! Please...I'm begging you!"

He moved back over her, holding her demanding gaze as he entered her deeply. She was so highly attuned to him that she felt no pain. She felt only his triumph and her own. She belonged to him, and her silken body closed round him, drawing him further in, trapping him in love.

His chocolate eyes had flared as he'd felt the shattering of her virginity, and now he too had surrendered, moving strongly in her body, giving and receiving until they shot off the world together, his lips fused with hers.

"Don't leave me, Angel," she supplicated as they came together. "Don't ever leave me. I want to be with you always. I can't manage to live if..."

He caught her closer, his whole being still demanding but so wonderfully soothing.

"You will be. You will be with me always," he murmured huskily. He moved against her and his kissed deepened and prolonged until Buffy gave a shocked cry as desire tore again through her body, prepared for the renewed thrust of his invasion.

Her only desire was to please him, to grant every whish, every claim he had. She could feel his pleasure and her own pleasure rose with each thrust, her cries of pleasure driving him on, she kept hearing her name on his lips over and over again, until they were spent in each other's arms, his lips covering hers with exquisite tenderness.

"It's only just begun," he whispered huskily. "There's no more hurting for either of us. We're together." She was too exhausted with passion to speak, lying spent and drained beneath him, and he spoke her name softly.

"Buffy." It was only his insistence that she opened her eyes. They were still locked together, his body refusing to move from her, and she felt shy.

"Look at me," he commanded quietly and she obeyed, her face still flushed.

"Angel. I don't want to talk," she began unsteadily; he smiled down at her with amusement, his hands stroking her flushed cheeks.

"Did I ask you to talk?" he asked softly.

"I feel...it's just that I feel shy."

"I know." He kissed her eyes-lids. "This is where I wanted you to be the first time I saw you."

"Coming down the stairs at my house," she remembered with a sigh.

"No." He shook his dark head. "Months before then."

He rolled away from her, pulling her into his arms, his hand possessive on her stomach. "I was going to take a flight to Chicago when I saw you with your father. He'd just landed and you were there to meet him." He lifted her face to look at her. "I never took my flight. I just followed you."

"Followed me?"

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I followed both of you to Sunnydale. When your car pulled into the drive at your house I was right behind you. I started to ask around and found that Hank Summers lived at the lovely old house and with him lived his daughter, Buffy."

"So nothing was just an accident?"

"No," he confessed. "I couldn't afford to wait for a chance. I'd fallen in love for the first time in my life."

"You love me?"

"I do sweetheart. It was painful when you clearly hated me on sight."

"I didn't hate you, only thought I did," Buffy said softly, her hand tracing his face.

"Well...you fooled me," he assured her sarcastically. "I just couldn't give you up. It would have been like loosing my soul. I got involved in Summers' Inc., although I already had more than enough to do with my own business. That's when I found out about your father's lifestyle," he added quietly, "and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I knew what it would do to you when you found out. I had to stay as close as I could."

"But...you said you would never love me," Buffy remained him.

"It was the only thing you seemed likely to believe. Any confession of love would have scared away. I had to be what I had always been: hard, cruel..."

"And invincible," Buffy assisted.

He kissed her again, his hand slid lower, over her breasts, cupping her gently. Buffy had never felt such utter contentment as she cuddled closer to him.

When Buffy awoke, Angel was still sleeping, his hair was tousled and his face relaxed. He looked sensuous, satisfied, and her cheeks flooded with soft color as she remembered how much he had wanted her.

He had lifted her into his arms again, his hands tracing her skin, his lips murmuring her name, and she had turned to him willingly, a slave to his every demand, his urgency thrilling, their lovemaking frantic until they had finally fallen into a soft sleep, lock in each other's arms.

She could not believe how her life had changed. He had turned her into another being, and she had clung to him tightly, murmuring against his skin, now she could only see the Angel she adored. She had known for a long time that he was dark power and now she knew why. She had belonged to him since they had first met.

She said nothing of her fears, and none of them were gone...it was just that her love had overwhelmed them. But she had never felt like this before, never been so happy. She pushed the threatening clouds to the back of her mind and drifted back to sleep.

Buffy opened one eye. "Angel?" she asked drowsily. "Is that you?" She could feel the warmth of a large, masculine body enfolding her.

"It'd better be!" a rough voice growled in her ear. "Now and for ever, and don't you forget it."

She turned in his arms and stared up into his face, a soft smile curving her lips. "Just checking," she said with a little laugh, and locked her arms around his neck.

"Tease," he chuckled. "The quicker we're married the better. I want you to be in no doubt at all that I am the only man you will ever find in your bed."

"Not very romantic. After all, if I'm only going to be married once, I want a proper proposal. Down on your knees at least."

Angel brushed a strand of hair from her brow smiling indulgently. "You have had me on my knees for years. Once more won't matter." He rolled off the bed and knelt by the side, grabbing Buffy's hand in his.

"My darling Buffy, light of my life, keeper of my heart." Angel dramatically placed his hand over his chest, hamming it up for all he was worth. "Will you marry me, and make me an honest man?"

Struggling to sit up, Buffy burst out laughing. "Of course I will! Now, come back to bed!" He stood up, grinning down at her.

"Now, who are you?" he murmured against her ear.

"You know who I am." The voice made her tremble and she buried her face against him, almost afraid to speak.

"I've always known," he pointed out softly. "I'll be completely happy when I'm sure you know. Tired?" he asked seductively, his tongue exploring her ear.

"A little," she whispered, and he bent his head, finding her lips.

"Buffy, I want you so bad I can't help myself," Angel groaned as he held her beneath him. His mouth burned against her skin as he scattered kisses over her face and throat. He found the rigid peaks of her breasts and eased the ache within her with his mouth and tongue. His hands slid down over her body, his knee nudging her legs apart. "God help me, I can't wait."

Buffy didn't want him to. She was trembling so badly she couldn't stop, and as she pressed feverish kisses to his chest, her small hands skimming over his broad frame, she remembered and relished the feel, the taste of him. "I love you, Angel," she cried out as he entered her. At last she was free to express herself as never before.

He moved inside her and she murmured wild promised of love until his mouth found hers, his kiss mimicking the hunger of his great body. Locked together, they cried out their love as they reached the pinnacle together.

Buffy, sleepy and loved, cradled Angel's dark head on her breast, softly stroking his hair and listening to his labored breathing. How she loved this man... And by some miracle he loved her... but was he capable of being faithful. There was too much evidence to the contrary.

A while later Angel raised his head. Rolling off her, he turned towards her balancing on one elbow, he stared down into her beautiful face.

"More emotion than skill," he said, with an apologetic smile. "But I needed you so badly." With a finger he traced the delicate arch of her brow, down her small nose and around the swollen fullness of her mouth. His finger moved along the line of her jaw and up over her cheekbone, like a blind man, he was teaming her features by touch.

"Angel, we've got to get up," she said anxiously.

"Right now?" he asked, his teeth nipping her skin. "You're right. We better get back or else grandmother will worry. Besides we have to be there when Wesley and Fred arrive."

"Angel. We...we need to talk."

When he saw her anxious looks, the desire died out of his eyes and he rested her back against the pillow, coming to lean over her.

"I expected it."

Tbc...