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DISCLAIMER: Not mine!
TEASER: AU, Earl Summerly a compulsive gambler wagers the hand in marriage of his daughter Elizabeth Summerly to the evil Lord Angelus. Can Lord William Ripper rescue Elizabeth?

CHAPTER 9

The ball, as Spike had imagined, was keeping Cordelia busy and out of this hair, but what he hadn't imagined was his annoyance at Cordelia's insistence of treating the event as a marriage mart for Elizabeth.

She even had Buffy dressing in one of her cast-off gowns, and was convinced Buffy was going to land a rich husband tonight.

Mother, like him, was none too happy at the events and more so when it became clear that Cordelia was to have free reign over the preparations of the event. Thankfully, though, he didn't hear too much past the initial argument where he had laid down the law and promised Mother the run of the Castle once Cordelia returned to London. At this, she was satisfied and returned to her rooms muttering that her bird must be fed.

When the night finally arrived, Spike was partially glad the event was to take place and thus would quickly be over with. Cordelia had not been jesting when she mentioned inviting the whole ton. The empty ballroom of Ripper Castle that had seemed gigantic in the morning,seemed stuffed to capacity.

There were bejewelled Marquesses and Duchesses at every turn gossiping and twittering together. Giving him a haughty greeting at once eyeing him as a commoner's son and demanding their right of association by peerage.

The presence of Captain Finn and a set of officers from his encampment made the night more unbearable . The steady flow of alcohol kept Spike from showing his derision too openly. Even his only friend Clem seemed to have disappeared, swallowed by the crowd enjoying themselves at the expensive party and the opulent Castle.

A flash of red caught his eye, despite his mind having become slightly hazy with the alcohol. Red silk to be precise. On the opposite side of the ballroom Elizabeth stood uncertain and very uncomfortable. He had to hand it to Cordelia, she had not been wrong in assuming that Elizabeth would be able to find a husband tonight. In her usual attire Elizabeth appeared pure, gleaming and….effulgent. But tonight in Cordelia's cast-off harlot red dress she was a fantasy brought to life, a dirty fantasy. The dress had been tightened to fit its new owner for it covered all her curves perfectly, a plunging neckline that showed more than a shadow of cleavage, thin material that clung to her tiny waist and round hips.

Spike licked his lips unconsciously, at once tempted and repulsed at the picture. A girl her age should have been clad in virginal white, allowing herself to be dressed so seemed to prove what Cordelia had been harping on for most of the month. The girl was pinning for a man. In fact Spike decided, throwing back the remains of the glass down his throat, that she was deliberately enticing attention.

As if to prove his point Caption Finn had approached the girl and involved in some sort conversation. Spike could see gratitude on her face. 'Gratitude? Most probably it was satisfaction to see her ploys had worked on the dim-witted man'.

Replacing his drink Spike turned away from the scene and busied himself with drinking the rest of the night away.

Buffy was terribly uncomfortable. She had no intention of attending this darned Ball but Lady Cordelia had insisted. For a while she had thought the woman was actually being kind by offering to have one of her near-new gowns altered for her to wear. Her indebtedness to her guardian didn't allow her to ask for any new gowns and she was ashamed to let it be known that her father's years of gambling had left her with no suitable garments for a grand occasion such as this Ball.

Alas Lady Cordelia's kindness was but a ruse, the gown was not shown to her until it was too late for her to change her mind and she had been unable to be insistent enough in front of the forceful woman that she could not wear such a garment.

So here she was the victim of her own weaknesses standing in the doorway of the ballroom in the red borrowed gown that seemed to make her feel more and more awkward. The glares she was receiving from the older noble ladies made her feel like a lady of the night. Everyone ignored her, no one knew her in this society, and those ladies that would have been kind enough to include her were dissuaded by her choice of dress.

When Captain Finn again rescued her she had never been more grateful. His kindness to her situation made her appreciative of his gentlemanly behaviour. So unlike that of her guardian, she had seen him across the ballroom glance at her but do nothing to help her.

As the evening progressed Buffy even started enjoying herself, although she wasn't sure if it was due to the dancing or the dutch courage that Captain Finn and his boisterous officers kept plying her with. In fact as the night wore on she felt a little light-headed with the room getting more and more stuffy with the crowd and dancing. Unable to wait for another cool drink that Captain Finn had gone to find her, she stepped out of the ballroom through one of the smaller exits. The Castle was still very confusing to her after these few weeks of residence but she remembered that Lord Ripper's library was through one of these many doors. The room had been her secret refuge many times as she lost herself amongst the large collection of books and it would be a good place to clear her head for a few moments tonight. But in her current state she couldn't remember if it was the third door on the right or the second door on the left.

Just as she thought she had finally located the correct door, she felt a presence behind her. Turning too fast she faced the dark shadow of a man, her head spinning it took her a few seconds to recognize her guardian. "Lady Summerly, I had assumed that your inexperience in society would make this event rather boring for you," Lord Ripper sneered quietly, "I fear I did not read your character correctly. You seem to be enjoying the Ball," he stumbled closer. "Or rather enjoying the attention of someone in particular."

By this time he had come so close to Buffy that she was feeling very uncomfortable. There had always been this barely disguised air of danger about this man but tonight it was not disguised or even reigned in. It was present in the curve of his mouth, highlighted in silver on the sharp curves of his cheekbones from the moonlight streaming through the high windows in the corridor. It gave him a very frightening persona that made Buffy very aware of him as a man as well as a threat.

"You have gained quite a few admirers tonight, Elizabeth." His approach did not stem despite his close quarters and his hand raised he traced the curve of her cheeks with this back of his hand.

Buffy drew her breath sharply at the contact and the use of her name for the first time. The sound of her own breath so loud in her ears that she heard a faint whisper of his voice with something that sounded like, "So soft."

When she could stand the tension any longer and Lord Ripper seemed unwilling to free her from the barrier of his body, she made a move to walk past him. The stuffy ballroom was no longer unbearable because this situation was infinitely worse.

Her move for freedom didn't have the desired effect of him moving away instead he only moved closer and grabbed her arm which brought them within a hair's breath of each other. So that she could feel his heavy breath on her neck and he hers on his shoulder.

The alcohol seemed to have elevated her emotions hundred-fold and with it made her moods mercurial. Her fright and anxiousness made way for anger, suddenly she did not care of his anger but was bent on expending her own.

"Let go of me," she spoke slowly.

"Why?" instead he tightened his hold and his mouth was within inches of hers. "Do you want to return to him?"

"Yes!" she spoke louder now uncaring who he was talking of only that she wanted to be free.

"No!" Spike was beyond the anger her had felt earlier in the evening at seeing her with that idiot now he was livid. 'She was HIS!'

"If you want a man you only needed to ask." He tightened his grip painfully on her as she had started struggling violently against him. But her eyes remained locked with his, spitting with anger at him.

He lowered his eyes toher mouth, a deep red now in response to her emotions. The lower lips slightly jutting out as she struggled more. Not being able to resist any longer, he reached down and took a hold of the lower lip in this mouth.

Just a soft suck at her pouting lip and soon he was mauling her entire mouth. His tongue joined the celebration of senses plunging in like a predator devouring her mouth and its sweet flavours.

Buffy's anger was making her delirious she wasn't aware of anything but her imprisonment between his hands and her need to be free. She was incapable of noticing anything else until his mouth came down on hers. He seemed to be drawing her very life-force deep into him as the kiss continued.

His hands finally loosened and wrapped around her tiny waist. She immediately brought her hands up against his hard impassive chest. Trying to push him away somehow, her hands started exploring upwards. The memories of him with the sweat soaked shirt swirled in her brain as her hands explored further up that taut stomach, that hard muscled chest. 'Look for a weakness' her brain cried but her hands had different intentions upon finding his neck they traveled up and tangling in his hair. Instead of tugging for freedom they cradled his head. They assisted him as his mouth left hers and following the curve of her neck to attach itself to that hollow between it and her shoulder.

Had that curve always been craving his touch, his taste or was this some spell. Buffy didn't know and was past caring because the more he kissed her, the hungrier she felt. The more she wanted. A slight nip from his teeth was met with a cry of delight from her. 'Yes!'

She couldn't get enough she moved her head to give him access to more skin. She wanted more!

Finally the nips and kisses weren't enough and he bit into that luscious smooth and creamy skin of her shoulder. A guttural growl from her proved that she wasn't averse of his actions.

He bit harder and harder, Buffy was sure that he had must have pierced skin but there was no pain only this strange feeling of satisfaction and at the same time the hunger was only heightened.

His mouth returned to hers and she could taste the copper of her blood on his lips. He had bitten her.

Instead of the taste repulsing her, it just drove her on. Made her more adventurous and hungrier.

At the worst moment the mumble of conversation could be heard approaching from down the corridor. The sounds seemed to be nearing quickly. Buffy and Spike separated, a wild look in both their eyes said the same thing, 'More!'

Spike reached behind him for the knob of the door to the library, pushing it open he propelled Buffy and himself into the room and quickly shut the room behind him.

He turned back just in time as Buffy attacked his mouth, ravenous for more. His arms wrapped around her waist, the thumbs circling the slight curve of her abdomen, the silk of her dress driving his senses wild.

With a growl her lifted her and slammed her back onto the door through which they had just entered using it as support to begin his attack on her still bleeding neck again.

Buffy couldn't wait any longer she wanted more. What exactly it was she didn't know, yet. But she clawed at this shirt, pulling at whatever loose fabric that came to hand. Her frustration got his attention and soon he was helping her by untying his cravat, loosening his shirt until finally her hands were rewarded to feel his bare chest under them.

It was pale, beautifully contoured. Buffy focussed long enough to admire the fruits of her struggle, until touch simply wasn't enough and she wanted a taste too. Lowering herself she extended her tongue slowly. She braved herself and took a quick taste.

Spike froze at the touch of moisture that laced his chest and nipple, it was like a sharp sting and burn. It was soon followed by a more leisurely exploration of her tongue against his chest. The sensations were indescribable.

With a growl, he brought her up for a taste for his starving mouth. Feeding her the traces of her blood which again excited her to the point of delirium.

Buffy closed her eyes and let the sensations overtake her until it seemed as if she was no longer in control of her body. She was a captive to her senses. Her breasts were swollen and ached so much they hurt. All she wanted was relief from the constant ache everywhere. She brought his hands up to her breasts, encouraging his thumbs over the sensitive area of her nipple. He rubbed and caressed enthusiastically but the silk numbed the friction and all she could feel was a slight pressure. Her body wanted more. She groaned in frustration.

He seemed to understand and tried to soothe her but she was beyond any soft talk, all she wanted was release. She turned her head away, denying him anymore kisses. Her body unconsciously urging him to some unknown goal.

Giving in he reached for her skirts pulling them up and aside. She should have been mortified, ashamed, scared but she felt nothing like that. She could only feel the ache that had rapidly intensified within her body and which was centred within the very core of her and the place where he was heading. She was unconsciously thrusting towards him trying to find some friction. Somehow his experienced hands made their way through the layers of fabric until-

Buffy breathed a sharp breath. Unable to voice what exactly the sensation was, except that it felt right and she knew this was what she had been aching for. His fingers had found themselves deep into her secret place. A place she didn't know allowed this type of contact but it was what she needed and she rubbed herself against his fingers.

She was hot and wet. Spike closed his eyes and paused unable to continue or even move. The feeling alone had him ready to explode. He paused because as much as he wanted release he knew he didn't want it like this. But it was hard as she kept thrusting and moving against his fingers. Her little moans becoming louder and making him feel more and more inebriated.

He latched onto her mouth, needing her sweet taste as sustenance. But she was as wild as him with frustration. Her tongue played briefly with his then her teeth bit down hard on his lips.

Angry at the sharp bite that woke him from the passionate stupor he withdrew his finger from within her and placed his hands on her arms as manacles again. Intent on teaching her a lesson he played with her mouth, kissing and biting til she was nearly screaming with frustration.

Finally he gave in to her moans of frustration, removing one hand that was keeping her in place, he loosened himself ready to give them both release.

She opened her eyes as if realising the end was near and for the first time since the beginning of this crazy journey they stared at one another. His eyes intent on hers, trying to bore down into her soul while hers still dazed and passion addled as if she was drugged.

He leaned down and kissed her beautiful red mouth again, wet from their mixed flavours. Beyond any control now he plunged in deep within her.

Buffy's eyes burst open in the middle of the beautiful kiss as a tear from within her incited a terrible pain. She clenched with every muscle she had trying desperately to stem the pain from spreading but it was still present. It was so unbearable that she wrenched her mouth from his and buried her face in his shoulder. Still the pain continued and she bit down on his shoulder, the pain inciting her to extremes.

He held her tightly sharing the pain he had given her with the pain she was inflicting on him. Finally as her pain slowly dulled, she loosened her grip both internally and externally.

Licking the wound she had caused she tried to heal it through her kisses and love. He cradled her head, lifting her hair from her shoulders, as it had come tumbling down sometime in the midst of their passion.

He kissed her softly, gently, like an apology. She didn't understand, but she waited, tensed instinctively, knowing there was more to come.

He moved slowly, conscious of her pain, but also needed to move inside of her. But as he pulled out of her, she tightened it again. As painful as it was with him inside, she couldn't bear him to leave. Not now, not yet.

He came back thrusting in and out, again and again, the age old rhythm taking over them both. The pain continued but with it came other sensations, the ones she had forgotten. The ache that begged to be satisfied was stronger. Soon she was helping him, matching his thrusts with her own. Not sure where they were headed but following him blindly. He continued thrusting; driving her wild until she wanted to shout for this ache to end. She slipped his fingers down again, hitting a secret spot, playing with it until-

Buffy didn't know how to describe this feeling except this is what her body had wanted since this began and all she felt was a deep contentment as the spirals of pleasure wound down through her whole body and she held him close as she lost consciousness.

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