FIC: The Driving Lesson
Author: Jill Disclaimer: nope, not mine, never will be Rating: R Pairing: B/A Category: Angst, Romance, Drama - all the good stuff Feedback: oh yes, please send it to Connemara.Scarlets@t-online.de Spoilers: none really, this is complete AU
My most humblest thanks go to my beta-readers, Jade, Kay and Kristen. You rock girls!!!
I got the idea for this fic by - go figure - a Slash-story. It's called "Sleep While I Drive" by Jenn ( - the story is Clex (Smallville), just to warn you. If you are a fan of Clex - read it now. It's phenomenal.)
Chapter 2 (of 4)
As soon as I was out of the door I remembered that I still had his cell- phone in my pocket. Yanking it out, I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes. Shit! What was the number again? I finally remembered and punched it in, holding the phone to my ear while I was looking around wildly, trying to find somewhere to hide.
"Yeah?" came the voice through the line after three rings.
"Willow!" I almost shouted, deciding to round the diner to the back.
"Buffy?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh! Of course it's Buffy."
"I'll have you know," came her indignant reply, "that there are more people calling me. Like . like two or three. I mean Xander is calling me all the time, and then-"
"Will, Will," I interrupted her. "I believe you, okay. This is an emergency."
"An . emergency?" I could hear the barely veiled panic and quickly backpedaled.
"Not an emergency, emergency. But I need your help. I've been kidnapped." Uh . that didn't come out quite right. "I mean-"
"Kidnapped?" Her voice rose several notches. "Like, for real? I mean, is there a ransom? There will be a ransom, right-"
"Will! Chill, will you? This isn't a movie. I haven't been kidnapped by someone evil." Although I wasn't sure if I was maybe a bit hasty in saying that. After what Angel had done, he might fit in the "evil" department after all.
"Oh." She paused. "Oh!" Suddenly she seemed excited, and I frowned.
"Willow?"
"That sounds sooo romantic. I mean, is he good looking?"
"Well, yeah-"
"See. He's good looking. All dark, and tortured, and brooding?"
"Uh-"
"Ohhhh!"
She was starting to like this whole thing way too much. I had called her because I needed her help, not to listen to her overdeveloped romantic babble. "Willow! Listen to me. I really need your help. I'm," I looked around. Damn. Even though I was driving the car, I hadn't really paid attention to where we were going. "Uh . somewhere. At a diner. I think . it's the main highway north of town. I think I'm about fifty miles outside. I'm sort of stranded. Can you come get me?"
"Uh . Buffy, I really would, but . I don't have a car." She paused, then added, "Not that I can drive anyway."
"What about Xander? He can drive."
"Oh! Sure, I'll call Xander. Can I call you back?"
Maybe not the smartest idea. "How about I'll call you back in half an hour?"
"Okay."
"Thanks, Will."
"Hey," she laughed a little nervously, "that's what friends are for, right?"
"Right. Later, Will."
"Later. And, Buffy."
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry, we'll come and get you."
*****
"Stay away from me," I warned when I saw him standing at the corner behind the diner about five minutes later. I had found a relatively secluded spot at the back when I'd run away and inwardly I had hoped he would not find me quite so soon. I had, however, harbored no illusions that he wouldn't find me.
"Buffy-"
"No!" I hissed. "Stay back. I don't want you here. You're a liar." To my own horror I felt tears well up in my eyes, at the betrayal I felt deep in my gut. Damn it, and damn him! Damn him for letting me dream he was interested in me, that waiting for me in front of my house today had been for my sake.
"I'm sorry, Buffy," he said softly, leaning against the corner, his eyes intent. "But I saw no other way to talk to you in private."
"I can't believe you! You've been hanging around in front of my school for almost a year, and all that just to help your brother?" Silently, I felt jealous for the kind of brotherly love they obviously felt for each other. Dawn and I had never been that close.
"No. I was around your school for entirely different reasons. That we met was purely coincidental."
Did he really expect me to believe him? "Tell that to your grandmother."
"She died a long time ago," he replied, and I forced myself not to react to the underlying pain I heard in his voice. "I told you that my parents and I. we're not talking. But Greg and I have always been close."
Refusing to look at him, to let my hormones get in the way of my anger, I frowned at the top of my shoes. "You said he was your step-brother."
"My father had an affair when he was in college. The result is Greg. When his mother died my father grudgingly took him in. But there's no love lost between them. Greg left as soon as he could support himself. He's a good guy, Buffy."
I didn't want to hear this. Didn't want to be told that my mother had actually met a good guy for a change. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dad, but nobody could call him a good guy, at least not where my Mom was concerned. And now Greg was supposed to be the one?
"Be honest, Buffy," I heard Angel talk again. "Do you hate Greg because he's done something, or do you simply despise him because he could be a threat for your mother's attention?"
"I don't hate him," I muttered. And I didn't. No really, anyway. He wasn't a bad guy, but I couldn't stand the sight of him. Deep inside I knew my Dad wasn't going to come back, and after the way he had behaved when my parents split, my Mom was probably better off without him, but that didn't mean that my heart wasn't still wishing for a fairy tale ending.
"That's good to know," he said. "He likes you a lot by the way." He paused, then added, "As do I."
I had to snort. "Yeah, sure."
"I do." He seemed actually offended by my reaction.
"Oh, sure. That's why you dragged me off into . the wilderness to drop this little bomb on me. Because you *care* so much for me. Riiiiight." I did my best to put as much sarcasm into the words as possible. "Next thing you're telling me you're a vampire, right?"
He chuckled, "No, I'm not. But I do care for you. And because I do, and, I admit, because I also care for my brother, I agreed to help him."
"By stalking me?"
"I already told you-"
"You did. Only - I'm not sure anymore what I can believe and what not. You made me believe you were taking me for a drive, and it turns out you only wanted to get me on my own to tell what an angel your brother is." I paused, "Oops - sorry for the pun."
I finally turned my head to look at him and saw him straighten before he moved closer.
Feeling a little unsure about his intentions, I straightened, too. "What?"
"I just realized you don't even know my name. It's Liam."
I laughed, and I know I was behaving like a brat, but I didn't care. "What kind of stupid name is that?"
"It's Irish," he replied, something flickering through his eyes I couldn't identify. "For William."
"Liam . Henderson?"
"No." He shook his head and stopped about ten feet away from me. "Henderson was the name of Greg's mother. Mine is Molloy."
"Sounds kind of lame." Yes, I was a first class brat, but I figured after the stunt he had pulled on me, I was inclined to pay him back with a few insults.
He shrugged and leaned his left shoulder against the wall, facing me with those dark eyes that seemed to hide things you wanted to explore. "If it weren't for Greg, I would've probably ended up a drug junkie or something. He kept me straight all the times when I thought I couldn't take it anymore."
I remembered what he'd told me about his father, and wondered what it had to be like to grow up that way. Not that my home was the ideal, but even after all I know my parents love me. Seemed as if Greg had been Angel's lifeline. Damn. I didn't want to feel sympathetic for Greg. But I had to give it to Angel - he was good. "Stop doing that," I warned.
He frowned, "Doing what?"
"Don't play innocent with me. You're trying to make me feel for Greg. You want me to see him as a person."
He shrugged again. "That so bad?"
"We don't need a man in our life. We're happy." I instantly realized how immature and selfish that sounded but I couldn't make myself care. The idea of having another man live with us was . terrifying.
"Yeah? Well, maybe your Mom needs a new guy in her life."
I hated him for being so reasonable, and I hated him even more for being right. I snorted and tossed my head at him, "You're what - twenty-three?"
"Twenty-two."
"Whatever. What makes you a fountain of wisdom where relationships are concerned?"
"I'm not," he agreed with a nod. "But I know my brother loves your Mom. He had a hard life. He worked for what he achieved. He's the most dependable person I know and he's a great guy. I want him to be happy."
"And if I'm happy is of no consequence?" I asked bitterly.
I saw something flash in his eyes and realized it was anger. "You are eighteen years old. You're going off to college soon, and a new life begins for you. What's left for your mother? Are you really that selfish that you won't let her be happy, are you really such a spoiled little brat?" His voice rose while he spoke and he was almost shouting at the end.
I flinched at the violence I could feel linger just underneath the surface of his leather-clad body, and took a step back.
He stopped instantly, holding up his hands. "Whoa. Buffy, I'm not here to hurt you."
I laughed harshly, "Newsflash, Angel. You already did."
It was his turn to flinch, and I could see him taking a deep breath before he spoke. "I'm sorry. Maybe . maybe this was wrong." He ran slightly shaky fingers through his hair, "Hell, I just wanted to help Greg and . you were so ." He turned away and I heard him curse underneath his breath.
"Angel?"
"Just give me a minute." His back was stiff and I could see he was taking several deep breaths. Then he turned back to me, "Look, I . Maybe it was wrong to bring you here, but I really wanted to talk to you, and didn't want you to just run away."
"Because of your precious Greg?" I tossed at him, not trying to hide the hurt in my voice.
Impatiently he ran his fingers through his hair again. "Partly, yeah. I mean, he's always been there for me and when he asked me ." His head came up and his eyes were suddenly intense, "But it wasn't the only reason."
"Oh, thanks so much."
"Buffy-" he seemed exasperated that I wasn't giving an inch, but I didn't care.
"Hey, I'm not the one who kidnapped a girl under false pretenses."
Again, his eyes flashed with anger. "I didn't kidnap you. You went willingly."
"It was still under false pretenses," I shot back.
He cocked his head, scrutinizing my face with an intensity that made me squirm. "I never told you why I wanted you to come with me. There were no false pretenses."
"That's such bullshit. You knew why I went with you. Because I have the hots for you and .." I trailed off, my face flaming with embarrassment. Shit! What had I just blurted out? Hell, me and big mouth. "I . uh-"
"Buffy," he cut me off, and I wasn't really surprised to see him smile. "It's okay. I'm . glad you have the hots for me." His smile widened. "Because, you see, I have the hots for you, too."
"You do?" And could I sound any more pleased? Or desperate? Geez! "I . ah . mean, that's . nice." Nice! God, Buffy, just kill yourself and get over with it! He laughed, and I don't know why, but it made me angry again. Suppressing my own bubbling laughter, I glared at him. "You're trying to distract me. Don't. I'm still mad at you."
"I see." He tried to look serious, but that smile was still tugging at the corners of his lips.
And that made me even angrier. "Stop grinning at me," I shouted. "You brought me here to plead your brother's case. Fine. You've done that, now get me back home."
"Do you really hate Greg that much?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.
What kind of stupid question was that? I barely knew the guy. Of course from what I'd seen, I thought he was pretty handsome, nothing like Angel of course, but still. "I don't hate him," I told him, surprising myself with the answer. Because it was true, I really didn't hate Greg.
"Then what's your problem?"
"Can we stop talking about Greg already?" I didn't even try to keep the annoyance I felt from my voice. "It's bad enough that my Mom can't stop talking about him the whole day long. It's Greg this and Greg that," I mimicked her voice. "Greg is so fantastic, did you see what Greg brought for us, Greg the wonderful." I rolled my eyes for good measure.
"And that doesn't tell you anything?"
"What? That my mother is obsessed with some guy? Sure. Excuse me if I don't like it very much."
He sighed loudly, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I can only repeat that-"
"He's a great guy," I finished for him. "You delivered your message. Now, how about we jump in your car and take me home?"
"You have a little catsup on your chin," he remarked suddenly and startled me by reaching out. Only then I realized how close he was. Smiling slightly, he touched my chin with his forefinger, then rubbed it back and forth. My response to the playful gesture shocked me. My lips parted, and heat shot from where his finger touched clear down to my toes, awakening nerve endings I didn't even know existed. I had the sudden urge to ask him to stroke a little bit higher, so I could touch that warm finger with my tongue, or draw it into my mouth and bite down on it .
Oh God, could I be any more pathetic? Even as I gritted my teeth and pressed my lips together, so I wouldn't say anything I'd be sorry for later, my gaze met his. Was he feeling the same way?
Unfortunately nothing showed on his face. Instead he dropped his hand away from my face. The truth of it hit me like a splash of cold water in the face. Of course he wasn't feeling the same way. He hadn't brought me here because he was interested in me; he'd brought me to plead his brother's case.
"You're trying to distract me again," I accused him, taking a step back.
He grinned, and there was a wicked gleam in his eyes that had my traitorous heart flip-flopping once again. "Is it working?"
"No," I replied, trying to sound firm, but at the way he cocked his head, I knew he wasn't buying any of it.
"Do you know why I agreed to do this?" he asked his voice low and sexy.
"No." Mine was weak. Just the way my knees felt.
"Because . I like you."
I liked my suddenly dry lips. "Y-you . you don't even know me."
"But I do. I see you every day at school."
That reminded me of something. "Why are you at my school?"
"I was working," he said cryptically.
It annoyed me to no end. "Working? Are people being paid now for lurking around high school girls?"
A small frown appeared on his forehead, and his lips pursed. I wondered how it would feel to taste it, to kiss . Down, girl. I reminded myself firmly that I was mad at him, and glared.
"I didn't lurk," he said after a moment. "As I said, I was working. What do you know about Spike?"
"The blond guy? Kind of pale, kind of old?" It was my turn to frown, "Thinking about it, I wonder what Harmony is seeing in him?"
"Harmony?"
"Harmony Kendall, his girlfriend. She's a senior too. What about Spike?" A suspicion rose, "Are you working for him?" I couldn't really imagine Angel working for someone like Spike, but hey, stranger things have happened. Like a girl being dumb enough to misjudge a guy's attention for attraction.
"No," he shook his head on a chuckle. "Spike is a dealer, Buffy."
"I know. Everyone knows." And suddenly I knew, and I couldn't believe how dumb I was. "You're . you're a cop! I've read about them, cops pretending to be high school students-" I stopped with another frown. As much as I had liked watching the re-runs of 21 Jump Street, and drooling over Johnny Depp, but Angel had never pretended to be a student. "Are you a cop?"
"Kind of," he admitted.
My frown deepened. "Kind of? What's that supposed to mean? Either you are a cop or you aren't."
"I'm not a regular cop. I'm working for a special unit that deals with high school crime. But I'm not the type who can blend in with the students."
"Really?" I know, it sounded sarcastic, but why should I care? This man, who had followed me into my dreams for the better part of a year, who had ruined me for potential boyfriends - admittedly without his knowledge - was a cop. He hadn't come to my school to see me. He'd come because of . "You were sent to watch Spike!"
"We've been watching him for a while now, but the guy is clever. It was hard to find evidence that wouldn't blow up in court."
"Why are you telling me this now?" I couldn't help the suspicion I felt in my gut. He had lied to me before. "Is that another attempt to . make me feel for you?"
The left corner of his mouth turned up. "Do you?"
Irritated I pursed my lips. "What?"
"Feel for me?"
I wanted to slap him. God, I wanted to hit him so bad. But I didn't. "Stop it," I demanded, giving him my most lethal glare instead. The one even Dawn couldn't ignore.
He heaved a heavy sigh as if dealing with me was much more than he could deal with. Well, tough luck. He'd brought me here, now he had to live with it. "What do I have to do to make you believe that I'm not a bad guy?"
"Believe and you in one sentence is a little much for me right now," I snapped.
He gave me an irritated look, run his fingers through his hair and shook his head, "Fine. So I deceived you."
"Ha," I cried triumphantly. "Now you're admitting it. You deceived me, you- "
"But," he interrupted me, "I'm not sorry."
The triumph instantly deflated. "You're not?"
"No," he closed the gap between us and was suddenly very close, even closer than he'd been before, and tilted his head toward me. "Aren't you going to ask me why?" he said in a voice that was barely a whisper.
My heart started to hammer in my chest. "N-no," I stuttered, feeling hot and cold at the same time. When had I turned into a stammering idiot? But God, he was so close. I could feel the warmth coming from his body, and his smell, a combination of spices I couldn't quite identify, made my skin tingle.
There was disappointment in his eyes, but it was only for the split of a second. A moment later it was gone, replaced by a heat I had never seen before, reminding me again that this wasn't a school boy, but a man. "That's too bad," he whispered. "Because I really wanted to tell you. Well, I suppose I need to give you my special explanation then."
The next thing I felt was his lips on mine.
To be continued.
Author: Jill Disclaimer: nope, not mine, never will be Rating: R Pairing: B/A Category: Angst, Romance, Drama - all the good stuff Feedback: oh yes, please send it to Connemara.Scarlets@t-online.de Spoilers: none really, this is complete AU
My most humblest thanks go to my beta-readers, Jade, Kay and Kristen. You rock girls!!!
I got the idea for this fic by - go figure - a Slash-story. It's called "Sleep While I Drive" by Jenn ( - the story is Clex (Smallville), just to warn you. If you are a fan of Clex - read it now. It's phenomenal.)
Chapter 2 (of 4)
As soon as I was out of the door I remembered that I still had his cell- phone in my pocket. Yanking it out, I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes. Shit! What was the number again? I finally remembered and punched it in, holding the phone to my ear while I was looking around wildly, trying to find somewhere to hide.
"Yeah?" came the voice through the line after three rings.
"Willow!" I almost shouted, deciding to round the diner to the back.
"Buffy?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh! Of course it's Buffy."
"I'll have you know," came her indignant reply, "that there are more people calling me. Like . like two or three. I mean Xander is calling me all the time, and then-"
"Will, Will," I interrupted her. "I believe you, okay. This is an emergency."
"An . emergency?" I could hear the barely veiled panic and quickly backpedaled.
"Not an emergency, emergency. But I need your help. I've been kidnapped." Uh . that didn't come out quite right. "I mean-"
"Kidnapped?" Her voice rose several notches. "Like, for real? I mean, is there a ransom? There will be a ransom, right-"
"Will! Chill, will you? This isn't a movie. I haven't been kidnapped by someone evil." Although I wasn't sure if I was maybe a bit hasty in saying that. After what Angel had done, he might fit in the "evil" department after all.
"Oh." She paused. "Oh!" Suddenly she seemed excited, and I frowned.
"Willow?"
"That sounds sooo romantic. I mean, is he good looking?"
"Well, yeah-"
"See. He's good looking. All dark, and tortured, and brooding?"
"Uh-"
"Ohhhh!"
She was starting to like this whole thing way too much. I had called her because I needed her help, not to listen to her overdeveloped romantic babble. "Willow! Listen to me. I really need your help. I'm," I looked around. Damn. Even though I was driving the car, I hadn't really paid attention to where we were going. "Uh . somewhere. At a diner. I think . it's the main highway north of town. I think I'm about fifty miles outside. I'm sort of stranded. Can you come get me?"
"Uh . Buffy, I really would, but . I don't have a car." She paused, then added, "Not that I can drive anyway."
"What about Xander? He can drive."
"Oh! Sure, I'll call Xander. Can I call you back?"
Maybe not the smartest idea. "How about I'll call you back in half an hour?"
"Okay."
"Thanks, Will."
"Hey," she laughed a little nervously, "that's what friends are for, right?"
"Right. Later, Will."
"Later. And, Buffy."
"Yeah?"
"Don't worry, we'll come and get you."
*****
"Stay away from me," I warned when I saw him standing at the corner behind the diner about five minutes later. I had found a relatively secluded spot at the back when I'd run away and inwardly I had hoped he would not find me quite so soon. I had, however, harbored no illusions that he wouldn't find me.
"Buffy-"
"No!" I hissed. "Stay back. I don't want you here. You're a liar." To my own horror I felt tears well up in my eyes, at the betrayal I felt deep in my gut. Damn it, and damn him! Damn him for letting me dream he was interested in me, that waiting for me in front of my house today had been for my sake.
"I'm sorry, Buffy," he said softly, leaning against the corner, his eyes intent. "But I saw no other way to talk to you in private."
"I can't believe you! You've been hanging around in front of my school for almost a year, and all that just to help your brother?" Silently, I felt jealous for the kind of brotherly love they obviously felt for each other. Dawn and I had never been that close.
"No. I was around your school for entirely different reasons. That we met was purely coincidental."
Did he really expect me to believe him? "Tell that to your grandmother."
"She died a long time ago," he replied, and I forced myself not to react to the underlying pain I heard in his voice. "I told you that my parents and I. we're not talking. But Greg and I have always been close."
Refusing to look at him, to let my hormones get in the way of my anger, I frowned at the top of my shoes. "You said he was your step-brother."
"My father had an affair when he was in college. The result is Greg. When his mother died my father grudgingly took him in. But there's no love lost between them. Greg left as soon as he could support himself. He's a good guy, Buffy."
I didn't want to hear this. Didn't want to be told that my mother had actually met a good guy for a change. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dad, but nobody could call him a good guy, at least not where my Mom was concerned. And now Greg was supposed to be the one?
"Be honest, Buffy," I heard Angel talk again. "Do you hate Greg because he's done something, or do you simply despise him because he could be a threat for your mother's attention?"
"I don't hate him," I muttered. And I didn't. No really, anyway. He wasn't a bad guy, but I couldn't stand the sight of him. Deep inside I knew my Dad wasn't going to come back, and after the way he had behaved when my parents split, my Mom was probably better off without him, but that didn't mean that my heart wasn't still wishing for a fairy tale ending.
"That's good to know," he said. "He likes you a lot by the way." He paused, then added, "As do I."
I had to snort. "Yeah, sure."
"I do." He seemed actually offended by my reaction.
"Oh, sure. That's why you dragged me off into . the wilderness to drop this little bomb on me. Because you *care* so much for me. Riiiiight." I did my best to put as much sarcasm into the words as possible. "Next thing you're telling me you're a vampire, right?"
He chuckled, "No, I'm not. But I do care for you. And because I do, and, I admit, because I also care for my brother, I agreed to help him."
"By stalking me?"
"I already told you-"
"You did. Only - I'm not sure anymore what I can believe and what not. You made me believe you were taking me for a drive, and it turns out you only wanted to get me on my own to tell what an angel your brother is." I paused, "Oops - sorry for the pun."
I finally turned my head to look at him and saw him straighten before he moved closer.
Feeling a little unsure about his intentions, I straightened, too. "What?"
"I just realized you don't even know my name. It's Liam."
I laughed, and I know I was behaving like a brat, but I didn't care. "What kind of stupid name is that?"
"It's Irish," he replied, something flickering through his eyes I couldn't identify. "For William."
"Liam . Henderson?"
"No." He shook his head and stopped about ten feet away from me. "Henderson was the name of Greg's mother. Mine is Molloy."
"Sounds kind of lame." Yes, I was a first class brat, but I figured after the stunt he had pulled on me, I was inclined to pay him back with a few insults.
He shrugged and leaned his left shoulder against the wall, facing me with those dark eyes that seemed to hide things you wanted to explore. "If it weren't for Greg, I would've probably ended up a drug junkie or something. He kept me straight all the times when I thought I couldn't take it anymore."
I remembered what he'd told me about his father, and wondered what it had to be like to grow up that way. Not that my home was the ideal, but even after all I know my parents love me. Seemed as if Greg had been Angel's lifeline. Damn. I didn't want to feel sympathetic for Greg. But I had to give it to Angel - he was good. "Stop doing that," I warned.
He frowned, "Doing what?"
"Don't play innocent with me. You're trying to make me feel for Greg. You want me to see him as a person."
He shrugged again. "That so bad?"
"We don't need a man in our life. We're happy." I instantly realized how immature and selfish that sounded but I couldn't make myself care. The idea of having another man live with us was . terrifying.
"Yeah? Well, maybe your Mom needs a new guy in her life."
I hated him for being so reasonable, and I hated him even more for being right. I snorted and tossed my head at him, "You're what - twenty-three?"
"Twenty-two."
"Whatever. What makes you a fountain of wisdom where relationships are concerned?"
"I'm not," he agreed with a nod. "But I know my brother loves your Mom. He had a hard life. He worked for what he achieved. He's the most dependable person I know and he's a great guy. I want him to be happy."
"And if I'm happy is of no consequence?" I asked bitterly.
I saw something flash in his eyes and realized it was anger. "You are eighteen years old. You're going off to college soon, and a new life begins for you. What's left for your mother? Are you really that selfish that you won't let her be happy, are you really such a spoiled little brat?" His voice rose while he spoke and he was almost shouting at the end.
I flinched at the violence I could feel linger just underneath the surface of his leather-clad body, and took a step back.
He stopped instantly, holding up his hands. "Whoa. Buffy, I'm not here to hurt you."
I laughed harshly, "Newsflash, Angel. You already did."
It was his turn to flinch, and I could see him taking a deep breath before he spoke. "I'm sorry. Maybe . maybe this was wrong." He ran slightly shaky fingers through his hair, "Hell, I just wanted to help Greg and . you were so ." He turned away and I heard him curse underneath his breath.
"Angel?"
"Just give me a minute." His back was stiff and I could see he was taking several deep breaths. Then he turned back to me, "Look, I . Maybe it was wrong to bring you here, but I really wanted to talk to you, and didn't want you to just run away."
"Because of your precious Greg?" I tossed at him, not trying to hide the hurt in my voice.
Impatiently he ran his fingers through his hair again. "Partly, yeah. I mean, he's always been there for me and when he asked me ." His head came up and his eyes were suddenly intense, "But it wasn't the only reason."
"Oh, thanks so much."
"Buffy-" he seemed exasperated that I wasn't giving an inch, but I didn't care.
"Hey, I'm not the one who kidnapped a girl under false pretenses."
Again, his eyes flashed with anger. "I didn't kidnap you. You went willingly."
"It was still under false pretenses," I shot back.
He cocked his head, scrutinizing my face with an intensity that made me squirm. "I never told you why I wanted you to come with me. There were no false pretenses."
"That's such bullshit. You knew why I went with you. Because I have the hots for you and .." I trailed off, my face flaming with embarrassment. Shit! What had I just blurted out? Hell, me and big mouth. "I . uh-"
"Buffy," he cut me off, and I wasn't really surprised to see him smile. "It's okay. I'm . glad you have the hots for me." His smile widened. "Because, you see, I have the hots for you, too."
"You do?" And could I sound any more pleased? Or desperate? Geez! "I . ah . mean, that's . nice." Nice! God, Buffy, just kill yourself and get over with it! He laughed, and I don't know why, but it made me angry again. Suppressing my own bubbling laughter, I glared at him. "You're trying to distract me. Don't. I'm still mad at you."
"I see." He tried to look serious, but that smile was still tugging at the corners of his lips.
And that made me even angrier. "Stop grinning at me," I shouted. "You brought me here to plead your brother's case. Fine. You've done that, now get me back home."
"Do you really hate Greg that much?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.
What kind of stupid question was that? I barely knew the guy. Of course from what I'd seen, I thought he was pretty handsome, nothing like Angel of course, but still. "I don't hate him," I told him, surprising myself with the answer. Because it was true, I really didn't hate Greg.
"Then what's your problem?"
"Can we stop talking about Greg already?" I didn't even try to keep the annoyance I felt from my voice. "It's bad enough that my Mom can't stop talking about him the whole day long. It's Greg this and Greg that," I mimicked her voice. "Greg is so fantastic, did you see what Greg brought for us, Greg the wonderful." I rolled my eyes for good measure.
"And that doesn't tell you anything?"
"What? That my mother is obsessed with some guy? Sure. Excuse me if I don't like it very much."
He sighed loudly, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I can only repeat that-"
"He's a great guy," I finished for him. "You delivered your message. Now, how about we jump in your car and take me home?"
"You have a little catsup on your chin," he remarked suddenly and startled me by reaching out. Only then I realized how close he was. Smiling slightly, he touched my chin with his forefinger, then rubbed it back and forth. My response to the playful gesture shocked me. My lips parted, and heat shot from where his finger touched clear down to my toes, awakening nerve endings I didn't even know existed. I had the sudden urge to ask him to stroke a little bit higher, so I could touch that warm finger with my tongue, or draw it into my mouth and bite down on it .
Oh God, could I be any more pathetic? Even as I gritted my teeth and pressed my lips together, so I wouldn't say anything I'd be sorry for later, my gaze met his. Was he feeling the same way?
Unfortunately nothing showed on his face. Instead he dropped his hand away from my face. The truth of it hit me like a splash of cold water in the face. Of course he wasn't feeling the same way. He hadn't brought me here because he was interested in me; he'd brought me to plead his brother's case.
"You're trying to distract me again," I accused him, taking a step back.
He grinned, and there was a wicked gleam in his eyes that had my traitorous heart flip-flopping once again. "Is it working?"
"No," I replied, trying to sound firm, but at the way he cocked his head, I knew he wasn't buying any of it.
"Do you know why I agreed to do this?" he asked his voice low and sexy.
"No." Mine was weak. Just the way my knees felt.
"Because . I like you."
I liked my suddenly dry lips. "Y-you . you don't even know me."
"But I do. I see you every day at school."
That reminded me of something. "Why are you at my school?"
"I was working," he said cryptically.
It annoyed me to no end. "Working? Are people being paid now for lurking around high school girls?"
A small frown appeared on his forehead, and his lips pursed. I wondered how it would feel to taste it, to kiss . Down, girl. I reminded myself firmly that I was mad at him, and glared.
"I didn't lurk," he said after a moment. "As I said, I was working. What do you know about Spike?"
"The blond guy? Kind of pale, kind of old?" It was my turn to frown, "Thinking about it, I wonder what Harmony is seeing in him?"
"Harmony?"
"Harmony Kendall, his girlfriend. She's a senior too. What about Spike?" A suspicion rose, "Are you working for him?" I couldn't really imagine Angel working for someone like Spike, but hey, stranger things have happened. Like a girl being dumb enough to misjudge a guy's attention for attraction.
"No," he shook his head on a chuckle. "Spike is a dealer, Buffy."
"I know. Everyone knows." And suddenly I knew, and I couldn't believe how dumb I was. "You're . you're a cop! I've read about them, cops pretending to be high school students-" I stopped with another frown. As much as I had liked watching the re-runs of 21 Jump Street, and drooling over Johnny Depp, but Angel had never pretended to be a student. "Are you a cop?"
"Kind of," he admitted.
My frown deepened. "Kind of? What's that supposed to mean? Either you are a cop or you aren't."
"I'm not a regular cop. I'm working for a special unit that deals with high school crime. But I'm not the type who can blend in with the students."
"Really?" I know, it sounded sarcastic, but why should I care? This man, who had followed me into my dreams for the better part of a year, who had ruined me for potential boyfriends - admittedly without his knowledge - was a cop. He hadn't come to my school to see me. He'd come because of . "You were sent to watch Spike!"
"We've been watching him for a while now, but the guy is clever. It was hard to find evidence that wouldn't blow up in court."
"Why are you telling me this now?" I couldn't help the suspicion I felt in my gut. He had lied to me before. "Is that another attempt to . make me feel for you?"
The left corner of his mouth turned up. "Do you?"
Irritated I pursed my lips. "What?"
"Feel for me?"
I wanted to slap him. God, I wanted to hit him so bad. But I didn't. "Stop it," I demanded, giving him my most lethal glare instead. The one even Dawn couldn't ignore.
He heaved a heavy sigh as if dealing with me was much more than he could deal with. Well, tough luck. He'd brought me here, now he had to live with it. "What do I have to do to make you believe that I'm not a bad guy?"
"Believe and you in one sentence is a little much for me right now," I snapped.
He gave me an irritated look, run his fingers through his hair and shook his head, "Fine. So I deceived you."
"Ha," I cried triumphantly. "Now you're admitting it. You deceived me, you- "
"But," he interrupted me, "I'm not sorry."
The triumph instantly deflated. "You're not?"
"No," he closed the gap between us and was suddenly very close, even closer than he'd been before, and tilted his head toward me. "Aren't you going to ask me why?" he said in a voice that was barely a whisper.
My heart started to hammer in my chest. "N-no," I stuttered, feeling hot and cold at the same time. When had I turned into a stammering idiot? But God, he was so close. I could feel the warmth coming from his body, and his smell, a combination of spices I couldn't quite identify, made my skin tingle.
There was disappointment in his eyes, but it was only for the split of a second. A moment later it was gone, replaced by a heat I had never seen before, reminding me again that this wasn't a school boy, but a man. "That's too bad," he whispered. "Because I really wanted to tell you. Well, I suppose I need to give you my special explanation then."
The next thing I felt was his lips on mine.
To be continued.
