Chapter 37: Flames At Last Consume
The door to my room stood partially open and I burst through it with surprising force. Ashley stood in the center of the room staring at me with those perfect brown eyes.
"Why are you screaming?" She asked as I slid to a less than graceful stop in front of her. I kept my prize behind my back and inched toward my dresser, slipping it into the top drawer.
"Kyla threw a pillow at me." I answered and held my hand up before she could comment. "So I have a deal for you."
"I can't wait to hear this," Ashley said with a bemused expression playing across her features.
"I am prepared to begin forgiving you. If you do something for me." I said with a hint of teasing in my tone. Honestly, I didn't need her to do this. I was already on the road to forgiving her. Who wouldn't be? Look at her. She's beautiful. I mean really gorgeous. Those lips. Those hips. Oh right, back to the story. Sorry about my inner voice, sometimes it loses track of reality.
I pulled the contract out of the back pocket of my blue jeans and thrust it at her. Watching her eyes widen made me smile a little. She was adorable.
"What the…" Ashley looked up at me with large eyes and I knew that she was questioning my motives.
"Oh yes. It is happening. I just need you to sign here."
"I hereby pledge to… WHAT?! You want me to do what?!" She shrieked at me. I simply nodded and watched as she put the pen I'd handed her to paper. Even the way she signed her name in loopy script was sexy.
"I feel like Ursula." I said looking at her as she concentrated on the paper before her. Of course it wasn't a professional contract, I'd written it on a paper napkin earlier in the kitchen. It still counted though. She licked her bottom lip in concentration and I nearly died.
I had to focus. Stop. STOP THINKING ABOUT HER NAKED SPENCER! All right, that was my wake up call. I feel much better now. Now just maintain a clear mind-dimples. Ugh. Will it never cease?
"Okay I need you to stand over here." I placed her on the opposite side of the room. Very far away from me. "And I'll stand over here."
"Can't we do something else?" Her voice oozed sex appeal. My resolve was failing me. Quick think of mud, think of hairless rats! Much better.
"You win the game and I'll do whatever you want tonight. Whatever you want." She seemed interested and I continued, my evil plot was in motion. "But if I win… you do whatever I want. For the rest of time."
"Well that doesn't seem particularly fair…" she trailed off into thought and her eyebrows scrunched together adorably.
"You get me for the rest of time and you're arguing?" I inquired with a smirk. I so had her in the palm of my hand. Oh to have her in the palm of my-HAIRLESS RATS!
"Hey who said anything about arguing?" She answered quickly.
I tossed my blonde hair over my shoulder and chuckled. "Okay. First person to reach the center of the room wins. Kyla is going to ask the trivia questions. For each question you answer correctly you get to take a step."
"Kyla's not here."
Damn. I knew my plan had a flaw. One moment please.
"KYLA IF YOU DON'T COME IN HERE I'M GOING TO CALL CAL AND TELL HIM THAT YOU WERE WATCHING HANNAH MONTANA'S CONCERT!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. After a moment I decided to emphasize my point. "TWICE!!!"
"That wasn't entirely necessary." Ashley said while concealing a smile behind her hand. Her smooth gorgeous sensual- MUD!!! Kyla picked the most appropriate time to burst through the door of my room and scrambled my thoughts back into order. Ah a third person party to keep the peace.
"I really hate you." Or not.
"Buffy and Disney trivia is the only way to settle this!" I said with an emphatic shrug.
"And I need to be here why?" Kyla asked with less malice in her voice. There was still no warmth though. Who could blame her for that? I had blackmailed her with Hannah Montana. It was low, even for me.
"For it to be fair. Because we'll both cheat and argue and you know more about both subjects than either of us." I explained pointing to Ashley when I said the word cheat.
"Ugh, fine. First question. How many times did Buffy die throughout the series?" AHA! I knew this!
"BUZZ!" I yelled, causing both Ashley and Kyla to jump in alarm. What can I say? I'm a competitive woman. Especially when it comes to Ashley doing what I want for the rest of time.
"Spencer?" Kyla asked. She sounded tired but I knew that secretly she was amused. A very scary eye roll later I wasn't so sure.
"2." I said smugly. Though my heart ached remembering the season five finale as I saw the Buffster jump through the energy field in order to save her fake sister. Though I realized now that I would jump through an energy field to save Kyla from certain death and world apocalypse.
"Correct." Kyla said shaking her head knowingly at me. No doubt, she could hear my inner monologue. I took one huge step forward and ignored Ashley's cries of protest at my "dinosaur" step.
"Question two. According to legend, what do the leaves rustling up say in the Lion King?"
"DING!" Ding?! Who the heck dings?! Apparently Ashley.
"Ash?" Kyla asked holding up her hand to silence my protest of the word Ding. What? It's a weird word.
"Sex." She answered and my brain flew out of my skull and into my pants. She said sex. Oh the possibilities. The scenarios. I pinched myself hard on the inside of my wrist and shook my head at her.
"You would know that."
"Your point being?" Ashley looped her fingers through her belt loops and my mouth watered. Those should be my fingers, pulling her closer to me, pressing our bodies together-NAKED MOLE RATS!
"Next question," I growled out between my clenched teeth. This tension was way too much. Explosions could happen. It would be bad. Body parts everywhere. You see the problem?
"True or False, Xander enjoys the taste of principal's." I was just about to answer with false when I spied Ashley toying with the bottom of her body hugging t-shirt. Little by little she inched it up past her belly button and my eyes were exposed to a full onslaught of toned tan flexed abdominal muscles. Oh the horror.
"True," I tripped out. Not thinking about the question anymore. My brain had vacated and was now conveniently located in my pants again.
"Wrong." FUCK!
"Ashley!" I scolded. "Dammit Ashley I can't concentrate when you're ab flashing me."
She pulled down her shirt quickly as Kyla turned to face her. Her angelic expression said it all. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I did no such thing."
"You guys are ridiculous. Why don't you just make out already?"
"Just ask the next question Miley-Holic." I said crossing my arms over my chest and ignoring Ashley's constant gaze on my cleavage. Kyla rolled her eyes but continued along with the game.
"In 101 Dalmatians, what do the dogs use to sneak past Cruella in the little town she tracked them to?" Ashley already had her mouth open to answer and I acted quickly. I did the only thing I could think of. I pulled up my shirt, a la Julia Stiles and flashed her. Misdirection. Oh yeah.
"They roll around in soot to become black labs!" I shouted ignoring Ashley's red cheeks and her shaking head.
"You're such a cheater." She said as I took a step forward. That was it. No one calls me a cheater and gets away with it.
"Cheat? Me?" I asked innocently as I put my hair up into a messy ponytail.
"That's what I said." She answered back sounding a little angry.
"Kyla hold onto my bracelet and my earrings. This is about to get ugly." I shoved the named items at my sister and put my fists up. "Let's go bitch!"
"Whoa, whoa whoa! This is trivia, not American Gladiators." Kyla semi-screamed while holding onto my arm and effectively keeping me away from Ashley. It was a good thing. I wasn't going to beat her up by any means, but I was ready to throw her up against the wall and well, you know.
"I knew you liked it rough," Ashley smirked. My heart skipped several beats and all of the spit in my mouth dried up.
"Kyla." I croaked out. "You can exit now."
"Thank god," she muttered as she hurried out of the room. She didn't even look behind her.
"If you wanted me to take my shirt off you could have just asked," Ashley said pulling her tee up just slightly. I was at a loss for words for just a moment as my imagination ran wild.
"I fucking hate you sometimes." I said as I shut my eyes tightly trying to avoid the visual pleasure attack. It was so hard to think straight. Abs. That tanned skin. So deliciously tempting.
"I love it when you talk dirty." Her voice was low in her throat and I knew the moment I opened my eyes I would find her darkening gaze upon my body. "Have I told you that lately?"
"That is IT!" I breathed out angrily. A matter of two seconds had me standing directly in front of Ashley and I roughly grabbed her face.
"Do it." She whispered. It was a whisper that almost sounded like a growl. She wasn't in control anymore and I knew that I wasn't hurting her with my grip. "I triple dog dare you."
"I wanted this to be perfect." I leaned in dangerously close to her lips. I could feel her breath coming in sweet puffs against my own throbbing mouth. "I wanted it to be romantic and non ordinary. And you.... you you you fucking drive me nuts."
"You love it." Her tongue snaked out of her mouth to wet her bottom lip and I had to resist the urge to seize that lower lip between my teeth.
"I do." I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to be the one to kiss her. Part of me needed her to do it for me, I was still too afraid to take that leap.
"I'm not moving, you have to do it yourself." Damn that little irksome brunette mind reader.
I took a deep breath and moved away from her lips and placed my mouth right next to her ear. "In that case. I'll take my time."
"Damn it." Ashley groaned and I felt her hands on my hips trying to tug me closer. I resisted and instead I placed a small kiss to her right temple.
"I've wanted this for so long." I whispered as I gently placed a feather light kiss on Ashley's ear.
"Thata fact?" Her voice wavered as she asked the question. This was getting to her. I knew it was getting to me, I didn't know how much longer I could take it.
"As a matter of fact," I said dropping another kiss onto her cheek, "It is." I moved along her face to the bottom of her ear and sucked the lobe into my mouth, biting and soothing. "Let's see if you can control yourself."
"Not. Fair." She croaked out as I made use of my hands. Trying to focus on teasing her, I slipped my fingertips under the hem of her shirt and placed the pads of my fingers onto her burning skin. The action rewarded me with a gasp.
"What isn't fair?" I asked as I left hot open-mouthed kisses on her clenched jaw. "Life isn't fair baby."
"Hate. You." Came the breathless response from my brunette, who was now trembling under my touch.
"You sure?" I nipped her chin as I asked and I felt her hands very firmly press into my back.
"Not entirely." She admitted as I ran my tongue along the shell of her ear. She had been trembling before but now she was positively quaking in my arms.
"Tell me you're sorry." I commanded as I reached her neck. The soft skin I found there begged for my attention and I gave in to my duty. I tasted her skin underneath my tongue as I gently sucked and pacified.
"I'm sorry." She managed to say between gasps for air. I pulled back and raised an eyebrow, almost losing composure when I saw the darkness in her eyes. I slapped her lightly across the cheek. It was enough to shock her and she brought one of the hands buried in my hair up to cup her cheek.
"Almost forgiven." I answered kissing her softly on the forehead. "One more thing."
"Please don't hit me again." She murmured against my cheek where her face was pressed. I knew it hadn't hurt her, but I also knew that she needed what came next. So did I. I had needed it for three months. Maybe even longer.
"Please hold still." I whispered as she cringed expecting to be smacked once more. However, I ran my hands up along the side of her neck to cup her cheeks. I rubbed my thumbs over her cheekbones and felt her smile underneath my touch. One inch turned into centimeters and finally our lips touched. I melted into her, a gasp escaping my lips at the contact. Her hand slid onto the small of my back and drew me closer, our hip bones colliding with each other in the best way.
"Finally." A voice said from the doorway. We pulled apart and I rolled my eyes. "Took you long enough."
"Where did you come from moment ruiner?" I asked perturbed that we'd been interrupted.
"The secret passage from the conservatory to the lounge." Ashley offered pulling me closer to her and running a hand down my spine.
"No, kitchen to the study." Kyla corrected.
"Creepers." I pointed at both of them. "Now get out of my room, I wanna see what your best friend's got."
"Gross. Put some music on or something. It's bad enough I'll know what's going on in here; I shouldn't have to hear it too." She exited my room humming Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On. "Don't forget to use protection kids!"
I shoved Ashley backwards toward my bed and grinned when she toppled onto her back. Two seconds later I remembered what I had stowed in my drawer and I paused to get it, "Are you ready for this?"
"For what?" Her voice was husky and as she eyed my body, I knew that this would be a night to remember.
"For your other part of our deal." I grinned as I pulled out the video camera and watched as her face began to question my intentions. Sensing her apprehension I smiled gently and climbed over the top of her, trapping her hips beneath my own. "There is an unlimited amount of kisses in it for you if you do it."
"Well in that case…" She trailed off as she grabbed the front of my shirt hauling me down on top of her. I placed the video camera down on the bed and brushed my lips against hers. The other part of the deal could wait. And as our lips crashed together again and again I couldn't help but think that everything that had happened had lead me here, and I was finally ready to fall.
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Two weeks later
"This is Micah Christensen with ABC evening news, another tape of the daughter of the late producing mogul Raife Davies has hit the web. This tape features Miss Davies and another young woman, King High Senior Spencer Carlin who was involved in another scandal a few weeks ago, making known the nature of their relationship. Take a look."
The tape began to roll as Micah watched with an amused expression. The blonde sat on the brunette's lap, both were happily smiling into the camera and waving. As innocently as the video started out, it escalated quickly and the two teenagers fell into kissing each other. First lovingly, and then passionately.
The brunette's hands reached under the blonde's shirt and at first Christensen thought that the garment was going to come off. However, Davies pulled a small white sign out from under Carlin's top and held it up for the camera. As the words were revealed on the screen, Micah smiled.
The sign read, And they lived happily ever after.