"Don't you know your secret's safe with me

All your worries can be put to, can be put to sleep

Don't you know your secret's safe with me

All your worries can be put to, can be put to sleep

No need to step back

Don't be scared, I got you, you know that

I'm here when you are sad

When all of your clouds turn black

Cause I won't let them know

I won't let you go baby

I don't care what your past is

I don't need no answers

Just have faith in me"

~Sam Smith~

Chapter 18 – Safe With Me

Nestled away in a secluded and serene valley, in an open field under the purple twilight sky, Buffy was on her back, biting her lower lip to keep from moaning out loud as Spike started to lick the trail of whip cream starting from her chest, down to her navel and even lower down to the place where he had reverently christened it as The Promise Land.

"God, you're so delicious." He grinned devilishly as he chewed on the first Maraschino cherry he'd licked off her.

As her hands gripped the corners of the picnic tablecloth where she was laid on, she wondered how it had come to this. Turning her head to the side, she caught sight of the picnic basket they had brought along. Its contents held too much wine and types of food that weren't entirely meant to be consumed as a proper picnic type of spread. And since Spike was the designated driver between them, it also meant that most of the alcohol was consumed by her.

Which, she rationalized, would probably explain why he was still fully dressed, while her own clothes were somehow magically removed and scattered all over the place and replaced with an unhealthily vast amount of fresh vanilla whipped cream, along with several cherries that were strategically placed on and inside her.

While the music from the car filled the silence around them, she cried out in pain and pleasure as he forcefully nibbled and licked the last bit of whip cream from her breast.

She held her breath as he then made his way further down her navel in a series of licks, kisses and nips that would've made her legs give way if she were standing. When he was done with that part, he paused just a moment to look up at her and asked, "Are you ready for the best part, gorgeous?"

She shook her head, "I'm afraid I might scream."

He laughed in reply and dared her, "Go ahead if you want to, luv. There's no one around."

With that he started on the cream that covered her outer lips, while one hand made its way up to palm and fondle her soft bosom. She mewled, writhing and bucking her hips in response, her actions causing the tightening strain in his pants to surge on the verge of throbbing agony.

Almost urgently, he plunged his tongue deep into her, pushing the cherry inside her further in to hit against her G-spot. The feeling intensified when he used his thumb to rub her clitoris in a circular motion, smearing the whip cream all over.

"Holy crap!" She yelled out, feeling the first orgasm suddenly hit her.

"You're welcome." He grinned.

"You are pure evil," she groaned.

"Yeah, and you're absolutely lovin' every bit of it."

He bent back down to work on her inner folds and clitoris again, making sure he got every bit of whipped cream. Once that was all was gone, Spike easily inserted two long and slender fingers inside her, stroking her until she began to feel another climax building. Once a fast and steady pace was set, he lowered his head and forcefully sucked the cherry out.

It was the first time Buffy had ever experienced two orgasms in a row to hit her so fast. She cried out helplessly as her body shook with the force of that overwhelming sensation, "Spike!"

"Yes?" He grinned as he chewed on the last cherry.

"Did you get all the cream and cherries?" She panted, trying to catch her breath.

"I believe so." He climbed back up to kiss her deeply and Buffy could taste a sweet blend of herself, the cream and cherries.

"Excellent….Now, it's my turn."

"Your turn to….?"

Without answering and before he knew what was happening, Buffy had already flipped him over on his back and was climbing on top to straddle him.

"Bloody hell, take it easy!" He cautioned as she clawed at his belt.

"Work with me here, Spike." His buckle was undone in record time and her hands were now on his jeans. He wasn't sure if it was intentional but the pressure she added to his already painful and constricting rod was about to make him explode. "Lift your hips up so I can pull these pants down."

"Buffy, luv, you better slow it down a notch, or I might not make it to the finish line!"

Ignoring his words, she undid his zipper and ordered sternly, "Lift. Your. Hips. Now."

Seeing the look of danger in her eyes, Spike obeyed her command and she eagerly got rid of them, followed hastily by the stripping of his shirt. She ran her hands down his bare chiseled chest and a wide smile came over her face once she focused on her prize. She gave it a few firm strokes and he fought the urge to hiss as his hands tightly gripped the thighs that were clenching onto him.

"Hmmm." She pondered for a moment, while still pumping him, "You know, I think this is missing something."

Since all the blood from his head had rushed down south, he could hardly even begin to conceive what that could be, "I don't know. Might be its just missing your sweet lips on it?"

She giggled, "Nice try, but I'm talking about before I do that."

Her eyes wandered back to the picnic basket and she had a sudden eureka moment. She stretched her upper body over to where the basket was and got out a bottle of chocolate sauce.

His eyes widened as he watched her uncap the bottle and tip it over, squeezing its contents over him in liberal amounts. This was the side of Buffy that was rarely seen and it was the side that he really enjoyed being with. He imagined that if all that raw sex appeal could be contained in one tiny blonde package and she had chosen him to be the receiver of such a blessing, then this was certainly heaven and there had to be a God that existed to grant him such a miracle.

He felt the sticky liquid coat his entire length and he watched with widened eyes as she dipped her head down to lick and taste the tip like it was the best dessert she ever savored.

Spike swore under his breath as her hands continued stroking him while her tongue journeyed downwards all the way to his family jewels and then back up again.

Although she was rather inexperienced in the act, she had been researching various women's magazines on how to master the art of fellatio ever since they got together. She kept her eye on him to gauge his responses and was pleased to see that she seemed to be doing well so far.

Taking a deep breath, she went down slowly, taking in as much as she could, moving her head in time with the movement of her hands.

"Oh, shit!" Spike cried, "For the love of all that's unholy, you're killing me here, pet!"

"Good! Now you know how I feel!" She gasped, before going back to the task at hand. Once her jaw got used to his size, she started to gain momentum, keeping a steady pace even when pausing from time to time to catch her breath.

Spiked growled, "I'm serious, Buffy, if you don't slow the bleedin' hell down, I'm going to…."

Taking that as an indicator, she got up to switch gears, climbing back up to straddle him. She pulled him up into a sitting position, kissing him passionately before she plunged herself downwards. She moved back and forth gently at first, and matching her slowed pace, he moved in sync with her, thrusting upwards with enough force to make her cry out incoherently. Spike groaned in pleasure as his hands massaged both her breasts before traveling down to grab her ass, fingers digging in harder than he intended.

Feeding off his reactions, she dug her nails into his shoulders and back, leaving red marks and scratches all over. Moaning in agonizing delight, she started to pick up the pace. It was an intimate dance, each moving in time with the other's rhythm, fitting perfectly as though they were destined to be. He wasn't sure how long they had been at it, but even with his stamina and enhanced level of restraint, he knew he was almost at his breaking point.

"Luv…" he warned. "Don't think I can hold on any…"

And that was when he felt the third climax hit her. It must have been the biggest one because she let out a sudden scream, followed by her muscles squeezing him tightly in a vice grip until he could no longer hold on himself and finally came inside of her.

He let out his own roar as he held onto her for dear life. She continued riding him, steadily slowing her pace until both their orgasms subsided. Out of energy and breath, Buffy eventually fell into his arms like a feather floating back onto earth.

"Thank god you started going on the pill," Spike said, slowly falling flat on his back, taking her with him as she lay limp in his embrace. "Don't think I can afford buying anymore condoms at the rate we're going!"

"Well, I never knew sex out in the open could be this good," she said in amazement as she rolled onto her back, staring up into the dark with the stars glittering across the night sky. "Gotta say, this is the best picnic I've ever been on."

Thrilled that the experience had went above and beyond her expectations, he chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "I told you that outdoor sex could be incredible, didn't I?"

"You're just lucky you happen to have friends who own an entire freakin' hundred acre ranch and vineyard."

"Hey, when you appreciate alcohol as much as I do, you are bound to meet someone who makes this stuff for a living."

Grinning, she playfully poked him in the chest, "You know I wouldn't have agreed to this if you actually suggested a gross public park or seedy movie theater."

"I think you're just not mentally ready for that yet. But the day you decide you are, pet, I promise, the whole 'Sex on Public Property' experience will be an exciting adrenaline rush for you."

Buffy gave a skeptical look.

"That being said, that option wouldn't allow us to take our time like this though."

He let one hand wander over her hip and down to the thigh that was draped over his leg. He stroked it sensually and added, "And besides, I wanted you to really indulge for your first time, so today's four hour drive was totally worth it to see that look of pure heaven on your face when you came. Especially that third one, it was bloody priceless."

Despite the countless number of times they'd slept together by now, she still managed to blush and feel occasionally embarrassed when he was being so direct about it. She knew it was going to sound dopey, but she said it anyway, "Thanks for…making my virgin experience out in the open so special."

"Luv, I should be thanking you for knocking my socks off every single time we do it." He chuckled. "And like I said, I'm game for any fantasy you desire. Hell, you could just call me your personal fornication genie if you'd like." He ran his tongue over teeth in a lecherous leer. "Your every sex wish is my command."

Even though he was probably overqualified when it came to all things related to sex, he never pushed her into anything that she wasn't comfortable doing. He was open about exploring the kinkier side of intercourse with her without being overly 'Fifty Shades of Gray' about it and it was just one of the things that she really liked about him.

She rolled her eyes but laughed, "You are such a perv."

"Yeah, but only for you, pet," he replied instantly.

That brought another smile to her face as she snuggled into his arms. She sighed in contentment as a sense of calm and bliss settled in her. It was a feeling that she hadn't ever experienced before with any of her exes and it was more than just the amazing sex that made her feel this way. It was his ability to put her at ease and knowing that there was nothing she could ever do or say that would faze him or make him think of her as anything less than who she already was.

She knew it was a dangerous trail of thought but all of it was starting to make her wonder if this was what falling in love was supposed to be like.

After a final round of going at it like rabbits, they finally relented to return to the ranch since they were both admittedly ravished with hunger as a result of all their outdoor activities. After getting dressed and packed up, Spike quickly checked his phone while she loaded the picnic basket to the back of the car. He frowned when he saw the text message from Xander: When are you asking her to the SSU Ball?

It was a reminder of the reality of his situation and he hated that he couldn't escape from it. The guilt was always weighing heavily at the back of his mind and for every waking second that he spent being happy with her only made it worse.

He reckoned that he could possibly live with her hating him if she ever found out about it but it would definitely kill him to see his girl hurting because of this. And he could never allow let that happen. He would've rather bled himself a million times over than ever let a single tear come to those pretty hazel green eyes.

The other tricky part of the plan was that although it was agreed upon that he would get the guitar after his third date with Buffy, he simply refused to tell Xander about all the other ensuing dates they'd went on since they mended their relationship after the fight on their second date.

Telling him would've felt wrong and he didn't want to cheapen all those precious moments by talking about it with that tosser. Oddly enough, Spike didn't feel like it was any of his business to know in the first place anyway.

The whole conundrum had placed him in a catch-22 situation and for the sake of ending the plan as best as he could, they both agreed that the third date and final part of the mission would be getting Buffy to the ball.

Which led him to his next problem - Buffy had told him that she wanted to keep their relationship on a low profile for the time being and he would've been fine with that arrangement except that it also meant that this ludicrous and very public Ball would probably be something that she wouldn't be too keen on. It certainly didn't help that the Nibblet was counting on him as well to make it happen, and although she wasn't pressuring him like Xander was, he could see that she was just as excited about the Ball as her sister was about spending a romantic weekend on a private ranch and vineyard with him.

They drove the short way back in silence and although he hadn't said anything, Buffy could tell that there was something on his mind. She waited for him to bring it up after they got back to the ranch and even hinted once before they had dinner with his friends that she suspected there was something he wasn't telling her, but he casually laughed it off and denied anything was going on. While she didn't want to press the issue that night, her gut remained unconvinced that he was actually being honest with her.

The next morning when they were getting ready to go back to Sunnydale, she suggested they go for a short walk before they left and when they were alone again, she asked, "Spike, I know there's something you're not telling me."

He looked at her for the first time, with worried eyes. He didn't want it to happen but he did see it coming. Buffy was sharp and while he was usually good at masking his emotions, he knew there was no way he could keep the best pretense around her. Since the car ride back to the ranch last night, he had been struggling to find a way to tell her the truth without actually revealing the entire truth.

He took a deep breath and said, "It's about that pillock and Dawn."

"What about Xander and Dawn?" She asked, puzzled. It was definitely not something she was expecting to hear from him of all people.

"Yeah…"

"Did something happen to them?"

He rubbed the back of his head, trying to relay the words as how he rehearsed it in his brain all night, "Not exactly, but Xander's sort of asked me, rather, us…for a favor."

Buffy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What kind of favor?"

Spike sighed, "The kind that makes me uncomfortable, but then it's really more your call than mine."

"Okay, this sounds vaguely intriguing. Details, please?"

"You know how your mom has that rule about dating?"

"Uh huh…"

"Well…." Spike hesitated for a second, before spilling the rest of the sentence in one go, "Xander wants us to go to the SSU Ball so he and Dawn can go too."

Buffy raised one quizzical eyebrow, "Seriously, that was what troubled you the entire night?"

"Only because I know you didn't want to tell your mom about us getting serious yet and then there's also the Nibblet as well and I'd hate to disappoint her, and then there's..."

"Okay, but do you want to go?" She asked, cutting him off midway.

"What?"

Putting one hand on her hip, she asked again, "Putting aside all the other factors you mentioned, do you want to go to this Ball jamboree thing?"

He thought about it for a while, then replied, "I usually avoid these institute fronted social events unless it's a frat party or anything that involves complimentary alcohol, but... I mean, I suppose it just might possibly be fun if we're going together."

Buffy shook her head, "You're so full of crap."

"Oi!" Spike exclaimed indignantly, "Am not!"

"I can see that you really want to go," she teased.

"Oh, piss off! That's soddin' ridiculous! Why would I ever?"

"Umm hmm, I think the lady doth protests too much!" She giggled.

He glared at her menacingly, "Bloody hell, woman, don't you dare start using Shakespeare on me."

"C'mon, just admit it, you so want to go to this thing."

"Puh-lease! Do I look like the sort who would find joy in such things?" Spike started to protest, but then after a beat, sighed and finally relented, "Alright, fine. Maybe, and that's a big fat maybe, I wouldn't mind it. But that's only because I haven't actually been to one these things and I never really had anyone I could actually tolerate going with before."

Again, Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow, "I'm not buying it, mister. I've seen the way those girls throw themselves at you."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to go out with any of 'em."

"And I'm the exception?"

"What do you think, you silly bint?" He pulled her closer and circled his arms around her waist. "Not like it matters anyhow because I know you're not exactly keen on letting your mom know, so we'll just have to tell them it's not possible."

"Woah, now hold on just a tic, I didn't say I wouldn't go."

He looked at her expectantly.

"I'll be happy to do it if I could trade you one very public date, for one very daunting homework assignment."

"Huh?"

She grinned like the cat that just ate the mouse and patted his arm, "Don't worry sweetie, I'll explain it to you on the drive back."

Spike wasn't quite sure what he had gotten himself into, but it didn't matter since his approach actually managed to work. A feeling of both relief and guilt washed over him at the same time and he exhaled a breath that he didn't even know he was holding.

She looked at him quizzically, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Putting on his best smile, he kissed her softly, "Never been better, pet."

Waking up in his arms, she stretched out lazily before instinctively wrapping her legs around him.

Sneaking a peek at the clock on his side of the nightstand, she decided that it was time for them to get back to the real world. She started a slow trail of kisses down his chest, waking him from their post lovemaking slumber.

"Wake up Blondie, you need to help me with my homework."

Refusing to open his eyes, he groaned incoherently and pulled her closer, trapping her in his arms.

"Spike," she muffled against his shoulder. "My paper is due in three days!"

He sighed and released her when she pushed against him, "Do we really have to, luv? That last thing you did with your tongue…I think it blew my brains out and I'm not sure how I'm going to recover from that. I need at least another day of bed rest before I can find my legs again."

Despite the urgency of the assignment, she giggled, "Not bad for a first time, huh?"

"You're such a liar, Goldilocks. No way was that your first time." He smiled as he watched her sit up, wrapping his comforter around her, "I swear that sweet mouth and tongue of yours will be the death of me."

"That's beside the point. You said if I did that, you'd help with my homework now." Not that Buffy really needed any persuading to do it, but she thought it would be advantageous to use her newfound talents in bed as a motivational tool.

"Did I say that?" He squinted and pretended to ponder.

"Hey, you promised so don't be a jerk about it."

"Never said I wasn't one." He grinned. "And do you really need my help though? We both know you're a smart girl. I'm confident you'll ace your paper just fine without me."

She batted her lashes at him coyly, "Being smart also means knowing that Buffy and old English are un-mixy things, and that's why I need your help."

Knowing he was powerless against that adorable pout, he sighed, "Oh, bollocks…Alright fine, you win! But make sure you put some damn clothes on, you little minx. Or else I'm never going to do anything remotely productive if your naked body keeps distractin' the hell out of me."

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

Buffy had read these Shakespearean lines over a million times by now and frankly, she simply couldn't fully comprehend what each line was supposed to even mean. In fact, she wasn't sure if she really understood the entirety of it as a sonnet, other than it was something about the definition of true love. She read the lines she wrote and compared it to the original, knowing that it simply wasn't doing it any justice.

In all truthfulness, she would've been extremely flustered by now if Spike wasn't here to help. She watched him across the room, his blond head bent over at his desk in deep concentration. Handsome features marred by the frown lines between his eyebrows as he meticulously made the edits to her original work. It made her made feel like the luckiest girl in the world and she wondered how long exactly these good times would last.

Somewhere along the line, she had fallen head over heels for him and as happy as she was right now, she knew she had a lousy track record with all the men in her life. Given that knowledge, she was crossing all her fingers and toes now, praying and hoping that Spike was indeed different from all the rest and that he would be the one to keep her heart safe.