"Until We Meet Again" - NC17 Part 2

[aheiden]

Chapter 7

After Giles’ cooling shower -- where he’d tried to not shriek like a girl when the cold water hit him -- he dressed while Buffy took one to warm up. While he waited, he spent his time making arrangements for a hotel and train tickets to Provence the following day. When Buffy found out, she kissed him senseless.

They spent a few hours relaxing on the couch together, making sure to keep their touches and kisses light, talking about the more pleasurable events in each of their lives since they had seen each other last.

When the rain finally stopped, Giles took her on a more extensive tour of the city, and they ended their walk strolling down Champs Ellysee hand in hand. Giles found a restaurant nearby and made sure to wine and dine her just as he had promised. He held her hand clasped in his, reluctantly letting it go when she needed it to eat her meal.

The maitre de recommended they take a boat trip on the Seine after dinner. Since the evening was quite warm, Giles had taken his suggestion so Buffy could see the splendor of Paris by night. They had found a seat on the back of the boat and snuggled up close.

A comfortable silence remained between them as the boat glided slowly on the water. Giles tightened his hold on Buffy and kissed her hair, then rested his cheek on top of her head.

Nothing had ever felt as right at any moment in his life as it did right now. The grief and pain of the last years all seemed to disappear, and Giles marveled at the power of the woman in his arms had over him. Being touched by her, kissed by her, just being near her, had soothed his aching heart

He smiled into her hair and thought about all that had happened in the last 24 hours. Especially what had happened between them this afternoon. It been quite the struggle to end it where he had forced himself to. When Buffy had come apart, by his doing, he had almost been blinded by his hunger for her. But he’d held on to his last shred of sensibility, and stopped. It had almost killed him.

He loved her beyond anything in his life, and every second he spent in her company, that love only increased. He pulled her even closer and kissed the crown of her head again. Buffy murmured something and he bent his head. “What did you say, Buffy?”

Buffy smiled up at him. “I said, I have never been so happy as I am at this moment.”

“Never? What about this afternoon?” Giles faked a frown. “You seemed reasonably content then. I apparently must have lost my touch.”

He enjoyed immensely the blush that colored her cheeks. “No, not all! There is nothing wrong with your touch.” She giggled as she leaned her head on his chest.

Giles grinned. ”Is that so? I'm not sure I believe you, Buffy. Let me make sure.”

His hand cupped her cheek so he could raise her head, and his lips met hers as they had done countless times the last hours. It never ceased to amaze him how wonderfully their mouths fit together. How dizzy the taste of her made him. He heard low exploding sounds above him, but chose to ignore them as he plundered her mouth. When both needed to breathe, he pulled away just a few inches. Buffy blinked at the sky above them.

“Oh wow!” She said breathlessly. “Fireworks!”

Giles resisted the urge to look up and grinned wolfishly at her. “Fireworks you say?” He mumbled against her lips before covering them with his own. “Let’s see what we get this time.”

Buffy laughed against his mouth and slapped his chest playfully. “No. Real fireworks, silly. Look.”

She pointed at the sky, and this time he looked up, quite aware that there were actual fireworks, but faked his surprise nonetheless. “Hmm, look at that. I thought you meant my kisses made you feel like there were fireworks.” Buffy swatted his chest again. He chuckled.

After a few moments, Giles said, “Someone must be warming up for Bastille Day. It’s next week.” He hoped Buffy would still be there by then, but did not want to risk this moment by asking. He merely pulled her closer.

“It’s pretty” Buffy said in a soft voice. Giles looked back at her upturned face.

“Indeed it is.” He murmured.

Buffy looked at him, and blushed when she noticed he was gazing at her. “Sweet talker.” She mumbled.

“No, only the truth.” He said, and kissed her. Once again they got lost in their kiss, until they noticed the boat had stopped. They grinned sheepishly at the driver, who was looking at them with a wide smile.

“Excusez-nous, Monsieur.” Giles mumbled, as he helped Buffy from the boat.

“Oh non, ne vous excusez pas; c'est toujours un plaisir de voir deux personnes amoureuses.” The man responded.

Giles blushed and ducked his head as he took hold of Buffy’s hand, waving to the driver before they left. As they stood on the street, waiting for a cab, Buffy turned to him with a curious expression.

“What did that man say to you?”

Giles’ mind worked furiously and he tried to lie. “Not much, just that he hoped we had enjoyed the ride.”

Buffy looked at him with a disbelieving look. “No, he didn’t. You got all embarrassed. Come on, tell me, it can’t have been that bad.”

Giles wondered if he should be honest with her and hoped he didn’t scare her. “He said it was a pleasure to watch two people in love.”

His heart beat furiously while he waited for her reaction. Although there was no doubt Buffy had feelings for him, he wasn’t sure how deep they were. Even if he knew he loved her, he wasn’t quite sure how she would respond.

Buffy didn’t blink an eye, only stepped closer and laid a hand on his chest.

“Was he right?” She whispered. “Are we in love?”

Giles, who had been dodging her eyes, decided to take a leap. He looked deep into her eyes to whisper, “I know I am.” He stroked her cheek as her eyes got wide. “Did my admission scare you?”

She raised herself on her toes and brushed her lips gently against his before answering. “Remember when I said on the boat that I’d never been happier?”

Giles nodded, still a bit worried.

Buffy cupped his face between her hands. “I was wrong. THIS is the happiest moment of my life.”
Giles released a big breath of relief, and held her in a crushing embrace.

“God I love you, Buffy. I have for a long time.”

Buffy held him tight, running her hands through his hair. “I love you, too, Giles. So much.” She whispered with a slight hitch in her voice.

He found himself incapable of finding words to express to her how much her words meant to him, and pulled her head back so he could kiss her. Buffy moaned into his mouth as his hands traveled restlessly across her back. A honk from a car reminded them where they were, and they reluctantly pulled apart.

“Come on, let’s go home.” Giles murmured with his lips against her temple. Buffy nodded, and rested her head against his chest, while Giles flagged down a cab.

Chapter 8

They entered his apartment in silence, and made their way to the bedroom, hands linked. As they approached the bed, Giles could sense Buffy was tense, and pulled her against him. “Are you alright?”

Buffy laughed nervously and ducked her head. “Yeah, it’s silly. It’s just that, so much has happened since we woke up this morning, and now I’m feeling all nervous. Our relationship has changed so quickly in the last hours. When we woke up we were just friends. . .and now we’re. . .” She stopped, blushed and looked up at Giles.

He smiled softly down at her and brushed some hair out of her face, before cradling her cheek in his hand. “Soon to be lovers?”

Buffy’s blush deepened and she nodded. “And it’s silly that I’m this nervous about this, considering what happened this afternoon, but now it’s . . .um, I don’t know.” She blew out a frustrated breath and looked up at him again with a nervous smile. “I mean, I know we aren’t doing THAT tonight, but still.”

If it was possible she blushed even more, and hid her face against his chest. “I don’t really know what to do now. I mean, should I get undressed in front of you? Is that too soon? Or too much? And are we just going to cuddle? Or more? I mean I really want to, but it might put a little too much pressure on us.” She sighed and giggled embarrassedly. “Grrr, I am such a relationship spaz.”

Giles laughed and held her tight. “It’s alright Buffy. I understand what you’re trying to say. And I am I pretty sure we can restrain ourselves should it get a little out of hand. But, if it makes you feel any better, I can sleep on the couch.” He really didn’t want to sleep without her tonight, but he wanted what was best for her.

She tightened her hold on him. “No, don’t leave. I don’t want to sleep without you.”

Neither did Giles. For the rest of his life if he had any say in the matter, but he kept that to himself. Admitting that they loved one another was enough for one night. Everything else could come later.

Buffy was still clinging to him, and he figured he needed to do something to break the nervous tension in her. He lifted her into his arms, unceremoniously dumped her into bed and playfully pounced on top of her. Her delighted laughter turned into a loud squeal as he proceeded to tickle her. They wrestled on the bed for several minutes, until Buffy got the upper hand, straddling him and pinning him beneath her.

“Mercy, Buffy. Mercy!” He cried when she enjoyed herself a bit too much. Thankfully she gave in.

He pulled her face down to his so he could kiss her while stroking her thighs. He gave her nose a short kiss before pulling back. “This is what we’ll do. I’ll go and turn off the lights while you get ready. Call me when you’re in bed, and we’ll take it from there. Does that sound alright to you?”

Buffy nodded, giving him one last kiss before she got up, grabbed the undershirt she had used the night before, and heading to the bathroom. Giles remained lying on the bed, his legs hanging off the edge, while he stretched lazily. He folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, listening to Buffy move about in the bathroom.

He thought about the wonderful events of the day, and could barely wait to be holding her in his arms again. The feel of her body against his, her scent and her kisses was something he craved constantly since she had arrived. He remembered dreams and fantasies of her that he’d had when she was still alive. The dreams had never disappeared, but his grief for her had numbed his heart and forced all fantasies away. These past days they had resurfaced, and he was amazed how they paled in comparison to reality.

Their relationship had moved at a rather breathtaking speed, but he wasn’t worried about that. He had experienced first hand about wasted opportunities, and how fragile life really was, and he didn’t want to waste more time than necessary. He wanted nothing more than make love to her tonight, but he wanted to make it special. All his dreams were about to come true, and he wanted the same for her.

A small giggle made his eyes open and he realized he had been completely lost in his thoughts. Buffy was standing in front of him with a playful smile, her arms crossed. She tapped her foot on the ground as she impishly asked, “So, been busy?”

Giles raised his head to take her in from top to toe. She was standing at the food of the bed, dressed only in his white t-shirt and a pair of white panties. His mouth got suddenly very dry and he swallowed hard before replying. “Um, not much no.”

He sat up, parted his legs and pulled her close. At first, the need to touch her had been irresistible. But as soon as his hands met her skin, he was overwhelmed by the sheer fact that he was with her and buried his face in her stomach, while his arms circled her waist. “I love you.” He mumbled into the fabric of her shirt.

God, he truly did. She was everything to him, and he wanted to make sure she knew. Now that he had her, he never wanted to let a day go by without her knowing.

Buffy buried her hands in his hair and kissed the top of his head.

“I love you too, Giles.” She whispered. They held each other tight until Buffy shivered slightly from the cool air in the room. He let her go, stood, and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll be right back.” He said.

He left the bedroom while Buffy crawled into bed, to make sure the door was locked and turn off the lights in the apartment. When he came back, he found Buffy snuggled under the covers on the right side of the bed, watching him. He unbuttoned his shirt and hung it over a chair, leaving him bare-chested to the cool night air, then proceeded to unbuckle his pants.

He was amazed at how domestic is all seemed. And he realized he was reluctant to have it end any time soon. He wanted Buffy in his life. He wanted to be in her life. But what did she want?

So far they hadn’t discussed how long she was staying and how they would deal with the new turn of events in their relationship. He decided, once again, to let those questions wait. She was apparently not leaving any time soon, and he did not want to risk ending the good mood of the evening. There would be time enough to talk later.

Clad only in his boxers, he crawled into the left side of the bed, lay down on his side and turned to watch her.

Buffy raised her eyebrow. “What are you doing all over there?”

Giles grinned, rolled over on his back and folded his hands behind his head. “Oh you know, how do you young people say it, I’m playing hard to get?”

Buffy laughed and launched herself at him, straddling him and tickling him.

“Oh please, you are SO easy when it comes to me!”

Giles laughed and grabbed her so she was flush against his chest, unable to move. “Damn right, woman. You are impossible to resist.”

Buffy snuggled close and buried her face in his neck. Giles tucked the comforter around her, then began to stroke her bare skin under her t-shirt. The body draped across his felt warm and comforting and he found himself never wanting to let her go. Nothing had ever felt as good as the woman in his arms.

He realized he needed to know the answer to the question that had been on his mind since the moment he’d first seen her.

“Buffy?” He murmured into her hair. “How long are you staying?”

She didn’t respond right away, so he waited, while his heart beat furiously against his chest. Oh god, had he ruined everything now?

Buffy squeezed him and said in a light voice. “Oh, I don’t know. Until you get sick and tired of me I guess.”

Giles realized she was not ready to have this conversation, and swallowed his disappointment before making his voice just as teasing. “Oh? That soon?”

“Giles!” she said indignantly and sat up with a playful shocked expression on her face. “Oh you’re gonna pay for that one!” And proceeded to tickle him senseless.

It was impossible to escape her hands, they were too fast and everywhere at the same time, so finally he needed to cry for mercy once again. ”Truce! Truce!”

Buffy sat back with a smug expression on her face, grinning at him.

“It’s quite cruel to do this to me you know. Slayer strength and all.” Giles said with a pout he hoped put Buffy’s own to shame.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Pfft. That’s not cruel. Tying up a masochist and refusing to cause them pain is cruel. You know what you had coming when you took me on.”

Giles laughed out loud and crushed her to his chest in a tight hug. “You are a delight, my dear.” Causing Buffy to giggle into his chest.

Giles waited until their giggles had calmed and then kissed her hair and mumbled. “You are so precious to me, and I absolutely adore you.”

Buffy lifted her head so she could meet his eyes, and gave him a soft smile with suspiciously bright eyes. “I adore you too.” She whispered.

His hand came up to brush some hair from her face. “You do?” he whispered back.

She only nodded and gave him a soft kiss, barely brushing her lips against his.

Giles’ eyes closed, overwhelmed by the feel of her soft lips against his. When she released his lips, he still kept his eyes closed.

“Kiss me again,” he murmured.This time her lips lingered and the pressure was a little more fervent.

“Kiss me again,” he repeated when she let go. And she did. First nibbling on his lower lip, then tracing his lips with her tongue, not entering his mouth. His hands buried themselves in her hair.

“Again” he said, breathlessly.

He moaned against her lips when she explored his mouth with her tongue, the embers of their earlier explosive meeting escalating into a roaring fire in his blood. He needed desperately to touch her skin. His hands slipped under her shirt again.

Their tongues fought furiously, until Giles desperately needed air. Buffy let go of his lips and moved to his neck, nibbling and kissing him, until he was writhing beneath her.

“God, Buffy” he gasped in a strangled voice.

Her hands traveled over his chest and rubbed against his nipples, making him buck against her. When her lips followed his hands and closed around one, Giles grabbed a hold of the bedding to anchor himself. Her tongue swirled against his nipple, while one hand stroked down his stomach and slipped under his boxers.

When her hand circled his length, Giles moaned, and buried his free hand in her hair. He considered stopping her, but the feel of her mouth against his skin, her hand stroking him, was too good, and he craved the release he had so desperately needed earlier the same day.

Her mouth continued down his ribs, down his stomach, stopping to dip her tongue into his belly button before traveling further down. His breath caught as she stopped stroking him to tug down his shorts. He grabbed hold of her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

“You don’t have to do this, Buffy,” he said in an intense whisper.

She smiled and dropped a kiss on his stomach before answering. “I want to. Let me?”

Giles almost looked at her in disbelief. Let her? It wasn’t a matter of letting her. He so desperately wanted her to. But wasn’t this going a little too fast? Considering what they had done earlier, maybe not.

Buffy gave him a mischievous smile and pulled the boxers rest of the way down his legs. “While you make up your mind, I’m just going to continue.”

Giles’ laugh caught in his throat when she started stroking him again, and he ground his teeth together when she finally tasted him. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined Buffy doing this to him. No -- he’d imagined it -- but what she was doing now, no fantasy of his had ever done justice.

Another moan escaped his mouth when she wrapped her lips around him and swirled her tongue around his length, making love to him with her mouth. Giles reached down and ran his hand through her hair as he restrained himself from bucking into her.

She started out at a slow pace that was maddening, but oh so sweet, and as his moans and labored breath increased so did her speed. The heat of her mouth consumed him, and he felt a tingle run from his neck and down his back at a breath taking speed.

“Buffy” he rasped, warning her of his release.

She didn’t let him go, and as his orgasm tore through him like lightning he threw his head back and let out a strangled cry. As he came down panting, he was truly astonished how quickly she could make him lose control.

Buffy slowly crawled up his body, with a smug smile, and Giles looked at her with an astonished expression.

“Bloody hell, you’re going to be the death of me, Buffy.” He exclaimed breathlessly.

She gave him a slow, loving kiss, that he reciprocated in earnest, eager to return the favor in full. He rolled her over on her back, ending the kiss so he could get some more air in his lungs, because she had literally left him breathless from her ministrations.

“THAT was most incredible!” He murmured in between kisses as he half covered her body with his.

“Glad you approved” she said happily.

He rested his head against her neck, letting a hand caress the curves and lines of her body languidly. “More than approved, I tell you. Now, let me see if I can take your breath away.”

Buffy covered his exploring hand with his. “You don’t need to reciprocate you know. Women can take cold showers too.”

He raised his head from her neck and gave her an indignant look. “I will have you know, I will NEVER leave you hanging to take a cold shower. It’s just not in my nature.” He said in his most stuffy voice.

“Oh wow, lucky me.” Buffy laughed and pulled his head back down. “But how about I give you five minutes to catch your breath? I mean, you are older...” She said with an impish tone.

Giles grinned into her neck. “Oh, you are going to pay for that one.” His arm began to slowly crawl towards her breast.

Buffy slapped his arm. “Four minutes! Stop talking and breathe, damn it!”

Giles had to force back a laugh. “But-“

“Three minutes!” She growled at him.

He lifted his upper body and straddled her so quickly she yelped. He pinned her hands above her head and grinned lecherously at her.

“I don’t need another minute, my dear. Now brace yourself!”

Chapter 9

Before Buffy had a chance to respond with some witty remark, Giles’ mouth covered hers. Instinctively her lips opened and their tongues collided, tasted and explored. His skillful mouth made her dizzy in anticipation, and Buffy moaned.

She tugged on her hands, trying to make Giles let go so she could explore his skin, but he only tightened his hold and grinned against her mouth. He raised his head so his eyes met hers, and for a moment a playful and challenging look passed between them. Both knew perfectly well she could get lose if she wanted to, but Buffy decided that take-charge Giles was quite a turn on and stopped struggling.

However, she did give him a look that clearly indicated his control was limited. There was way too much naked glory on top of her for her not to participate. Giles smirked at her and tipped his head to indicate he got the message before lowering his head to her neck.

Buffy sighed and whimpered slightly when his lips and tongue tasted her neck, and her breath caught when he nipped her skin gently with his teeth. Suddenly, her hands were free from his grasp, but, just as she was about to explore, she was distracted by the feel of his hands slipping beneath her t-shirt. His mouth covered hers again as he traced every inch of skin he could find with his palms, and Buffy shivered beneath him.

Slowly, he pulled her shirt up, and briefly separated with her mouth to divest her of the piece of clothing before returning. Buffy felt the blood rush through her veins as his hands returned to their exploration of her skin, and she gasped when his hands covered her breasts.

Anticipation rose to impossible heights, and she tore her mouth from his to gasp in air.

“Oh God, Giles” she said breathlessly.

His lips moved to her neck, and proceeded to lick, kiss and nibble until she was writhing beneath him. He moaned into her neck as he lowered himself against her, skin touching skin, mingling the warmth of their bodies. It was an awe-inspiring feeling to have this naked man lying above her, pressing her into the mattress with his weight.

“You taste so good, love” he murmured into her neck.

His body was in constant movement, but he made sure to keep most of his body in touch with hers. Buffy buried her hands in his hair when his kisses slowly ventured down her chest. She groaned when his hot mouth covered one breast, encouraging him in his ministrations. Last time he’d done this, clothing had separated his mouth from her skin, and nothing had prepared her for how it felt to have his mouth feasting on her.

Her skin came aflame as his pelvis undulated against hers and Buffy shut her eyes and bit down on her lower lip so she wouldn’t come apart from the work of his talented mouth. She could feel the length of him pressing against her junction, every small movement of his making her gasp at the sensation.

The heat of him against her was searing and she bucked against him and curled her legs around his thighs. The whisper of lace that was separating her from him yearned for his skin, and she clamped down on his shoulders, attempting to voice what she needed.

Only a whisper of his name, almost a whimper, came from her lips, but he heard and raised his head to look at her. When his eyes met hers they locked, and for an intense moment the air seemed to stand still between them. Keeping his eyes on hers, his hand slipped beneath the elastic of her underwear, and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning out loud. Breaking the spell, her eyes shut, and her breath caught when he covered her mound with his hand.

“Giles.” His name came out as a plea as he started stroking her.

She reached out blindly to pull his head down so she could kiss him, and a faint moan escaped her lips as one of his fingers slipped inside her. Her heart rate soared and she could feel a flush of heat appear on her chest, neck and face as he moved inside her. Her breathing increased and she was unable to withhold a soft vocalization.

She almost cried out in disappointment when his hand disappeared, but he proceeded to swiftly remove her underwear and then his fingers resumed their earlier position. His chest rubbed against hers, and Buffy felt like she was being overloaded on sensations.

His mouth left hers, and traveled down her neck to once again tease her breasts relentlessly and continue down her stomach. His fingers were replaced by his mouth and tongue, and she cried out his name with pleasure as he brought her to orgasm.

When she came back to her senses, Giles was placing soft kisses on her heated skin while stroking her hair. Their eyes met, and she pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him with all the love she felt for him. Giles moaned softly into her mouth before pulling away. His eyes were dark with desire and she felt his erection against her thigh.

She reached out for him, beyond caring the decision they had made earlier about waiting, but Giles shook his head regretfully while giving her a soothing kiss.

“We can’t Buffy, I don’t have any protection.” He whispered against her lips.

Buffy sighed with disappointment and stroked his cheek. “Ok.” She whispered and pulled him into a hug. Giles held her tight against his chest and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

Several minutes passed as their breathing slowed, until she broke the silence. “Poor Giles. You really are a man among men, you know that?”

Giles chuckled and kissed her neck. “Patience is a virtue. Something that I had to acquire when I was assigned to you as a watcher.”

“Hey!” Buffy growled and slapped his shoulder.

Giles laughed, rolling onto his back and pulling her into the crook of his arm. “Now, now, Buffy. I’m an old man, be gentle.”

She immediately curled up against him, slipped a leg over his and rested her head in her hand as she glared at him. “You are NOT old.” She growled.

Giles tightened his arms around her and gave her an adorable smile. “Older, then.”

She dropped a kiss on his lips that turned into several as he buried his hand in her hair to hold her close. When he let her go, Buffy looked at him seriously and whispered. “You’re perfect.”

Giles didn’t say anything, but pulled her into a fierce hug that lasted for several moments. “I love you,” he said softly into her ear.

“I love you, too” she immediately responded, and pressed herself flush against the length of his body. Nothing had ever felt as right in her entire life as it did at that moment. Laying there in Giles’ arms, her naked skin against his, was the closet thing to perfection she had ever experienced.

As Giles’ hand slowly stroked her hair, Buffy felt a pang of guilt for avoiding his earlier question concerning how long she was staying. She had wanted to say that she wanted to stay forever, but how could she tell him that? After all that had happened in Sunnydale she had a responsibility to Dawn and her friends. And how could she ask Giles to give up everything for her? He’d already done that once, and she refused to ask him to do it again.

Then again, what did Giles want? She knew he loved her, but what did all this mean to him? She knew deep in her heart that she loved Giles more than anything in her life, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him again. Did he feel the same way?

Her train of thought was broken when Giles kissed the top of her hair.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Buffy decided that she wasn’t ready for serious conversation, and replied impishly. “That you’re a stud muffin in bed.”

Well, maybe it wasn’t what she had been thinking just then, but it didn’t mean that it hadn’t crossed her mind more than once during the day.

Giles laughed, and Buffy grinned and dropped a kiss on his chest. “Well it’s true!” she giggled.

He pulled away from her so he could lie on his side, then pulled her next to him so they were face to face. Giles’ eyes sparkled with mirth, and he had a slightly smug expression on his face.

“You are quite proficient in that area yourself, Miss Summers.” He said with an impish smile.

Buffy grinned. “Damn right, babe!”

Giles’ face immediately scrunched up in playful distaste. “Do we need to discuss the appropriate usage of pet names? Because under no circumstances will I agree to you addressing me as ‘babe’”. He said the last word as if it tasted like poison.

Buffy laughed then thought a bit before trying again. “Pumpkin?” She said in a light hopeful voice.

Giles rolled his eyes and indicated that she needed to try again.

“Sweetie poo?”

Giles’ eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline.

“No?” she asked innocently. She pretended to think a bit more. “Ok, how about pudding?”

Giles’ mouth opened to say something, but Buffy placed a finger over his lips and he immediately bit it.

“Ow! Ok, ok, no need to go evil on me. I’ll try again.”

Giles released her finger and placed a soft kiss on it before she continued. She pretended to study his face to find the most perfect nickname, and Giles eyed her suspiciously.

“Ok, I’ve got some ideas, and then you can choose, alright?” Giles nodded.

She grinned and said in a rush. “Apple of my eyes, baby cakes, or muffin?” She couldn’t help but laugh as she saw his horrified expression.

“None of them!” he said in a mortified voice, but he was unable to hold back a laugh of his own.

Buffy rolled her eyes and threw herself on her back in a dramatic gesture. “God, you’re hard to please. Ok, why don’t you come up with some names then?”

Giles laughed and leaned over her to drop a long loving kiss on her neck.

He raised up on one elbow and their eyes met. He seemed to contemplate her for a bit. He then brushed his lips against hers as he spoke in a soft whisper.

“How about ‘darling’? Or maybe ‘my dear’ will suffice? Although I will admit to being partial to ‘love’, ‘my one and only’ seems to fit you perfectly.”

For a second she was speechless, because he had said it without a trace of humor, and the love in his eyes as he looked at her truly humbled her. She pulled his mouth tight against hers and kissed him deeply, unable to voice what she felt for him. Plus, she was dangerously close to tears and needed to close her eyes. When she felt she regained some control again, she let him go and brushed a hand through his hair.

“You can call me those anytime you want.” She whispered.

Giles wiped at a single tear that slipped from her eye, but didn’t comment on it. He merely kissed her again. “And I will” he said softly.

He lay his head down on the pillow and cleared his throat as if he was about to make a big announcement. “Now. About your pet names for me. I have three that I will accept.”

Buffy grinned and curled up close to him. “And they are?”

“Hot stuff, handsome or stud.” He said in his most serious voice.

Buffy broke into laughs, and Giles soon followed. “There’'s no way I will call you that in public!” she said as she gasped for air.

Giles managed to stop laughing and whined. “But in the bedroom?”

She couldn’t help but give him a big kiss. She grinned against his mouth. “Oh, I promise.”

He beamed back at her and mumbled against her mouth before kissing her senseless. “Lucky me.”

When he released her mouth Buffy’s breathless reply was: “No, lucky me.”

Chapter 10

The morning light was a force to be reckoned with as it hit Giles square in the face and roused him from his sleep. However, waking up with Buffy pressed against him in his bed more than made up for it, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

He rolled onto his side, pulled Buffy close and buried his face in her neck. She was lying on her stomach, her face half smothered into her pillow. He savored the feel of her against him and lazily stroked her naked back. They hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, forsaking slumber to concentrate on each other. Kissing, talking and more kissing. It had been glorious.

As tempting as it was to stay in bed and revel in further exploration of the beautiful creature lying next to him, Giles knew they had to get up if they were going to get ready for their noon train to Provence. He also needed to call the museum and make up another excuse for not coming in, again. He had plenty of sick days to use, and as of now Buffy was his top priority.

“Buffy?” he whispered, as he placed soft kisses on her skin.

He laughed as she grumbled a bit and buried her head further into her pillow. “Mmm?” was her only reply, and Giles stroked her hair as he spoke in a soft voice.

“I need to call the museum, and then I am going to take a shower. We have a few hours before we need to leave, so you can sleep a bit more if you want.”

“Need any help?” she mumbled into her pillow, and Giles’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what she meant.

He gave up. “With what, love?”

He detected a sleepy smile as she responded. “With the shower? I can wash all those hard to reach places.”

Giles laughed, and as appealing as it was, he was forced to decline. It was a much too tempting proposition to accept. “Not today, love, I don’t trust your intentions are honorable.”

Buffy grinned. “Oh, how well you know me.”

Giles chuckled and dropped another kiss on her neck before climbing out of bed. Just as he reached the bathroom he heard Buffy yell his name. Considering he was naked and out of her sight, he stayed where he was.

“Yes, Buffy?”

“Get back in here, I missed the free peep show.” Giles could actually hear the pout all the way out in the hallway.

“You snooze you lose, sweetie poo,” he yelled back, and grinned as Buffy’s laugh followed him into the bathroom.

Before stepping into the shower, he found a towel for Buffy and hung it on the towel rack. He kept his shower short to make sure there was plenty of warm water left for her, and had just fastened his towel around his waist when a knock sounded on the bathroom door.

Buffy’s voice came through the door. “You decent?”

Giles smiled at his reflection, and applied some toothpaste on his toothbrush before replying. “Not really, no.”

“Excellent!” was Buffy’s reply, and Giles almost chocked on his toothbrush as he laughed.

When she didn’t enter, he paused from brushing his teeth. “Did you want to come in?”

“Wasn’t that fairly obvious?” Buffy said as she opened the door and stepped inside. She was dressed in his robe, far too large on her frame, with tousled hair, and for a second Giles forgot to breathe. She looked like she had spent the better part of the night being ravished, which, when Giles thought about it, wasn’t that far from the truth.

Buffy came close and placed a kiss on his cheek as he continued brushing, and then grabbed her own toothbrush while meeting his gaze in the mirror. Giles tried hard to stop smiling around his brush so his efforts at cleaning would not be futile. However, it was a nearly impossible task since Buffy was struggling to do the same. Finally, he had to break their gaze so he could finish. He rinsed his mouth, stepped behind her and circled her waist as their eyes met again.

Her neck was far too tempting, and as he held her gaze, he pulled her hair away from her neck and gently grazed her skin with his lips. Buffy closed her eyes and leaned back into him, clean teeth completely forgotten, brush dangling from her mouth.

Giles firmly pressed his lips into her neck and let his tongue taste her skin, before raising his lips to her ear.

“Buffy?” he whispered.

Buffy nodded with her eyes closed. “Mmm?” Was her muffled response.

“Spit,” he said to her in a husky voice.

Buffy’s eyes shot open and she pulled the toothbrush from her mouth. “Huh?”

Giles laughed and kissed the rim of her ear. “I said spit.”

The mirth in her eyes was utterly adorable and Giles couldn’t help but kiss her cheek before letting her go. He grabbed his shaving cream and started applying it to his left cheek as Buffy finished. Just as he was about to do his other cheek, he noticed Buffy staring at him with a fascinated expression. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking what was so enthralling.

“Do you trust me?” she asked with a very serious expression on her face.

“Absolutely.” Giles answered without hesitation.

He realized his mistake too late as an excited smile spread across her face. “Can I shave you?”

Giles didn’t think twice before answering. . “No.”

He realized his mistake too late as her pout appeared in the mirror. Bloody hell! She had him wrapped around her little finger. He handed over the shaving cream with a sigh.

“Yay!” Buffy exclaimed as she pushed him down on the seat of his toilet to get a better reach. She filled the sink with water, then shook the bottle of shaving cream and stepped close, all the while grinning widely at him for getting her way. Giles chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. She had him completely under her thumb and he loved it. She used her knee to gently nudge his legs apart, steeped in between his thighs, and squirted some foam in the palm of her left hand.

She had a playful smile on her face as she applied the foam to his cheek and chin. She used the tip of her finger to wipe the foam from his lips, and laughed when Giles tried to bite it. She rinsed her hands in the sink and then grabbed his razor.

A look of concentration settled on her features as she leaned in towards his face. Giles’ breath stopped as he caught a glimpse of the swell of her breast and smelled the intoxicating scent of her skin as the robe parted slightly.

“Eyes up here, Mr. Giles” Buffy snapped playfully, and Giles took his sweet time before succumbing to her demands. When their eyes finally met, Buffy struggled to keep a stern look on her face, and Giles shrugged.

“Sincere apologies, my love.” He said, without much conviction.

Buffy only rolled her eyes, and Giles laughed as he pulled her into a kiss that covered her mouth in foam.

“Giles!” Buffy spluttered and wiped her face.She slapped his shoulder while he laughed. “Now sit still!” she scolded. “Or I might cut you.” Obediently he put his hands in his lap, and waited for her to proceed.

Once again she leaned in, but this time he kept his eyes on her face as she brought the razor to his skin. Gently she shaved his face, only stopping to rinse the razor after each stroke. Her thighs brushed against his as she reached for the sink, and Giles swore he would never look at a razor the same way again. Every now and then her fingers would brush against his face to get a better angle, and Giles marveled at her soft touch.

His hands itched to touch her. Without conscious thought he moved them to her thighs and pulled her closer. His eyes closed as her scent washed over him again, and he felt himself getting completely lost in the nearness of her.

It was not until he felt the softness of a towel against his skin that his eyes opened, and he found Buffy’s face close to his. She wiped some remaining foam from his chin, then draped the towel on the edge of the sink.

“Are you done?” He murmured.

“Mmm. Just one thing left.” She whispered.

“And what’s that?” He whispered back, completely enthralled by the adoring look on her face.

She brushed her fingers across his skin, then brushed her cheek against his. “I need to make sure I did a good job.”

His hands fisted themselves in the fabric of her robe as she repeated the action on his other cheek, then grazed his newly smoothed skin with her lips. Her hair brushed against his face, and Giles let out a small moan before turning his head to capture her lips with his own.

She opened her mouth to meet his questing tongue, and he pulled her into his lap with a growl. Her tongue tangled with his in an enticing dance, while her hands traveled restlessly across his back. Giles slipped one hand inside her robe to touch her skin, his movements making the robe part, and her naked breasts brushed against his chest.

Giles seriously considered throwing her down on the bathroom mat and having his way with her right then and there, when the sound of a ringing phone halted his plans. They pulled apart, chests heaving for air.

“Phone.” Buffy croaked.

Giles was beyond speech and merely nodded while staring at her. The house could be on fire for all he cared, nothing could tear him away from her. The phone eventually stopped ringing, but neither paid any attention, both lost in the moment and the love that shone in each other’s eyes. Drawing in a huge gulp of air, he rested his forehead against hers and willed his heart to calm. Buffy stroked his hair and dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose that made him smile.

He closed her robe with a desolate sigh that made Buffy laugh. After giving him a brief hug, she got up.

Giles began, “I’ll go get dressed and then I need to make some calls. You get ready and then we can make some breakfast, does that sound good?” He brushed a kiss on her cheek before stepping out of the bathroom.

“Sounds perfect,” she replied before he closed the bathroom door behind him. Giles thought, with a sigh, that they couldn’t get to Provence fast enough.

Chapter 11

Pretending to read was no easy task while Giles’s hairy eyeball was aimed at her. Buffy raised her magazine a little higher, hoping that it would hide her face and the smile threatening to erupt as she sank further down into her train seat.

After breakfast, Buffy had called Dawn, who had been thrilled to hear from her. They had chatted for a few minutes before Dawn had demanded to talk to Giles. He hadn’t been given the chance to get a word in edge wise, but Buffy gathered from his happy expression that Dawn was gushing ‘I’ve missed yous’. His eyes had gotten a bit misty and he’d had a soft smile on his face that had made her heart melt. She had known without a doubt that Dawn wouldn’t hold his disappearance against him, and now she hoped Giles believed it as well. She knew he felt guilty, and she didn’t know what to say to convince him that the guys back home wanted nothing more than to hear from him again.

When they had finally managed to get her sister off the phone, Buffy had called Willow, who had been just as ecstatic to hear from her as Dawn, and had an endless string of questions, barely letting her answer before asking the next one. Willow had also demanded to speak to Giles, and once again the happy expression and misty eyes appeared on his face. When he handed Buffy the phone again, Buffy had given him a pointed look that clearly told him she wanted to talk to Willow in private. Giles had left the room, throwing an apprehensive look over his shoulder.

She didn’t tell Willow anything about the new development between Giles and her. Of course, when he came back into the room, she didn’t tell Giles that; she was merely cryptic about their talk, hinting that their conversation had covered the newfound skills and hidden sides of her Watcher. Giles had blushed a shade of red she had never seen, sputtered and mumbled. He had been on her case ever since they left the house for the train station to tell him exactly what she’d said.

Buffy wanted to keep their relationship to herself a bit longer - at least until she knew where it was going. How could she tell Willow anything when she didn’t even know herself? Yes, they had both admitted they loved each other, but where would they go from there? Keeping their relationship between themselves seemed like a good idea to her, she thought.

Giles was currently giving her the silent treatment, sitting across from her on the train, but the feel of his stare spoke volumes. It was so much fun. Giles pretended to be absorbed by a periodical, but -- unless he was a slow reader, which she knew wasn’t true -- he had been staring at the same page for more than half an hour.

It had been twenty minutes since he’d last attempted to get her to speak, but she suspected the off-air button was about to be switched on any minute now. As she felt his foot nudge hers, she knew she was right. Her magazine was suddenly yanked right out of her hands, and she schooled her face to an innocent look.

“Yes, stud muffin?” she said as she met his gaze. Giles gave her a glare that clearly said ‘oh no you didn’t’, and she laughed in delight.

He leaned forward and she copied his posture, and placed a finger on his lips before he had the chance to say anything.

“Giles,” she said softly, “I didn’t tell her anything. Why are you so worried?” A sense of unease settled in her stomach. “You’re not embarrassed are you? Of us, I mean?” He gave her a confused look, which immediately softened. He grabbed her hand.

“No, Buffy, I am not embarrassed about us. Don’t ever think so!” He kissed her tenderly and brushed her nose with an Eskimo kiss that made her heart flutter.

“However,” he said with a smile, “I’ve heard you talk about your….um, romantic interests before, and I would like to be able to look Willow in the eyes again without blushing. You know I am a private man, and the idea of a girl talk between you and Willow leaves me slightly worried. No, scratch that, VERY worried. I would like to keep this to ourselves for now.”

Buffy smiled, then her heart started to beat a bit faster with worry. She could understand he wanted to keep their relationship private, as in no sharing of their intimacies with others, but did he mean that he wanted to keep the entire relationship quiet? She had no need to flaunt their relationship, but she certainly wanted to acknowledge it. The fact that Giles didn’t seem to want the same made her question his intentions.

Was this relationship only meant for when she was there in France with him? She knew they both had responsibilities -- on different continents to makes things worse -- but they could over come that, couldn’t they? She swallowed uneasily and looked out the window. God, she really needed to avoid these depressing thoughts. It was probably nothing, and she was blowing it all out of proportion.

Giles suddenly kissed her cheek, seemingly oblivious to her distress. “Lovely shoes by the way.”

Buffy looked back at him confused, and found him staring down at her shoes.

“Excuse me? Did you just compliment my shoes?”

Giles grinned. “Very lovely. They make your ankles look sexy. Not that you need shoes to do that though.”

Buffy gaped at him and Giles laughed when he raised his head and saw her stunned expression.

“What?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “It’s just that you didn’t exactly approve of my choice of shoes in Sunnydale, so coming from you that’s a big compliment.”

Giles shrugged and gave her a small smile. “A lot has changed since then.”

Buffy smiled at him, and her fears disappeared when she found herself getting lost in his adoring gaze. “Yes, it has,” she said, softly. “No complaints, I hope?”

Giles immediately gave her a reassuring smile. “None.” And pulled her into a kiss.

Neither noticed the man approaching them as they wrapped themselves in the kiss, but his voice quickly pulled them apart.

“Feeling better, Rupert?”

Giles ducked his head and blushed when he saw his co-worker from the museum looking at them with an amused expression.

“Pierre. What are you doing here?” Giles asked while nervously running a hand through his hair.

Buffy had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. Busted!

Giles told her he had called in sick at the museum to explain his absence, and although they both suspected Pierre knew something was up, they hadn’t expected to be caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Pierre grinned impishly. “Since my boss is sick, my work load was considerably cut down and I decide to take a long weekend to go visit my girlfriend.”

Giles’ blush increased, and Buffy almost felt bad for him. Almost.

Pierre thankfully chose to ignore Giles’ reddening cheeks and turned to Buffy with a wide smile. “Nice to see you again Miss Summers. I assume you are enjoying your stay? Rupert taking good care of you?”

Now Buffy was the one who was fighting a blush and Pierre’s smug smile indicated that his question was not as innocent as it might’ve seemed. A mischievous thought entered her mind. Two could easily play that game, unfortunately Giles had to be collateral damage. Oh well, he was a big boy.

“Oh he’s been an exceptional…..host.” She replied coyly.

Pierre’s smile turned into a wide grin and Buffy couldn’t help but return it, both ignoring the mortified groan coming from Giles.

“I am sure he has.” Pierre laughed. He looked over at Giles, who had his head buried in his hands.

“You don’t sound very well, Rupert. Make sure that Miss Summers takes good care of you this weekend.” With a final wink to Buffy he left the pair alone.

After a few moments, Giles raised his head and scowled at Buffy. “Cute. Very cute.”

Buffy giggled and picked up her magazine. “I thought so.”

TBC

Continued here