"It's been a couple days now since Spike escaped, and I haven't seen any indication that the commandos are still searching for him," Buffy was telling Giles the next night. "I think it's safe to take him with me tonight to try and find the location of that secret exit. I had no luck at all yesterday."

"Very well, Buffy, if you think it's wise. I don't have to tell you that I don't trust him. Be on your highest guard while in his company. This could still be some sort of trick he's using to lower your defenses and then attack you."

Buffy was well aware that Spike was trying to lower her defenses, however not in the sense the Giles meant. After reassuring Giles that she would be extra careful, she left the kitchen where she and Giles had been conversing to gather the now restless vampire.

"We leaving now, pet?" Spike asked, fairly hopping in his impatience to be out after two days of forced confinement.

"Yeah, let's go before Giles decides to give me more advice about not trusting you. Like I need advice for that," Buffy answered.

Spike looked hurt at her words, but Buffy ignored him. She would not trust him. And she definitely would not let him touch her. Spike touching led to very bad thoughts. As long as she stayed arm's length from him, she should be okay.

***

It didn't take long for them to reach the campus. Spike took his bearings and led the way.

As they walked towards the area Spike indicated, he reached out to take Buffy's hand. Jerking it from him Buffy snapped, "Spike, I'm tired of telling you. I don't want you to touch me!"

Spike grabbed her and slammed her against a tree, pinning her arms above her head. Leaning into her, he began to nuzzle at the sensitive spot on her neck that always gave her chills. Moving up to her ear he began to talk to her in the deep rich voice that drove her wild.

"I'm sorry you don't want me to touch you, Buffy, 'cause I want to touch you so much, luv. I want to run my mouth over your soft skin. Do you remember what it felt like when we kissed? How my lips felt on you? How it felt as I kissed every inch of you? I want to touch your breasts again, take your nipples in my mouth and suckle at them. You have such beautiful breasts, Buffy. Firm and ripe. Do you remember how your nipples reacted to my touch? They hardened into such lovely peaks for me. Do you remember how it felt when I took them in my mouth? Do you remember? I sucked and licked and then I touched you with my fingers and you came for me. Do you remember?

"Do you remember how it felt when I ran my hands over you? I love the feel of your body, Buffy. It's so tiny and so firm and so strong. You're so perfectly formed. I love the way I can encircle your waist with my hands. So small, so lovely. Do you remember how it felt when I ran my hands up your legs? And then I stroked you and put my fingers in you. You liked that, I know. You rocked against me and made the loveliest little sounds. Do you remember?

"I want to taste you again, Buffy. Do you remember when I first tasted you? You were so scared and shy. You didn't know what I was going to do. Do you remember? But I asked you to trust me and you did and God, you came and came for me. Do you remember? And I lapped at you and you were like honey in my mouth. I love licking you, Buffy, making love to you with my mouth.

"Do you remember how it felt when I finally entered you? I do. You were so hot, so wet, so tight. I've never felt anything like you, luv. Remember how it felt as we moved together? You screamed for me, Buffy. You screamed and cried out my name. Nothing in my unlife has made me happier than hearing you cry my name like that.

"I want to touch you again, Buffy, and show you all the things we didn't have time for before. Do you like the feel of silk, Buffy? I want to take silk scarves and put them around your wrists and tie you up so that you can't touch me with your hands. But I'd touch you. I'd touch you and tease you with my hands and with my mouth and make you beg me to take you. But I wouldn't. I'd touch you just a little bit more and when you were almost mad with wantin' me then I'd enter you and move so slowly. So very slowly. And when you finally came...have you every heard of le petit mort, Buffy? The little death? It's when someone passes out because the pleasure was just too much. And you would pass out for me, Buffy. But I'd guard you. I'd keep you safe until you came back to me. And then I'd let you tie me up and perform sweet torture on me. Would you like that, Buffy?"

By now Buffy could not even stand on her own. Spike had placed one leg between hers and she was propped against it. Her breathing was harsh and she was aware of Spike's hardness rubbing against her stomach. Turning her head, she went to join her mouth to his in a deep kiss only to feel him jerk away from her. She barely had time to grab onto the tree for support preventing her from collapsing into an undignified heap on the ground.

Spike stood back away from her, an angry look on his face.

"You don't want to go to bed with me again, Slayer, fine. That's your choice. But don't lie to me. Don't tell me you don't want me to touch you. You ache for my touch just as much as I ache for yours."

With that Spike turned away from Buffy and stormed off. Buffy stared after him with a stunned look on her face. Finally getting her legs to work again, she slowly followed.

***

"So you had no luck then?" Giles asked. They were back at Giles' townhouse. They had been stiffly formal with each other when Buffy had finally caught up with Spike. A thorough search of the area had revealed nothing. Spike had even attempted to track his own scent in the area hoping that that would indicate where he had come out, but it had been too many days and he could find nothing.

The walk back to Giles' had been uncomfortable for Buffy. Her nerve-endings were still sensitized from Spike's words and she was wet and throbbing between her legs. She wasn't sure how she was going to get to sleep that night. For his part, Spike had been uncharacteristically silent and he had kept a good distance between them. Hands in coat pockets, he had walked so quickly that Buffy was a little out of breath by the time the apartment complex came into view.

Giles was aware of a tension between the two when they entered his home. He again felt a sense of discomfort tickling at the back of his mind. He could only pray that he was misreading their body language. Surely Buffy was not thinking of becoming involved with another vampire...especially this vampire.

"No, no luck," Buffy replied. She kept her back turned to Spike, afraid to look at him again. All she needed was to have her resolve crumble right now, here, in front of her Watcher. "Spike is certain that's where he came out, but it's too well concealed. We'll have to try and find another way into the facility.

"Or," she continued thoughtfully, "I could try and follow one of those groups of commandos. See where they go after they're done skulking around campus."

"That could be very dangerous, Buffy. Unfortunately, it appears to be the only way we'll ever find anything out." Giles looked intently at his Slayer, the girl he thought of more as his daughter than his protégée. "Just be very, very careful, Buffy. They were willing to kidnap Willow; I doubt they would hesitate to try and take you should they discover you're following them."

Buffy smiled tightly. "Try is the operative word, Giles. I think they'd soon find out that a Slayer is a different proposition than their usual prey."

Standing up from the chair where she sat, Buffy pulled on her jacket. "I'm going back to the dorm now, Giles. I'll look for them tomorrow night when I'm on patrol. If I learn anything, I'll call."

As she turned to leave, Giles said, "Aren't you going to tie Spike up for me?"

Buffy stiffened slightly, but then turned, grabbed the ropes and quickly completed her task. The restraints were a little bit tighter than they had been last night, and neither said anything to the other. Heading once again for the door, Buffy heard a flat "Sweet dreams, Slayer." Wincing slightly, Buffy left without replying.