The hot water bubbled up around Buffy and John in the Jacuzzi as they sat, relaxing, on opposite sides of the tub. The glowing candles, the bottle of chilled champagne and two half-filled flutes completed the romantic scene. They’d already made love right after dinner and now they were simply enjoying each other’s company. John was in a great mood for all of those reasons, and to top it off, Gage had called a little while ago to let him know that the partial manuscript for book three had been enthusiastically approved by his editor at the publishing house.

He lifted her foot out of the water and massaged the arch. “You have beautiful feet.”

“Mm, that feels wonderful.” She slid down in the water to bring her foot closer.

Buffy grabbed his left foot and massaged it under the water. It thrilled her when John closed his eyes and lost himself to the pleasure she was giving him. She shifted slightly and reached for her champagne flute. The bubbles tickled her nose and then her throat as she drank a healthy amount, almost draining the glass.

“Would you like me to fill it up again for you, love?”

“Nope.” She grinned at him. “One glass and I’m already feeling a buzz.” She sat up and fanned herself.

“You’re getting overheated.” Concerned, he sat up and frowned. “Let’s go sit on the balcony where it’s cooler.”

They got out of the deep tub; he helped her wrap a towel around her torso and then wrapped one around his hips. Turning lights off as they went, John and Buffy stepped out onto the dark balcony and stared out at the ocean, letting the cool breeze chill their still damp skin.

He put his arm around her. “This is nice.” Suddenly, he pointed out at the sand. “Do you see that couple walking out there?”

“Where?” They shuffled closer to the rail and she directed her gaze where he pointed. “The couple holding hands?”

He nodded, turned to face her and put his arms around her waist. His expressive eyes took her in all at once. “I used to see couples like that and mock them. Used to call them stupid wankers or poor sods, but since I met you, I’ve found myself being happy for everybody else. The world is no longer a bleak place, and I want everyone to feel as complete and content as I do now.”

As intense as he was, she forced herself to face him and not hide her feelings from him the way she would have in the past. “I feel the same way.”

Pulling her close, John hugged her and rubbed her towel covered back. He let her go and played with the knot on the towel at her breast. Buffy tilted her head and studied his features. His brow furrowed, his lips pursed; he looked serious.

“I know we haven’t known each other that long, just a few weeks.” He paused, running a hand through hair and gently combing through the damp ends. “It feels like I’ve known you forever. Like my heart has always known you. I hope I don’t scare you off, but I can’t keep it in any longer.” John gazed into her eyes and said simply in his deep voice, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

With an intake of breath, she gripped his forearms to steady herself. “Me too.” She said the words in a rush and then closed her eyes to center herself. When she opened them, he was staring at her in wonder. Buffy ordered herself to calm down. “What I mean is that I’m in love with you too.”

John lifted her up off the balcony floor and kissed her hard. Her elation and his antics had her laughing.

“It’s very hard to kiss you when you’re laughing,” he complained, but with a dazzling smile.

“I’m sorry,” Buffy said through her giddiness, her eyes starting to mist up. “I’m just so happy.”

She jumped at him, hugging him with all her might and cutting off his air supply.

“I need to breathe, Summers,” he croaked.

“Oops!”

As soon as she released him, he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom.

~ * ~ * ~

Buffy pushed her shopping cart down the bread aisle, a small contented smile on her lips, as she paused here and there to choose a couple of types of rolls. The luxury of being able to take her time in a grocery store was foreign to her. Over the years, she’d had other people do it for her, or she’d run in, grab what she needed and get out. Now, she took her time choosing the perfect ingredients for the meal she’d been promising John for a couple of weeks. Her smile widened when she thought of him. He’d probably already let himself in her apartment with the key she’d given him a couple of days ago.

Glancing down at her list, which had check marks next to the things she’d already placed in her cart, she felt really domestic. And it wasn’t a bad feeling, that warm gushiness in the pit of her stomach. It was the kind of emotion she would have sworn she didn’t care about having. Not until she’d found Spike--John. Not until she’d fallen in love with him this second time. Thanks to him, the last three weeks had been the most stress free and happy of her life. The only thing that would have made it perfect was if there were no secrets between them. But she couldn’t do that to him - take away his only known existence and plunge him into the supernatural world.

She didn’t want to think of unpleasant things. Instead, she thought of tonight. It was exciting to plan and prepare to make a meal for him. And it was sad that she had to be in her mid-twenties before she’d ever felt this way.

“Well, well,” Misty said as Buffy turned the corner and into the next aisle. “If it isn’t Little Miss Perfect.”

“Huh?” Buffy glanced behind her to make sure Misty wasn’t talking to someone else.

Misty tossed a can of diced tomatoes into her own cart and sneered at Buffy. “You do know that he’s going to drop you like a bad habit very soon, don’t you?”

Buffy couldn’t help but chuckle. This thing thought she was hot stuff, but Buffy had survived the caustic tongue of Cordelia Chase and compared to her, Misty was just a gnat hitting a windshield.

Puffing herself up with importance, Misty glared at Buffy. “No, really. As long as I’ve known John, the only girl he dated for more than a month was me.” Misty smiled, showing off her perfect porcelain veneers. “I give you less than a week and then it will be ‘buh-bye’ for you.”

Buffy shook her head and watched Misty walk past as the redhead repeatedly mouthed goodbye to her and waved like a parade queen. And she thought Spike had had issues with taking no for an answer. With a giggle, Buffy consulted her list again and resumed the shopping.

~ * ~ * ~

With his laptop perched on his thighs and his bare feet on the coffee table, John sat back on Buffy’s couch and put his glasses on while the computer booted up. He knew Buffy was probably still out running errands, but she’d promised to make dinner for him tonight and had told him to let himself in if he got back from his meeting before she got home.

He’d taken off the bloody stupid loafers, the black dress socks and the horrid tie, but he didn’t bother changing out of the grey slacks and light blue dress shirt. If Buffy was going through all the trouble to make him a nice meal, the least he could do was dress up for it.

John took a deep breath and opened his file for the third book. He only had two more chapters to write and then he’d have to buckle down with the boring work of editing. Even that thought couldn’t discourage him from writing, because his meeting with Gage and the marketing department of the publisher had gone well. That always lit a fire under him, to hear good news about his work. Visits to his website were way up, pre-orders for his sequel to Stalking Summer were going through the roof and they had a solid plan for appearances and book signings. The only thing they encouraged him to do was to update the blog on his website once a week instead of once a month.

Focusing, he scrolled down his manuscript file, skimming the last bits he’d written and then he began tapping away, filling the blank space on his screen with inspired words. He’d been at it for thirty minutes when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked up and blinked. The room had grown dimmer, but not enough to warrant turning on lights yet. The sun was low enough that he could see it out the open balcony doors.

The person knocked again. He grinned as he gingerly set his laptop on the coffee table, closed it and nudged his glasses back closer to his face. Three long strides and he reached the door. Opening it wide he said, “Hands too full to use your key, huh?”

But it wasn’t Buffy at the door. A tall brunette with big blue eyes and long brown hair consulted the sticky note in her hand.

“Um, I think I have the wrong apartment.”

“Who were you looking for?” he asked, grinning at her confused gaze as she continued to frown at her note.

“My sister, Buffy Summers.”

“Then you have the right place.” John stepped out of the way of the door, searching his memory if Buffy had mentioned that the sister that she spoke of so fondly would be stopping by tonight. He thought she lived in London. “She’s running errands right now, but she should be back any minute. Come on in.”

The woman stepped inside and took in the room, heading towards the dining table and kitchen as John turned his back on her to shut the door.

“Wow. When I go on vacation, the Council never springs for a place like this for me.” Her cell phone rang and she frantically dug in her purse for it. “Sorry, just a minute.” She glanced at the caller ID and rolled her eyes. “The boss. He can wait.” And the phone was unceremoniously dumped back into her purse. She looked at John straight on for the first time since he’d opened the door. “I’m Dawn.” She paused awkwardly and when he just smiled at her she asked, “So, who are you?”

He liked this girl immediately and it was obvious that she was Buffy’s sister. He walked to her with his hand outstretched. “I’m Buffy’s boyfriend.”

She shook his hand, and he suddenly felt self-conscious. Dawn was looking at him funny. He wondered if he had something on his face. Or maybe she found him lacking in some way. He backed away from her when she started hyperventilating.

“Oh my God! Oh, my, God!” she exclaimed, fanning herself. “Is it really you?”

She went very still and John took another step away from her, not understanding her reaction to him at all. Buffy’s little sister seemed to think she knew who he was. He was utterly confused and yet, her reaction to him was connecting with those little nagging doubts he’d been having.

Dawn started babbling as she shook her hand in his direction, her voice going up an octave with every word. “I mean, the hair, the glasses and…the clothes! I didn’t recognize you at first.”

She shocked the hell out of him when, without warning, she launched herself at him and gave him a big hug. John had no idea what to do with his hands. He gently patted her shoulder, until she took a step back.

“I’m confused,” John finally said, now that he could get a word in. “Have we met before?”

He was taken aback by the tears streaming down her face. She shook her head. “Don’t tease me, Spike. Not now at least. Later you can tease me all you want, but let me get used to the idea that you’re alive first, okay?”