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Not Your Ordinary Walk in the Park by Sandy
 
Chapter 5
 
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When she awoke the next morning there was no confusion as to whose body she was pressed against. She'd rolled over again in the night and lay half on top of him; her head resting on his shoulder, her bent leg snuggled between his thighs, her knee resting on his crotch.

He was lying flat on his back and his right arm was wrapped around her, holding her securely to him. She opened her eyes and looked at her hand resting on the black-clad expanse of his chest. His hand rested on top of hers with his fingers curled under her palm, his thumb across the back of her hand.

Buffy's breath caught in her throat when his thumb began to slide lightly across her skin. She felt as if an electrical charge was passing through her body and her heartbeat accelerated. Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him.

He was awake and looking at her with a hesitant, watchful, slightly vulnerable expression on his face. It tugged at her mind that she'd seen that expression on him before, but she couldn't quite grasp when or where. They stared at each other, the only movement the sensuous motion of Spike's thumb brushing her over-sensitized flesh and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. And then she felt his arm tighten around her. Felt him pulling her to him. Saw his head moving toward her, his eyes darkening, felt his cock springing to life beneath her leg.

Buffy gasped and pulled away from him, jumping to her feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed breathlessly.

The expression on his face changed immediately. The sultry look was gone, replaced by a mocking smirk.

"What, no snog this morning, Slayer?"

"God, you're such a pig, Spike," Buffy exclaimed as she turned away from him and left the clearing. She was trembling as she made her way deep into the woods to relieve herself. From anger, she told herself. He made her so angry. That was why her hands were trembling as she pushed her way through the brush.

***

He was gone when she returned to the campsite. Not knowing whether to stay put or attempt to follow him, Buffy dithered a bit, checking to make sure the campfire was out and that they hadn't left anything lying around forgotten. Not that they actually had anything to leave behind. She was making one final sweep of the area when she heard a thrashing in the underbrush and a horrible squeal. Pushing her way through the thick growth, she came upon Spike, fangs sunk deep into the neck of a struggling animal about the size of a fawn. She watched in fascinated revulsion as the animal's struggles slowed and then stopped.

Spike lifted his head and gazed at her, his golden eyes feral looking, his face stained with blood. Buffy shuddered and turned away, trying to push down the nausea that threatened.

"Not going all girly on me, are you, Slayer?" he asked mockingly from behind her. "Not going to faint?"

She turned to face him. He wore his human face again and he'd cleaned the blood from around his mouth.

She lifted her chin. "No, Spike," she answered with forced calm. "Nothing you do could make me faint."

He raised one eyebrow, a speculative look coming over his face. "That a challenge? Because I'm up for it if it is, and I can think of at least one thing I could do that would make you faint." His expression became darkly sensual and he leaned in closer. "Something you'd enjoy," he added his voice a deep husky whisper. Buffy felt her face flush and her heartbeat speed up.

She turned away from him. "Where's the fruit tree?" she asked, changing the subject. She was quite proud of the fact that her voice barely trembled.

She felt him come up and stand close behind her. She was afraid he was going to touch her and didn't understand the flash of disappointment when all he did was point to an area to her left.

"Right over there about a hundred yards."

Buffy nodded and walked away from him, drawing deep gulps of air into her lungs once she was out of his presence. What was wrong with her? She hadn't wanted him touching her. That was the last thing she wanted.

Really.

It was.

***

The terrain began to rise sharply and the going became rougher. Buffy was sweating from the exertion of the climb, and she'd tied her jacket around her waist. Her stamina was flagging again and she kept losing her footing, slipping and falling to her knees. Spike led the way and seemed determined to ignore her, not even commenting on all the noise she was making. They were climbing up over a steep rocky patch when Buffy lost her footing completely. With a cry, she started to slide back down the path, crashing into rocks and sharp stones. One of the rocks she hit ripped a gash into her upper arm and Buffy cried out from the pain. She finally came to rest against a tree trunk. Spike skidded to a halt beside her almost immediately, a look of concern on his face.

"Slayer! You all right?"

Buffy managed to push herself into a sitting position and pulled her tattered sleeve aside revealing a long bloody gash.

"Let me see," Spike said, grabbing hold of her bleeding arm. She tried to tug away from him, but he wouldn't let go.

"Doesn't look deep," he said thickly. Her eyes widened in shock when he lowered his head and ran his tongue up the length of the gash. Buffy gasped at the touch of his tongue on her skin and she felt heat flare through her body. Her heart started racing and her breathing sped up, but then she remembered what he was, how dangerous what he was doing was, and she began to panic, pulling her arm, struggling to get away from him as he licked again.

"Stop it, Spike! Stop it!"

He raised his head and looked at her through eyes gone gold. Buffy's hand located a rock and she brought it forward, intending to smash it into his head. He grabbed her arm before the rock made contact. Angry blue eyes stared at her.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Protecting myself," she snapped as she finally tugged her arm loose from his grasp.

Spike rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, you stupid bint? I'm not going to eat you."

"Yeah? Well, excuse me, but it sure looked to me like you were about to go all bloodlusty," she exclaimed, scooting away from him and holding her wounded arm.

"Christ, Summers, it was a tiny taste. I didn't hurt you. I didn't even change faces."

"Your eyes changed."

"What?"

"Your eyes. They went all demony."

He looked at her in surprise. "Oh. Well, I still wasn't going to bite you. Just don't see the sense in letting good blood go to waste, is all."

"Well, keep your tongue to yourself, Spike. My blood is off limits."

Spike sighed. "Right. We need to bandage that cut. Don't want it to get infected."

Buffy looked at her wound. He was right that it wasn't deep, and if she had her slayer powers, it would be almost healed already. But she didn't and it wasn't so a bandage was probably a good idea. With a sigh of regret, she raised the hem of her top to reveal the silk camisole she wore underneath.

"Cut a piece off of this to use," she instructed.

Spike grinned and reached into his coat for the knife. "I was wondering when we'd get to the part of this adventure where the lady sacrifices an undergarment."

After he had her arm bandaged, he made her proceed in front of him. "Just do it, and don't argue with me for once. If you fall again, I can catch you, and if we both fall, I can cushion you. I don't want to have to carry you if you break a leg, Summers."

It was the last sentence that made her turn away from him and take the lead. She gritted her teeth every time they came to an especially steep part of the path and Spike had to put his hand on her butt to give her a boost. She couldn't help but think that he was enjoying that just a little too much.

When they finally reached the top of the hill they'd been climbing, Buffy collapsed, sucking breath into her lungs as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Here."

She looked up to see Spike holding out a flask.

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "Ew. I don't think so, thanks."

"It's not whiskey," Spike said in exasperation. "It's water. I drank all the whiskey and filled the flask back at the stream."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You've had this all the time and you didn't tell me? I've been dying of thirst!"

"You'd have drunk it all up by now if I'd told you. Drink it now and then we can start down. I want to get off this hill before sunset."

Buffy snatched the flask from him, twisted off the cap and drank deeply. When she lowered it again, he reached into his duster pocket and pulled out another fruit. He held it out to her wordlessly.

Buffy flushed, realizing how ungracious she'd just been.

Taking the fruit from his hand, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thanks, Spike."

"'s okay, Slayer."

She looked up at him again, their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. Lowering her eyes again, she brought the fruit to her mouth and began to eat.
 
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