Las Vegas, Nevada
One year later...
< Finally... > Willow thought to herself, < Time alone... >
She had been running since she stepped off the plane. Her flight from Chicago had been delayed so her arrival was late. She immediately hopped in a cab and sped towards the convention center, only to be stuck in traffic for over an hour.
"Over 100 thousand extra people come to town for Comdex, and they're all headed the same place you are," the cabbie told her.
< Damn, damn, damn... this is NOT going to be a good trip... >
Now, several hours later, she was finally trudging down the hall to her hotel room, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and start this whole trip all over again tomorrow.
She opened the hotel room door and walked inside, dropping her purse and briefcase on the bed. The bellhop following behind her placed her suitcase on the stand by the television and hung her hanging bag in the closet.
Handing him five dollars, she shut the door behind him after placing the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and locked the deadbolt.
< I wonder if vampires like Vegas? It’s a twenty-four hour town… you’d think they’d be drawn to that. > she thought to herself, wondering over to the window and pulling the curtains back.
She was on the 29th floor and had a spectacular view of the city. The neon flashed below her as she watched the pirate battle going on many floors beneath her, cannons exploding, men jumping overboard, ships sinking. Willow barely noticed as she lost herself in thought about vampires.
One vampire in particular.
< Son of a bitch... >
The phone by her bed rang, interrupting her thoughts.
< No... don’t want to talk to anybody... >
Knowing she’d feel guilty if she didn’t, she answered it.
“Hello?”
"Hey, Rosenberg, you better get down here to the lounge now," said the voice of one of her co-workers.
“No, Ryan, not tonight. I’m just tired and want to get some sleep...”
“McAlester is down here buying drinks, and he’s asking about you.”
“Mr. McAlester?” Willow asked, wondering why the owner of the company was concerned with meeting her.
“The one and only... I wouldn’t blow this by hiding in your room tonight.”
“I’ll be right down.”
Going to the closet, she unzipped her hanging bag and pulled out a cocktail dress. It wasn’t too fancy, emerald green silk, spaghetti straps, and a v-neck that showed just the right amount of cleavage. The color almost perfectly matched her eyes, and with her flaming red hair, she was certain to turn heads. Pausing to run a brush through her hair, she threw on a pair of low pumps and headed for the elevator.
Settling at the bar, she ordered a martini and waved to Ryan, calling him over.
“So, where is the big guy?” she asked.
“Not here... he just disappeared a few minutes ago.”
“Damn it! Great... I rush down here, and the son of a bitch isn’t even here now.”
“Oh, uh, Willow... allow me to introduce you to Mr. McAlester...” Ryan stuttered.
She hadn’t noticed as the man had slipped up behind her at the bar. She felt her cheeks turning crimson as she turned to face the man who owned the company.
He stood there wearing a crooked smirk, looking perfect. He wore a black, well-tailored, very expensive suit. One hand was in his pocket, the other smoothed his hair back. He looked like a GQ ad.
Jumping from her barstool, she sent the martini that the waiter had sat in front of her sprawling across the bar.
“You’d better bring her another,” Angel instructed the bartender, chuckling, “I think she’s doing to need it.”
"You? You’re McAlester?” she said, disbelieving.
“Hello to you, too,” he leaned in, gently kissing her cheek, “And, yes, I’m McAlester.”
Willow clutched her chest, barely able to breathe.
"Wha...? Where did y...? Bastard!"
Angel grabbed her by the elbow, “C’mon, let’s get out of here so we can talk...”
“No! I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Tinkerbell, we need to talk...”
“Don’t you dare call me that...”
“Fine, Ms. Rosenberg... as your boss, I insist that we have a meeting... now!”
Without giving much thought to the consequences of her actions, she grabbed the new martini that the bartender had just set down and threw it in Angel’s face.
With finesse and a great deal of restraint, the vampire wiped his face with several cocktail napkins, and tried to dab the liquid off his expensive suit. He brushed off Ryan, who tried to help his boss, confused as to the drama unfolding before his eyes.
Willow grabbed her purse off the bar and took off running from the lounge, Angel close behind. She ran towards the elevators, pausing only to wave her room key at the security guard. As Angel ran past with her, she stopped, turning back to the guard.
“No, not him... he’s not with me.”
With an exasperated smirk, Angel waved his own key at the guard.
“Good evening, Mr. McAlester, nice night for it...”
Willow frantically pounded on the up button, wishing for nothing more than to have a Hellmouth open up and swallow her.
Angel stood behind her, watching her lithe form angrily assaulting the button, slightly bemused.
“So, what? You own the hotel, too?”
Angel laughed, despite himself, “No, I don’t.”
Suddenly the door opened up, and Willow jumped inside. Angel followed closely behind and the door shut. Willow pushed the button for her floor, and waited for Angel to push another button.
“Well? What floor?”
“Willow, we’re going to talk, so just accept it. Why the hell are you so mad at me?”
“You’re joking, right?” Stepping closer to him, she whacked him with her purse.
“Ouch, Willow?!”
She whacked him again, backing him into a corner of the elevator.
Enjoying the sight of the cowering vampire, she hit him again... and again and again.
“You arrogant, egotistical, insolent, conceited jack-ass! Did you really think you could just stroll up to me and everything would be fine?” She punctuated each word with a blow from her purse.
Mercifully, the elevator door opened and she jumped out, once again with Angel following her. She unlocked her door and went inside, trying to slam the door behind her. She wasn’t quick enough, or strong enough and Angel easily grabbed the door and pushed his way inside.
She dropped her purse on the bed and kicked her heels off, walking back towards the window.
She leaned against the small round table by her window, causing it to sway, sending the room service menu and a couple of magazines flying to the floor.
Willow bent to pick them up, then hurled them at Angel.
"Hey! What are you doing?" he asked, ducking the booklets easily.
"A year... a YEAR since I've seen you, and you just come traipsing in... well, lurking around... my life?!" Willow began pacing around the room, brushing past Angel.
Almost casually, she unzipped her suitcase, flipping it open.
"Willow, I..."
"Shut up!" Her hands fell on her curling iron. Without thinking, she spun and flung it at him, hitting him squarely in the chest.
"Ow! Will..."
He was cut off as a shoe bounced off his shoulder. Quickly turning away, he barely missed getting hit by its partner, which grazed his arm.
"Willow, would you stop that?"
The answer was an obvious no as her deodorant hit him on the back of the head. He turned back to her, the exasperation and confusion evident on his face.
“I don’t get it, Will? What’s wrong?”
“How can you even ask me that?” she screamed, hitting him with her toothbrush, “You left me a year ago, and now you just show up like nothing’s changed? As my BOSS!?”
“You TOLD me to leave,” he shouted, ducking as a bottle of perfume crashed into the wall behind him.
“Jesus Christ, Willow,” he hissed, realizing the what the bottle really contained as it splashed on his skin, “Holy water?”
“I didn’t tell you to disappear for a year! I thought you’d be gone a week or two...” She grabbed her briefcase in both hands, swinging it firmly behind her back before unleashing it with all her might in Angel’s direction.
He tried to catch it, unsuccessfully, and took the full brunt of the throw right in his chest, causing him to stumble backwards and knock a lamp off the dresser.
Willow brushed past him and grabbed the lamp off the floor, swinging it at Angel, catching him right in his lower back.
“OUCH! Damn it, Willow, CUT IT OUT!”
“Fuck you!” She stood glaring at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. She reached back into her suitcase and, running out of heavy objects, began flinging clothes at him.
“I let you into my life, and, yes, I told you to leave... but a YEAR!?”
“You wanted me to be sure of my feelings,” he implored to her, as a lace bra hit him in the face < Nice >.
“It took THAT long?” She found another shoe and lobbed it at him.
“A year might be a long time for you, Will, but in my life, it’s not all that long...”
“In OUR life it’s a hell of a long time. I’m not going to live forever, remember?”
“How could I ever forget that? But I had to clear all the cobwebs out of my life.”
Running out of clothes, she tossed the suitcase at him.
“It was that hard to decide whether or not you loved me?” She moved to the bedside table, ripping the drawer open.
Angel ducked as the white pages flew past his head, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid the yellow pages that almost ripped his shoulder out of his socket. Recovering from that blow, he never saw Willow grab the Bible, wind up, and throw it with all her might. It hit him smack dab in the middle of his forehead, doubling him over in pain as he grabbed his head.
“God damn it, Willow, if you don’t stop throwing things at me, I’m going to...”
“What? Snap my neck?”
As soon as she said it, she wished she could take it back. The look of pain that crossed Angel’s face was far worse than she had ever imagined seeing.
“I’m sorry, Willow. I guess I shouldn’t have come here,” he said dryly, straightening up and walking towards the door.
“Angel, wait... Don’t...” She caught his arm, “Please? I’m sorry... You know I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did...”
“No, Angel... I’m mad at you, and I wanted to say something that would hurt you as badly as I’ve been hurting for the past year, but I didn’t mean it. You know I didn’t...” she begged him.
“Willow, you were the one person that I thought could separate me from what the demon did... I guess I was wrong...”
“No, Angel, you weren’t. You know me better than that...” she tried to wrap her arms around his waist, but he pulled away, trying to open the door.
Willow flung her back against the door, refusing to let him leave, “Angel, we need to talk. I’m sorry for what I said. That was mean and hateful and totally unfair. Please don’t go...”
Again she tried to slide her arms around him. He let her this time, relishing the feeling of her small body wrapped tightly against his. He held back, though, not daring to allow himself to touch her.
“God, Angel,” she cried, “I’ve missed you so much... After you left, I waited a month for you... for a phone call or anything... Nothing. Then I threw myself into school, but that only lasted until graduation. Then I hung around New York all summer, hoping you’d show up, sitting on my balcony praying that I’d look up and find you there. But you never came, so I finally gave up. I accepted this job and moved to Chicago... but I guess you know all that, since you own the damn company,” she pulled back, slapping Angel with all her might.
“Willow, what? What did I do now?” he asked, rubbing his sore jaw.
“God, you can be so dense! I thought that maybe, just maybe, I had gotten this really fabulous job all on my own! Why in the hell would you do this?” she reared back and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could.
“Ouch, damn it, Willow! For you... for us. So that we could be together, spend time together...”
“Spend time together?! That’s odd... I haven’t seen you since you gave me this damn job, or talked to you, either.”
“Yes, you have... remember all the emails?”
“Oh, yeah, that counts,” she replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice, “Little memos and updates... real meaningful conversation... I can’t believe you. You only hired me so you could keep your eye on me... keep me under your thumb...”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Willow. I’m going to live forever, remember? And that costs a lot of money... I bought this company with the intention of turning it over to you to run because I know that you’ll take care of it! If I didn’t think you could do it, I would have never hired you.”
“Yeah, sure,” she sniffled.
Grabbing her by the shoulders, he gently shook her, “Damn it, Willow, I’m serious. God, I can’t ever do anything right when it comes to you...”
“Quit sneaking up on me, and quit sneaking around behind my back...”
“Pack you stuff up and come up to my room, please?” he implored.
“Why the hell would I want to do that?”
“So that I don’t have to sneak around anymore, and we can work this out and I can make things right by you...”
“Why can’t you do that here?”
“Your room has too much sunlight. Mine has darkened windows and thicker drapes.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a long time til morning. I’m not going anywhere with you until I understand why it took you a year to make your presence known to me.”
“I told you why, Will...”
“Yeah, and now I want the real reason.”
Angel sighed and sank into one of the chairs, running his fingers through his dark, martini-soaked locks, “It’s really pretty simple. I was embarrassed. Confused...”
“Why? Confused about what?”
“Willow, the longer I was away from you, the harder it was to come back into your life...”
“Angel, I don’t...”
“Shh... let me finish. I don’t deserve you, Tink. You are such an incredible woman, worthy of so much more than a monster like me...”
“Angel, don--”
“Don’t say it, Willow,” Angel released another long sigh.
“Boy, you sure sigh a lot for someone with no breath,” she mused.
“Some habits never die. Will, I fully expected you to forget about me and go on with your life. I thought that the longer I was gone, you’d realize that I’m not the man you want, or need, and that you’d meet some other guy that could share your nights AND your days. And when you accepted this job and moved to Chicago, I really thought that you had moved on...”
“Then why show up now?”
“Selfishness. I’m so damned miserable without you that I had to see you for myself. I had to see with my own eyes that you’re all right, and to prove to myself that you don’t need me.”
“You’ve been spying on me for years... why not just keep on spying?”
“That got me in a lot of trouble the last time I did it.”
“Trouble? What happened between us was trouble?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, Angel, I don’t. That was the most wonderful night of my entire life. I had dreamed about being with you for so long, loved you for what felt like forever, and then suddenly, I had you,” Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks, “Are you saying that you regret that night? You regret making love to me?”
“God, Willow, no. That’s not what I meant at all.”
Willow moved to the window, once again looking down at the scene below her on the Las Vegas strip. Angel moved from his chair to stand behind her, seeing her face reflected in the glass, a face etched in misery.
He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, softly stroking her arms. His chin rested on top of her head, reveling in the feel and smell of his Willow.
“Willow, I fell in love with you that night. It was incredible. Being with you in that way, the one person that has always accepted me and given me unconditional love, and being able to caress, and taste, and love you back was... Will, words can’t express what that night means to me. You changed my world, for the better. But, I can’t help but think that I’ve made your life worse.”
“My life is only worse because you’ve not been in it.”
“I’m so sorry, Will. I-I don’t know what to do to make it better...”
Willow turned from the window to face him.
“Stay with me, Angel. Be a part of my life again. I know we don’t have forever, and I know it’s not going to be easy, but we have to try. Isn’t love worth it?”
When she looked up at him with her huge green eyes, Angel knew he could refuse her nothing.
“Ok, Willow. Anything you want... anything to make you happy...”
“Not just me, Angel. I want US to be happy.”
“Being with you does make me happy. I know I don’t deserve it, but I can’t help it. You make me happy,” He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, “I love you, Willow.”
“I love you, too.”
An hour later, they had gathered Willow’s belongings that were scattered around the hotel room and moved her into Angel’s suite of rooms.
“A bit extravagant, isn’t it?” she asked, taking in the lush surroundings.
They were standing in the living room. A small kitchen was on the left side, and to the right was the huge master bedroom. A balcony led off of the living room, showing off a spectacular view of the strip. The living room contained two couches, along with several large easy chairs, and a gigantic fireplace that covered most of one wall.
“To get the darkened windows, I had to lay down quite a bit of cash. Wait til you see the tub in the master bath…”
“Say no more, I understand.”
“Can I kiss you yet?”
“I don’t know... I think I should stay mad at you a bit longer. I’m still not quite over everything you’ve told me tonight, and I think I still have a lot of questions to ask you.”
“C’mon... just one kiss, then you can ask me anything you want.”
Willow melted looking into his chocolatey brown puppy-dog eyes.
“Well... maybe just one...”
Cutting her off, Angel slid his arms around her slender waist and crushed his lips against hers. Willow leaned into his body, accepting his mouth. As the kiss grew deeper, she held him tighter, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair, plunging her tongue into his mouth. He suddenly pulled away, holding her at arms length.
“Wha...?” she asked, swooning.
“One kiss, remember?” he teased, “I want you to ask all your questions and have all this out of the way before we go any further.”
“Ok, fine... evil man...” she muttered under her breath.
They sat on the couch together, with Willow leaning back into his arms. He caressed her slowly, massaging her shoulders and arms.
“If you keep doing that, I won’t remember any of the questions that I have to ask you...”
“Do you really want me to stop?”
“No... but just don’t distract me,” she chastised.
“First question?”
“Did you really give me this job because you trust me to take care of your company, or so you could keep an eye on me?”
“I bought it to make money, yes. I’m putting you in charge of it because I know that this is what you love, and I know that you’re the best person for the job, and I bought it so that I would have an excuse to keep you in my life forever...”
“Angel, you know we don’t have forever... I’m at my peak now... in a few years I’m going to start becoming an old lady... It’s a nice romantic notion, but I don’t want my sexy young vampire boyfriend taking care of me when I’m 90, changing my Depends and spoon-feeding me mushy oatmeal, and watching me die...”
“I will take care of you as long as I can, Willow, and I know that we don’t have forever. Which is why I don’t want us to dwell on that. We have a long time... a long time to love each other. I don’t want to think about the future. I want to spend every minute concentrating on what we have, not what we have to lose someday...”
“I... I... I don’t really know how to respond, Angel. I want to be with you forever... maybe you could, you know, change me...”
“NO! Willow, no... I could never do that to you... I could never take your soul.”
“You could restore it... I could show you how to do the ritual...”
“No way, Willow... I won’t. You don’t know what it’s like to watch everyone you know and love die. It’s the worst thing possible. I won’t make you do that.”
“Angel, that is part of life. We watch our grandparents, and parents and friends and family die. But we would be together... forever...”
“You can’t change my mind on this. I love you too much. End of story, end of conversation.”
“But...”
“No, no buts. I’m not kidding, Will... this is not an option.”
Willow knew without even looking at his face that he was serious. The dark timbre of his voice told her that. She also knew that this was something that she didn’t need to be seriously concerned about this for a long time. She had several years to convince him to change her.
“Ok, Angel... subject dropped.”
Willow felt his arms relax around her.
“So, do you live in LA?”
“Yeah. Maybe you could move out there?”
“I don’t know... it’s kinda sudden, isn’t it? I mean, what would my parents say?”
“Marry me, then.”
“What?”
“If you’re concerned about what people will think, marry me. We are in the wedding capital of the world...”
This Willow wasn’t expecting.
“You can’t be serious,” Willow quickly sat up, “Are you serious?”
“Well, yes and no... I mean, I was teasing, but I was raised back in the day when a gentleman married the woman he planned on spending his life with...”
“I can’t marry you, Angel. Not yet, anyway... I’m serious about my parents and all that. Before I get married, I’d, at the very least, want my folks to meet you. And moving to LA? I don’t know, Angel. Why can’t you move to Chicago?”
“Hellmouth and all that... There are things going on there that I need to take care of, things I don’t want you to worry about.”
“I can’t move to Los Angeles if you don’t tell me what’s going on...”
“Just typical vampire and demon things... maybe you should stay in Chicago for the time being...”
“C’mon, Angel, what’s going on?”
“Willow, I swear, it’s nothing out of the ordinary... Just the same old thing. I just don’t want you to worry about it.”
“Fine, then, I’ll forget about it. I won’t move to LA, and I won’t marry you...”
Angel sniffled dramatically, “Turning me down? I’m hurt.”
“If you’re REALLY nice, I could probably make it all better...”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah...”
Willow turned on the couch to face Angel, planting a wet kiss on his smiling lips.
“But first, I need a bath. It’s been a long damn day and I feel like I look... and smell... like Hell.”
“Now,” Angel said, kissing the tip of her nose, “We both know that you smell better than Hell, and you certainly look better, too.”
“Whatever, I’m still
taking a bath. Didn’t you say something about a tub?”
Twenty minutes later, Willow was relaxing in the biggest bathtub she’d ever seen in her life. It was in the center of the bathroom, sunk into the floor. She had filled it almost to the edge with steamy hot water and half a bottle of bubble bath, and was feeling blissfully relaxed. Her life was, for the moment, perfect.
She never noticed Angel slipping into the room, or sitting on the edge of the tub. He dipped his hand into the water, and slowly stroked her inner thigh.
Water splashed over the edge as Willow leapt in fear.
“Damn it, Angel... no more sneaking up on me!”
“I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you,” he grinned, continuing his exploration of her leg as she settled back into the tub, “It’s not my fault that you were in another world.”
“Actually, it was... God, that feels good... I was lying here thinking about you ,and how... a little harder... there... that’s it... and how perfect my life is right now, thanks to you... You know, this tub is big enough for two...”
Willow reached up, grabbing Angel by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in the water on top of her, sending the water splashing and swelling over the edges.
Angel slid his arms around her, pressing a hard kiss against her expectant lips. She wrapped her legs around his body as he crushed his pelvis against her, his waterlogged pants and shirt becoming an uncomfortable barrier between them.
He had already lost his jacket and tie, along with his shoes and socks. His shirt was unbuttoned and Willow easily peeled it off his shoulders.
Placing his hands on the edge of the tub, Angel lifted him up as she unfastened his pants, sliding them down to his knees, along with his boxers. Getting them the rest of the way off proved to be a more difficult task as more water splashed from the tub as Willow leaned forward to tug them off. They landed with a splut on the floor along side his shirt.
Angel lowered him on top of her again, groaning at the feel of her wet, naked body against his. She rested her feet on the side of the tub, urging him inside of her.
“You are an impatient little thing,” he told her, clasping his lips around one pink nipple that was peeking out of the bubbles.
“Oh, God,” she moaned, running her fingers through his hair and down his back.
Feeling her body press upwards against his, Angel cupped her other breast in his hand, tenderly running his thumb across the nipple.
Willow spoke in gasps, “Angel. I don’t think...I... ah. Can. Wait. Much... Ohh. Longer.”
Angel chuckled, moving back to her lips to kiss her deeply. He snaked his hand between their bodies and plunged a finger deep inside her.
“It’s going to be a long night, Tink,” he informed her, lazily circling her clitoris with his thumb.
“Angel, please!” Willow begged.
He complied with her wishes, applying more pressure with his thumb.
“Oh, God, Angel...”
Angel pressed another finger inside of her, rubbing her swollen nub harder, feeling Willow begin to tense underneath him.
“C’mon, Willow, come for me,” Angel purred against her lips, coaxing her orgasm out of her.
He continued to thrust his fingers inside of her, curving them upwards, massaging her elusive g-spot. His thumb worked in a rhythm, alternating stroking and applying pressure.
His mouth moved to her ear, nibbling on the soft skin, suckling the lobe between his teeth.
“I love you, Tinkerbell,” he whispered, “Now come...”
Willow exploded beneath him, crying out behind a burst of colors that danced in her eyes as her climax ripped through her body. Angel continued his sweet torments, drawing out her orgasm as long as he could before taking mercy on her and pulling his hand away.
Willow caught his face between her hands and kissed him deeply, rolling her tongue against his.
Angel carefully lifted himself out of the tub, then helped Willow out. Her legs were like Jello as she leaned against his strong, hard body for support as he dried her with a huge fluffy towel.
He started with her hair and worked his way down, rubbing her dry and working the kinks out of her tired body with his talented hands.
He knelt in the floor as he toweled off her legs and feet when she suddenly pushed him backwards and straddled his legs.
“WILLOW!”
“Shh... it’s your turn now...”
Willow took him softly into her hands, running her fingers from the head to the tip, applying firm pressure, eliciting a moan from the vampire.
She leaned forward, keeping one hand wrapped around him, and nuzzled his chest, running her tongue across his nipples.
Unconsciously, he started to thrust against her. Willow raised herself up to her knees, moving slightly forward. She positioned him at her entrance, lowering herself just slightly as the tip of his manhood entered her.
With a strangled cry, she lowered herself, feeling her body expand to accommodate Angel’s huge member. She began to move her hips in small circles, intently watching Angel’s face, watching him respond under her ministrations.
His eyes were clinched tightly shut, and his hands clutched at the towel beneath him. His strong mouth fell open, a continual cross between a growl and a moan spilling from his lips.
Willow raked her nails across his chest and he began to slowly thrust up into her.
Suddenly, he pulled himself up dragging her into his arms as he continued to thrust. Their lips met in a wet kiss, their lips barely touching as their tongues danced together before being forced apart by their movements. They stared into each other’s lust filled eyes as their lips brushed against each other with each thrust.
Willow rocked her hips against him, crushing her core against his pelvic bone. Willow felt her stomach tighten as her second orgasm drew near, and though she longed to hold back to wait for Angel, she couldn’t. Throwing her head back, she came with a hiccuped sigh and a load moan.
She slumped forward, burying her face against Angel’s shoulder. Angel continued to thrust lightly into her body as he brushed her damp hair away from her face, kissing her cheeks softly. Willow snaked her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.
“That one was supposed to be for you,” she murmured.
“Next one is all mine, Tink,” he told her, lifting her spent body off of his.
Standing, he reached down and lifted her into his muscular arms and carried her to the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed, admiring his Willow.
“God, you are so incredibly beautiful...” he crawled between her legs, working one hand between them as he stretched out over her body. She was still wet, and her lips were still inflamed as he positioned himself to reenter her.
He thrust into her deeply, pulling another cry from Willow’s throat. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his body, drumming her heels against his lower back as he pumped her small body. He was quickly moving towards the edge as Willow began to mumble.
“Harder, Angel... Oh... God, Angel...”
He picked up his tempo, pumping furiously, when suddenly Willow reached between their bodies and began touching herself.
Angel erupted, shooting his seed deep inside her before collapsing on top of her. As he slowly regained his senses, Willow’s labored breathing told him that she needed yet another release. He quickly pulled out of her and lowered his face between her legs. As soon as his tongue touched her swollen nub, she began to tremble. Catching it gently between his teeth, he stroked her with his tongue, his fingers holding her lips apart as he abruptly forced two fingers inside of her. He massaged her inner walls as she came again, bucking against his tongue.
A few minutes later as they gathered their wits about them, Angel snuggled Willow into his arms, chuckling.
“Three times within half an hour, Willow?”
“It’s not my fault that all you have to do is look at me and I come...”
“I love it, Tink. I love that you’re just a big bunch of sensitive nerve endings just waiting for me to explore.”
“I love you,” she replied.
They fell into an easy sleep. When morning came, Willow jumped out of bed and rushed for the shower.
“Hey, where’re you going?” Angel called after her.
“Las Vegas, Comdex, big convention, work... any of that sound familiar?”
“Will, you don’t have to go. I’m the boss, remember? And I’m not going.”
“You’re not going because you can’t go out in the sun. I made quite a scene in the bar last night, and I don’t intend to have people thinking that I can slack off on the job because I’m fucking the boss.”
“Such language... you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“No, just you,”
she yelled as she turned on the shower.
Angel spent the rest of the day pacing around his suite, firing off emails from his laptop, some to the other employees, some to Willow that leaned on the suggestive side.
“WRosenberg:
Tonight, we
try for four... or maybe five, even, if we get an earlier start and you
don’t dump any martinis on me, or hit me with any lamps.
AMcAlester”
“AMcAlester:
You are going
to feel like such an ass if anyone else gets hold of these emails...
WRosenberg”
“WRosenberg:
Are you trying
to blackmail me, Ms. Rosenberg? I am, after all, still your boss.
AMcAlester”
“AMcAlester:
I don’t need
to blackmail you... I can just withhold sex...
WRosenberg”
Finally, around six o’clock, Willow returned to the room. Angel jumped from his chair and gathered her into his arms, inhaling her scent.
“Thank God. I’ve been going nuts cooped up in this room without you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” she replied, kissing him, “And as much as I’d like to get started on those four... five... orgasms, I’m starving. You have to buy me dinner.”
“My pleasure... anything to get out of this room for awhile.”
Angel took her to an Italian restaurant called Battista’s. They first shared a bottle of red wine, and talked business. Angel didn’t really have much hands on experience running the company, but he was surprisingly business savvy.
“I’ve been around for 250 years. No one is going to take care of me, except for me,” he explained, “I could trust lawyers and stockbrokers with my money, but I’ve been burned in the past. I deal mainly with one law firm that’s had my accounts for nearly one hundred years. They’re on retainer and they don’t ask any questions. I trust them as much as anyone should trust a lawyer, but I’ve learned to keep a close eye on my own assets.”
“Angel, I’m not ready to handle this company all by myself. Please, don’t do anything goofy like try to turn it over to me right now.”
“I know that, Tink. Besides, if I put you in charge now, you’d be way too busy to ever spend any time with me. But, you know, someday it will be yours.”
“No, not mine... ours, perhaps.”
“We really need to figure out what we’re going to do, Will.”
“I know. Please, Angel, tell me that you won’t disappear again,” she pleaded.
“You have my word. From now on, no more hiding. I don’t ever want to let you go again.”
“So, how’re we going to work this? I don’t know how serious you were last night, but I really don’t want to move to Los Angeles... For the same reasons that you feel that you need to stay there. Can’t you just leave? I mean, I think you deserve a break from fighting evil every time you turn around.”
“Willow, I can’t do that, and you know it. My reason for being here is so that I can try and do some good, to try to make up for all the things I did...” his voice trailed off.
Willow grabbed his hand across the table, “I know, Angel, I know. But I’m worried about you. I want to keep you close at hand... where I can protect you.”
Angel couldn’t suppress the chuckle that escaped his lips, “Protect me?”
“I may be little, but I can cast a mean spell, and you know it!”
“I’ll be fine, Tinkerbell. The vampires in Los Angeles are idiots. It’s just that being so close to the Hellmouth, it attracts them like flies.”
“I still don’t like it...”
“That’s not the only reason I don’t think you should move to Los Angeles...”
Willow gave him a puzzled look.
“This is going to sound incredibly human of me, but I… I don’t think we’re ready for it yet.”
Willow bit her bottom lip, furiously trying to stifle her giggle.
“What’s so funny about that?”
“That’s just such a… a guy thing to say, Angel. ‘We’re not ready for it yet’,” she mocked his voice.
“I’m glad you find my honesty so amusing.”
“Explain further, please,” she commanded.
“You know my previous relationships haven’t gone real well. I haven’t had much success. I… I just don’t want us to jump into this big relationship thing and screw it all up.”
Willow sat silently.
“Do you hate me?” he asked.
“Hate you? God, no. Angel, I… it’s just so… I don’t know. I just didn’t expect to hear that. I agree, though. I think we should try taking this at a normal pace. Just please, please don’t disappear on me again. Please.”
Angel brushed a strand of her red hair away from her face, “Never, Will. I promise. You will know where I am every minute of every day.”
“And, Angel?” Willow said, hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“I think we need to tell the others that you’re alive. Cordy, Xander and Oz still don’t know I brought you back. I’d tell Buffy and Giles, too, but I don’t know where they are,” she added quietly.
“Willow, I don’t know… they hate me, remember?”
“They hate Angelus.”
Reaching across the table, she ran her fingers through his thick hair, pulling him close for a quick kiss.
“You’re not him, Angel. They’ll understand.”
“Are you sure of that? Xander hated me before…”
“Xander has grown up quite a bit in the last few years. You might be surprised by him.”
“I don’t know, Will…”
“Angel, please. I am in love, and I want to share that with my oldest and dearest friends. I don’t want to keep this part of my life a secret from them. If I ever moved to LA to be with you, they’d find out, anyway, and then they would be mad at me… at both of us, for keeping it a secret.”
“You put up a pretty convincing argument, Tinkerbell. I’m still afraid Xander will try to stake me, though.”
“Leave Xander to me.”
“You want to go back to the hotel?” he asked.
“We’re in Las Vegas, Angel… let’s take advantage of it.”
“You want to gamble?”
“Well, no, maybe not gamble, but I would like to see some of the sights.”
“Where shall we start?”
“The Liberace museum!”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Well, I was… Ok… um… nevermind,” she whispered sheepishly, a slight blush creeping into her face.
Angel stood from the table and began to leave, pulling Willow along behind him.
The restaurant echoed with the sound of his roaring laughter.
Angel and Willow behaved like typical Las Vegas tourists that night. Angel loved it because the city never shut down and he could pretend that he was human. Willow loved being with Angel and seeing him happy.
It was a side that she had never truly seen before. With his soul, he never allowed himself to be happy. His misery was his own punishment, and he wallowed in it. Willow sympathized with him… she couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have to live with the things Angel… Angelus… had done. But, it was Angelus. Angel hadn’t asked to be turned into a vampire.
He was a young man when Darla had turned him, full of piss and vinegar. He was merely flirting with the beautiful blonde, naïve and innocent. He had no possible way of knowing what Darla was doing to him. Willow would never, could never hold Angel responsible for what the demon did. That demon wasn’t Angel. She only wished that Angel could see it that way.
Tonight, though, it seemed as if he had momentarily forgotten what Angelus had done. Angel laughed, and talked, and held Willow close. His eyes widened in wonder at the sights that they saw in Las Vegas. He felt a rush, a natural high, that he couldn’t even remember feeling when he had truly been a mortal.
Willow accepted and loved him for what he was. Angel had never had that. His mother had ignored him, as did his father except when he’d come home in a drunken stupor and beat the young Angel. His friends had been his friends only because his father’s silver bought many pints of ale. The only other person that had ever come close to loving him was Buffy, and Buffy loved what she couldn’t have. She wanted a man that was human, and could pick her up and take her on dates and to the prom, and all the places that Angel couldn’t take her. Buffy made Angel feel old. She wanted a boyfriend, and Angel was far, far past those stages.
Willow was different, though. Part of it grew from her maturity. She had become a woman, yes, but she had always contained a sense of maturity different from anyone else her age. Buffy had the world on her shoulders, yet more often than not, Willow’s was the voice of reason.
Buffy and Angel had been drawn together because it was fate. They had fallen in love because it was meant to be, not because they wanted to love each other. With Willow it was different. He couldn’t help but to love her… she had saved his life and soul. But he also wanted to love her. She was all laughter and gaiety and acceptance. And she loved what he was. Willow was a person who would accept his moodiness, that wouldn’t try to push him to be something he wasn’t, or feel something he couldn’t.
Willow knew better than anyone the real Angel. She had seen it in Hell. His past had been shown to her in images that she could never shake off. His childhood, his family, his teenage years, his change. She knew about his life as Angelus and his life as Angel, and she loved him for all of it.
This was new to both
of them, these feelings that they shared. It wouldn’t be easy… neither
of them harbored any illusions about that. Angel was going to remain
in Los Angeles and Willow would worry about him day and night while she
remained in Chicago fighting every impulse to run off and be with him.
It would be terribly
hard on both of them to stay apart, but they knew that it was for the best,
for now.
Xander would have to be told. Willow suspected that Oz and Cordelia would accept the news without a problem, but Xander had always hated Angel and for him to find out that he was not only alive, but in love with his Willow would devastate him. It was decided that Angel would be the one to tell him, instead of Willow. She would first call Cordelia so that she would be able to prepare Xander. Angel felt that if he could convince Xander of his love for Willow that, perhaps, in time the two could form a friendship. He knew how much Willow loved Xander. They had been best friends forever, and he knew that it would tear her apart if Xander didn’t accept him. It was important to him that this be handled correctly.
Angel and Willow spent the next three glorious days together in Las Vegas. She continued going to the convention during the day while Angel paced around his suite waiting for her to return. On their last night together, they returned early from their excursion down the strip.
With an air of reluctance, Willow pulled her suitcase out of the closet and began to pack.
“What time is your flight in the morning?” Angel asked.
“Not until ten…”
“Packing can wait then… I’m not wasting these last few hours with you.”
Angel started a fire in the huge fireplace and the room was filled with a warm glow.
Willow came and stood with him in front of the fire, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“I can’t believe that we’re in the middle of the desert and this suite has a fireplace.”
“It does get cold in Vegas… who’d of thought that?” He answered.
“I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“We’re not got to be apart so long this time, Tink,” he assured her, kissing the top of her head.
She lifted her lips to his and they melted together in a kiss. Angel reached around and pulled her hands from around his waist, pinning them behind her back. He left her lips and began tracing a trail along her chin and neck with small, wet kisses. He licked the shell of her ear, sucking the lobe between his teeth. Willow’s legs began to give out beneath her as Angel brought her close to the edge without even touching her below the neck.
“Undress for me, Willow,” he purred.
“Wha--?”
“Undress… I want to watch you undress for me…”
Angel pushed away from
her and sank into a huge armchair beside the fire.
“Angel… I…”
“Don’t be modest now, Willow… I know you better than that,” he teased.
Willow felt herself flushing under Angel’s gaze. His darker nature was showing through again, and even though she was embarrassed by the thought, she could feel the dampness between her legs growing.
“Come here,” Angel instructed her to come stand in front of him.
She moved slowly to stand before him, her knees brushing against his. Angel reached out and grasped Willow’s crotch roughly, massaging her through her blue jeans.
“You’re wet, Willow… tell me you aren’t turned on right now.”
Willow closed her eyes, her head swaying with emotion as Angel tormented her.
He pushed her away gently, “Undress for me, Willow…”
She did as she was told, beginning with her boots. Bending over, she untied the laces then kicked them off, followed by her socks. Her shirt came next. She unbuttoned every button slowly. Out of deliberation or apprehension, it didn’t matter. She was driving Angel mad with desire. As she let the shirt fall from her shoulders, her gaze fell on Angel.
He sat in the chair, his eyes glazed over with lust. He had slunk down into the chair, intently watching her every move. He had one leg kicked up onto the edge of the fireplace, and was slowly stroking himself through his pants.
A surge of heat coursed through Willow’s body as she unsnapped her jeans. Turning to face away from him, she lowered her jeans around her hips, wriggling her bottom towards Angel. She kicked them off to the side and turned back to face him. She reached behind herself and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slide off her shoulders.
She was enjoying the game now, enjoying watching Angel watching her. The way he touched himself, without shame, sent her spiraling towards a place she had never visited before, a place where she could refuse Angel no request, where she belonged to him and he commanded her entire world. It was dark, and it was scary, but it belonged to them.
Her bra fell to the floor and she stood nearly naked in front of him, save her panties.
“Touch yourself, Willow,” he commanded in a husky voice she had never heard before.
“Angel, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. And you will…”
Slowly, she sank to her knees in front of him, then sat back on her heels. She placed her hands on her knees.
“C’mon, Willow… do it,” his tone was dark and serious.
She slid her right hand up her thigh, hesitating briefly. Embarrassed as she was, her arousal was growing. Her panties were slick as she finally placed her hand between her legs. Angel pressed harder on his erection, moving as slowly as Willow was.
She pressed one finger inside her folds, pressing the fabric of her panties into her. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips. It felt so good to her, finally having the pressure back in the place where she most desired it.
“Inside, Willow…”
She fell backwards onto the floor, bringing her knees up. Lifting her hips, she removed her panties. As she did so, Angel unzipped his pants, releasing his enormous erection.
Willow watched his hand slide up and down the shaft, pumping himself slowly. Watching Angel touch himself, she mimicked his actions, unconsciously pressing her fingers back into herself.
“Spread your legs further, Willow. I can’t see what you’re doing.”
Willow obeyed his commands, instantly shifting to give him a better view as she plunged her middle finger deep into herself. She pinched her clitoris between her thumb and index finger, forgetting about Angel briefly, lost in her own sensations. Brazenly, she inserted another finger into herself, pumping herself closer to orgasm. Her left hand skated across her breasts, twisting and pulling her hardened nipples. She thrashed about wildly on the floor as her climax drew closer.
She never heard Angel leave his chair until he dropped a pillow beside her on the floor.
“Turn over,” he ordered.
She complied immediately, too lost to think rationally, to do anything other than obey Angel. He softly nudged the pillow closer to her head with his foot. She grabbed it, placing it under her head, burying her face in it as she plunged her fingers back into her dripping wet core, her bottom raised high in the air.
Angel knew what he wanted, and knew that she was too far lost to refuse him. He knelt behind her, reaching around to wrap his arms around her waist before thrusting one of his hands between her legs. Willow gasped as she felt his hand encircle hers, his fingers entwining with her own, pumping together as one.
He moved closer to her and she felt his erection pressing against her wetness. She tried to move her hand away to allow him to enter her, but he held her hand in place, continuing to plunge her fingers slowly inside herself. He rubbed his hardness against her, and released his grip on her hand. She continued to touch herself, reaching further back to caress Angel as he teased her from behind, lubricating himself with her dampness.
She felt his hands rest on her cheeks, gently prying them apart. She gasped in shock as he held her open with one hand and touched her tight opening with one slick finger, realizing what he intended to do.
She froze beneath him as he inserted his finger into her. She had never been invaded in this way before, had never even thought about it. He slowly moved his finger inside her, and suddenly her body was alive again. Nerves that she wasn’t aware that she had came to life beneath his touch and she bucked back into him.
Angel was shocked by her eager acceptance. He knew now that she trusted him completely and accepted him unconditionally. He leaned over her body to whisper in her ear.
“Willow, this is going to hurt… I can stop now, if that’s what you want…”
“No, Angel…” she moaned, “Please…”
She pressed her body back into his, urging his finger deeper inside her.
“You’re sure?” He asked, unwilling to make Willow do something that she didn’t want.
“Yes,” she gasped, “Yes…”
Straightening back up, he spread her cheeks wider, gingerly inserting another finger inside. Willow buried her face in the pillow, a low scream escaping her lips. Angel knew it was desire, not pain that was driving his Willow.
After caressing her for a few moments, loosening her up, he removed his fingers and replaced them with the tip of his cock. He pressed into her slowly, feeling her tense beneath him. He waited until he could feel her begin to relax before he moved forward again.
Soon, the head was completely inside her and he slowed again. Willow tried to push herself back into her, but he held her hips tightly in his hands.
“Willow, I don’t want to hurt you…”
“Angel,” she begged, “Please…”
He relaxed his grip and when he did, Willow thrust backwards, forcing him all the way inside.
“WILLOW!” Angel screamed.
Willow shrieked, almost toppling beneath him.
Angel knew that her move had left her in pain, and held still, allowing her to become more comfortable with the feeling of this invasion. Her softly ran his hands across her back, caressing and reassuring her. Her body heaved underneath him, her breaths coming too fast and too heavy.
After what felt like an eternity, the pain began to subside and Willow pushed herself backwards against Angel again, letting him know she was ready.
He pulled out slightly before plunging back inside her.
“Yes,” she hissed, encouraging Angel.
She was so tight that Angel knew he wouldn’t last long. He pulled out again, leaving only the tip inside, before thrusting back inside her, harder now than before.
He quickly found a rhythm, his climax rapidly approaching. Willow kept her face buried in the pillow, screaming out with each thrust. She could sense his impending orgasm and clamped her muscles tight around his shaft. He cried out her name, spilling his seed deep within her.
They’re bodies gave out at the same time as he collapsed on top of her, pulling his flaccid penis out of her tight passage. He rolled her over on to her back, realizing that she hadn’t come yet.
“Angel, please…” she pleaded, her eyes wild with lust.
He knelt between her legs, taking her hips in his hands and lifted her to his mouth. With his tongue, he roughly flicked at her fiery core. Crying out, she wrapped legs tightly around his head, trying to push him harder against her need. He lapped greedily at his Willow, relishing in the taste of her, his love.
Willow bucked against his tongue, her orgasm rushing through her body. Angel held her tightly in his hands, feeding off her ecstasy until she slowly relaxed her body.
He fell to the side, wrapping her body in his strong arms.
“Are you all right, Tinkerbell?” He asked tenderly.
She sighed, “I’m fine… better than fine… terrific…”
“Good… I was afraid that I would scare you… or hurt you.”
“You wouldn’t hurt me, Angel. I know that if I had asked you to stop, you would’ve.”
Tears began forming in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. Angel felt the tears falling on his chest.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” His somber voice dark with concern.
“I-I… I don’t want to get on that plane tomorrow… I’m so afraid of losing you again.”
“Shh… I promise, Willow, you won’t lose me. We’ll be together again very soon. We will talk on the phone every day…”
She cut him off, “That’s not the same as lying here in your arms, Angel. I love you…”
“And I love you,” he said, “Willow, we’re going to make this work. We are. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to hold us together.”
“I hate saying goodbye to anyone… saying goodbye to you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It almost killed me last year, and now…”
“And now, it’s different. You know I’m not going to disappear again. You know that if you ever need me, I’ll come running. I’m yours, Willow… nobody else’s but yours.”
“I-I need you, Angel… I need you now,” she cooed, her tears now gone.
Angel soft penis began to twitch at her suggestive tone.
“Take me to bed, Angel, and love me… I need you to love me…” she nuzzled her face against his neck, suckling his throat.
“Will…? Ahh… Willow, stop…”
“Why?” She murmured.
Pulling himself away from her, he stood, “Just give me a few minutes, Tink…”
Angel went into the bathroom and filled the tub with hot, soapy water before returning to Willow’s side and lifting her into his arms. He carried her to the bathroom and climbed into the huge tub with her. Leaning back in the tub, he pulled her against him. He grabbed the soap and a washcloth and tenderly bathed his lover. When he had finished, Willow took the cloth from him and, turning in the tub to face him, returned the favor, lingering over his hard cock, carefully rubbing from tip to base. She watched him grow underneath the water, studying his body. Angel’s male body was the only one that she had really had the chance to know and understand.
Every time she touched him, she made mental notes of his reactions, filing them away to use on her Angel in the future. She dropped the washcloth, using her hands to stroke him. The heat from the water made his usually pale and cool skin warm and flushed. She was fascinated as she kneaded him between her hands.
“Willow,” Angel choked out, trying to move her hands away, “You need to stop that…”
“No… please… let me do this…”
Angel keened as she continued to stroke him.
“Sit on the side of the tub,” she instructed.
Angel lifted himself out of the water, sitting on the edge. Willow moved between his legs, rubbing her cheek against his inner thigh, taking him back into her hands. She studied its length, the way it throbbed even though Angel didn’t have a heartbeat.
Angel felt her hot breath as her mouth moved closer.
“A-Angel… I’ve never…”
Angel’s eyes shot open, and he grasped Willow’s face in his hands, “Willow, you don’t have to…”
“I want to… I’m just not sure how…”
“Everything you’ve done so far has been perfect, Willow.”
He caressed her lower lip with his index finger. She instinctively opened her mouth, allowing his finger inside. She held it between her teeth, rolling her tongue around it, gently suckling on it. He pulled his hand away and Willow gazed up at him, wide-eyed.
“Willow, every time you touch me, I feel like I’m going to burst,” he ran his fingers through her damp red hair.
She leaned forward, her lips closing around the tip of his long shaft. Angel couldn’t stop the moan that escaped his lips as he was enveloped in her hot, wet mouth. She swirled her tongue around the head, licking at the soft, cool underside. She reached out and caressed his balls, kneading them between her fingers. Angel grasped the side of the tub, forcing back his urge to thrust into her mouth.
The nipped at the base, planting butterfly kisses along his length until she reached the tip again. She took him back into her mouth, taking him further than before. Her mouth stretched, trying to take him as deeply as she could. As he hit the back of her throat, she gagged slightly.
Embarrassment overtook her and she pulled her head away, only to be stopped by Angel’s fingers running through her hair.
“Willow, if you were able to do that on your first try, I really wouldn’t let you get on that plane tomorrow…” he gave her a tender smile, “Please, don’t stop…”
Willow encircled him with her lips once more, wrapping her tongue around the head as far as it would go. She softly began to suck. Angel grabbed the back of her head, caressing and encouraging her. She relaxed, confidant that he was enjoying her ministrations, and she was able to take him further into her mouth, sucking harder. Angel brushed her hair away from her face, enabling him to watch her actions. His stomach began to tense as his orgasm drew near.
“Willow…? Honey, I’m close…” The more he warned her, the harder she sucked, making soft little slurping noises that pushed him over the edge.
His hips involuntarily bucked against her as he filled her mouth with his seed. She swallowed like an expert before licking him clean.
He lifted her out of the tub and onto his lap, pulling her in for a fierce embrace.
“You didn’t have to swallow, you know?” he chuckled softly, nuzzling his face into her hair.
“Why not? It’s you…”
“You amaze me, Tink…”
He grabbed a towel and carefully dried her off before leading her back to the bedroom. Willow climbed onto the bed, followed by Angel. He pulled the covers over their bodies, lowering his body on top of hers. Willow felt his renewed erection pressing against her stomach.
“Angel? Men aren’t supposed to be able to do that … that quickly…”
He cut her off with a kiss, “Not a man… vampire, remember…”
“Mmm… I knew there had to be an upside to being in love with an undead… I just didn’t know it was going to be rigor mortis.”
“Funny,” he answered, positioning himself between her legs.
With a quick, hard thrust, he sheathed himself in her body. Willow rocked her pelvis against his, matching his rhythm perfectly. He snaked his hand between their sweat-glistened bodies, and rubbed her hard, wet nub with his fingers, twisting and pulling as she screamed in ecstasy.
She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, exploding against his body. Angel increased the force of his thrusts, plunging his sword into her fiery depths before filling her with his cold secretions.
They awoke several times in the night to make love, both hoping that the sun wouldn’t rise in the morning.
Willow awoke around seven and took a quick, quiet shower hoping not to wake Angel. She couldn’t bear the thought of another goodbye. Angel was in a deep, peaceful sleep as she packed her suitcase and sat it outside the door.
She returned to the bedroom, pausing in the doorway to stare at Angel’s lithe, sleeping body. Tears streamed down her face as she blew him a kiss before quickly running out the door.
Angel heard the door slam shut and opened his eyes.
“Goodbye, Tinkerbell,”
he murmured.