Part One ~ Part Two ~ Part Three
Playing With Fire
Written by Ames
Despite the fact that is was a Monday the boutique was busy. Darla Stevens clipped her long blonde hair up, smoothing the creases out of her skirt as she made her way out of her office to the sales floor.
“Rachel you're looking lovely,” she said sweetly to a passing customer.
“Why thank you Darla,” the older lady replied. Darla smiled, a fledgling store opened when she was nineteen, was now at twenty-seven, a successful and exclusive boutique.
“Miss Stevens there is a call for you on line one,” one of her sales girls called out. Making her way to a phone she pressed the button for the line.
“Serpentine Fire, Darla Stevens speaking,” she greeted.
“Hello beautiful.” A smile graced her face at the deep, velvety sound of her boyfriend's voice.
“Angelus, you're home. How was London?” She asked her manicured fingers toying nervously with the phone cord.
“Dreary without you. How about dinner at my place tonight?”
“Seven thirty good?” She asked in reply.
“Sounds perfect. See you then love,” he replied. Bidding him goodbye she hung up the phone with a smile.
Setting the phone back into its cradle Angelus O'Connor leaned back into his chair. Televisions tracking the ups and down of the stock market were laid out on the wall in front of him. He had returned earlier in the morning from a week long merger in London and thought only of the beautiful blonde upon his arrival.
“Mr. O'Connor here are the numbers you wanted, and the flowers have been sent to Miss Stevens as you requested.” Taking the files from his secretary's outstretched hand, he thanked her before getting back to work.
Dishes remained on the large dining room table, as did the silk blouse Darla had worn to Angelus's house. Shoes, skirt, pants, and a tie all led a path down the ornate hall.
“Oh god,” Darla moaned. Her naked back arched against the cool mahogany wall, as Angelus thrusted his cock into her silky depths. Wrapping her legs around his lean hips, she moved with him meeting his urgent pace.
“Angelus!” She cried. He looked at her, passion blazing in his deep brown eyes.
“You can do it baby,” he coaxed angling his thrusts to rub against her most sensitive spot.
“Harder,” she begged. He gave her a wicked smile before pounding into her body. Pictures rattled against the wall as he began to feel himself tighten. Sliding a hand across her hip between their joined bodies, his long fingers found her clit, gracefully stroking the bundle of
nerves.
“Yes!” She screamed in ecstasy as her orgasm ripped through her. At the feeling of her muscles fluttering around his cock, Angelus too tipped over into orgasm.
“Fuck!” He swore pumping hard into her body as her walls milked his release. As their bodies calmed, she looked at him and smiled.
“Glad to be home?” Pulling her with him away from the wall he smacked her ass playfully and she giggled as he carried her into his bedroom, tumbling onto the silk sheets.
“Order up on sixteen.” Securing the honey blonde hair in a clip Buffy Summers made her way to the counter. The head chef William Peterson smiled at her as she grabbed the order for one of the tables. Making her way out into the posh dining room, she forced herself to smile.
It wasn't that she didn't enjoy working at the Meridian, but her passion to be a fashion designer tugged at her heart. In the two years she'd been working here nothing exciting, short of a promotion to Assistant Manager of the restaurant had ever happened to her.
“Buffy, Casey called out, her tables are filling but I can only cover so many,” Natalie begged holding a tray of drinks.
“Not a problem, I'll take table five, six, and eight. Don't be afraid to call Oz, he's in his office,” Buffy replied inclining her head to the office of her boss Daniel Osborne, which sat upstairs looking over the dining room.
“Thanks Buffy, you're the best.” Buffy smiled watching the younger girl walk away toward her tables. Buffy looked down at her appearance. A black silk mini skirt and a pale pink spaghetti strap top adorned her petite body. One of the perks to being management, no uniform, she thought. She was broken out of her thoughts as she noticed one of the tables she was
covering got seated. Grabbing two water goblets and a pitcher, she wove her way through the crowd coming up to the table.
“Good afternoon gentlemen. Welcome to the Meridian, my name is Buffy and I'll be taking care of you today. Can I get you anything to drink?” She asked looking up from pouring the water. She was stunned as she locked gazes with the most incredible pair of brown eyes. He was gorgeous, chiseled face, spiky brown hair, a muscular build encased in what had to be a silk
Armani suit. He smiled at her.
“I'll have a jack and coke,” his companion said. Buffy looked at the other man smiling and nodding before looking at the other man.
“And you Sir?”
“Gin and Tonic, please,” he replied. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine hearing his deep, sensuous voice.
“Excellent. I'll be back in a minute,” she replied taking a step back as she turned on her heel heading to the bar.
“You defineatly have a way with the ladies.” Angelus looked over at Lindsey MacDonald, a new co-worker from the London merger. Tilting his head, he gazed over at their waitress. She was a pretty one. Petite, no more than 5'3, maybe a hundred pounds, he skin was a gorgeous sun-kissed color, bringing out the sparkling hazel of her eyes.
“She's cute,” Angelus agreed as she made her way back with their drinks.
“Here you are a jack and coke, and a gin and tonic for you, Sir,” she said putting the drink near his right hand.
“Are you gentleman ready to order?”
“Absolutely darlin,” Lindsey replied his Texas accent merging with the slight British tilt he'd picked up in London. Buffy smiled.
“What can I get for you?” She asked putting her hands behind her back ready to memorize their order.
“I'll have the Cajun chicken with lemon, the garlic mashed potatoes, a house salad with ranch and steamed vegetables,” Lindsey ordered. She nodded taking his menu focusing her attention on his companion. She couldn't help but smile when he graced her with one of his own.
“And for you Sir?”
“I'll have the house sirloin, cooked medium, garlic mashed potatoes, house salad with thousand island, and hold the vegetables,” he replied handing her his menu. As she grabbed for it their hands touched sending a spark of pleasure through them both as she took the menu.
“Very good gentlemen. I'll go place your order and be back with your salads,” she replied and turned heading for a computer to enter their orders. Choosing one near the bar, she typed in the order.
“He's a cutie.” Looking up in surprise she met the teasing smile of Willow Rosenberg, her best friend and girlfriend of her boss, Oz.
“Yeah well a guy like that is either taken or gay,” Buffy replied scanning the order once more for accuracy.
“Well the way those eyes are checking out your ass, I think it's safe to say he's not gay.” Buffy turned her head only to be met with the stare of those brown eyes. She turned back to her friend.
“He's out of my league Will,” she replied and went into the kitchen finding the salads already waiting. Balancing the pair of bowls on one arm she grabbed the board wit fresh hot bread on it and made her way back to the table setting the bread down.
“House salad with ranch and the house salad with thousand island,” she said setting their orders down in front of them.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Thanks I think we're set,” Lindsey replied.
“Enjoy,” Buffy told them before making her way back over to Willow at the bar.
“You've got goose bumps. Buffy you really like him,” her best friend gushed happily.
“Wills, I don't even know his name, be serious.”
When they had finished the dessert and paid the check it was then that he'd made up his mind. Approaching the bar, he cleared his throat and she turned around in surprise.
“Was there anything wrong Sir?” Buffy asked, suddenly nervous.
“No it was fantastic. Listen. I was wondering if you'd like to get a drink with me, say tomorrow night around eight. I could meet you here?” He asked. Buffy smiled.
“I'd like that . . . on one condition though.”
“All right.”
“I'm Buffy,” she introduced holding her hand out. He smiled taking her hand softly with his own.
“I'm Angelus, and it's a pleasure to meet you Buffy.”
“Tomorrow eight o'clock?” She asked.
“I'll be here,” he promised and smiled before heading to the exit to meet up with Lindsey.
Nervous didn't even begin to cover how she felt. It had been ages since she'd had a date. Her last boyfriend Riley had left her to become a soldier in the Army. Looking down at her outfit she frowned.
“Stop that you look amazing,” Willow scolded. Buffy looked up with a small smile.
“You think?” Willow looked at her outfit for the 100th time that day. A white strapless silk dress with pink sparkles on the bodice. Her honey blonde hair fell in waves around her shoulders.
“Yes you look beau . . . oh he's here,” Willow said. Buffy turned to find him walking toward her. Black leather pants and a navy blue silk shirt topped with a black leather duster. Gods he is gorgeous, she thought. He smiled upon seeing her and handed her a pink rose, kissing her cheek softly.
“Hi.”
“You look beautiful,” he told her.
“Thank you. So would you like to stay here or go somewhere else?” She asked. He leaned in close enough so she could hear, both their senses going into a pleasurable overload.
“Here is good,” he replied taking her hand as she turned leading them over to a table in the corner.
“So tell me about yourself Buffy?” He asked. She smiled shyly.
“Not much to tell really. I'm from Sunnydale, moved to L.A. four years ago when I was twenty-one. My friend owns this restaurant, made me his assistant manager. Only child, my mother died a couple years ago and my dad is still working on his mid-life crisis somewhere in
Europe. Oh and I'm a Capricorn . . . on the cusp of Aquarius,” she finished with a smile taking a sip of her daiquiri. Angelus had to smile at her candor. She was adorable.
“And you?” She asked, her fingers softly sliding over his. His body became aroused instantly at her touch.
“Well I'm a vice-president at a big corporation, born in Galway, Ireland before my parents moved me here to Los Angeles. Twenty nine years old, my mom died when I was a little boy, my dad is currently on vacation in the California Correctional system, and I'm a Taurus, no cusps,” he replied taking her hand in his.
“Well that's good. I've been told that more than one cusp in a relationship can be a bad thing,” she joked.
“One thing you're thankful for?” He asked her. She smiled leaning closer to him.
“That Casey called out last night.”
“And I guess I can thank Lindsey for picking this place for dinner,” Angel replied. Buffy smiled her body shivering in pleasure as he brushed a kiss across her fingers.
The night air was still mildly warm as he walked her to her car. She leaned against her Mercedes with a smile.
“I've really enjoyed tonight Angelus.”
“Please call me Angel,” he urged.
“Okay . . . Angel,” she said and slid her hand up his chest curving around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. Wrapping his arms around her petite waist he pulled her close, delighting in the feel of her body perfect in his arms. Pulling away breathlessly from the kiss, she smiled.
“I should get going,” she told him. He nodded and kissed her deeply once more.
“Day or night,” he whispered sliding a business card into her hand as he backed away from her intoxicating presence. When he'd turned walking out of her sight, she sighed, looking at the card he'd given her. On the front in a plain type script read: Angelus O'Connor, Vice President, Giles Industries. His office phone was on the bottom. Turning it over she smiled.
'Buffy, Anytime day or night. I'd never tire of your voice.-Angel'
His home and cellphone numbers were written on the card. Glancing back at the restaurant she shook her head then got into her car heading for home.
A glass of scotch in one hand, Angelus sat down in his study chair and sighed. He was now playing with fire, no doubt about it. He'd been with Darla for nearly a year. She was beautiful, smart and talented in more ways than one. But one look at Buffy had captivated him into this potentially dangerous situation. All he had to do was to keep them separate. Sighing he took a sip of his drink allowing the amber liquid to smooth down his throat. Sometimes playing with fire was worth it . . . as long as you weren't caught.
TBC…