Title: Acting The Part Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com Disclaimer: None of the BtVS characters belong to me. Feedback: Love some, thanks. Rating: Up to NC-17 Summary: AU. William St. James is an actor in a hit television show. While appearing at a fan convention, he meets Buffy and her six year old daughter, Melanie AN: Hey, check out the pretty picture vamps made for the story: www.offangsandfairytales.net/actingthepartmain.html ~For Jon....thank you for the inspiration, darling~ Part Thirty: Unaware of the plans being made between William and her mother, Melanie was, unwittingly, highly uncooperative once they'd returned to their hotel suite. Slightly amped up on more sugar than Buffy ever normally allowed, she had no interest in being put to bed once she'd been bathed and dressed in clean pajamas. The instant her hair was dry, she ran back into the main room and climbed up on the sofa, settling in next to William with a new story book in her hand and a look on her face that he had no chance at all of resisting. Buffy sat on William's other side, listening with her own particular interest to the rise and fall of his voice as he read. The fact that he was a trained actor made him uniquely qualified at the job, and he employed every bit of his dramatic, comedic, and vocal range to make 'Alice In Wonderland' sound brand new to an audience that had heard it many times before. When the story came to its inevitable conclusion, Buffy looked over at her daughter. "Melanie?" she prompted, "aren't you getting tired?" "No," the child answered instantly, shaking her head. Buffy and William exchanged a helpless look. "You sure, Pixie?" he asked. "S'been a long day for you." Sweetly oblivious, the little girl smiled and climbed down from the couch, heading straight for a pile of shopping bags. She dug around in one, extracting a board game, a 'Disney-ized' version of 'Monopoly' created for very young children. Buffy groaned inwardly. If this game took as long as Monopoly usually did, it could be a long time before she and William were alone together. Clearly, something had to be done, and as Melanie's mother it fell to her to do it. Rising to her feet, she watched Melanie settle down on the floor and tear the protective plastic off the game box. "Um...Melanie?" The child looked at her. "What are you doing?" "Playing my game." "Now?" "Uh-huh." Melanie smiled charmingly at the adults. "Play with me?" Technically, it was a good half an hour before her normal bedtime. Buffy knew she could push it and insist, but she didn't want to risk spoiling the mood of the evening with an argument. She looked at William, who shrugged very slightly as he joined Melanie on the floor. Smiling a bit ruefully, he held out one hand to Buffy. "Come on down here." With a sigh that started somewhere in the soles of her feet, she complied. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy threw the game in less than twenty minutes. After wishing the two remaining players luck, she excused herself and went to take a shower. Looking back over her shoulder, she caught a look of yearning on William's face that made her heart go soft. That same heart nearly seized up on her when the look changed to one of promise, ripe with sensual intent. The blue of his eyes darkened and the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. Buffy's knees actually quivered when his tongue crept out and passed slowly over his upper lip as if savoring some lingering sweetness de- posited there by...... Wiping away a sudden sheen of moisture on her fore- head, she hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. She stripped off all her clothes and stepped into the shower, adjusting the spray to a soothing pulse and standing under the hot water to let it soak her thoroughly. Her skin felt unusually sensitive, seeming to come alive under the touch of her fingers as she spread a generous amount of body wash over it. It had to be the anticipation, she decided, the knowledge of what was going to be happening to her soon....who was going to be touching her. Buffy rinsed the soap off, watching it swirl down the drain. She washed and conditioned her hair, then shaved her legs and underarms, finishing up with a smear of in-shower moisturizing lotion. The towels provided by the hotel were large and plush, and she wrapped one all the way around her, tucking the ends in over her breasts. She used a second towel to clean a spot on the mirror, then dried her hair, leaving it loose around her shoulders. After applying a little moisturizer to her face, she re- did her eyes. Her curling iron gave her hair volume and bounce, making it look a little wild as it framed her face. Satisfied with the results, she went into the bedroom and slipped on her short pink, silk nightshirt, covering it with the matching robe. She glanced at the bedside clock....plenty of time had passed for the game to be over. Thinking how nice it would be for the two of them to put Melanie to bed and have some alone time, she opened the bedroom door and smiled at William. Her smile changed to an entirely new expression when she saw that he and Melanie were still sitting on the floor, facing off over the game board, apparently deep in nego- tiations for another round. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Come on now, Pixie...it's getting late." "What time is it?" William checked his watch for her benefit. "Seven forty-two." "Is that before eight o'clock?" Melanie asked. He sighed. "Yes." She shrugged, reaching for her game piece. "Then it's not bedtime." "I know that, Princess," he replied reasonably, "but you had a busy day, remember? Up early and all that." "I'm not tired." "Pixie..." "But I'm not." He looked down at her, unable to resist her when she smiled at him the way she was doing. What could one more game hurt? He could make it a quick one and then..... Glancing up over Melanie's shoulder, he saw Buffy standing in the bedroom doorway and his breath caught in his chest! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As frustrating as it all was, Buffy was nearly laughing at the scenario being played out in the living room. Listening as William tried to reason with Melanie, she couldn't help thinking how ironic their situation was turning out to be. Melanie, after all, wanted them to be together more than anything...more than any toy you could buy her, more than any treat you could devise, more than her next bowl of Lucky Charms....and yet she was the one who was inadvertently keeping them apart at the moment. If she only knew, could only read between these particular lines, Buffy was certain she'd be in bed and asleep faster than greased lightning. Anything to further the cause! But as funny as their predicament was, the amusement factor began to fade when she noticed that William was dangerously close to caving in to the child's demands for further entertainment. She had to put a stop to this before Melanie became overly tired and was impossible to put down for the night. Untying the sash of her robe, she let the sides slip apart and opened the bedroom door all the way, waiting for him to look up. "I'm not tired," Melanie said. "Pixie..." "But I'm not!" Buffy saw William's gaze soften, then he finally looked up and saw her. Tilting her head slightly to one side, she arched an eyebrow, her meaning crystal clear. His eyes widened for a moment, then focused again on Melanie. "Time for bed," he announced firmly, the resolve in his tone rivaling any long time parent's. "No arguments, now. You've had a long day and little girls need their rest." He didn't give the child a chance to object. He simply stood up, took her under the arms and picked her up, then carried her into the bedroom and slipped her between the covers. Buffy watched as they exchanged goodnight kisses and hugs. Waiting until he left the room, she re-tied her robe and sat down on the bed next to her daughter. "Ready for sweet dreams?" "Yes." Melanie rubbed her eyes with her small fists. "I wanted to play some more, but William said no." "And he was right," Buffy said, brushing Melanie's curls back. "It would have been way past your bedtime when you finished. Now I want you to go right to sleep, okay?" "Okay." The little girl yawned. "Goodnight, Mommy." "Night, baby." She leaned over and kissed a forehead, two soft cheeks, and the tip of a small nose. "Sweet dreams, love." Sitting back, she began to count. Melanie was asleep before she got halfway to twenty. Rising slowly to her feet, she left the room, closing the door behind her. William was standing by the desk when she returned to the living room, replacing the phone on its cradle. "I'm all yours," she said softly. He turned to her, smiling. "Come here, then." She walked towards him, surprised when he indicated she should stop. "What?" "Open your robe again," he requested, his voice husky and his eyes gleaming. She did as he'd asked. "Who were you calling?" "Room service." He moved close to her, his eyes focused on her mouth with an intensity that made her heart beat faster. His hands moved into her hair and he tipped her head back a little. "I'm going to ply you with fine champagne and then seduce the hell out of you." She laughed softly. "Well, I appreciate the thought, but you don't exactly need to get me drunk. I'm eminently seduceable at the moment." "Yeah? Still...I want to do it. I want to pamper you with all the best things in life, treat you the way you deserve," he said, and lowered his lips slowly to hers. Buffy wasn't sure whether it was the adrenaline from the day's excitement still coursing through her blood, the stimulation of the shower, or the things he was saying to her, but whatever it was caused the pent up desire to explode inside of her. Her mouth opened with a soft sigh, and she met his hungry kiss with feverish need, moaning softly in her throat when he pushed his tongue in demandingly. Buffy wound her arms around his neck, seeking the solid warmth of his body against hers as she returned his kisses. He had slipped one hand under her robe, pressing it against the small of her back, when the doorbell chimed. Breaking away with an apologetic look, he went to answer it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ William signed the check and tipped the bellman, then deftly opened the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses. "Let's sit down," he said, nodding towards the love seat positioned in front of the windows. Buffy joined him, accepting one of the glasses and sipping from it. "Mmmm." He grinned. "Good?" "Mm-hmmm.....better than good." "Glad you like it." He drained his glass. "Oh, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." "Oh?" she asked, taking another large sip from her glass...... "Yeah....I think I'm falling in love with you." .....and nearly spitting it all over him! 'W-whattt?" she coughed, wiping her chin. He chuckled. "Oh, come on...you can't be all that surprised." Buffy cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to mind, "What do you mean you THINK?" and then turned scarlet. Apparently delighted at this response, he laughed again, grabbing her when she tried to leave the love seat. "Come back here," he said, taking the champagne glasses and setting them on the coffee table. Embarrassed beyond anything she'd felt before, she still struggled against his restraining hands. "William, please... don't....I'm...that was so stupid, such an awful thing to say....." "Buffy." He held onto her, keeping her firmly in place. "Sit still...stop trying to squirm away...I....thank you. Now, it was NOT awful and it was NOT stupid. It was an honest response. There's nothing wrong with that." With her cheeks still redder than barn paint, Buffy tried to explain. "It was just....you sounded so....so...I mean, I wasn't expecting...that." "Really?" he asked, his grin widening. She gave him an exasperated look. "Yes, really! Why did you say it like that?" "Like what?" "Like...'oh, by the way...I think I'm falling in love with you'....so...so casually. As if you were saying 'oh, by the way, your slip is showing'." He was having difficulty controlling his mirth. "So...should I have dropped to one knee and placed my hand over my heart, then?" "What? No! That's not...." "Because I will." "Please, don't!" "What...you don't like romantic gestures?" He was having far too much fun with this, she decided. "Of course I do." "Then let me....." She grabbed his shirt before he could slide off the love seat onto his knees. "Just kiss me. That's all the gesture I need right now." She would think about the 'falling in love with you' remark later, when she could process it properly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Without a word spoken about it, they went hand in hand to check on Melanie. Finding her so sound asleep that she was emitting a soft snoring sound from her tiny nose, they went into his room and closed the door behind them. William went into the bathroom for a five minute shower, trying to keep his erection under control without resorting to ice cold water, but it seemed to have a mind of its own and stubbornly refused to subside. He washed quickly, did a half assed job of drying off, then smoothed his face with his electric razor so as not to leave any scratches on Buffy's tender skin. Wrapping the damp towel around his hips, he returned to the bedroom. Buffy was stretched out of her side on top of the bed, showing lots of creamy thigh and smiling at him. The robe had disappeared, and the sight of her like that made him even harder. "Too bad," she said, "this isn't one of those vibrating beds." He shucked his towel and crawled up on the bed, positioning himself behind her and pulling her into the curve of his body. "Don't you worry about it. I'll vibrate you all you want," he promised with a lusty growl against the side of her neck. She laughed, a sound that turned to a sigh as he continued nuzzling her skin. Breathing in her scent, his hands slipped up and found her breasts, massaging them and pulling her in tighter. His erection, already rock hard, strained for her as he nestled it against her bottom. She instinctively pushed back, wiggling a bit, and he almost swallowed his tongue. "You feel so warm," she whispered in a husky tone. "Mm-hmm," was all he could manage to say as his hands explored her breasts, molding and squeezing them, playing with her nipples. Then, using one hand, he took the hem of her nightgown between two fingers and slowly slipped it up her thighs. She raised one leg, allowing him access to the treasure between them, the one place in the world he wanted to be at that moment. Stroking her there, he spread her own natural moisture around, opening her carefully with his thumb and middle finger, then touching her in just the right spot with his index finger. Letting her accelerated breathing be his guide, he traced a slow circle around her clit, making her body quiver. Buffy raised one hand and grasped the back of his neck, turning her head to kiss him. He slipped one finger inside her as their tongues played lazily with each other. William was about to explode. He reached over her and grabbed a condom from where he'd dropped them in the bedside table drawer earlier. Slipping one on, he turned Buffy onto her back, then dragged her on top of him. "Get on me." She didn't resist, taking him in her hand and lowering herself quickly. This angle felt wonderful, the fit of her sex was tight. She stripped her gown off over her head and tossed it away. Admiring the view she presented, he lifted his hips up and down, helping her ride him. When she leaned back, he brought one hand down between her legs and found her clit, fingering her there until she was moaning con- tinuously. Everything was so hot and wet and tight, the feel of her clamping down on his steel hard cock, the slickness of her skin. The soft sounds emerging from her throat were driving him mad, encouraging him to make it even better for her. Her breasts bounced enticingly as she moved up and down on him, and his hands instantly moved to capture them and hold them, feeling their weight and warmth fill his palms. "That's it," he whispered huskily. "That's my girl. She knows what she wants. Ride me, beautiful...do it for me....ah...CHRIST!...." Buffy rocked her hips, grinding down against him, seeking that most delicious friction. He immediately moved his hands to her waist and clasped it firmly, jerking her down harder as he thrust up into her, groaning like a dying man. She loved the sense of feminine power that was coursing through her, the fact that what she was doing with her body was affecting him so strongly. His chest rose and fell deeply, his eyes dark with need as he watched her move up and down on him. His gaze moved down her torso and locked on the place where their bodies were joined. Buffy arched her spine and let her head drop back. She stared at the ceiling without really seeing it, sliding her palms up her sides and cupping her breasts, squeezing and fondling them before slipping them down her stomach and between her splayed thighs. William's breath caught in a harsh gasp when he saw her touch herself, spreading the lush folds and finding the hot button with no effort. His erection lengthened inside of her even more, hardening almost to the point of pain, desperate for relief. She felt the tightening sensation of approaching orgasm and she rocked down harder, increasing the friction inside her. Pressing down deeply, she clenched her internal muscles around his shaft and came explosively before collapsing forward, unable to support herself. "God, that was beautiful," he whispered, brushing her sweaty hair away from her face. "You're so gorgeous when you come on me like that..." She nuzzled his throat, nipping at the taut skin. Smiling when she felt his hands move down and cup her bottom, pushing her down harder. "Make me come, Buffy," he said in her ear. "I need you." Happy to oblige, she slipped her arms around his neck and began moving her hips from side to side, then in a circular motion, all the while tightening her sex around him like a vise. She kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth and finding his, coaxing it back to hers and then sucking it in a rhythm that matched her clenching grasp on his penis. When she felt his thighs tense and his stomach muscles harden, she knew he was getting close. Tangling her fingers in his shaggy curls, she broke their kiss and buried her face against the side of his neck. "William," she whim- pered, "come inside me....do it now....now....oh, please..." "Baby," he choked, clutching her tighter. He bucked his hips upwards once, twice, three times....and his cry of pleasure was the single sexiest sound she'd ever heard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I see why they call this the 'Happiest Place on Earth'," he said quietly, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. They were in front of the large picture window, watching colorful bursts of fireworks explode in the sky over Matter- horn Mountain. "Why?" she asked with a smile. "Are you happy?" "Mm-hmm....very happy," he said, kissing her neck. "How about you?" "Me?" "Yeah, you." "I'm very happy, too." "Yeah?" "Mm-hmm." "Because of me." He sounded a little bit smug, but who cared? It was true. "Yes," she agreed. "Because of you..." God......it was SO true! TBC..... (Boy..I'll bet you thought they'd NEVER get back in bed, huh?)