CHAPTER SIX:

He watched as she put her gloves on. The white ones he had gotten for her birthday…from that really expensive shop. Did she really need to wear that to take care of a baby? He eyed her ensemble. She looked…

/ Cute! /

A simple strapless blue dress completed the white hat, shoes and gloves she wore. It looked like she was going to a christening or a baby shower.

He got up abruptly from his perch on the kitchen stool. He poured out the remnants of his untouched coffee. Watching as the black liquid stained the porcelain whiteness. He frowned. What was wrong with him?

He should have felt happy for her. She was going to be busy for a while. She wasn’t going to be home all by herself doing nothing. She had a new role in life. She was going to be a babysitter.

And it wasn’t his child.

He gripped the edge of the sink, willing the acid that had risen to his throat to back down. He had to be happy for her. He had to smile and urge her on. It was what she wanted.

“Spike…”

He spun around sharply and took in the serene female before him. There was that undeniable glow of excitement in her eyes. Odd…he hadn’t really noticed that it had been gone for a while. But there it was. It was the same glint that had been there, during their early months of dating. Her cheeks had on that rosy glow. She looked…

~ Happy. ~

He watched as a perplexing small frown, came onto her face. He knew what she was going to say.

“Is everything all right…you didn’t finish your coffee. I could stay and make you some breakfast if you like. I don’t have to be there for another two hours…mmph!”

He had leaned down to seize those moving rose-colored lips in a bruising kiss. He groaned softly as he felt her respond, her clothed body rubbing seductively against his naked torso. Her gloved hands already moving down to caress the bare skin underneath his tracksuit pants. He ground himself against her, his breath coming out in quick gasps. She whimpered softly.

God. He needed her now.

“No…”

His brain refused to register the muttered words as he trailed his lips across her exposed neck.

“Spike…we have to stop…”

Stop. She wanted to stop. She was not in the mood.

He released her gently, his strong hands still cradling her hips, his brown eyes staring into glazed green depths. He smirked in satisfaction at how she looked. Her lips swollen with his kisses, she looked anything but sweet now.

~ Let them see her like this then. ~

“I understand. You have got some work to do.”

She nodded and smiled, allowing him to walk her to the front door. He picked out her favorite jacket. It was freezing outside after all. She held her arms out, fitting them silently into the furry warmth. Hugging it to herself, she turned around to face him.

“I should be home by six this evening. There are some leftovers from yesterday…”

“I know. I can handle it, Faye. You go now before you’re late. Wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your boss, ne?”

Was he so eager to let her go? She plastered another smile to her face, before opening the door. “Goodbye, Spike…you have a great day. I will call you as soon as I get there, okay?”

He leaned against the door, unmindful of the cold seeping into his bones. He raised a hand to caress her face. “You do that…I will be waiting here for you.”

Oh, damn her frail emotions! She sniffed and not wanting to let him see her cry, she dashed off for her car.

He was still standing there as she made the turn for the corner.

Watching…and waiting.

~*~*~*~*~

“Thank goodness you are here. We were just about to give up on you. Come, come, come! Let me show you the baby’s nursery!”

Faye found herself walking or quite frankly running after the frazzled woman before her. Her eyes tried to take in as much of the extravagant décor around her.

/ Those damn houses! Feh! I would rather live in a museum!! Goodness! They look like museums!! /

She ran up the large stairs. She could already hear the baby wailing. He sounded hungry.

The woman pushed open large double doors inlaid in gold, to reveal a room that was nothing short of breathtaking. For several moments, Faye could only stand and stare at the beauty of it. It had everything a baby or little toddler could want.

/ I will give you the world, my little one. You just wait and see. /

“Mrs. Spiegel?”

“Oh…I am sorry. I was just admiring the décor.”

“Ah, yes…it is a beauty, isn’t? I think it was designed after the nineteenth century…”

She tuned the lecture out, her eyes already darting towards the soft blue-covered boy. Incredible dark eyes filled with tears turned around to stare and she felt her heart stop.

~ Come, Little Spike. I won’t hurt you. ~

“I will take him.”

The woman stopped her speech and readily handed him over to her waiting arms.

“We are going out right now. You should be able to find all that you need for him in here. There is a mini-kitchen right over there, so you don’t need to go downstairs. All his food and diapers and whatnots can be found in there. And if there is anything else you need, the maids and butlers are downstairs ready to help…but if it is really important…you have my cell-phone number, ne?”

Faye nodded absentmindedly, her body already rocking the now sniffling baby to sleep. “Hai…I understand.”

The woman stopped at the doorway, her eyes taking in the sight of the mysterious green-eyed woman and her son. She felt a twinge of guilt pierce through her heart, but pushing it aside, she shrugged and left the couple alone with their thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~

Spike tapped his hands on the table. His eyes dancing across the last paragraph he had written.

‘He wanted to kill her. The full moon glowed in its heavenly brightness, daring his lust for blood to strive through. But yet, he found that he could not get himself to do it. He loved her and would have done anything to let her live.’

Grimacing at how cheesy it sounded, he was just about to delete it, when the shrill ring of the phone got him out of his seat in a flash.

“Hello? Faye?”

“Oh, I am sorry…this is Julia.”

He remained silent.

“Umm…Julia? The girl you had lunch with two days ago? I work at the editorial…”

“I know who you are.” Came the cold reply.

“Is this a bad time? I am really sorry to be…”

“I was actually waiting for a call from my wife.”

“Oh, alright then. I just wanted to say that I was in the area and if you would like to join me for a cup of tea. We have some things to discuss concerning your upcoming book.”

“I will see you on Monday morning…at work. Goodbye.”

“Good…” Click.

He sank back against the couch, his head leaning back to stare blankly at the ceiling. His mind churning…his stomach curling in unwanted knots of growing irritation.

She had promised to call as soon as she got there.

That had been over six hours ago.

He got up abruptly and stepped towards the large glass windows that adorned his living room. He sank his hands into his pockets and stared blindly at the bright city lights below him.

It was thirty minutes past six…

She should have been home by now.

But he still stood there….watching….and waiting….