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Mark was overcome with desire to pluck the girl up and kiss her senseless, but he shook that away, he wasn't trying to start anything here, she was a nice girl and all, they could be good neighbors, maybe friendly neighbors, maybe even friends, at least she would kept him fed well, but anything more was out of the question. He looked own in her pretty eyes. "Yea a bit of a guilty conscience, I realize I was a jerk last night."

He leaned back on the truck beside her. Colleen felt bad, she hadn't meant to make him feel bad all over again, as far as she was concerned it was over and done, he had apologized.

Colleen lay her small hand on his arm. " I was just teasing..I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Mark was blown away by this girls capacity to forgive, he had treated her like garbage and she was worried she made him feel bad. Mark took her hand in his and brushed back one of her curls. "You're a real sweet girl Colleen."

Colleen blushed and looked down. Mark chuckled. "You know you and your friend Michelle are as different as night and day."

Colleen grinned and tried not to notice he still had her hand and was running his thumb over her knuckles. "We've known each other since I was twelve and she was eight. My parents and grandparents were wealthy, very wealthy, I was kind of a uhh ohh, I don't think my parents ever wanted kids, but there I was, they gave me everything, except parents, I was left with Nanny's and housekeepers a lot, I was home schooled, pretty backwards and shy. The year I was twelve, Michelle's mom was hired as a housekeeper. Michelle moved in and never left. We became fast friends, she might have been younger, but she was real firecracker even then, she taught me to cuss and when we got older smoke and drink, I became a real person instead of this quite puppet for my parents."

"My parents let her sort of just move in, cause I threw a fit whenever she had to go home to her moms. We had it okay, we were teenagers living in a mansion, pretty much by ourself, doing what we wanted, it wasn't so bad, we had each other. "

Mark smiled. "You two are kinda like sisters?"

"Yea, she is my sister, we're family, she is my biggest protector, she gets nuts if anyone messes with me." She said still trying to get her mind off what his fingers were doing with her hand.

Mark laughed ."Yea I could see that last night."

Colleen looked up at him. "You got off easy, she broke my fiancées nose and three ribs and gave him two black eyes."

Mark stopped smiling. "You're shitting me." He knew Michelle seemed fierce, but damn.

"Wait a minute, what did he do to you, that made her go off on his ass like that?"

Colleen turned away embarrassed. She was such a loser, she couldn't even keep a man, she didn't really want Mark knowing that.

"Did he hurt you?" Mark asked taking her hand again and turning her to face him.

"Umm..He left me at the alter at our wedding..Michelle chased after him and kicked his ass." Colleen said.

Mark swore softly, he could see that had left a mark on her. "He must have been a idiot, to leave a sweet thing like you standing at the alter."

Colleen looked up at him and smiled, she couldn't believe this was the same man who yelled in her face last night. "It's a nice night, why don't we take a stroll." Mark said keeping her hand in his.

Colleen felt like yelling in joy. She couldn't believe her idol the undertaker was going take take a walk with her, she was sure life couldn't get any better.

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Scott's anger was almost out of control, he had a horrible temper when it finally got unleashed, and Michelle had set it free with her childish actions. He crushed his mouth to hers and the kiss was unlike the last one, it was punishing, he pushed his tongue into her mouth giving her no chance to protest. He was going to teach this girl a lesson.

Michelle couldn't breath, his kiss was hard and punishing, but no less intoxicating than the last one. His hands slid over her bare stomach causing her groan of pleasure to be swallowed up in his deep kiss.

Scott ran his hands up her ribcage and cupped her breast, Michelle pushed against his hand needing more. She felt the wetness between her legs and knew she needed him now, she was done denying what her body so desperately needed.

Scott moved his mouth from her lips and down her neck sucking and biting, hearing her whimpers only fueled him to go further, his hands slid inside the waistband of her shorts till his fingers found the part of her that was crying for him, he parted her roughly with his finger and plunged in with his two finger. "Scottttt." She moaned as his fingers worked her.

Scott smiled, yes this is right where he wanted her. He lifted his head and pressed his lips to her and pulled back a little his teeth catching her bottom lip and nibbling.

Scott pulled back to look at her, she was hot for him alright ready to explode. He put his lips to her ear, his tongue running over her sensitive lob. "Tell me want you want Michelle, tell me now." He demanded, his fingers still buried in her.

Michelle whimpered in need, she didn't give a damn that she was in Colleen's kitchen, she had to have him. "I wwant you." She forced the words out, it was hard for her to say that, she didn't trust any man, but she wanted him so bad.

"More." He whispered in her ear, his breath string the hair that lay there causing her chills.

Michelle couldn't think, only feel, she wanted more, what did he want her to say. "Please Scott..."

"Please what?" He whispered into her ear, his fingers till stroking her.

Michelle needed him badly, she was consumed with need for this man. "Please Make me come, please make love to me." She begged.

Scott had a moment of indecision , but then his anger resurfaced over her childish behavior and the way she had been acting since they met.

Scott pulled his hand from her shorts and pushed away from her. He glared down at her, still angry. "No, I don't think I will Michelle, you been playing with me all week, making me crazy, making me want you, I been trying to get to know you and you got this whole fuck you attitude, tonight I had enough. I wouldn't fuck you, if you begged on your knees."

Michelle couldn't believe what she had just done, trusted him, and he threw her words back in her face.

Scott waited for her to attack him or cuss him out, what he didn't expect to see was the flash of pain in her eyes, which she quickly concealed, with a blank look.

Michelle just wanted him to leave, before she did something she hardly ever did.

Scott turned and walked out of the sliding doors and Michelle sank to the floor, she realized she had crossed the line throwing food at him, but the pain she felt in her heart scared her, she had been denying how she felt since she met him, but the pain she was feeling spoke volumes. Michelle hung her head and cried.

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Mark walked Colleen back to her door. "Thanks for dinner, it was great, been a while since I had a good home cooked meal." He said shoving his hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing her.

Colleen was a little tongue tied, its not every day, you had a meal and took a walk with the man you had wet dreams about. "You're welcome..I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Mark backed up a little. "I guess I better get, I got a early flight tomorrow. I have to get back to work."

Mark couldn't miss the look of disappointment on her face, and secretly it thrilled him.

"Oh well, then you better get home and get some sleep." She said.

"I'm semi retired, I don't work as much as I used to, I'll probably retire early next year." Mark said trying to keep the conversation going. "Thats to bad, I always look forward to seeing you on the show."

She turned red immediately realizing she sounded like a psycho fan again.

Mark grinned. "Well you wont have to miss me, you can always come see me in person." he said winking at her.

Colleen swallowed hard and her mouth went dry, damn him and his flirting, he was killing her. "Umm yea, I'll have to do that." She said cursing herself as soon as the words left her mouth, God she sounded dumb.

Mark smiled and started down the deck steps. "I'll see you when I get back."

Colleen smiled. "Okay, goodnight."

She leaned back against the glass door and sighed. "God, its just like Cinderella, he's my prince."

She smiled happily and opened the door and closed it back, when she seen Michelle in the floor crying, she flipped, Michelle hardly ever cried, what the fuck.

Michelle whats wrong?" She asked rushing over to bend down beside her friend. Michelle was crying so hard she was incoherent. Colleen pulled her off the floor and pushed her in one of the kitchen chairs, she fixed her a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her. "Drink it." She said shoving a box of tissues at her and sitting down beside her.

It took Colleen thirty minutes to calm her down and get the story out of her. "Oh Girl, you and that damn temper, you had to go and throw food at the man, still what he did was beyond fucked up."

"I know, I know, most of this is my fault, I don't know why I did it." Michelle said hanging her head.

Colleen knew ever since that cheating bastard ex of her had did that number on her, with her mother, Michelle's trust and self esteem had plummeted, thats why she obsessed about working out and every morsel she ate, Scott had just undid months of work, Michelle was just starting to bounce back from that ex of hers. She was going to have to have a little talk with Scott, even though she was different from Michelle, the basic need to protect her friend was strong.

Michelle calmed down some, but she still looked like hell, Colleen fixed her another cup of chamomile tea, so she would sleep and then walked her over to her door. "Get some sleep girl, I'll see you in the morning."

Michelle hugged her and went in her side of the duplex.

Colleen sighed and went back and cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. She had some baking to do, then she would go talk to Scott.

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Scott sat on his back deck with Mark, both of them making a face at the nasty ass fake beer they were forced to drink.

"Man you really fucked up, you think I fucked up, that shit you did was foul, and let me tell you, them two girls are close, they were practically raised together, Colleen isn't going to be to happy either.

Scott had calmed down some, he had a scary temper when he did lose it, it was either what he did or blister her ass, he went with the lesser of two evils. "I know, she just made me so mad, I been trying my best to get to know her, I know she is as attracted to me as I am to her, its frustrating , I mean yea, she makes me hot, but if it was just pussy, I could get that from anyone. I like her, a lot, when she once again acted like a two year old and threw that food at me, I just lost it."

Mark nodded. He could understand, but he didn't think Colleen would be as understanding or Michelle, she was libel to come over and cut his nuts off.

"Hey you two."

They looked down to see Colleen standing at the bottom of the steps. Mark smiled. She looked too cute, she had on denim cut offs that barely covered her bottom and a pink tank top, and cute pink flip flops with butterflies on them, her hair was damp as if she had just stepped out of the shower. "Can I come up?" She asked.

Scott sighed, he wasn't in the mood for a rehash, but he liked Colleen and the last thing he wanted to do was piss them both off in one day. "Come on." Scott said.

Colleen hopped up the stairs and seeing only two chairs perched on the arm of Mark's chair.

He felt his pants become uncomfortably tight as his face was about four inches from that cute ass of hers.

"Want a drink?" Scott said holding of his bottle of fake beer. "Thats that fake stuff, hows it taste?"

Mark handed her his bottle and she took a sip. "Oh gross, pass." She said making a face.

Mark and Scott both laughed. "Yea it's nasty." Scott said.

"Mark do you mind if I talk Scott alone?" She asked.

Mark gave Scott a worried look, with these two you never knew what was going to happen.

Colleen caught the look. "Look if I thought he had hurt Michelle on purpose, I wouldn't even be talking, I would have come over here with a bat and busted his head open, I just want to talk to him."

Mark and Scott both looked at her, somehow they didn't see her as the type to beat the hell out of someone, but she sounded serious.

Mark stood. "I have to get some sleep anyway. I'll see you two when I get back."

Colleen smiled up at him and he brushed his hand through her curls. "Be good." He said.

Colleen grinned. "Always."

Mark chuckled and left and Colleen took a seat in the chair.

"I'm surprised Michelle's not here with a knife ready to carve my ass up." Scott said

"Michelle's been kinda busy crying her eyes out for the last hour, Scott that was really foul, I know she pushed you, I know you're human, but you really hurt her."

Scott found it hard to believe, Michelle would cry over anything, she seemed tough as nails. But he knew Colleen wouldn't lie. "I just lost my temper, I wanted to teach her a lesson." He said sipping on the beer and making a face at the taste.

"Scott without going into detail, Michelle is the way she is, for a reason, she been hurt and betrayed by two important people in her life, her self esteem is shot, she thinks she fat, which is bullshit, she's built this wall that nobody gets past except me, what you did set her back, it hurt her deeply." Colleen said turning to look at him.

Scott sighed, he regretted what he did the moment after he did it, now it was even worse, to know that he hurt her the way he had.

"You know, if you wanted to come by in the morning and talk to her, she's not going to work, me and Cody can handle things tomorrow, she is going to be under my orders to stay home and relax tomorrow." Colleen said.

"Really think she'll talk to me now?" Scott asked.

Colleen laughed. "You're pretty persistent, I think you can handle it, but not one word of what I told you, she hates anyone to perceive her as weak."

Scott nodded. "Yea you and me both would be in a world of trouble."

Colleen stood. "Scott you're the only man I have seen able to get through to her, after her last crappy relationship, if I didn't think you good for her, I wouldn't be here, I'm trusting you with my friend, don't hurt her again."

Scott looked up at Colleen "Why do you trust me so much?"

"Well Michelle calls me Mary Poppins, says I see the good in everybody, but its not that so much, I go with my gut instinct about people and my instincts tells me, you're good for her, and that you're a nice man, under all that bluster."

Colleen bent and kissed his cheek and bounded down the steps two at a time. "Colleen, Michelle is lucky to have a friend like you."

Colleen stopped and looked back at him. Naw, I'm the lucky one, Michelle rescued me from a gilded castle a long time ago, and taught me how to live."

Scott looked at her confused. "It's a long story, I'll tell you about it one day." she said and took off walking.

Scott sat a long time thinking, he was upset with himself for his hot temper, he would have been better off busting her ass, it would have been a lot less painful for both of them.

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Colleen woke early the next morning, four to be exact. She knew Mark's flight left at seven, so she knew he would be up.

She grabbed the zip lock bags and headed out her back door and cross the bridge and headed to his house. She climbed the stairs and knocked on his back door. Mark opened the door a minute later and frowned, for a minute she thought he was mad, that she had bothered him. "Umm I didn't mean to bug you." She said backing up.

Mark snatched her arm and dragged her in his kitchen. "Young lady, you have no business out walking around this time of morning or running for that matter."

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She said grinning.

Mark looked at the little thing, she wasn't bigger than a minute, some big old thug could grab her and hurt her in a second, what the hell would she do? "I don't think so, I don't want to see you out by yourself anymore, this time of morning." he growled.

Colleen figured it was best just to pretend to agree than to argue with him. "Okay..I brought you some goodies to take with you, I know you said you don't get any homemade stuff much."
Mark suddenly smiled and he was touched he would do something like that for him. He took the bags and looked at the brownies and cookies and another with muffins in it. "Thanks Darlin, thats very sweet."

Colleen blushed. "You're welcome, umm I need to get back home." She said turning for the door.

"Huh uhh, wait just a minute, I'll walk you back." He said slipping the baked goodies in his carry on bag.

He followed Colleen out the back door and they walked slowly across the bridge to her house. He stopped when they got to her back door. "I'll see you Colleen, thanks gain."

Colleen smiled up at him, Gosh he was so handsome she thought. "It was no problem, have a safe trip."

Mark had to force himself not to pick her up and kiss her, what the fuck was wrong with him.

Instead he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back and winked at her. "See ya." He said and dropped her hand and walked off.

Colleen grinned and leaned against her door a dreamy look on her face. "What a man." She said nad turned and went in her house.

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Michelle sat in front of her TV staring at nothing with a cup of coffee in her hand. Colleen had insisted she take the day off today an rest, she had protested of course, but she had gave in to Colleen, because truthfully she kept bursting into tears at odd moments, she wanted to slap herself for being such a wimp, but dammit it hurt.

She had on a old t-shit and socks and her long hair was loose, she didn't even feel like getting dressed today.

Michelle looked up at the ringing doorbell, who the fuck could that be, unless Colleen came back for something.

Michelle set her coffee down and went and opened the door. Her eyes went wide with shock. "Ssscott." She stuttered out.

Scott stood there shocked at her appearance, her eyes were red and puffy from crying and the hurt in her eyes undid him, he was used to seeing her so tough and unbendable, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was.