Chapter 9

"I'm getting out and making something to eat, did you have any plans for dinner or is it whatever?" She asked cordially, heading for the ladder.

"Being a typical man, I did not, had a few for dessert though." He rumbled, knowing he was pushing his luck but could not for the life of him keep that comment to himself. "I brought home steaks for the grill and some baking potatoes. Of course, I woulda had it started by now if someone hadn't been distractin' and splashin' at me." Mark used his arms to pull himself out of the pool, standing up right and tugged his boxers back up since they had slid down...rather low on his hips. "How's that sound?"

It took every ounce of willpower not to look down at his boxers, Jasina keeping her eyes on his face the entire time with a soft smile. He'd been really caring and comforting over the past three months since Randy's death, even so much as holding her some nights when she had nightmares of plane crashes...or of Randy in general. Jasina hadn't pushed him away, needing the comfort more than anything, but now that she was starting to feel like her old self again, she wondered if maybe it was time to put the walls back up.

"You splashed at me first." She retorted, steaks and potatoes sounding wonderful, her hair matted to her head as she ran her fingers through it. Little water rivulets ran down her arms and chest, flat toned stomach and legs, grabbing her towel to wrap herself in it. "Well if you don't start them, then I will because I'm starving and I know you have to be. You're an eating machine after all." Why hadn't Arielle and Gary stuck around for dinner? Jasina wasn't sure how to feel being along with her ex-husband, even though it had happened a lot lately, though she'd usually be up in her room working or somewhere he wasn't.

"I'll get the grill fired up, after I pull on some pants." Mark rumbled, wanting to do two things: Snatch her up and pull the boxers off his balls because being wet and sticking to him was beginning to chafe. He idly wondered if he could get her to rub...and that line of thinking was cut off. "Be right back." He grunted, walking past her into the house and headed straight for his bedroom. Jasina was coming out of her mourning, so it seemed at least, and he wondered if three months was enough time before starting to...look at her THAT way again. Not that he had ever actually stopped, but would never admit it to anyone, especially her.

"Maybe it's time to get my own place." Jasina murmured aloud, already feeling some kind of sexual tension between the two of them, and couldn't act on it.

It'd only been three months and Mark hadn't found another woman to be with, probably because of her staying at the ranch. It wasn't right. She had definitely overstayed her welcome and it was time to leave, to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. Sighing, Jasina walked into the house a few minutes later and went straight up to her room to change out of her bathing suit, slipping on some white cotton shorts and a matching strapless top that had blue hem.

It was hot and Jasina wanted to be comfortable, blinking when she looked in the mirror and realized how long her hair had gotten. It was past her shoulders and most of the streaks had diminished, probably because of how much time she spent in the pool. She brushed it out and pulled it up in a black clip to keep it off of her neck, wondering if Mark would ever turn the air conditioner on.

Mark only used the A/C for Arielle and now that she no longer lived with him, he felt no need to use it at all, loving the dry Texas heat. He didn't mind sweating, but couldn't stand coming in from the heat, walking into a freezing house...that was a recipe for a stuffed and still runny nose for him. Screw that. After pulling on a pair of jean cut off shorts that hugged him like a second skin -downside to being his size, everything fit like a second skin-, Mark headed back downstairs, his damp hair still hanging loose. Though he had a rubber band around his wrist for when he cooked to pull it back.

"Hey Jas," He called over his shoulder, deciding to ask her opinion on something he had been thinking about for awhile. "What do you think about tearing the wall down between your room and Arie's?"

Jasina was busy cutting up some broccoli to add to the meal and ended up slicing her finger, not expecting him to ask her something THAT random. "SHIT!" She dropped the knife on the counter and held her bleeding finger to her mouth, sucking on it. Mark walked over instantly and took her finger out of her mouth to survey the damage, turning the sink on to run it under cold water, which would help stop the bleeding faster. "W-Why would you want to do something like that?" She asked, looking up at him with confused teal eyes. "I mean it's your house and everything, but that came out of left field..."

"Sorry darlin', I guess I wasn't thinking about how it would sound outside my head." He laughed, keeping her finger under the cold water while reaching for a clean dishrag. After turning off the water, Mark wrapped the hand towel around her finger, applying steady pressure, mindful not to apply TOO much pressure; he was a bit stronger than the average person after all. "But Arie is moved out, and that guest room is tiny, you hardly got room to swing yer legs out of bed without knocking them against yer dresser. I figured I'd tear down the wall and expand that room…your room."

That was definitely a sweet thought and Jasina found herself melting a little, especially with how he took care of her cut finger. He wanted her to stay here, that much was obvious. Jasina wondered why though and chalked it up to loneliness. Arielle was out on her own with Gary and that left Mark alone with this huge ranch by himself, which was a little heartbreaking in a way.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, I know you're usually sure about things you want to do, but...Mark, don't you want to find someone to spend your life with? Don't you want to be happy again?" Jasina knew she was rambling, but couldn't stop the questions from dropping. "Me staying here is holding you back, whether you realize it or not...and I was thinking of looking for my own place because it's not fair to you to have your ex-wife living with you."

"First of all, yer not holdin' me back from anything." Mark said firmly, staring down at her out of intense green eyes. "I do what I want, when I want, and you know that better than anyone. This is where I want to be right now. I like havin' ya here, I'm not used to an empty house Jasina; I'm used to someone bein' here. If you want to go, then go. Just... don't use 'holdin' me back' as yer excuse, darlin'." Mark wasn't being mean; if she really wanted to leave and felt she was ready too then she should, but she didn't need to convince herself if was for HIS own good. Jasina needed to do things for herself. "But yer more than welcome to stay."

"I appreciate that, but I do feel it's time for me to leave. So don't change anything about this place for me. If you're gonna do it, then do it for you. I didn't mean to use holding you back as an excuse, that wasn't my intention."

Jasina pulled the towel from around her finger and saw the slit, walking away from him to get a band-aid out of one of the drawers. Mark kept them around because Arielle was extremely accident prone. She put a band-aid on her finger while Mark went to start up the grill, Jasina watching him and frowned, hoping she hadn't hurt his feelings. It was definitely time for her to leave, Jasina would start her apartment hunt tonight online.

Mark contemplated the idea of having the ranch to himself. He could stay up late and play music as loud as he wanted too without waking anyone up. He wouldn't have to worry about waking up early except for work. He could completely redo every room in true bachelor style...keep his fridge stocked with pizzas and beer opposed to actual food…walk around bare-assed...No. Nope. Couldn't see that suiting him for more than a few weeks, maybe a month.

Shaking his head, he headed out to start up the grill, wondering just how long it would take her to find a new place. What the hell did she need a place for anyway? She had one here. He didn't bug her about being in a relationship, didn't expect anything of her, the woman had it made.

She was insane.

~!~

For the next straight month, Jasina looked for apartments and had zero luck, feeling as though her head was going to explode. She couldn't find the right apartment, one like Trish had found, and even asked for her expertise. It was like the universe was out to get her or keep her bottled up with her ex-husband...either way her luck SUCKED.

So Jasina kept living at the ranch in the small guest room, refusing to destroy her daughter's room because Arielle stayed there a few times out of the month. It wouldn't be fair to Arielle. She shared dinners with Mark, even cooked for him and they would talk about their days. It was almost as if they were together, but they weren't, confusing everyone around them. It didn't matter though, until Jasina could find her own place she was stuck at the ranch and honestly, it could've been worse.

Other than the lack of sex, they were practically a couple. If Mark went out, he invited her along, be it for shopping or deciding a beer at the bar opposed to his kitchen table was in order. He'd haul all the laundry downstairs to the basement for her and then back up, she made sure he had matching socks since he was in the habit of pulling on whatever he grabbed first, not overly caring if he wore a black with a white.

When she needed his help, he helped. When he needed hers, she was there. They spoke regularly, laughed and joked, cooked together...it was like being married minus the rings and the sharing of a bed and bodies. That last part only really bothered him whenever she'd break out the bikini to sun bathe...and a few other times, like at night. Jasina was practically his again, only nothing was official.

"You look like you had another day with no luck." Mark commented when he seen the frown on her face.

"I need a drink with a large volume of alcohol, what does that tell you?" She grunted, setting her bag down on the counter, having already kicked her heels off at the door. She wore a pinstriped black and red skirt suit with a matching cardigan and short sleeved red V shaped shirt beneath, taking the cardigan off instantly since there was no air conditioner unlike the office. "I've decided I'm giving up, not worth the stress and aggravation." Jasina took the glass of brandy he handed her and slammed it back, sitting down at the island while he cut up some steak cubes. "Unless you have a problem with me living here until the day I die? Because that's exactly what it looks like is going to happen."

"Nope, no problem with that darlin'; it's nice havin' a woman in the house. Reminds me I'm not allowed to trek mud onto the floors or run around in my underwear." Mark joked, knowing she had been tearing up Houston looking for a new place to live. He had once considered suggesting she find a new apartment in the same complex she had once lived in, but...that would have probably gotten him a skillet to the back of his skull. "Pour me a glass, would ya?" He smiled when she poured him a healthy measure, bending down to pick it up with his teeth since his hands were a little...greasy and nasty. Tilting his head back, Mark drained it then set the glass back down, smirking when she stared at him. "I'm a man of many talents. I think I did that with a shot glass once from your..." He trailed off, his eyes moving purposefully to her chest.

Jasina immediately snapped her fingers in his face, smirking when those green eyes met hers, purposefully folding her arms in front of her chest. "My eyes are not down there, Calaway." She stated, crossing one leg over the other, her skirt riding up her thighs just the slightest bit and cracked open the beer Mark had procured moments before she walked in the door. "Besides wanting to go down memory lane, how was the rest of your day?"

"Hold on..." Mark was now blatantly staring at her leg, more to the point, the tanned expanse of thigh she was so thoughtfully showing off. When she raised the now opened can of beer threateningly, he grinned and looked back into her face, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Sorry Jas, couldn't help myself. My day seems like it went a lot better than yers. Steve brought Emily into the shop today when he came in to pick up his paycheck, tyke's growin' way too damn fast. She looks like her momma. Thank God."

"Oh behave, Steve is just as good looking as Trish." Jasina giggled when Mark's eyebrow slowly rose, stopping in mid-cut, finding it incredibly amusing. "Trish is a lucky woman, that's all I'm saying." She took a long swig of beer and found it adorable how Mark's stance suddenly became tense, his shoulders squaring a bit more, puffing his chest out. She took the clip out of her hair and shook it out a little, having recently had it dyed back to her natural honey blonde with a few layers in it and it rested just below her shoulders. "So what are you cooking for us tonight, chef?"

"Forget food let's go back to the part where you think Steve is good lookin'."

She thought Steve was good looking? Steve was BALD, how was that good looking? He would never understand women. When she just smiled sweetly at him, he smirked slightly, carrying the diced cube steak to the waiting skillet on the stove, already drizzled with olive oil. He dropped the meat in and turned the burner on to let it brown.