Hey. Another chapter already!!!

I really shouldn't have writen this. I'm supposed to be revising. I only meant to write the start but then I couldn't stop. I did intend for it to be a little longer but I think this works quite nicely as a chapter(and I'm too lazy to re-read it and add bits in) and I didn't see the sense in making you guys wait any longer.

Thanks for all the reviews last chapter.

Love you all, you awesome people!

"It's the third time he's done this to me this week, the third time, in one bloody week," I said pacing up and down the room in front of Marcus who was sitting on the sofa realigning the cushions.

"Maria. I really think you need to calm down. Why don't you just sit down? " Marcus said calmly. He'd been listening to me ranting about this for the past 5 minutes, since Tony's P.A had called up to cancel the meeting.

Again.

"No Marcus, you don't understand. I've had people on my case about this all week and every time I say 'Don't worry I've got a meeting with Tony tonight. It'll be sorted by tomorrow' and every single time he cancels. How the hell do you think that makes me look?"

"Maria, it's not your fault that-" he began, but I cut him off.

"Three times, Marcus. Three times."

"They can't blame you for him cancelling."

"Can't they? This is Baker were talking about here. He doesn't give a damn about who's fault it is, he just wants it done, and in his eyes this is all my responsibility. My job."

"Maria-"

"And you know what, he's right. It is my job. What the hell was I thinking? Contracting the work out to Tony Stark. Could there be a more stupid thing to do?"

"Don't beat yourself up about it Maria, it's not your fault," he said, trying to make me feel better.

"No, it is my fault,' I told him stubbornly, "but I tell you what. If he messes this up for me he's gonna wish he'd never been born."

Tony seemed to have a talent for messing things up for me.

He'd caused me nothing but aggravation since the day we'd met.

Maybe it would have been easier to have just slept with him.

But my virginity was one thing he was never getting.

Ever.

I sighed and sat down on the sofa next to Marcus. He put his arm around me and I rested my head on his chest, which, I think, took him by suprise. I'd been backing off recently. The last meeting with Tony had confused things a little. Every time I was with Marcus I'd find myself thinking about Tony, and because of that I'd put some distance between us.

But now I was pissed off with Tony, and by getting close to Marcus I felt like I was having some kind of revenge.

I pulled myself closer to Marcus and he hesitantly put a hand on my waist. I pulled his arm around me so he was holding me tightly. This was the closest we'd ever been.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I could hear his heart beating against his chest. It was nice having him hold me like this.

I felt safe.

Eventually he spoke.

"Maria," he said softly.

"Uh huh."

He took his hand from around my waist, running a finger along my cheek and then under my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

He looked down into my eyes for a little while almost as if he was having to summon up the courage to be able say what he wanted to tell me.

"You're... You're beautiful."

I smiled.

I felt beautiful when I was with Marcus.

He made me feel beautiful.

"And I know you probably figured this out already but... but I..."

I knew what he was going to say and I freaked!

Oh God. Don't say it. Don't say it. Not now!

I was still confused about my feelings for him and I had feeling that those 3 little words would confuse things even more.

"I-"

I kissed him before he could say it. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was a spur of the moment thing - the only thing I could think to do to stop him saying them. Ironically it was probably end up complicating things even more.

The fact that I was enjoying sharing this kiss with him was not helping either. Even though I knew that I should stop, I found myself refusing to pull away.

I let myself go completely, and any barriers that I may have been putting up melted away.

I refused to think about anything other than the here and now, and at the moment I was kissing Marcus, and loving every second of it.

It was awkward, kissing him like this. I really wasn't in the right position.

He took hold of my waist pulling me onto his lap, to make things a little easier, and kissed me back.

He wasn't a bad kisser. Very gentle. Very controlled.

Nothing like Tony.

Tony.

At the thought of Tony I found myself kissing Marcus more fiercely. He followed my lead kissing me more a little more passionately but in a totally controled way. He allowed a hand to wonder onto my thigh, rubbing it gently, almost cautiously.

Soon my hands were fumbling around pushing up his t-shirt, running over his chest. Our lips parted as I pushed the t-shirt off and threw it to the ground and then our lips reconnected again.

I pulled myself tight against his warm body running my hands down his now bare back before he pushed me back onto the sofa and leaned over me as we continued to kiss frantically. My arms and legs were wrapped tight around him.

This was going way too far, but I didn't want to stop now.

There were worse people to lose my virginity to than Marcus.

And if Marcus takes it then there's no way that Tony can.

I knew it was completely wrong to do this for that reason, but I continued regardless.

My hands were on the zip of his jeans. He took hold of my hands gently, pulling them away and stopped kissing me, looking down into my eyes.

"Maria, are you sure that you want to do this ?"

I smiled.

"Why wouldn't I ?"

"It's just, I want to make sure. Are you sure you want your first time to be like this? I don't want you to regret it. I know you want it to be special. I know you've been waiting for a long time, so if you want to wait, if you want to do this differently you can just tell me. I'll understand completely. OK?"

I thought about what he'd said and realised that he was right.

I did want my first time to be special.

I was doing this for all the wrong reasons.

I'd waited so long for this.

Doing this to get back at Tony was totally wrong. How could I even consider doing it? It was almost as bad as losing my virginity to Tony.

Nevermind the fact that it was completely unfair on Marcus.

"I-I'm so sorry Marcus."

He smiled a bitter sweet smile smile. "It's fine," he said getting off me and picking up his t-shirt from off the ground.

I sat up, unable to look at him.

I couldn't believe how close I'd come to doing something so immoral. If Marcus was a different kind of guy...

How could I?

Recently I'd been feeling like I didn't know myself at all.

The old Maria would never have even dreamed of doing something like that.

Someone once told me that this was what California did to people.

It wasn't California. It was Tony.

He brought out the worst in me.

Marcus put the t-shirt back on while I sat on the sofa staring at the ground in embarrassment.

"Hey," Marcus said, kneeling in front of me, taking both my hands. "It's OK. You don't need to feel bad."

I didn't reply.

He didn't know the half of it.

"Can I have a smile?"

I tried to force a smile onto my face, but I was embarrassed and angry.

Angry with Tony.

"Maria, do you want me to go?"

"Uh..." I couldn't really say yes could I?

I didn't have to.

"I tell you what I'll just go make you a cup of hot chocolate and then I'll leave you to it."

I smiled. A cup of hot chocolate seemed to be Marcus' solution to everything.

"Finally a real smile."

He got up and headed to the kitchen, leaving me on my own in the living room for a few minutes. I consoled myself by thinking about horrible ways to get revenge on Tony.

Just I was moving onto the more violent ideas Marcus came in with a mug. He handed it to me and I took a sip.

Perfect.

As always.

"Well I'll just leave you to enjoy that," he told me, straightening a pile of trashy magazines on the table, before heading towards the door."If you need anything at all just give me a call, OK?"

I nodded. "Sure."

"Well uh...bye."

Goodbyes were always awkward with Marcus. Neither of us knew what to say.

"Bye Marcus."

As soon as the door was closed I was consumed by rage. It was Marcus that had been keeping me calm all this time, but now he was gone.

One name echoed around my head.

Tony.

I picked up my phone. I'd been avoiding making direct contact with him but now I'd had enough. More than enough.

I had no idea what I was going to say, or what calling him would achieve in the long term.

All I knew was that I wanted to shout at him. Hopefully, it would make me feel better, if nothing else.