Jessie slowly came awake. She was pressed against something warm and hard. She slowly remembered what had happened last night. She realized she had turned over in her sleep and the something warm and hard was Mark's big body. She reached up and pushed the mass of curls out of her face. Mark was on his back with one arm wrapped around her holding her to him. She was practically lying on top of him with her head lying on his chest. There legs were tangled together. Jessie figured she should move over to her side of the bed. But she didn't budge. The hell with it she thought this feels to good and he warm. She snuggled closer to him burying her face back in his chest her hair falling forward again to brush his chest. Jessie wrapped her arm around his waist and closed her eyes. "You awake Jessie." Mark said. Jessie felt his deep voice rumbling from his chest. She didn't move she wasn't ready to have to leave his safe arms yet it felt to good. She felt Mark's hand brush the hair back out of her face. "I think someone's playing possum." Mark said. Jessie couldn't stop herself she started giggling and opened her eye to find his intense green eyes looking into hers. "Hmm yea that's what I thought. Not wanting to get out of bed are ya?" Mark asked with amusement in his eyes. "No its warm." She said snuggling back into his arms. Mark laughed. "Ya act like were in Siberia. It's North Carolina and it's only November. Beside it's supposed to be a nice day today. 65 degrees. If a certain someone will get up I was going to take ya fishing today." Mark said. Jessie opened one eye. "Fishing?" she asked. "Yea there a nice little lake a couple of miles down. I thought we would rent some rods. We'll go to the store get some stuff for a picnic. What do ya say?" Mark asked. "Can we Mark I never been fishing?" Jessie said with excitement in her voice. Mark smiled at the excitement in her voice, not to many women he knew would be excited about handling worms and setting on the ground for most of the day. "Yea it's a plan then. But first ya got to get your happy ass up." Mark said laughing. Jessie smiled but kept laying there. "Okay I'm going to move in just a minute." She said. She rubbed her face against his chest loving the feel of his warm skin against her face. "Okay I'm getting up." She said pushing her self away from him and setting up. The moment she moved mark wished he had let her sleep. His arms felt empty without her. He had to resist the urge to draw her back down to his side. Jessie was feeling much the same thing. She sighed and pushed her mop of curls out of her face only to have them fall right back. Mark laughed. "I think its hopeless darlin." He said. Jessie grinned and got up to go to the bathroom. Mark watched her. Damn what was getting in to him the girl was nothing but trouble.
Jessie came out of the bathroom dressed and her hair had been brushed into some semblance of order. She looked and seen Mark was still setting on the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor. He was rubbing his knees. She went over to stand in front of him. Mark are you okay?" Jessie asked. "Fine." He snapped waving her away. Mark didn't want her to see him like this. His knees were stiff this morning and he was going to have to loosen the muscles up before he could start hopping around. Jessie knelt beside him. "What's wrong Mark?" she asked. "Jessie go outside and smoke a cigarette or something. It's going to take me a few minutes to get going." Mark growled at her. He couldn't look at her. He didn't want to see that disappointed look women always got when they realized he wasn't superman. That he was just a man with aches and pains and broke down from years of taking hard knocks. "I can't do that Mark. I quit smoking. I know you don't like it so I'm quitting. Now what's hurts your knees?" She asked. Mark looked at her for the first time since she had come back into the room fully expecting to see disappointment and pity in her eyes. Instead all he seen concern. "Don't you ever brush that hair of yours?" he said looking at the wild curls all over her head. Jessie laughed. "Like you said it's hopeless." She said. "Get on out of her for a few minutes and let me work this stiffness out and we'll go get breakfast." He said in a gentler tone. "I got a better idea." Jessie said. Jessie sat down at his feet and pulled one leg in her lap and started rubbing his knee and massaging it. Mark was about to tell her too stop but damn it felt good and he could feel the stiffness working its way out. Jessie lowered his leg to the floor after a few minutes and lifted the other and started working on it. Mark watched her head bent the curls falling to hide her face. He felt a surge of protectiveness that threatened to over whelm him. She finally lowered his leg to the floor. "Better." She asked. "Yea Jessie much better. Thank you." Mark said. Mark stood up the stiffness now gone and put his hand down to pull Jessie up. Jessie took his hand and let him pull her up. She then did something that melted Mark's heart. She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his waist her head lying against his chest. "I never had a friend before you Mark." Jessie said quietly. Mark lifted his hand to her head and ran his finger through her wild mane of hair. "You do now darling." Mark said. "I'm going to get dressed." Mark said. "Okay I'll pack up our stuff." Jessie said moving away from him. Mark went to the bathroom to dress and Jessie got there stuff together and started packing up as she hummed a tune to herself with a smile on her face.
Davie was not happy. Tommy had screwed up and lost them. He had no clue who this guy was she was with or where they were headed. He had put in calls to all the connections he had in different cities telling them to look out for her. It would be like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Davie smiled a real nasty smile. It might take him forever but he would find her. And when he did she was going to pay.