Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
AN: Thanks for the reviews, more to come really soon.
Mark walked into his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed, striping off his shirt just as Maranda walked in. She stopped for a split second and then went to sit beside him.
"Damn it Mark, you're going to get yourself killed." She said, running her fingers over the purple bruises on his side. Mark sucked in a surprised breath as her fingers glided softly across his skin. She looked up quickly at the sound and narrowed her eyes in concern.
"Did I hurt you?" She asked, and he gave a pained laugh, willing his wayward body to get itself under control.
"No Sweetheart you aren't hurting me." He reassured her then added silently 'you're killing me'.
"Okay." Giving him one last strange look she started wrapping his ribs, making the bandages tight enough to restrict movement to help the pain. When she had finished she looked up at him, a bright smile on her face.
"Finished." She declared, and then at the sight of the look on his face put a hand to his chest.
"Mark, you okay?" She asked. His eyes were closed tightly, his fists clenched at the bed covers.
"Please don't touch me." He ground out through clenched teeth. She snatched her hand away like she had been burned.
"I didn't realize that my touch revolted you so much. It won't happen again." She muttered, her voice filled with hurt, her eyes misting with tears. As she started to get up a large hand closed around her wrist.
"Good god. Do you think that's the reason I want you to stop touching me?" He asked gruffly.
"Don't worry about it. Most guys don't seem to like me either." She said, casting her eyes to look at the carpet.
"That's not to reason Maranda Lynn. The problem is ...well you see is the thing is... Aw hell forget it!" He said, grabbing her and crushing her lips to his. For a brief moment Maranda was stunned, she couldn't think properly, she didn't understand what was happening. Then it registered in her fogged brain that Mark Calloway was kissing her, doing something that she had dreamed about for the past few years. Slowly she wound her arms around his neck, her fingers going to lace through his hair.
He increased the pressure slightly and leaned back on the bed, taking her with him. He wrapped his fist around her hair and tugged her head back slightly, his mouth going from her lips to her throat, paling gentle kisses down to her collar bone. He twisted to get more comfortable and broke away hissing in pain. Maranda sat bolt up right and looked at him in concern. "Did I hurt you?" She asked, noticing for the first time that her hand rested on his hurt ribs.
"No I hurt myself. Damn it all to hell!" He cursed, his head falling back to the mattress.
Maranda smiled slightly and leaned down; unaware of what she was really doing. Brushing her lips against his and trailing her fingers down his chest gently he moaned and grabbed her wandering hand.
"Damn it girl! As much as I want this and you, I know right now that it is an impossible. I will wind up hurting myself even more." He said hoarsely, and again she smiled slightly.
"Then we will have to finish this later won't we?" She asked brightly getting to her feet. She shot him a saucy look and walked out the door.
"You can count on it." He murmured to the closed door, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. The last thought that fluttered through his mind was that he should have told her that her shirt was half off. He fell asleep with a smile curving his lips.
AN: Thanks for the reviews, more to come really soon.
Mark walked into his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed, striping off his shirt just as Maranda walked in. She stopped for a split second and then went to sit beside him.
"Damn it Mark, you're going to get yourself killed." She said, running her fingers over the purple bruises on his side. Mark sucked in a surprised breath as her fingers glided softly across his skin. She looked up quickly at the sound and narrowed her eyes in concern.
"Did I hurt you?" She asked, and he gave a pained laugh, willing his wayward body to get itself under control.
"No Sweetheart you aren't hurting me." He reassured her then added silently 'you're killing me'.
"Okay." Giving him one last strange look she started wrapping his ribs, making the bandages tight enough to restrict movement to help the pain. When she had finished she looked up at him, a bright smile on her face.
"Finished." She declared, and then at the sight of the look on his face put a hand to his chest.
"Mark, you okay?" She asked. His eyes were closed tightly, his fists clenched at the bed covers.
"Please don't touch me." He ground out through clenched teeth. She snatched her hand away like she had been burned.
"I didn't realize that my touch revolted you so much. It won't happen again." She muttered, her voice filled with hurt, her eyes misting with tears. As she started to get up a large hand closed around her wrist.
"Good god. Do you think that's the reason I want you to stop touching me?" He asked gruffly.
"Don't worry about it. Most guys don't seem to like me either." She said, casting her eyes to look at the carpet.
"That's not to reason Maranda Lynn. The problem is ...well you see is the thing is... Aw hell forget it!" He said, grabbing her and crushing her lips to his. For a brief moment Maranda was stunned, she couldn't think properly, she didn't understand what was happening. Then it registered in her fogged brain that Mark Calloway was kissing her, doing something that she had dreamed about for the past few years. Slowly she wound her arms around his neck, her fingers going to lace through his hair.
He increased the pressure slightly and leaned back on the bed, taking her with him. He wrapped his fist around her hair and tugged her head back slightly, his mouth going from her lips to her throat, paling gentle kisses down to her collar bone. He twisted to get more comfortable and broke away hissing in pain. Maranda sat bolt up right and looked at him in concern. "Did I hurt you?" She asked, noticing for the first time that her hand rested on his hurt ribs.
"No I hurt myself. Damn it all to hell!" He cursed, his head falling back to the mattress.
Maranda smiled slightly and leaned down; unaware of what she was really doing. Brushing her lips against his and trailing her fingers down his chest gently he moaned and grabbed her wandering hand.
"Damn it girl! As much as I want this and you, I know right now that it is an impossible. I will wind up hurting myself even more." He said hoarsely, and again she smiled slightly.
"Then we will have to finish this later won't we?" She asked brightly getting to her feet. She shot him a saucy look and walked out the door.
"You can count on it." He murmured to the closed door, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. The last thought that fluttered through his mind was that he should have told her that her shirt was half off. He fell asleep with a smile curving his lips.
