Chapter eleven

Mark grinned as he followed her, marvelling at how she'd changed in just a few days. He knew exactly where he was going to take her and, unless he missed his guess, there was no way on earth she would be able to afford the price tag on the designer dresses. Still, it would be enjoyable watching her face, especially when he paid for it without batting an eyelash. She was anything but a gold-digger, and he knew it, having been out with a few of them in his time. He found it enjoyable teasing her because she was so easy to get a rise out of.

A short while later he pulled up outside a row of exclusive boutiques, nodding to the doorman nearest to them as he exited the car.

Amy stared at the shop they were directly outside of and her mouth fell open, especially when she saw that he obviously knew the doorman. "You know him?"

"Sure," Mark said easily.

"But this place is...well it's so..."

"Exclusive? Elegant?"

"Actually I was going to say expensive," she admitted, grimacing.

"I guess it is, but I ain't poor honey, in case you hadn't guessed. Why? Do you think I don't know how to dress properly?" He arched an eyebrow down at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"No! I mean, of course you can dress properly, you looked very nice last night. I just wouldn't have thought that a place like this would be your cup of tea."

"My cup of tea? That's a nice quaint English saying. As a matter of fact, the suit I wore last night came from here, so it should have looked good. But we're not here for me today," he said, placing one large hand in the small of her back to guide her inside the plush store. "Today we're gonna find you something stunning to wear."

Amy remembered what she had said about being able to pay for her own dress and swallowed the sudden dryness in her throat. How could she get out of this without letting him know she couldn't afford a dress from here, at least not without a lot of help. Nor would she feel comfortable accepting a dress from him, not with the sort of price tag the label must carry, she thought as she tried not to look awkward or gauche in front of the elegant staff.

Surprisingly the two female staff members who walked forward to greet them didn't make her feel uncomfortable at all. They asked what it was she was looking for and she was about to say that she wasn't sure when Mark told them she needed a classic little black dress for evening wear, together with everything that went with it. The women sat them both down and instantly went off to select some dresses for them to look at.

Amy glanced around nervously and then realised Mark was staring at her, a small smile playing around his firm lips. "What?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head, the smile getting a little wider. "Nothing. Just looking."

"Oh," Amy said, frowning. Looking at what? she wondered, although she didn't voice the question. Her eyes flitted about for another second, before they settled back on his face. Now would be the perfect time to tell him she couldn't afford these sort of clothes, and she took a deep breath to begin. "Mark, I er...well...couldn't we go and shop somewhere else?"

Mark studied her carefully, noting how nervous she seemed to be in these surroundings, and he felt his smile get even wider. "Now why would I want to do that darlin'? Don't you like the clothes in here?"

"They're lovely, but they're so expensive. I can't...I can't really afford anything from here. I'd feel more comfortable somewhere else, really."

"You haven't got any reason to feel uncomfortable here, and I'm well aware that you can't afford these clothes. That doesn't mean I can't afford them and I want to buy you something nice to wear. Is that a problem?"

"I guess not, I just...I'm not sure I'd feel right accepting..."

"Stop right there. I don't know what you think my motives are, but I'm not expecting anything in return, okay?"

"Oh, I didn't think...I just didn't want you to waste your money, I didn't think you'd want anything in return!"

"And if I had?" Mark said, wondering what she would have done if he had expected her to share his bed.

"Then I couldn't accept the dress...or anything else." She surprised herself at how strongly she managed to say those words, but she meant them. There was no way she would accept anything at all from him if he expected favours from her in bed. She frowned. "You don't, do you?"

"What? Want anything in return?" Mark pursed his lips as though thinking. "I might want something, is that a problem?"

Amy wished she was better at gauging his expression, because she couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not, but her heart starting sinking just the same. "No. No it's not a problem," she said quietly, standing up suddenly and walking out of the shop before he could stop her.

"Oh, shit," Mark muttered as he watched her walk away. He hadn't been serious, but she didn't know him well enough yet to know that and now he felt awful because she looked quite upset. He stood up and followed her outside, finding her marching briskly down the street away from the store, her head down. Her short legs were no match for his and he caught her up in seconds, gently taking her arm and stopping her progress.

"Hey," he said softly, bending slightly to get a look at her face. He cursed himself again when he saw tears in her eyes, although she looked angry not upset at the moment. "I didn't mean it, I was just kidding."

When she didn't say anything he got down on his knees in front of her and stared into her face. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you're not used to my sense of humour, I would never have hurt you, honey, or expected anything at all from you....except maybe a kiss. Am I forgiven?"

Amy stared into the eyes of the big handsome man who was kneeling in front of her and tried not to smile at how ridiculous he looked, but it was a losing battle. She saw his eyes light up as her mouth curved and she nodded. "Yes, you're forgiven, but you haven't really done anything. I'm just being dumb."

He stood up and took her hands, rubbing his thumbs over her smooth knuckles. "No you're not, I am. You didn't feel comfortable in that store and it didn't all have to do with the fact that you couldn't afford one of the dresses there, did it?" When she shook her head he continued, "You'd feel more at home in a regular store wouldn't you? Even a bargain one? And you'd probably rather eat at a burger joint than some fancy restaurant, am I right?"

"Well, yes," she admitted, shrugging.

Mark grinned at her. "Then why didn't you say so? I love burgers and I would much rather wear nice ordinary clothes than some suit, even if I do look absolutely fantastic in one!"

"Big head," she muttered, smirking at him and relaxing finally because she now knew he had similar tastes to her own.

"Yeah, but I'm also telling the truth. I do look fantastic in a suit, don't I?"

"You looked okay I suppose," Amy said, shrugging. "Nothing special."

"Nothin' special? You must need your eyes testing! I am one great specimen of manhood, as you said before, and I'll have you know that you are extremely fortunate to have me for a date!" Mark said, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her, his mouth twitching.

"If you say so," she said, starting to walk back to where the car was parked. When she realised Mark wasn't next to her she turned to see what he was doing. He was standing exactly where she had left him with his arms still folded, giving her his deadliest glare, a glare that was ruined slightly by the curve to his lips. Amy walked slowly back to him and stood in front of him, gazing the long way up into his eyes.

"What?" she asked in a long suffering tone.

"What do you mean 'what'? You know what. We're not going anywhere until you tell me how good I look in a suit and how wonderful it is to date me!" he said, raising one eyebrow and looking impossibly arrogant.

"If I told you those things your head would get even bigger, so I won't," she replied, matching his pose and giving him a smug smile.

"Is that right? You sure you about that? I can be real persuasive, you know."

"I just bet you can. Still, I'm not saying it and you can't make me," she said recklessly, then instantly regretted it when an unholy light entered his eyes.

"Can't I?" he asked, moving a step closer and smiling wickedly at her.

"Well, okay...er...maybe you could," she said, about to take a backwards step. But his hands shot out and grabbed her, lifting her up until her eyes were level with his.

"Only maybe?" he enquired, holding her in front of him.

Amy looked around and noticed that they were beginning to attract attention, what with them standing in the middle of the sidewalk so people had to walk around them to get past. "People are looking!" she whispered, her wide eyes shooting to his.

"They'll be looking even more in a second," he murmured, pulling her against him so she could balance herself with her hands on his shoulders while his arms went around her.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, a blush creeping into her face.

"Persuading you to my way of thinking," he said, leaning forward and fusing his mouth to hers before she could say anything else. He watched her eyes close almost instantly as his lips teased hers and allowed his own eyes to drift closed, savouring the feel of her soft mouth under his. He expertly opened her mouth so his tongue could have access and deepened the kiss until he had to stop so he could breathe. His head drew back and watched as her eyes very slowly opened, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Have you been properly persuaded yet?" he asked, his voice very deep and husky.

"Persuaded?" she croaked out, trying to remember what they had been talking about. Her mind was a blank when he kissed her.

"Hmm. You have something to tell me," he said, not putting her down, enjoying the feel of her small body against his.

"I do?" she asked, staring at his mouth and wondering if he'd kiss her again.

Mark saw the look and bit off a groan. "You keep looking at me like that and we're gonna be doing more than kissing in front of all these people, sweetheart. Tell me what I want to hear. Am I a great date or what?"

Amy came back down to earth enough to realise what he was talking about and she debated whether to deny him or not. She liked the persuasion.

"Or what," she whispered, looking hopefully at his mouth again, totally unashamed.

"Hussy," Mark whispered, taking her mouth again only harder this time, wondering if he'd ever get enough of it. When he stopped he could feel her shaking and see the desire in her eyes. "Tell me."

"You looked incredibly handsome in your suit. You'd look handsome in anything, and you look really sexy in jeans," she said obligingly, hanging limply against him.

His eyes lit up at her words. "Sexy huh? And am I a great date?"

Amy smiled and looked innocently at him. "Yes, you're a very great date, very old indeed."

He couldn't help but smile. "I didn't mean it like that. Want me to use a little more persuasion? I'd really love to but we're getting a bit of an audience now."

Amy looked behind them to where he indicated and saw a couple of teenagers nudging each other and laughing. She went red to the roots of her hair and hid her face in his neck, feeling his chest rumble as he chuckled.

"Want to tell me what I want to hear now? Or shall we give them a show?" he asked, teasing her, delighted that she was clinging to him for protection.

"You're the best date in the world," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Now, honey, you ain't just saying that because you're embarrassed are you? That'd hurt my feelings, you know," he said, nudging her face away from his shoulder with his chin.

She looked up and saw, behind the teasing, that he really wanted to know. She couldn't believe that he was insecure in any way, and her eyes softened as she looked at him. "I really mean it. You're the most handsome man I've ever met, and yet you look dangerous and that worried me at first. But you're so nice to me, so gentle really. I couldn't imagine anyone else being such a wonderful date."

Mark felt his face heat at her words, unused to being complimented. "I ain't that nice honey."

"Maybe not to other people, but you are to me. You make me feel...I don't know...I guess you make me feel safe," she said, looking serious now. "I've never really known what that feels like before."

Mark stared at her for a few seconds, stunned that he could have made her feel all this in the short time he had known her. He felt himself heat up and he pulled her into a tight embrace, nuzzling her neck. "I'm glad honey. You'll never feel anything else with me, I promise. I'll always be the perfect gentleman."

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling against his shoulder. "You are going to kiss me again though aren't you?"

"Believe me sweetheart, I ain't gonna be that much of a gentleman! I like kissing you too much, and I guess you feel the same huh?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at her instant nod. "Well, we certainly can't stay here and do it, not unless you want to be stared at again?"

He chuckled at her blush and put her down on her feet, taking her hand and strolling casually back to his car.

Amy found herself almost running to keep up with him and he glanced at her with amusement before slowing down. "You're a midget, y'know," he remarked, grinning as they reached the car and she swatted his arm. He rubbed his bicep and frowned. "But you sure as hell pack a punch."

"As if it hurt!" Amy scoffed as he handed her into the car, still trying to regain her composure after his kisses. She watched him as he folded his enormous body into the drivers' seat and turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling when he saw how she was studying him.

"You're gonna have to wait," he said, smiling slyly as he started the car.

"Wait? For what?" she asked, confused because she couldn't remember asking for anything.

"To ravish me. I know you want to, but I can't let you do things like that to me in a public place, it's illegal. Maybe after I've known you for a couple of months, who knows?" He grinned at her, moving the car out into the traffic and heading towards Vince's rented house.

"Ravish you?" Amy asked, her eyes wide.

"Mmm-hmm. Although it's very tempting, of course, I have to think of my reputation. What would the other wrestlers think of me if I let you have your way with me? My name would be mud."

Amy tried not to laugh and failed, earning a stern look from Mark before he turned his attention back to the road. "It's not funny! I'd never be able to hold my head up in public again, plus you'd lose all respect for me once you'd had your wicked way with me!"

"And you wouldn't let me?" she asked, tongue in cheek.

"Well...maybe..." he said hesitantly, then made a show of gritting his teeth and shaking his head. "No! No, I wouldn't. Stop trying to tempt me, ya little hussy!"

Amy grinned at him. "Aw, and I was going to have so much fun, too!" she said, shrugging and turning away, watching as they drove past the gates to the house.

Mark stopped the car and turned to her, leaning casually back against the door until she looked at him. "What?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"You were gonna have fun huh? What sort of fun? What did you have planned then?"

"Nothing you need to know about. At least, not anymore, you said you wouldn't let me!" she said, trying for a nonchalant look. "I couldn't possibly tell you all my secret plans now."

Mark grabbed her chin and pulled her towards him. "Try," he said softly, giving her a look that could have melted steel. He watched as she swallowed and her eyes grew wider. "Tell me how you'd seduce me Amber," he said, using her full name for the first time.

"I...I wouldn't...know where to begin," she said haltingly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sure you would," he said, taking her hands and drawing them onto his chest. "You could start here, then you could just let your hands do their own thing. Maybe this'll help," he said, flicking open a couple of buttons on his shirt so she could have free access to his skin. He pulled one of her hands just inside the opening and then let go of her wrist, letting her do what she wanted. She hesitated at first, but she couldn't drag her eyes or her hand away from his chest and she ran her fingers over the huge pad of muscle, glancing up curiously when he tensed at her exploration.

"It's okay," he said softly, settling back against the door more comfortably.

She swallowed and looked back at his chest, moving her other hand up so she could run them across the breadth of his torso, feeling each muscle as she did so. She had never touched a man like this before and she was curious about how they felt, curious to find all the differences, and she took full advantage of Mark's supine state.

He found himself smiling indulgently as he watched her explore everything above the waist, but her hands never went below his belt and he found it amusing. Most women he had been with had been the ones to initiate any moves, usually going straight for the gold instead of anything else. Amy was entirely different, mainly because she had no idea what to do, but he liked the fact that she was innocent, that he'd be the first one to show her anything intimate. Her shy fingers were incredibly arousing, especially when she discovered a flat nipple and toyed with it for a while, watching with wonder when it hardened. His muscles tensed every time she stroked down over his stomach and he wondered how long he could hold out before he grabbed her hands and put them where he wanted them. He knew he couldn't, that it would probably freak her out, but it wasn't like he could hide what she did to him, it was too obvious.

Eventually she noticed his reaction and stared at the large bulge in his pants with her mouth hanging open. "Oh," she said, her eyes shooting up to his.

"Well don't look so shocked, you made it like that," Mark said, his lips curling at her red face.

"I did?" she said, her eyes briefly dropping again.

"Yeah, you sure did. Still, it ain't like we can do anything about it here, so we'll just ignore it okay?" he said with deathbed humour.

Amy bit her lip and tried to look away from his body, managing it with some difficulty. She opened her mouth to ask him a question and then thought better of it, clearing her throat and looking at anything but him.

"What's up, honey? You want to ask me something?" Mark asked, drawing her against him and groaning when her body pressed over his aroused flesh.

"Oh, sorry..." she mumbled, trying to draw away from him.

"Don't you move," he said, smiling at her. "You don't want to make it worse do you?" His smile grew wider when she frantically shook her head. "What did you want to ask?"

"I...er...nothing, it doesn't matter," she said, still red-faced.

"You can ask me anything, you know. No matter how rude," he grinned at her.

"Does it...er...does it hurt?" she mumbled, glancing down just once to let him know what she meant.

"Sort of. It aches. You've never felt that way have you?" he asked, staring into her clear green eyes.

"I don't think so," she said honestly, "except when you kiss me, sometimes it feels...odd."

Mark brightened and a grin spread slowly across his face. "Odd huh? In what way?"

Amy frowned. "I'm not sure. Just...odd. I feel sort of hot and swollen..."

"Mmm-hmm. I feel sort of hot and swollen too," he murmured wickedly, laughing when she looked at him in shock. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You're rude," she said, her face relaxing in a smile even though she still felt her cheeks burning.

"Yeah, that I am, and you'd better get used to it, because I get a whole lot worse than this," he said, a big grin still on his face. He quickly fastened his shirt and then smoothed her dishevelled hair with one big hand. "Come on, we'd better get you inside before I do something very unwise in this car. Hell, it isn't even big enough for what I have in mind anyway!"

"It isn't?" she asked, looking at the size of the car and then at the size of him. "Oh, I guess it isn't," she mumbled, her mind bringing up all sorts of informative images for her.

"You guess right," he said, smiling at her, his eyes flicking to beyond her shoulder briefly and then looking at her again. "Plus the fact that your godfather just pulled up behind us and is standing beside your window looking like he wants to kill me. I suppose we'd better try and look like we haven't been doing anything steamy, huh?"