Chapter twenty-two

Amy hurried along the corridor towards Vince's office, her chest hurting where she was stopping herself from crying. God, all she did lately was howl, she thought. But she was also angry. Angry at the way Mark had acted just now. He had spoken to her as if he hated her and it had hurt. He didn't even have any reason to be like that.

She knocked on the door when she got there and rushed inside, closing it and standing with her back against the wood as Vince looked up and frowned at her paleness. "Peaches? What's the matter, honey?"

That was the last straw. Vince's sympathetic voice made her burst into tears and he instantly moved from behind his desk and put his arms around her, rubbing her back and murmuring soothing words. When she quieted down he moved her to a chair and sat her down, going down on his haunches in front of her and looking at her with concern. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Amy sniffed and shook her head. "Not really."

"Well come on now honey, you just made my nice suit all wet with your tears, the least you could do is tell me why," he said, raising one eyebrow and pursing his lips.

"Mark swore at me," she whispered, her voice wobbling dangerously.

"He did what?" Vince asked, his voice becoming harder.

"He swore at me and now he hates me," she said, her lip wobbling to match her voice.

"Why?"

"He thinks that me and Kevin...that we're...we're..." she broke off on a sob and covered her face with her hands.

Vince frowned. "Why would he think that?"

"I don't know," she said, her voice muffled. "I want to go home."

"Okay, honey," Vince said, standing up and patting her shoulder. "I'll drive you back. Can you wait for half an hour, I'll be finished up here then?" When she nodded Vince motioned her over to the corner of the room where a television was set up. "Go watch some TV while I get this last bit of paperwork sorted out." He watched her sit despondently in front of the screen, sniffing now and then and he let his true feelings show on his face. What he really wanted to sort out right now was Mark.

Just as he thought that a knock came at the door and he called out for whoever it was to come in, his eyes narrowing when Mark walked in the room. Vince marched out from behind his desk again and pointed at the door. "Out!" he snapped, glaring at the bigger man, his gaze shooting to Amy and seeing her tense when she saw who it was.

Mark spared Vince one glance before moving over to where Amy was sitting. She didn't raise her eyes to look at him and he frowned at her bent head. "Go away," she whispered, still looking at the floor.

"Amy..." he began, but Vince grabbed his arm and pulled him away from her with a strength that surprised him.

"I said get out, and I meant it," the older man snarled at him and Mark debated for a second what to do.

"Look, Vince.."

"Now, or you'll find yourself out of a job!" Vince threatened, in those few seconds meaning every word he said.

Mark gave a frustrated sigh and let Vince usher him out of the room, following him out and closing the door. "If I were you, I'd stay well away from her for a while, she doesn't want to see you. She doesn't even want to be here, she's asked if I'll take her home. What the hell did you do?"

Mark ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. "Nothing minor, that's for sure. Glenn heard a rumour and told me...no, not to gossip," he said when he saw Vince's expression change. "He just wanted to warn me about it before anyone else told me. Anyhow, it was about Amy and Kevin and when I found them in the restaurant holding hands....I guess I went off at the deep end."

"And you swore at her and made her think you hated her?" Vince asked, folding his arms over his chest and looking coldly at the bigger man.

"She thinks I hate her?" Mark asked, not having thought of that as a consequence of his words. He kept forgetting how sensitive she was. "Oh God, what a mess!"

Vince found himself doing what he always found himself doing with Mark lately. He relented. "I said I'd drive her back in half an hour. Why don't you be waiting in the car for her instead of me?"

"Thanks Vince. Are you sure?" Mark asked him, grateful that he'd be able to get to Amy so soon and let her know how sorry he was.

"At the moment I am. But I swear if you hurt her again I'll make sure you never get within ten feet of her, got it?"

Mark nodded and Vince handed him his car keys, saying he'd get a lift back with Shane, then he went back in the room, leaving Mark to make his way to the car park.

Vince worked for a while in silence, looking up now and then and finding Amy still looking miserable. Finally he put some papers to one side and stood up, stretching. "I have to take these over to Linda's office, Peaches, so you go ahead and go down to the car. I'll be there in ten minutes okay?"

Amy stood up and nodded, then made her way out of the office and into the nearby elevator. She stared despondently at her reflection as the elevator made its way down to the underground car park, sighing when it stopped and the bell chimed, letting her know she was at her destination. She was expecting to sit and wait for Vince to arrive, so she was surprised when his car pulled up next to her only a couple of seconds later, but she shrugged it off and climbed in, not bothering to look at the person driving, expecting it to her Godfather.

Mark watched her as she leaned her head back against the headrest and sighed, her eyes staring blankly out of the window, and he decided he'd better drive. That way she couldn't just get out and not bother listening to him.

He drove along for a couple of minutes in silence before speaking. "I'm sorry, baby," he said and he saw her jump, her head swinging round to look at him.

"What are you....where's Vince?" she asked, her voice husky where she'd been crying.

"In his office working, I expect," he replied, giving her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road.

"Take me back there," she said, her voice wobbling again and she cursed herself, angry that she didn't have more backbone than that.

"I'm taking you home, and then we're going to talk," he said, wondering if she'd argue and surprised when she did.

"I don't want to talk to you," she mumbled.

"Maybe not, but you're going to listen, just the same," Mark said, navigating his way back to Vince's house as quick as he could.

"I don't want to listen to you either," Amy said, sounding slightly childish.

"That's a shame, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're going to," he said grimly, finally turning into the driveway and making his way towards the large house.

"You can't make me," Amy said under her breath, finally feeling her anger start to emerge and welcoming it.

"What was that?" Mark asked, stopping the car outside the house and turning to stare at her in amazement.

She shot him a glare and didn't answer, unsnapping her seat belt and clambering out of the car before he could move. But he was quicker than she had hoped and he jumped out of the car and was right behind her when she opened the front door and let herself inside. He pushed her forward gently and walked in after her, closing the door behind him and folding his arms over his chest. "Going somewhere?"

"Yes, away from you!" she snapped, making his eyebrows shoot up when she stomped off towards the stairs.

"You are going to listen to what I have to say," he said, grabbing her resisting form and throwing her over his shoulder so he could carry her easily up the stairs to her rooms. Amy gasped as he scooped her easily up and she started struggling, kicking at his ribs as he almost ran up the staircase.

"Put me down, you big Neanderthal!" she shouted at him, struggling harder. "Maggie!" she yelled, calling for the housekeeper at the top of her lungs. She did it again and eventually heard the woman's voice coming from downstairs. "Maggie, call the police!" she shouted as she saw her plump figure over the edge of the banisters.

"Don't bother Maggie," Mark said, turning to grin down at the woman. "We're just sorting out a bit of a problem."

Amy watched in disbelief as Maggie grinned and walked away, her last hope of escape fading as she went. She gave a furious noise that sounded like a growl and kicked him heftily in the ribs again, pleased to hear a 'whoomph' of air leave him, but he didn't slow down and she soon found herself staring down at her bed. She only had the view for a split second before he threw her off his shoulder and onto the mattress, shocking a small squeal out of her as she bounced on the soft surface.

Mark didn't give her a chance to try and escape as he came down on the bed on top of her and grabbed her wrists, stopping her from hitting him. But he didn't get to her legs in time and she kicked out at him, landing a nice blow on his shin that made him wince. "Will you stop!" he demanded, trying to still her small, agile body. Her only reply was another kick that made him see red and he hauled her up and sat on the edge of the bed, throwing her over his knee.

Amy was shocked into immobility when one of his huge hands came down hard on her backside in a series of quick swats. They didn't really hurt too bad, but they had the desired effect of making her stop fighting him and she hung limply over his knee as he stopped hitting her and rested his palm over her warmed bottom. "You about done now?" he asked her, pulling her slowly up and sitting her on his lap this time.

She nodded slowly, and peeked up at him from under her dishevelled hair, her eyes wide and wary.

"Good. Now, are you ready to listen?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and sighing when she gave another nod. "Amy...I don't know where to start, I really fouled things up good, didn't I? Not only accusing you of being unfaithful to me, but also a man who's a good friend of mine." He shook his head in disgust and Amy chewed her lip.

"Why did you think that?" she asked quietly.

Mark looked down at her and smiled mockingly. "I listened to rumours. Apparently someone's been saying they saw you and Kevin getting cosy."

"And you believed them?"

"No, not at first. But I couldn't help coming to find you, and then I saw you and Kevin sitting down and apparently holding hands. I lost my temper," he said, still sounding pissed off at himself.

"How could you think I'd do that to you?" she asked him and he looked at her again to see her bottom lip start trembling again.

He smoothed his thumb over her lip and stroked a finger down her face, a gesture that she was coming to love. "I'm insecure as hell, honey, didn't you know? It wouldn't surprise me if you did go off with someone else. And Kevin's everything I'm not."

Amy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's a good looking son of a bitch and he has this way with women...well, let's just say in a competition he'd come out the winner every time."
"No he wouldn't! He is good looking, but...he's not you," she said, faltering slightly as she looked at his face. "You're gorgeous, you have beautiful eyes and sexy lips that make me want to kiss you all the time. You're nose is perfect too, not too big or too small, and I love your beard...I wouldn't swap you for a hundred of Kevin Nash." She ducked her head after this little speech, her cheeks flaming at the way he was staring at her in amazement.

"You...think I have beautiful eyes?" he asked her, still amazed at this little outburst.

"Yes, they're lovely," she whispered, glancing at him quickly and then looking down again.

"Really? And my lips make you want to kiss me all the time?" he said with a smile.

"Sometimes," she admitted grudgingly, regretting what she had said already.

"But not when I swear at you, huh? Baby, I'm so sorry about that. I wish I could take it back," he said, lifting her chin with one finger.

"It's okay," she said, staring at his hypnotic green eyes.

"No it isn't, I hurt you," he persisted, cupping his large hand around her cheek. "You told me to go away."

"I thought you hated me," she whispered.

"I was jealous," he admitted, giving a self deprecating smile.

"There's no need, I wouldn't do that to you, not ever," she said softly, her small hand fluttering up to his face and smoothing out the frown line that appeared on his forehead. She gave a frown of her own and he raised his eyebrows in question.

"What's that look for?" he asked her.

"You spanked me," she accused, her mouth dropping open as she thought of what he had done.

"Yeah I did, but I ain't apologising for that. You deserved it. Just be thankful that I tapped your butt lightly, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting down for a week!"

"You're really arrogant you know that?" she asked, still frowning.

"Yeah, and you love that I am, otherwise you wouldn't be with me," he said smugly.

"Maybe I don't want to be with someone who'll spank me at any given opportunity," she grumbled as he lifted her gently off his lap and lay her down on the bed, coming down on it next to her, his gaze fixed to her mouth.

"Yeah, you do," he said softly, his eyes drifting closed as he covered her mouth with his and started kissing her, feeling her instant response and the way she lifted her arms to cradle his head. He broke the kiss and drew his head back. "What do you say we spend the rest of the day here making up?"

"I think I'd like that," she whispered and then smiled as he immediately started removing her top. "Maggie's in the house."

"Maggie won't disturb us," he insisted, grinning wickedly.

"What if Vince comes back?" she whispered, groaning when his head dipped down and started kissing the slope of her breasts.

"Stop making excuses and enjoy my apology," he murmured, his hands moving up her body to cup her soft breasts in his palms.

"Is that what this is?" she managed to gasp out as he nibbled slowly on her nipple through the lace of the bra.

"Mmm-hmm. Can you feel how sorry I am?" he said, pulling the offending bra out of the way so he could get to her bare skin.

She managed to think that he felt very sorry indeed, just before she gave herself up to pure sensation and let him do whatever he wanted with her willing body.