Chapter Thirty
They made their way back to Vince's house in a fleet of chauffeur driven cars that Vince had arranged for, a glum Stephanie sitting in the back of the car staring out of the window and trying not to get in Mark and Amy's way. Not that they even noticed her. Mark had pulled her onto his lap almost the moment the car door had closed and he showed no signs of letting her go anytime soon. Not that he'd kissed her, she thought with a frown of disappointment, but she supposed he was being mindful of present company, so she just enjoyed being held against him as his hands stroked soothingly up and down her back and arm. Amy turned slightly and slid her arms up around his neck, leaning against him again and feeling the enhanced pressure where her breasts contacted his chest. He drew in a sharp breath at the feel of her and then turned it into a cough when Stephanie turned and looked at him.
"Are you okay?" she asked him, her attention diverted away from the window for a change.
Mark shifted. "I'm just fine thanks. It's just Amy, she must have been eating well, she weighs a ton!"
Amy instantly lifted her head from his shoulder and glared at him in astonishment. "I do not...!"
Mark started laughing at her expression and she couldn't help but join in, feeling truly light-hearted now he was here with her. She grabbed his ear and twisted it gently, reminding him that she could hurt him if she wanted to and he raised an eyebrow at her, getting that same cocky expression on his face that she loved. "You might want to think about that, sweetheart," he murmured, grinning wolfishly at her. "You wouldn't want to make me sulk all night."
"Why not?" she asked, trying to match his look and failing dismally.
"Because then I wouldn't be able to pleasure you, would I?" he whispered in her ear, making her shiver and then blush furiously, hiding her face in his neck again as he chuckled.
Stephanie smiled at their antics. "It's nice to see her back to normal again," she said to Mark, smiling warmly at him.
"Yeah it is," he agreed, a wealth of meaning in his words as he tightened his arms around the girl in his lap. "So, how are things with you? The arm okay now?"
"Yeah, it's not bad now. There's a scar, of course, but no muscle or bone damage, so it works exactly the same as it used to, or nearly as well," she said grimacing. "It's taken a long time to be able to lift much weight with it, but I've been getting physio so it won't be long now."
"I guess that's to be expected," Mark murmured and watched with a frown as she looked out the back window again. "Looking for someone?"
Stephanie jumped and turned her head back to him, trying not to look guilty. "No, not really...er, just seeing if the other cars are behind us."
Mark nodded but still looked confused, waiting for her to elaborate. She grimaced as Amy came out of hiding and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, okay, I guess you're sort of like family and all," the older girl said, blushing. "I was looking for Paul Wight."
"Paul Wight. Why?" Mark asked, starting to become amused at the other girls hesitancy.
"No particular reason," she said, shrugging.
"Oh, my God, tell me you don't have feelings for the big jerk?" Mark asked her, grinning.
"He is not a big jerk!" Stephanie said sharply, defending him, and Mark's grin got worse.
"He isn't? Oh, this should be interesting," he murmured, looking at Amy and wiggling his eyebrows.
"Leave her alone," she said, pinching his shoulder and earning herself a look of surprise and then a small pinch on her backside that made her jump. "Hey!" she yelped, rubbing herself.
"You deserved it, maybe now you'll stop attacking me!" he said back, laughing at her.
Their joking and playfulness continued all the way back to the house and Stephanie jumped out of the car and stood waiting for the other vehicles to arrive, moving nervously from foot to foot in the cold.
Amy smiled as Mark helped her out of the limo with great care, his hands supporting her the whole time and then pulling her gently to his side so he could walk with her inside the house. He smiled at Vince as they joined him in the hallway and was surprised to get a hug from Linda. His eyes took in the way the hall had been redecorated and he knew without asking that Vince had done it so that Amy and Steph wouldn't get bad memories from it. Although he could imagine they had those anyway.
"So where am I staying?" Mark asked, dropping his bag on the floor and looking at Vince expectantly. "Here or at the Hotel?"
"You can stay here, if you really must," Vince said, cocking his head to one side and narrowing his eyes, waiting.
Mark didn't make him wait long. "In what room?"
Vince nodded and grinned. "That would be up to Amy. The guest rooms are all made up, because for once I feel generous enough to have all of the others stay as well, seeing as there are only a few of them. One thing though," he said, moving right in front of the bigger man and lowering his voice. "Not under my roof, Calloway, not without one of these," he said, holding up his hand and pointing at his wedding ring.
Mark looked down at Amy who was chatting to Linda and not listening to them, then he looked back at Vince, nodding. "Fair enough."
"Good," Vince said, studying the younger man with a smile before turning to the door as the others started to arrive.
Paul Levesque walked in chatting and laughing with a man with dark hair who Amy didn't recognise. She looked at Mark in confusion. "That's Eric Bischoff honey, he's a friend of Vince's. And that," he continued, gesturing to another, slightly younger man with very short blonde hair who had just walked in, "is Brock Lesnar. You haven't met them yet, but you'll like them." He frowned as he said that and turned her so she was standing facing him and no-one else. "You'd better not like them too much though."
She studied his face for a second before smiling. "Why not?"
"Because you belong to me," he said instantly, looking impossibly arrogant. "Or at least you will, as soon as I get you within sight of a bed!"
She blushed but stood her ground, raising her eyebrows. "Who says I want to belong to you?"
"Good question buddy," Kevin said from behind him as he arrived, laughing at Marks rigid back.
"God, it's him again," Mark muttered, looking at her beseechingly. "I can't get rid of him, and believe me I've really tried."
"Yeah, he kept trying to lose me, but it didn't work. Did I forget to mention what a good hunter I am?" Kevin said, looking down at Amy over Mark's shoulder and grinning at her.
"Hey that's my name, don't go stealing things that don't belong to you!" Paul Levesque said as he got within earshot.
"Bite me," Kevin said, sneering comically at the other man and then swinging around when Glenn snuck up behind him and did exactly that, nipping at his shoulder and making dog noises. "Goddamn it!"
Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You see what I have to deal with day in, day out? It's enough to drive a normal man insane!"
"No way anyone would call you normal," Glenn said, feigning shock.
Amy started laughing at all the banter and eventually Mark introduced her to Eric and Brock, the only two people she didn't know. She thought Eric was a bit creepy, what with the way he seemed to be laying on the charm, but Brock seemed genuinely nice.
Paul Wight was the last to come lumbering in the door and he dropped his bag just inside the hallway, looking around at everyone until he spotted Stephanie standing on her own to one side. Amy looked at the big man and saw the way his eyes brightened when he looked at Stephanie, and she nudged Mark so he could see too. Mark tightened one big arm around her possessively as they watched Paul walk over to the other girl and start making conversation, albeit a bit stilted at first, but soon they were laughing and seemed quite relaxed in each others company. "Do you think he likes her?" Amy asked him on a whisper, making sure no-one else was near enough to hear her.
Mark shrugged. "Who knows? He's a clam, so none of us would have the first clue. Judging by the way he's looking at her though, I'd say there was a fair chance he liked her, yes."
Amy sighed. "They look sweet, don't they?"
"Well, sweet isn't the word I'd have used, but I guess so. You're just a romantic at heart, ain't ya?" he murmured, bending down and giving her a soft kiss that made her melt. "I can't wait to get you on your own," he growled into her ear and then laughed at the way she groaned softly, and hit him.
Vince stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle to attract everyone's attention, and all the talking stopped instantly. "Okay, enough of the impromptu party in the hallway. We'll show you your rooms and then dinner will be in about an hour."
Amy was almost jumping about with excitement at having Mark with her again, and he found himself grinning widely as she led him upstairs and into her rooms, showing him where to put his stuff and then throwing herself at him. He caught her easily and lifted her up, feeling her arms wrap around his neck again and closing his eyes on a shudder of need. "I never thought I'd get to hold you like this again darlin'," he said against her throat, flicking his tongue out and licking at a sensitive spot, making her shiver. "I'm just so grateful that you're still here with us!"
"Me too," she murmured, tightening her arms and running her hands over his shoulders, loving the feel of him. He felt so big when he was this close to her, and she loved it. "Mark?"
"Mmm-hmm?"
"We don't have to go downstairs yet, do we?" she asked quietly, running a fingertip over his ear.
He tilted his neck so she could continue her caress and she saw him smile. "I guess we don't. Why? What did you have in mind?"
"I...er, well, I thought you might kiss me. You know. Properly," she said, her voice getting quieter and quieter as her shyness increased. She wasn't used to voicing requests like that and it showed.
Mark pulled his head back and stared into her eyes from mere inches away. "What do you mean by properly darlin'?"
"You know," she said, looking at him and catching her breath all over again at how handsome he was.
"I do? Was it like this?" he asked, leaning in and brushing his lips over hers softly, lingering for a second.
"Um...no," she whispered, pressing her lips together as she tasted him on them.
"Like this then?" he asked her again, catching her lips and exerting a small amount of pressure, just enough to get her lips to part, but not taking advantage. He drew back and looked into her frustrated eyes, smiling affectionately at her.
"No," she said, staring fixedly at his mouth.
"Hmm, how about like this?" he said, and this time he tilted his head and opened his mouth on hers, his tongue flickering at her lips playfully before delving inside and tasting her for the first time in nearly two months. He couldn't quite get enough of her unique flavour and he continued the kiss until she was hanging bonelessly in his arms. When he drew back this time she followed his movement, and he chuckled at her dazed expression. "Was that what you wanted, baby?"
She nodded. "I can't feel my body," she said, laughing breathlessly.
He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Want me to do it again?"
"Yes, please," she said, wondering if she could live through another soul shaking kiss like that, but very willing to try. "Can we lay down this time?"
"Oh, yeah, we sure can," he murmured, walking over to the bed and laying down on his back with Amy still clinging to his neck. His big hands went to her waist and pulled her so she was laying hip to hip with him, her softness pressing down gently over his hard flesh, and he took a deep breath, letting it hiss out between his teeth as he felt pleasure flow through him. "That feels real good, darlin'," he said, his voice deep and sensual.
"I haven't done anything yet," Amy said, blushing slightly as she felt him underneath her, and she got the urge to part her legs over his, biting her lip to stop herself.
Mark saw that look and his eyes sparkled. "What's the matter, my baby? You want somethin'?" he drawled and felt her shiver in response, her eyes closing briefly.
When she opened them again he saw the need in her eyes, and he ran his hands over her hips, brushing around to her backside and then retreating again. "Show me what you want, Amber," he said softly, his eyes piercing into her own.
Amy threw caution to the wind and opened her legs, settling them on either side of him and straddling his hips, his arousal pressing up against the juncture of her thighs. She gasped at how intimate it felt and looked at him with wide eyes. His brows were drawn down in concentration and his jaw was clenched, his breathing coming hard through his nostrils. She bit her lip at how tense he looked and moved her hips back and forth once to experiment. His eyes shot open and he looked at her in amazement, his flesh swelling even more as he felt her heat seeping through to him. "Goddamn it, darlin', I'm gonna cum in my pants if you keep that up," he said, making her blush again. He grinned at her. "What's wrong?"
"I forgot how blunt you are," she murmured, trying not to go even redder.
"Well, hell, yeah I'm blunt darlin'. There's one particular part of me that's very blunt, and it's looking for a home right now, so you best keep those sexy little hips still."
Amy lost her battle not to go a fiery red and she laid down on top of him, pressing her face into his shoulder as he laughed. "Coward," he growled at her, kissing her head and then rolling so she was laying next to him and not over him. When she looked at him in surprise he ran his finger over her lips, smiling with pure happiness. "Not yet, baby, but soon."
She looked flatteringly disappointed and his smile turned into a grin and then he laughed, hugging her to him. "What's so funny?" she asked, leaning up on one elbow to look at him.
"Ain't nothing funny, darlin', I'm just happy that's all," he said, finding it hard to get the smile off his face. "It's been too long since I was with you, and I've hated it. Now I've got you in my arms I've got everything in the world to smile for."
Amy found herself smiling back at him, and she took advantage of having the freedom to touch him, running her palm down the side of his firm jaw and then under his chin, her fingers tickling through his goatee. Mark closed his eyes and turned his face into her touch, letting her know without words that he liked it, so she continued tracing his features. Her fingers walked their way over his nose and across his closed eyelids, smoothing out the eyebrows that could look so fierce when he frowned. She lifted her other hand and closed them both around the sides of his face, holding it as she lowered her mouth and kissed his beautiful lips, feeling him respond immediately. As soon as his arms started to enclose her she let her hands roam down to his neck, then further into the opening where his shirt was unbuttoned down to his chest. The feel of his skin was electrifying to her starved senses and she brushed across his chest until she found a nipple, toying with it lightly and feeling him squirm underneath her.
He broke the kiss and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Enjoying yourself?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. Oh, Mark you feel so...." she broke off and frowned as her hand went under his arm. "Where's all the hair gone?" she asked, looking really confused.
Mark chuckled at this and pulled her up the bed with him, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard. "I shaved it off," he said, watching as the confusion got worse.
"Why?"
"It looks better in the ring, and in publicity photos, that's why. I'd let it grow back a few weeks ago, but I decided to get rid of it again," he explained.
"I like the hair," she said, her hand flattening on his smooth chest.
She looked so disappointed that his chest and underarms were smooth, that he couldn't help laughing, earning himself a glare. "Okay, darlin', for you I'll grow it back," he said, cupping her face in one big palm.
"Really? And you'll keep it?" she asked, looking inordinately pleased that he would do something like that for her, no matter how small a gesture.
"Really, and yes I'll keep it if it means you'll like touching it all the time," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Now I think we should make ourselves look a bit more presentable and get downstairs, otherwise we'll be missed."
"Do we have to?" she murmured, looking at his mouth again.
"Yes we do. Come on, ya little hussy, get your ass moving!" he said, slapping her backside sharply and moving her off the bed with such speed that she found herself standing up before she knew what had happened. "Now then, darlin'," he murmured, starting to remove his shirt before her wide eyes, "I'm gonna change into something dark and forbidding. Want to watch?"
She nodded and then watched in fascination as he stripped down to his boxers, her eyes taking in his huge arms with their multitude of tattoos with extreme pleasure, and he rummaged in his bag for a fresh outfit, donning jeans and a smart shirt, all black. He looked at her once he was done. "How about you? You wearing that?" he gestured to her own jeans and T-shirt, and she shook her head.
"I've got a dress to wear," she said, opening the wardrobe and pulling out a dark green dress in a beautiful flowing fabric. Mark took it from her and laid it on the bed, looking gleeful.
"Well, then, I'd better help you put it on hadn't I?" he said, his hands going to her waist and undoing her jeans before sliding them slowly down her legs. "Lift up," he murmured as he grasped one ankle and she lifted her feet out of the denim, letting him throw them on the floor. He took his time standing back up, running his hands up the backs of legs as he did so and making her tremble, a smile touching his mouth as he looked at her plain underwear. When he started to lift her T-shirt up she jerked, hesitantly stopping his hands.
Mark knew why she was doing it and he took her hands in his, kissing both of them. "I have to see it sometime, darlin', may as well be now," he said gently, lowering her hands and resuming his task. He pulled the shirt slowly up and over her head, then looked at where she had been stabbed. There was an ugly scar where the knife had gone in, but it was already fading and it was only small. The worst scar was the one where she had been operated on, curving around her ribcage and upwards slightly. But it was neat and had healed up well, by the looks of it, only being slightly red now. He could see how self-conscious she was about them and he dropped to his knees, leaning in and kissing them to show her they didn't bother him one bit. When he stood up again she had tears in her eyes and he smiled tenderly at her. "None of that, my baby, we can't have you looking like a rainy day when we go downstairs, can we?"
"I don't deserve you," she said tearfully, throwing her arms tightly around his waist and squeezing.
Mark chuckled and squeezed her right back, his emotions clogging his throat again. "Baby, I'm the one who doesn't deserve someone as lovely as you, but I'm gonna do my damnedest to earn that honour, I swear to God I am!" he said fiercely, bending over her body and soaking up her warmth. He pulled himself together with some difficulty, showing strong emotions not coming easily to him. "Let's get you dressed before I do something that will make us really late for dinner," he muttered, grabbing the dress and slipping it over her head. The soft material fell down over her body, hugging her curves and swirling around her legs mid-calf, the neckline curving down to show her cleavage. Mark's mouth went dry as he looked at her, wondering why he hadn't thought of buying her a hundred dresses before, just so he could see her like this. "You look beautiful," he said softly, and she smiled up at him, turning around and presenting him with her bare back. It took him a second to realise she wanted him to zip her up, and after two fumbling attempts he managed it.
"Are you okay?" she asked, worried because he looked really odd.
"I'm...fine," he faltered, his eyes drawn to her cleavage and he cleared his throat. "I don't know how I'm going to get through this week without throwing you down and burying myself in you, but I'm fine." Her mouth dropped open at his words and he smiled down at her. "I think that in the time it takes to walk downstairs, my body should have calmed down enough that I don't show myself up in front of my friends," he murmured, and she automatically looked down.
"Oh!" she said, tearing her eyes away and looking up at him. "Sorry."
"Hell, don't be sorry, darlin'. It hasn't done that for six weeks, and now it's done it twice in as many minutes, it's nice to know it still works," he said, grinning as he led her out of the room.
He gave a sigh of relief when they reached the dining room and his theory was proved right and no-one noticed anything unusual about his appearance.
