****Sorry this has taken so long to post. The powerpack on my computer decided to melt yesterday and I went into a total panic because I couldn't add to my writing! Luckily, even in this tiny village in France, there's a little man who sells second hand computer parts, and he had one! 45euros later and the computer is up and running again! Yay!****

Chapter thirty-two

The rest of the evening went by in a blur to Amy. Stephanie and Shane both told her how glad they were that she was now legally part of the family and it put her mind at rest, because she had wondered how they would take this news. But she needn't have worried. Vince would never leave anything as important as this half done, and he had already spoken to his two children before he had even started it off. They regarded Amy as a sister anyway, so they had been happy about what he was doing.

Mark wouldn't leave her alone and she found herself sitting on his lap for the majority of the time, the rest of it dancing with him to the slow music. When Kevin had tried to interrupt for a dance, Mark had nearly bitten his head off and the other man had just held his hands up, grinning wickedly. The only other people she had been permitted to dance with had been Vince and Shane, and they had both tried to teach her how to waltz, something she didn't think she'd ever get the hang of. Still, it had been fun.

When her eyelids started to droop sometime after midnight, Mark scooped her up in his arms and smiled at Vince. "Seems your new daughter here isn't quite as recovered as she thought," he said, giving her a disgusted look. "And she should have told me she felt tired."

"I'm not that tired," she protested, glancing at him and then Vince, smiling as she looked at the older man. "Thank you for my party, I really loved it."
Vince leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, one hand smoothing her hair. "You're very welcome." He looked at Mark and narrowed his eyes. "I guess I should let you go. Just remember what I said, okay?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "As if I could forget."

"As if I'd let you forget," Vince shot back, smiling. "You just take care of my baby here, okay?"
"You don't have to worry about that," Mark murmured, looking at the way Amy lay so trustingly in his arms, her big eyes riveted to his. "Say goodnight to everyone, honey."
"Goodnight," she called out obediently and instantly got a chorus of the same shouted back at her. Mark didn't give her a chance to walk around and say goodnight individually before he carried her out of the room and up the stairs, a smile relaxing his features whenever he looked at her.

"You look so beautiful tonight sweetheart," he said as he put her down in her room, holding her in front of him as his eyes went up and down her figure. "If only we were alone."
Amy smiled up at him. "What would you do?"

"Hmm, what wouldn't I do?" he murmured, pulling her against him and running his hands down her back until he felt the zipper of the dress and started to pull it down. "First I'd undress you," he said deeply, slowly starting to pull the dress away from her as he spoke.

Amy clutched at the front of it, shy with him still, but he grinned and kissed her hands, pulling them away from the material so he could remove it. His eyes followed the descent of the dress and he caught his breath as she was slowly uncovered, the fact that she only wore the sexy lace panties making his body lurch uncontrollably. "My God," he said reverently as he stared at the perfection of her breasts, his hands spanning her waist and then running upwards so he could touch the underside of the firm flesh. "I'm not sure I can keep my promise to Vince," he admitted, his eyes shooting to hers as he drew in a huge lungful of air. "We have to cover you up....and quickly," he said, turning away and grabbing her robe so he could wrap it around her tempting body.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked, confused by his actions when she had thought he might make love to her. She was certainly ready for him to make love to her.

"Honey, I made a promise to Vince that I wouldn't do anything with you whilst we were under his roof, and I don't take my promises lightly. But God, if I see you naked one more time, I might just break it. I want you like hell on fire, little girl," he said gruffly, his eyes sparkling with his desire.

"You do?" she asked, smiling again.

He pulled her flush against him and groaned as he felt his hard flesh press into her belly. "Feel that? Oh, yeah, I want you alright."

"I wouldn't mind," she said, running her hands slowly up his shirt until she reached his bow tie, and she untied it so she could get to his shirt buttons.

He gave a wry smile and closed his arms around her body. "Hell, darlin', I'm sure you wouldn't. But a promise is a promise, no matter how hard it is to keep....no pun intended."

Amy groaned and rested her head on his chest, her fingers still busy slipping buttons from buttonholes. "Why did you have to make such a stupid promise then?"

Mark chuckled as he held her tighter. "Right at this moment, Scarlet, I haven't got the faintest idea. Come on," he said, drawing away slightly and stilling her fingers, "you're tired. We'll get in bed and just hold each other."

"Is that all?" she grumbled, letting him tug her over to the bed. Her eyes lit up and she stared up at him. "Did you promise anything else?"

Marks eyes narrowed. "Like what? What devious little plan are you thinking up?"
She grinned at his expression and started on his shirt again, tugging the material out of the waistband of his black pants. "You didn't promise we wouldn't fool around did you? You didn't promise you wouldn't kiss me did you?"

He grinned down at her and then started laughing. "Baby, you're insatiable, and you don't even know what it's all about yet. I can't wait to find out what you'll be like once you know the ropes, so to speak."

Her teeth caught her lower lip as she concentrated on her task, parting the edges of the shirt so she could gaze with awe at his huge chest. "So...you didn't promise anything else?"

"Well, no baby, I didn't make any other promises. Why? You want to fool around a little then?" he asked with a lazy grin, the way he looked at her making her toes curl.

"Only if you want to," she replied.

Mark picked her up and laid her carefully on the bed, coming down next to her and lowering his head to hers. "Ask me that in half an hour," he said against her lips, before he claimed them and made her forget what it was she was supposed to ask.

****

The rest of the week passed by swiftly and before she knew it, Amy found herself getting a huge hug from Vince as she stood outside with her suitcase waiting to leave and catch a plane to Texas with Mark. A limo was standing by for them, something Vince had insisted on.

"Don't take any shit from him, Peaches, and don't do anything you don't want to do, okay?" he said as he squeezed her, his worry for her evident.

"I won't. I'll be fine Vin....Dad," she said shyly.

Vince pulled back and stared at her with his mouth hanging open, then a huge grin split his face and he laughed. "That sounds real good," he said in amazement and hugged her again, chuckling. "You just make sure you call me that all the time from now on, okay?"

"Okay," she said, smiling as she felt the warmth from his embrace. She really felt like she had a family now.

"And you have to call me Mom you know," Linda said from behind her, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "If you want to that is."

Amy turned from Vince and gave Linda a hug. "I'd love that. But sometimes I might say Mum instead...it's a hard habit to break," she admitted.

"Well, you are English, so I guess that's okay. I can get used to it, if you can get used to saying it," Linda told her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I always wanted another daughter. Shame we didn't have you here years ago then maybe Steph wouldn't be so spoilt now!"

"I am not spoilt!" Stephanie complained, standing next to Paul Wight and trying to look angry.

Amy laughed and gave her a hug too, smiling up at Paul as she did so. "I'll miss you."

"You too, sis," Steph said.

"Well, you don't have to miss her too much," Mark put in. "You can come out and stay for a week or so if you like, when you're free."

"That would be great!" the older girl said and gave Mark a hug as well, beaming. "I'm not free for a couple of weeks, but after that I'd love to come if it's okay? Plus the company are due over in Texas soon anyway."

"I just said so didn't I?" Mark said, pulling Amy towards him and putting one arm around her possessively. "You can bring someone with you if you like. Anyone at all," he added, looking at Paul and winking.

Stephanie gave him an embarrassed glare and then looked away. "Er...no, I'll probably just make my way out there alone."
Mark hid his reaction well, but he couldn't help glancing at Paul, finding the big man looking at Stephanie with surprise, and undeniable interest. Amy nudged Mark in the ribs and drew his attention away from the other couple. They said some more goodbyes, Kevin Nash and Glenn promising to come out and see them, then Mark bundled her into the car and closed them inside, relaxing back with a sigh when they drove away.

"I should smack you for stirring things up for Stephanie and Paul!" Amy told him, elbowing him gently in the ribs.

"What did I do?" he asked in surprise, raising his eyebrows.

"Stephanie hasn't let Paul know she likes him yet, although she's tried showing it. But he's acting all dense. He likes her and he seems to be shy, can you believe that?" Amy asked, shaking her head.

"I don't think he's shy, exactly, just not the devilish ladies man that I am," Mark said, flashing her a grin and pulling her onto his lap.

"Hmm, devilish is right anyway," she said, giggling when he gave her his full on Undertaker glare. "Ooooh, I'm so scared!" she said, laughing harder when he put his arms around her and nearly crushed her.

"Ya damn well should be!" he growled, taking her mouth in a kiss that let her know exactly how frustrated he had become whilst under Vince's watchful eye. "You wait until I get you home!"

She leaned away from him and pursed her lips. "You keep saying that, but I think it's going to be a big disappointment. You'll probably just slip on an old robe and sit there with a pipe and slippers reading a newspaper and calling out for coffee every half an hour!"

"That ain't true and I can prove it," he growled, pulling her back towards him and nuzzling her neck, making her shiver instantly when he attacked her with his teeth. "See?" he said, his voice muffled, "that isn't boring is it?"

Amy smiled and snuggled against him, closing her eyes. "You'll have to do better than that," she said, grinning at him when his head shot up and he stared at her.

"You're getting all brave darlin', but you better watch your step. You sure you can handle me?"

She bit her lip as she stared at his glittering eyes. "I'm sure I can try."

"Hmm, you'd better be sure, darlin', because you ain't getting no choice in the matter anyway. Now move those lips a bit closer," he said, urging her head towards his and flicking his tongue out to touch her bottom lip. "That's better. Show me how much you worship me."

Amy raised an eyebrow, mimicking him. "Worship? Who said I worship you?"

"Just a lucky guess," he murmured, grinning wickedly at her, his eyes boring into hers. "Come on, we haven't got all day you know."

"Well, if I have to..." she said and pressed her lips to his, initiating a kiss that left them both breathless.

A few hours later they were sitting on the plane as it landed in Houston, and Amy was surprised to find Mark getting all excited about having her on his home turf. He seemed younger.

"How far is it to your house?" she asked him as they disembarked, his big hand wrapped firmly around hers as he led the way out of the airport.

"Not far, about thirty minutes by car. I can't wait to show you my home!" he said, grinning at her, his eyes sparkling.

"I sort of got that idea," she said, laughing as he glared at her with pursed lips.

"God, you've changed," he said suddenly, looking at her intently and smiling.

"I guess I have. It's all down to you and Vince you know," she said, thinking of how timid she had been only a few short weeks ago, and of how much she had blossomed since she had gone to live with her godfather. Her father, she corrected in her mind, her smile getting bigger as she thought of that. "I'm really lucky."
"I'm glad you realise it," he said arrogantly, leading her to a rental car and seeing her safely inside. "Most women would give their souls to be with someone as dynamic and wonderful as me," he added as he slid behind the wheel and smiled at her.

"Funny how I haven't had to fight them all off, isn't it?" she mused, looking out of the windows as if to say 'where are they all'.

"Ha ha," he said dryly. "Now I'm gonna make you wait to get hold of my naked body!"

She plastered a repentant look on her face. "How long will I have to wait?"

"Until I think you worship me enough to have me, then maybe - and only maybe- I'll let you," he murmured, starting the car and driving away from the airport.