Chapter seven
Piper lay still for a few minutes, trying to get her breath back. Her body felt sore and her senses were coming back slowly, leaving her wishing they hadn't. What had just happened? How the hell had she ended up being taken on her living room floor by this monster? Even though he had given her a pleasure she had never experienced before, she felt used and dirty, and deeply ashamed of her own response. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to cover her face, upset at what had happened and not knowing how to turn and face the man who was now settled close behind her, his body curled around hers as if he were her lover. Which he was, she thought, cursing herself for being so weak and then starting to cry.
Mark felt the sobs shudder through her even though she made no noise this time, and he frowned, looking down at the two of them laying naked on the floor. He had gone at her like he went at everything else, like an animal. He swore loudly and hurriedly got to his feet, picking his clothing up and pulling it on without saying a word to the small figure on the floor. He was deeply ashamed of his actions, more so than he had ever been before and he had no excuse to back them up. Okay, she had pissed him off, but that didn't mean he could just come here and start rutting at her like a bull. Once he had finished dressing he looked grimly down, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was a blank. What did you say to someone you had just done that to, when they didn't want you to? It was very nearly rape, he thought with horror, his face paling. All of a sudden he couldn't bear to stay in the same house as her and see the look of accusation on her face when she finally looked at him. Not that it seemed as if she ever would look at him, but he felt confined, so he walked out of the house without a word to her and quietly closed the door behind him, slinking away like a criminal.
Piper lay still for a while and then slowly sat up, wiping her face wearily. She winced as she moved, wondering if she was going to be able to walk after what had just happened. And she had been a willing participant, she thought, more tears forming in her eyes. He must think she was a total slut. No wonder he had just walked out. She was only surprised he hadn't left a wad of money on the table for her services. She cried again as she thought about that, finally pulling herself up off the floor and staggering into the bathroom so she could wash his touch off her in the shower.
When she emerged from the bathroom she went straight to bed, curling up on her side and hugging her pillow for comfort and hoping she wouldn't dream about him. She didn't need to have nightmares about her own behaviour, the shame she felt when she was awake was enough.
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Mark got in his car and slammed the door with enough force to almost break the window, and he swore harshly as he tried to wipe the image of her face out of his mind. He was full of conflicting emotions. On the one hand he felt guilty for what had happened, but on the other he couldn't regret the pleasure she had given him, nor the pleasure he knew she had taken as well. But he could have just been polite enough to ask her first, he thought, running one hand through his hair and smiling grimly as he thought about that. Asking Piper Williams for anything would be impossible, she would as soon kill him as kiss him. And now he had broken that fierce spirit as quickly and easily as snapping his fingers, and he felt like shit. He would fix it, he decided, after he had given her some time to calm down. Maybe in the morning she would be willing to listen to an apology. With that settled in his mind, he took a deep breath and started the engine, pulling away from her house and trying to forget about what had happened.