Chapter ten
Piper visited her father and found his business doing very well, due to the money Mark had given him. The whole place had been given a facelift and she knew that as long as she did as she was told, he would continue being just fine. She didn't tell him what was going on, simply because she couldn't find the words. How did you tell your father that you'd just sold yourself to save his business? The answer was obviously that you didn't, and that you never could. She plastered a fake smile on her face for the entire morning, eating lunch with him and then finally leaving to go back to her apartment. If what Mark had said was true, she had some packing to get done.
But when she was sitting in amongst a huge pile of her stuff, she began to wonder if he had really meant what he had said. What if he was just playing with her? What if she didn't really have to leave here and go and live with him? For a brief moment she felt a spark of hope, then reality intruded again and she sighed. He wouldn't say something he didn't mean, not when it was something that serious. He just didn't seem the type. She continued sorting through all her things, discarding many items that had just taken up room in a drawer or cupboard but had never been used, until she was left with only a few boxes. It had taken her virtually all afternoon and she could see the sun going down when she glanced out of the window, realising how long she had been sorting everything out.
After a brief shower she took one last look around to make sure she had everything and then sat down to wait for whatever happened next. She didn't have to wait long. A mere half hour later there was a knock at the door and two men in overalls stood there, smiling in a friendly fashion and showing her their identity badges from the company they worked for. Piper watched them take everything she owned in the world and put it in their van, feeling as if she was inside a dream...and not a very good one at that. After reluctantly signing the form confirming that they had safely stowed everything away, she watched them drive away and stood looking down the road after them. Now what? Why hadn't Mark sent a car for her? Or was she supposed to make her own way to his house? She frowned and walked back indoors, going into her apartment and closing the door behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him leaning against the wall in her living room, his arms folded casually over his chest as he watched shock widen her eyes.
"How...how did you get in her?" she asked breathlessly, wondering how he had got past her without being seen.
"I walked in," he said, pushing away from the wall and moving slowly towards her. "You were busy signing something. So, are you ready?"
Piper stared up at him and suddenly felt like crying. It wasn't a bad dream after all, it was all real and she was being given no choice about her future. Even though Mark was looking at her with no coldness or dislike, she just knew that she wouldn't be able to appeal to him to stop this....he seemed like the type who got what he wanted, whatever that might be. In this case, it was her. She frowned and dropped her eyes. Well, she may not have any choice, but she didn't have to make it easy for him. He wanted her as a wife? Fine, but she didn't have to act like one once she was in his house. He would find his bed was a lot colder than he had anticipated.
"Yes, I'm ready," she said in a surprisingly firm voice and she noticed that he looked faintly amazed, but he covered it quickly and nodded.
"Good, then let's go."
Piper let him guide her out of the apartment and down into his car, sitting back and looking out of the window as he drove her towards her new home. A small smile tilted her lips as she thought of all the trouble she could cause him. Before too long, she would be back in her own place again and all this would be behind her. She was quite sure he would be only too glad to see her go.
After a silent and tense drive, they eventually pulled up at an enormous house outside the city, set amongst what appeared to be a huge amount of land. They had driven through two big wrought iron gates in the middle of a high line of hedges, and were slowly making their way along a curving driveway leading to the house itself. She had to admit it was beautiful. The whole place was rendered in a soft cream colour, with a large columned circular porch at the front. It had obviously been very well kept and it looked warm and welcoming, but she wouldn't tell him that. She didn't want him to think she liked any part of the forthcoming ordeal, so she thought it best not to speak to him at all and she averted her eyes from the appealing facade of his house. Her home now, she amended, glancing back at it briefly. But only for a little while.
Mark stopped the car and got out, letting out a breath through tight lips as he closed the car door behind him. The short journey here hadn't been very comfortable, and he again wondered if he shouldn't just stop all this and send her back home. But overriding that thought was the memory of what it had been like to be inside her, and he wanted to feel like that again. So he hardened his resolve and walked around the car to get her out, knowing by the mutinous look on her face that the coming evening wouldn't be any more comfortable than the trip here.
When it seemed she wasn't going to get out of the car of her own accord he reached in and grabbed her wrist, pulling her easily out until she was standing in front of him.
"There's no need to manhandle me," she said sharply, glaring at him with all the venom she could conjure up.
Mark raised one eyebrow and sighed. "I can see you're in a fine mood."
"Well how am I supposed to act? All sweetness and light?" she asked and immediately pressed herself against his side, giving him a sickly smile. "Is this better, honey bunny? Shall we go inside your house and make love? Maybe I can give you a massage, you do feel tense," she said in honeyed tones, squeezing his big arm for added effect.
Mark found himself fighting a smile, and he grimly clamped down on any amusement. She thought she could get the upper hand here did she? Well she was wrong about that. He put his arm around her and gave her a too hard squeeze. "Well, now, that's much better," he said, taking everything she said at face value and watching her eyes widen. "Make love huh? That's a damn good idea, let's just do that, shall we?" With that he swung her up in his arms and took her into the house, ignoring the way her mouth dropped open with shock and she started struggling.
"You put me down!" she squeaked, trying to worm her way out of his grip.
"I will, honey, as soon as we're in the bedroom. That is where you wanted me to make love to you right? Because if not, I'm quite happy to do it in the den, the kitchen...hell, I have a pool table that's never seen any action!" He looked into her huge eyes and gave her a wide grin, striding up the curving staircase with incredible speed considering he was carrying her weight as well.
"No! No, I don't want to do it at all! Put me down, you big lug!" she shouted at him, still wriggling about, angry that his arms weren't budging even a tiny bit.
"But honey, you just said you wanted to, and I think you mentioned a massage as well. Let's make love first, and then you can see to my tense muscles later," he said, still grinning, his eyes sparkling with amusement at her predicament.
"I'd like to see to your tense muscles all right, with a machete!" she hissed, giving up on her useless struggle and folding her arms in front of her as he carried her along.
"Now, now, sweetheart, let's not get off to a bad start. You know you want me," he said arrogantly, carrying her into his enormous bedroom and dropping her unceremoniously on the bed.
"I do not want you!" Piper said in astonishment at his attitude, sitting herself up and scrabbling away from him as he came down on the bed next to her.
"Sure you do, you're just in denial. And I know just how to cure you," he said, reaching out one long arm and pulling her back towards him as she tried to escape. He was so leisurely about it that she suddenly wondered if she would have been able to make it out of his house even if she had managed to get out of this room. He certainly acted like he would have no problem keeping her here. "Now then, where were we?" he murmured as he pulled her against him and dipped his head. "Ah yes, something about making love."
Piper went to protest again, but she found her parted lips quickly covered by his warm mouth and her body instantly betrayed her, making her eyes close and her senses swim as she sank into the kiss like she was drowning.
****Okie dokie, there you go. Another chapter, short...it's true, but hopefully sweet. And of course I left it in a bad place again, a favourite little trick of mine as you well know! I promise I will write more soon, but I have lots of ideas for other stories swimming about in my empty head, so you may find new stories appearing soon! Thanks for reading (if you do!)****