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Chapter seventeen
Piper stared up at Mark, aghast at the words that had just come out of his mouth. The fact that he stood there looking very pleased with himself didn't help matters one little bit.
"Paige....Glenn took her away?" Piper said, her lips feeling slightly numb.
"As I already said. I couldn't have her causing trouble, you're bad enough as it is," he said, leaning back against the kitchen counter and raising one eyebrow.
"But you had him kidnap her!" she accused, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him in astonishment.
Mark nodded, not looking the least bit bothered. "I guess I did. Don't worry, she's safe enough."
"With that great big...how can you say she's safe? She'll be panicking by now, scared out of her mind...and she isn't like me, she won't be able to..." she blurted out, narrowing her eyes on his smug face. "You didn't have to do something that nasty! I could have spoken to her."
"Yeah, you could, but I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't have. Now, it's immaterial. She's out of the way and I have you right where I want you."
Piper felt herself go dizzy with rage. "No you haven't! You might have had if you'd been even remotely nice to my sister, but not now! I may be married to you and you may think you've got everything under control, but I'm not going to make this easy for you. I will not do one single thing that you want, and that starts with this breakfast," she said, pointing to the pan where she had been scrambling eggs. "If you want to eat, then you can damn well cook for yourself!" She threw the towel she had been holding right at his head and stomped out of the room.
Mark patiently turned off the burner under the pan and followed her, grabbing her arms and turning her around to face him. "When are you going to learn that you can't fight me? I'll give you a choice Piper - the kitchen or the bedroom, which one will it be?"
"The...you...neither! You let go of me, you overgrown, brainless..."
He raised an eyebrow at her tirade. "Better stop whilst you're ahead, sweetheart, I don't have endless patience."
"Endless patience? Endless? You have no patience! None! You're nothing but a big bully, and I wish I was big enough to hit you because I'd love to punch that big arrogant chin!" she shouted, infuriated by his behaviour even though it was no big surprise.
"You want to punch me? Go ahead, Piper, give it your best shot. But be prepared for payback," he growled, his eyes narrowing with something approaching enjoyment.
She glared at him again and debated what to do. But her temper took over again and she was just angry enough not to care, so she swung at him and connected, knocking his head back and making her fist hurt like hell in the process. As soon as the blow landed she ran for her life, rushing up the stairs like lightning and locking herself in the bedroom, quick short breaths leaving her as she leaned back against the wood. He was going to murder her when he got hold of her, but the pleasure of actually hitting him outweighed all that, and she felt her lips curve into a smile. Served him right, he was always baiting her.
The sound of heavy, angry footsteps approaching the door made her bite her lip, and she jumped away as the door handle rattled, followed immediately by furious pounding.
"Open this door, Piper!" Mark yelled, hammering on the wood and listening for any sounds.
Piper stared at the door and wondered whether to open it or not. But surely that would be suicide? She was far better leaving it locked and waiting for him to calm down, because he sounded furious.
"Piper? Damn it, do as you're told, open the door!" he yelled again and she narrowed her eyes at his words. 'Do as you're told', like she was a child or a servant.
"No!" she yelled back, gasping when the word came out because she hadn't intended to say anything at all.
She heard him growl. "If I have to break this door down, I'll be taking out the cost of repairs on your hide, darlin', so I suggest you be a good little girl and open it. Now!" he yelled again.
"Go fuck yourself, you asshole!" she yelled right back, closing her eyes and wondering if someone else had control of her mouth. Sure as hell she wouldn't have willingly said that...not to him, at any rate. Her eyes darted around the room and she moved over to the windows, wondering if she could climb out of one. But it was a long way down and she knew that she would only manage to break her leg or something, and she didn't need to be helpless in his care.
Mark felt his hair stand on end with rage at her words, and he stared dumbly at the door, wondering if he had heard correctly. She knew he was going to punish her for that, and she knew how much it hurt, so why the hell did she keep on doing it? He wondered if she'd ever be tamed, but he couldn't see it ever happening. She was too wild, in her own way. His teeth gritted and his eyes narrowed. Well, wild she may be, but she would bend to his will given time. Of that he was certain. Without even really thinking about it, he lifted one big foot and kicked sharply at the lock, sending the door flying back on it's hinges as the lock splintered at the easy force he used.
Piper swung around at the crash and her eyes became huge as he stepped into the room, his eyes targeting her and boring into her fiercely.
"Would you care to repeat that?" he said, moving slowly towards her as she gripped the windowsill nervously, all her previous courage fleeing in the face of such fury.
"N-no," she said quietly, shaking her head and trying to get further away from him as he reached her.
"Just as well, but getting intelligent now is a little late, don't you think? You've already done the damage darlin', and now you're going to pay," he said, his face grim as he pulled her towards him.
"Don't....don't you dare touch me again...like that!" she said, struggling as he tugged her towards the bed. "If you lay a hand on me, I...I won't..." she broke off as he sat down and pulled her easily over his knees.
"You won't what?" he asked, amazed that she was still arguing.
"I won't respond to you in bed!" she said recklessly, wondering if she could actually follow through with that threat.
He chuckled. "Yes you will," he said confidently. He looked down at her squirming body and pursed his lips. "Any other feeble threats?"
"I'll make your life miserable," she snapped out, finally stilling her movements as it became obvious it was getting her nowhere.
"And how are you going to do that?"
His obvious amusement made her even angrier and she gritted her teeth. "I'll burn all your food, ruin all your clothes, destroy all your possessions...want me to go on?"
"Darlin', if you even try any of those things you'll find yourself over my knee again, and you know it. The one thing you will learn is obedience to me, and I don't give a good goddamn how long it takes. Being stubborn is only hurting you, not me," he said, tightening his lips as he sent his hand crashing down on her buttocks.
Piper yelped, not having expected it for some reason, and then she tried struggling again, immediately subdued by his big hand coming down again. She could almost hear it whistling through the air as he hit her with speed and accuracy. Her eyes filled with tears, but she lay there silently and let him get on with it, trying to detach herself from the pain and humiliation.
Finally, after what seemed to be years, he stopped and pulled her up so she was sitting on the bed beside him, and he gave her an amused look, raising his eyebrows. "Still gonna make my life miserable, or are you finally learning your lesson?"
She stared at him through a mist of tears, his words making her even more angry. "There isn't any lesson to learn!" she hissed, glaring at him.
Mark stared at her and shook his head, flexing his fingers. "Are you sure about that? I don't mind starting that all over again, if that's what you want."
"I'm not going to let you do that again," she said, her voice low.
"And how, exactly, are you going to stop me, hmm?" he asked her, leaning his head closer to her and narrowing his eyes on her mutinous expression.
Piper moved as quickly as she could, pushing him away from her and then leaping up from the bed and running from the room. Maybe if she just ran out and went to her father...told him everything...maybe she could get out of this marriage. She sprinted down the stairs and went straight to the front door, tugging at it impatiently when it wouldn't open.
"It's no good trying that, it's locked. And I'm not unlocking it for you, so you're trapped," Mark said as he strolled casually down the stairs and stood watching her. "Where did you think you were going anyway?"
"I'm leaving," she said obstinately, glaring at him with fierce dislike.
He raised his eyebrows. "Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right!"
"Have you stopped to think that maybe that would make me angry? And maybe what I was going to do to your father would be ten times as bad as I'd originally planned if I was angry?" he asked her, raising his chin and staring down his nose at her, not missing the fluttering of her hands in her nervousness. She hid it well, but the signs were there.
"I'm not staying here," she said, her voice quiet.
"You have no choice, Piper, not unless you want your father hurt," he replied, moving towards her until she was pressed up against the front door, her eyes widening as he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "All you have to do is learn how to behave around me, that's all. Then I won't have to punish you, will I?"
She was getting a picture of her life that was even worse than she had imagined, and she slumped against the door, her eyes closing so she didn't have to look at him. "I hate you," she whispered.
Mark smiled grimly. "No you don't. You hate that I have the upper hand. If you hated me Piper, truly hated me, then you wouldn't respond so well to what I do to you. You love it when I touch you."
"No I don't," she whispered, turning her head away from him. "I hate it when you touch me, it makes my flesh crawl."
He stared down at her for a few seconds, frowning. "Want me to prove you wrong?"
Her eyes snapped open, but she still refused to look at him. "No!"
"Why? Are you scared that you won't be able to pretend to hate it?"
"I do hate it!" she said vehemently, narrowing her eyes as she finally looked up at him. "You make me sick!"
"Well, I wouldn't want you to have to live here, not if I made you feel that way. So maybe I'd better see if I can make you feel something different, hmm?" he said, picking her up off the floor and turning towards the stairs, his eyes narrowing on her startled expression.
"No! I don't...I don't want to do this! Please...put me down!" she gasped out, knowing he was taking her to their bedroom, and also knowing she wouldn't be able to resist him once he started touching her.
"Nope," he said, climbing the stairs without looking at her again.
She bit her lip and closed her eyes briefly, feeling intensely miserable. Last night she had held some hope for this marriage, but now....she blinked away the sudden tears. "Please, Mark," she whispered as they reached the top of the stairs and he finally looked at her, his face hard.
"Please what?" he growled.
"Please don't do this."
He shook his head. "You're the one who's making this decision, darlin', not me. Maybe you should remember that." He carried her towards the bedroom and took her inside, lowering her to the bed and coming down on top of her. His hands stroked her hair back from her face as he studied her big eyes, feeling himself soften his attitude slightly. "I'm not going to hurt you, Piper, that's something you can always be assured of. In this, I'll never hurt you."
"But I don't want this," she said quietly, staring at him imploringly. Already she could feel her body tightening with need, just from the feel of him above her.
Mark considered her words for a moment, putting one hand over her breast and squeezing lightly, his thumb coming up to rub over her nipple when it hardened. "It seems that you do."
"That...that's just my body, it's not my mind. You'll never touch my heart, Mark, not ever," she vowed, glaring at him and trying to hide the faint tremble in her voice.
"Ah Piper, I don't want your heart," he said, smiling as he grabbed her top and ripped it down the middle, making her gasp. "I want your body, and I will have it...ready and willing. Just as you are at this moment, isn't that so?"
She opened her mouth to deny it and he bent to kiss her, swallowing her protest as he thrust his tongue between her lips and kissed her deeply until she started to respond. When he drew back, her eyes were misty and her lips were swollen, and she wasn't complaining any more.
He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me you want me," he said, his voice rumbling deeply when he spoke.
"N-no," she stammered, trying to shake off the desire he managed to fill her with so effortlessly.
His hand smoothed over her breasts again and he pinched at one nipple, making her gasp at the sensations streaking through her. "Tell me you want me, Piper, and I'll fuck you through that mattress," he said, bending to nibble at her flesh while she writhed underneath him.
His wording should have made her even more angry, she realised, but it didn't. It just turned her on even more and she found her fingers threading through his hair and holding him to her breasts, her traitorous body taking over from her mind.
He looked up at her. "Tell me."
She gave a small moan when his hand trespassed further and cupped her between her legs, making her tense and close her eyes. "I want you," she murmured, biting her lip when she heard his deep chuckle. Somewhere in the back of her mind, disgust at her own behaviour was lurking, but with him undressing her and moving his hands over her body, she couldn't stop herself. He had won, just like he always would, and at that moment she couldn't make herself hate him.
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****Well, just a short one there, hope it was okay. Can't guarantee when I'll be updating again, but hopefully it won't be as long next time!****