A/N: yay for reviews!
Italics indicate thoughts.
Tessa Alvarado refused to see that she did the inevitable. She had fallen in love with Marcus Grisham. She didn't know exactly when or how. But she did. She fell hard. ---Chapter 1
He gasped.
Grisham had seen a lot of things in his lifetime. He had been in the war and saw a lot of things that people can only whisper about. He knew what to do in every kind of situation, from the boxing ring to the bedroom. He saw it and done it all. Nothing can surprise him. Except a few seconds ago.
It felt unbelievably soft and left an aching sensation behind. He didn't expect her to kiss him…let alone there. It was a vulnerable spot. Yes, he admitted that's one of his many ticklish spots. Also, it has met various kinds of swords (and interesting weaponries) over the years where his enemies got close enough to threaten him with death. Other times it was caressed and marked by his lovers that he bed for one-night stands. But none of it felt like this. It left him breathless and even more perplexed.
There are only a few situations in life that Grisham have no words for. This was one of them.
He felt trapped and free at the same time. He wanted to run away from her. He didn't need a woman to tie him down. He didn't want the pain of having to leave someone he loved dearly. A look at his past revealed a life of war injuries, physically and mentally. Another look at his past conquests specifically revealed heartache from his first love. He vowed never to get deeply involved in another woman. He refused to relive the agonizing experience of losing a lover.
However, a sideways glance at her, he felt it was too late to run. He didn't want to leave her alone. She had done the unbelievable.
She made him fly.
It was the only way to explain it. There was the little flutter in his stomach. And the sudden disappearance of the ground beneath him. The lack of feeling in his hands and the lightness of his feet. He was clearly high on something, but he knew he was sober and clean before he fell asleep.
So…this is what happens when I'm sleep deprived…I'm going fuckin' crazy!
He blinked his eyes. Once and then twice. He looked at the Queen of Swords…no…Tessa. He saw her.
She was tugging his sleeves, pulling him back from the trance.
"Grisham?" Tessa was at first a bit embarrassed at the brash move. However, she knew inside that it reflected her emotions. She was touched by his words. It was those rare moments when the captain allowed himself to open up, to the queen nonetheless.
"I…" He exhaled. "Why…I…" He was completely at lost for words (for the first time).
Dammit! Now it's affecting my speech too!
A small smile appeared on her face.
"You don't have to say anything. I understand."
"But! What I'm trying…" He faltered. Instead he pointed to his neck. "Why here?"
"It's halfway between your heart and your lips and I'm not there yet." She touched the left side of his chest. She couldn't bear to tell him that kissing the neck was her secret way of being intimate with another person. Kissing on the lips seemed too easy and definitely too rushed. The small pumping veins led to the heart, they led to his heart.
The wind howled relentlessly around them.
Looking up, Grisham suddenly realized that the sandstorm was getting too close to them. If they don't leave the canyon now they will be trapped inside it.
"C'mon let's go! The storm's gonna swallow us if we don't hurry. We're gonna be in serious trouble if we don't leave now." He stuffed her mask inside his pocket and grabbed her arm dragging her towards their waiting horses. They were quickly caught up by the storm. The tossing wind whipped their faces full of sand. They couldn't see each other even when they were only five feet apart.
"Here! Hold onto this! Stay with me!" Tessa untied her red strap from her waist and tossed to Grisham. He easily grabbed it and held on tight.
"Always." He grinned. Although she couldn't see him too well, he kissed the scarf in his hand.
While they were riding away from the windstorm, Grisham had an idea. It wasn't part of his plan, but it was better than what he thought up. In an instant, his monogrammed handkerchief was swept up in the wind. It was gift from Vera. Although handkerchiefs weren't his thing she insisted it made him more like a gentleman.
Looking up, he saw Tessa's flowing hair. Like a wild raven in dark sky, she was in her element. He felt an instant attraction when they first fought in the jail cell. Obviously, he didn't expect her sword to wound up in between his legs. Yet, when he saw her dark eyes twinkle his heart skipped a beat. Later on, she would grate his nerves and prove to be a huge pain in the butt.
However, he anticipated their encounters and relished their fights. He pushed, she pulled. He jumped, she rolled. They dance in rage and harmony. While he reluctantly did bidding for evil, she took arms to fight against oppression. Secretly he admired her strength and beauty. He would never admit it to anyone, but there were times he wished she would look at him differently than just an enemy. Now she that revealed her feelings, he didn't want it. He knew he was foolish to think there might be a future for them. A tiny part of him wanted to make it happen, but his doubt told him their future will be filled with obstacles.
He sighed. He really didn't deserve her. He decided tricked her again.
He was just as shocked when he unmasked her.
The moment his fingers graced her cheek and slid the mask half way past her eyes, he knew it was Tessa. No one has those wide chocolate eyes and the cherry red lips like hers. He immediately thought of the coy senorita when the mask was half-undone, but said her name when he couldn't contain his astonishment. He regained his composure before she reacted. He continued to make up the story of his discovery and added the bit about watching her work out. He had spied on the queen before but never near enough to know her real identity. He didn't know how accurate his story was. However, it struck a chord with Tessa.
At first Grisham didn't want to believe it was Tessa but the pieces fell into place and questions were answered. Unbelievably, it made sense. He just couldn't believe how she managed to conceal her identity for so long under their noses.
She turned to Grisham after getting Chico safely into the barn. Wiping her face with an old cloth, she handed it an extra one to the captain. They were able to clean themselves as much as they could. Grisham was irritated that a patch of sand stuck to the back of his neck and took off his shirt to wipe it.
He stopped when he saw Tessa was watching him. Realizing his state of undress, he turned to put his shirt back on. A pair of hands stilled his movements.
"How did you get these?" She quietly asked. She saw bruises before on Grisham, too many times to count, but these were new and too severe to be done by hands.
He grimaced. The large violent bruises on his back were enough to give young children nightmares.
"Montoya had some fun with a chair. It got kinda out of hand." He tried to chuckle but was silenced by her look.
"Was this after my escape from jail?" She was being too calm, it scared Grisham. All the previous taunts and threats from the Queen of Swords were no match for an angry Tessa Alvarado.
She was seething inside. She doesn't usually shower attention on anyone, however the wounds were too much for her to stand. Touching gingerly at a particularly nasty one, she heard the captain hissed.
"Sorry." She sighed. Disturbed by the thoughts running through her mind…she clenched her hands to prevent herself from crying out.
How many times Grisham had to suffer Montoya's punishments whenever I manage to escape or thwarted their plans?
"Hey…it's not your fault. I use to curse the queen to no end…but I knew that Montoya's the real bad guy. You gotta admit, I deserve some of those…" Grisham knew she was blaming herself for the pain he suffered. He didn't want her pity or her worry, it wasn't her burden to carry. Her reaction touched him nonetheless and he wanted to soothe her concerns.
"You need medicine for those. I can get them from Marta's room." She grabbed his hand and led him inside the mansion.
Glancing around in her chamber, he saw she was very fond of cream colors and rich auburn. The hint of vanilla and rose enveloped him in an embrace. The room was warm and inviting. He caressed the silk cover of her bed and wondered what it must be like under those sheets. Before his thoughts wandered into the obscene, Tessa entered with a tray of mint smelling bowls and gauze.
Spreading a sizeable amount of cream on a piece of gauze, she placed it onto his back. He nearly yelped. The mint cream was cold and the bruises started to hurt again. But the cream eventually heated his wounds and a slowly spreading warmth started from his lower back.
"Better?" She looked at Grisham's closed eyes.
"Yeahh…" He breathed.
Smiling at his content response, she continued to cover each bruise with gauze and wrapped a large bandage across his torso.
"They should heal by tomorrow." She wrapped the last piece in place.
"Thank you." He grabbed her hands and kissed them.
She didn't want to blush, but a pink tinge appeared. "You need to rest." She got up quickly and replaced the medicine bowls back into Marta's room.
"You can stay in the guest room I prepared…" Tessa trailed off. Returning to her room she was met by a dozing captain curled up on her favorite side of the bed.
"No way in hell!" She groaned.
Climbing carefully in bed after changing into her nightgown, she made sure she was far enough from Grisham that she wouldn't accidentally hit him during her slumber. Knowing what the man was capable of, she made sure to put on an extra chemise so he wouldn't try anything while she was asleep. He may be covered in bandages and have a change of heart but a player will always be a player.
She smirked before falling off to sleep.
Taking one last look at his sleeping queen, he dipped his head down to kiss her exposed neck.
He didn't want to leave her. But too much was at stake. He knew that she was his chance at true happiness. There was no other. Not his numerous lovers and certainly not Vera. His fingers itched to stroke her cheeks and feel her hair. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and left her room.
He needed to do this. His mission was almost complete. He can't let his heart undo him again.
Riding off towards the rising sun, he clutched the lace mask to his heart. He knew what he had to do. He hoped that she can forgive him.
A/N: It's always so complicated to write their interactions :after: they learn the secrets and truths. But this mystery provides such wonderful theories and storylines. That's why these two make for exciting fics!