I own none of the WWE superstars (but I'd love to own Mark for a night).

Don't

"Do you need help getting dressed?" I asked Mark before I came back to the hospital with his clothes.

"I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself," Mark snapped. "Now, unless you want to see my bare ass, I suggest you turn your head."

"I've seen it before," I said in a teasing voice.

"Don't remind me," he said in a "no-joking" tone. "In fact..." He swung his legs over the side of the hospital bed and attempted to stand up. Suddenly dizzy, he swooned a little, stumbling.

I was at his side in seconds. "Careful," I warned.

He leaned on me for support. "Thanks."

Despite what he'd said earlier, I ended up helping him get dressed.

"Close your eyes," he ordered me when he was about to slip on his silk boxers.

"Fine," I said, but I have to admit it: I peeked!

"I feel like a kid," he grumbled a minute later as I helped him pull his relaxed-fitting jeans up. My hands went to his belt so I could buckle it for him. Accidentally, my hand brushed against his crotch. He gave a low gasp and backed away a little.

"Sorry about that," I said, thinking about the undeniable pressure I had felt against my hand when it had brushed over his crotch. "That was totally unintentional." Or was it? I asked myself.

"Don't do it again, Jade," he warned seriously. "I mean it."

"Oh, stop fussing, sit down, and lift your arms up so I can put on your shirt," I said in a motherly tone, but of course my feelings toward him were anything but motherly.

"Fine!" he exclaimed, lifting his arms and sitting down in a chair. "Treating me like a damn kid..." he mumbled to himself. "...older than you...kiddy shit..."

I laughed at his comments as I slipped his shirt on for him, then started trying to smooth out the wrinkles. In the process of smoothing out the wrinkles, I ran my fingers lightly over his muscular upper body, feeling my skin tingle just from this simple contact.

He caught my hands in his and glared at me. If looks could kill... I wouldn't be telling this story.

"What?" I asked innocently. "I'm just smoothing out the wrinkles in your shirt."

"More like copping a feel," he corrected me. He let my hands go and sighed, looking away. "Don't do this to me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, handing him his cell phone and wallet. I folded my arms across my chest and looked up at him.

"Jade, don't make this more difficult for me than it already is," he said in a low voice. "It's already so fucking complicated, this whole situation."

"Which situation? You and me, or-"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said shortly.

"Fine," I said, knowing I could most likely persuade him to talk later. "Let's get out of here."

We left the room and walked slowly down the hall together with him frequently leaning on me for support. I knew it was wrong, but I was enjoying the way he had to put his arm around my shoulder to lean on me. I was enjoying the way I had to put my arm around his waist. I was merely enjoying the closeness we were forced to share.

Dr. Gunter saw us walking down the hall together and smiled. "Decided to settle your differences, I see," he commented, nodding his head approvingly.

"I just want to leave," Mark said simply. "Where do I sign out?"

"Just sign here," he said, pulling out a clipboard. "I took care of all the paperwork for you."

"Awesome," I said.

Mark signed the paper and soon we were in the elevator. He leaned into the corner and closed his eyes. I leaned against the wall and looked up at him, just observing him. He was really a beauty, with his magnificent features and perfectly-shaped lips. I wanted nothing more than to lean my head against his chest and have him hold me. Or better yet, to kiss him, to give him a kiss that would rival the last and most passionate one we had shared in the woods before we'd been caught... Those ones when he'd temporarily lost his memory didn't even begin to measure up. As far as I was concerned, those didn't even count...

"What are you looking at?" he asked me with his eyes still closed.

"Just you," I said simply. "I'm just observing you."

"I know. You're burning holes through me with your eyes," he countered.

"So?" I teased.

"So don't think this changes anything," he said, suddenly opening his eyes. "This doesn't change anything at all, got it?"

"Whatever," I said, shrugging. "Your choice."

"It's not my choice. I have no choice," he said miserably. "And it fucking sucks."

I stepped closer to him, looking up at him. "This whole situation sucks." I stepped even closer, just inches away, daring to touch his chest. "I just wish we could go back to a few days ago and-"

"Don't say it," he whispered. He pressed his fingers against his lips, then slowly pressed them against mine. A kiss of sorts to make me be silent.

We looked at each other for a long time, and then the elevator stopped. The doors opened and we stepped out together...

Preview: Coming up in Chapter 17 which will be entitled "It's Good To Be Back", Mark has an attitude change... Will it be a good attitude change or a bad one? We'll see... (TakerTakeMe has some tricks up her sleeve...even though the shirt she's wearing right now is sleeveless...LOL!)