Chapter 68

"So I'm curious, where exactly did you learn Latin?"

There was no way they'd be drinking the absinthe tonight. He wasn't about to mix liquors like that, not those ones at any rate. Taker remembered that old thing about never mixing clear and gold alcohol… he had yet to hear anything about deep purple and an interesting tint of green. He wasn't about to try that. Yet.

"Mmm, college." He answered after a few minutes, glancing at her. "It was an elective. I didn't actually think I'd learn it and use it." Imagine that surprise when an old, hardly used language he had learned had actually found a use in his life!

"It suits you." Tahlia meant that, feeling a shiver course down her spine at the memory of her initiation and how he'd spoken in 'tongues'. Old Latin. It was sexy, especially in his voice. "I took French, but I'm not nearly as versed in it as you are with Latin." She shrugged, not interested in other languages, though if Latin had been presented to her in her own college days, she would've taken it hands down.

"French huh?"

He wondered if she could whisper sweet nothings in French, that would be sexy. Taker steered them out of the city, but in the opposite direction of home. It wasn't like anyone was waiting on them. In short order, he was turning up an old dirt road, hills coming into view and shortly, they were slowing to a crawl as he drove through old iron cemetery gates. Now technically, cemeteries were closed after dark, but he highly doubted anyone was going to come here since it was so out of the way and it wasn't as if they were actually going to be hanging out in the thing. He wanted what was on the other side and only accessible this way. The hilltop overlooking the lake and it was a full moon tonight.

"Oui."

Tahlia smirked at his raised brow and turned her attention to where they were going, seeing all the old tombstones where people had been buried for centuries. It didn't gross her out and make her feel uncomfortable. Cemeteries were one of the safest and peaceful places in the world to visit. However, when the clearing opened past the other set of cemetery gates, Tahlia spotted the lake and looked over at Taker, seeing a shit eaten grin on his face. When did he plan all of this for them, for her? Once he backed the Silverado up with the back facing the lake, Tahlia blinked at his order to get out and she did, hopping down to walk around the back of the truck.

Meeting her at the tailgate, Taker lowered it, revealing the made-up mattress and pillows. Behind those, tucked in the corner, was a cooler, which contained glasses and some milk chocolate… in liquid form. He grinned at the expression on her face, grabbing Tahlia about the waist and lifted her up until she was sitting on the gate, stepping between her legs and caught her face in his hands, bending down to kiss her.

"What do you think?" He asked against her lips.

"What I'm thinking is you're one sneaky bastard to plan all of this without my knowledge. And second," Tahlia hooked her finger in the waistband of his jeans to pull him closer, amber and emerald mixing together. "It's beautiful out here."

It truly was; the sky was littered with stars and the moon was their only light, reflecting off the lake behind them and in his eyes. First the breathtaking macabre cabaret show and now this…the night honestly couldn't get any better. Her arms draped around his neck, resting her forehead against his and breathed him in along with the crisp warm Texan air.

"Plan? Me?" He snorted, though his eyes were sparkling with amusement. "Maybe a little, darlin', come on."

Taker helped her into the bed of the truck, pulling her back until he could stretch his long legs out before him and leaned back against the cab of the truck, looking out over the lake. The stars and moon were reflecting off the water, the light brighter here then it would have been in the city. His arm snaked around Tahlia, pulling her into his side and he rested his head on top of hers.

This was perfect.

Maybe not what she had been expecting, but… perfect.

It definitely wasn't what she thought their date would consist of; it was better. So much better than she could imagine. After staring at the lake for a while and enjoying the tranquility of the scenery, Tahlia slowly looked up at Taker and began caressing his trimmed, remembering the black beard he used to have. She enjoyed twirling her finger around it; she missed the black. It suited him better than the auburn red, not that it was a bad look either. Tahlia was pretty certain this man could dye his hair neon green and still made her world spin off its axes. She had changed her appearance as well, no longer having the long blood red tresses and remembered how he'd twist them around his large hand to take control of her body during their lovemaking. Tahlia wanted that again, that fire and passion between them, missing it…missing the darker side of him.

Her messing with his face made him look down at her and Taker cocked an eyebrow at the nostalgic look on her pale face. "What's wrong, Tahlia?" He asked, pulling her to straddle his lap, hands moving to her waist. "That's not the first time you've looked at me that way." It was… odd, that look, and not one he could recall on her face during their previous time together.

"Nothing is wrong." How was she supposed to explain how she felt without sounding completely crazy or silly? "I just…I was thinking back to a year ago and how everything has changed so drastically, including you." At his arched brow, she sat back a little sliding her hands up and down his shirt covered chest, though her eyes didn't leave us. "I miss the beard, I miss the black hair…it suited you a lot better than the auburn. Not that I don't like the auburn because I do, but…there was just something about the black - you in all black. When I look at you, I still think of you as the Lord of Darkness, Taker. My dark Lord, my master, the man I devoted everything and gave everything. The man I fell in love with because he's just as devious, evil and dark as I am. Not a loving father and family man. It's just…confusing with these two sides of you and they're polar opposites. I'm just NOW getting to know that other side of you, but my heart, my body, my soul, every piece of me yearns for your darker half. I just miss it, that's all."

She blew out a breath, unable to meet his eyes and hoped she hadn't ruined their perfect evening. All he could do was stare at her, really hoping she realized that that black hair was nowhere near his natural color. Maybe he should've stopped shaving downstairs… let her realize curtain and carpets had never actually matched.

"Darlin', I warned you before," A long time ago, a lifetime ago it seemed. "When I'm home, with my family, I leave all that behind me." Because he would never allow that darkness to taint his son, or his friends, or his little goddaughter. Taker had also needed to give said auburn hair a break from the harsh black dyes. "That part of me is never gone, not truly." He just locked it away in a closet. "You do realize, Tahlia, you've changed? Yes?" She was calmer for one, less prone to putting her foot in her mouth and she rarely talked about revenge anymore, even when it was just them.

"I have?"

At his nod, Tahlia started thinking back to how she used to be compared to how she was now. Sure, she'd chopped her hair to make things easier on Taker when he was taking care of her and she'd simmered down once she left him the first time. The revenge kick was still strong, but locked away…

"I have." It didn't come out as a question this time when she said it, just a soft realization. "I have changed." Was it a good or bad thing though? She decided to ask him straight out, looking into his eyes. "Is that a good or bad thing?" Maybe he preferred her like she used to be, but how was she supposed to go back to that place? "We've both…changed."

He considered what she said and really thought about how things had changed since they had first met. How he had changed, his priorities and his goals. How she had changed from completely subservient to him to this woman now… How their relationship and then that year apart had changed them.

"Tahlia… it's not a bad thing, darlin'." He said finally. "I like knowing there's a calm side to you." A side he didn't have to check on her behalf. "I also love your dark side…" He nipped at her earlobe, growling when she shivered. "But relationships are like people, they change. They have to." Or everything would become stagnant. Taker didn't expect them to play house much longer; he was itching to go destroy some lives in a perfectly legal way. "And we have to change with things."

Being away from him for a year had killed a piece of her, but maybe it had to happen for both of them to mature and grow as individuals. They weren't ready for a true commitment back then. She'd been hell bent on revenge against the Corporation and Taker had his own evil demonic streak when it came to torture and making the McMahons' lives miserable. He helped her with that. He fed her dark side, but that couldn't always be them. There was another side to both of them they were finding out about each other the more they stayed in Texas. Scooting closer to him, glad he wasn't angry at her for being honest, Tahlia kissed him softly, enjoying the feeling of his mouth on hers.

"You're right." She fingered his goatee again, smiling and nipped his bottom lip lightly. "Je t'aime, Mark." As both the man and the wicked Lord of Darkness – the whole man.

Even he knew what that one meant and smiled, caressing her face with the back of his hand. "Te amo, Tahlia." He replied, knowing the words may have been lost in translation, but the meaning was not. She rarely called him Mark when they were alone, which was how he knew she had actually gone over what he had said and thought about it, even if briefly. Smiling, Taker guided her down until they were laying on the mattress, moving so he was laying over her. "Now say it again." He ordered, infusing just a hint of that darkness into his tone.

The moonlight cut his body out in a dark silhouette hovering over her, sending her heart racing. "Je t'aime, Mark." She obeyed his command, hearing him growl and shivered, knowing it meant a great deal to him that she used his birth name.

They had evolved with each other and this wasn't Taker hovered over her, kissing the breath out of her body. This was a man named Mark, who loved her and would do anything for her. He'd helped her recover after protecting him and showed her what it meant to have a normal life outside of wrestling. Before him, that's all Tahlia knew in her life was wrestling. Mark had opened a new world for her by introducing her to his family and entrusting that secret to her.

"Mmm I still owe you from earlier…" She purred, feeling his mouth seal to her neck and buried her fingers in his now loosened hair.

"Yes you do." He rumbled, grabbing her and rolling so she was on top, his hands moving up to that gorgeous top of hers. It emphasized her amber eyes, making them more luminescent than usual. As much as he loved the top, it had to go and his hands were at the hem, already pulling it up. "Now, woman, you may undress me." He informed her once the top was off and tossed somewhere to the left, folding his hands under his head and smirked.

"So full of yourself…" Tahlia murmured, enjoying his commands and leaned down to passionately kiss him first before pulling back, her hands already unfastening the buttons of his shirt.

Whatever made him wear a long-sleeved shirt in this heat was beyond her, but it did wonders for his eyes. They had both gone with colors that matched their eyes for their clothing. Tempted to rip it open, she patiently unfastened every button and took her time before finally revealing the broad expanse of his muscular chest. Instantly, her amber eyes turned molten gold, licking her top lip and leaned to brush her mouth against his before moving to his jaw and down his neck, enjoying the sounds of pleasure emanating from him.

"Mmm mine…" She declared in a purr once she made her way down to his jeans, unfastening them. "Tell me what you want me to do, Mark…"

"You've got a vivid imagination, Tahlia, use it." His voice was low, a growl, and he had to force himself to remain in this position.

Everything in him was screaming for him to position her on her knees, rip back on her head and sink his teeth into her neck while taking her from behind. In fact, he might do it anyway… they had all night. His own mind was putting him through hell. As if her toying with the front of his jeans wasn't doing that enough.

"Oh I plan on it." Tahlia promised seductively, her voice lowering to a haunting tone and pressed kisses along his lower stomach where the waistband of his jeans somewhat cut into.

She smirked, knowing he was in hell, or purgatory, with her doing this, but she did owe him one after the pool incident. Taking the zipper of his jeans between her teeth, Tahlia slid slowly it down while looking up at him, enjoying he was giving her complete control. Releasing the zipper, she reached in and found her prize, releasing his deliciously hard cock from the confines. He groaned in relief and then growled as she began stroking him with her hand teasingly. She was an evil, malevolent tease and Taker's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his hands gripping the sheet below him, fighting the urge to grab her hair and force her to swallow him whole.

"Christ, Tahlia!" He hissed when she gave his head a very slow lick before going back to using her hand, still in that slow, teasing manner. She was trying to kill him, he knew it… and there was even a graveyard nearby to bury his ass in, hard-on and all.

It'd been far too long for this man to go without sex, without any kind of sexual release besides using his hand. Tahlia wanted to make this last as long as possible, to prolong his climax, to build it up to where he erupted in her mouth. So, she kept stroking methodically, watching his face contort and let her tongue take over the movement of her hand, licking him like a popsicle. She enjoyed his snarls, his voice rough and dark with passion. And it was all because of her. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she finally took him completely in her mouth, thanking the stars above she didn't have gag reflex and pumped him relentlessly in and out. Her head bobbed up and down, getting into a groove, a rhythm, and reached down to massage his balls, stimulating him further. He was going to cum for her and give her full surrender.

He wasn't going to make it too much longer, the fact that he had held out this long was a miracle. When she began fondling his balls however, all bets were off and his long fingers were in her hair. Taker didn't do what he wanted, which was use her face as a fuck pad, but he did give her a warning tug.

"I'm close." He managed to rasp out harshly, figuring he'd do her the courtesy of letting her know she was about to get a serious mouthful. "Tahlia!"

The tensing of his thighs and pulsating of his cock in her mouth told her all she needed to know. Mark didn't have to tell her he was close because she could feel it. That didn't stop her as she increased the pace, urging him with actions to let go and give her what she wanted, what she craved, what she desired. It came moments later, his hot seed exploding in the back of her throat, after she drove him in the back of it, swallowing him completely whole and then some. Not a single drop was spilled or wasted.

She moaned with her mouth still around him, sending vibrations throughout his body and didn't pull back until she was sure she'd gotten every last bit. Sitting back on her haunches while he collapsed against the makeshift mattress, Tahlia wiped the corners of her mouth and flexed her jaw, knowing it would be sore in the morning from that exercise. Well worth it though. While Mark caught his breath, she unzipped her knee-high boots and socks, setting them aside to get more comfortable.

Taker had to learn how to breathe all over again, his heart beating in time with the pulsing in his semi-hard dick. Finally, when both parts of him were no longer competing for blood and fluids, he pushed himself up and reached for her, dragging Tahlia until she was slammed against his chest and kissed her lips greedily. His nimble fingers already worked the rest of her clothing off. Her. Naked. In the back of his truck with the stars above them and dead people behind them.

He was in heaven.

So was she.