Disclaimer: As always I own nothing associated with WWE. I own nothing more than my OC's and the story line.

Chapter 17

(Mercedes P.O.V.)

"John I'm serious…."

"So am I Mercedes…" with a gentle tug at my wrist, pulling me closer he continued "there's nothing wrong with me that one or two soft wet kisses won't cure…what do you say?"

In the silence he smiled "You're not really going to leave me here in pain are you 'Cedes?" His smile was my undoing – equal parts sweet boyish charm and dominate man how could I say no? With a second tug at my wrist I suddenly found myself sitting on his lap.

"Where does it hurt?" I asked aiming to be serious and stern and failing miserably.

Leaning back against the lockers behind him he took my hand in his – his eyes twinkled as he rubbed my hand along his right shoulder and upper right chest. "It hurts all along here." He words a gentle husky plea for help.

Licking my lips I grinned "Really?" I questioned as I felt myself slipping into his little game. "See if this helps." I suggested, as I dropped one…two…three soft wet kisses along his bare chest and shoulder.

"That helps…"he grinned as I continued to drop soft brief kisses across his chest and shoulder.

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(JOHN P.O.V.)

Good God she was beautiful straddling my lap, her hands kneading my shoulders, her mouth doing the most delicious things to my chest and shoulder. As she drew back I watched her eyes – the gleam there small and fascinating. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked with warm gentle sincerity.

"Its better...maybe just a few more kisses and I'll be good as new – what do you say?"

"Oh just a few more huh – well try this and see if doesn't make you feel better." She murmured tenderly as she began to drop several long, slow, wet kisses along the right side of my neck. If I wasn't mistaken I could even feel the sharp nip of her teeth here and there. I forced myself into stillness – beating back the urge to go at her wantonly; to grind myself against until we were both mindless wanton.

Thump-thump-thump the knock at the door echoing through the mostly silent locker room seconds before a familiar voice called out "Knock-Knock anyone home? Hey John - you in here?" Called out Randy Orton seconds before pushing the door wide open and stepping inside.

I knew it the minute she heard the knock at the door. Her whole body stiffened instantly; as if someone had flipped a light switch changing the mood from playful and flirty to cold and distant immediately. I didn't resist or try to hold onto her when she scrambled from my lap. I said nothing as she moved putting several feet's distance between her and I. I never left my perch on the bench; leaning back against the lockers as Randy spoke. "Oh Mercedes…I didn't realize you were in here." His comment only the tip of the confusion painting his otherwise calm features; Randy had questions.

Watching Mercedes with a cautious eye; I had questions too. Randy and his questions could take a number and get in line. The little lady was definitely going to be answering to me first. She gave that delicate little fragile smile to Randy and spoke "Don't worry about it Randy – it's all good." I wanted to scream – to put my fist through the row of metal lockers behind me. That little smile was mine not Randy fucking Orton's. She was right about one thing – things were 'all good' until he walked his ass up in here and spoiled the moment. "What's up Randy?" I asked with a normal calm in my words that I did not feel.

"Oh yeah," he came back "some of the guys and Celeste were talking about going out after the show to grab a bite to eat – maybe a drink or two. Thought I would check in with you two – see if maybe you wanted to go along?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to say thanks but no thanks. I'd wanted the evening alone with Mercedes to begin with. Now that I felt she had some explaining to do – I felt an evening alone was even more important. I was a little surprised when she smiled almost animatedly "That sounds like fun! John and I would love to. When are you leaving?"

I continued to watch silently as Randy and Mercedes exchanged details firming up plans for us to meet them at a little local bar and grill roughly twenty minutes from now. Headed for the door, Randy chuckled "great I'll see you both over to Aurora in about twenty minutes," and with that he was gone. I watched as Mercedes waited until he was out the door; the closing soundlessly behind him before she turned to face me. Her large cheery smile fell as I stood from the bench looking far less happy than I had been mere five or so minutes ago.

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(Mercedes P.O.V.)

"Oh just a few more huh – well try this and see if doesn't make you feel better." I whispered softly as I began to drop several long, slow, wet kisses along the right side of his neck. Damned if he didn't taste amazing; a heady combination of pure male, a hint of soap from his earlier shower, and something I couldn't quite put my finger on. I didn't mean to, it wasn't something I'd ever done with any other man before, but before I knew I was nipping at his neck. The spastic butterflies rumbling in my gut nearly caused me to pull back. My inner voice screaming at me "go for it girlfriend bite him harder!" The sudden utter stillness I felt coming from him gave no indication if he enjoyed it or if I was I crazy for feeling the way I did.

At first I didn't hear the heavy thump as someone knocked at the door. Seconds later an all too familiar voice called out "Knock-Knock anyone home? Hey John - you in here?" Called out Randy Orton seconds before pushing the door wide open and stepping inside. As foolish as it sounds, the minute I heard Randy's voice I panicked. I felt as if Randy's presence tripped some crazy internal switch inside my brain. God bless John he didn't resist my efforts to scramble from his lap. Maybe he felt the same way I did about Randy seeing us together like that. Thinking that distance was best, I moved to stand several feet between John and I. Although he never said a word, I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. I wished I knew what he was thinking. If I didn't think it would be to obvious I would have hazarded a glance back in his direction.

"Oh Mercedes…" Randy began with his usual charm "I didn't realize you were in here." On the surface his comment was harmless enough, but dammit I knew Randy Orton better than that. Randy had questions and I was certain at some point in the very near future he would not be shy about asking them – all of them.

I gave Randy what I hoped was a reassuring smile; a smile that said everything was good – nothing to worry about. "Don't worry about it Randy – it's all good."

"What's up Randy" asked John with a strange normalcy to his voice that I didn't recognize.

Venturing a quick glance in his direction the strange glint in his eyes had my already spastic butterflies working overtime. What was it about Randy interrupting that seemed to be bothering him so much?

"Oh yeah," returned Randy with an easy grin "some of the guys and Celeste were talking about going out after the show to grab a bite to eat – maybe a drink or two. Thought I would check in with you two – see if maybe you wanted to go along?"

I hadn't really had the chance to talk to Celeste in a couple of days. I missed our "girl-talk." "That sounds like fun! John and I would love to. When are you leaving?" Randy and I worked out the details, as John sat behind me never saying a word. The way he watched me made me just a little uneasy to say the least. What was going on in that head of his?

Headed for the door, Randy chuckled "great I'll see you both over to Aurora in about twenty minutes," and with that he was gone. I waited until I was sure that Randy was out the door and on his way back down the hall before turning to face John. I was thrilled to be going for a little bit with our friends. One look at John and I could see that he his mood has drastically changed from the happy go lucky flirt he had been a short five minutes or so ago. "What the hell happened?" wondered my inner voice idly. Reaching out to take his hand I asked with great care "John…what's wrong?"

"Oh I don't know Mercedes…why don't you tell me"

"Tell you what John? I don't know what's wrong."

"You," he began a little testily "seemed more than a little worried when Randy walked in on us – something between you and Randy that you want to share?"

"John, Randy and I are friends sure; but it's not what you think." I tried to explain with an air of reason.

Laughing short and nearly bitter, John retorted "I don't think you really want to know what I'm thinking right now Cedes. I really don't."

"Don't do this John; you're blowing this completely out of proportion." I pleaded.

"Don't what Mercedes? Don't be a little pissed that you seemed embarrassed about our relationship? Or how about don't be pissed that the minute Orton walked in you couldn't get up and away from me fast enough? Which is it Mercedes – you tell me?" John demanded angrily.

"You have this all wrong John. It's not embarrassment at all." I replied refusing to become as upset as he was.

"So if you're not embarrassed Cedes, then explain it to me baby-girl tell me what is. Because I'm telling that's exactly what it looks like." John countered.

With an exasperated sigh I pick and choose my words very carefully not want a full blown fight on my hands. "John…some things are very private to me. I don't want everyone knowing our business. Our relationship is so very fresh and new. I just want it to be "ours" just "ours" for a little bit longer; before the whole finds out and begins putting their spin on things. Besides all that, you know as well as I do the gossip around here. I'm not ready to share you or what I feel for you with the rest of the world yet. Please tell me you understand that?"

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(John P.O.V.)

I wanted to be pissed. The word relationship should have been enough to piss me off. Truth of the matter was I couldn't get pissed and stay that way; not with her standing there looking at me like that. It wasn't her fault that I wanted to brand her as mine and didn't really give a damn who knew it. I had to hand it to her – she was right about the gossip around here. Once word of whatever this was between her and I got out it would be all over the locker room. Then there would be cameras, photographers, and the likes of TMZ to deal with. Maybe keeping whatever this was between the two – just between the two of us for a little while longer wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Kneeling in front of me, she took both of my hands in hers "Talk to me John – tell me what you're thinking."

Pulling her up and back into my lap I said nothing further as I claimed her mouth. Pushing my tongue in and out – tasting the deepest recesses of her sweet little mouth. My tongue dueled with hers for control. I wrapped my arms around her tighter – pulling her as close as I could. "Dammit" I thought as I pulled back just a little. The urge to want to spend the entire night alone with still rode me pretty damned hard, but she had agreed that we would meet up with Orton and K.C. later. Breaking the kiss, I trailed little soft kisses down along her lower jar and down across her neck. "So" I began "how exactly do you feel about me Cedes?"

An intense sigh escaped her soft kiss swollen lips as I continued to kiss and nibble at her neck. "How do I feel about you?" she parroted back to me.

"Yes, you mentioned that you weren't ready to share me your feelings about me with anyone else just yet. So I'm wondering how you feel about me Mercedes."

Smiling broadly she leaned into me and gave me a deep, sharp, quick kiss before sliding from my lap. "We should hurry, if we're going to meet the others on time." I watched with an easy grin as she slid from my lap and stood. Standing I grabbed her hand and pulled in her close – wrapping my arms around her I dropped one…two…three…soft wet kisses across her delicious mouth. Kissing her deep one last time, I drew back seconds before both of became breathless. "You can avoid the question tonight baby-girl, but you can't avoid it forever."

Nearly forty-five minutes later we joined Orton, K.C., Stephen (Sheamus), Matt (Zack Ryder), Phil (CM Punk), and Layla at Aurora. I laughed as we joined our friends at a large corner booth near the back of the bar. Layla was currently on the dance floor doing her best to keep Stephen from stepping on her toes. "Good Luck with that" I thought with a chuckle to myself. Taking a seat among our friends, we were quickly sucked into the current on-going conversations. A few minutes later, I smiled as I overheard Mercedes and Phil talking about the true definition of being straight edge. It was good to see her really enjoying herself; getting to know the members of the roster – making friends. As CM Punk the man could be a total ass, but as a person as Phil Brooks there was no friend more loyal. Sometime later, Layla and Stephen rejoined our little group; instantly taking part in the great movie debate we were currently having.

I managed to snag a couple of dances with Mercedes – both of them slow songs. No, I didn't plan it that way. More than an hour had passed when Mercedes agreed to dance with Stephen. Not to be outdone K.C. and Phil decided to join them along with Layla and Matt – leaving me at the table alone with Randy to watch with great amusement.

"That's a brave woman you've got their John to willingly dance with Ste, again after the last time – brave indeed. Bravery's good though – she's definitely going to need it." Randy quipped quietly.

"Need it for what?" I thought rather confused and a little annoyed. "Bravery for what" I asked my confusion evident.

"You know…" Randy began "when she finally tells her family about the two of you."

"She's a big girl Randy – I'm sure her family expects her date. It's not like she's in high school or some shit. I don't think her folks will mind."

"No your right John…" Randy laughed "She's not in high school, but she is the favorite niece of the Game our boss. You do remember the game HHH right?"

Author's Note: HUGE….HUGE Thank-you to everyone who is reading, reviewing, following, or adding to their favorites. You guys are the best …..xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox OZ