How It Feels To Fly
A/N: Sorry that I havent been posting but i've been so busy making icons over at lj. got one more set of 20in20 icons to make then I will have more time to devote to writing. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 3: Private Dancer
"That man is driving me crazy!" Tessa said flopping down on the couch beside Mrs. Slater.
"What's he done this time?" Mrs. Slater asked trying to hold in the laughter.
"He scared off yet another guy tonight only this time the guy wasn't even bothering me! He was lost and asked me for directions but Mr. Bodyguard overreacted and jacked the poor guy up by the collar and with very unkind words told him to beat it, I swear I think the poor thing messed his pants," Tessa said with a sigh.
Mark had been her bodyguard for two months and in that time he had pretty much assaulted all of Harper's regulars most of them verbally and a few of them physically. Tessa had warned him to calm down, that he could possibly make things worse for her but that just made him even more protective of her.
"The man is a Neanderthal! A god honest straight out of the jungle caveman!" Tessa said exasperated.
"I think he is great, I want to meet him and thank him for taking such good care of you," Mrs. Slater informed Tessa.
"Fine, tomorrow night when he follows me home I'll have him wait so you can meet him," Tessa said deciding that arguing wasn't even worth the trouble knowing that Mrs. S would never take "no" for an answer.
"I have an even better idea; why not invite Mark over for Sunday dinner?" Mrs. Slater suggested.
"I don't think so Mrs. S," Tessa said shaking her head in disapproval.
"And why not?
"I have to deal with the man all night at work, I don't want to have to deal with him on my day off also," Tessa said looking over at Mrs. Slater.
"That's a pretty weak excuse Contessa and too bad for you I will not accept it, so tomorrow night invite the man over for dinner. You won't have to worry about preparing a meal because I plan on making my famous Chicken & Dumplings and Sweet Potato Casserole so now you have no reason not to have Mark over."
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Tessa asked even though she already knew the answer.
"No, I'm not. Tell him Sunday at four will be perfect," Mrs. Slater said with a smile.
"Yes ma'am," Tessa sighed, "I'm gonna go and take a long hot bath and forget about tonight," Tessa said giving Mrs. Slater a hug.
"Goodnight Contessa, see you and the kids tomorrow," Mrs. Slater said making her way towards the front door.
Mark sat up in bed awaken by the same dream he had the night before and the night before that and many nights before that. It was of Contessa on stage dancing to some slow seductive number and she was dancing for him and only him. The club was empty aside from the two of them and she was putting on a private show for his eyes only and he loved it. Contessa's body flowed to the music like silk blowing in the wind and when the music finally stopped she was naked in front of him waiting for him to take her, but just like the nights before, Mark woke up before his hands were on her and to say he was frustrated was an understatement.
He wanted Contessa there was no denying it anymore, but having her was out of the question. It would complicate things and he definitely didn't need any complications in his life.
"Looks like it's another cold shower for you my friend," Mark said looking down at the hard-on he had acquired in his sleep.
"I swear if you put your hands on one more customer I am going to kill you!" Tessa hissed at Mark as they entered the dressing room.
"The guy had his hand on your ass I was doing my job," Mark said ignoring all of the looks he was getting from the other dancers.
"I never hired you so technically it's not your job! I'm not your job!" Tessa spat angrily.
"If you don't want him guarding you I'll take him," Stacy aka "Lollipop" said batting her lashes at Mark.
"Back off barracuda," Tessa said glaring at Stacy causing Mark to laugh, "what's so funny?" She asked turning her attention back to Mark.
"I thought I was the overprotective one, you just about bit that poor girls head off," Mark said still laughing.
"I did not," Tessa scoffed.
"Oh yeah you did darlin' guess you do like having me around huh?"
"Don't flatter yourself. Just get out of here so I can change, okay?" Tessa said pushing Mark out of the door.
"Yes ma'am, I'll be waiting out front," Mark said as the door slammed in his face.
"You know I am only trying to keep you safe, right?" Mark asked Tessa as he walked her to her car.
"I know but the thing is I don't need to be kept safe. Silas has been on his best behavior since you beat the crap out of him that night and none of the other guys you've "protected" me from these past few months were never threats to me in any way," Tessa said as they reached her car.
"You don't need to be kept safe, what do you call this?" Mark asked looking at Tessa's car.
"I call it a flat tire, Mark, god stop with the paranoia," Tessa said shrugging.
"Well I call it a message, that tire was slashed Tessa it's not like you rolled over a nail," Mark said examining the tire closer, "and look the back tire has been slashed too."
"It has?" Tessa asked feeling a little frightened for the first time since the incident with Silas.
"Yes, so you see I'm not being paranoid Contessa," Mark said standing face to face with Tessa.
"Do you think it was Silas?" Tessa asked crossing her arms over her chest to keep from shaking.
"I don't know who else it could be," Mark answered.
"Oh I can think of about twenty people," Tessa said rolling her eyes at Mark.
"Hey everything those guys got they deserved," Mark said defending himself.
"Yeah sure only now one of them wants to take it out on me! Thanks a lot you big Ape!" Tessa said smacking Mark on the arm.
"I'm sorry but I don't regret anything I've done in the past few months because it's what I thought was needed to keep you safe and I will continue to keep you safe, now come on I'll drive you home tonight and come back in the morning and put some new tires on your car," Mark said putting his hand on Tessa's shoulders and leading her to his truck.
"I really am sorry Contessa, I may have went a little over board with the whole "body guard" thing but I never meant to put you in any danger, but with me around I can promise that whoever is trying to scare you will not get close enough to do you any harm, believe me?" Mark asked as he drove Tessa home.
"I believe you," Tessa said simply without turning away from the window.
"You're pretty mad at me huh?" Mark asked watching her out the corner of his eye.
"Yes I am, since meeting you my world has been turned upside down and not in a good way," Tessa said still not looking at Mark.
"It hasn't all been that bad, has it?" Mark asked playfully nudging Tessa.
"No, it's been worse," Tessa said but smiling as she said it.
"Ah ha! I got a smile out of you, mission accomplished." Mark said nudging her again.
"I may be smiling but I am still plenty mad at you!" Tessa said trying to stop smiling.
"As long as you show me that pretty smile darlin' you can be mad all you want," Mark said winking at Tessa.
Tessa couldn't believe it! Mark was flirting with her…wasn't he? Tessa had never been good with men, in fact she had never really had a boyfriend not even in high school, even though there were plenty of boys who tried to get her to date them she just wasn't interested, so to have a man like Mark, a tall handsome, very wealthy man flirt with her was something new to her and threw her off her game.
"Don't get quiet on me now darlin'," Mark said with a grin.
"I'm sorry I was just thinking," Tessa replied.
"About…"
"Just things," Tessa said with a shrug.
"Still worried about who ever slashed your tires?"
"No, I believe that you will keep me safe. I just really hate knowing that there is someone out there who wants to hurt me or at least wants me to think that they will hurt me," Tessa answered honestly.
"We will talk to Ralph and the bouncers and make sure they know what's going on that way there will always be extra sets of eyes watching you, okay?" Mark asked taking one hand off of the steering wheel and placing it on top of Tessa's.
"Okay," Tessa said looking at Mark just as they pulled up to her place.
"See you Monday darlin'," Mark said as Tessa got out of his truck.
"Hey Mark, my neighbor, Mrs. Slater asked me to invite you to Sunday dinner. It won't be anything fancy just some homemade chicken and dumplings and sweet potato casserole…"
"Darlin' as long as it's not out of a can it could be anything," Mark laughed, "so count me in. What time should I be here?"
"Four o'clock work for you?"
"I'll be here," Mark said winking at Tessa.
"Can't wait," Tessa said waving to Mark as he drove away.
"So did you invite him to dinner?" Mrs. Slater asked the minute Tessa walked into the house.
"Yes, he will be here Sunday at four," Tessa said sitting down next to Mrs. Slater on the sofa.
"I only heard one car pull up, something happen to yours?"
"You are a very observant woman, you know that?" Tessa asked laughing.
"Yes, I know. So what happened?"
"Someone slashed two of my tires while I was at work," Tessa said not looking at Mrs. Slater.
"Tessa that job is no good for you."
"Come on Mrs. S,I have Mark there to watch out for me and he does a pretty good job I mean think about it my car was attacked this time not me, no one has been able to get near me since Mark popped up in my life," Tessa said shrugging.
"This is true, you are very lucky to have a man like that in your life Tessa, I'm going home and crawl into bed, I suggest you do the same because you look beat," Mrs. Slater said hugging Tessa and leaving.
"Goodnight Mrs. S," Tessa called out as the woman walked across the yard.
After locking up the house and checking on the kids Tessa indeed went to bed and that night for the first time in her life had a dream about a man and that man was her hero, her Neanderthal, her Mark.
Mark was once again dreaming about Tessa only this time she wasn't dancing at the club she was here in his bedroom his private dancer, dancing around seducing him with her movements teasing him with simple caresses to his cheek and hand. She was a Vixen alright and she was all his. And he planned on letting her know just that as soon as she got close enough for him to grab her and pull her little sexy body against his. Yes, he would make her his tonight and nothing would stop him from claiming her. When Tessa stopped dancing Mark took her by the arm and pulled her down on his lap letting her feel the massive hard-on she had produced.
"You belong to me darlin'" He said before capturing her lips with his.
"Yes, Mark, I belong to you," Tessa panted when Mark finally broke the kiss.
Sitting up in bed Mark sighed, he was finally getting what he wanted, to be with Tessa, too bad that it was all a dream, a dream that he had no intention of making a reality…or did he?