THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU: KEPOUROS, PRINCESSNIA, LIVIN ON THE EDGE, TAKERSSOULMATE, PHHSDJ, FIRECRACKER, KEEPER OF OZ, RANDYORTONRULES62, SWEETENIGMA, DEERROBIN12, WWEJACKASS, MISSBRIANNA, TANYA2BEYOUR21, & KATARA MELODY CULLEN FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I LOVE THEM!

Who here watched Wrestlemania? Let me just say this: Congrats Mark 'Undertaker' Calaway! You had an awesome match! Just epic! However, I knew all along that you would win! 21-0 Baby! Hell Yeah!

Chapter Nineteen
I Lost It

"He wanted me to take back what I said and I couldn't do it."

"What did you say, Kitten?"

"That I love you."

I never thought I wanted to hear those three little words from any women, but the very moment they left Ashley's sweet mouth, my chest tightened to the point beyond pain and then immediately released into relief. Thank God, she loved me. She was mine and I wanted to make sure she knew that.

I opened my mouth to tell her that I loved her because after all she gave me the perfect chance to say it to her. However before I could utter a word, she had turned in my arms so she was straddling my lap. Then she slapped a small cold hand against my mouth. My eyes widened and her nose crinkled.

"You don't need to say it, Taker. I know this thing between us was just a weekend affair and I haven't forgotten that. I'm not holding you to any expectations or anything. I went into this with both eyes wide open and all, but I fell in love with you along the way and I don't regret anything we've done or will do. And I do hope that we can continue our relationship for however long you wish to continue it."

"Kitten, I don't want to end our affair. Far from it in fact, Baby. I lo—"

For the second time, I was interrupted. This time it was a nurse with a dinner tray. I swore under my breath as Ashley scurried off my lap. In one swift moment, I was up and off the bed and Ashley was lying back in the bed, where she was supposed to be. The nurse made a tsking sound and left the room just as quickly as she had appeared. She couldn't have made her presence known ten minutes later, could she? Damn nurses always where you don't want them to be.

"I'm not hungry." Ashley pouted.

I grunted. "Well you're eating anyway."

Her nose crinkled again as I pulled the covers over her legs and up to her waist. "I don't want the covers on."

"Too damn bad because they're staying." I told her, grabbing the table with her dinner tray on it. When I turned back she was kicking off the covers. I grabbed the covers and jerked them back over her. "Leave them on, little girl."

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "I don't want them." She tried kicking them off again.

I grabbed the cover and pulled it over her before settling my hands on either side of her waist, holding the covers in place. "Leave them. You are ice cold, Darlin'."

She sighed and then nodded. "Fine, but I'm not eating."

I grinned. "Wanna bet?"

She ate most of her dinner which was hot turkey slices, mashed potatoes and gravy with green beans and a buttered roll. A fruit salad with whipped cream was dessert. She ate the fruit until it was gone. I didn't even get an argument from her on that one.

Ashley kept the conversation away from anything remotely close to our relationship or what happened between her and Crestfield. We talked about wrestling and if I was ready for Extreme Rules which was right around the corner. We talked about the next spread in WWE magazine that she was excited about doing and she talked about an idea she had come up with. It was a good idea, but I really didn't like it. She wanted to do a WWE calendar. A beef cake calendar for charity where she would be taking pictures of the wrestlers' half nude. Yeah I didn't think so. She wanted me to be Mr. October for Halloween, but she didn't want the full Undertaker. Oh no, she wanted me bare chested with a pair of jeans and cowboy boots. Yeah, I didn't think that was a good idea either. She disagreed. She was positive she was going to get her way but I was going to fight against it.

"I'm cold." She announced out of the blue, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She shivered. "I want another blanket. Can you please get me one?" She asked. I nodded, getting up to grab another blanket from the top shelf off one of the cabinets.

Once I got her completely covered with the extra blanket, I kissed her forehead and snapped back in surprise. She was hot as hell. She was burning up. "Kitten, you are burning up. I think you have a fever."

She shrugged and burrowed further under the covers. "I don't feel so good." She whimpered as another shiver went through her.

Damn it. I hated seeing her like this. "I'm going to go get the doctor, okay?" I told her. She nodded.

"No need, the doctor is here."

I turned around at the arrogant voice. It was that damn doctor that wanted to talk to me while Ashley was screaming bloody fucking murder in the next room.

He nodded towards me then focused all his attention on Ashley. "You remember me, don't you, Ashley?" He asked.

She shivered and gave him a shrug.

The doctor frowned. I guess he thought everyone should remember who he was. Fuck him.

"I'm Doctor Blackthorne. I was the doctor on staff that day you were brought in to the ER."

She nodded.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. I wanted to smack him. Anyone could see that she wasn't feeling well.

Another violent shiver racked her small body. "I'm cold." She replied.

He nodded and took a step closer to the bed. "Let's have a look at that cut on your throat. It just might be infected." He told her.

Ashley nodded and threw up. All over the pompous ass doctor.

The Next Morning—

I always thought if I saw the woman I was currently having sex with, throw up, I would no longer find her attractive and the lust I felt would disappear just as quickly as it appeared. Well I was wrong. Or maybe it was because it was Ashley and I loved her. Or maybe it was because she threw up on that jack ass of a doctor. Whichever it was, I didn't really care. I was however worried about Ashley and why she was suddenly burning(fever of a hundred and two point three) and she couldn't keep anything down(not even water).

Her stitches were infected. Dr. Blackthorne informed us that there was dust, dirt, a little rust, rock and bug particles in the cut on her throat. He had gotten out all of it or so he was sure he did anyway, but sometimes infections happened. Of course, Ashley would get an infection. She couldn't catch a damn break. Throwing up was just one of the symptoms of her very high fever.

They started her on antibiotics for the infection and they told her they wanted to keep her another night. She wasn't happy and she definitely wasn't herself. I wanted my Ashley back because this one wasn't her.

"What do you want?" I asked for the third time that morning, sitting my ass down in the only chair available.

She frowned. "I don't want anything, Taker. I'm fine."

I took a deep breath to reign in my control. She hadn't called me Mark since I took her in my arms yesterday and I was tired of hearing her call me Taker. And she wasn't fine. I hated that fucking word. Any man that hears his woman tell him that she is fine needs to make her talk. Or maybe run in the opposite direction, screaming. There isn't any such thing as a woman that is fine. However, I was the Undertaker, women who said fine didn't scare me.

"Kitten, don't lie to me. You know I hate it when you lie."

Her frown deepened. "I'm not lying. I am fine. I just wanna go home."

"Soon. I promise."

She nodded, but I knew she didn't believe me. I was starting to think that frown was going to be permanently etched on her beautiful face. Until she got a visitor. That visitor turned her frown into one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen. And I fucking hated it.

"Sheamus!"

Sheamus grinned and pulled Ashley into a hug. I wanted to yank her away from him.

"How are you, Lass?" He asked in his thick Irish accent.

She let out a sigh and I waited for the fine to pass her lips.

"Oh Sheamus, I'm miserable."

Wait! What?

"Ah'm sorry to hear that, Ahshley. What can me do to help ya feel better?"

I've never had a problem with the Irish giant. Until now. I wanted him gone.

Ashley shook her head. "Get me out of this hospital bed, Sheamus. I'm tired of these white walls."

"Ah'm sorry, Lass. Ah can't get ya out of this hospital till the doctors are ready to release ya, but Ah did bring ya something." He told her, pulling a white bag with some foreign writing on it. What the hell was that shit? Whatever it was, Ashley loved it because she squealed with glee.

"White Rabbit Candy! Oh Sheamus you totally rock." She exclaimed, pulling him into another hug.

"Ah remember how much ya loved it when we went to Beijing. Ah couldn't resist bringing ya a bag."

"I love it, but how did you get it? You didn't go all the way back to Beijing, did you Sheamus?" She teased him with a smile.

"Nah. Ah knew you would run out quickly so Ah brought back an extra bag."

She beamed and gave him another hug. Time for me to intervene.

Getting up to stand next to Ashley, I put my arm around her and kissed her forehead. Staking my claim? Hell! Yes! "What's that, Kitten?" I asked.

Sheamus smirked, I ignored it. Ashley smiled at me. Things were right back on track.

"It's White Rabbit Creamy Candy. It's a popular candy in Beijing. I love them! You should definitely try them." She offered.

I gave her a small smile. "I just might do that."

Sheamus stayed for a few more minutes, making Ashley laugh and giggle. Making her back to her old safe. I can't say I'm happy that it was Sheamus that did it, but now that he was gone, all her smiles were focused on me. That's how it was supposed to be. Now to get her out of this hospital, back to Texas, to my home.

A Week Later—

"You have a beautiful home, Mr. Calaway."

"You like it?" Just wanted to make sure.

She nodded as she entered the kitchen. "It's simply gorgeous, Taker. Did you decorate it yourself?" She asked.

I looked around at my Spanish style Texas ranch house and grinned. It was truly mine in every sense of the word. Top of the line stainless steel appliances were the best of the best and I was the envy of all the chefs out there. High archways, pecan hardwood flooring, marble countertops in the kitchen and bathroom. Marble flooring in the bathroom. Mosaic tiling on the bathroom walls. A huge Jacuzzi in the master bathroom with a shower that could easily fit five men my size with three shower heads. The nine thousand square foot home had six bedrooms and nine bathrooms, making sure I had plenty of space for visitors. And three thousand square foot of covered outdoor space. I even had a lush private entrance garden with Spanish deco fountain and a fireplace. And a never-ending pool with hot tub. Best room of the house was the state of the art gym in the basement with a full size ring in the middle. This place was definitely all mine. And now I wanted to share it with Ashley.

"Yes I decorated it myself. Including my bedroom with its California king bed with thousand thread count sheets."

Her back was to me when I spoke, but she slowly turned around to look at me after I said that. Her face was blank and my chest tightened painfully. I wanted to know what she was thinking because that blank face was killing me.

"Have you ever brought a woman here, Taker?" She asked softly; unsure.

I shook my head. "No I haven't."

She nodded and walked towards me. She was taking her time getting to me and I was enjoying the view. Dressed in a pair of the shortest little shorts I'd ever seen and an Undertaker t-shirt, she was my walking wet dream. I had picked out her clothes. The t-shirt was mine, from my closet and the shorts, well I bought those from an Old Navy store on the way to the hospital. I knew for a fact she wasn't wearing any panties because I didn't bring her any. I had to deal with an erection on the plane and on the car ride to my place, but it was worth it knowing what she was wearing underneath those shorts and my t-shirt. Absolutely not a fucking thing.

Even knowing that, I had promise myself that I wouldn't touch her sexually until she made a move. She had been sexually assaulted by a man who was in fact still on the loose. A little tidbit I hadn't forgotten. When she was ready, I would be more than ready.

Once she reached my side, her hand came to rest on my chest, right on my heart, but she wouldn't look at me. "Taker, will you please take me to bed?"

I heard her. She whispered it, but I heard her. I wanted her, and I would take her to bed, but first…

I grasped her chin between my thumb and forefinger and brought her eyes to meet mine. "Are you sure?"

She licked her lips and nodded. "All I can feel is his hands on me, his mouth on me. Rough and bruising and full of hatred. I want your hands on me and your mouth. I want you to make me forget. Please."

She sounded desperate and it was twisting my gut in knots. Did I want to be used this way? For Ashley, anytime and always. She was mine and she had always better come to me, but she needed to ask me.

With my other hand, I touched the center of my chest. "Ask me, Kitten. Me. Not Taker." It was an order, a demand and with a nervous swallow, she knew it.

"Please make love to me. Mark, please."

My eyes slammed shut involuntarily. I had to take several deep breaths to get control of my emotions. Everything in me was screaming to take her, to fuck her against the nearest wall, to make her scream my name. But I didn't want that. Not this time.

I picked her up bridal style and carried her up the stairs and to my bedroom. I laid her down in the center and immediately took her mouth under mine. She opened instantly, letting my tongue invade, caress, and dominate the sweet recesses of her mouth. Her hands wrapped around my neck as I continued to plunder and explore. She whimpered, moaned, and writhed, but I took my time. I covered her face with kisses; her lips, her cheeks, her eyes, her forehead, along her jawline, and down her neck. I took her mouth once again and she let out a moan of disappointment.

Grinning against her mouth, I slipped my large hands underneath her t-shirt to cup her breasts. That led to a moan of appreciation. Pulling back and away from her mouth, I drew the t-shirt off and over her head. I began to kiss my way down her neck, nipping and licking here and there as I went. When I finally took one of her light pink nipples in my mouth, her back arched and she let out a long moan. I suckled, nipped, licked, and kissed her nipples until she was panting and pulling my hair.

I left her breasts and kissed my way down to her flat stomach. She was just so damn feminine and pretty and she smelled good too. I inhaled deeply as I French kissed her belly button. That earned me another moan and I pulled back once again to remove her shorts. God damn, she was fucking beautiful. Even with stubble on her pretty legs.

I settled myself between her legs, kissing, licking, nipping, and sucking on the skin on the inside of her thighs. She moaned and whimpered, but when the tip of my tongue touched her clit, she bucked hard. I wrapped arm around her hips to hold her down and sucked her clit in my mouth. She screamed her way through her first orgasm of the night.

"How you feeling, Kitten?"

She shook her head and whined. "Please."

I grinned. "Oh there's more to come." And before she could utter another word, I thrust my tongue in her pussy as I rubbed my thumb around her clit. She shook her head and tried to buck again but she was unable to move. I went back to flicking her clit with my tongue and used only a single digit to thrust slowly in and out of her tightness. She came twice more, screaming and writhing. I finally shed my clothes, grabbed a condom, sheathed myself, and climbed back on the bed.

She held out her hands too, beckoning me to her. "Please."

I slid home in one smooth thrust and she arched her back. Slowly out and back in twice as fast, again and again. She came again, moaning and whimpering, but I didn't stop. I was close, so close, but I held back.

"One more Kitten. Give me one more." I picked up my thrusts and sucked a hard pink nipple in my mouth.

"No, I can't. Please."

I let go of her nipple and returned to her mouth. "Yes you can, Baby. Give me one more, Baby Girl." I pleaded with her as I continued to slam into her. I was close, too close, but I wanted one more from her.

I got it. She came again, screaming my name.

"Mark. Mark. Mark." My name on her lips was a pleading for me to stop. She was sore and sensitive. With three more thrusts, I spent myself inside the condom.

An Hour Later—

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked, after our second round of love making.

I had her on top of me, her head on my chest. It was one of my favorite positions. I loved having her warm weight against me, especially after sex. Damn, I was becoming too sappy. I needed a good work out. Maybe Sheamus would be free this weekend before Extreme Rules. Grinning at that thought, I answered Ashley's question.

"I was hoping you would stay here while you're recuperating."

She snorted.

"What?"

"I'm leaving Sunday to go to St. Louis, Missouri."

I grunted. "Why do you need to go to Missouri?" I asked her.

She lifted her head to look at me. "I'm going to Extreme Rules on Sunday evening."

I shook my head. "No you're not."

She laughed and nodded. "Yes I am and you can't stop me, Taker."

I growled and flipped her on her back. "It's Mark and no you aren't. You need to stay here and heal."

She touched my cheek and smiled. "I'm okay and I'll continue to be okay. But I'm going to Extreme Rules because you have a match against CM Punk, Sheamus has a match against Daniel Bryan, Kane has a match against Randy Orton and John Cena has a match against Brock Lesnar. I want to be there at ring side, taking pictures. It's my job and I love to do it."

I got up and pulled on a pair of jeans. "You need to heal. Physically and emotionally, Kitten. You had a fucking infection."

She sat up on her knees. "I'm fine. The infection is gone and I'll finish healing physically just fine and you just helped me heal emotionally in the best way possible, Mark."

I smack a hard kiss on her mouth. "You're not going." I told one last time. "You hungry?" I asked.

She shook her head.

Of course she wasn't hungry. She never was. "Well you're eating anyway."

She shrugged and planted her butt back on the bed. "Whatever." She replied.

One more hard kiss on her mouth and I walked out of the room. "I am too going." She called from the bedroom as I made my way down the stairs. I ignored that. I quickly prepared a few sliced roast beef sandwiches with provolone cheese and mayo. Adding pickles on the side, I placed the plates on a tray. I then grabbed a bag of chips, placing those on the tray as well. After grabbing two bottles of water, I grabbed the tray and carried it outside, under the covered patio. The sun was still shining, but there was plenty of shade. I headed back inside and up the stairs to grab Ashley.

As soon as I entered my bedroom, I came to a dead stand still. Crestfield was in my bedroom. In my bedroom with one arm around Ashley's waist and the other around her neck. She looked frightened, terrified as hell. His arm was pressed tightly to her throat as blood seeped out underneath the bandage. I could have and should have remained calm. But the sight of Ashley, scared to death in his arms with a knife to her throat, made staying calm just not a fucking option.

I lost it.