12.

She half expected him to ditch her. Either that or maybe she would come to her senses. But he pulled into the driveway behind her and shut off his engine. And Avery's mind was set.

She led the way through the kitchen door. Then she grabbed his hand and started to pull him toward the stairs. Mark stopped though, and pulled her back until she was pressed against him, his arms going around her.

And then he was kissing her. There was nothing tentative about it. His lips covered hers and his tongue probed her, and Avery could feel every bit of urgency. She kissed him back, reaching up to hold his face between her palms, feeling the rough scrape of beard stubble against her palms. She pressed closer to him, almost desperate in her need to feel him against her.

He finally broke for air. They were both panting. "Ok." Mark said it in a low voice. Avery grinned and grabbed his hand, leading the way up the stairs to her room. Once there she kicked off her shoes and tugged her shirt over her head. Mark watched her with interest as she slipped the skirt off. Then she looked at him as she unhooked the clasp on her bra and shrugged it off her shoulders.

He was riveted by her movements. And his eyes kept roaming her body, from her eyes to her mouth, down to her bare breasts, her stomach, her legs. Then back up. Avery felt herself flushing at the scrutiny.

"I know...I've had a kid." She self-consciously rubbed at faint stretch marks on her otherwise smooth stomach.

"You're beautiful." He said simply. Mark was still breathing hard. The sound was like music to her ears.

"I've never thought so." Avery sighed. She hooked the sides of her panties and skimmed them down her legs and stood naked in front of him.

"I wish you could see yourself through my eyes." Mark said, tugging his shirt off. He bent to take off his boots, and Avery took the opportunity to crawl onto the bed. She lay back against her pillow and propped herself up on her elbows, watching as he pushed the snug jeans off his hips.

There was definitely nothing boyish about him now. And looking at him still sent the same fluttery butterfly feeling through her stomach. And some of the same fear. She couldn't believe she was doing this; at the same time she couldn't believe it had taken this damn long to do this again.

Mark joined her on the bed. Now that they were here, he stopped putting up any sort of token resistance. He moved until he was on top of her and lay against her, his full body pressed down into hers. He closed his eyes and moaned softly at the feel of her.

Avery reached up and tugged at his braid, pulling the elastic that held his hair loose. She smoothed her fingers through his hair, undoing the braid. "You get away with long hair with your job?"

Mark smirked. "I get away with a lot with my job." He shifted slightly, letting her feel his hardening cock against her leg. At the same time he ducked his head and brushed his mouth against hers. Avery tangled her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss, feeling her stomach tighten with every swipe of his tongue against hers. The butterflies had turned electric again. His hand slid down her chest to cover one of her breasts, and she arched her back to push against him. He moved his hand, lifting it just enough so that his palm grazed her nipple. He repeated the motion on the other breast, moving his hand back and forth, so slow it was maddening.

Mark released her mouth, leaving them both gasping for air. He ducked his head and nuzzled the warm skin of her neck, her shoulder, letting his mouth forge a trail across her skin. Avery let go of his hair and laid her palms on his shoulders, sliding them over his arms, sighing at how he felt. If she had any regret from the past it was that she hadn't gotten to touch him enough. She hadn't known to touch him. He seemed to sense her need to use her hands so she shifted, lifting his body a bit so she could slide her hands down his chest and stomach, up his sides, down his back. She lightly raked her nails up his back, moaning at the sound he made. Then she moaned louder when his hot mouth closed over her nipple.

Her hips came up every time his tongue moved against the hard little bud. He let her go and squeezed her again, spurred on by the soft sounds coming from her.

Avery took that for as long as she could stand it. As good as it felt, she wanted more. She pushed at his shoulders and rolled him to the side, then straddled his waist. He seemed surprised by that. But Avery figured they could finesse each other later. The immediate need was far stronger. Besides that, he'd gotten to control things the first time around. This time it was her turn.

Mark looked up at her, eyes darker than normal, taking in her messy hair and flushed skin. Avery moved back, until she was straddling his hips. His cock twitched, bumping her. It made her smile. She slowly lowered herself but did not let him enter her, not just yet. Instead she slid against him, rubbing herself against his rigid member. Mark hissed in a breath at the heat coming from her, reaching out to cup her breasts in his hands. He squeezed in time to her movements, tweaking her nipples, pinching her lightly.

It was torture for both of them. Mark barely held himself in check, watching her move against him. And Avery could feel the tension building in her already. They'd barely done anything and already she was braced for the climax of her life. She knew it was mostly mental – the same thing had happened that first time.

She gave up on the teasing. She shifted one last time and reached down to guide him into her ready body. Mark held himself perfectly still, and she could see his teeth clench as she lowered herself onto his cock. She braced her hands on his hard stomach and slowly rotated her hips, watching his eyes roll back at the sensation.

Again she was hit by that feeling of power. She'd never felt it with Jack. She didn't doubt that Jack had wanted to be with her, but there had not been this ever-driving need. Thought was pretty much lost to sensation as she began riding Mark, first moving up and down, then back and forth, sliding him in and out in short, hard movements that gave her the most of the contact, pressed together as they were.

His deep moaning filled her ears and she panted and moaned in response. He was squeezing her tighter, pressing her breasts together, letting her go to grab her hips and jerk upward. Avery cried out hoarsely as it sent her over the edge, entire body feeling as if it were on fire. She could feel him inside her, spasming, as he groaned out his own release.

Out of breath, Avery collapsed against his chest and smiled tiredly at his thudding heartbeat in her ear. He slid his hands up her back and soothed her, touching her everywhere his hands could reach.

"You're amazing." His voice was hoarse, low. It send another one of those shivers down her back.

"We." Avery corrected him again, almost purring as he stroked her back.

She felt his chest vibrate against her ear as he chuckled. "Yeah. We're amazing. But it was over way too fast."

"Well, we're still in the bed." Avery pointed out. "I'm not the same mouse I used to be, you know."

"You were never a mouse." Mark chided. "I keep thinkin' I took advantage. I didn't know how you felt about me, or if you felt anything about me. And I took somethin' from you that you couldn't get back."

Avery snorted softly. "I wanted more."

He seemed surprised by that. "I was afraid to touch you after that. When we came back here. Like I'd be breaking the spell."

"I wish I knew then what I know now." Avery said with a sigh. "Things might have been way different for both of us." She kissed him on the center of his chest and looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Will you stay the night?"

"Yes." Mark didn't hesitate.

"And will you be here when I wake up in the morning?"

"Unless you kick me out. Yes."

"Good." Avery pushed herself up, aware he was still inside her. Softening but that could be corrected. She let her fingers slide down his chest and stomach, a smile exposing the dimple in her cheek. "We forgot the condom this time."

Mark frowned at that. "Shit. I wasn't thinkin'..."

She laughed. "It's fine. I've got it taken care of." She had just wanted to mess with him a little. She slowly shifted, moving him slightly inside her. And was rewarded with a twitch as he started swelling again. They still had a lot of catching up to do.