Chapter 21

"Is everything alright?" Taker asked from right behind her.

Geneva sighed heavily and nodded as she turned around with a smile, putting her own personal issues aside. "Yeah fine. Nothing to concern yourself with." She noticed the coffee was done, pulling two cups out and poured them each one, leaving Taker's alone and made her own. "Look about last night, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that." She turned to face him, biting her bottom lip. "I guess I was more tired than I thought..."

Taker nodded, leaving his coffee alone, preferring it black unless he was really dead on his feet, then he added enough sugar to kill a bull. "I gathered that, it's alright. I probably should have woken you up, but you looked so exhausted..." He shrugged, sipping his coffee. "I just left ya alone. Besides, it was nice waking up with a beautiful woman." He added, smiling slightly into his cup.

Geneva hid her own smile, sipping her own coffee and walked over, sitting down at the table staring at him. "You were a perfect gentleman and I enjoyed watching a movie with you, Mark. That's the first time I've just sat back and relaxed for a minute instead of going full speed ahead in two years, ya know?" She shook her head, knowing she wasn't making any sense. "It was nice, thank you."

"I know exactly what you mean." He said sincerely. "Maybe not in the way you have it, but I understand. Life is flying and you fight to keep up with it, moving from one thing to the next and never stopping to take a breather until you're forced too." Taker snorted, draining the coffee, not caring if it burned his throat. "I'm gonna go back upstairs." He murmured, brushing past her.

Geneva blinked, seeing his empty coffee cup, and frowned slightly before putting it in the sink along with her own. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker unless she had to wake up for her job, but she wasn't in Seattle anymore. Geneva sighed, wondering if she said something that upset Taker and decided to let him have his time alone.

Walking outside, seeing the sun was shining brightly, Geneva decided a walk was in order. She had changed into a pair of jeans with a green tank top and white tennis shoes. The pager clipped to her jeans just in case Taker needed her for anything as Geneva started out on her walk of the huge property he owned.

Taker lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and growled. His bed smelled like her. Was there no peace? The phrase no rest for the wicked popped into his skull and he growled again. Finally, Taker got up and walked over to the window, staring outside and frowned when he spotted Geneva walking the property. As long as she stayed out of the garage and barn, he'd be fine. Garage held his motorcycles. Barn held some more of his interesting...artifacts. He did have a wicked side after all.

Geneva sighed and stopped, her back to the house, wrapping her arms around herself and closed her eyes. She pulled her cell phone and dialed Lance's number, sighing when he didn't answer. "I'm sorry okay?" She started crying, hating to fight with one of her best friends. "I didn't mean to yell at you and I know you were worried about me. You need to stop treating me like a child though, Lance. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I don't need you to fight every one of my battles. Just...please call me back. I miss you and I want to know how you're doing and everyone else. Please." She then hung up and wiped some tears from her eyes before continuing on her walk, missing Seattle more and more every day.

Over the next several weeks, Geneva got closer to Taker and by watching movies, playing pool, walking the property in short trips and even having that drink with him when she seen his stitches were fully healed. His progression was fascinating and she didn't understand how it was possible. A surgery like that required at LEAST a month of complete relaxation and bed rest before even attempting physical therapy.

Yet here they were and it was a few days before they were to go back on the road. Geneva couldn't deny how she felt for Taker anymore, planning on telling him what a huge mistake it'd been to walk away from him those two years ago. Whenever they watched a movie together in his bed, Geneva always fell asleep in this arms and it felt right, perfect even. She loved Taker, always had, which is why they had to have a talk before going back to the WWF.

"Okay, I'm cookin' tonight." Taker announced amicably, aware she had reservations about the fact that he was healed up. He had told her repeatedly he was a quick healer, telling her about previous injuries to back it up to alleviate her. "What do you want to eat?" He cocked an eyebrow in her direction, wearing a pair of black skintight jeans and a black button up shirt that was completely open, exposing his muscular torso.

"I don't know. Surprise me." Geneva replied, wearing a sky blue sundress that went to her knees with a halter top style.

She looked back at Taker curiously, seeing him in all black. The man looked outstanding in it, but would it kill him to wear a LITTLE color? Even gray would've suited her just fine, but all black? Geneva moved to sit on the counter while he looked through the fridge, her hair half up and half down, a few curls brushing across her face. It was Texas after all and she wanted to be comfortable in her own skin. Geneva still couldn't believe how fast he'd healed and knew she should let it go, but as a physician she couldn't.

Taker nodded, idly scratching the scar left from the incision, frowning somewhat as he glanced down at it. Finally, he'd decided on whatever he was going to make and got the ingredients out, feeling in a meatball marinara mood. Something simple yet tasty.

"After dinner, I was thinking about building a bonfire out back." He suggested, glancing at her, his green eyes running up her smooth legs.

"That would be wonderful." Geneva replied, her eyes instantly lighting up like stars when he mentioned a bonfire, moving her legs back and forth as she watched him. "I love fire. It's beautiful to watch and it's supposed to be a clear night tonight."

She was a weather fanatic, one thing Taker had learned fast about her, Geneva knew everything about it and was for the most part right in predictions. Geneva watched the ingredients he pulled out and smiled, wondering what his mind came up with for dinner. Taker could cook well enough to suit himself, he didn't know what other people would think of it because he never cooked for anyone, not even his ex-wife He smiled ruefully to himself, Geneva was domesticating him.

"It won't take long." He promised, turning around and found himself watching her swing her legs. "Please don't get mad at me for saying this, but you have gorgeous legs, Neva." They had a nice tan from the sun, along with the rest of her body, and Taker wanted those legs wrapped around his waist.

"Thank you." Geneva replied softly, feeling her cheeks turn a crimson red and hopped off of the counter, shaking her head. He'd been making small comments like that to her throughout the time she'd been here with him.

He smiled when he seen the apples in her cheeks so to speak, busying himself with the food. "Would you mind picking out a wine to go with this?" Taker asked casually, trying to ease them back onto safe ground, knowing the only way he would reach the prize was by going slowly. He was an impatient man, but reigned himself in. "Probably a red wine would go best..."

Geneva walked over to his wine collection, tapping her chin, and picked one out setting it on the counter. "I never took you for a wine drinker." She commented with a soft smile, walking over and seen what he was doing, giggling when he pushed her away gently. "Fine, I'll go occupy myself with something else."

Hades walked up, along with Zeus and Panic –the two bull mastiffs-, immediately petting his head. Taker had another bull mastiff at one point by the name of Pain, but he'd died a few years back. Geneva would miss them when she left and pushed that thought aside, not wanting to think about leaving right now.

When supper finished, Taker quietly set the table. It wasn't anything fancy, just a plain wooden table in the kitchen. He wasn't here much so he never thought about romantic dinners or anything. Now where had that come from? He rolled his eyes, turning the radio that rested on the counter on, his favorite blues station on the presets.

"It's done." He called out, arching an eyebrow when he spotted Hades. "That dog loves you, darlin'. Not that I blame him."

"He's a good dog, aren't you boy?" Geneva was on her knees in front of him and laughed as he licked her face, kissing the top of his head. "Stay." She ordered, walking to the sink and washed her hands before sitting down at the table, smelling the delicious aroma coming from the food. "That smells wonderful. What did you make?" She asked curiously, seeing the plates were covered with lids, raising an eyebrow up at him.

Taker flexed his eyebrows twice, laughing when she giggled and removed the lids, revealing the meatball marinara. "It's nothing fancy, just pasta shells, a homemade sauce and meatballs outta a bag." He admitted, chuckling softly and sitting down opposite her, pouring two glasses of wine and handed her one. "I hope its edible."

"From the aroma alone I'm in love."

Geneva placed the napkin on her lap, beginning to eat. It was delicious and mouthwatering. The last home cooked meal she had was from Lance, surprisingly. Geneva was so busy with her career that she never even had a man in her life, besides the two weeks with Taker. Granted, she'd had a few potentials, but none of them panned out. This was definitely new for her and Geneva knew it was for Taker as well, so she was trying to make this as easy as possible.

"So what are you going to do when you go back on the road?"

"See what lines are going on and where the best place for me to jump back in is." He said after a minute.

Taker hadn't been paying that much attention to what was going on in the Federation lately, even though for the past week he had been getting packages and phone calls with updates every day from WWF officials and his Ministry. He smiled at her, busying himself with his food. He already knew what he would probably wind up doing. Geneva finished her meal silently, sipping her wine throughout, trying not to think about leaving this peaceful place in Houston, Texas. She stood up when she saw Taker finished as well and waved him off when he tried stopping her.

"You cooked, I'll clean up. You can go start that bonfire you were talking about." She winked at him with a smile, needing a few minutes alone to regain her composure and suddenly stopped him when he went to walk away. "Taker…"

"What is it?" He reached out to squeeze her hand gently, green eyes full of concern. "Neva?"

"I need to talk to you about something important, when we're outside by the bonfire. O-Okay?" Geneva cursed mentally for stammering, her mouth going dry.

Taker reached out to stroke her cheek gently with the back of his hand, nodding and disappeared out the back door, taking Hades with him and whistling for the other two to join him. It didn't take long to gather the wood needed and getting the fire going wasn't hard to do either, the wood was dry thanks to the Texas heat. It got hot enough where he shed the shirt, flexing his arms as he peeled the sweaty fabric away from them.

Geneva did the dishes slowly before finally finishing up, wishing she could come out and tell Taker what was really on her mind. Did he have feelings for her? He acted like he did, but then other times he treated her like a friend. The man very hard to read, Geneva surmised, as she pushed it in the back of her mind, knowing what she had to do.

Changing into a pair of black pajama pants with a wine colored tank top that was also halter, Geneva let her hair down, heading back outside. A billion stars glittered above her as the moon slowly took over the sun. She spotted Taker by a pile of wood and headed toward him barefoot, the bonfire already going nice and strong. Taker grinned at her, having spread out an old throw blanket on the ground so they could sit back and enjoy the flames. He patted the space besides him, arching an eyebrow when he seen her bite her lip.

"What's the matter, darlin'?" Taker asked softly, knowing something serious was on her mind.

"Nothing." Geneva slowly sank down to the blanket, feeling his arm wrap around her and leaned against him.

It was moments like this where Geneva knew she loved Taker and it broke her heart because she knew he didn't feel the same way. He was a complicated man and knew how to show his emotions. Then again, she was the same way. She was a master at controlling and hiding what she really felt. Ocean blue eyes stared into the flames as they danced, rising up to the sky. She inhaled the scent and sighed gently, loving it.

Taker would occasionally toss another chunk of wood onto the fire, keeping it blazing, loving the sight of the dancing flames and warmth. No matter what, he wouldn't push her to talk about whatever was on her mind, knowing she would when she was ready. He began idly tracing patterns on the small of Geneva's back, frowning when she shivered.

"Cold?" He asked, drawing her closer, his bare skin hot to the touch thanks to the fire.

"No..." She carefully responded and slowly looked up into his emerald green eyes, seeing the firelight reflecting in them and felt her breath catch in her throat.

They always took her breath away, but tonight was different. Something was different about them and Geneva couldn't put her finger on it. She slowly reached up and cupped his face with her hand, searching his eyes for something, what she didn't know. She didn't know what she wanted to see in them, if anything. Any kind of emotion, any kind of reaction. Her eyes fell from his to his sensual lips, running her thumb over his bottom lip and felt her heart rate quicken even more at how soft they were against her touch.