Wrestling 1. Default Chapter

_***This is just something I started writing while I tried to think of how to finish my other stories!***_****

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**THE BOSS**

**Chapter one**

Mark Calloway stood regarding his employees, his lips twisted thoughtfully. He was bored, he had to admit. Ever since he had retired from wrestling and taken over his family's firm, he had found his life becoming dull, and all these stuffed shirts sitting staring nervously back at him didn't make him feel any better. He hated these damn meetings and the only good thing about this job was that he was good at it. Still, it didn't make it any more enjoyable and all he wanted right now was to go home and have a good work out in his gym. Something told him that wasn't going to be an option anytime soon, not judging by the looks on the faces of the people in the room. 

"Mr Calloway? Sir? We have to make an offer today for this business, or else the Danvers Corporation will buy it out from under us," John Wells, the company accountant told him. 

Mark sighed. Boring, boring, boring. If only something would happen to liven up the day, make it pass more quickly. "Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked the man wearily. 

"Well...yes sir, it would. They have a bunch of patents that are worth a small fortune, and the owner seems to have forgotten that they exist. We could possibly make millions on this deal." 

Mark levelled a hard stare at the small man and rolled his shoulders wearily. "How much was the asking price again?" 

"Ten million, which includes the buyout of all stock, free and clear," his accountant instantly said, shuffling a sheaf of papers. 

"So we have to spend millions to make millions. And you're certain that we'll recoup any losses?" 

"Yes, Sir, I have all the figures here." 

"Very well. Offer them one million under the asking price and if they don't accept, withdraw the offer. Danvers will never pay that amount in the first place, as you well know," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. 

His accountant had the grace to look shamefaced. "Of course, Sir. I'll put a call through immediately." 

Mark watched as the little man hurried out of the room and he turned his attention to the fantastic view of Houston out of his huge office window. He wouldn't mind being outside right now. Hell, he thought, he was the boss, he'd just take a day off. It wasn't as if things wouldn't carry on just as smoothly if he weren't here. All the company did was buy other companies, get them on their feet and then sell them on again. Sometimes they kept a company if it was promising and made it extremely profitable, it becoming one of Calloway Corporations many businesses. Mark smiled as he thought of how much he had managed to improve the profits of the business in the three years he had been running it. But even so, it wasn't very satisfying, and he missed wrestling. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of raised voices outside the office doors, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise when the door burst open and a young woman stormed in. She had jet black hair and amazing whisky coloured eyes, which at the moment were sparkling furiously as she looked at him, an unbecoming sneer turning her mouth down. 

"I'm so sorry, Mr Calloway, I couldn't stop her," his secretary said as she rushed into the room behind the girl. 

"It's okay, Jeanette," he said with a smile at the middle aged woman who had worked for him since he started here. He turned his attention back to the girl and frowned. "May I help you at all?" 

"A few months ago, I would have said yes!" she snapped, making him raise his eyebrows as she walked right up to him and put her hands on her hips, looking as aggressive as she could being only 5 foot 5. "But not now! Now you've completely ruined my father's business with that damn factory you run next door!" 

Mark tried not to smile at the fury facing him, but his lips twitched anyway. "Your father's business?" 

"Yes! I've written to you for four months and never once have you replied! We run a trout farm and the crap that your factory has been spewing into the river has managed to kill everything! So thanks to you we're out of business!" she said, her voice getting more and more high pitched the more agitated she got. Her eyes fell to his twitching mouth and she almost stamped her foot. "It's not funny!" 

"No, I agree it isn't," he said, frowning. "But I don't recall receiving any letters from the owner of a trout farm." 

"Well, I don't suppose for one minute that you deemed it important enough to open mail from such a lowly company," she said sarcastically, then reached into her bag and pulled out a jar of some odious substance. She unscrewed the cap and held it in front of him. "This is what you've been pumping into our river!" 

Mark looked into the jar. "I'm not quite sure why you brought that in here with you, but I suggest you put a lid back on it. I also suggest that you stop with your accusations, because if they're unfounded you could find yourself in deep trouble." He frowned down at her, feeling irritated now. 

"They are not unfounded, and I'm going to prove it when I drag you through the courts! As for this jar," she added, looking at it distastefully and then looking back at him in the same way, her eyes sparkling, "I think you should become acquainted with the waste product of your printing empire!" 

Marks eyes widened a fraction of a second before she threw the contents of the jar all over his shirt, the stench that rose up from it almost making him gag. His teeth gritted in fury and he looked up from the mess, fully intending to grab the woman and teach her a lesson, but she was already walking out of the door, her black hair swinging in a shining curtain around her shoulders as she went. 

His employees sat there, shocked at the scene they had just witnessed, but not saying a word. "Get security to follow her, and find out who the hell she is. Then get Wells back in here to explain why I never received those letters," he snapped out at the assembled group, not caring which one of them followed his orders as long as someone did. "Jeanette, get me a fresh shirt please while I go and wash this stuff off. And someone get me the files on the printing firm we own by the river." He looked back once as he walked towards his private bathroom, to find everyone still sitting looking stunned. "Now!" he barked out, making them all jump up and scurry out of the room. 

He stripped his shirt off and looked down at the mess all over it. Who the hell was that woman? 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Piper Williams strode out of the building, her cheeks flaming at her own audacity. He had deserved it, she told herself, her eyes glowing almost gold as the sunlight hit them. Her father's firm had been sending letters to the ignorant pig for four months and he hadn't once replied. Now he said he didn't even receive the letters, of all the nerve! She chewed on her full lower lip as she walked along, heading aimlessly back to her own job. Her boss had been kind enough to let her have an hour off, and she had used it to come here and confront that monster of a man. She still couldn't believe she had done that, and she had never imagined he would be so enormous. God, the look on his face when she had thrown that gunk all over him....she was only glad she had thought to walk straight out, because he would probably have pitched her out of the window if she had stuck around for any length of time. She had deliberately tried not to notice too much about him, but still she was left with a vivid impression of luminous green eyes underneath frowning eyebrows. Shaking her head to try and disperse the image, she turned the corner and hurried down the street so she could catch a bus to the outskirts of town. The last thing she needed was to be late back to work, although her boss was a lovely man and probably wouldn't say anything. Still, she liked to be punctual. She didn't work for her father, but she took a keen interest in his business and was always on hand whenever he asked her for anything, which was rarely. No, her job was at a small office equipment firm, where she was listed as secretary to the assistant manager, but in reality she did far more. The firm wasn't running profitably and they had very few employees, so she usually spent her days helping out the sales team and calling around for new business. Her lips pursed. If she hadn't just made an enemy out of the head of Calloway Corporation, they may have been able to rope in some new business there too. Now, of course, that was impossible. 

Piper looked up in time to see her bus pulling up ahead of her and she ran to catch it, just making it before the driver closed the doors. As she sat down on the bus she didn't take any notice of the two men who had run and jumped onto the vehicle just behind her, her thoughts going to what her father would do now his business was ruined. 

Mark buttoned up his clean shirt and washed his hands again, hoping that maybe this time the faint smell of that horrific stuff would dissipate. He dried his hands and walked slowly back into his office, finding two of his workers back with some papers. "What have you got?" 

"This is the information you asked for on the Pecan Printing Press Company, situated by the river. Also, there's a little information on the trout farm the young lady..er..mentioned, it's the only one out there, so it has to be the right one. Apparently it's owned by a Mr Brian Williams, but I couldn't find any trace of correspondence from that individual." 

Mark took the papers and flicked through them. "Okay, and this..." he looked back at the first page for the name again, "...Pecan Printing Press Company, has it been flushing out any sort of by-products into the river?" 

"We haven't found that out yet Sir, but we're working on it." 

"Hmm, very well. And where is Wells?" he asked, looking up at the two men and raising his eyebrows. 

"He's on his way now, Sir." 

"Good. Okay, get out of here, I'll call you if I need you again today," Mark told them, watching with hidden amusement as they thankfully left the room. He sat and read the information they had gathered and then looked up as a knock came on his office door, seconds before John Wells walked back in with a file. 

"Mr Calloway, this is the file of letters from the trout farm," the man said, handing over the file and then stepping back. 

Mark frowned and looked at the documents, reading through each carefully written letter, his frown getting worse. "Why the hell didn't I receive these?" 

"Sir, we don't ever give you all mail addressed to you, there's just too much. As you know, we have to sort it and prioritise it," the other man explained. 

"And you didn't think these were a priority?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Wells. 

"Not compared to some of the things we've had to settle over the last year, no." 

"Well, I don't agree. If you knew all along that something was poisoning the water down there, why the hell wasn't I informed? Have you actually been out to this printing company and investigated the claims?" 

Wells started to look vaguely uncomfortable. "No Sir, there didn't seem to be much point..." 

"Much point!" Mark bellowed, losing his temper. "You knew this and you didn't do anything about it, that makes you as guilty as the printing firm for any pollution. Hell, come to that it makes me just as guilty because you work for me!" 

"Now, Sir, there's really no need..." 

"There's every need, and don't you dare interrupt me again or you'll be out of a job. I want you to get a clean up crew down to that river today, do you understand? I want the printing company closed down and I want whoever is responsible there to be prosecuted." He looked furiously at the little man and placed his hands on his desk, taking a deep breath to try and calm down. "Is any of that unclear?" 

"Not at all Sir, I'll get right on it," Wells said, swallowing audibly as he backed towards the door. 

"One more thing, Wells," Mark said, stopping the man in his tracks. "I want that trout farm back on it's feet by the end of the week. All the fish are to be replaced after the holding areas have been cleaned, and I want the firm compensated for any monetary loss. No arguments. And be generous with the compensation, because I will be checking. Now get out of my sight." 

He ignored the other man and sat back down, vaguely hearing his door close as he looked down at the letters in front of him. They ranged from politely informing him of what was happening, to begging, and then to threats. Goddamn it, he thought. Had he known about this it would never have gone so far, and now he found out that his employees had been keeping this sort of thing from him. He wondered what else he didn't know about his own company, and of how many lawsuits he could be landed with if they continued to ignore such things. He would have to find out. So it seemed that girl had just cause to act in the way she had, but he still didn't think he deserved to have that stuff thrown at him. He would get her father's business back on it's feet, and he would pay the little shrew back for the way she had acted. No-one got away with treating him like that. 

****** 

Later that day the head of security came into his office and handed over the details they had found out about the girl. Mark smiled grimly and thanked the man, dismissing him as he read through the file. Piper Williams, 23 years old, works as a secretary in an office equipment company. Single, never been married, sister to one Paige Williams, 25 and also single, who lived overseas. Mother deceased. Mark scanned through the pages and then smiled. The business she worked for was in trouble, perfect. He called through to Wells again, and asked the man to come into his office. 

Five minutes later the little man appeared again, and Mark had to stop himself from snapping at him for taking so long to get there. He handed him the information on the office equipment firm. "I want you to get in touch with the owner of this company and make him an offer. I don't care how much you have to give him, I want this firm to be mine by the close of business today." 

"But...Sir, that's only two hours away!" Wells protested, looking shocked, 

"Then I suggest you get a move on. Tell him I'll take on all his employees and he can keep his own job if he wishes, plus I'll make sure he gets plenty of business pushed his way." 

"Sir, I don't understand, this company is tiny, it won't show any profit for months, maybe years..." 

"Nevertheless, I want it. Make sure he knows he'll be much better off accepting my offer, but he only gets the deal on once condition." 

"And that is?" Wells prompted, getting over his shock and going back to being businesslike. 

"He fires Piper Williams, and he makes damn sure she knows that order came from me." 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

Piper got back to work a little late, but her boss just smiled at her and shook his head. He would never fire her for something so small, because she was willing to work any hours he needed and would do any job in the firm that he required. That made her very nearly indispensable. 

She sat down at her desk and sorted through all the mail that had come in, her brows drawing down when she noticed that the majority of them were bills again. If she could have gotten hold of the people who owed them money she would have been able to settler all the debts that the company owed in one hit. But if no-one paid them, then they couldn't pay anyone else, and it was a vicious circle. The only company that would come out okay was the one that supplied them with their office equipment to sell on, because they were a huge company and could afford to take people to court instead of merely threatening to do so. She knew her boss was worried about the future of his business, and she only wished she could help in some way. But she didn't have any money to speak of, certainly not enough to bail him out. She could only hope that he would find a solution before too long, because otherwise everyone here would be out of work. 

Things ran along normally for the next couple of hours and then she answered the telephone to a particularly official sounding person, putting it straight through to her boss when the person requested him. She hadn't recognised the person's name, but maybe it was something to do with the bank, she knew her boss had been trying to get a loan. Her eyes flicked to the phone as his light started blinking and then the head of the firm's light came on as well, signifying that he was transferring the call. It really must be someone important, she thought, wondering if her immediate boss, Mr Johnson, would come and tell her about it. 

A short while later he came rushing out of his office and looked at her oddly, making her frown in confusion as he nearly ran down the corridor towards Edward Foster's office, the big boss. What had that phone call been about to make him look so flustered, she thought. He never looked like that, and whatever had happened warranted a visit with Mr Foster. She shook off the sudden feeling of unease and got back to work, immersing herself in the pile of things that needed doing. She only hoped that nothing bad had happened. 

A couple of hours later she looked up as Mr Johnson stopped by her desk, looking grim faced and tense. "Can you come into Mr Foster's office with me, Piper?" he asked, and he sounded so serious that she immediately started feeling a sense of foreboding. 

"Of course," she said quietly, following him as he walked off up the corridor. They entered Mr Fosters office and the older man ha the same tense expression as he indicated a seat at the desk. 

Piper sat down and folded her suddenly cold hands in her lap, looking from one of them to the other as they joined her. "Is something wrong?" she asked after a lengthy silence had passed. 

"Piper, I won't beat about the bush," Mr Foster said to her, running a hand through his thick grey hair and grimacing. "You know this company has been having financial troubles for some time now, well we've just had a very handsome buyout offer, one that I can't possibly refuse." 

Piper frowned. "But surely that's good news, isn't it?" 

The older man sat down and stared at her across his desk, his eyes sad. "It is good news, but there was a condition," he said, frowning. 

"Oh, I see. Have they made you let all the employees go?" she asked, knowing that it was common practice in a buyout. 

"Not quite. They'll only buy the company if I fire you, and only you," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as he said it. 

Piper's mouth fell open and for a few seconds she couldn't speak. Her voice sounded rusty when she finally got her voice back. "Why would they ask that? Who are they?" 

"The Calloway Corporation," Mr Foster said, looking at her with resignation. "I'm sorry, Piper, but I don't have any choice. It's either accept their offer, or lose the business, it's become that serious now." 

She stared at him numbly, unable to believe what she had just heard. "Did Mr Calloway himself speak to you?" 

Her boss shook his head. "No, it was a Mr Wells, but he said that the request had come from Mr Calloway." 

"Request?" she said, laughing in disbelief. "This is ridiculous." She looked at the two men facing her and closed her eyes briefly. It wasn't their fault, and they were right, they didn't have any choice. "When do I have to go?" 

"Immediately. Piper, I am sorry," he said again, his face a picture of dismay. 

She gave a small smile, trying to make him feel better. "It's not your fault, it's okay. I'll clear my desk," she said, standing up and smoothing her skirt down. 

"I feel awful about this, but there's one other thing," Mr Foster said as he stood up too. "I can't give you a reference and I can't even give you any severance pay, it was one of the stipulations. I can pay you for his month, but that's all." 

Piper froze at his words and swallowed down the horrible panic that almost swamped her. With no reference she would never get employment anywhere else, but she didn't let her emotions show on her face. "That's fine. I hope this buyout works out okay for you," she said and gave another smile, walking out of the room with her head held high. There were other jobs, she told herself, surely she could find one before she ran out of rent money? Even without a reference. 

She cleared the few possessions out of her desk and put them in a bag, taking one last look at her office before she walked out of the building without looking back. She didn't want them to see her face, it would only make them feel more guilty, and she knew they felt bad enough as it was. 

When she got home to her small apartment, her thoughts went to the big man she had thrown that gunk at earlier, and she narrowed her eyes. How dare he get her sacked? It wasn't as if he hadn't deserved her attack earlier, there had been no need to do something so nasty. The thought occurred to her that he must have found out where she worked and had then gone to the trouble of actually buying the company just so he could fire her. Who did something like that? He was a total freak, she concluded, from his immense size tight down to his petty behaviour. And now here she was without a job. If all else failed she knew she could go back and live with her father, but she liked her freedom, and that would be a last resort. 

Thinking of her father made her pick up the phone to see how he was, because she knew he was supposed to be in the middle of closing down the business. Now the fish were all dead, he couldn't afford to replace them, even if the water had been free of pollutants. 

"Hey Dad," she said as he picked the phone up. 

"Hey baby, you will never guess what happened today!" he said excitedly and she laughed, thinking he wouldn't guess what had happened to her either. 

"What happened?" 

"A whole team of clean up experts descended on the river, that's what!" he said and she could hear the relief in his voice. "Not only that, but once they're done, all my fish are going to be replaced, plus I've been given a cheque for loss of earnings and inconvenience, can you believe it?" 

She couldn't, and she frowned. "Who....Dad, who gave you the cheque?" 

"Only the Calloway Corporation! I guess those letters you sent to them did the trick, because they've finally admitted guilt and have shut down the printing press!" 

"And you won't have to go out of business?" 

"No. Apart from a few days out because of this mess, there won't be any need to let anyone go, not with the amount of money they've given me. They've been generous, to say the least," he said, still on a high from his good news. 

"That's really great Dad, I'm pleased to hear it," she said, sighing as she wondered why that man would have done that. "Listen, I have to go, I've got stuff to do." 

"Okay, honey. Why don't you come over at the weekend and have dinner? You can see the new fish." 

"Okay, Dad, I will. See you then," she said, giving her goodbyes and then hanging up. She couldn't tell him what had happened to her today, she didn't want to break his mood. He had been so depressed when his fish had died, that she had been worried about him. At least something good had come out of her visit to that man today. She was getting upset thinking about how she lost her job, and she stood up and paced her living-room floor, getting more and more angry as she did so. She knew to the last cent how much money she had in her bank account, and if she didn't find a job soon she would have to leave this place. She decided to start searching there and then, first looking on the Internet to see if there was anything available. Tomorrow would be soon enough to start pounding the pavement in search of employment and she thought that maybe letting people know the circumstances of her dismissal might help her cause. 

**** 

Piper sat down on a park bench, her shoulders hunched despondently. She had been walking around all morning trying to find somewhere to work, and had come up with nothing. Not even a job at a fast-food joint. It was frustrating to say the least and she was starting to feel depressed. No-one would employ someone who had been sacked, it seemed. She had even tried lying a couple of times, but to no avail. Her eyes scanned the pretty flowers near her bench and she closed her eyes, gathering her nerve to start looking again. Her feet took her past a bar and she looked in the window at the people inside talking and laughing whilst sipping at their drinks. Maybe that was what she needed, she thought. The fact that she didn't drink made no difference to her at that moment, and she wandered inside and ordered a glass of wine, swallowing half of it before she could change her mind. The alcohol hit her stomach and made it heat up, sending a warmth up into her face that wasn't too unpleasant. She stared at the clear liquid and took another swallow, surprised that it tasted quite nice and that it was definitely helping her relax. It wasn't as if she had a boss waiting for her, she thought, so one or two of these would do no harm. 

One or two turned into a few, and she eventually ran out of cash, searching through her purse with a muddled frown. Damn, she thought, now she would have to leave. Well, at least she was in a better mood now. 

She hopped down from her barstool and clung to the bar for support as her legs felt decidedly rubbery. After a few deep breaths and a dazzling grin at the bartender, she walked unsteadily outside and picked a direction to go in. It wasn't until she had been walking for nearly half an hour that she realised she was very close to _that_ man's building, and she narrowed her eyes as she decided to pay him a little visit, if only to let him know what she thought about him. 

No-one at the recaption desk took any notice of her slight form as she staggered to the open elevator door and stepped inside, leaning close to the panel once inside so she could see the floor number she wanted. Her inebriated mind hadn't worked out what she was going to say once she got upstairs, but she was pleasantly numbed and didn't really care about anything right now. 

Luck was obviously on her side when she reached his office, because his secretary was nowhere in sight and she could see him through the open doorway, sitting at his enormous desk and talking into the telephone. She slowly made her way into the room and closed the door, leaning back on it and watching him as he sat there with his back to her. He hadn't even heard her come in, she thought, and a small giggle almost escaped her mouth, her hand coming up to clamp it in. She managed to push herself away from the door and walk unsteadily towards his desk, her eyes settling on a big pitcher of water sitting next to a glass. That would do the trick perfectly, she thought, and she grabbed it up in her hand, spilling a couple of drops as she did so, an automatic 'oops' issuing from her mouth. 

The small sound made Mark spin around in his chair and his eyes widened seconds before she poured the entire contents of the jug over his big, arrogant head, giggling when she saw how his hair went flat as it got wet. The laughter died in her throat when he slammed the phone down and stood up, shaking the water from him and glaring at her as if she was an apparition. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped, leaning on his desk towards her, making her back up a couple of steps before she squared her shoulders and glared right back. 

"Telling you what I think of you," she told him, her words subtly slurred. "You're an arrogant, pompous, cruel....nasty....spit..spiteferl.." she broke off and tried to say the word again. "Spitefluel...damn it!" 

"Spiteful," he put in helpfully, still glaring. 

"Thank you. Spiteful...pig. You lost me my job and I hate you, and I wanted you to know that. Now I have, I'll go," she said and turned her back on him, staggering a bit when the sudden movement made her dizzy. 

"Oh no, you damn well won't," he snarled, coming out from behind his desk and grabbing her before she could escape the room. "If you think you can just come in here and attack me, then you're dead wrong!" 

"Let go of my arm," she said, trying for an imperious tone and missing completely in her current state, starting to feel vaguely nauseous now. 

Mark stared down at the small woman he held, his eyes narrowing as he bent to her ear. "Make me," he growled, tightening his grip. 

"I suppose you think I can't, you big Neanderthal!" she snapped at him, her eyes flashing as she looked way up into his green eyes. 

"If I were you, Miss Williams, I'd stop with the insults before you dig yourself further into trouble!" 

"Am I supposed to be scared? You're nothing but an overgrown bully!" she said, her face paling as the wine she had consumed started sitting like acid in the pit of her stomach. 

"Goddamn it, I'll show you how much of a bully I am!" he said and started dragging her over to his chair, his jaw clenched with fury. 

She tugged frantically at the arm holding her and then kicked out at his leg, making contact with a satisfying thud that made him stop walking and turn to glare at her again. "If you don't keep still," he said, his teeth gritted, "I swear to God I'll give you something to struggle about!" 

"I don't feel too good," she said, her voice hushed as she felt bile rise in her throat. 

"What the hell has that got to do with me?" he asked and then leapt backwards as she emptied her stomach contents all over his shoes, proving to him that it actually had a lot to do with him. His eyes closed and he wished himself somewhere else, but when he opened them again she was still there, looking white as a sheet and with tears in her big eyes. The office door opened seconds later and his secretary walked in, her mouth dropping open when she saw what had happened. 

"Jeanette, I'm going to clean up in my bathroom. Can you get someone in here to clean this mess up....and do something with this _person_. I want her sober and sitting at my desk when I come back," he said grimly. 

"I'm going home," Piper whispered, embarrassed now that the alcohol was wearing off and she realised what she had done. 

"No, you're not, Miss Williams. You'll stay right here, or you'll pay," he warned her, looking at her with distaste. 

Piper glared at him wearily. "You've already got me fired, there isn't anything else you can do. I'm going home," she said stubbornly. 

"Is that right? Let me put it this way then, if you leave this office before I tell you that you can, I'll make sure your father goes out of business overnight," he said, his voice hard. "Do you still think there's nothing else I can do?" He watched as her face fell and then let go of her arm as though she were diseased, walking into his bathroom and slamming the door behind him. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

Piper stood white-faced and shaking as she stared at the closed door. She couldn't believe he would be so nasty as to bring her father into this, when her actions had nothing to do with him. She swayed slightly and closed her eyes, raising her hand up to her head as a wave of exhaustion swept over her. Now she knew why she didn't drink, she thought, a giggle bursting from her. 

Jeanette took her arm gently and moved her over to the couch, making her sit down. "You stay right there and I'll get you something to settle that stomach," she said kindly, dashing off to her own office to fetch some water. She returned a few seconds later with a glass containing a clear liquid that was making fizzing noises, and she sat next to Piper, handing it to her with a sympathetic smile. "Not a drinker, huh?" 

"How did you know?" Piper asked, sipping at the drink with a grimace. 

"Because that's how I am when I drink, which is very rarely. I can't stomach the stuff." The older woman looked up as a cleaner came into the room and started cleaning up the mess efficiently, leaving after a couple of minutes. 

"I guess I can't either," Piper mused, frowning and then dropping her head into her hand. "Oh God what a mess. He's going to hurt my father's business now, and it's all my fault." 

"I'm sure he won't be that vindictive, dear, he's not all bad you know," the older woman said, smiling gently as she stood up and smoothed down her skirt. "The trick is to not let him get to you. Don't be cowed by his bellowing, his bark is far worse than his bite." 

"Is it? He had me fired," Piper said, her eyes filling with tears as she thought about that. "He didn't have to do that, I would have been fine with him just shouting at me." She jumped when the bathroom door swung open and he came out, barefoot but still wearing his business suit, his eyes glittering as they looked at her. 

"Thank you, Jeanette. I'll call you if I need anything else," he said, smiling at the other woman before staring stonily at Piper again, neither of them noticing Jeanette quietly slipping out of the room. He raised a hand and pointed to the chair on the opposite side of the desk from his own, sitting himself down and waiting. 

Piper reluctantly stood up and wobbled over to the chair, sinking down into it and not meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry I was sick on you," she said quietly, horribly embarrassed and now worried about what this man was going to do to her father. 

Mark stared across at her, his eyes narrowed. "And you think that those little words will fix all this, do you?" 

She shrugged, still unable to meet his gaze, and she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes, blinking furiously to stop them, from falling. She would _not_ cry in front of this monster. 

"Nothing to say, Miss Williams? Do I not warrant even an offer of reparation for the damage you've caused to my suit? Actually two suits, if we're going to be picky." He tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk as he waited for her to answer, giving a frustrated sigh when she said nothing. "Very well, Miss Williams, I'll tell you what I'm going to do, shall I? In return for the two juvenile acts you've committed against me, I think that I will have the cheque cancelled that I sent to your father. That should be sufficient to reimburse me for the loss of clothing." 

Piper raised her eyes and stared at him, horrified that he would do such a thing. "Y-you can't do that," she stammered, gripping the edge of the desk. "He needs that money!" 

"Perhaps if he had raised his daughter with more manners and morals, he'd still have it," Mark said, smiling coldly at her. 

"I have plenty of morals, you're the one who hasn't got any at all," she snapped, getting angry now and welcoming the anger, knowing this was far better than bursting into tears. "You ruined his business in the first place, so you should pay!" 

"And you're the one who ruined his chances of getting damages paid to him, aren't you?" he snapped back, standing up and leaning on the desk, his whole posture threatening. "I find it amazing that you continue to argue with me, when you know what damage I can do to someone you supposedly love!" 

Piper stood up and thrust her hands on her hips, trying to match his threatening stance and failing miserably. "If you dare to take that cheque back, I'll sue you over damages to the trout farm!" she threatened, knowing she was fighting a losing battle, but refusing to just back down. 

"And if you dare to take me to court, I'll sue you over the two times you've tried to attack me," he said, raising an eyebrow and looking at her disparagingly. "Who do you think will win, Miss Williams? Which one of us do you suppose can afford to drag this through the courts for years, without it bothering them in the slightest?" 

She stared at him with defeat shining out of her eyes as she listened to his words. He was right, of course, he was rich beyond measure, he could keep the case going forever and she wouldn't be able to afford to fight him. Her father would be ruined and it would all be her fault. She slumped back down in the chair and burst into tears, covering her face with her hands so he couldn't see. Ordinarily she would have been able to hold her emotions inside until she had reached the safety of her own apartment, but the wine was affecting her now, and she couldn't control herself. 

Mark stared at the small woman sitting on the other side of his desk, and grimaced. He hadn't realised she would start crying, he thought, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to think of what to do. A man wouldn't have cried. He had business associates he had been far harsher with, and they'd never cried. Women didn't make a hell of a lot of sense, he decided, still staring at her with faint horror. She wasn't even crying softly, as some of the women he had known would have done. No, Piper Williams cried the same way she did everything else - noisily. Huge gulping sobs were echoing around the office and no-one could fail to hear her, including Jeanette, who was probably sitting at her desk shaking her head. He gave a sigh and folded his arms over his chest, frowning. This really wasn't something he needed right now, he had work to do, people to call. "Miss Williams, will you please stop crying," he snapped, his voice far harsher than he had meant it to be, and he threw his hands up in the air as the sobs increased in volume. "Oh for God's sake," he muttered, feeling low. She was mumbling things under her breath and he leaned over the desk so he could hear her. 

"Dad will go mad, he'll lose everything and he'll hate me!" she said quietly, obviously talking to herself. "I haven't got any money, how can I help him? I have my life insurance, but....I may as well just go home and kill myself!" she sobbed hysterically, her brain not functioning with any degree of accuracy due to the alcohol and Mark's jaw fell open at her words. "Then he'll get the insurance payout," she mumbled, dropping her hands and standing up unsteadily, wiping away the abundance of wetness on her face with the backs of her hands. 

She seemed to realise, belatedly, that he was still standing there watching her and she gave him a glare, ruining it slightly when she started crying hysterically again. "I hate you!" 

Mark rolled his eyes. "Good, then we have something in common. Where are you going?" 

"I'm going home, and you can't stop me!" 

"Yes, I can. Or have you already forgotten about that cheque?" 

"Do your worst, you animal, and I hope it makes you happy to see people ruined because of your greed and spite....I hate you!" 

"You've already said that. And several other things," he added, glaring at her. "Like you're going to kill yourself so your father can get your insurance money. Isn't there anything more theatrical you can think of?" 

Piper continued to cry, the knowledge that she was making an utter fool of herself buried deep in her head somewhere, covered over with a nice numbing layer of wine, and she didn't think about her actions. She picked up the nice expensive desk organiser that held all his pens and pins of various sorts, and threw it straight at his head. It only missed because he ducked at the last second, but she didn't stay around long enough to see his reaction. She ran out of the room, still making loud crying noises and went straight into the open elevator, the doors closing just as he emerged angrily from his office at the far end of the corridor. 

"Is everything alright?" Jeanette asked, looking at the elevator doors and then at her boss, seeing the anger and discomfort etched on his face. 

"That stupid woman...girl, Jesus!" 

Jeanette's lips twitched and she struggled to keep her face impassive. "What happened? She wasn't ill again was she?" 

"No, she just made threats, I made better ones, then she started crying. Why do women have to cry?" He ran a hand through his hair and frowned again. "She wasn't even quiet and delicate about it!" 

"No, I did hear her," Jeanette said, letting the smile curve her mouth as she thought of the noise she had heard. "Where's she gone?" 

"To kill herself, apparently, so her father can have the insurance money! She should be an actress with a routine like that!" 

The older woman frowned, staring at him. "That's quite a serious thing to play-act about, and she had been drinking," she said, biting her lip. "She seemed very upset." 

"Don't be ridiculous, she wouldn't do any such thing, just because I shouted at her," Mark said, looking down at her, his frown deepening. 

"But she just lost her job, too, and now her father's business is in trouble and she thinks it's her fault..." 

"It is her fault!" 

"I wouldn't like to be the one who let her run off in that state, and didn't check up on her," she said, shaking her head and leaving him standing there as she went back to work. 

Mark stared down the corridor and pursed his lips. She had only been making idle threats, surely? But what if she was serious? What if she had enough alcohol inside her to do something stupid because of the way he had treated her? Not that he'd been unjustified, he told himself. He'd do it again! he thought stubbornly, and then rolled his shoulders uneasily. He was going to have to follow her, he just knew it, because his conscience wasn't going to let him alone if he didn't. He swore harshly and turned back into his office to get his wet shoes back on so he could go and find her. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

Piper emerged from the big building and walked over to the kerb, hoping to flag down a passing taxi. She didn't have any cash on her but she had plenty at home, and no way was she going to be able to get back there by walking, not in her current state. She wiped wearily at her still wet face and raised her arm, giving thanks that at least something was going her way when the taxi actually pulled over and she got in. After giving the address she slumped back in the seat and closed her eyes, trying not to let the little voice of reason in her head remind her of what a total moron she must have looked to _him_. She let the alcohol wash over the embarrassment and drifted off as the car moved into the traffic. 

The next thing she knew the driver was leaning over and calling to her. "Hey lady, we're here," he said, looking and sounding bored. 

She scrabbled out of the car and rushed indoors to get some money, staggering out a few seconds later with some and handing it to the driver, who took it without a thank you and drove away at high speed. Typical, she thought. All the men she ever met were rude, why should her taxi driver be any different? She threw herself down on the sofa when she got indoors again, and thought about what she was going to do for damage limitation. If a bad situation could be made worse, then she had just done it. Her mouth tasted sour and she grimaced, going into the bathroom to clean her teeth. After looking in the mirror at her dishevelled image, she decided maybe a shower would be a good idea too. And perhaps it would sober her up, she thought, wishing she hadn't gone into that bar in the first place. 

When she emerged from the bathroom she looked and felt more human, but now her head was starting to really pound and she went in search of some painkillers....anything at all that would get rid of the thumping in her skull. 

She found a bottle of aspirin in the cupboard and filled a glass of water, reading the label on the bottle before she opened it. The ringing of her doorbell stopped her from cracking the lid, and she walked into her hallway still holding onto it, the pills rattling about in the plastic container. 

She opened the door without even looking through the spy hole, and then instantly regretted it when she looked up and saw Mark Calloway standing there, looking grim. His eyes narrowed on the bottle she was holding and he grabbed her arm, twisting it out of her small hand with ease and pushing her back into the apartment. 

"Oh, hell, no you don't," he muttered as he looked at the bottle, then glared at her with astonishment. 

"What...what are you doing here?" she asked belatedly as he dragged her along to the living room. "Get out of my apartment!" 

"I'm not leaving you here to kill yourself!" he snapped, throwing the bottle of pills in the trash and then making her sit down on the sofa, standing with his arms folded over his chest while he contemplated what to say. 

Piper hadn't taken too much notice of his size before, but it was hard to avoid it now. He was making her apartment shrink with his huge bulk filling up her living room, and she felt nervous with him in her own home. "I was going to take them..." she began, trying to explain, but he cut her off. 

"You damn well are not going to take them!" he said, frowning at her. His hand raked through his hair. "Of all the stupid, childish things to do...don't you damn well move!" he snapped when she went to get up, and Piper started to get over her shock and get angry instead. 

She stood up instantly and glared back at him. "Don't you order me about in my own home, you overgrown snake! You get out of here or...or..." 

"Or what? You'll vomit on me again?" he asked, raising his chin and looking arrogantly down at her, a small smile curving his lips. She didn't want to notice that he had very nice lips, and the fact that she did just fuelled her temper. 

"Don't you laugh at me! I'll have you know I have a black belt, and I'm not afraid to use it!" 

"A black belt?" he asked, finding himself amused now by this infuriating woman who wasn't even half his size. "In what?" 

"In...in..." she broke of and searched her mind for something. "Karate. And I can kick your ass any day of the week!" 

"That so? Well, why don't you just go ahead and prove it, if you're so brave?" he taunted her, leaning forwards and bending so his face was nearly level with hers. 

Piper found his proximity unnerving and she backed up a couple of steps, making that small smile return to his mouth. "That doesn't seem to be the action of a black belt," he said, watching her back off. "It couldn't be that you're lying to me, could it?" 

"I do too have a black belt," she said, thrusting her chin out aggressively. It was true, she had belts in lots of different colours, although none of them had anything to do with karate. Still, he didn't know that! 

"So where are all your fancy moves?" he asked, closing the distance between them again, his green eyes narrow and glittering as they stared down at her. He looked at what she was wearing and frowned when he felt himself getting aroused by the glimpse of flesh he could see in the opening of the bathrobe. Obviously she had come from the bathroom, and her hair was wet and tousled, the black strands clinging to her face. He had the annoying urge to brush them out of the way, and his fingers actually twitched as he resisted the impulse. Her odd whisky coloured eyes were staring at him, a mixture of anger and fear in them, and also something else. Embarrassment, he decided as he continued to stare and she blushed. "Come on, Piper Williams, Black Belt in Karate, attack me," he said, reaching out and brushing one strand of hair away before he could stop himself. 

Piper stared at him, starting to get mesmerised by the way those amazing green eyes were looking at her, but his words finally got through and her mouth dropped open. How did he know she wasn't really a karate black belt? She could be! He was just so arrogant, and pompous and...she gritted her teeth and drew her foot back, letting go with a kick that a horse would have admired. 

Mark hadn't expected her to do anything, more fool him, he thought as he went down. Her foot had connected with his knee and the surprise of the attack made him lose his balance. Piper didn't let it end there, though. She needed to teach him a lesson, so she threw her fist at his chin, giving him a surprisingly strong uppercut that felled him like a giant oak. 

Mark found himself laying on her floor staring at the ceiling, one hand clutching his knee and the other rubbing his chin in shock. How the hell had she done that? She was only a little bit, there was no way she could put a man his size down. But she had. He had a second to think about that before her small body came down to his level and she straddled him, smiling triumphantly. 

"I told you I could kick your ass, you should have listened!" she said, sneering at him. 

He stared up at her and a smile lit up his face. She didn't even realise what position she was in, he thought, his smile getting wider as he ran his eyes over her body and felt his own body start to tell him graphically that he liked what he saw. 

"What are you smiling about?" she asked, frowning now and feeling a little less sure of herself. 

"Do you have anything on under that robe?" he asked slowly, his voice drawling out and sounding unlike any of the other times he had spoken to her. 

Piper felt her face fill with colour when she finally took in how she was sitting on him, and just what part of his anatomy would be directly underneath her. She hadn't even thought about what she was doing, and he probably saw it as some huge come-on, and she struggled to get off him without her robe falling open and revealing her to his gaze. 

"And just where do you think you're going?" he murmured, his hands grabbing her hips and stopping her from retreating, and he smiled when he felt her freeze. 

The danger of the situation slowly permeated her shocked brain and panic made her mouth dry. "Let go of me," she said as imperiously as she could manage, trying to look tough. 

"Make me," he shot back at her, his smile getting wider as she started struggling again. 

"Let me go!" she said, her voice higher pitched this time as she attempted to get off him, and she eventually managed to make one of his hands loosen when she dug her nails into his skin. She used her body weight to throw herself sideways, landing on the carpet and trying to pull away. 

Mark gave a small chuckle and rolled her underneath him easily, grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head on the floor, subduing her struggles with virtually no effort. His eyes glittered down into hers. "And now what are you going to do?" he asked her, cocking his head to one side and waiting for her to speak, which she didn't. "Not so brave now? You know, I think I prefer you this way Miss Williams, all soft and warm and, most importantly, unable to escape." Another chuckle made his chest rumble as he settled more firmly over her, seeing the fury and fear written in her face. "There are always consequences for attacking me, Piper, and it's about time you learnt that," he murmured, and her eyes were like saucers as he lowered his head, his mouth covering hers before she could turn away. 


	6. Chapter 6

_****Sorry if these chapters are a bit short, but I'm trying to cope with the heatwave we're having in Europe at the moment. It's 40 degrees C out there in the shade and we don't have air conditioning! It's a bloody nightmare, hence not much typing! It's been going on for a week and a half now and we all want to die. When it returns to normal, maybe I'll post more chapters! Anyway, thanks for the reviews so far and keep 'em coming!**** _

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_****Oh yeah, Warning! Sexual content!**** _****

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**Chapter six**

Piper lay with her eyes wide open as his mouth moved on hers, shocked that he was kissing her and not feeling anything for a second. Then he pressed more firmly on her mouth, and she felt her lips parting involuntarily, her eyelids fluttering closed as small tingles of sensation starting blooming where his lips were nibbling at hers. It was the strangest feeling, one she hadn't ever felt before, but she couldn't resist him. The thought that he was the enemy didn't even impinge on her conscience at all, and she gave herself over to the kiss with more abandon than she ever would have used if her senses hadn't just been totally scattered to the winds. 

Mark felt the tension in her ease and he used his tongue to trace the soft opening of her mouth, urging her to open further for him so he could delve inside and taste her. Like the rest of her, her flavour was unique and he thrust his tongue rhythmically into her mouth, groaning as his body went rock hard against her softness. He was never out of control, always able to rein in his emotions and his body's responses, but not this time. Something about her made him lose it completely, and he pulled her thighs apart, settling himself between them as if he belonged there. She didn't even have the sense to protest, she was so caught up in what his mouth was doing to hers. But when he started to grind his hips against her intimately, reality came crashing down on her head, making her eyes snap open. 

She pushed against his huge shoulders, trying to dislodge him, but it was a futile effort. He was bigger and stronger than her....Christ, he was like a walking mountain, she would never be able to move him. 

All her tiny struggles made no impact on his solid frame and she felt herself weakening again as his kiss became deeper still, a groan working out of her throat when he moved his mouth to her ear and nibbled gently at her earlobe, his tongue flicking out to run down her neck. She had to fight, she reminded herself, she couldn't just let him have his way with her. But her body refused to move as he reached her shoulder and pulled her robe out of the way so he could enjoy her flesh. She gave a small gasp when he found a particularly sensitive spot and he concentrated on it, licking at her smooth skin and then nibbling, making her writhe underneath him. 

Another small struggle started when he untied her robe and started to pull the front open, but his mouth lowering onto one of her bare breasts made the reason for the struggle become unclear again and she let sensation wash over her, her hands clutching at his hair when he sucked at one hard nipple, lavishing attention on the small peak until it was bright red and begging for more. He moved to the other one and caressed it equally, his brows drawn down into a frown of concentration as he enjoyed himself. 

It didn't occur to him, even once, that this was wrong. He drew back a breath and stared down at the perfect mounds of flesh he was kissing, his eyes darkening as he took in the rosy crowns he had nibbled into hardness. Without conscious though he removed his jacket and shirt, baring his torso to her eyes and then starting on his pants. 

Piper stared blearily at the huge man who was bringing her to a fever pitch of excitement, and he eyes widened when she saw him without his shirt in the way. He was truly enormous, all hard muscle underneath pale skin. But what almost shocked her back to reality were the abundance of tattoos that seemed to cover his entire arms, some on his stomach and a partial one on his throat, unreadable. She reached out and touched them, her fingers lightly tracing over the myriad of colours in awe. Never in her life had she seen someone with so many tattoos, and she found them strangely erotic. Her fingers skimmed down over his chest and stomach, then back up and across the broad expanse of flesh, finding one small nipple and fiddling with it curiously. 

Mark groaned and shuddered as her small hands moved on him, and he succeeded in pushing his pants and underwear out of the way, kicking them off his big feet and reaching down to rip his socks off. When he was completely naked he looked back at her, smiling at her curvy body spread out before him, waiting for him. He didn't keep her waiting long, coming down on her again and kissing her breasts once more, running his tongue up and down her abdomen in soft strokes that made her tense repeatedly. 

His big hands pushed her thighs further apart and he looked down at her moist flesh, tempted to just bury himself inside her without any further foreplay. But he was enjoying himself, and she was doubtlessly enjoying it too, judging by her rapt expression. He reached out one long finger and touched her softly, his fingertip barely making contact with her, but he could feel the heat that poured off her, and a smile tilted his lips. 

"Do you want me Piper?" he asked her, finding his voice at last and unable to resist getting that admission out of her, no matter how obvious it was that she did. 

She opened her eyes again and stared at him, a small frown moving her eyebrows as she started to come out of the sensual trance. "I.....no..." 

"Come on, honey," he said deeply, skimming her tender flesh once more and making her bite her lip because it wasn't enough. "Tell me you want me." 

She frowned deeper and shook her head. "No...no! I don't...!" she said, trying to pull herself out of limbo and deny him. She couldn't let this happen! 

"Yes, you do, this tells me you do," he said, pushing one big finger inside her and withdrawing it covered with her juices. It sparkled in the light and she felt herself blush. "You want me alright. Admit it." 

"No! I'll never say that! I don't want you!" she said, trying to close her legs, but he held them open, one eyebrow going up as he stared at her. 

"You can kid yourself, Piper, but your body gives you away. You're enjoying this," he said, bending down between her legs and touching her with the tip of his tongue. He used his thumbs to ease her open and then flicked slowly at the small hard nub he was seeking, a smile curving his lips as he felt her tense and heard her gasp raggedly. 

"No, please...don't..." she whispered, trying to stop herself as much as him. But he was relentless and he continued to lick at her, long broad strokes of his big tongue that had her squirming as she felt herself losing all control. He eased his tongue inside her tight warmth and tasted her, thrusting it in and out and relishing the feel of her muscles tightening on him. He knew what he would be putting in there next, and he knew she wouldn't have any choice in the matter. His tongue returned to the nub and he circled it, placing his teeth on either side and biting gently so she was held captive for his rapid strokes. At the same time he pushed his finger back inside her, moving it swiftly and then adding another, curling them upwards and rubbing. There was no way any woman could resist that sort of torture and he knew it, redoubling his efforts when he felt her muscles begin to clamp down on his fingers. 

The sound that emerged from Piper's throat when she came sounded almost like a scream, and her body arched off the floor, the only thing holding her against him were his hands gripping her thighs. Mark continued his assault until she was nearly sobbing with the overload of emotion, and only then did he release her. As she came down from the high he had sent her to, she looked at him and saw him kneel up, her eyes dropping to below his waist and widening. He was enormous there too, she saw, and it dawned on her what had just happened. Belatedly she pulled quickly away from him and rolled over, scrabbling to her knees so she could get away from him. But he didn't allow her to escape, and his hands grabbed her hips in that position, kneeling up behind her and then leaning his huge body down over her back. "You ain't going nowhere, darlin', not yet," he growled, and she tensed when she felt the blunt tip of his arousal probe at her wet folds. "I don't have no problem with this position." 

He slowly tilted her hips up towards him and started to sink his huge flesh inside her tightness, feeling the wetness from her climax ease his way. Her intimate muscles reluctantly parted under the relentless force of his penetration, and she bit her lip at the slight discomfort she felt because he was so enormous. She had only ever been with one man, and it had been years ago in her teens, an experience that hadn't made her a fan of sex, so feeling him going inside of her was like being a virgin again. 

Mark was thinking much the same thing, he had never been inside a woman so incredibly tight, and he wondered if he was going to be able to sink his entire length inside her. But he was going to give it a damn good try, and he drew back a fraction, pushing forwards with a little more force as he returned, another inch sinking into her. Piper felt so full she thought she would split open, but still he wasn't finished and she bit her lip again when he pushed even harder, unable to deny to herself that it felt good, even if it was a little painful. Another couple of thrusts and she finally felt his abdomen settle against her ass, knowing he was in her as deep as he could get. She panted a bit as she tried to get used to the width inside her and he kept still, allowing her to adjust, his hands smoothing over her hips and then delving between them to stroke where they were joined, tracing the delicate skin where it was stretched around his shaft. 

It aroused him beyond measure to feel how tight she was and he helplessly started to thrust into her, trying his best to be careful, but unable to stop his body from seeking fulfilment. His hands gripped her hips so tightly he knew he was bruising them, but his body was in control now. He gave a low growl as he felt her muscles tightening around him and he drove mindlessly for his own pleasure, snapping his hips back and forth in a rhythm as old as time. Piper moaned under the onslaught of his movements, feeling herself losing control despite the violence of his lovemaking, and the feel of his arm suddenly wrapping around her waist as he leaned over her just intensified it all. His hand moved through the soft curls at the juncture of her thighs and he rubbed at the small bud he had so recently been gently biting, feeling her stomach muscles clench as he did so. 

Mark hunched down over her back and threw himself into a frenzy of movement, pushing into her as deep as he could when he felt his climax approach, and then releasing himself inside her when he felt her come apart, her muscles spasming around him furiously, a loud cry issuing from her with her completion. She collapsed underneath him when she came down, her arms and knees no longer able to hold her up, and Mark went down with her, knocking the air out of her lungs with his weight. 


	7. Chapter 7

_****Sorry it's taken so long to update, and sorry it's so short, but oh my God, I have no idea what to write next!! My muse seems to have taken off and been replaced by someone else, as you'll see from the other story I've just posted! Anyway, I'm starting to get a few ideas floating around, so I'll try and update a bit sooner and a bit longer next time!****_****

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**Chapter seven**

Piper lay still for a few minutes, trying to get her breath back. Her body felt sore and her senses were coming back slowly, leaving her wishing they hadn't. What had just happened? How the hell had she ended up being taken on her living room floor by this monster? Even though he had given her a pleasure she had never experienced before, she felt used and dirty, and deeply ashamed of her own response. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to cover her face, upset at what had happened and not knowing how to turn and face the man who was now settled close behind her, his body curled around hers as if he were her lover. Which he was, she thought, cursing herself for being so weak and then starting to cry. 

Mark felt the sobs shudder through her even though she made no noise this time, and he frowned, looking down at the two of them laying naked on the floor. He had gone at her like he went at everything else, like an animal. He swore loudly and hurriedly got to his feet, picking his clothing up and pulling it on without saying a word to the small figure on the floor. He was deeply ashamed of his actions, more so than he had ever been before and he had no excuse to back them up. Okay, she had pissed him off, but that didn't mean he could just come here and start rutting at her like a bull. Once he had finished dressing he looked grimly down, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was a blank. What did you say to someone you had just done that to, when they didn't want you to? It was very nearly rape, he thought with horror, his face paling. All of a sudden he couldn't bear to stay in the same house as her and see the look of accusation on her face when she finally looked at him. Not that it seemed as if she ever _would _look at him, but he felt confined, so he walked out of the house without a word to her and quietly closed the door behind him, slinking away like a criminal. 

Piper lay still for a while and then slowly sat up, wiping her face wearily. She winced as she moved, wondering if she was going to be able to walk after what had just happened. And she had been a willing participant, she thought, more tears forming in her eyes. He must think she was a total slut. No wonder he had just walked out. She was only surprised he hadn't left a wad of money on the table for her services. She cried again as she thought about that, finally pulling herself up off the floor and staggering into the bathroom so she could wash his touch off her in the shower. 

When she emerged from the bathroom she went straight to bed, curling up on her side and hugging her pillow for comfort and hoping she wouldn't dream about him. She didn't need to have nightmares about her own behaviour, the shame she felt when she was awake was enough. 

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Mark got in his car and slammed the door with enough force to almost break the window, and he swore harshly as he tried to wipe the image of her face out of his mind. He was full of conflicting emotions. On the one hand he felt guilty for what had happened, but on the other he couldn't regret the pleasure she had given him, nor the pleasure he knew she had taken as well. But he could have just been polite enough to ask her first, he thought, running one hand through his hair and smiling grimly as he thought about that. Asking Piper Williams for anything would be impossible, she would as soon kill him as kiss him. And now he had broken that fierce spirit as quickly and easily as snapping his fingers, and he felt like shit. He would fix it, he decided, after he had given her some time to calm down. Maybe in the morning she would be willing to listen to an apology. With that settled in his mind, he took a deep breath and started the engine, pulling away from her house and trying to forget about what had happened. 


	8. Chapter 8

_****Sorry it's taken so long, but I couldn't think of a thing to write. I know some of you can fully understand that! Anyway, I haven't got any more than this for now, but I promise I'll try! Thanks for all the great reviews, it's nice to know someone enjoys reading it!****_

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**Chapter eight**

Two weeks passed by, and each morning Piper would look at herself in the mirror and hate her own reflection, hating what that man had done to her. No, she reminded herself bitterly, what she had allowed that man to do to her. And she had enjoyed every second of it, too. That was why she hated her reflection. He had even had the gall to try and telephone her the next morning to see if she was 'okay'. She had told him in no uncertain terms where he could stick his concern, and exactly how far, which hadn't pleased him very much judging by the bellowing she could hear as she put the phone down. Pig, she thought, straightening her clothes and checking her appearance. Not that her words had stopped him calling her. Far from it. He had tried every day to speak to her...well, until yesterday, and she assumed he had finally given up. 

She shook her head and took a deep breath. Time to continue her job search, she thought, giving a heavy sigh as she left the bedroom. She picked up the mail before she went out of the door and flicked through it, worrying her lower lip as she noted the amount of bills that were mounting up. If she didn't find work soon, she would have to leave, and she really didn't want to do that. She had already been cowardly over the last fortnight, not going to see her father because he would look at her accusingly since his business would be going down the drain. On the other hand, she thought with a quick frown, he hadn't called her and said he was in trouble again. It was very confusing, but she had no doubt that Mark Calloway would have cancelled that cheque as soon as he got back to his office, despite what had happened on her living room floor. Her cheeks went red again as they had so many times in the last few days. She ruthlessly pushed the memory out of her head, not wanting to dwell on her own disgusting behaviour, and she returned her attention to the letters she was holding. 

All the bills she put to one side on the hall table, reminding herself to sort them out later, then she threw the junk mail in the small waste basket, which left her with only one letter. It was official looking and she found herself frowning again as she turned it over. There was no company stamp on it anywhere to let her know where it was from, so she hurriedly ripped it open in case it was from one of the jobs she had applied for. 

Her face fell when she saw the letterhead and then she tightened her lips, wondering what the hell he was doing writing to her. She read through it quickly, her face getting redder and redder as she tried to digest what it said. Of all the cheek, she thought as she pulled the other piece of paper from the envelope and stared at it, her eyes sparking with temper. He thought he could send her something like this and get away with it? Fine, she'd show him that he was dead wrong about that! 

She slammed the door behind her and made her way out to get a bus into town. Mr God Almighty Calloway was about to get an unexpected visit, she just hoped he was ready for her! 

A while later she stepped into his building and narrowed her eyes, walking imperiously towards the elevator as though she belonged in there. Again no-one stopped her and she smirked, thinking that she must tell that man to update his security. Any lunatic could get in here, and she was definitely one of those in the mood she was in. She pressed the button for his floor and stood calmly as the elevator whisked her upwards, trying to plan what she was going to say to him. But she couldn't think past the anger she was feeling and she gave up, knowing that words would surely come to her when she confronted him shortly. Her breath caught in her throat briefly when the bell dinged, indicating she had arrived at her destination. Was she doing the right thing? she thought, walking out of the elevator and heading down the corridor towards his office. What if he touched her again? What if he...she shook her head and swore quietly. She couldn't think that way. She would just go in there and give him a piece of her mind. 

Jeanette, his secretary, was sitting at her desk in the outer office staring at the computer screen as she typed. Her gaze shifted as Piper came into view and she gave a small smile. "Go right in," she said, making Piper's mouth fall open. 

"Aren't you going to try and stop me?" she asked, puzzled. 

Jeanette shook her head. "I wouldn't dare. Go ahead," she said again, gesturing to the doors and then returning to her work and ignoring her. 

Piper walked hesitantly over to the doors, wondering what was going on. Why hadn't his secretary kicked her out, or even called security? It all made her feel like she was in an episode of The Outer Limits and she pushed hesitantly at the wooden panels in front of her, watching as they swung open to reveal Mark sitting calmly at his desk, his feet propped up as he spoke firmly into the telephone. 

"Yes, she's here right now. Of course, thank you. Goodbye," he said and hung up, leaning on the desk to watch her walk into the room. "Close the door behind you," he murmured, raising an eyebrow when she automatically obeyed. 

She instantly cursed under her breath and scowled, not having meant to do what he had said. He'd think he could order her around and he couldn't do that, no way! She looked down at the envelope she was clutching and strengthened her resolve. This man was a pig, an immoral, arrogant pig who thought he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it. She stormed over to his desk and threw the envelope at him. "How dare you send me that!" she hissed, narrowing her eyes and trying to look intimidating. 

"Didn't you like it? I thought it only fair," he said, reaching out and taking the letter out of the envelope, his eyes scanning it. "It all seems very clear to me. For the good that I've done in helping your father, here is an invoice for legal costs, etc. Less services rendered, of course," he said, smirking as her face went blood red with rage. 

"Services rendered?" she said, her voice still low and furious. "So not only do you send me an invoice for legal costs on reparations which you had no choice but to make anyway, but you take money off because of what you did to me? You're unbelievable!" 

"I didn't do anything you didn't want, honey, you may at least admit that, and many women have told me I'm unbelievable. I'm glad you agree," he said, the smirk getting worse. 

She ignored the fact that he knew she had enjoyed it. "How dare you treat me like I'm some sort of prostitute!" she snapped, her eyes sparkling with outrage. She reached out and grabbed the letter back, ripping it into tiny pieces and flinging them in his face. "As for your invoice, you can put that where the sun doesn't shine, I'm sure there's plenty of room!" 

Mark smiled and shook his head, making tsking noises. "Such a bad temper, Piper. Maybe it's time someone cooled you down a little." 

"Cooled me...!" she looked frantically around for something to throw at his big arrogant head, and was stunned to find that all the surfaces were bare. 

"Looking for something?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and grinning now. 

"Where..." she began, frowning as she looked around his almost bare office. 

"Where are all my things? I was expecting you, so I thought it best to clear the field of battle, so to speak," he said, raising one eyebrow and looking around him. 

"Battle?" Piper asked, staring at him in stupefaction. This wasn't going at all the way she had expected and she didn't know quite how to react. She couldn't help taking a step backwards as he stood up, straightening to his full height and edging out from behind his desk. 

"Hmm, battle. You see, I have tried my damnedest to get in touch with you, but you stubbornly refused to answer your telephone. So I sent you that invoice, knowing exactly how you'd react." 

"You...you did it to get me here?" she asked, her mouth dropping open at his deviousness. 

"Of course. And you didn't disappoint me," he said with a smirk, moving closer to her, his chin tilted back at an arrogant angle. "And now, Miss Williams, I have you exactly where I wanted you." 

"Now you just hold on one minute," she said, putting her hands up in front of her as he stalked across the vast office towards her, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you think you're going to do..." 

"Oh, I don't think, Miss Williams, I know what I'm going to do," he said, his smirk turning into a knee weakening grin that held her transfixed for a few seconds. Then she realised just how close he was getting and she backed up again, her back hitting the wood of the closed door almost instantly and making her panic. That emotion intensified when he got closer and his hands lifted to grab her, and she spun around, trying to turn the door handle so she could escape. But it wouldn't budge, not even a tiny bit. Her breath escaped her in a rush as his hands landed on the door either side of her head, the warmth from his big body seeping through her clothes from his proximity. 

"No good trying that, it's locked. I have a remote device for it and I used it the moment you closed the door. You've trapped yourself in here," he murmured, his head bending so that his breath ruffled the hair just by her ear. And there's no way you can say I dragged you up here against your will, is there? You came here of your own accord, just so you could shout at me. Isn't that right?" 

Piper leaned her forehead against the door and closed her eyes, willing her body to stop responding to the subtle spell he was casting over her. His voice sent a shiver down her spine, and far from being caught up in the humiliation of her previous actions, she was starting to get turned on by them. She had to get away from him before she threw him on the floor and raped him, she thought with a twinge of hysteria, a small giggle trying to break out of her tight throat at the picture that formed in her head. "Please let me out of here," she whispered, unable to turn around and look at him because of how close he was. 

"Uh-uh, Piper, I can't do that. I had a very good reason for getting you here, and you're not getting away quite that easily," he said, his deep voice trailing off to a whisper as he bent down over her, his lips touching her neck as he drew her hair to one side. 

"Don't do that!" she hissed, scrunching her neck up so he couldn't touch it any more. "What do you want?" she asked him, trying to control her breathing. 

Mark looked down at her small figure and debated that question, one eyebrow raising as he pursed his lips. "What are you offering?" he asked, stepping back from her one pace, unable to resist the temptation of her question. 

Piper turned around as she felt his big frame move, and she eyed him warily, anger glittering in her whisky coloured eyes. "I'm not offering you anything," she said unsteadily. 

Mark cocked his head to one side. "A pity." He watched her face flush with real embarrassment and he relented slightly. "Actually, Piper, I wanted to apologise." 

His words floored her and she stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What?" 

"I said, I want to apologise. That's why I've been trying to call you. I'm sorry for the way I behaved, it's not...it's not how I normally am," he said, shifting uncomfortably as she stared at him blankly. 

"You're...saying sorry?" she said softly, her eyebrows rising. 

"Yes." 

She gave a short laugh. "Oh, that's good. You're saying sorry for what you did and yet you send me this filthy invoice...! You're unbelievable!" 

"I think we've already established that fact. But, I don't think you were listening. I said I was sorry for the way I behaved, not for what I did. We both enjoyed that, and there's no way you can deny it," he said, raising one hand when she went to speak again. "But I am sorry for the way I went about it, it's not something I even thought about, just...spur of the moment. Anyway, I'm sorry. As for the invoice, I fabricated that just to get you here, as I said. It isn't real." 

"Not real?" she said, still confused at his about-face. "I wouldn't care if it was, I wouldn't pay you one cent!" 

Mark tilted his head back again and looked down his nose at her haughtily. "If it were real, you wouldn't have a choice. I'd make sure you lost everything you had if you didn't pay me." 

"You...you arrogant, egocentric...jerk!" she hissed, wanting to hit him more than she had ever wanted to hit anyone in her life. 

Mark saw the way her fists were clenching and he grinned. "Oh dear, I hope I haven't set that temper off again. I wouldn't want you to use your vast Karate skills to hurt me," he said dryly. 

"I wish I did know Karate," she said venomously, narrowing her eyes at him. "Because if I did, I'd enjoy breaking your neck!" 

"You really are vicious aren't you?" he mused, chuckling softly at her red face and sparkling eyes. "It suits you." 

Piper frowned and studied his face, seeing a spark of desire in his eyes that made her mouth go dry. "I...I don't care if it suits me...just, let me out of here."  
"No." He closed the distance between them again, his head bending so his eyes were mere inches from her own. "I have other reasons for bringing you here." 

Her eyes widened as his head bent further still and she tried to press her body back into the door to get away from him, wondering what he was going to do now. 

_****There....oh, dear....was that a BAD place to stop evil grin****_


	9. Chapter 9

_***Bonjour! Sorry it's been a while, but here's a short chapter for you. I'm trying desperately to get over this block, but it's a pain! And my muse is taking me elsewhere at the moment....I have a whole gang of them wandering around in my house. Ah, if only they were mine! Still, imagination is a wonderful thing! Thanks for all the reviews so far!***_****

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**Chapter nine**

Mark watched the way Piper screwed her eyes tight shut and waited for whatever it was he planned on doing, and he had to stop himself from laughing. She obviously expected an all out sensual assault, and he hated to disappoint her. He had actually only intended to talk to her about her father, but her own fearful anticipation of his actions made him revise his plan. That and the fact that her trembling lips were a temptation he wouldn't...or couldn't...resist. He lowered his head and slowly opened his mouth until he could cover her lips fully with his own, using the lightest pressure to explore the plump softness with his tongue as he sought to gain entry. To his surprise she didn't fight him at all, and her lips parted almost instantly, allowing him the access he sought. His tongue insinuated itself expertly into her mouth and he explored her, relishing once again the taste of her. He had almost forgotten how exotic the flavour was, and he dived into the kiss with enthusiasm, expertly dragging her along with him every step of the way. 

His huge arms reached around her and pulled her up tight against his chest as he straightened up, his hold on her lifting her off the floor. He walked slowly backwards until he felt the couch behind him and then he sat down, pulling her onto his lap as he became slightly rougher with the kiss, one of his hands moving up to her throat and tilting her head at a sharper angle so he could explore her more freely. 

Piper never even tried to fight him off her, and somewhere in the back of her mind shame was lurking, waiting for her brain to function properly so it could leap out of hiding and make her feel awful about what was happening. But for now it was buried, and she couldn't help but enjoy what his mouth was doing to hers. He was so good at kissing that she felt herself turn to mush after only a few seconds. She wasn't even aware of him carrying her over to the couch or of sitting on his lap, all she could feel and think about was the kiss. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest as she strained to get even closer to him, the emotions clenching her stomach more than just lust. She could fall in love with this big man so easily that...that thought made her freeze and her eyes flew open in shock. She could fall in love with him! Her hands flattened on his chest and she pushed him away abruptly, the suddenness of the movement making him fall back on the couch, although his arms didn't release her. 

His intense green eyes stared at her in confusion, but he let her get up from his lap when she moved to do so, knowing she couldn't leave the room. "What's wrong?" he asked her, standing up to his full height and dwarfing her. 

"Wrong? Why, nothing!" she said with a hysterical laugh. "Just because you lock me in here and try and force yourself on me again, why should anything be wrong?" 

"Force myself on you?" he drawled, a smile tilting his mouth. "Don't kid yourself darlin', there was no force involved in that and you know it. In fact, there was no force used the last time either. You wanted me...hell, you were panting for it." 

Piper gasped and swung her arm up, aiming for his arrogant face, but she never made contact. With lightning speed Mark caught her wrist in mid-flight and squeezed, making her wince with pain. "Does that hurt?" he asked, knowing full well that it did and that it wasn't too bad. 

"Yes, let me go you bastard!" she shouted at him, her face going red with temper. 

"Good, now you know what it would feel like if I really used force in any way, so don't go accusing me of that unless you want me to give you an even stronger lesson. And another thing," he said, bending slightly so he could glare into her eyes from close range, "watch your language, or I'll show you how quickly I can teach you to keep your mouth shut." 

Piper swallowed a huge lump of fear and gave him a glare of her own. "I'm not frightened of you, you big moron, you can't scare me with threats!" 

"Really?" he said, walking to the couch again and dragging her behind him. "Let's see if actions really do speak louder than words then, shall we?" He sat down and pulled her easily down across his knees, his intent obvious. Piper wasn't having any of it, and she started struggling, her movements so violent that he was surprised to find he had a problem keeping her still. He hadn't actually intended to spank her, but when she wouldn't keep still he gave her a hefty swat. She shrieked as his big hand impacted on her bottom and then intensified her struggles, kicking and hitting him with all her strength. Mark knew he wouldn't be able to keep her on his lap much longer so he picked her up and wrapped her in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn't inflict any more damage. When she finally calmed down a bit he looked at her furious face, raising one eyebrow and smirking. "Quite finished?" 

She didn't bother answering, just continued to stare mutinously at him, wondering at her own stupidity in even coming here. What had she hoped to accomplish? To teach him a lesson? That was something she didn't think would be possible. 

He took her silence as agreement and the smirk got worse. "Good. Now how about we talk about your father?" 

"What about my father?" she asked sharply, narrowing her eyes. 

"You want what's best for him, don't you?" he asked her, lifting her off his lap and standing up, ushering her towards the desk and making her sit opposite him. 

"Of course I do, but it's already too late for that isn't it? You've cancelled that cheque and he's probably blaming me for all of it, and it's your fault!" she said nastily, glaring at him. 

"Actually, it's your fault, and I believe we've already been over this ground. However, I haven't cancelled the cheque, not yet." 

"Yet?" she asked him, her eyes wary now. 

"Hmm. You see, I've decided that I will help your father, on certain conditions," he murmured, studying her calmly. 

"Conditions? What do you mean?" 

"I've looked into your father's business and also his personal finances, and even with the cheque I wrote him and the reparations I've already made, he's in dire financial straits. In fact, if he doesn't improve the business this year, then he'll lose his house." 

Piper gasped. "You liar! My father paid for that house free and clear, he doesn't owe one dime..." 

"He re-mortgaged it to finance the trout farm," Mark interrupted her. "Of course, he wouldn't tell you about it, he probably wouldn't want to worry you. And don't call me a liar, Piper, because that's one thing I'm not. Now then, let's discuss how I can help him." 

"Why would you want to help him?" she asked suspiciously. 

"Because of what I can get out of it," he said instantly, his eyes holding hers in an intense stare. 

She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help herself. "And wh-what can you get out of it?" 

"You." 

"Me? What...what do you mean by that?" she asked him, her voice slightly higher pitched now. "I'm not going to become some sort of whore for you, despite what you may think!" 

Mark leaned back in his chair and smiled. "I don't want you to be my whore, Piper, I want you to be my wife. I've already arranged everything for the day after tomorrow." 

Her jaw fell at his words and she stared at him dumbly for a few seconds. "Arranged what?" 

"The wedding of course. In two days time you will consent to be my wife, and I'll get your father out of the hole he's put himself into. If you don't agree...then I'll ruin him." 

"You...you can't do that," she said unsteadily, the Outer Limits feeling returning with a vengeance. 

"I can do whatever I want, Piper, I'm rich. And so will you be when you become my wife," he said, his eyes glittering strangely as he looked at her. 

"Why would you want to marry me?" she asked, still feeling dazed. 

"Several reasons. We're compatible in bed, I need a wife, and I want to have children. I'm tired of fending off people who only want my money, people who fawn and grovel and beg, they make me sick. I'm fed up with trying to look for love, if it even exists." He looked at her and smiled again, making her shiver. "You fight me, Piper, and I like it. You'll make an interesting wife." 

"But I hate you," she said. 

Mark shrugged. "Ah, but you won't act like it, especially in front of others. You'll do exactly as you're told, or else you know what I can do to your family. And we'll start trying to get you pregnant straight away, too. I don't see any need to wait." 

"How romantic!" she spat, standing up and glaring at him again, her shock slowly wearing off. "I will never marry you, or have anything else to do with you either! I'll go to a lawyer and sue you! You can't treat people this way!" 

He stood up opposite her, his smile cold and calculating. "I can buy any lawyer you choose, and you won't have a hope. And I can treat people how I wish, as you'll find out. You may as well give in, because if you don't I can make life extremely uncomfortable for you." He looked at his watch and then back at her. "You can go, for now. But I want your answer by noon tomorrow, or I'll start dissecting your father's business." 

"You're not giving me any damn choice!" she said hysterically, almost stamping her foot with bad temper and disbelief. 

"Yes I am. Marry me and save his business, don't marry me and ruin him. It's entirely up to you," he said, sounding perfectly reasonable. 

She stood staring at him silently, her mind going mad trying to think of a way out of this situation, but she couldn't think of anything. She loved her father and she would never want to see him destitute, and she knew Mark had the power to do that if he chose to. There was really no choice to make. 

"O...Okay," she said quietly, unable to look at him and see the triumph in his eyes. 

"What?" Mark asked her, not sure if he had heard her correctly. 

"Okay, I'll marry you," she said, her voice dull now as she thought about what her life was going to be like from now on. 

Mark grinned. "Good. I'll send someone to your apartment to help you pack up tomorrow night, and then you can move to my house. Everything you need for the wedding will be waiting for you." 

"Okay," she said obediently, still in shock. She knew once it had worn off she would raise hell, and she wondered what he would do when she fought him again. Nothing good, she shouldn't imagine. 

"You can go now," he told her, watching to see what sort of impact his order would have on her, but she was still too stunned to take any notice and she just turned away and walked to the door, opening it and leaving the room. Mark smiled slowly. He hadn't thought she'd agree to such an outlandish offer, and he hadn't even meant it. But now he wondered if he shouldn't just follow through with it. Maybe keep her at his house for a few months and delay the wedding. Or maybe just marry her anyway. His lips twisted thoughtfully. He had a feeling the dullness of the past few years was about to end. Oh yes, his life was going to be very interesting from now on. 


	10. Chapter 10

_****Hello everybody (ooh, there's that Dr Nick again!!) I am now back in France and will be here for many months to come....so basically, I'm back! Yay! I can write now and I have missed it. Sorry I've taken forever to update this one but I got stuck, hence this short chapter just to set me back on track. I hope you enjoy it...if there's anyone still out there reading it. Hmm, I could be talking to myself here. Hello...lo..lo..(echo!)****_****

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**Chapter ten**

Piper visited her father and found his business doing very well, due to the money Mark had given him. The whole place had been given a facelift and she knew that as long as she did as she was told, he would continue being just fine. She didn't tell him what was going on, simply because she couldn't find the words. How did you tell your father that you'd just sold yourself to save his business? The answer was obviously that you didn't, and that you never could. She plastered a fake smile on her face for the entire morning, eating lunch with him and then finally leaving to go back to her apartment. If what Mark had said was true, she had some packing to get done. 

But when she was sitting in amongst a huge pile of her stuff, she began to wonder if he had really meant what he had said. What if he was just playing with her? What if she didn't really have to leave here and go and live with him? For a brief moment she felt a spark of hope, then reality intruded again and she sighed. He wouldn't say something he didn't mean, not when it was something that serious. He just didn't seem the type. She continued sorting through all her things, discarding many items that had just taken up room in a drawer or cupboard but had never been used, until she was left with only a few boxes. It had taken her virtually all afternoon and she could see the sun going down when she glanced out of the window, realising how long she had been sorting everything out. 

After a brief shower she took one last look around to make sure she had everything and then sat down to wait for whatever happened next. She didn't have to wait long. A mere half hour later there was a knock at the door and two men in overalls stood there, smiling in a friendly fashion and showing her their identity badges from the company they worked for. Piper watched them take everything she owned in the world and put it in their van, feeling as if she was inside a dream...and not a very good one at that. After reluctantly signing the form confirming that they had safely stowed everything away, she watched them drive away and stood looking down the road after them. Now what? Why hadn't Mark sent a car for her? Or was she supposed to make her own way to his house? She frowned and walked back indoors, going into her apartment and closing the door behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him leaning against the wall in her living room, his arms folded casually over his chest as he watched shock widen her eyes. 

"How...how did you get in her?" she asked breathlessly, wondering how he had got past her without being seen. 

"I walked in," he said, pushing away from the wall and moving slowly towards her. "You were busy signing something. So, are you ready?" 

Piper stared up at him and suddenly felt like crying. It wasn't a bad dream after all, it was all real and she was being given no choice about her future. Even though Mark was looking at her with no coldness or dislike, she just knew that she wouldn't be able to appeal to him to stop this....he seemed like the type who got what he wanted, whatever that might be. In this case, it was her. She frowned and dropped her eyes. Well, she may not have any choice, but she didn't have to make it easy for him. He wanted her as a wife? Fine, but she didn't have to act like one once she was in his house. He would find his bed was a lot colder than he had anticipated. 

"Yes, I'm ready," she said in a surprisingly firm voice and she noticed that he looked faintly amazed, but he covered it quickly and nodded. 

"Good, then let's go." 

Piper let him guide her out of the apartment and down into his car, sitting back and looking out of the window as he drove her towards her new home. A small smile tilted her lips as she thought of all the trouble she could cause him. Before too long, she would be back in her own place again and all this would be behind her. She was quite sure he would be only too glad to see her go. 

After a silent and tense drive, they eventually pulled up at an enormous house outside the city, set amongst what appeared to be a huge amount of land. They had driven through two big wrought iron gates in the middle of a high line of hedges, and were slowly making their way along a curving driveway leading to the house itself. She had to admit it was beautiful. The whole place was rendered in a soft cream colour, with a large columned circular porch at the front. It had obviously been very well kept and it looked warm and welcoming, but she wouldn't tell _him_ that. She didn't want him to think she liked any part of the forthcoming ordeal, so she thought it best not to speak to him at all and she averted her eyes from the appealing facade of his house. Her home now, she amended, glancing back at it briefly. But only for a little while. 

Mark stopped the car and got out, letting out a breath through tight lips as he closed the car door behind him. The short journey here hadn't been very comfortable, and he again wondered if he shouldn't just stop all this and send her back home. But overriding that thought was the memory of what it had been like to be inside her, and he wanted to feel like that again. So he hardened his resolve and walked around the car to get her out, knowing by the mutinous look on her face that the coming evening wouldn't be any more comfortable than the trip here. 

When it seemed she wasn't going to get out of the car of her own accord he reached in and grabbed her wrist, pulling her easily out until she was standing in front of him. 

"There's no need to manhandle me," she said sharply, glaring at him with all the venom she could conjure up. 

Mark raised one eyebrow and sighed. "I can see you're in a fine mood." 

"Well how am I supposed to act? All sweetness and light?" she asked and immediately pressed herself against his side, giving him a sickly smile. "Is this better, honey bunny? Shall we go inside your house and make love? Maybe I can give you a massage, you do feel tense," she said in honeyed tones, squeezing his big arm for added effect. 

Mark found himself fighting a smile, and he grimly clamped down on any amusement. She thought she could get the upper hand here did she? Well she was wrong about that. He put his arm around her and gave her a too hard squeeze. "Well, now, that's much better," he said, taking everything she said at face value and watching her eyes widen. "Make love huh? That's a damn good idea, let's just do that, shall we?" With that he swung her up in his arms and took her into the house, ignoring the way her mouth dropped open with shock and she started struggling. 

"You put me down!" she squeaked, trying to worm her way out of his grip. 

"I will, honey, as soon as we're in the bedroom. That _is_ where you wanted me to make love to you right? Because if not, I'm quite happy to do it in the den, the kitchen...hell, I have a pool table that's never seen any action!" He looked into her huge eyes and gave her a wide grin, striding up the curving staircase with incredible speed considering he was carrying her weight as well. 

"No! No, I don't want to do it at all! Put me down, you big lug!" she shouted at him, still wriggling about, angry that his arms weren't budging even a tiny bit. 

"But honey, you just said you wanted to, and I think you mentioned a massage as well. Let's make love first, and then you can see to my tense muscles later," he said, still grinning, his eyes sparkling with amusement at her predicament. 

"I'd like to see to your tense muscles all right, with a machete!" she hissed, giving up on her useless struggle and folding her arms in front of her as he carried her along. 

"Now, now, sweetheart, let's not get off to a bad start. You know you want me," he said arrogantly, carrying her into his enormous bedroom and dropping her unceremoniously on the bed. 

"I do not want you!" Piper said in astonishment at his attitude, sitting herself up and scrabbling away from him as he came down on the bed next to her. 

"Sure you do, you're just in denial. And I know just how to cure you," he said, reaching out one long arm and pulling her back towards him as she tried to escape. He was so leisurely about it that she suddenly wondered if she would have been able to make it out of his house even if she had managed to get out of this room. He certainly acted like he would have no problem keeping her here. "Now then, where were we?" he murmured as he pulled her against him and dipped his head. "Ah yes, something about making love." 

Piper went to protest again, but she found her parted lips quickly covered by his warm mouth and her body instantly betrayed her, making her eyes close and her senses swim as she sank into the kiss like she was drowning. 

_****Okie dokie, there you go. Another chapter, short...it's true, but hopefully sweet. And of course I left it in a bad place again, a favourite little trick of mine as you well know! I promise I will write more soon, but I have lots of ideas for other stories swimming about in my empty head, so you may find new stories appearing soon! Thanks for reading (if you do!)****_


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry if this chapter is confusing...since there's bugger all in it. But it wouldn't upload my chapter....then it was there but there was nothing on it...then I couldn't replace it. For all I know this could also go swinging off into cyberspace never to be seen again. So, now I will do chapter 11 as 11a. Okay? Good! If it uploads that is, godammit to hell and back again and if it doesn't then it can just go and stick itself right up it's own ass and I hope it has fun finding it's way out again! Snarl! Okay, rant over. Oh yeah, definitely PMS!!!!! 


	12. Chapter 11a

_****Another short chapter I'm afraid.....but do not despair! It's full of rudeness. Oh yes. Much rudeness indeed, and I know how all you degenerates love a little rudeness!! I hope you enjoy!****_****

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**Chapter eleven**

Mark felt Piper relax underneath him and he changed tack, his kiss becoming soft and sensuous instead of an all out attack. No matter how irritating this woman could be, she was sexy as hell, and he couldn't wait to have her again. He released her lips and trailed small kisses along her jaw, moving down to nibble at her neck as he started removing her clothes in a slow and leisurely fashion, making sure he didn't jerk her out of the sensual trance she was in. He wanted her complete co-operation this time, and he wanted her to enjoy every second of their lovemaking. A sigh gusted from her lips as he finally pulled her top completely off her and released the catch on her bra, sending her breasts spilling into his waiting hands. Mark took the time to admire the perfection before him this time, not wanting to rush himself as his big fingers gently traced the firm, pale curves. He smiled as her nipples peaked at such minor caresses, proving her body was incredibly willing and open to whatever he wanted to do, even if her mind wasn't. Leaning down, he raised his eyes to her misty ones just as he took one hard peak into his mouth, nibbling softly on it and then laving it with his tongue. He was gratified to see her eyes squeeze shut as she arched towards his tormenting mouth, begging for more of the torture he was so happy to inflict on her. He went to work in earnest then, drawing her deeply into his mouth as he sucked and using his hand to caress her other breast, making sure it didn't feel left out in any way. The small noises that came from her as he touched her only spurred him on more and he finally released the turgid peak, running his tongue to the underside of the firm mound and licking a path down and across to her belly button, where he nipped at her smooth skin. Piper yelped and her eyes opened, the pupils dilated with passion. 

Mark moved back up until he was bracing himself over her and then he lowered his head again, taking her lips in another gentle kiss and slowly deepening it as she responded with more and more ferocity. Breaking off once more he rested his forehead on hers, breathing raggedly as he tried to calm his body down sufficiently to continue teasing her. His eyes met hers. "Touch me, Piper," he commanded deeply, taking her hands and drawing them up to rest on his enormous chest, her fingers clenching in the fabric of his shirt as she tried to fight off the urge to do as he said. 

But she could no more deny him than she could deny herself, and her hands went to work of their own accord. Without even realising what she was doing she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed the material away from him, revealing that huge rippling torso to her gaze once more. A sharp breath drew in through her parted lips as she stared. He was even more magnificent than she had remembered, probably because she had tried very hard to forget. She stroked her way over the hard planes of his chest until she found a small nipple and started toying with it, frankly fascinated with the way he shuddered and it went hard. Small tremors raced through his big frame as she found the matching nipple and made that equally as hard, every now and then staring up at his face curiously. It was strangely enjoyable to touch a man and see him shake weakly because of what you were doing to him, especially a man as physically strong as this one. Biting her lip with sudden longing, she pushed tentatively at him and was startled when he rolled onto his back with hardly any urging, giving her more freedom of movement. 

It didn't occur to her that she now had a way of escaping, she was enjoying what she was doing too much. Frowning slightly, she wondered if men felt the same as women did when they were touched in certain ways....and she nervously bent her head, her tongue flicking out and touching one small nub to see what happened. 

His reaction was all she could possibly have hoped for. He groaned and his fingers speared through her hair, holding her there in case she tried to stop, a slight pressure urging her on. She eagerly complied, running her tongue back and forth over the small peak and then closing her lips around it to suck softly, his groans and the tremors in his torso making it that much more pleasurable. She let go reluctantly and ran her tongue up the middle of his big chest, finding a nice coating of red hair there that surprisingly turned her on even more, and then she got to the partial tattoo on his throat. She drew back to look at it inquisitively, cocking her head to one side as she realised it might have once been a word, not just a picture. She couldn't make out what it had said and she mentally shrugged, dipping her head again and licking her way across it and then back down his chest. The hair proved too much of a temptation and she grabbed some between her teeth and pulled on it, making him groan sharply again, his breathing becoming even heavier. 

"Do that again," he ordered her, his voice so deep it almost sounded slurred. When she did as he asked, he groaned again and shuddered, pulling her back up his body so he could plunder her mouth once more, his tongue shooting rhythmically back and forth as his hands held her head firmly in place. 

Mark tried to calm his body down, but found he was fast losing control. The way she had been touching him had been mind-blowingly erotic, and yet she hadn't once ventured below the waist, something that amazed him. He rolled her over underneath him and quickly removed the remainder of her clothing, his own following with equal speed until they were both finally naked. He knew he didn't have time or patience enough to prepare her much more for his body, but he was also aware that a kiss could be just as big a turn on as foreplay sometimes, so he took her mouth again. One of his big hands stroked down her smooth body and insinuated itself between her thighs, gently cupping the heated mound between her legs and making her squirm. 

He broke off the kiss as he slipped one large finger slowly inside her tightness, his eyes holding hers as he explored her tenderly. "You want me darlin'?" he asked her, his voice much gentler than he had intended it to be. 

Piper gasped as he pushed the digit further inside her, twisting it slightly as his mouth started nibbling her neck again. "I d..d....I do..." she gasped out, unable to deny what he would so obviously be able to feel anyway. 

It was all he had been waiting for and he pulled her thighs further apart with his big hands, settling himself down against her, his hardness probing at her slick flesh until he could start to sink slowly inside her. Piper moaned as she felt him invade her, her memory of how big he was fairly accurate as he stretched her around him, being much gentler this time. She looked up at his tense face and was surprised at the wave of emotion that swept through her at his treatment of her. He was really making love to her, not just screwing her this time and she responded to it as if he really was the love of her life. She didn't have too much time to analyse her feelings as he drew back and then surged forward again, sinking to the hilt inside her and pulling her legs up around his waist as he started a smooth rhythm that soon had her arching upwards to meet every thrust. 

He grabbed her hands and placed them back on his chest, telling her without words what he wanted and he continued on with the same relentless pace as she caressed his chest, finding his nipples again and pinching them harder than she had meant to. He responded by moving faster and she gave a whimper as her mind started to break apart under the strength of passion running through her body. 

Sensing she was close, Mark pulled her legs up higher and starting moving faster and deeper, careful to make sure he didn't hurt her. He lowered his head and kissed her again, loving the feel of her soft lips under his and her tongue delving into his mouth as she tried to get even closer to him. It was better like this, he thought while he was still able to. Better being face to face with her so he could touch every inch of her lovely body and kiss her, too. The first contraction of her inner muscles squeezed around him and he drove wildly for his own release, the feel of her clamping down on him as her body convulsed sending him spinning off into his own splintering ecstasy where he was blind and deaf. 

What felt like ages later he came back to himself to find he was laying his entire weight on top of her slight form, and he slowly moved to her side, gathering her trembling body up against him. He looked down at her to find her eyes were closed, and her face was flushed a bright red. Laboured breaths were coming from her parted lips as she came down from her own climax. 

"Piper? Are you okay?" he asked, surprised when his voice came out slightly husky. 

"Mmm," she murmured, nodding slightly and nestling her head against his chest. He realised she was falling asleep and he smiled with surprise and pleasure. He had expected her to leap off the bed and accuse him of raping her or something, and here she was getting comfortable and snuggling with him. He couldn't deny it felt good, and he certainly didn't want to break the spell just yet, so he wrapped his arms around her and closed his own eyes, dozing off. 

_****Okay, so the whole chapter was just rudeness. Ah well. Hmm, a big, naked Mark Calloway.....laid out on a bed and ready to explore...sigh. I'll write some more soon, maybe without the rudeness! Depends on my mood really!! Thinking about bringing in her sister Paige, but who could I bring in to pair her up with? I bet I know who Cat would suggest :-)****_


	13. Chapter 12

Okay here's another rant, bloody thing wouldn't upload again. Keeps doing Proxy error, what the hell is wrong with this thing? Anyway, same as last time.....next chapter will be labelled 12a. Dammit. 


	14. Chapter 12a

_***Hello everybody! (I've decided to stick with the Dr Nick thing, it suits me!) Okay, don't worry about the last chapter that says chapter does not exist cos it bloody well does, only now it's here cos I am having a god awful time trying to upload stuff. You haven't missed a thing, this is the continuation from 11a! Another chapter pour vous (ooh the fluent French!) Hope you enjoy it, a little bit of angst in this one...hmm, angst....and he's SO masterful and stuff sigh well, anyway, enjoy!***_

**Chapter twelve**

When Piper woke up it took her a few seconds to remember where she was and then her eyes went wide as she looked at where she was laying. Two big tattooed arms were wrapped around her and her head was resting on his broad chest, almost as if they were real lovers. She frowned. They _were_ lovers. She hadn't protested and she had to admit she had enjoyed everything that happened, even if the memory did make her blush because of her own wanton behaviour. Now she let her eyes lift up and studied his face while he was sleeping, amazed at how different he looked when he was totally relaxed. He was quite good looking really, she decided, in a rugged sort of way. Her fingers twitched as she fought the urge to touch his features, to feel that faint stubble on his jaw line and stroke through the goatee that decorated his chin. Even his eyebrows were relaxed, and she realised how angry he seemed to look most of the time. Or perhaps it was just that he was angry with her most of the time, she thought. She frowned and moved her face even closer so she could get a better look. No, she wasn't mistaken, he had freckles on his face...very faint it was true, but there all the same. Her eyes dropped to his chest and saw that the freckles covered every inch of him and she couldn't help smiling. She had always associated freckles with childhood and innocence, but there was no way anyone would call this man childlike...and most definitely not innocent. 

"What ya smiling about, girl?" his deep voice rumbled through his chest and made her shiver, her eyes darting back to his to find he had woken up and was studying her just as intently. 

"Nothing," she said, annoyed that her voice came out all soft and warm sounding. She had to remember that he was forcing her to be here, she was not here of her own free will and she didn't want to be here. Regardless of how good the sex had just been. She groaned and frowned, forcing the image out of her head and pulling away from him. Once she did she realised that she was totally naked and he was getting an eyeful and she grabbed at the sheet, tugging it away from him so she could cover herself up. But that turned out to be an even worse mistake as it came completely away from him and she saw him in all his naked glory. 

Mark chuckled when her face went bright red. "Something wrong?" he asked, not making any attempt to cover himself. 

"Will you please put something on?" she asked, averting her eyes with some difficulty. Whatever else this man was, he was physically beautiful and she had the insane urge to jump on him. She glanced back once to see if he was doing as she asked, and her eyes dropped down his body of their own accord, transfixed by his physique. 

"Want some more?" he asked her, grinning broadly when she went even redder and turned quickly away, caught in the act of staring. 

"You're disgusting," she said grumpily, tucking the sheet more securely around her as she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to him. 

"You didn't seem to think so a little while ago," he pointed out, pulling himself up and stretching. "In fact, you couldn't seem to get enough of me, as I recall." 

Piper closed her eyes and wished herself somewhere else. "I hate you," she whispered, not knowing what else to say and wanting him to know how she felt. 

"Sure you do, honey, and I hate you too. And later on, I'll prove how much my body hates you," he said, chuckling as he walked into the bathroom, aware that she was staring at his backside the whole time. 

As he stood under the cleansing spray of the shower he mulled over what to do. No denying he wanted to keep her in his bed, and also no denying that he hadn't thought this thing through at all. She was probably expecting to get married. His palms hit the wall as he leaned on it, and he frowned. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. No, not bad at all. He started making plans and hurried with his shower, wanting to get down to the den so he could start the wheels turning. Piper Williams was going to be his wife before too many more days had passed, whether she wanted to be or not. 

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Piper stared at the closed bathroom door for a few seconds and then stood up, hurriedly donning her clothes and leaving the room. Okay, so she couldn't leave the house, but she could at least get away from him for a little while. She found herself down in the main hallway and she stared around her at the various different doors that led off it, wondering where to go first. Shrugging, she went to the nearest one and opened it, finding a large well furnished living room behind it, completely kitted out with every entertainment item imaginable. The sofas and chairs were huge overstuffed things, and looked very welcoming, something she wouldn't have expected to see in his house. There was another door leading off from this room and she went through that, finding herself in a large, very expensive looking dining room. She reluctantly admitted to herself that this was the sort of house she would secretly love, it was only a pity it belonged to him. After a search of several other rooms, she was even more impressed. There had been a games room with a large pool table taking pride of place and also a door that led out back to an enclosed swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Every luxury was furnished in the house, and she wondered if he ever actually got time to use any of it. She would make sure she did, for the brief time she intended to be here. 

Only two doors in the hallway proved to be locked, one underneath the stairs. She supposed it was a cellar or something. The other was near the living room and she felt her curiosity rise up, wondering what was behind it. She looked around for a key, searching the drawers in the furniture adorning the hallway, but she couldn't find anything. 

"You don't have to go poking about like a thief, you know. What are you looking for, exactly?" 

Piper jumped and swung around to face Mark, seeing that he had just stepped off the last stair and was frowning at her, his eyes narrow. "I was just...er...just looking around." 

"Mmm-hmm, just looking around. This wouldn't be what you were after, would it?" he asked, holding up a small bunch of keys and dangling them in front of her. 

"No," she said stubbornly, giving him a glare. 

Mark cocked his head to one side as he studied her rebellious expression. "I think that sooner or later, we're going to have to do something about that stubbornness. Why don't you just tell me the truth, hmm?" 

"Are you saying I'm a liar?" she demanded, planting her fists on her hips and glaring even harder. 

"Don't answer a question with a question, Piper, not with me. Tell me the truth," he said, his voice getting harder as he watched her. 

"I did tell you the truth, but it obviously didn't suit you. So now I don't want to say anything at all to you," she said, squaring her shoulders at the spark of fire that lit his eyes up for a second. 

"And there's another thing we'll have to do something about, that sharp little tongue of yours. It's going to get you into a whole heap of trouble soon," he mused, raising one eyebrow as he thought of several different ways of dealing with her. 

"I suppose you expect me to be scared?" she asked with hauteur, raising her chin and trying to stare him down. 

Mark gave a grim smile and took a step towards her, noting the way she instantly backed away. "Yes, I do, and you obviously are, despite this little performance. Just one thing, Piper, that you may want to keep in mind," he said, reaching out and grabbing her chin before she could move, "I don't tolerate bad behaviour from anyone, least of all my wife, and I have ways of dealing with it that you won't be too fond of." 

"I'm not your wife," she hissed between gritted teeth, swallowing the lump in her throat at the seriousness of his face. 

"But you will be. Cross me and you'll regret it. I would have thought you'd already learnt that little lesson by now," he said, releasing her and stepping back, watching the way she relaxed a little. 

"I've learnt that you're an arrogant asshole who thinks he owns the world!" she said, not choosing her words with much care. "What are you going to do? Tie me to the bed and whip me? You cannot treat people like this!" 

Mark's eyebrows shot up as if he couldn't believe what she had just called him. Didn't this woman ever learn? "What did you just call me?" he asked her quietly, his eyes burning with temper. 

Piper didn't heed the warning in his eyes. "I called you an arrogant asshole! Why, does the truth hurt?" 

"It doesn't hurt me, sweetheart, but I promise it's going to hurt you!" he said, gritting his teeth as he reached out and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and turning to go back up the stairs. 

Shock kept Piper still for a second, and then the realisation hit that she had pushed him too far. She had seriously thought that everything he had been saying was bullshit, but she should have known better. She started kicking and hitting at him, hoping she could make him drop her, but nothing seemed to have any effect on him and she found herself being carried inexorably towards her doom - whatever that turned out to be. "Put me down!" she shouted at him, giving another hefty kick which did nothing whatsoever. 

Mark said nothing, instead kicking open the bedroom door and striding over to the bed, where he finally pulled her off his shoulder and held her in front of him, his face grim. "Now, let's choose your punishment shall we?" he said, his eyes narrowing on her wary face. 

"Punishment?" she said, her breathing becoming slightly constricted. 

"You have two choices here, one is a damn good spanking and the other...well, I believe you said something about a whipping?" he said, still looking grim. 

"Spank...you can't do that!" she said shakily, looking for some sign that he didn't mean it. 

"I damn well can, and I can barely wait. So make your choice. I'm quite sure I have a whip around here somewhere if that's what you want." 

She stared at him open mouthed. "I'm not making any such choice, you can't touch me....I'll call the police....I'll...I'll..." 

"You'll do nothing. Fair enough, sweetheart, choice made," he said, dragging her to the bed and sitting down, throwing her over his knee as if she were a doll. 

Her eyes became huge as her world tilted upside down and then she yelled furiously as she felt his big hand come down on her backside with extreme force. Before she could take a breath, another blow came, followed in quick succession by several more. She was chagrined to find herself near tears and she squirmed on his lap trying to get away. "Stop it!" she gasped when he slapped her again, her breath hitching in her throat as she tried to bite back a sob. This shit really hurt, she thought with amazement, wishing she had kept her mouth shut. 

"You decided to behave yet?" he asked her, bringing his hand down again and then waiting for her reply. 

She nodded frantically, her backside on fire and her whole body starting to hurt in sympathy with it. "Yes, yes, please stop," she said, her voice sounding more defeated than she would have liked. 

Mark nodded grimly and pulled her up, flinging her onto the bed next to him and standing up again. "You can stay right there while I get dinner organised, and I don't want to hear one word from you until I say so, understand?" 

Piper swallowed and nodded, looking quickly away from him just in case he could see the hatred in her eyes and acted on it. She didn't relax until she heard the door close, and even then she couldn't calm down. One small hand crept around and rubbed at her posterior, wincing at the pain it induced just touching it lightly. Damn him, he didn't have to do that! she thought, swiping at her eyes as belated tears started filling them. God she wished she was big so she could attack him in the same way, then he'd regret ever touching her. Pig, she thought, wondering what the evening would bring. 

_****Hope you liked it....Mmmm, big man, small woman...yummy. Maybe it's just me and I'm a pervert, who can tell! Hee hee!****_


	15. Chapter 13

_***Bonsoir again, mes amies! Another chapter and a slight change of pace. Bit of a warning here because it gets a bit...er...hmmm...kinky and violent I guess. You'll see what I mean, just something I couldn't get out of my head, call me weird! Actually don't, cos then I'll just stop writing. Oh, and Cat? I've got a surprise for you in an upcoming chapter! Ah the suspense!! :-D***_****

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**Chapter thirteen**

Piper looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted her plain white suit. So, this was what being married felt like, she told herself. Not really very much different to normal, but for some reason she could feel an underlying fear that she couldn't explain. When the bedroom door opened behind her she swung around, and the fear sharpened as her new husband walked into the room, his face cold. She didn't understand why he would look that way, she didn't think she had done anything wrong today. "Mark?" she said, confused. 

"I see you at least managed to obey my order and get your ass in the bedroom," he sneered at her and her mouth fell open. What order? She couldn't remember him giving her any order, not that she would have obeyed him anyway, but still. "But why are you still dressed?" 

"What? I'm...er...you didn't say anything..." she began, feeling a bit odd. 

"Don't fucking backchat me girl, get your clothes off or you'll pay!" he snapped, making her jump and stare at him like he'd gone mad. 

"I don't understand...what's wrong?" she asked, feeling that unnamed fear crawl up her throat. 

"Wrong? For fuck's sake, you don't learn do you? Well, that ain't a problem, I'm quite willing to continue your lessons, if that's the way you want it," he snarled and strode towards her, making her try and back up at the look of fury on his face. 

She didn't know what she had expected, but his big hand coming up and slapping her across the face was certainly not it, and she crumpled to the floor under the force of the blow. She didn't stay there long and she screamed as he pulled her upright by her hair, holding her in front of him as he slapped her again and again. "Stop!" she screamed, trying uselessly to pull away from him. Her protest only served to make him shake her and then he started ripping her suit from her, finally picking her up and throwing her on the bed where she lay dazed and shocked to her core, unable to move as he followed her down. 

"You think you can defy my orders? I'll show you what being married to me means!" he growled, his face a mask of fury. Out of nowhere he held up a long strip of wide leather, something she'd never seen before and certainly couldn't put a name to, and then he rolled her onto her stomach, bringing the leather down across her soft buttocks as hard as he could. The pain was so intense that she couldn't make a sound at all, and he just kept right on swinging, again and again until she could actually feel blood trickling off her skin. Finally her throat loosened up enough and she gave an ear piercing scream and... 

...sat up in a tangle of covers, sweat pouring off her face as she fought her way out of the nightmare. She found she was sobbing hysterically and she tried desperately to calm herself down, wincing and shifting around as her tender backside rubbed on the mattress. Sometime after his 'punishment' she must have fallen asleep, and the overload of emotions must have sent her that awful dream. She almost jumped out of her skin when the door was flung open and Mark stood there, switching the light on in the now dark room and staring at her with apparent concern. He strode towards her and frowned when she shrank back away from him, scrabbling her way across the bed when he sat down. 

"Piper, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice carefully soft and slow as he took in her panic. She shook her head and remained silent, scrubbing at her eyes with a balled up fist that made him smile, the gesture being so childlike. "Tell me what the matter is," he urged her, holding himself still so as not to startle her in any way. She was very jumpy. 

"I...I...just...had a nightmare," she explained shakily, still unable to shake off the incredible terror she had felt at the hands of his dream image. 

He nodded, obviously having thought that was what it had been. "Want to talk about it?" 

She shook her head violently and shuddered, pulling her knees up to her chest as she darted big eyes up to his face. 

Mark frowned again, his eyes narrowing. "Was it about me by any chance?" he asked, sighing when her eyes got even bigger but she remained silent. "Obviously it was. Tell me what happened." When she shook her head again he pressed his lips together and reached out, grabbing hold of her gently but insistently and pulled her towards him. Despite her slight struggle he soon had her settled on his lap and he tilted her chin up with one finger so he could see her face. "You might as well tell me, I ain't leaving you alone until you do. What did I do in this dream that's got you so frightened?" 

Piper was slowly starting to fight her way out of the gripping fear and she began to feel embarrassed. "N-nothing, really," she whispered. 

"Don't give me that. If I did nothing you wouldn't be scared of me. Come on, tell me," he said, stroking her cheek gently with his fingertips. 

"You....you beat me up and you wouldn't stop and then you....you...got this strip of leather and started hitting me with it and..." she broke off and chewed her lip at his look of amazement. 

"Where did I use this strip of leather?" he asked her, amused despite himself. 

"On my...my...you...er..." 

"Ah, I see where this nightmare came from. Did I spank you with it, by any chance?" he asked her, raising one eyebrow. He chuckled softly when she nodded. "Well, you'll be relieved to know that I don't have any need of 'tools' to aid me. If I ever have to spank that pretty little ass again, I'll only use my hand. As for beating you, that's something I would never do. I hope you know that?" 

Instead of the agreement he half expected, Piper frowned. "I don't know you at all, and...you don't know me..." she said, her eyes reflecting that realisation as she thought about marrying him. 

"You will. And you already know some things about me. You know I don't tolerate rudeness, or defiance, and you now know how I deal with it." He smiled at her. "You know I like my own way, and I usually get it. And you know I can be gentle when I need to be." His head cocked to one side as he studied her flushed face, looking into her whisky coloured eyes framed with tear spiked lashes. "And I know you are stubborn, mule-headed, feisty as hell...unbelievably sexy and incredibly responsive. And now I know you're sensitive too. Now, does that sound like we don't know anything about each other?" 

She shook her head, becoming mesmerised by the deep resonant voice that seemed to flow over her like melted chocolate. She sighed and relaxed against him even more, forgetting what he had done to her earlier on, and forgetting the dream too as she let his voice lull her. For just a moment it actually felt like she was sitting with the man she loved, the man who would be her husband, and the man who cherished her above all others. The fact that she was virtually being blackmailed into this whole thing slipped her mind for the moment because she just needed some comfort, tired of fighting and of being strong. She wasn't strong, not really, and it was nice to let someone take over. A thought occurred to her and she looked up at him, caught by his piercing green eyes and unable to speak for a second. 

"What's wrong baby?" 

"Can I ask you a question?" she said, her voice husky. When he nodded she bit her lip and frowned, wondering how to word something she knew very little about, but was getting a suspicion about. "Are you...are you one of those people...a...a Dom?" she said in a tiny voice, her cheeks flaming. 

"A Dom?" he asked, raising one eyebrow and looking amused. "Hmm, how to answer," he murmured, raising one hand to brush a strand of black hair away from her smooth skin. "I'm the type of person who will always play the dominant role in a relationship, if that's what you mean. Is that what you wanted to know?" 

"S-sort of," she muttered, chewing her lip again. 

"Or did you want to know if I'll be tying you up and whipping you on a regular basis?" he continued, the corners of his mouth tilting up with mirth. 

"You wouldn't...would you?" she asked, her eyes enormous as she tried to gauge how serious he was being. 

"Not unless you'd like me to," he replied, flashing her a grin that made her stomach turn over. "I'm not a Dom, not in that way, and I wouldn't expect you to be a sub...or at least, not _that_ kind of sub. However, I will expect you to do as you're told." Piper felt her temper start up and she opened her mouth to speak, only to find his big finger covering her lips. He shook his head. "And you know what happens if you don't, so I wouldn't argue right now if I was you. I would imagine you're a little sore right now, hmm?" He dropped his hand and moved it around to her tender backside, rubbing gently at her and watching the way she shifted about uncomfortably. 

"I'm not going to let you spank me again," she said with a touch more spirit. 

"You're not going to be able to stop me," he corrected her, looking incredibly arrogant. His confidence made her fume because she knew it wasn't misplaced, she really couldn't stop him. 

"I'll leave," she said quietly. 

"And that would be an enormous mistake on your part, as you well know. Hmm," he murmured, shaking his head and smiling in genuine amusement. "I can see there are going to be fireworks between us, honey, before you learn how to behave around me." 

Piper's mouth fell open at the sheer audacity of that statement and Mark took advantage, swooping in to capture her lips and ease her into a scorching kiss that made her eyes flutter closed and her head swim. The thought that in three days time she would now legally be his made him smile as he deepened the kiss. If only she had any idea of the amount of strings he had had to pull to get it all arranged, but he had a feeling he was going to enjoy married life somehow. Tomorrow her sister would be flying in from England and her father had agreed to meet her. He didn't question what made him want to surprise her in such a nice way, or why he couldn't wait to see a happy smile on her face. He pushed all other thoughts away and abandoned himself to the feelings she evoked. 

_***Okie dokie, another one done. Ah, but did it upload...or are you now reading this after another stupid big blank screen? Who can tell, but let me assure you this IS the follow on from Chapter 12a! Hope it was okay.***_


	16. Chapter 14

_***Hello everybody! Another chapter...yay...ooh, and more to come! YAY! Cat, there's a small surprise for you, but this isn't THE surprise...not yet! Enjoy!***_****

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**Chapter fourteen**

The next couple of days passed by far too quickly for Piper's liking. Her father had telephoned her and it seemed he now knew all about her supposed 'happy' forthcoming wedding. Mark must have told him, she guessed, and wondered just what it was her father really did know. He certainly wouldn't have been told that she was basically selling herself to save his business, Mark wouldn't have risked that. So he must have woven some story about them falling suddenly and madly in love....or something. She snorted at that thought. It would be just like that man to do something like that anyway, he had a knack of turning things around to suit himself. Her eyebrows rose when she thought how much she had learnt about him in only two days. Not that she had had much choice. After their little 'conversation' he had gone about telling her things about himself at any given opportunity and getting information out of her about her life...even though she had been very reluctant to talk. But he had methods of loosening her tongue...she blushed as she thought about that. Why on earth was he bothering to actually marry her? He was getting his conjugal rights already, no matter how much she tried to protest. A sigh made itself heard as she shook her head. Not that she had been able to protest very much, she had been too weak. Her body just gave up the fight almost the moment he touched her. Deciding she would have to strengthen her resolve, she stood up and smoothed down her clothes, walking out of the room and making her way downstairs. 

Her stomach gave an all too familiar lurch when she saw Mark pouring coffee in the kitchen. Damn him! she thought, frowning. He was a horribly arrogant, conceited pig...but he could look so damn sexy doing just about anything. And right now he was wearing a tight black T-shirt and equally tight jeans, the material moulding itself nicely to his backside. Her fingers twitched as she thought about touching it and she had to forcibly stop herself from moving towards him. It was even worse when he suddenly turned around, because her eyes were still down there and she saw the way the denim lovingly cupped him in front, her cheeks burning as she quickly jerked her eyes away. The fact that he gave a deep chuckle only made her more embarrassed and she turned to leave the room. 

"No, you don't," Mark said, moving with incredible speed and pulling her back. "I've made you some coffee." 

"I don't want...I..er...I don't want any coffee," she muttered, refusing to look at him as he pulled her over to the table and made her sit down before sitting opposite her. 

"Nevertheless, you've got some. No need to be embarrassed because you appreciate my body, Piper, I feel just the same when I look at yours." 

Her eyes jerked up to his briefly and just as quickly darted away, not in the least bit comfortable with the way he spoke. "I do not appreciate your body," she said through her teeth, grabbing the mug of coffee and warming her hands on it. 

"Sure you do, you couldn't keep your eyes off my ass. That's okay, I like knowing I'm sexy in your eyes," he said, flashing her a smug grin when she stared at him in irritation. 

"You're not sexy," she told him, raising her chin as anger overcame her embarrassment. 

He put a hand over his chest and gave a groan, his grin still firmly in place. "You wound me," he said, raising one eyebrow. 

"I'd like to wound you," she muttered, not in the best mood as she thought about marrying him. Thinking about that made her change the subject. "How long am I supposed to be your wife for?" 

"How long? Well, honey, the same amount of time as most happy marriages," he said, sipping from his own coffee before continuing, "until death us do part." 

"But this isn't going to be a happy marriage," she said, hoping he was just joking. 

"Yes it is. I've already been very happy over the last couple of days," he said, his eyes roaming up and down her body with interest. "I don't see any reason why that shouldn't continue. Plus I want children, and you couldn't very well have them and just leave, now could you?" 

"Children?" she said, shocked because that hadn't even occurred to her. 

"Yeah, you know, little versions of us?" he asked, obviously enjoying himself at her expense judging by the gleam in his eyes. "Anyway, enough about that for now, you need to go shopping." 

"Shopping?" 

"Yes, you need to get a wedding dress, unless I'm very much mistaken," he pointed out. 

"Wedding dress?" 

"Enough of the parrot act, sweetheart. Here's some money," he said, throwing a rolled up wad of bills across the table. "Get whatever you need. But make sure it's nice. I want you to look good when we say our vows." 

"Look good...? Why should I....I don't even want...you...God, you make me so..." she sputtered, hating his attitude and wishing she was strong enough to punch his lights out. 

"I make you speechless, quite obviously. And you're not the only one with things to do," he said, looking at his watch. "I have to go and pick my suit up, and I have some other things to arrange. Oh, and your father will be here later today, so behave yourself." 

Piper stood up and gaped at him, feeling control over her life slipping away inch by inch. "I'll behave how I please," she said heatedly. She just about managed to stop herself from backing up when Mark slowly stood up, leaning across the table menacingly, his big fists planted in front of him. 

"You'll behave as I tell you to, or I'll put you over my knee in front of your family. Don't think I won't do it Piper, I don't make empty threats, as you should already know," he said, his eyes glinting as he stared her down. 

Not really knowing what to say, she looked away and sat back down, knowing she wasn't going to win in this no matter how she tried. And there was really nothing she could do to change any of it. Sure, she could run off, but then she would have the awful knowledge that she had been responsible for her fathers downfall, and she couldn't do that. She didn't look up again until she heard him leave the room, and she let out a breath she hadn't even been aware she was holding in. Her eyes fell on the wad of money and she grimaced. Well, at least she'd have something to do to occupy her time today, she thought, a gleam of mischief entering her eyes. She would buy a nice dress, for herself if nothing else. But if he thought she was going to buy something sexy to wear underneath it, then he was sadly mistaken. When he peeled her out of her dress tomorrow night, he'd be in for a nasty surprise. 

Several hours later Piper let herself back into the house, frowning when she heard loud voices coming from somewhere. She put her bags down and had just straightened up when Mark walked out of his den. 

"Ah, there you are," he said, sounding almost pleased to see her. She looked at him in confusion for a second until another large figure emerged from the room behind him, making her jaw drop. The man was absolutely enormous, even more so than Mark, she thought. And he looked as scary as hell! His head was shaved and, by the looks of it, so were his eyebrows. She was so busy staring at him that she barely heard Mark speaking. 

"This is a good friend of mine, Glenn Jacobs. Glenn, this is Piper Williams, my future wife," he said, watching Piper shrink back slightly as Glenn moved forward and grasped her nerveless fingers in his. 

"Pleased to meet you," he said, shaking her hand and giving her a pleasant smile. He couldn't help being amused at the way she was looking at him. Mark had told him everything about their 'relationship' so far, so it was no wonder she looked a bit nervous. She probably thought he was here to help subdue her. 

Before she could say anything to him, Mark started speaking again. "There's someone else here to see you as well," he told her, motioning behind him. 

Piper felt her eyes fill with tears when her father walked out of the den, and she rushed to him, so happy to have someone she loved here that she almost wailed. But she wasn't going to act weak like that in front of Mark and his friend, so she bit all her feelings back and enjoyed the cuddle. It felt like she hadn't seen him in years and yet it had only been a few days. 

"Is everything okay, honey?" her father asked, frowning down at her with concern. 

Piper pulled back and darted a glance at Mark, not needing to see the faint warning in his eyes to know that he was expecting her to be good. "Everything's fine, I'm just a little nervous," she said, shrugging. 

"Well, that's only natural, I guess," her father said, relieved that that was all it was. "Come on then, show me your new home. Mark said he'd let you do the grand tour, although I think he's planning on joining us, aren't you Mark?" he asked his future son-in-law, smiling obliviously. 

"Yes, I am. There are still some places that Piper hasn't seen, herself, so it would be easier if I came along.," he said, chatting easily. 

Piper knew the truth was that he didn't trust her not to blab about everything, and he was merely playing bodyguard. 

"I'll just put my bags upstairs," she mumbled, going over and picking up her things. 

"Fine, we'll start up there," Mark said, putting one big arm around her shoulders and guiding her up the staircase. As surreal as the situation had felt before, now, with her father here, it felt even more so and she had to carefully mask the sudden misery that engulfed her. She wished she was marrying for love. 

_***Ah another one written and on we go!***_


	17. Chapter 15

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_IF THE CHAPTER BEFORE THIS ONE SAYS CHAPTER DOES NOT EXIST, THEN DON'T READ THIS ONE UNTIL THE STUPID BLOODY THING HAS APPEARED! FUME!!!!!_

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_***Okay, a little rudeness in this one. And Cat? Not surprise time yet...but soon, very soon...LOL!***_

**Chapter fifteen**

That night Piper sat on her bed staring at the purchases she had made, almost regretting getting the incredibly unattractive 'old lady' underwear. After all, it was her wedding day and she had bought herself a really beautiful three quarter length dress, covered in lace and beads which made a pleasant rustling sound when she moved. Now she was going to be wearing this hideous stuff underneath it. Still, she thought with a slight smile, at least Mark would hate it as well. 

He had gone out for the evening with Glenn, and he had actually been quite nice before he left. She had received a kiss and a warm hug, as if he really cared for her. Normally she would have pushed him away, but in her current state of confusion she had needed the comfort and had taken it. And then he had told her he had a surprise for her, and it would arrive early the next morning. She had managed to stop herself from begging him to tell her what it was, but she had a feeling he knew she was bursting to find out. His eyes could be very expressive sometimes, she mused, thinking of the lovely green colour. She shook herself. His eyes were not lovely, nor was any other part of him. She groaned and fell back on the bed, wondering if she had rampaging hormones or something, because every time she thought about his body - his extremely muscular, huge and naked body - she got turned on. Driving back such thoughts, she gathered her things up and started getting ready for bed, knowing that this one night he wouldn't be coming into this room, he had told her so. It seemed that some traditions he followed. 

When she opened her eyes just after dawn the next morning, her heart instantly started hammering in her chest. Today was the day, she thought, biting her lip nervously. After this, there was no going back. The wedding itself wasn't until noon, so she had plenty of time to get ready, but she wanted to start early and pamper herself a bit. 

She faintly heard the doorbell ring as she ran a nice hot bubble bath, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Not until another small knock came at her door and then a voice called out her name. 

Piper straightened abruptly from the bath and froze. No, it couldn't be...could it? She rushed out of the en-suite and stared, amazed to see her older sister standing in her bedroom. "You're in England," she said, stunned. 

Paige Williams grinned, her eyes sparkling behind her wire rimmed glasses. "Not anymore!" 

"Oh my God!" Piper said, rushing over and hugging her. "How did you get here?" 

"Your fiancé arranged it all, but I was coming back anyway," the older girl said. Piper leaned back and looked at her, noting that she hadn't changed at all in appearance even though she had been gone for four years now. She was two years older than Piper, but she looked younger. Whereas Piper had whisky coloured eyes, Paige's were a fairly ordinary brown. Her hair was dark brown, not black as Piper's was, and her complexion was paler. Out of the two of them, Piper had always been the most striking, and Paige hadn't minded one bit that her younger sister got all the attention, she didn't like being singled out anyway. Her hair was very long and haphazardly drawn back into a braid, the only style she ever wore. She was slightly shorter than her younger sibling. 

"You look good," Piper said, grinning. "Why have you still got those glasses?" 

Paige grimaced. "I couldn't cope with the contact lenses, they felt like chunks of grit in my eyes all the time. I prefer these." 

"You look like a librarian," Piper pointed out. 

"I am a librarian," Paige replied, laughing along with her sister. "So, come on, tell me all about this man of yours! You never even wrote to say you were dating anyone!" 

Piper looked to the door and then back to her sister. Mark wasn't around to stop her, and she just had to confide in someone. "That's because I wasn't dating. Paige, this isn't really what it looks like." 

Paige frowned as Piper led her over to sit on the edge of the bed. Her frown continued to get worse as her sister told her what was really going on. 

******* 

Mark sat in his den with Glenn, his eyes occasionally darting to the door. 

"Hey man, you look like you're getting nervous or something," Glenn said, raising his shaved eyebrows. 

Mark shook his head. "I ain't nervous, but I'd bet you anything you like that Piper's sister is hearing about this whole...situation." 

Glenn shrugged. "So? There's nothing she can do about it, is there?" 

"I guess not, but still...listen, if she is anything at all like Piper then she's going to cause trouble. I think I might just have a little plan. You're free for a couple of months aren't you? No wrestling commitments for a while?" 

Glenn shook his head. "No, no work for some time. I've been 'injured' remember? Why, what have you come up with now?" 

Mark gave an evil grin and leaned forward, starting to outline his plan should they need to use it. 

By the time he'd finished, Glenn was laughing. "You're kidding right? If anyone found out, I'd be arrested!" 

"No-one will find out, and you get to pretend to be as evil as you like." 

"Yeah, if I can keep up the act," Glenn mused. 

"Come on, it isn't all an act is it? I know you better than that. And believe me, someone with a temper like Piper's would keep you angry for years!" 

Glenn nodded. "Fair enough, I'll do it, if need be. Could prove to be diverting at that." 

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The hours flew past and before she knew it, Piper was sitting in the back of an enormous posh car being driven to the chapel where the wedding was to take place. She fiddled nervously with her hair, her fingers stroking through the ringlets that had been put into it. 

Brian Williams stared at his youngest daughter, amusement crinkling his eyes. "You look lovely," he said, pride shining from his eyes. 

Piper looked across the seat at him and gave a wobbly smile. "Thanks Dad." 

He frowned. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm...I'm fine, a little nervous, I'll be fine," she said, averting her eyes to her sister who was sitting on the other side of him. Paige gave Piper a look of sympathy, her lips tightening as she thought of what she'd like to do to Mark Calloway for putting Piper in this situation. But Piper had begged her not to say anything in case Mark followed through with his threats to their father. The whole thing left Paige feeling impotent. Not that she was a violent person in the first place, and some of the things she was picturing doing to her future brother-in-law even made her shudder, but she wished she was a man. A rich man, she corrected in her head. Then she could just use her money to buy her way out of this and punch him firmly in the jaw for an added bonus. For now, all she could do was sit back and watch as her sister went through with this travesty. 

The car slowed as it drew up next to the pretty chapel, and Piper wondered how many people were inside. Mark had said they'd keep it small and quiet, and she was fairly grateful for that. The driver hopped out of the car and opened the back door, holding his hand out to help her out and she stood uncertainly looking up at the building, absently smoothing her dress down as Paige and her father got out behind her. 

"All ready, sweetheart?" her father asked, holding his arm out for her. 

Swallowing down the sudden fear that seized her, she put her hand on is arm and let him lead her into the chapel, her mind starting to blur everything for her. 

Thirty minutes later she felt like she had blinked and then she was back in the car, only this time with Mark sitting next to her and not her father. Everything still felt incredibly surreal to her, and she turned her head to look out of the back window, seeing other cars following along behind. 

There had been more people than she had expected at the wedding, a group of very large men on Mark's side and only her family on her side. As far as she could tell, Mark hadn't had any family there, just friends. She turned her eyes to him and saw he was staring at her intently, his eyes running down her figure in the pretty dress. "You look gorgeous," he told her, reaching out an arm and pulling her flush against him. He frowned when he felt her trembling next to him. "Are you alright, Piper?" 

She gave a shaky snort and took a deep breath. "Fine." 

"Really? You seem a little...nervous, to me," he said, tilting his head to one side to see her better. 

"I'm not nervous," she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at him. "I'm angry." 

"Angry? What about?" 

"What..? About marrying you!" she said, looking at him in astonishment. Jeez, he could be obtuse, even if it was deliberate. 

"Don't be angry about it, darlin', be happy. You know how good I can make you feel in bed, and I'm ludicrously rich. As long as you behave yourself, you won't have one single thing to worry about," he said, giving her a grin that made her want to take his head off. "Especially your father," he added for effect, watching her freeze and then slump as she realised she had no choice but to obey him. 

"Fine, just don't expect me to fall in love with you," she said bitterly, making him chuckle. 

"Hell, darlin', I wouldn't want you to fall in love with me. If you did you'd probably lose all that vinegar I find so appealing, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" 

Piper didn't bother saying anything, turning her head to stare out of the window as the car sped quickly back to his house where a small reception would be held. She just wished the day was completely over with, especially the night part of it. She hated the way she responded so easily to everything he did to her. 

"Now, cheer up and let's see a genuine looking smile, sweetheart, we're back. I don't want my guests thinking you don't adore me, do I?" he told her, opening the door as soon as the car stopped and helping her out, keeping one arm firmly around her as they walked into the house and greeted their guests. 

Piper left his side and went to her sister as soon as she was able, relieved that there was at least someone there who knew what was really going on. "Are you okay?" Paige asked her, giving her a quick hug. 

"I'm fine. Trapped, but fine," Piper told her, giving her a wry smile. 

"Who are all those men? They look scary," Paige said, gesturing to the group of men surrounding Mark and her father, all of them having a good time. 

"I don't know, some of his friends apparently, I haven't met them. Well, I've met one of them. Glenn Jacobs, the one with no hair?" 

"There are two with no hair...no, hang on...there are three," Paige pointed out. "Gosh, they're all really big, I wouldn't want to meet any of them alone in a dark alley!" 

Piper laughed at that. "I don't think that'll ever happen! Besides, they could be really nice. Have you spoken to any of them?" 

"No!" Paige said, shaking her head emphatically. "I honestly couldn't tell one of them apart from the other, I haven't gotten close enough to really see their faces. I don't really want to either." 

"Can't say I blame you," Piper mused, stiffening slightly as she saw Mark leave the group and come over to them. 

"I hope you enjoyed the wedding, Paige?" he asked her, smiling down at her as he pulled Piper against him. 

Paige watched her sisters stiff reaction and glared up at him. "I would have enjoyed it far more if it hadn't been the result of blackmail!" 

Mark raised one eyebrow. "Don't knock blackmail, my dear Paige, it can get you a lot of things you want." 

"Which is totally unfair on the person actually being blackmailed! You make out you're such a straight and honest businessman...you disgust me!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing angrily. 

"Then it's a good job I didn't marry _you_, isn't it?" he said, totally unperturbed by her attitude. "But before you start making a scene, just remember that I hold all the trump cards in this situation, and I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to your father." 

Paige glared up at him with even more fury. "You're despicable!" 

"Maybe so," he agreed, nodding, "but you won't cause any more trouble, or you'll be very - _very_ - sorry." 

"I don't respond to threats, Mr Calloway, perhaps you'd do well to remember that!" she said, turning her eyes away from him to look at her sister. "I would go home, but I don't want to leave you here alone with him," she told her sister and Piper shook her head. 

"It's okay. Maybe...maybe you could come back tomorrow?" she asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. 

"No need," Mark put in smoothly. "She's quite welcome to stay here for the night...or for however long she likes for that matter." 

Paige was surprised at his offer and looked at him warily. "Why would you let me stay here?" 

"Because I can keep an eye on you if you're under the same roof as your sister, that way there'll be less trouble for me," he told her, grinning cockily at her. 

"I should have known it wouldn't be because you wanted Piper to be happy!" 

"On the contrary, I do want Piper to be happy. The sex is far better that way," he said, staring at her blandly and then leaving the two of them alone, Paige staring after him open mouthed. 

"God, how do you stop yourself from hitting him?" she gasped at her sister, feeling unaccustomed fury rippling through her. 

"I don't," Piper said, grimacing. "It doesn't get me anywhere though, he's a lot bigger than me." 

"He doesn't hit you?" she asked, shocked. 

"No! No, he just...he...er, it's nothing. He doesn't hit me though, don't worry," Piper said, thinking of some of the ways he could teach her a lesson. Most had to do with sex, admittedly, and she couldn't tell her sister that. Paige was even more green than she was. She had been, she corrected. No one could call her innocent anymore, that was for sure. "Come on, lets have some champagne." 

Paige let herself be drawn into another room where they could sit down and talk quietly, away from the noise of the men. No-one would miss them, not for a while. 

Later that night a very tired Piper showed Paige to the room she would be staying in and she gave her a hug before she left her. "Piper, you will be okay, won't you?" she asked, her eyes big and worried. 

Piper smiled. "I'll be fine, honestly. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" 

Paige nodded and watched as her sister walked off down the corridor to her own bedroom, grimacing as she thought what it must be like sleeping with that man. She closed the door and prepared for bed, wondering if she'd sleep. 

Piper walked into the bedroom she shared with Mark and found him already sitting on the bed, waiting for her. She closed the door, aware the whole time that he was staring at her with those crystal green eyes of his. 

"Did you see Paige to bed okay?" he asked her, rising from the bed and moving slowly towards her. 

She nodded and dropped her gaze, feeling strangely awkward now. "I...er..Mark, I'm really tired," she said quietly, hoping that maybe he'd leave her alone for one night. The fact that it was their wedding night made her think he wouldn't. And she was right. 

"Then I'll make sure I do all the work," he murmured, bending to take her mouth in a surprisingly gentle kiss, his fingers moving to the tiny pearl buttons at the back of her dress. "Mmm, I can't wait to see what you've got under here," he said, moving his lips down to her neck where her pulse was beating erratically. 

Her eyes closed and she bit her lip as she remembered just what she did have on underneath, and she suddenly wished she had bought some sexy lingerie instead. But it was too late to do anything about it now and she looked down as Mark slowly pulled the dress away from her, not wanting to see his reaction. 

Mark let the dress pool at her feet and stared at her partially clothed body in astonishment. She was wearing the most enormous bloomers he had ever seen and instead of the titillating corset he had expected, she was wearing some sort of big old strapless bra, very unbecoming. A smile tilted his lips when he thought of why she would wear such a thing, and then he chuckled, making her look up at him in surprise. "Very nice, darlin'. But if you thought I would find you less sexy wearing these hideous things, then you were dead wrong. Nothing could conceal these beautiful curves," he said, reaching out and running a hand over her breasts before cupping one in his warm palm. "However, I would like you to dress a little younger from now on." He didn't give her a chance to reply, swooping in to take her mouth again as he quickly divested her of the unattractive underthings and then picked her up, carrying her over to the bed and laying her gently down upon it. He drew back and caught her eyes, holding her hypnotised as he stood and started taking his own clothing off, revealing his body to her slowly. 

Piper couldn't help but react, her tongue coming out to moisten her lips as she let her eyes run down his impressive physique. Mark saw the small movement and smiled. "Some day soon, sweetheart, I'm going to show you how to use that little tongue to please me. And you'll enjoy every second of it as well," he told her, moving back onto the bed, now naked. 

He kissed her softly again and then framed her face in his big hands, brushing her hair back and studying her eyes. "You really are tired aren't you?" he said, smiling. 

"It's okay, she said, completely abandoned to the fact that he was going to make love to her. She wanted it too, now. 

Mark lifted off her and picked her up once more, pulling back the covers and then putting her down again before joining her. Piper found herself on her side with him spooning behind her, his mouth making sensual trails down her neck and shoulder. "Then like this, sweet Piper, slow and gentle tonight," he murmured, and she felt his hands brushing over her breasts as his hard flesh leapt to life behind her. 

Piper arched back against him as he pinched her sensitive nipples, his mouth sucking insistently on her neck and making her moan. When he moved his hand further down and stroked between her legs, it was to find her already moist and wanting, and he smiled against her soft skin. "So ready for me, wife?" he whispered, making her blush. "I'm honoured." 

He positioned her a little more and then let himself slip between her legs from behind, slowly entering her and revelling in every whimper she made as he filled her. He held himself in check and made slow, leisurely love to her, his movements not increasing even when she was pushing back to get more friction. Only when she was almost out of her head with the exquisite tension did he move faster, driving her towards an earth shattering orgasm that had him putting his hand over her mouth so no-one could hear the shrill cries she made. Shortly afterwards he spilled himself inside her and wrapped her up in an almost loving embrace, closing his eyes and drifting off into a peaceful sleep just as she did the same. Just before she slipped into sleep, she squeezed his hand. "Thank you for bringing Paige here," she whispered. Mark smiled, his eyes remaining closed. "You're welcome darlin'." 

_***Yet another one over with. I know the sex bit was short....and I know you lot do like rudeness, but maybe in a later chapter hmm? I have so many other things to write about!***_


	18. Chapter 16

_***Okay then...this chapter is dedicated to Cat. I hope you like this one, it has a nice sexy and very large surprise in it for you. Oooh, could this be the beginning of another story?...I think it could! Hope you enjoy it.***_****

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**Chapter sixteen**

The next morning Paige wandered through the house, waiting for someone else to wake up. She hadn't slept very well, and she had known she wouldn't. Still, at least she could be here for Piper, and that was all that was important. And she had also come to a decision regarding Piper's current situation. 

A short while passed by before both Mark and Piper came downstairs, her sister looking none the worse for wear, and Paige smiled as she went over to her. "Is everything okay? Are you alright? He didn't hurt you?" she asked, her eyes running over her sister worriedly. 

"No, I didn't hurt her," Mark said, looking at Paige with irritation apparent on his face. 

"Don't sound so appalled at the idea! It would be typical for someone like you to do something awful!" Paige said, squaring her shoulders even as Mark glared at her angrily. 

"Are you going to be like this all the time you're here?" he asked her, cocking his head to one side and narrowing his eyes. 

"I won't be here that long," she said, about to continue, but he cut her off. 

"Damn right you won't," he mused, a strange smile tilting his lips. 

Paige stared at him in confusion for a second. "I meant that I've come up with a solution to all this, one that you may not like." 

"Is that right? Well, then perhaps you'd like to come into my study and discuss this solution with me. Piper," he said, looking down at his new wife. "Why don't you go ahead and start breakfast. This won't take long. Paige, I'll be with you shortly," he said, gesturing to the study as he walked back up the stairs. 

Piper watched him go and then turned to her sister. "Paige, this isn't a good idea, you're not really a fighter like me...tell me what you're planning." 

Paige shook her head and smiled. "It's okay, it's nothing bad. But hopefully it'll free you from this place." 

Piper went to protest again, but Paige just shook her head and walked into the study, closing the door behind her. 

Mark knocked on Glenn's door and waited until he shouted for him to come in. "Hey man," the younger man said, pulling a T-shirt over his head. "What's up?" 

"Exactly what we spoke about. You about ready for all this?" Mark asked, smiling. 

"I guess so. I better pack my bag and get it in the car then, hmm?" 

Mark nodded. "Good. I'll be in the den, so wait outside until I call for you...if I need you. Oh, and can you dress a little more scary?" 

Glenn grinned and nodded, pulling out a black sleeveless top that had buckles all the way down one side, shining silver. A skull covered in blood was emblazoned on the front. "How's this? And leather pants?" 

"Oh yeah, that should just about fit the bill," Mark said, chuckling as he left the room. 

When he reached his den, he opened the door and walked in to find Paige standing impatiently at the window, tapping her foot. 

"So, Paige, what was it you wanted to speak to me about?" he asked politely, not bothering to sit down. 

"You know damn good and well what I want to speak to you about!" she snapped, amazed at how strong her voice sounded when she was literally quaking inside. "I want you to let Piper go and stop threatening our father!" 

Mark raised an eyebrow. "I haven't threatened your father." 

"You know what I mean!" Paige said, tightening her lips. 

"I suppose I do. But if you think that anything you say is going to make me go back on any of this, then you're sadly mistaken," he said, giving a glare that should have made Paige turn tail and run, but she squared her shoulders and glared back at him. 

"I want you to leave my sister alone!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes behind the glasses. 

He raised his eyebrow. "No." 

"You'd better think about that, Mr Calloway, because I'll be only too happy to make life a little more difficult for you. And I'll be starting by telling my father the truth about this 'marriage'," she said, raising her chin and trying to intimidate him. She was well aware that it wasn't working. 

"Really? So you're intending to go straight from here to your father's house?" he asked her. 

Paige nodded. "Yes, and once I tell him everything he'll soon sort this whole mess out. Then where will you be? Without a wife and without any hold over us anymore!" 

"That's true. And I certainly wouldn't want that to happen, would I?" he said, a smirk forming on his lips. "Glenn!" he called out, his smirk turning into a grin when the hulking form of his friend filled the doorway. Paige's mouth fell open as she observed the enormous bald monster stepping into the room, dressed in some sort of weird leather outfit. To her startled eyes he looked like something out of a horror movie. 

"What's up? Got a problem?" Glenn asked, looking Paige over dismissively before turning back to Mark. 

"Yeah, you could say that. Remember what we talked about?" he asked, watching as Glenn nodded and gave a small smile. "Well I think we're going to have to follow through with our plans after all." 

"No problem man," Glenn said and sauntered up to Paige, noting the way her eyes got bigger the closer he got to her. He paused for a second and then, with a wolfish grin, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. 

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Paige squeaked as she was propelled effortlessly out of the room and down the hallway. 

"No can do, little lady, sorry about that. You're coming with me," he said, opening the front door and pulling her out of it. He paused again when she grabbed hold of the door frame with a death grip and wouldn't let go. Shaking his head and tutting he used his free hand to pry her fingers from the wood, trying not to laugh at the mutinous expression she wore. A second later laughter was the last thing on his mind when he freed her hand and she used it to slap his face. He gave her a cold glare. "Don't do that again," he said quietly. 

"Or what, you big backwoods, redneck, yellow belly..." she said, trailing off with the insults and swallowing hard when his face became even stonier. 

"Or I'll drag you back in that house and avail myself of your questionable charms," he growled, watching with amusement when she froze and her eyes, if possible, got even bigger. 

"Wh-what?" she whispered, appalled at the images that suddenly flashed in her head. 

"You heard me. See, Ma'am, us backwoods types don't get much chance to be with a real lady, so I might as well make good use of you while I've got you, don't you think?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. 

"No! No, I don't think! You can't...you can't just say things like that, you..." 

"Yes I can. And if you don't behave yourself, I won't just be talking about them, so watch your step," he said, pulling her along with him with a little more ease now as he went towards his truck. Opening the door he turned and looked down at her. "Get in."  
Paige thought about it for a second, wondering what Piper would do. But she knew Piper was more of a fighter than she was, so it was obvious what she would do, and Paige decided she would follow that example. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him, swallowing down her fear of such an enormous man. "I will not, and no-one can make me," she said rashly. 

Glenn's lips quirked with amusement. "You think not, huh?" he said, plucking her from the ground easily and placing her in the car before she could even begin to think what he was doing. When he had done her seat belt up, he stared into her eyes, his whole body only inches from hers. "I told you to behave yourself. This would go easier on you if you did as you were told." 

"I'm not a child!" she protested, trying to sink into the seat to get further away from him. He was enormously intimidating. 

"I don't think you're a child, honey," he murmured, his eyes going to the thrust of her breasts and gleaming as he stared at her. "I think you're a stubborn woman. But brute strength wins over stubborn every time, so you may want to think about that." 

"Well, you would have to use brute strength wouldn't you?" she muttered, secretly appalled that her tongue wouldn't just quit it. "After all, intelligence doesn't appear to be your strong suit!" 

Glenn's eyes hardened as he stared at her angry face, and he dropped his gaze to her lips briefly, wondering what she'd do if he kissed her. Probably scratch his eyes out, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Plus it might shut her up for a few minutes. Without any further thought he leaned in and slanted his mouth over hers, keeping his eyes open only long enough to see hers grow enormous with shock. Then the feel of her soft trembling lips under his got to him and he let his lids droop down, sensation his only guide now. The first thing he noticed was that she wasn't kissing him back, so he increased the pressure and flicked his tongue out to taste the softness. She gave a surprised gasp at the sharp stab of pleasure his hot tongue elicited, and he used the parting of her lips to full advantage, delving deep inside to discover what this shy looking creature tasted like. And got a surprise. If he could have invented a taste that shouted of innocence, then this would be it. She was sweet, slightly and surprisingly exotic, and he was shocked to find himself getting into the kiss with more enthusiasm than he had intended. Drawing back and breathing unsteadily, his lips tilted up when he saw the way her eyes were closed and her lips were still parted, her cheeks flushed a very becoming pink. At least now she wouldn't be going anywhere, or even attempting it, he thought smugly as he closed her door and walked around the hood of the vehicle. 

Paige's eyelids flickered open finally and she tried to gather her scattered senses, amazed by how it had felt being kissed by that...that.....her eyes widened when she saw her was in front of the truck and she now had a chance to get away. Shakily managing to unsnap her seat belt she jerked the door open and jumped the long way to the ground, turning and running madly away from both the vehicle and the house, hoping that the surprise of her escape would stop him from giving chase for just a few precious seconds. 

"Damn!" she heard him say behind her, and then came the unmistakable sounds of running feet, heavy pounding feet, she thought with panic filling her. She increased her speed as much as she could, ignoring the sharp pain in her side as she over exerted herself. The entrance to the estate was right there, she could see it, in just another few seconds....she screamed as a big arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her off her feet, swinging her around and then slowing down as they made their way back to the car. She felt her eyes fill with tears of rage and frustration, and she struggled against him, using her nails to scratch at his arm to try and make him let go. All it served to do was make him angry and the next moment she found herself hanging upside down over his shoulder, one of his big hands slapping her really hard on her backside to still her struggles. "Keep still or I'll be giving some more of those out," he warned grimly, carrying her to his side of the truck this time and pushing her in before he followed her, leaving her no room to escape. He sat and stared at her for a second, wondering if she would learn her lesson. "Put your seat belt on," he ordered her, narrowing his eyes as he watched her warring with herself over whether or not to obey. 

Paige looked up at him briefly and then dropped her eyes, wondering whether to defy him again. But since she didn't know where he was taking her or what he was going to do to her, she decided that she didn't really have anything to lose. She would rather try and get out of this now than be carried off to God knew where. "No," she said quietly, looking for all the world like a sulky child as she glared back at him. 

Glenn raised an eyebrow, a strange gleam entering his eyes. "Put it on. Now." 

The intensity of his glare made her falter a little, but she squared her shoulders. "No." 

He shook his head and stared at her incredulously. "Fair enough," he said, pulling her resisting body towards him in the confines of the cab. "Don't say you weren't warned." he pulled her across his lap and began swatting at her backside in a series of short, sharp swings that would cause her the most discomfort. A grim smile tilted his lips at her muffled yells. He knew she would be sobbing soon, having done this before. It wasn't something he did too often and never on someone he didn't even know, not unless they requested it, but he was damn good at it. He knew just what would hurt most without bruising, just as Mark did. In fact, it had been Mark who had once suggested this as a form of punishment when Glenn had been having trouble with his wife....his ex-wife he reminded himself happily, still pleased to be free of her clutches even after a few years. He hadn't done this for years, but it was pretty obvious to him that this was the best method to subdue this particular female. He nodded when he heard her crying and finally stopped, resting his hand on the heated globes. Sitting her quickly back up he pushed her into her own seat and cocked his head to one side, waiting for her to look at him. When she did he had to harden himself against the huge, wet brown eyes that stared back at him, hurt shining from them. "Put your seat belt on," he said again, watching with satisfaction when she instantly rushed to do as she was told. "Much better," he said as he started the engine and steered the car away from the house. 

Paige had time to glance back worriedly, wondering when she would see her sister again and if she would be okay. Her own safety was another factor, and she tried to imagine what this big monster was going to do with her, unable to stop herself from trembling as horrific images filled her head. 

Mark watched them drive away through the window and smiled. Now she was out of the way he had one less thing to worry about. All he had to do was tell Piper what had become of her sister, and he wasn't going to lie about it either. 

_****There, perhaps another story in the making after this one, hmm? Well, that was three chapters all at once, and I only hope they all uploaded okay this time, but I seriously doubt it! I'm afraid I have to concentrate some attention on my other fic for a while, so I may have to leave this for a short time, but I'll be back! And Glenn may not appear again until his own fic...sorry about that! Still, hope it was okay!****_


	19. Chapter 17

_****Well, it's about time I updated this.....and thanks go, once more, to Kliqgirl who sent me inspiration in the form of Gothic 'Taker....Mmmm, nice. Drool. Hence this new chapter....enjoy! oooh, small warning for mild smut and violence....very mild!****_****

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**Chapter seventeen**

Piper stared up at Mark, aghast at the words that had just come out of his mouth. The fact that he stood there looking very pleased with himself didn't help matters one little bit. 

"Paige....Glenn took her away?" Piper said, her lips feeling slightly numb. 

"As I already said. I couldn't have her causing trouble, you're bad enough as it is," he said, leaning back against the kitchen counter and raising one eyebrow. 

"But you had him kidnap her!" she accused, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him in astonishment. 

Mark nodded, not looking the least bit bothered. "I guess I did. Don't worry, she's safe enough." 

"With that great big...how can you say she's safe? She'll be panicking by now, scared out of her mind...and she isn't like me, she won't be able to..." she blurted out, narrowing her eyes on his smug face. "You didn't have to do something that nasty! I could have spoken to her." 

"Yeah, you could, but I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't have. Now, it's immaterial. She's out of the way and I have you right where I want you." 

Piper felt herself go dizzy with rage. "No you haven't! You might have had if you'd been even remotely nice to my sister, but not now! I may be married to you and you may think you've got everything under control, but I'm not going to make this easy for you. I will not do one single thing that you want, and that starts with this breakfast," she said, pointing to the pan where she had been scrambling eggs. "If you want to eat, then you can damn well cook for yourself!" She threw the towel she had been holding right at his head and stomped out of the room. 

Mark patiently turned off the burner under the pan and followed her, grabbing her arms and turning her around to face him. "When are you going to learn that you can't fight me? I'll give you a choice Piper - the kitchen or the bedroom, which one will it be?" 

"The...you...neither! You let go of me, you overgrown, brainless..." 

He raised an eyebrow at her tirade. "Better stop whilst you're ahead, sweetheart, I don't have endless patience." 

"Endless patience? _ Endless?_ You have no patience! None! You're nothing but a big bully, and I wish I was big enough to hit you because I'd love to punch that big arrogant chin!" she shouted, infuriated by his behaviour even though it was no big surprise. 

"You want to punch me? Go ahead, Piper, give it your best shot. But be prepared for payback," he growled, his eyes narrowing with something approaching enjoyment. 

She glared at him again and debated what to do. But her temper took over again and she was just angry enough not to care, so she swung at him and connected, knocking his head back and making her fist hurt like hell in the process. As soon as the blow landed she ran for her life, rushing up the stairs like lightning and locking herself in the bedroom, quick short breaths leaving her as she leaned back against the wood. He was going to murder her when he got hold of her, but the pleasure of actually hitting him outweighed all that, and she felt her lips curve into a smile. Served him right, he was always baiting her. 

The sound of heavy, angry footsteps approaching the door made her bite her lip, and she jumped away as the door handle rattled, followed immediately by furious pounding. 

"Open this door, Piper!" Mark yelled, hammering on the wood and listening for any sounds. 

Piper stared at the door and wondered whether to open it or not. But surely that would be suicide? She was far better leaving it locked and waiting for him to calm down, because he sounded furious. 

"Piper? Damn it, do as you're told, open the door!" he yelled again and she narrowed her eyes at his words. 'Do as you're told', like she was a child or a servant. 

"No!" she yelled back, gasping when the word came out because she hadn't intended to say anything at all. 

She heard him growl. "If I have to break this door down, I'll be taking out the cost of repairs on your hide, darlin', so I suggest you be a good little girl and open it. Now!" he yelled again. 

"Go fuck yourself, you asshole!" she yelled right back, closing her eyes and wondering if someone else had control of her mouth. Sure as hell she wouldn't have willingly said that...not to him, at any rate. Her eyes darted around the room and she moved over to the windows, wondering if she could climb out of one. But it was a long way down and she knew that she would only manage to break her leg or something, and she didn't need to be helpless in his care. 

Mark felt his hair stand on end with rage at her words, and he stared dumbly at the door, wondering if he had heard correctly. She knew he was going to punish her for that, and she knew how much it hurt, so why the hell did she keep on doing it? He wondered if she'd ever be tamed, but he couldn't see it ever happening. She was too wild, in her own way. His teeth gritted and his eyes narrowed. Well, wild she may be, but she would bend to his will given time. Of that he was certain. Without even really thinking about it, he lifted one big foot and kicked sharply at the lock, sending the door flying back on it's hinges as the lock splintered at the easy force he used. 

Piper swung around at the crash and her eyes became huge as he stepped into the room, his eyes targeting her and boring into her fiercely. 

"Would you care to repeat that?" he said, moving slowly towards her as she gripped the windowsill nervously, all her previous courage fleeing in the face of such fury. 

"N-no," she said quietly, shaking her head and trying to get further away from him as he reached her. 

"Just as well, but getting intelligent now is a little late, don't you think? You've already done the damage darlin', and now you're going to pay," he said, his face grim as he pulled her towards him. 

"Don't....don't you dare touch me again...like that!" she said, struggling as he tugged her towards the bed. "If you lay a hand on me, I...I won't..." she broke off as he sat down and pulled her easily over his knees. 

"You won't what?" he asked, amazed that she was still arguing. 

"I won't respond to you in bed!" she said recklessly, wondering if she could actually follow through with that threat. 

He chuckled. "Yes you will," he said confidently. He looked down at her squirming body and pursed his lips. "Any other feeble threats?" 

"I'll make your life miserable," she snapped out, finally stilling her movements as it became obvious it was getting her nowhere. 

"And how are you going to do that?" 

His obvious amusement made her even angrier and she gritted her teeth. "I'll burn all your food, ruin all your clothes, destroy all your possessions...want me to go on?" 

"Darlin', if you even try any of those things you'll find yourself over my knee again, and you know it. The one thing you will learn is obedience to me, and I don't give a good goddamn how long it takes. Being stubborn is only hurting you, not me," he said, tightening his lips as he sent his hand crashing down on her buttocks. 

Piper yelped, not having expected it for some reason, and then she tried struggling again, immediately subdued by his big hand coming down again. She could almost hear it whistling through the air as he hit her with speed and accuracy. Her eyes filled with tears, but she lay there silently and let him get on with it, trying to detach herself from the pain and humiliation. 

Finally, after what seemed to be years, he stopped and pulled her up so she was sitting on the bed beside him, and he gave her an amused look, raising his eyebrows. "Still gonna make my life miserable, or are you finally learning your lesson?" 

She stared at him through a mist of tears, his words making her even more angry. "There isn't any lesson to learn!" she hissed, glaring at him. 

Mark stared at her and shook his head, flexing his fingers. "Are you sure about that? I don't mind starting that all over again, if that's what you want." 

"I'm not going to let you do that again," she said, her voice low. 

"And how, exactly, are you going to stop me, hmm?" he asked her, leaning his head closer to her and narrowing his eyes on her mutinous expression. 

Piper moved as quickly as she could, pushing him away from her and then leaping up from the bed and running from the room. Maybe if she just ran out and went to her father...told him everything...maybe she could get out of this marriage. She sprinted down the stairs and went straight to the front door, tugging at it impatiently when it wouldn't open. 

"It's no good trying that, it's locked. And I'm not unlocking it for you, so you're trapped," Mark said as he strolled casually down the stairs and stood watching her. "Where did you think you were going anyway?" 

"I'm leaving," she said obstinately, glaring at him with fierce dislike. 

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that right?" 

"Yes, that's right!" 

"Have you stopped to think that maybe that would make me angry? And maybe what I was going to do to your father would be ten times as bad as I'd originally planned if I was angry?" he asked her, raising his chin and staring down his nose at her, not missing the fluttering of her hands in her nervousness. She hid it well, but the signs were there. 

"I'm not staying here," she said, her voice quiet. 

"You have no choice, Piper, not unless you want your father hurt," he replied, moving towards her until she was pressed up against the front door, her eyes widening as he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "All you have to do is learn how to behave around me, that's all. Then I won't have to punish you, will I?" 

She was getting a picture of her life that was even worse than she had imagined, and she slumped against the door, her eyes closing so she didn't have to look at him. "I hate you," she whispered. 

Mark smiled grimly. "No you don't. You hate that I have the upper hand. If you hated me Piper, truly hated me, then you wouldn't respond so well to what I do to you. You love it when I touch you." 

"No I don't," she whispered, turning her head away from him. "I hate it when you touch me, it makes my flesh crawl." 

He stared down at her for a few seconds, frowning. "Want me to prove you wrong?" 

Her eyes snapped open, but she still refused to look at him. "No!" 

"Why? Are you scared that you won't be able to pretend to hate it?" 

"I do hate it!" she said vehemently, narrowing her eyes as she finally looked up at him. "You make me sick!" 

"Well, I wouldn't want you to have to live here, not if I made you feel that way. So maybe I'd better see if I can make you feel something different, hmm?" he said, picking her up off the floor and turning towards the stairs, his eyes narrowing on her startled expression. 

"No! I don't...I don't want to do this! Please...put me down!" she gasped out, knowing he was taking her to their bedroom, and also knowing she wouldn't be able to resist him once he started touching her. 

"Nope," he said, climbing the stairs without looking at her again. 

She bit her lip and closed her eyes briefly, feeling intensely miserable. Last night she had held some hope for this marriage, but now....she blinked away the sudden tears. "Please, Mark," she whispered as they reached the top of the stairs and he finally looked at her, his face hard. 

"Please what?" he growled. 

"Please don't do this." 

He shook his head. "You're the one who's making this decision, darlin', not me. Maybe you should remember that." He carried her towards the bedroom and took her inside, lowering her to the bed and coming down on top of her. His hands stroked her hair back from her face as he studied her big eyes, feeling himself soften his attitude slightly. "I'm not going to hurt you, Piper, that's something you can always be assured of. In this, I'll never hurt you." 

"But I don't want this," she said quietly, staring at him imploringly. Already she could feel her body tightening with need, just from the feel of him above her. 

Mark considered her words for a moment, putting one hand over her breast and squeezing lightly, his thumb coming up to rub over her nipple when it hardened. "It seems that you do." 

"That...that's just my body, it's not my mind. You'll never touch my heart, Mark, not ever," she vowed, glaring at him and trying to hide the faint tremble in her voice. 

"Ah Piper, I don't want your heart," he said, smiling as he grabbed her top and ripped it down the middle, making her gasp. "I want your body, and I will have it...ready and willing. Just as you are at this moment, isn't that so?" 

She opened her mouth to deny it and he bent to kiss her, swallowing her protest as he thrust his tongue between her lips and kissed her deeply until she started to respond. When he drew back, her eyes were misty and her lips were swollen, and she wasn't complaining any more. 

He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me you want me," he said, his voice rumbling deeply when he spoke. 

"N-no," she stammered, trying to shake off the desire he managed to fill her with so effortlessly. 

His hand smoothed over her breasts again and he pinched at one nipple, making her gasp at the sensations streaking through her. "Tell me you want me, Piper, and I'll fuck you through that mattress," he said, bending to nibble at her flesh while she writhed underneath him. 

His wording should have made her even more angry, she realised, but it didn't. It just turned her on even more and she found her fingers threading through his hair and holding him to her breasts, her traitorous body taking over from her mind. 

He looked up at her. "Tell me." 

She gave a small moan when his hand trespassed further and cupped her between her legs, making her tense and close her eyes. "I want you," she murmured, biting her lip when she heard his deep chuckle. Somewhere in the back of her mind, disgust at her own behaviour was lurking, but with him undressing her and moving his hands over her body, she couldn't stop herself. He had won, just like he always would, and at that moment she couldn't make herself hate him. 

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_****Well, just a short one there, hope it was okay. Can't guarantee when I'll be updating again, but hopefully it won't be as long next time!****_


	20. Chapter 18

_***Hey! Sorry it's been forever since the last chapter...but I was concentrating on the Big Sexy story. Now I can put more time into this one! Thanks for your patience, and enjoy this short one! Oh, and this chapter gets a little....hmm...rude? Only briefly, but you have been warned!***_

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**Chapter eighteen**

Mark yawned and opened his eyes, instantly looking to see if Piper was still with him. He smiled when he saw her sprawled out on her stomach next to him, one of her slim arms resting over his chest trustingly. It should have surprised him, after the way he had been with her, but for some reason it didn't. He hadn't hurt her, after all, just made her admit something she didn't want to admit. Sucking in a sharp breath, he closed his eyes and smiled again as he thought about the way they'd made love. She may not have wanted to admit she wanted him, but she had enjoyed every second of the subsequent sex...and he had made sure to draw it out until she was almost screaming with frustration. 

His eyes opened slowly, glittering. He would have to make sure he did that again, and soon. Now, all he really wanted was some food, having gone without breakfast because of her little burst of temper. It would be a shame to wake her up though, he thought, looking at her and then gently moving her arm from his chest. 

It didn't occur to him, even when he was downstairs in the kitchen making food, that he had told her this was her job. He was in a very good mood, and he didn't mind cooking for them both. 

In short order, he scrambled some eggs and placed the pan on the table along with some toast, before sprinting up the stairs and wrapping Piper up in a sheet and carrying her back downstairs so he could sit her at the table. She blinked at him silently, looking down at the food he had prepared and frowning groggily. "You made breakfast?" 

He gave her a smile that could almost be described as pleasant. "I was hungry, and I'm guessing you are too. Eat up." 

She cautiously eased her arm out of the sheet and began eating, surprised to find it was good and that she was really hungry. Hardly surprising, she thought, blushing as she thought about what he had done to her in the bedroom. And she had thoroughly abandoned herself to it, much to her eternal shame. 

Mark glanced across at her and a smile curled his lips. "Somethin' wrong, darlin'?" 

She jumped at the sound of his voice and dropped the fork, the noise echoing around the large kitchen. "No, nothing," she mumbled, picking the fork back up and concentrating on her food again. 

"Are you sure? You seem a little flushed," he continued, smirking now. Her face was so expressive that it was obvious to him what she was thinking about. 

"I'm fine." 

"Hmmm. You don't look it. In fact, I'd say you look a little...embarrassed?" he pushed, his smirk turning into a grin as he enjoyed her discomfort. "What's wrong baby? Didn't you like admitting how much you want this body?" 

Piper gritted her teeth and slammed the fork down on the table, finally looking at him. "I don't want that stupid body! I don't want to be married to you, and I don't want to stay here!" she yelled, standing up and storming out of the room, his laughter following her. 

"Don't go too far, darlin', I might have use of you again," he yelled after her, and she closed her eyes in desperation. 

It was one thing fighting him, but now she was fighting herself as well, and it was proving to be a difficult task. She stood in the hallway and looked around her at the enormous house, wishing she could be free to enjoy her surroundings. But all she could think about was that he had blackmailed her into this whole affair. Her back stiffened when she heard his footsteps behind her and she turned slowly around to see what he was doing. 

Mark stopped and stared down at his wife, his head cocking to one side as he studied her mutinous face. "How about you go take a shower, then we can take a ride somewhere." 

She stared at him suspiciously. "Why?" 

"Because I feel like going for a ride with my beautiful wife. Unless, of course," he murmured, his voice deepening, moving closer and lifting a hand to cup her cheek, "you'd prefer to stay here and go for a ride of a different kind?" 

For one insane moment, even through her anger, the feel of his hand on her face made her want to stay at home with him, but she quickly shook off the confused emotions and jerked away from him. "I don't want to go anywhere with you." 

He frowned slightly and dropped his hand. "That seems to be your constant refrain. _ I don't want to, I don't want to_," he mimicked, his eyes narrowing. "Would you like me to give you a choice again?" 

She froze and gulped, thinking of the last choice he had given her, only a few hours ago. "No," she said quietly, shaking her head. 

"Then go and take a shower, and I'll wait for you down here," he ordered her, folding his arms over his chest and rocking on his heels as he watched her battle her own temper and finally move towards the stairs. With a shake of his head, he walked back into the kitchen. He had known it would be fairly hard taming her, but he had thought she'd at least be worried about incurring his displeasure again. Not so, apparently, and he was surprised to find himself smiling. However angry she made him, he couldn't deny that it livened things up, and he actually enjoyed the way she defied him. It made a pleasant change from the sycophants he was usually surrounded with. He moved around the kitchen, clearing up with ease, deciding she would probably just try to break the dishes over his head if he told her to do it. That thought made him smile even more. He would have to order her back into the kitchen later on, just to see how she reacted. 

Once everything was tidied up and Piper still hadn't come back downstairs, he walked into the hall, frowning as he looked up the stairs. She'd had plenty of time to shower and dress, he thought, his frown deepening. Maybe she was defying him again. He pursed his lips and made his way up to their bedroom, opening the door and seeing she wasn't inside. The bathroom door was closed and he moved towards it, his expression hardening when he couldn't hear water running. If she'd tried to run off....he pulled the door open and froze, his eyes running down Piper's nude body as she dried herself off. 

Piper's head jerked up when the door flew open and she gasped, holding the towel in front of her as Mark walked slowly into the room, a smile touching his firm lips. "Go away!" 

He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her apparent anger. "This is my bathroom, you're my wife. Why do I need to go away?" 

"Because...because..." she stammered, stopping when he reached her and stood towering over her slight form, his eyes holding a strange light. One of his hands lifted and cupped her face, his thumb rubbing over her flushed cheek. 

"You have a beautiful body, darlin', don't try and hide it from me," he said softly, his other hand removing the towel from her nerveless fingers so he could look at her nude curves. "So beautiful." 

Piper stared at him as he spoke, her heart starting to thump faster in her chest at the way he was looking at her. "Mark..." she murmured, feeling embarrassed. 

Mark raised his eyes to hers again and took in her discomfort. He drew her into his arms and ran a hand down to her ass, stroking over her soft skin. "You've got to get used to my eyes on you, baby, because I'm not gonna stop looking." 

She swallowed and relaxed slightly in his hold, not knowing what else to do. Once again she was tired of fighting him, and the way he held her felt really nice; like he actually felt something for her other than ownership. 

Mark smiled as he felt her relax and looked down at the top of her head, feeling guilt flash through him at the way he had handled everything. And yet here she was, standing against him and resting her head trustingly on his chest. He manoeuvred them so he could pull her into the bedroom and sit on the edge of the bed, placing Piper on his lap and gripping her chin between his fingers. "How about we go for a ride afterwards?" 

"After what?" 

"This," he said simply, bending to brush her lips with a gentle kiss that made her melt. 

She cursed her own weakness, but there was nothing she could do to stop desire from invading her body, and she responded eagerly to his kiss, his gentleness working far better than force would have done. His hands lifting to cup her breasts had her arching into his palms, moaning under his mouth as he rubbed over the hard peaks, teasing them. Even after having made love to him not that many hours ago, she could still get turned on very easily. One of his hands scrubbed down her warm body, caressing her hip gently before dipping between her thighs. In the position she was in, draped over his legs, he couldn't get enough freedom of movement and he moved her onto the bed so he could pull her thighs open. Piper didn't have the will to protest when he grinned at her and moved so he was positioned between her thighs, blowing softly over her heated flesh. His thumbs moved to open her, and she squirmed as his tongue flicked out and licked at her in one long swipe, tasting the juices that were already gathering. 

Mark smiled as he watched her responses to his every touch, and a faint plan formed in his head. She thought she hated him? He would make her beg to have him in the end, and this would be the beginning. Pulling his thumbs further apart he swirled his tongue over the hard nub that awaited him, flickering back and forth over it rapidly and making her arch up under his ministrations. He wanted her to get turned on as fast as possible, and obviously that wasn't going to be a problem. Especially since he was going to concentrate on this and nothing else, he though, smiling again. He resumed his caresses, making each swipe more forceful, pushing her towards her climax. He pushed a thick finger inside her and moved it swiftly in and out, still licking at her at the same time, and he felt her muscles tightening in preparation. That was when he stopped, moving back to kneel on the bed and stare at her, waiting for her to come to her senses. It took all his willpower to resist having her again, but he wanted her out of her mind with desire before he took her, and she would be the one asking for it. Begging for it, he corrected himself with a sly smile. 

Piper slowly opened her eyes when all the good feelings stopped, and she looked at him in confusion. The way he was smiling stopped her from speaking, and anger raced through her when she realised what he had just done. She moved swiftly, closing her legs and drawing herself across the bed until she judged there was a safe distance between them. 

Mark chuckled. "Get dressed, Piper, and meet me downstairs. We'll go out," he said, straightening up and narrowing his eyes. "And make sure you're quick about it, or I'll be back." 

Piper watched as he left the room, and she closed her eyes with a mixture of humiliation and need. He had got her incredibly excited and just stopped, and he thought it was funny. She cursed her own wayward body. If only she could resist him when he started touching her! Now the very last thing she wanted to do was be close to him, but she knew she wouldn't really have much choice. If she didn't appear downstairs he would come back again, and if she did then he'd make her go out on his bike. She had to admit she got a secret thrill from the thought of riding behind him on a motorbike, but she'd never tell him that. Sighing and hitting the bed in frustration, she pulled herself together and started getting dressed. A thought occurred to her suddenly and she froze, blinking rapidly. If he could get her that way....why couldn't she do the same? Men were easy to turn on, weren't they? A smile curved her lips as she thought more about it. She could just keep making inadvertent contact with his....she bit her lip. He'd surely pay her back if she tried teasing him. But he was the one who had started it. She nodded. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She'd make sure her hands slipped when she was riding behind him on the bike, see what happened. If he really was easy to arouse, then she'd know soon enough. 

Minutes later she walked slowly down the stairs, finding Mark waiting in the hallway wearing a long leather coat that made him look dead sexy. She swallowed hard, and forced her expression not to show how attractive she found him. 

He turned and looked at her as she walked towards him, and his eyes skimmed the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing. "You might want to grab a coat, darlin', it won't be that warm on the back of the bike." 

"Okay," she murmured, walking off to get her coat and returning a short while later, zipping up the short jacket. 

Mark nodded. "That's better. Ready?" He held his arm out for her and she slipped her hand through it, making him give her a surprised look. He didn't say anything about her sudden compliance, however. 

Piper stared at the huge black motorbike he led her to, quite impressed with how good it looked. She had never taken an awful lot of notice of them before, but she guessed this must be a good one. Mark didn't look like the type to ride anything if it was less than perfect. Her breath caught again when he swung his long leg over the beast, settling himself comfortably on the seat and then glancing at her with a small smile. 

"You gonna stand there all day darlin'?" 

Piper shook her head and walked towards the machine, glancing at it and wondering how she was going to swing her much shorter leg over the top of it. Mark chuckled as he watched her and he gently grabbed her hand, pointing down to a peg that stuck out of the side of the bike for her to put her foot on. 

"Just put one foot on there, and then throw your other leg over," he told her, still holding her hand to help balance her as she did so. She fell against him as she got on and he chuckled again. "You'll get used to it. Put your arms around me." When she did as he told her, he started the bike and then looked over his shoulder at her. "You got a good tight hold? You ready?" 

She nodded twice and gripped his firm waist, taking a breath when he pulled away, finding the sensation of being this close to him and getting her first bike ride a strange combination. Mark went slow as they rode along some of the smaller roads near his home, but as soon as they hit a big road he opened it up, and she clung tightly to him, her hair streaming back from her face. The exhilaration of the speed gave her a rush and she laughed, enjoying the sensation. 

Mark faintly heard her above the roar of the motor, and he smiled. He had known she would love this, he was only glad that he had been proven right. It would be good to share this with someone. His smile froze when he felt her hand slip lower and rest on his hip, and her fingers strummed against him in a leisurely fashion. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered what she was up to, and then smiled as he realised what it was. He could easily stop her, but he wanted to see how far she'd go. He had to steel himself not to swerve the bike when her fingers moved again and brushed across his crotch, skittering back towards his hip quickly as if she had slipped. The contact had been brief and light as a feather, but still he felt himself stirring inside his jeans. He suddenly became intensely aware of her curvy body pressed closely to his back, and he shifted in the seat, accelerating even more. 

Piper smiled behind his back and let her hand slip downwards again, her other arm curving upwards to rub across his torso. She couldn't see his face, so she wasn't sure exactly how this was affecting him, but she felt him take a deep breath and tense up. Her fingers rested low on his abdomen now, and she drummed them against the rapidly growing bulge below, acting as if she didn't really know what she was touching. Mind you, she thought, even a terrified virgin would know what _that_ was. One second she was brushing her fingertips over him and the next he had grasped her wrist and put her hand firmly around his waist, his hold fairly tight. 

A silent laugh shook her body and Mark felt it, his eyes narrowing dangerously. So, she thought she could play did she? Fine. But she would play by his rules. If she thought he was teasing her before, she was about to learn what real teasing was all about. 

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_****Ah, another one with smut potential............hmm, have to think about that! After all, can't have all the chapters with smut in them. Can I? hahahahaha!****_


	21. Chapter 19

_****Hey! ! Well, here it is...another chapter in the Mark and Piper saga.....and this contains smut. Sorry. Couldn't help myself! Hmm, smut, bad language, sexual torture.....sigh. Really is NC-17 this one. Of course I could have just done a mild version and posted the smutty one on my website....but, I can't be bothered to do two versions! So, like I said, smut etc., Anybody who doesn't like that or is just too damn young.....STOP READING!!!!****_

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**Chapter nineteen**

Mark drove along aimlessly, needing the fresh air to clear away the heavy desire she was making him feel. He didn't really know where to head for, but eventually he saw a diner and pulled in, parking the bike and switching off the engine. His head turned and he looked over his shoulder at Piper, taking in her pink cheeks and glittering eyes. He couldn't tell whether it was excitement from the ride or enjoyment at teasing him. No matter, he thought, giving her a smile that she would find fairly reassuring. She was still going to pay. 

"You want to get a drink and a burger?" her asked her, glancing at his watch and finding they'd been out for nearly two hours now. 

Piper nodded and looked at his smile suspiciously. He had moved her hand to his waist before, so he must be aware that she had been deliberately touching him....so why wasn't he frowning or yelling or something? She didn't trust that nice smile. 

Mark hustled her inside the diner, seating them at a table near the window and sighing with relief at not being so close to her anymore. His body was feeling decidedly uncomfortable right now. After ordering their food, he reached across the table and grabbed Piper's hand, twining his fingers through hers and squeezing when she tried to pull away. 

"You seemed to enjoy the ride, darlin'," he murmured, his voice low. His eyes lifted to hers and she couldn't drag her gaze away from the deep emerald glitter. 

She swallowed and licked her lips, wondering what he was going to do. "It was okay." 

"Just okay? You seemed to enjoy it a little more than that, judging by the way you were touching me," he continued, smiling wickedly at her. "I'm glad you feel so comfortable with my body, Piper, because later on you'll be doing that again. Only next time, there won't be any clothes in the way of your enjoyment." 

Piper's eyes widened imperceptibly and then she lowered them. "I'm not doing anything later on." 

"Oh, darlin', it's okay. You don't need to be embarrassed. I know you want to," he said, lifting an eyebrow when she jerked her eyes back up to his. "And besides, I'm not going to take no for an answer. I like the way you touch me, and you seemed only too willing just a little while ago." 

"I don't like touching you, and I don't want to, so you can just..." 

His finger pressed against her mouth and he squeezed her hand simultaneously. "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you. Not unless you'd like to be sore tomorrow." 

"S-sore?" 

"Mmm-hmm. Your ass looked beautiful all red from my hand, and I can't wait to see it that way again," he told her, giving a smug smile when she moved her other hand to slap him and he grabbed it. "See? You do want to touch me." 

"I want to hit you!" she hissed, calming down a little when the waitress arrived with their food, looking bored. 

Mark released Piper's hands and picked up the burger in front of him. "I think we'll continue this conversation when we get home again," he said, taking a bite. 

Piper stared at the food in front of her and knew she wouldn't be able to eat it. Well, that was what you got for trying to beat him at his own game, she thought despondently. On the other hand, he hadn't won yet. She could continue this a little longer, she thought, picking at her own burger and frowning in concentration. 

Mark glanced up at her and smirked at the way she was staring at her food, her face a picture of uncertainty. He could hardly wait to get her back home. He hurriedly finished his food and leaned back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest and looking at her unfinished meal. "Aren't you hungry?" 

Piper's head jerked up at the sound of his voice, and then she shrugged. "Not really." 

"Are you done then?" 

"I guess so," she murmured. No sooner had the words left her lips than he was standing up and pulling her out of her seat, leading her out of the diner. "What's the hurry?" she grumbled as she had to almost run to keep up with him. 

"Why, darlin', I can't wait to get you home again, so we can be alone," he said, giving her an amused smile as he got back on the bike and helped her on behind him. 

Piper decided it was probably best not to argue with him at this point, so she held on tight as they drove along in the direction of his house. It took a long time to get there and when they did, she almost fell off the bike in her haste to get indoors and shut herself away from him. 

It didn't prove to be that easy, however. The door was locked and she had to wait while he strolled casually up to it to unlock it, his eyes burning into hers and his lips curling with mirth. He stood back and let her run past him as he got the door open, chuckling when she flew straight up the stairs. For some reason she thought she could get away from him, he thought, shaking his head as he shut the door and followed slowly behind. She couldn't lock the bedroom door because he'd kicked it open before, and the lock was broken. When he reached their room he had to stop himself from laughing out loud at her antics. She was trying to move a big oak chest of drawers across the doorway, but the piece of furniture was far too heavy for her. She saw him standing there eventually and she froze, but the belligerent look on her face didn't lessen one bit. If anything, he thought as he walked into the room, it got even worse. Quite clearly if she had been strong enough she would be trying to take his head off right now. 

"Trying to shut me out, darlin'?" he drawled, moving closer to her and staring down at her. She didn't back down an inch, and he had to admire her courage. She knew that he was quite willing to punish her, and yet she defied him at every turn. He wondered how long she would continue to do so. 

She folded her arms over her chest as she glared at him, determined he wouldn't see how nervous he made her. "What do you want?" 

"Mmm, now there's a loaded question," he murmured, reaching out and brushing his fingers through her hair, letting the silky black strands flow over his hand. "I think I'd like it if you continued what you started on the bike." 

"I didn't start anything on the bike," she muttered, pulling her head sharply away from his hand. 

"Really?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "In that case, why don't we just start something right now?" 

Her eyes widened a fraction. "I'm tired." 

"It's still daytime," he replied, arching one eyebrow and waiting for her next excuse. 

"I don't feel well." 

"This will make you feel a whole lot better." 

"It won't!" 

"How do you know, unless you try?" he murmured, grabbing her around the waist before she could move and pulling her up against him. 

"I don't want to try....let me go!" she said through gritted teeth, tying to struggle out of his grasp. 

"Aw baby, you know I love it when you fight me," he growled, picking her up and throwing her onto the bed. He quickly came down on her before she had a chance to get away and he immediately took her mouth in a deep kiss. 

Piper tried to fight him, but it was impossible to fight herself as well. His kiss expertly forced her mouth open and she couldn't help responding to his obvious mastery. While he kept her occupied with the kiss itself, his hands started slowly removing their clothing and she didn't realise what was happening until he pulled back from her to lift her top over her head. She gasped and lifted her hands to cover herself, but he pulled them down and stared at the smooth curves he had revealed. After drinking in his fill of the beautiful sight, he bent and kissed the curve of one breast, moving his lips towards the nipple and watching as it tightened in anticipation. He chuckled at the reaction her body gave him so easily, and his eyes flicked upwards to see her watching him with a curious mixture of apprehension and delight. 

Piper stared at him and couldn't reconcile the feelings flowing through her body. She hated him, she hated that he could do this to her...but she also wanted it more than she wanted to breathe at that moment. His mouth hovered over her nipple and he kept eye contact with her, seeing the desperation build slowly in those whisky coloured eyes as she stared at him. Giving in to the impulse, he lowered his head again and took her nipple inside his mouth, tugging on the sentient flesh and holding her down as she arched convulsively against him. His lips curved into a wicked smile at her heated reaction, and he resumed his caresses with more fervour ....dragging her unwilling body closer and closer to a climax she needed desperately now. He trailed kisses down over her abdomen and pulled her thighs apart, letting his fingers sweep over the moist flesh there before he tasted her again. She was addictive, he thought, pleasuring her with his tongue and holding her hips firmly in his large hands. He eased a finger inside the tight passage and teased her with it slowly, relishing the gasps of intense pleasure she was making. 

Piper drifted on a sea of absolute bliss as he played her body....and for once denial was the very last thing on her mind. After the way he had teased her earlier on, she now wanted him to continue, to make love to her again and bring her to completion. But all too soon it stopped and she opened her eyes to stare up at him as he sat up between her splayed thighs. She almost panicked when she thought he was stopping again, and she had to bite back the sigh of relief when he settled himself against her and probed gently at her with his hard shaft. Finally he was going to take her! she thought, arching her hips upwards as he slowly started to sink inside her. Her delicate flesh stretching around him made her whimper, and he smiled as he settled deep within the snug warmth. His arms moved up and he rested them next to her head, his torso flattening down over hers as he stared into her flushed face. 

"Open your eyes, darlin'," he murmured, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs as she obeyed him, staring up at him dazedly. "How does it feel Piper? How does it feel with me being inside you like this?" He flexed his hips as he spoke and she breathed in sharply at the rush of lust this caused. 

"It...it feels..." 

"Tell me," he urged her, moving back and then thrusting deeply again. 

"It feels...oh God, it feels so good," she whimpered, not wanting to say it but unable to stop herself. It felt more than good, it felt like heaven. 

"And this? How does this feel?" he asked again, starting up a rhythm that had her squirming about underneath him. When she didn't speak, he stilled his movements. "Do you want me to stop?" 

"No! No, please..." she gasped, her body trying to force his into movement again. 

"Then talk to me Piper," he said, his voice husky as he began moving again, faster this time. 

"I can't..." she said, squeezing her eyes shut as humiliation washed over her to mix with the enjoyment. 

"Oh, but you must," he murmured, deepening his strokes until he felt her trembling on the brink of an orgasm...and then he stopped dead. He waited until she opened her eyes again and then he arched an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" 

Ordinarily she would have told him to go to hell, but she felt anything but ordinary at that moment. Teetering on the edge of intense pleasure, she almost sobbed when her movements failed to make him continue. "Mark....please...." 

He bent and dropped a small kiss on her lips. "Please what darlin'?" 

"Please don't stop, please..." 

"What do you want Piper? Tell me!" 

Her eyes met his and she went blank for a second, then he flexed his hips once and she gasped. "I want you to...to....make love to me," she whispered, her awareness that she was begging him for sex buried deep in her brain. 

"Make love? This isn't making love, Piper. This is good old fashioned fucking," he growled, narrowing his eyes. "Ask me properly." 

The reality of the situation was starting to get to her as her body began to cool down and she frowned. "No," she said quietly. 

"No?" he repeated, smiling wickedly. "Are you sure about that?" He flexed his hips again and thrust a few times, bringing her back up to boiling point again. He was finding it more and more impossible to control his own body now. "Ask me properly," he said again, moving his hips from side to side. 

She whimpered as he continued the teasing movement. "I don't know how....what you want me to say...I..." she gasped out, arching upwards again as he gave one deep lunge. 

"Ask me to fuck you, baby," he growled, his eyes fierce as he watched her writhe about as if she were in pain. 

"Please....Mark....please f..fuck me..." she stammered, knowing she'd regret it later. Right now all that mattered was that he continued what he had been doing. 

"As you wish darlin'," he said, smiling in victory and then starting to plunge quickly in and out of her tight warmth, pushing her over the edge and feeling her clamp down around him. 

She screamed as she came, and he groaned as he joined her, the way her body clenched uncontrollably around him sending him skywards. He collapsed on top of her and worked hard at trying to breathe, unable to believe the ecstasy she had given him. 

Piper lay still underneath him, floating mindlessly on a cloud of satisfaction as her body slowly returned to normality. She felt thoughts pressing in on her consciousness and she tried to ignore them, not wanting to face it all yet...not wanting to feel the humiliation. But she couldn't stop them and a frown crinkled her forehead as she remembered every move, every word, every touch that had just occurred. Tears filled her eyes quickly and overflowed, but she didn't make a noise. She couldn't believe that she had turned from a fairly normal person into some sort of sex maniac in so short a time. And he had enjoyed it, he had laughed.....oh God, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut as all the feelings she was trying to hold back flooded her. 

Mark opened his eyes slowly when he felt her tremble underneath him, and he rolled off her, thinking it was his weight causing her some distress. But when he looked at her, he found she was crying and he suddenly felt like shit. "Piper..." he began, but she rolled away from him, presenting him with her back and curling up. He watched for a few seconds not knowing what to do. Reaching out, he touched her shoulder and she flinched away from him, still not making a noise. "Piper, talk to me, tell me what's wrong." 

She snorted at that and gave a short laugh. "Don't touch me," she hissed, blinking the remaining tears away and stiffening her back. 

Mark frowned. "That's not what you were saying just now," he reminded her. 

"I know, and I'll be ashamed of that forever," she whispered, still not turning over to look at him. 

His frown grew even worse and he grabbed her, pulling her forcibly over onto her back so he could look into her eyes. "There's nothing shameful in admitting you like something," he said, hating the guilt that started making itself known as he looked at the tears on her face. 

She struggled to get away from his big hands, but it was futile. "Let me go." 

"No, not until you stop acting like this," he said, frowning even more fiercely. 

"How do you expect me to act after the way you humiliated me? Or is it that you want me to beg again? You get a real kick out of that, don't you, you bastard?" she spat at him, shifting her shoulders in his grasp. 

His eyes narrowed dangerously at the insult. "Piper..." he began, his tone warning her not to continue. "For God's sake!" he muttered as she struggled even harder, her eyes shooting fire at him. "If you don't calm down, right now, I'll...." 

"You'll what? You big bully! The only thing you understand is force...._get the hell off me_!" she yelled at him, trying to use her legs to kick him, but he held her effortlessly. 

"You think that's all I understand? Fine," he ground out through gritted teeth as he rolled her over onto her stomach and delivered two sharp swats to her backside. He leaned down until his mouth was next to her ear. "You want more of those Piper? Then you just continue struggling and I'll be happy to oblige." When she stopped moving and just lay there he nodded. "Good." 

Piper lay calmly, waiting for him to remove his hands. As soon as he did she moved off the bed, quickly grabbing her clothes and slipping them on so she didn't feel so vulnerable. 

"Where are you going?" Mark asked her, sitting up on the bed and staring at her suspiciously. "Downstairs. I am allowed to leave the room?" she asked sarcastically, immediately setting his temper ablaze again. 

"You have permission to leave the room. But don't try and leave the house, or you'll regret it," he told her, his face a cold mask. 

She was about to retort, but thought better of it and just lowered her eyes. Far better to just shut up and leave the room while she could, rather than get him mad at her again. She went out the door as fast as she could and almost ran down the stairs, glad to have some distance between them. 

Mark watched her go and ran a hand through his hair, flopping back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. He had a horrible feeling that he was starting to care about her, and that would make things far more complicated than he had previously thought they were. Obviously she hated his guts, even though she responded to his lovemaking. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way, he thought, and considered the way he had been treating her. Not that he'd been physically abusive, but the way she had reacted just now.....he shook his head and sighed again. She was so stubborn that she brought out the worst in him, and he couldn't help the way he acted. He frowned and sat up, making a decision. She didn't like him bullying her, and she didn't like him forcing her to admit she wanted him, so he'd see how she liked him being nice to her. He only hoped he could hold onto his temper if she kept defying him. 

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_****Gosh, is Mark going to stop being an asshole? Is that possible? Who knows? LOL****_


	22. Chapter 20

_*****Thanks for the reviews and sorry it took so long to update! Enjoy!*****_****

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**Chapter twenty**

Piper finished washing the dishes and sat down at the kitchen table, staring out of the French doors at the grounds beyond. It had been five weeks now since the day Mark had made her beg, and since then he had been strangely attentive. Not nice. She didn't think Mark would know how to be nice if his life depended on it, but he was at least treating her like a human being now. He had teased her again, but he had also made really sweet love to her, and it had been fantastic. Piper had even found herself touching him; something she had sworn to herself she wouldn't do again. Just last night she had actually initiated their lovemaking for the first time, taking Mark by surprise. Not that he'd minded too much. He always found it amusing when she tried to tease him, because in the end he always had the upper hand, and he knew it. But still she tried. Now she had decided that possibly the best time to tease him with accidental touches, was when they were out in public. There, he couldn't retaliate, and she could drive him crazy. She always paid for it, but it was fun while it lasted. 

If Piper was honest with herself she had to admit that she loved his body. It was just so..._big_. She loved looking at him, studying the mass of tattoos that covered his arms and torso, touching the large pads of muscle on his chest, stroking his surprisingly soft skin. She was even learning to behave in the way that pleased him. Except for her mouth, she thought, sighing as she shifted on the chair and felt the soreness of her backside again. It reminded her of early that same morning, when he had pissed her off enough that she had yelled a few obscenities at him. Unlike some of the other times when he had punished her, there had been no warning this time and she had been grabbed and thrown down across his knee in this very chair. She was only glad they didn't have company as she was quite sure he would still have done it despite having an audience. 

Five weeks, she mused, and not one of them had passed by when she hadn't found herself over his lap on the receiving end of some hard slaps. One of the times she'd even hit him back, giving him a sharp slap to his cheek that had driven him into a fury. She'd received two paddling's for that one. Strangely enough, it didn't bother her like it had done at first. She supposed she must have become used to it, although her body certainly hadn't. Every time hurt as much as the first time, and if she got him really mad he used more force. Never once had he bruised her though, and she realized he must use a lot of restraint. God knew she could drive him crazy when she wanted to, and now she knew exactly which buttons to press. Luckily for her she only used that knowledge when he made her angry...and then she usually lived to regret it. She wondered if she'd ever learn to control her big mouth. 

But still, she thought, her face softening as she thought about him, he had been oddly kind to her; despite the occasional punishment. He had even allowed her to telephone her sister. Paige had been surprisingly calm and didn't sound as though being kidnapped had bothered her at all. Piper couldn't imagine that she felt too calm about it, but she didn't say anything to betray fear or anger - she didn't even ask Piper to intervene on her behalf. Apparently Glenn was treating her well. When Piper asked about their father and where he thought Paige was, her sister said she had telephoned him and he thought she was staying with friends. The phone call had put her mind to rest, if only a little. Paige appeared to be safe, but Piper wouldn't be truly happy until she'd seen that with her own eyes. 

Last week she and Mark had visited her father and it had been very enjoyable. Both men seemed to get on well, and Piper had found herself really relaxing against Mark as he put his arm around her. For a few minutes she had imagined that they really loved each other, and it had filled her with warmth. Something was definitely different. It was almost like he was trying to make her life easier, but surely....no, no. After all the trouble he had gone through to force her into the marriage in the first place, it was highly doubtful that he would start trying to change things now. Still, sometimes the feeling remained. And when he went back to work, she found herself looking forward to him arriving home again. 

She had also noticed another difference in him lately. He didn't seem so content that she was behaving herself. In fact, now she thought about it, he was positively morose when she did as she was told. He had a certain twinkle in his eye when he managed to goad her into shouting at him. 

She found herself smiling and stood up, feeling restless. What was the matter with her? Surely she didn't actually _like_ living here now? Her eyes roamed the large kitchen and she walked out into the hallway, looking around at the large house she now considered home. For the first time she realized that was what it had become, no matter how she had first come to be there. The only places she hadn't gone were the basement and Mark's study, and only because he had told her she couldn't. He kept both doors locked and no matter how many times she had asked him, he always said no. He always looked amused when she mentioned the rooms, and he knew it was driving her mad that she couldn't see what was behind the locked doors. 

She went towards the study and put her hand on the doorknob, turning it slowly to see if the door was locked. It had become a ritual everyday that she would try the handles, just in case he'd forgotten. So far he hadn't, but....she turned the handle and then gasped as the lock sprung open. It was quite a shock, because she hadn't considered it would truly open...but she didn't wait around or debate the fact for too long. Pushing the door open, she felt like a thief as she snuck into the room, her mind reeling as she tried to think of what he could possibly have hidden inside. 

She frowned when she found a very normal looking study. The walls were covered with shelves, most containing books and a few containing a large collection of videos. There was a TV and a VCR in one corner with a large easy chair in front of them. Obviously he was used to sitting in here watching something. There was a huge antique desk taking up a large amount of room, and on it was all sorts of paperwork. She had a quick flick through it all and found nothing particularly interesting. But there must be something he was hiding. Why else would he lock the door? 

She moved around the desk and sat in the big leather chair, enjoying the luxurious feel of it before she started opening drawers to see what she could find. Nothing was what she came up with, and she frowned again, her eyes looking at the shelves. Maybe it was the videos? But why would he hide video tapes, unless....unless they were pornographic! 

She rushed over to the shelves and pulled out a couple of tapes, reading the side of one and frowning again. 'SD'. What the hell did 'SD' mean? she wondered. She looked at a few more. 'SD' came up again and again, and then she found some labelled 'RAW' and grimaced. Raw sounded kind of rude, she thought, slipping the tape out of its case and putting it into the VCR. Switching everything on and pressing play, she settled back in the chair to find out what it was that he apparently found so interesting. 

Her eyes widened with confusion when what was obviously a wrestling show came on. He watched wrestling? she thought, looking at two men start throwing each other around. She had never taken much notice of it herself. Still, there had to be something.....she grabbed the remote control and fast forwarded the tape, playing it again and seeing two bigger men fighting now. She had to admit it was quite entertaining, and she smiled as one of the men got hold of a microphone, shouting into it aggressively. She wondered if they all went to a school that taught them how to speak really deeply, and she laughed. All of a sudden the lights went out in the arena and a bell tolled. Now what? she wondered, wishing she had some popcorn or something. It felt like being at the cinema. Her eyes narrowed as the camera zoomed in on a tall figure wearing a dark cloak, his hair long and black and his head bowed just slightly. He was obviously supposed to be evil or something, judging by the way the wrestler in the ring became scared. It panned back to the darker man and zoomed in on his face, and Piper froze. It looked like Mark...but it couldn't be...he would have told her...A frown marred her brow as she continued to watch. No, there was no doubt about it. Okay, his hair was long and dark, but it was definitely him. She found herself watching the whole match with wide eyes, taking in every one of his moves and then sitting back breathless when it was over. Well, that certainly explained his size, she thought. Why hadn't he ever told her? Was he ashamed of that part of his life? She frowned and jumped up, sorting through the tapes and putting another one in the VCR to watch. 

Several hours later she gave a heavy sigh and switched the TV off. He was amazing...the things he had done, and the persona he had put over to the crowd. She shivered. There was no doubt about it, she had liked what she had seen. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about him having all these tapes hidden behind a locked door, and she began to wonder what it was he had hidden in the basement. Curiosity got the better of her and she started looking through the desk drawers again, grinning triumphantly when she found a small bunch of keys right in the bottom one. A quick glance at her watch told her that she had a good hour and a half to two hours until he came home, and she ran out into the hall so she could try the keys. After several fumbled attempts, she finally found the right one and the lock clicked open. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip as she touched the doorknob, wondering if she should really go in. But he wouldn't know, and she had to find out what else he was hiding. 

Taking a deep breath she opened the door and looked down the dark staircase that led into pitch blackness. Fumbling for a switch inside the door, she located one and flooded the area with light. Okay, the stairs didn't look any more inviting, but she couldn't resist going down them. They curved sharply at the bottom and then she found another switch on the wall, flicking it and then widening her eyes as she took in what had been a mystery to her only minutes before. 

A gym. _That_ was what he was hiding? she thought, frowning. Okay, it was a very large gym and, amazingly, there was a wrestling ring at one end of it. But surely he didn't need to hide it? Unless he really was ashamed of his past life, and he didn't want her to know anything about it. She shrugged and wandered over to some of the equipment, touching a few things and wondering what they were for. But all the time her eyes kept flicking to the massive ring, and she eventually walked over to it, climbing the small steps at the side. Gazing uncertainly at the floor of the ring, she kicked off her shoes to make sure she didn't cause any damage. Mind you, she thought, those women she had seen on the tapes often wore spiked shoes into the ring and hers were nowhere near as high or narrow-heeled. 

Giving a mental shrug, Piper stepped through the ropes and walked barefoot across the ring, her eyes huge. He had a wrestling ring right here in the basement, she thought, still stunned. Sure she had watched his tapes, but she hadn't expected to find anything like this. The basement was enormous, as befitted a house of this size, and it was fully kitted out with all that gym equipment and _this_....she wondered what he did in it. Did he have other wrestlers come to the house and wrestle with them? And what would be the point? He didn't wrestle anymore, did he? She bounced slightly on the floor of the ring and couldn't help smiling at how springy it was, almost like being on a trampoline only much harder. No wonder he had been able to have his body thrown over someone else's head, all it took was a little bounce on this and it would give you the momentum you needed to go quite high....if you were athletic. 

The sound of a throat being cleared made her spin around and her mouth fell open when she saw Mark leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. "I thought I told you to stay out of the basement?" he asked her in a deadly tone. 

Piper swallowed hard and clasped her hands in front of her, trying to think of a plausible excuse for being down here when he had strictly forbidden it. Then anger started surging through her. She was his wife now, what the hell gave him the right to ban her from any area of her own home? "I don't have to do as you tell me!" she said angrily, her eyes shooting sparks of fire at him. 

"Is that right? So you don't have to listen to me when I tell you not to go in my office, for instance?" he said, pulling away from the door and strolling casually towards her. "Or when I forbid you from entering any room, or touching things that don't concern you? I should have known you'd be far too nosy to stay away." 

"I am not nosy! I just....the tapes were right there and there was nothing on television..." she began, trailing off as he climbed the steps up to the ring and stood holding the top rope as he stared her down. 

"You were nosy," he said again, frowning. "And you didn't even have the courtesy to put the tapes back again after you'd watched them. Well, did you see what you wanted to see? Hmm?" he asked her, stepping right over the top rope and lifting his chin, his eyes narrowing. "Did you maybe want a live performance? Because if that's the case, honey, then I'm only too happy to oblige. Just one thing, I'll need an opponent, and it looks like you're it, seeing as how you're now in my yard." 

Piper stared at him with huge eyes as he stalked towards her and she backed herself into the ropes. "I don't....I d-don't want to....M-Mark..." she stammered as he got close enough to stare down at her. 

"If you didn't want it, you shouldn't have come in here, should you?" he asked in a quiet voice, seconds before his brows drew down in a fierce frown and his hand lifted to encircle her throat, making her almost pass out with very real fear. "What's the matter baby? Scared? Don't you recognize this move from my wrestling days? After all, you did just watch it, didn't you?" 

Piper raised her hands and grasped his wrist, trying to pull his hand away from her throat. In all honesty it didn't hurt and it wasn't constricting her breathing, but he was so incredibly scary like this.....he wasn't the same man she had come to know and loathe at all. This was someone she couldn't possibly fight and it made her knees turn to jelly. "P-please Mark...I d-don't..." she stammered again, feeling weak tears fill her eyes when he just stared stonily at her. She closed her eyes as if that would make him go away and she felt her body quake slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice. 

Mark watched her expressions and instantly felt like a heel when she closed her eyes and started shaking. He moved his hand slightly and ran it down her neck, stroking slowly across her shoulders and round to the back of her head, pulling her against his chest. "Dammit Piper, how is it you manage to do this to me without even trying? I'm not going to hurt you, baby, calm down for me." 

Piper slowly relaxed against him as his other arm came up to wrap around her shoulders. It was odd that someone who could scare her so easily could also make her feel so at ease only seconds later. She took a shaky breath and glanced up at him. "Why didn't you tell me about this? Why did you keep it all hidden?" 

Mark narrowed his eyes and sighed. "It's part of my past, now. And I didn't think you'd be all that interested, to be honest," he said, raising one eyebrow. "Are you saying you want to know more about me?" 

She didn't want to admit that she did, but she couldn't help herself. "I guess I am." 

"You guess?" he murmured, a slight smile tilting his lips. "Did you enjoy watching the tapes?" 

"They were...interesting," she said, frowning as she tried to explain how they'd made her feel. "You were really good." 

Mark felt a warmth trickle through him at her words and his smiled widened. "You liked me as The Undertaker?" 

"Well, 'liked' may be too strong a word," she grumbled, hating that she had complimented him in any way. 

Mark chuckled. "It's too late to take it back now, darlin', it's already out there," he said, curling a long finger under her chin and tilting her head up so he could look into her eyes. "I came home early to take you out to dinner, but maybe you'd prefer to stay in and find out a little more about my wrestling days, hmm?" 

Piper stared up at him, amazed even now at the change a smile made to his face. "I'd like that." 

Mark nodded. "Good. It's a start," he murmured, studying her face and then bending to drop a soft kiss on her parted lips. He had been feeling closer to her lately and he found himself enjoying her company - when she wasn't being too disagreeable. In all honesty he couldn't blame her for how she felt; he hadn't started the relationship off too well. His life had changed in the last few weeks and he had to admit that it was for the better. Now all he had to do was try and be the sort of man Piper would really want for a husband. Maybe then they could give the marriage a real chance. 


	23. Chapter 21

_******I am SO sorry it's been such a long time! I'm in England at the moment, and I've only been able to get to a computer for a few minutes from time to time, hence the delay. But here's a small chapter, and I'll be back home in France soon, so I'll finish this off then! Thanks for having patience! And go check out my other story as no-one seems interested in it. It's called Rockstar and it's authored by Outsiders Babes.......me and Kliqgirl! Be nice to see if anyone liked it.............it's about Kev and Scott. Anyway, shameless promotion over......on with the story! :-P*****_

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**Chapter twenty-one**

Mark spent the evening showing Piper more tapes and pointing out different stages of his career. They sat in the living room, Piper curled up next to him on the couch while he casually draped one big arm around her shoulders. 

His mouth curved into a warm smile as he looked down at her. She was really starting to relax with him now, and she seemed to enjoy finding out about his previous life. He had caught her staring at him a couple of times, and she had blushed and turned away as soon as he had seen the strange expression on her face. It felt odd to see her looking at him with admiration for a change, instead of anger or fear or more than a hundred other negative emotions he had managed to draw out of her. 

When she fell asleep leaning against him, he gave a soft smile and switched the TV off before lifting her in his arms and carrying her up the stairs to their room. She snuggled closer to his warmth as he walked along, and he found himself grinning inanely as he laid her down on the bed and began to remove her clothing so she could sleep more comfortably. When he had tucked her under the sheets, he left the room and went to his study to make a phone call. If things were changing, then he knew just what to do to make her even happier. After a few minutes he returned to the bedroom and started getting undressed himself, sliding in beside her and pulling her body next to him. He was pleased when she instantly curled against him and gave a sigh of contentment, and he tightened his hold on her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. He felt that the day, although not having started out too well, had been a really good one and that they were about to move forward. 

***** 

The next day Piper opened her eyes and stretched, frowning when she saw how much sunshine was flooding into the room. She instantly looked at the clock and her eyes widened when she found it was gone ten. Mark must have already gone to work, but it was strange that he hadn't woken her up first; he usually did. Yawning hugely, she slid out of bed and padded across to the bathroom, intent on grabbing a shower and getting the day underway. She wondered briefly why she couldn't remember removing her clothes, but the hot spray of the shower soon made her forget about it. After she had dried and dressed herself, she left the bedroom and started down the stairs, stopping halfway when she heard voices. Mark was still here, she thought, and there was another man...she wasn't sure who, but.....then her eyes became huge as she heard Paige's voice and she ran the rest of the way, following the voices to the kitchen. 

Mark, Glenn and Paige all looked up as she burst into the room, and Paige grinned. "Piper! I was wondering when you'd get up!" 

Piper let her sister draw her into a hug. "What are you doing here? Are you okay? Where have you been? Did he do anything to you?" she asked quickly, keeping her voice down so the others didn't catch everything she was saying. 

"I'm just fine, as you can see," Paige said, smiling at her. "Things have been....a little strange, but.....Piper I've really enjoyed being with Glenn." 

"But he kidnapped you!" she hissed, glancing warily at where Mark and Glenn were busy talking. 

"I know, but he hasn't been unkind to me...well, not really. It's hard to explain, but I thought I hated him and now..." 

"You keep thinking things that have nothing to do with hate," Piper finished for her, glancing at Mark again and sighing. 

Paige laughed softly. "I guess things between you two aren't as bad as they were when I was last here then?" 

Piper shook her head. "No, things aren't as bad. Sometimes it's like we're just a normal married couple. Sort of." 

"Sort of?" 

"He's anything but normal," Piper said, scowling as she looked over at Mark. "Sometimes he drives me insane and I'd like to just kill him, but then he'll go and do something like....well, like bringing you here. Why _are_ you here?"  
"I'm not sure. All I know is that Glenn told me this morning we were coming here," Paige said, shrugging. "I didn't want to ruin it all by asking why, so I really don't know. I'm just glad I'm here now." 

"So am I," Piper said, smiling. "Have you had any coffee? Would you like some? I can do some food too, if you're hungry," she continued, walking past the table and starting up a fresh pot of coffee. She felt Mark staring at her and she turned to look at him, a small smile playing around her mouth when she saw the way he was smiling at her. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked him, getting the strange sensation of the world narrowing down to include just the two of them. 

"If you're cooking something darlin', then I'm definitely eating," he murmured, his eyes glittering warmly at her. "Your food is always delicious." 

It made her breath catch in her throat - the way he was looking at her, the things he was saying. She liked it a lot and it showed in the way she smiled. "Bacon and eggs?" 

"Oh yeah. And sausages," he added, looking pleased. 

"Okay," she said, grabbing some things out of the fridge and starting to prepare everything. Paige helped her and soon they had several things cooking including mushrooms and biscuits, which Piper knew Mark loved. 

"Glenn will love all of this," Paige murmured, shooting a glance at the big man and blushing when he gave her a slow smile. "He likes my cooking as much as Mark seems to like yours." 

"You cook for him?" Piper asked, raising her eyebrows. 

"Oh, I didn't, at first," Paige said, shrugging. "I just wanted to escape, but if I'd left it up to him to feed me I'd have died of starvation." 

"He can't cook, I take it?" 

"Oh, he can boil an egg," the other girl said, shaking her head and laughing. "And he can burn toast...but everything else is a mystery to him." 

Piper glanced at her sister. "Paige, tell me the truth. Was it bad?" 

The older girl frowned and stared at the bacon she was cooking. "I thought it was, when he first carried me off. But he was never mean or violent......well, after the first day. He's always been very...respectful. There were a couple of times..." she broke off and shook her head. 

"A couple of times....what? Did he hurt you?" Piper asked her quietly, a worried frown on her face. 

"Does Mark hurt you when you do something wrong?" Paige countered the question. 

"Yes....no.....no, he just.....oh! I see," Piper said, comprehension dawning at long last. "He's a lot like Mark, I guess." 

"Yeah. But he's been so sweet as well, especially when he found out about...you know," she whispered. 

"You told him about that?" 

Paige shrugged. "I had to....I had one of my nightmares and he woke me up. He knows I was attacked, and that my attacker kidnapped me. He also knows how badly hurt I was and that, in the end, I wasn't raped." She looked at her younger sister and gave a small smile. "I showed him my scars." 

"What?" Piper asked, her eyes round with surprise. 

"I know....but he was so understanding, and....Piper, I let him touch me and do things...well, I never thought I'd be able to," Paige whispered, blushing. 

Piper smiled at her once she got over the initial surprise. "Did you enjoy it?" 

"Oh yes!" 

"That's all that matters, really. Do you care about him?" 

"I do, I think....I think I love him. And I think he loves me too, although he's never said. But sometimes, the way he looks at me," she smiled and then giggled. "He's sweet." 

Piper raised her eyebrows at the thought that someone who looked as untamed as Glenn did could be called 'sweet'. "I'm glad you're happy, but is he ever going to let you go home?" 

"I don't want to go home," Paige said. "I don't want to leave him." 

"I know how you feel," Piper said, turning to look at Mark over her shoulder. He felt her staring at him and caught her gaze, winking at her and then chuckling when she blushed. 

"Piper, do you love him?" Paige asked, seeing the look her sister was shooting at the older man. 

"Oh God, I....I do," she said on a hushed breath, turning quickly back to what she was doing and blinking rapidly. "But I don't think he feels the same." She frowned as she broke an egg into the frying pan, feeling her stomach start churning with her sudden strong emotions. "I wish I knew how he really felt." 

"Why don't you tell him how you feel, and then see what happens?" Paige asked her. 

"I'm not brave enough. What if he decides he's had enough and that he wants me to leave?" she asked, frowning even more and swallowing. "Paige, I don't think I can eat this, I don't feel too good." 

Paige frowned with concern and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't get upset. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she murmured. 

"It's okay, it's just....I've only just realised how important he is to me....I didn't realise," she stopped and shook her head, taking a deep breath. "How could I not know?" With another small frown, she looked at her sister's concerned face. "It's okay, I'm fine." She concentrated on her task and soon had the food on the table where the two big men waited impatiently until the girls were seated before they started loading their plates up. 

Piper caught her breath and felt her heart flip over in her chest when Mark leaned over and kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand for good measure as he began to eat. "This is real good darlin'," he said, winking at her. 

She smiled softly and put some food on her plate, wondering if her heart would ever slow down. The sound of endearments coming from him made her pulse rate skyrocket. Looking at her plate she began eating, only managing a couple of mouthfuls before her stomach protested and she decided to concentrate on her coffee instead. She still felt a little queasy, but she put it down to the shock of realising her true feelings toward her husband. Mark finished his own food and frowned when he saw she had barely touched hers. 

"Is anything wrong, baby?" he asked, linking his fingers through hers and making her look at him. 

"No, I just......I didn't feel hungry," she said, shrugging. 

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale," he continued, brushing her hair out of her face in a tender move that made her face colour with pleasure. 

"No, I-I'm fine, honestly," she said, knowing the other two were looking at her then. 

Mark saw that she was a little uncomfortable and he relented, still looking worried about her and rubbing her fingers gently. "Maybe we should go and sit down, get a little more comfortable?" he asked, standing up and drawing her up in front of him. "Come on, baby." 

Piper felt her heart lurch at the thought of being able to curl up next to him on the sofa. She smiled softly. "Okay. Oh! But I have to do the dishes," she said, looking at the mess on the table. 

"You don't worry about that now. I can deal with it later, you just relax," he said, looking concerned again. He drew her next to him and put a big arm around her shoulders and she briefly wondered if he was doing all this just for show in front of the other two. But she didn't argue, it felt too good being close to him. 

When they reached the living room, Mark suggested that they watch some of he and Glenn's older matches, and both girls agreed. Paige had found out about Glenn already, it seemed, because she didn't appear to be surprised at all. As soon as they had a tape in the VCR, Mark sat down and drew Piper close to his side while he used the remote control to play the video. Piper snuggled against him, not seeing the need to hide the fact that she wanted a cuddle. She enjoyed his company now, and she thought maybe he enjoyed her company too. Her eyes flicked across the room to where Glenn was lounging on another sofa, and she was surprised to see Paige sitting close to him and him putting his arm around her. A smile tilted her lips when she saw how happy her sister looked, and she realised she had nothing to worry about. 

Mark glanced down at her and caught the smile, and he lifted her chin up so he could see her eyes. "You feeling any better, darlin'?" he asked softly, and she had the eerie sensation of sinking into the warmth of his eyes. 

Taking a shallow breath, she nodded and found herself smiling at him with genuine affection. "I'm okay, really," she assured him, shifting ever so slightly closer and shivering when his arm wrapped more firmly around her. When he just stared at her, she felt a flush of colour light up her face. "Shouldn't we be watching this?" she asked, gesturing towards the television. 

"I'd rather watch you," he murmured, his eyes lighting up at how shy she became when he said anything vaguely complimentary. His thumb brushed softly over her lips, before he bent his head and kissed her gently. It was only brief, but the contact was so warm and caring that Piper couldn't help responding to it, and she was disappointed when he stopped. With a pleased smile, he tucked her head against his shoulder and held her while they watched the video. 

The conversation that Glenn and Mark carried on went over her head, she was too wrapped up in being close to Mark and having him treat her as if he cared. She knew it would quickly grow to be addictive. 

_*******And there ya go.........hope it was okay.......more next week, I should think!!!*******_


	24. Chapter 22

_****Thanks for reviewing and thanks for sticking with this. Ooo, and thanks for the reviews on Rockstar!!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it and I know Kliqgirl is too! And speaking of Kliqgirl.....thanks for putting my mind at rest about this chapter girl. You're the coolest!! Good luck with the potential employment!!***_

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**Chapter Twenty-two**

The days passed by quickly, and each one brought them closer together. Mark treated her like she was something special to him, and she responded to the gentle treatment far better than the harsher way he had been with her at first. But he didn't even think about the way he was acting; it just came naturally to him now. Home was becoming a far more attractive prospect than work for the first time in a long time, and he spent more and more time away from the office so he could take Piper out and have fun. The only slightly dark cloud hanging over them was the fact that Piper kept falling ill, and Mark was finding it hard to hide his worry from her. She refused to go to a doctor as she thought it was just a virus and would pass given time. But two weeks went by and still she felt ill. Her weight was starting to be affected by her lack of appetite and Mark finally took matters into his own hands. 

"I'm taking you to the doctors office today," he told her whilst they were sitting eating breakfast. 

Piper lifted lacklustre eyes to his and sighed. "I don't want to go to the doctors." 

Mark smiled at her continued stubborn streak, even when she looked and felt awful. "It doesn't matter whether you want to go or not. You're going, and that's final." 

"But Mark..." 

"But nothing. You'll go if I have to carry you there, and you know good and well that I'll do it, too." 

Piper saw the determination in his eyes and knew she wouldn't have a choice. She had been getting steadily sicker ever since her sister had visited, and it scared her to death. Her mother had died of cancer, and she had been sick like this for months. Piper was terrified that she had the same thing and so she had been too afraid to see a doctor in case he confirmed those fears. But now she had to go, and she wondered how she would cope with the treatment such an illness required. 

Mark frowned as he saw the emotions crawling over her face and he stood up, moving around the table to sit next to her and take her hand. "Piper, tell me what's wrong." She shook her head silently and then lifted her eyes to his, not shielding her emotions this time and making him draw in a sharp breath. "Sweetheart, tell me." 

"I'm scared Mark," she whispered, feeling the weight of her worry already lifting as she spoke. "What if I've got something serious? What if it's cancer?" 

"Cancer? Why the hell would you think that?" he burst out, shocked. 

"Because my mother died of it.....and she got sick like this too." 

Mark shook his head and pulled her out of her seat and onto his lap so he could cuddle her, his big hands rubbing her back. "That's why you've been refusing to see a doctor isn't it?" 

She nodded and snuggled closer to him. "I don't want to know." 

"You can't bury your head in the sand, darlin', whatever it is that's making you sick. You have to know what's causing it so you can get better. And if it is something as awful as cancer, then we'll cope with it together. Okay?" 

"Okay," she said softly, relaxing against him even more and sighing. 

"Why didn't you tell me about this before now?" he asked her, looking down at her face and smiling gently. 

"We didn't really talk much before, and I didn't know if you'd care or....well, I guess things are different now," she said. 

"Yeah I guess they are. But you should have told me," he told her, feeling his chest tighten when he thought of her being ill. "Let's get this cleared up and we'll get to the doctors straight away. No point in putting it off any longer." He stood up, taking her with him and then cupped her face in one big hand as he gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything will be just fine." 

For some reason, hearing those words from him made her relax as if he could really tell what the future held. She smiled back and started clearing the table, dreading what the following hours could hold. 

***** 

Mark guided Piper out of the doctor's surgery later and helped her into his truck, closing the door behind her and then moving around to the driver's side. He took a deep breath as he sat down and turned his head to look at her, finding her expression just as dazed as he knew his own must be. "Are you okay, darlin'?" 

She nodded, still numb. "I......think so." 

He smiled slowly and reached out to take her hand. "Are you feeling okay? Not sick still or anything?" 

"No, I think I'm too stunned to feel anything right now," she murmured, looking at him and trying to gauge his reaction to the news. 

"How about we drive over to your fathers and tell him he's going to be a grandfather in about seven months time?" Mark asked her, his smile broadening until it was a brilliant grin. 

"I think I'd rather just go home, for now," she said, glancing at him and frowning at the way he was smiling. "Are you pleased about this?" she asked him, worried that he wouldn't be. 

"Of course I'm pleased, I'm gonna be a Daddy. Aren't you happy about it?" he asked, frowning as he thought about how she might feel. He had forced her into the marriage in the first place and now she was carrying his child. There wasn't much hope of escape if that's what she still wanted. 

"I....I think I am, it's just....it's a bit scary," she confessed, putting one hand on her still flat stomach and chewing her lip. 

"I guess it is," he replied, wondering how to really get her to open up about how she felt. "I think we need to have a serious talk about this. About our marriage," he said reluctantly, knowing they had better sort out how they both really felt about their union before they even thought of bringing a child into it. If they couldn't be together, then at least the child could have two happy parents, regardless of the fact that they were separated. For his own part, he didn't want to lose Piper; not now. 

Piper looked at him and nodded. "I suppose we do." She turned away and stared out of the window as he started the engine, feeling defeated. This was where he would tell her that they should get divorced, because he didn't love her and he never would. Then she'd be left to bring the baby up all on her own, with maybe a few cheques from him. The future stretched out in front of her drearily, and she wondered when exactly everything had changed. When she'd married him she'd hated the fact that her freedom was gone. Now she hated the fact that she might lose him. 

She sat silently as he drove them back home and only realised where they were when her door opened and he gently lifted her out of the seat. When she was standing in front of him next to the truck, he smoothed his hand over her cheek and cocked his head to one side. "You look tired." 

"I am tired," she said, her voice barely audible. She really didn't want to start talking about the dissolution of their marriage; not now. Any excuse that came up that would delay such a conversation was fine by her. 

Mark grabbed her hand and led her indoors. "Let's both go and lay down," he said, drawing her up the stairs and into their room where he lifted her onto the bed and took her shoes off. 

Tears misted her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. This was the gentlest and most caring he had been with her since they'd first met....and it had to be because she was pregnant. Why couldn't he just have acted like that before? She turned on her side so he couldn't examine her face too closely, and then she shivered as he lay down behind her, pulling her back into the curve of his body and dropping a small kiss on her neck. The extra attention only made her feel worse and she hoped he'd go to sleep soon or she'd end up howling like a baby. 

****** 

Piper opened her eyes slowly and blinked up at the gathering shadows on the ceiling. Looking over to the window, she realised it was late afternoon and that she had slept most of the day away. After sitting up and yawning she noticed Mark wasn't anywhere to be seen and she moved slowly off the bed and padded out of the room. She could hear noises coming from downstairs and also the smell of something nice cooking, so she followed her nose and found him standing at the stove stirring a pan of something. He turned when he heard her soft movements and gave her a slow smile. 

"You sure took your time having a nap," he murmured, reaching out one long arm and drawing her to his side so he could hug her and work at the same time. 

"I guess I was more tired than I thought," she said, pressing against him and relaxing a little bit. 

"I guess you were." 

"What are you making?" she asked, looking into one pan and sniffing. 

"Pasta. I thought it'd make a change, and you needed your rest," he said, watching with raised eyebrows when she stuck her finger in the pasta sauce and tasted it. 

"It's good!" 

"Don't sound so surprised," he said, chuckling as he stopped her from taking another taste and guided her over to the table instead. "You just sit yourself down right there and relax. It'll be ready soon." 

As much as she enjoyed the attention, she couldn't help frowning. "Why are you doing all this?" 

"All what? Cooking?" 

"Being......well, being nice," she murmured, sighing. 

Mark studied her and narrowed his eyes. "You preferred it when I was being mean?" 

"No...no. But I at least knew where I stood then," she mumbled, chewing her thumbnail as she waited for him to speak. 

"And now you don't," he said, pulling a chair out and sitting facing her. "I thought things were changing between us Piper. Don't you want things to get better?" 

"I do....I've enjoyed..." she broke off and glanced at him, wondering whether to let him know how much she had liked his company lately. "It's been good." 

"So why are you asking questions about my motives now?" he asked, watching her closely. She shrugged and didn't say anything, not wanting to confess what she was thinking. "Come on, Piper, you may as well tell me what's wrong. I'm not leaving this alone until you do." 

She let her shoulders slump. The one thing she really knew about him was that he was like a dog with a bone when he got his teeth into a subject, and there was little chance that he'd let this drop. Well, why not just tell him straight out how you feel? she thought. "It just seems that now I'm pregnant you're being nicer, that's all." 

Mark stared at her silently for a second and then shook his head. "And you think it's just because of the baby?" 

"Well isn't it? You're never normally like this." 

"Wasn't I being nice to you before I found out about it? Weren't we getting closer? Or was it just my damn imagination?" he asked her, ignoring her question as studied her mutinous expression and got angrier. "I just can't win with you, can I? Well fine. You think things were better before, then that's what we'll go back to. Here," he said, standing up and flinging the spoon on the table. "Get dinner ready, and be quick about it." With that said he stormed out of the room and she heard his study door slam closed. 

Great, she thought. Way to ruin everything. But she couldn't help the thoughts running through her head. She was pretty certain that she had fallen in love with her husband, and she was equally sure that he didn't feel the same way about her. Even with the way things had been getting better, she couldn't be sure how he felt and she knew she would always be waiting for him to become an ogre again. She sat staring blankly at the table until the furious bubbling of the pasta brought her out of her thoughts and she picked the spoon up and moved to the cooker to stir the food. A tear formed in her eye and she blinked it away, frowning. She was an emotional wreck lately, and she didn't like the feeling. Rather than getting angry, she found herself near tears all too often, and the little argument she and Mark had just had wasn't helping. She sniffed as her eyes continued to fill and cursed herself for being weak. It didn't matter if they argued. Good God, they'd done it enough since they'd married, what did one little row matter? But no matter how much she told herself that, it didn't help. 

By the time the food was done she had managed to calm herself down somewhat and she served the food up before reluctantly going in search of Mark. A knock on his study door went unanswered and she cautiously opened the door so she could look inside, but he wasn't there. After looking upstairs and making herself feel tired again, she hesitantly went to the basement door and opened it. The light was on, so she knew he was down there, but she really didn't want to intrude. Calling his name, she waited a few seconds and then frowned. She called again and still nothing and she knew she'd have to go down there. It would serve him right if she just let his food get cold, she told herself, welcoming the surge of anger that briefly flooded her system. But the anger disappeared the moment she set foot in the basement and saw him going at the punch bag with his huge fists. For a big man he moved surprisingly quickly, and he was currently dodging around the bag like a professional boxer. She couldn't help but admire him, and her eyes went to his big arms with the intriguing tattoos all over them. He wasn't wearing a shirt and she sighed unconsciously as she looked her fill at his broad chest and firm stomach. 

As if he could feel her gaze, he suddenly stopped moving and turned to look in her direction, his eyes cold. "I thought you knew not to come down here?" he asked her, his voice low and angry. 

"I only came down because you didn't hear me call you," Piper said, seeing he was still spoiling for a fight. "Your dinner's on the table," she said abruptly and turned her back, rushing back up the stairs as fast as she could. She didn't think her emotions could handle another argument right now, not after the day she'd had. First there was the worry of being ill, then the shock of being pregnant and now she'd managed to put them on a bad footing again. 

She made her way back to the table and sat down in front of her own dinner, swallowing rapidly as she looked at it. Great! she thought. Now she felt ill as well. Mark walked into the room and sat down opposite her, pulling his own food towards him and starting to eat without saying a word to her. Not that she wanted him to, she thought, trying to take deep breaths that weren't too noisy so he didn't notice her. Eventually she stood up and fetched herself a glass of water, taking small sips to try and throw off the nausea. It didn't really help and she became aware that Mark was watching her. 

"Why aren't you eating your dinner?" he asked her, his voice still harsh and the concern she could detect was obviously reluctant. 

She shrugged. "I'm not hungry." 

"You haven't eaten much all day," he said, frowning and looking at her plate. "You have to eat something." 

"I can't eat if I'm not hungry," she mumbled, taking another sip and wishing she didn't feel so rough. She couldn't put up with Mark if he was going to be difficult. 

"It doesn't matter if you feel hungry or not. If you don't eat, you can't nourish the baby," he said, putting his own fork down and staring openly at her now. 

Piper put her glass down and wiped a hand over her forehead, feeling worse by the second. She just wished he'd let it drop, but obviously he was hoping for an argument. "I know that, but I can't force the food down my throat," she tried to explain patiently. 

He stared at her silently, scowling. "Are you doing this on purpose? Is that it?" 

"What do you mean? You think I'd purposely not eat to try and harm the baby? Why the hell would I do that?" she asked him, amazed he could even think such a thing. 

"You tell me." 

Piper closed her eyes for a second and then glanced at him briefly. "I'm not telling you anything. I'm not hungry, that's all," she said, standing up and moving to leave the room. 

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked, standing up and stopping her with his hand on her arm in a tight grip. 

"I'm going to lie down," she said coldly, trying to tug out of his hold. 

"You'll sit down and eat your damn food is what you'll do, girl," he growled, dragging her back to her chair and pushing her down onto it. "I'm not having something happen to the baby because you're sulking." 

He pushed her plate back in front of her and she frowned. "I really can't...." 

"You'll damn well eat it. Now!" he barked, holding the fork out to her. 

All of a sudden it became too much for her and she dropped her head to her chest, her mouth turning down in misery. "Leave me alone Mark," she whispered, trying to stop the threatening tears. 

He shifted slightly as he watched her, his eyes narrowing as he tried to decide if she was putting it on. He judged that she probably was. "Don't act like a child Piper, eat the food." 

"No!" 

"You want me to feed you?" he asked, prepared to do just that. His eyes widened with surprise when she suddenly burst into tears and covered her face with both hands. "Piper?" 

"Go 'way," she gulped, hating being weak, hating feeling ill, and hating him all at the same time. The slowly mounting nausea became worse and she stood up shakily, one hand leaving her face to clutch her stomach. 

Mark watched her and realised he'd been wrong; again. When would he ever learn to read the situation properly where she was concerned? he thought, rolling his eyes and then looking at her with very real concern. "You feel sick?" 

She nodded and got a panicked look on her face as she looked frantically around. Mark scooped her up and ran with her into the downstairs bathroom, getting there just in time and holding her over the toilet as she was sick. He rubbed her back gently until she'd finally finished and then he cleaned her up and flushed the toilet before picking her up again and carrying her upstairs. Piper felt so awful that she just curled against him and cried, her face buried in the crook of his neck. By the time he got her to the bedroom he felt like the most evil monster on the face of the earth, and he sat down next to her once he'd laid her on the bed. 

"I'm sorry, darlin', I didn't mean to act like such a bastard," he said, stroking her hair back from her face and trying to soothe her a little bit. He sighed deeply when she didn't answer and he felt even worse. "Piper? Baby, do you feel any better? Can I get you anything?" 

Piper sniffed and wiped her eyes, giving him a suspicious look. "No." 

"No you don't feel better or no you don't want anything?" he asked, studying her expression closely. "And I'm not asking just because I'm worried about the baby. I'm not. I'm worried about you." 

She knew she shouldn't let him get to her, but she couldn't help the warm feeling she got from his words. "Me?" 

"Yes you," he said, stroking her face tenderly and smiling. "I hate seeing you upset and I hate seeing you feeling so ill." 

"Oh." 

He smiled slowly. "Is there anything I can do?" 

She sniffed again and dried her face, feeling a little better. "I wouldn't mind a cuddle," she mumbled, feeling inexplicably shy asking him for anything like that, but she needed it. 

"Now that's something I can do with pleasure," he said softly, easing full length onto the bed and pulling her into his arms. He sighed with something approaching relief when she curled against him and rested her head on his chest. "Okay?" 

"Mmm. Mark? I'm sorry I couldn't eat anything," she said tiredly, relaxing against him and feeling her stomach settle down now the tension was easing. 

"It's okay darlin'. I'm sorry I tried to make you, and I'm sorry for what I said," he told her, surprised that apologising wasn't as hard as he would have thought. "Get some sleep, maybe you'll feel better afterwards." 

"You won't go anywhere?" she whispered on a yawn. 

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart," he murmured, holding her tighter and looking down at her face as she fell asleep. He moved one big hand and stroked it gently over her stomach, wondering what she'd look like when she was heavily pregnant. He couldn't believe that she was actually carrying his child, or that he was still acting like such an idiot when it was so hard on her. She had enough to cope with at the moment. Whatever happened from now on, he thought, he was going to make damn sure he treated her better. He never wanted to make her cry again, that was for sure. 

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_*****There ya go! Hope it was okay......maybe not long to go now on this story hmm?****_


	25. Chapter 23

_*****Okay, I know this has been a VERY long time in coming...but I've been kinda wrapped up in Rockstar, so I hope someone will remember this story! Anyway, here's the next instalment! Thanks for the reviews last time! And thanks to Sarah, who reminded me to post this!!! Also thanks to Kliqgirl for being my sounding board!*****_

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**Chapter twenty-three**

Five months flew by and each day brought something new in the pregnancy to make Mark marvel at the tiny life inside Piper. Her stomach slowly started to become rounder and he couldn't stop touching it. 

Piper's morning sickness eased off after the third month and she began putting on weight again with her renewed appetite. Even her relationship with Mark seemed to be improving, but she couldn't quite shake off the thought that it was only because she was pregnant. Still, for the meantime she would soak up all the attention and enjoy being with him. The way he behaved with her made her wish that they'd met and married under totally different circumstances. 

Everything appeared to be going well until she went to the bathroom one afternoon and found a small spot of blood in her underwear. Not wanting to bother Mark with it, she kept quiet about it, and when it didn't happen again for a week, she started to relax. But then, while her sister was visiting with Glenn, she went to the bathroom and found the spotting had returned, only heavier. Trying not to panic she told Paige about it and her sister immediately told her to tell Mark and then ring the doctor. 

"What if something's wrong with the baby?" she asked her sister and Paige sat down next to her. 

"That's why you have to call a doctor and get yourself checked out now. Listen, you stay here and I'll go and find Mark, okay?" 

Piper nodded and watched her sister leave the room through a blur. She had a horrible feeling about this. A few minutes later Mark walked in, looking confused. 

"Paige said you needed to talk to me," he said, standing in front of her. He frowned when he saw how pale she looked. "What's wrong?" 

"I've had some...some bleeding," she said, her voice barely audible. 

"Bleeding? Are you okay? Is it the baby?" he asked, crouching down in front of her and taking her cold hands in his. 

"I don't know.....I need...we need to call the doctor." 

"I'll do it, you just sit right there and relax. Everything will be fine, honey, okay?" he said, brushing his hand over her cheek and smiling. But no matter how calm he looked, nothing could disguise the worry apparent in his eyes. He got the doctors number and phoned him right away, listening intently to the advice he was given and then obviously arranging to bring her in for a check-up. When he put the phone down, he turned to her. "He said this isn't the first time, that this happened before. Didn't you think it was important enough to tell me?" 

Piper bit her lip. "I didn't want to worry you," she said, shrugging. "I honestly didn't think it was anything to worry about, but I phoned the doctor just in case. I thought it had stopped." 

Mark was about to say something else, but he could see how upset she was and he couldn't bring himself to be angry at her. She was obviously scared. He sighed and walked back over to her, sitting next to her and pulling her into his arms. "It'll be okay, Piper. I'll make sure of it." 

"You swear?" she mumbled into his shirt. 

"I promise," he swore solemnly, holding her head against him and closing his eyes briefly. If anything happened to her, or the baby.....he swallowed down the small knot of fear that was beginning to grow in his chest. He didn't like thinking of anything bad happening to her. He cared about her far too much now, even if she didn't realise that. "The doctor said to come down right away, so I'll get your coat. You stay here until I come back, I don't want you walking about unnecessarily." 

"Okay," she said, dropping her eyes as he let her go and stood up. 

"Hey," he said softly. "It'll be fine." 

"Okay," she said again. She watched him leave the room and took a deep breath, trying to hold down the sudden nausea that assailed her. After successfully breathing her way through it, Mark returned and helped her put her coat on. His touch was so gentle that she felt like crying. 

He looked down at her and pulled her into a hug. "Let's go make sure you're okay," he murmured. When she only nodded he took her hand and led her out of the house, past a worried Paige and Glenn, who promised to wait for them to return. Putting her carefully into the car, he strapped her in before he drove them to the doctors office. 

After an initial examination, the doctor sat them down and sighed. "I'll need to send you for some more tests, Mrs Calloway, to be absolutely certain of what's going on. But I believe you're exhibiting the symptoms of Placenta Previa." 

"Placenta....what's that?" she asked, her voice husky where she was worried. 

"It's a condition where the Placenta moves down and blocks or partially blocks the cervix. It can cause bleeding, such as you have." 

Mark stared at the doctor and then frowned. "What else does it mean?" 

"It's a fairly serious condition. Your wife will have to have complete bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, preferably in hospital where we can monitor her." 

Piper felt her heart trying to beat it's way out of her chest. "I don't want to stay in hospital...I want to be at home with Mark." 

Mark took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "Is that possible?" he asked the doctor. 

"It would depend on what we're looking at here. That's why I need to order a scan before we decide how to proceed. If the condition is only partial, and you're otherwise in good health, then I don't see a problem with you remaining in your own home, with regular visits from me or one of the nurses," he told her, clasping his hands together on the desk. "But when I say complete bed rest, I mean complete. The only time you're to set foot out of bed is for the bathroom, do you understand?" 

Piper nodded. "Could I.....could this mean I'll lose the baby?" 

"It's not unheard of, but it is unlikely if you take good care of yourself. There is a chance of severe difficulties for both you and the child. Equally this condition could correct itself before the birth. At this stage of your pregnancy, however, it's hard to tell. I'll ring the hospital immediately and I want you to go straight there and get this scan done. Once we have the results then we'll decide what to do." 

Mark looked at Piper as the doctor made the necessary arrangements, and his heart constricted at how upset she looked. She was trying not to let it show, but he could tell. He squeezed her hand again, looking back at the doctor as he put the phone down. 

"Okay, they'll be waiting for you," he said, standing up. "Dr. Morgan, the obstetrician at the hospital, will give you the results and tell you what you need to do next. Good luck." 

"Thank you doctor," Mark said as he helped Piper stand up and led her out of the room on shaky legs. 

An hour later they were sitting in front of Dr. Morgan, a kind looking man with grey hair and a sympathetic face. 

"So? Is it this Placenta thing we were told about?" Mark asked, hating the time they'd had to wait. 

"Placenta Previa, yes, I'm afraid so. The placenta is partially blocking the entrance of the womb. I'm sure Dr. Ellis told you that this will require hospitalisation?" 

"He said bed rest, but he said this could be done at home if my wife's condition wasn't too serious," Mark said, glancing at Piper who just sat there in numb silence. 

"That's true, but someone would have to be there to watch her at all times. There is the risk of the placenta rupturing and this could lead to your wife haemorrhaging, which I don't need to tell you is incredibly dangerous." 

"I'll hire a nurse and I'll be there at all times as well," Mark said immediately. "Money's no object. Whatever Piper needs, she'll get." 

Dr Morgan smiled and nodded. "Very well. We'll arrange for Dr Ellis to visit you on a weekly basis as well, just to keep an eye on the bleeding. The nurse you hire will be able to check the baby's heartbeat regularly and you should have her send a daily report to us so we can keep track of things." 

Mark breathed a sigh of relief that he could take Piper home. "The baby's due in another 8 weeks......what will this mean for the birth?" 

"It's highly unlikely that Mrs Calloway will be able to give birth naturally. The most usual course of action in these circumstances is for a caesarean section to be carried out. Mostly these have to be performed early to reduce the danger for both mother and child." 

"Early? How early?" Piper managed to say. 

"We normally try and stretch the pregnancy out beyond 36 weeks, but we have been known to deliver before that time. Obviously the longer the child is inside you, the better off it will be." 

Piper rubbed her hand protectively over the mound of her stomach. "It won't die?" 

"It's rare nowadays, but I won't lie to you. It could happen, which is why you have to keep to your bed." 

"I will," she said, grasping Mark's hand like a lifeline. 

"Good. Now, I'll give you a prescription for some vitamins and, most importantly, some iron. Make sure you take these as ordered and I'm sure everything will be fine. If there's any problems - anything at all - you call me and we'll bring you in to the hospital." 

Mark stood up and took the slip of paper from the doctor. "Thank you, Dr Morgan." 

"Thank you," Piper echoed and then drifted into a daze as Mark took her home. 

She surfaced from the stupor when his hand touched her shoulder and she realised they were outside the house. Somehow she'd missed the entire journey. 

"Come on, sweetheart, let's get you upstairs," Mark said, leaning in to pick her up and carry her inside the house, where Glenn and Paige were waiting. He shook his head slightly at them and took her straight up the stairs to the bedroom. 

"I could have walked," she said absently, starting to feel the numbness wear off. 

"No you couldn't, not with this placenta thing you've got. I've got to take care of you now, make sure you don't jeopardise your health." 

Piper blinked and then took a shaky breath. "Is this my fault? Did I do something that could have made this happen?" she whispered. 

Mark felt his chest clench with compassion when she turned huge misty eyes up to his, all her fears plain to see in the whisky coloured depths. He lifted a hand and brushed her hair back from her face gently. "It's nothing you've done, you know that." 

"Mark, what if I lose the baby?" she continued, starting to cry as reality washed over her. "I don't want to lose it, I don't....I....." 

"Shh, baby, everything will be fine, the baby will be fine," he said, pulling her into his arms and rocking her as she cried. His eyes closed and he prayed that his words would prove to be true, but his main concern wasn't the baby now. He knew that if anything happened to Piper, he wouldn't want to go on living. 

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_*****Okay, now the information in this chapter is correct and factual...although slightly dramatised for the story!*****_


	26. Chapter 24

_*****Thanks for the reviews! Yes, I did swallow a medical dictionary!! Here's another medical one for you...sort of! Enjoy!*****_

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**Chapter twenty-four**

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Piper stayed confined to bed for the next four weeks, and she felt restless. She hated being stuck in one room and, although Mark was constantly by her side and Paige and her father visited often, she still felt as if she was cut off from the rest of the world. She had regular visits from the doctor and Mark had been as good as his word and hired a nurse. Everything was going well and Dr Morgan was very pleased that she was now at 36 weeks and could safely have the baby delivered at any time. Because she had been so healthy and only had light occasional bleeding, he wanted to stretch the time out to give the baby the best possible start. Piper would have been quite happy to have it immediately because she felt like a whale. 

Mark walked back into the bedroom while she was brooding and he sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand in his. "You okay, darlin'?" 

She nodded and wrapped her fingers around his big hand. "I'm okay, I'm just bored with being so big." 

Mark chuckled. "You're not big, you're just a little more rounded than you were," he said, reaching out and stroking his hand over her stomach. He rested his palm there for a minute and then grinned when the baby kicked. "He's gonna be a fighter." 

"He might be a she," she pointed out, flushing with pleasure when he continued stroking the taut mound where their child lay. 

"Then she'll be fighter, like her mother," he said immediately, and his eyes pinned hers. "The doctor seems to think everything's going well. He praised me for keeping you in bed at all times." 

"I didn't need you to keep me here," she said and then had the grace to look ashamed. If Mark hadn't been so watchful she would have got up on numerous occasions even with the nurse in attendance. The past few weeks had certainly gotten rid of a lot of her inhibitions as she'd had company to and from the bathroom and she was always aware that either Mark or the nurse were standing outside the door. Now it seemed fairly normal. She gave Mark a small smile. "I need the bathroom," she said, and waited for him to lift her from the bed as he usually did. He was so careful when he did scoop her up that her smile got wider. 

"Maybe I should just take this bed into the bathroom," Mark grumbled good-naturedly, shaking his head. "I swear, woman, you need to pee hundreds of times a day." 

"I can't help it," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's your huge child squashing my bladder, remember? I'd like to see you try and hold it in when it feels like an elephant is standing on your stomach!" 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, rolling his eyes and making her laugh. He grinned as she giggled. It was such a lovely sound and one that he'd never thought he'd hear when they'd first been married, because of how he'd gone about it. But now things were so much better, and they improved every day. 

When he took her inside the small en-suite bathroom, he put her on her feet and then left the room and closed the door. Piper smiled as she went and she sat down on the toilet. She knew he'd be standing right outside, leaning on the wall and waiting for her to either appear or call him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a sudden flood of moisture and it made her freeze. Almost too scared to look, she lifted her gown and looked down to find the water in the toilet bright red and blood steadily leaking from her. "Mark!" she cried out, her voice sounding high pitched and terrified even to her own ears. The door instantly burst open and he rushed back in the room, his eyes taking in the situation straight away. 

Although his face went almost as white as Piper's, he grabbed a thick towel off the nearby shelf and shoved it between her legs as he lifted her carefully off the toilet. "Hold that there darlin', that's it. Careful now," he said as he lifted her up and carried her back into the bedroom, calling for the nurse as he went. She had been downstairs having her lunch break, but she rushed up the stairs in seconds at the urgency in his voice. 

Mark stood by looking panicked as she took over and it took him a few seconds to even think about calling for an ambulance. With shaking fingers he dialled 911 and afterwards made a call to Dr Morgan, who promised to be waiting when they arrived at the hospital. He sat down on the bed, gripping Piper's hand and stroking her hair back from her face as she lay looking terrified. 

He murmured soothing words to her as his eyes flicked to the nurse, who was valiantly trying to stem the flow of blood. To Mark's alarmed eyes it looked like a hopeless attempt, because the towel was rapidly becoming soaked with the red liquid, as was the bed between her thighs. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done to not let the fear show on his face when he looked at Piper. 

"Mark, am I losing it? Am I losing the baby?" she whispered, tears running freely down her chalky white face. 

"No, darlin', no you're not losing it. Everything will be fine, you'll see," he said, trying to inject confidence in his tone. He heard the sirens wailing as they approached and he said a silent prayer of thanks that the ambulance had been quick. "The ambulance is here now and Dr Morgan is waiting for us. You'll do just fine and by the end of the day we'll be parents." 

"I'm scared," she said, her voice getting duller and duller as shock started to show itself. 

"I'm here with you sweetheart. Don't you close your eyes, baby, keep them open, look at me," he ordered her, seeing her eyelids flickering as she fought to stay conscious. 

"I'm so tired," she whispered, moaning as a sudden pain ripped through her abdomen and made her jerk. 

Mark looked up as the nurse showed the paramedics into the room. He hadn't even been aware of her rushing down the stairs to let them in. His whole attention had been focused on his wife. He was forced to step back from her as they set to work and less than three minutes later she was being carried out of the house and put into the ambulance with Mark close behind her. 

He held her hand tightly all the way to the hospital, willing her to be okay. "Piper? Open your eyes, sweetheart," he said, trying to stop her from passing out. 

She blearily blinked at him and gave a small pained smile. "I'm so sorry." 

"Sorry? Why? What for?" 

"Sorry couldn't give you a baby.....I tried, I know it's too late," she murmured, frowning and biting her lip as another pain went through her. Her eyes closed briefly and then opened to look at him again. "I love you so much, I wish you could have loved me." 

Mark's breath caught at the wave of emotion that washed through him at her confession and he felt his eyes sting with unfamiliar tears. He knew why she was saying it, and it hurt him, making him grip her hand too tightly. "Piper, you'll be fine, you mustn't talk like that, everything will be fine." 

"It won't," she said and he could barely hear her now. "Love you." 

"I love you, Piper, do you hear me? I love you, too. Don't you say goodbye to me!" he said desperately, unaware that the tears had overflowed and were running down his face. He wasn't sure if Piper had even heard him, because she had lost consciousness. 

The next few minutes were the longest of his life and he didn't know what to do with himself as they took her away from him in the hospital. He managed to swipe at his eyes and grab the doctor before he could escape. "Whatever happens, she's the important one, understand?" he said. "If it comes to a choice......you do everything you can to make sure Piper's okay." 

"I hope it won't come to that, but I understand." Dr Morgan gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder but then rushed off as they took her to the operating theatre. All Mark could do was sit and wait. 

Half an hour crawled by and he paced anxiously around the small waiting room. He had struggled to think of things he had to do, and finally he'd managed to cut through the panic enough to call Piper's father and Glenn. He knew they were on their way here, and for once he really needed some human contact, someone to share the worry with him. 

The door opened and his eyes jerked up, hoping it was the doctor. He didn't realise how hopeful he'd been until he saw Glenn and let his shoulders slump. 

"Sorry, I guess you thought I was someone else," Glenn murmured as he came in the room with Paige just behind him. Mark was shocked when Paige took one look at his tormented expression and walked over to hug him. He started to protest, but it felt good to have someone to lean on and he hugged her back, closing his eyes as a deep sigh shuddered through his big body. 

"She'll be okay," Paige said, patting his back. 

"You didn't see....the blood, there was so much of it," he said shakily. 

"She'll be fine," Paige repeated, drawing back from him and letting Glenn lead her to a chair. She sat down and watched as Mark slumped into another chair, holding his head in his hands and running his fingers through his hair. Glenn sat next to him and patted his shoulder, making Mark glance up at him again. Seeing the pain on his face, Glenn looked over at Paige and smiled. "How about you go get us some coffee, sweetheart?" 

"Sure," she replied, recognising the need for Mark to unburden himself with someone he was comfortable with. 

As soon as she left the room, Mark spoke. "She's my world Glenn, if she dies.....God, if anything happens..." 

"You can't think that way, man. It'll drive you mad. These doctors know what they're doing." 

Just as he spoke, the door opened again and Dr Morgan walked in with a smile on his face. Mark stood up immediately, waiting for him to speak. Even though the man was smiling, Mark still felt as if his heart was lodged firmly in his throat. "Mr Calloway, it's my pleasure to inform you that you're the father of a healthy baby boy." 

Mark tried to smile and failed. "And Piper? How's my wife?" 

"She's still out, but she did fine. She'll be awake soon and you can see her. Apart from the blood loss, it was much smoother than I'd even hoped." 

The relief was so great that Mark's knees buckled and he had to sit down again, his breath shooting out of him as he did so. "Oh thank God. Doctor, I'll never be able to thank you enough." 

"Not a problem," Dr Morgan said, smiling again and leaving the room after informing them a nurse would come and show him to Piper's room once she was settled. 

"She's okay," Mark murmured, rubbing one big hand over his face wearily. 

Glenn grinned. "Not only that, you've got a son!"  
"I've got a son," Mark repeated slowly, looking shocked. All he'd really taken notice of was that Piper would be okay.....but he had a child now. A nurse came into the room and smiled at him, asking if he'd like to come and see his baby. Mark nodded dumbly and let her lead him up to the neonatal floor, where she pointed out a tiny little thing inside a glass incubator. 

"My God," he murmured, staring at it. "Why....why is he in that thing? Is he okay?" 

"He's fine," the nurse said. "He's a little early so we're just taking precautions, but he's breathing fine and appears to be healthy. He should be out of there tomorrow. Would you like to hold him?" 

"Hold him? But....won't I hurt him if I take him out of there?" 

"Not at all. Come with me and we'll put a gown on you." 

Minutes later he was sitting in a chair while the nurse picked the tiny infant up and deposited him in Mark's arms, her smile widening at the look of awe on this large man's face. It was something she didn't think she'd ever get used to. 

Mark looked down at the small face that already looked so much like his own and smiled at the cap of black hair that covered the small head. The child blindly turned it's head towards the warmth holding it, it's mouth moving as it automatically looked for something to suck. He stroked a finger down the soft skin of the tiny face, a smile tilting his lips as the head immediately turned to see if it could suck on his fingertip. Mark glanced up at the nurse. "Is he hungry?" 

"He probably is. You can feed him if you like?" 

"I'd like to.....but I want to see my wife more," he said, reluctantly passing the tiny bundle back to the nurse. 

"That's fine," she said, putting the baby back in the incubator and then gesturing for him to follow her again. After taking his robe she led him down in the elevator to the next floor, where she opened the door to the private room Piper was in. She left him with a few words and a smile, saying the doctor would be along shortly. 

Mark walked inside slowly and seated himself next to the bed before taking her hand and stroking gently over her limp fingers. She still looked so incredibly pale to his eyes and he noted the fact she had not only a drip attached to her arm, but also a bag of blood. Obviously she had needed a transfusion and he wondered how differently this might have turned out had the paramedics taken longer to arrive. She gave a small moan and Mark watched her, waiting for her eyes to open. It took a long time, and he said her name softly as he stroked her face, hoping to bring her back quicker. Eventually his patience was rewarded when she frowned and then her eyelids flickered slightly, the gleam of her eyes just barely visible as she started to wake up from the anaesthetic they'd administered. She caught sight of Mark and stared at him blankly for a few seconds while her brain tried to work. 

"Mark?" she whispered, frowning again at the effort it took just to speak. "The baby?" 

Mark smiled and squeezed her hand. "It's a boy. We have a son, sweetheart and he's beautiful." 

"He's okay?" she whispered, amazed. She had felt for sure that it would have died inside her before they could save it. 

"He's just fine. He's in an incubator at the moment, but he's gonna be okay." He reached out and brushed his fingertips over her face. "He looks like us both. You did good." 

"I didn't do anything," she corrected him and then found herself fighting to keep her eyes open. "I'm so tired." 

"You've lost a lot of blood," he said, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles. "Go to sleep, baby. I'll be right here when you wake up." 

"But I want to see him," she murmured. 

"And you will, just as soon as you're rested. You have to get well again, darlin', so you can start proving to me how much you love me." 

His words made Piper's eyes open again. "I thought ....I thought it was a dream." 

Mark shook his head and smiled again. "Not a chance. You told me you loved me. Do you remember what I said in return?" 

"I do....but....you..." she broke off and just stared at him, blinking sleepily. "Did you mean it?" 

"Did you?" he countered, raising one eyebrow and grinning now. 

"Oh yes, I meant it," she said sincerely. 

"So did I. I love you with my whole heart Piper, with every fibre of my being," he said, leaning forward to kiss her mouth gently. "And when you wake up, I have some things to tell you. Go to sleep, sweetheart." 

Piper gave him a dazed smile and obediently closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep only seconds later. Mark sat back in the chair with a sigh, hoping that she'd be okay with what he had to tell her. 

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_****Hope it was okay. Aw....a baby! I should be updating again soon, and there's not long to go on this one. Hmm, maybe just one more chapter!****_


	27. Chapter 25

_I am SO, so, so, so sorry that this has taken such a long time. The muse deserted me for some unknown reason.....well, not altogether unknown, but still.....it came back in time for me to finally finish this. Thanks to everyone who kept reading despite the huge gaps in posting and big thanks to Kris, who gave me ideas for this chapter!_

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**Chapter twenty-five**

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As it turned out, it was a week and a half before the baby was allowed out of the incubator and he was good and healthy by the time Piper and Mark were given permission to leave. Piper had recovered well, although she found the wound on her stomach pulled a bit. There were so many big changes for her that she found it hard to take in. Mark loved her, and he told her every day, sometimes several times. But despite that, he still hadn't sat down and spoken to her as he said he was going to and she was starting to worry because every now and then he would sit silently, brooding about something. She was starting to gain some confidence in their relationship and she kept wanting to ask him what was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. What if what he had to say ruined the wonderful marriage it looked like they were beginning to have? 

She glanced up at him as he held their son, his face the picture of pride. A smile tilted her lips as she saw that expression and he caught the smile. "Yeah, I know, I'm staring at him with a soppy look on my face," Mark drawled, grinning as he stared at the tiny baby again. 

"You're allowed to look soppy. You made him," Piper said, moving closer to him and touching the baby's soft cheek. 

"You did more than me, honey. And you suffered for it as well. You'd better get used to only having one child, because there's no way I'm putting you through that again." 

Piper frowned. "I want to have lots of babies." 

"You do?" he asked, looking surprised. "After what you went through, you'd really do it all again?" 

She nodded. "I'd do it a dozen times if I could. I mean, look what I got at the end of it all." 

Mark stared at the small face that resembled his own. "You're right, he's beautiful. Are you sure about his name?" 

"Lucas? Yes, I'm certain. You don't still hate the idea do you?" she asked, moving even closer and putting her hand on his arm. 

Mark smiled down at her and enjoyed the way she touched him freely now. "I don't hate the idea. It's perfect." 

"Good! Now, do you think we can take him home? I don't want to stay in here any longer than I have to," she said, taking a deep breath as he put his spare arm around her. She loved every single show of affection he made and it was clear on her face. 

"Come on, baby, let's go. I think the proud Grandfather and Aunt will be visiting shortly after we get there, but that's okay. I'll have you all to myself later on." 

She looked at him suspiciously. "But....you know we can't do anything yet, not for some weeks...." 

"I know that. I just want to hold you darlin', that's all. I need to be close to you again," he said, guiding her out of the hospital and into the waiting car. "I missed you sweetheart." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, really. But everything will be fine now," he said, feeling a frisson of alarm crawl up his spine as he thought of her reaction to what he would tell her later that day. He stared down at the small baby he held while the driver carried them home in the limousine. Everything had to work out okay, or Mark didn't know what he'd do with himself. he couldn't lose Piper; not now. 

After they'd arrived home, Piper fed Lucas and Mark sat watching them. He was as fascinated now as he'd been the first time she'd done it. It was endlessly amazing to him that her body could not only carry the child and protect it, but then also nurture it once it had been born. When he'd laid the child down in the crib and watched him go to sleep, he took Piper's hand and led her to his study. Sitting in the big leather chair behind the desk, he pulled her down onto his lap and cuddled her. 

"We need to talk, baby," he murmured, his voice quiet and faintly worried. 

Piper looked at him and felt a chill go through her. So he was finally going to have this 'talk' he'd been going on about. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. "Okay," she whispered through numb lips. 

"It's about your father," he said. 

Piper's eyes widened. "You....you haven't...his business is still okay isn't it?" 

He grimaced. "It's fine, Piper. It always has been." 

She frowned and stared at him as if he had just sprouted wings. "I don't understand.....you said you paid the mortgage, that the business was...." 

"I did and it was," he agreed before she could finish and he gave a deep sigh. "I paid everything off and handed over everything to your father the same week." He stared at her and waited for that information to sink in. 

"You gave him....I don't......but that would mean that you never had any sort of hold over him," she burst out, her jaw dropping. "Or me!" 

"That's right." 

Piper took a deep breath, feeling hurt flood through her that he had never said anything. She struggled to get off his lap and then she planted her hands on her hips. "How could you do that and not tell me?" she demanded, her lip trembling before she could get it under control. 

"I had my reasons," Mark said on a sigh. He leaned forward and looked up at her. "I didn't plan to do what I did, it just happened." 

"It just happened? You just _happened_ to blackmail me into a marriage I never wanted?" she asked, her voice very nearly loud enough to classify as a yell. "You said you loved me! But if you did, you would have told me about this a long time ago!" 

"I didn't know how....." 

"You should have tried! I was so scared about my father, and you knew that!" she accused, blinking away tears. She looked at him with her misery clear on her face and Mark winced. 

"I'm sorry," he said inadequately, about to continue when she turned and started to walk out of the room. "Where are you going?" 

"Upstairs! I can't look at you right now," she snapped, starting to run and disappearing up the long staircase. 

Mark stood at the bottom and watched her go, his heart dropping to land somewhere near his feet. His eyes closed on the wave of pain that followed and he went back into the study so he could pour himself a drink. 

Piper rushed into the bedroom, wiping away the tears as she went. He had known all along that he had no hold over her, and he had never said a word. Why would he do that? And she'd just gone along with the whole harebrained scheme like a prize schmuck! He'd actually managed to make her fall in love with him, the bastard, and she still did. Despite everything he'd done, she loved him more than she would have thought possible. She debated whether or not to pack her things, but instead slumped onto the bed and curled up into a ball to cry out the hurt she felt. She had no idea how long she lay there, but eventually she went into the bathroom and washed her face before she went to check on Lucas. 

As she went towards the nursery, she could hear a deep voice and she frowned when she realized Mark was in there already. But his voice sounded strange, deeper somehow. As she neared the door and got a look inside the room, she was shocked to see him kneeling on the floor holding the baby and crying. It was so unlike the strong man she knew him to be, that she almost started crying herself. She kept back enough so she could hear what he was saying and just see him, but she didn't make her presence known yet. 

Mark was holding the baby and one big hand was stroking the tiny face. "I screwed it up, Lucas. You deserve so much more than this, and I went and screwed it all up. She's gonna leave me now, and she'll take you away with her. All because I was too scared to tell her the truth." 

Piper's eyes filled with tears and she had to put one hand over her mouth so she didn't make any noise. It was the most heartbreaking thing she had ever seen in her life. 

"And I don't know what I'll do without her, without both of you. She made me live again, and she gave me you, and I lost it all. Don't you grow up like me, son, don't you ever grow up like this. Don't waste your life thinking everyone is untrustworthy." Mark bent his head over his son and Piper saw his shoulders shake slightly as he gave vent to his emotions. 

She couldn't bear to watch anymore without giving him some sort of comfort and she walked hesitantly into the room and touched his shoulder. Mark reacted as if he'd been shot, jerking at the gentle touch and looking up at her in surprise. His eyes were wet and he looked so miserable that her heart turned over in her chest. 

"I think....I think we should talk some more," she said softly, lifting Lucas from his arms and waiting for him to stand up. 

Mark stood and swiped quickly at his eyes, frowning. "I'm not sure I can, Piper." 

"Not sure you can what? Talk?" 

"I know what you're going to say and I don't think I can listen to it," he admitted. 

"You have no idea what I'm going to say," she said, lifting a hand and stroking his cheek. The movement surprised him into looking into her eyes again. He looked down at the baby she held in her other arm and tried to shake off the anguish he felt that they would soon be gone. "Let's go into the bedroom." 

She took his hand and Mark let her lead him quietly along the corridor. When they reached the bedroom, she pushed him to sit down on the bed and then shocked the life out of him by sitting down on his lap so he was cradling both her and Lucas. 

"Piper...." 

"I need to know why you did it." 

"And then you'll just leave, so what does it matter?" 

"I'm not leaving, and it does matter," she said, staring into his eyes. He looked guilty, she decided as she studied his face. Guilty, but now there was hope shining in his eyes too. "You never told me about my father," she said. 

"No." 

"Why not?" 

"You would have left. I didn't want to lose you," he stated simply. 

"But why did you use it to blackmail me in the first place?" she asked. 

He sighed again and shrugged uncomfortably. "I hadn't ever met anyone like you before. I was used to fawning idiots, not people who tried to attack me. I liked it.....I liked you. And then, after we made love, I fell for you as fast as an adolescent with his first crush." He looked at her and gave her a hesitant smile. "You would never have accepted me if I'd just come out and asked you to marry me." 

"I might have..." 

"No, you wouldn't. You were too mad at me to see me as husband material. It isn't something I planned, the idea just fell out of my mouth when I had you in front of me again." 

"So you lied to me?" 

"I wouldn't call it lying, I'd say I just stretched the truth a little. I'm not sorry either," he said, his smile getting more confident when he realized she wasn't attempting to get off his lap. 

"You should be sorry!" she said, frowning as she took it all in. 

"Maybe I should, but I'm not. I love you Piper," he told her, turning her face to his with one big hand. "I love you so much that if you want your freedom now.....then I'll give it to you." 

"You will?" 

He nodded. "It would kill me, but I'd do it if it proved how I felt." He watched her digest that and felt his chest clench tightly as he waited for her to tell him she was leaving. "Do you want your freedom?" 

Her eyes shot to his. "No!" 

"No?" he asked, his eyebrows arching at the vehemence with which she'd said it. "Why not?" 

"Because I love you, you big idiot!" she said, prodding him in the ribs hard. "You made me fall in love with you, despite the fact that you're a horrible person, that you beat me all the time, that you're bossy and overbearing and....." 

"Better stop while you're ahead, sweetheart," he said, cutting her off. His heart started beating twice as fast. "And maybe I'll change now I know you love me." 

"Yeah, and maybe pigs will fly!" she snorted, glaring at him. 

"Darlin', if you want me to kiss your feet everyday and bathe you in milk and honey, I will. You're my soul, don't you know that?" 

Her breath caught at the sincerity on his face. "That's how I feel about you," she whispered. 

"Good," he murmured, pulling her closer and kissing her passionately. When he drew back her eyes were glazed. "Whatever you want from now on, it's yours. If you don't like this house, we'll move. Or redecorate if you prefer. I can quit working and spend more time with you....anything. Piper, I'll do anything to show you how much I love you. I am sorry I didn't go about things differently, but I don't want to change anything." 

She smiled. "I love this house, and I love the decor. And I love you. I wouldn't change a single thing about you," she said, stroking his face with her fingertips. She frowned suddenly. "Well, except maybe one thing." 

His eyebrow arched. "Like what?" 

"Well, the way you treat me when you get mad...." 

"Ah. The ass whupping." 

"Yes, that. I'd prefer that didn't happen again." 

He chuckled. "I can't promise anything, but I will try. How's that?" 

"That's........okay, I guess." 

"But then you'd have to try not to drive me mad by doing everything wrong," he pointed out with a grin. 

She fiddled with his collar with one finger. "I kind of have a confession about that," she murmured. 

"A confession? What did you do?" he asked with narrowed eyes. 

"I sort of did a lot of things wrong because I knew they'd drive you mad," she admitted. 

"Did you want me to spank you?" he asked her. 

"No, not that. I just enjoyed driving you crazy." 

He laughed. "But you got punished every time!" 

"I know," she said, smiling. "It seemed worth it when I saw your face go purple with rage." 

"You're a holy terror, has anyone ever told you that?" he asked, feeling emotions start to clog his throat again. 

"Only you, and I don't mind all that much. Mark, I love you so much. Don't you ever keep anything like that from me again!" 

"I won't, baby. From now on I'll only be honest with you, okay?" he asked, one hand stroking his son's face. He looked down at the small baby Piper held and smiled. "You deserve nothing less. You've given me the whole world." 

"Mark, could we do one thing?" she asked, staring at his lips and managing to stop herself from kissing him for a second. 

"What's that darlin'?" 

"Could we get married again....properly this time?" 

"Properly?" 

"I mean......so we really mean the vows this time," she clarified. 

"I'd love to marry you again Piper. Properly. Maybe this time we can give genuine smiles to the camera?" 

"Yes we can. And Lucas can be there with my sister and Glenn," she said, looking down at the baby with such love in her eyes that Mark's breath caught. "And maybe we could have a honeymoon too?" 

"With the baby?" he asked. 

"Well........maybe Paige could look after him for one or two nights? When he's a little older?" she suggested, smiling. "Maybe we should leave it until he's been weaned?" 

"What are you suggesting, Mrs. Calloway?" he asked with narrowed eyes. 

"Just a nice, quiet, romantic weekend away.....just the two of us. Somewhere hot and sunny." 

"It sounds perfect," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her gently. "Perhaps we could make a start on baby number two?" 

"Perhaps we could," she agreed, kissing him back. 

"Just promise me you'll never leave me," he asked her when they parted again, and she could see the urgency of the question in his eyes. 

"I won't, not ever. You'd have to throw me out to get rid of me now, and even then I'd find some way back in. What I feel for you will last for eternity, Mark." 

His eyes closed with relief. As light-hearted as he could act, this was how he really felt and it humbled her. She reached around his neck and pulled his head into the crook of her neck, giving him comfort. "I'll never leave you," she whispered fiercely. 

His arms closed tighter around both her and Lucas and he sighed with relief. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me, darlin'. There's just one thing." 

"What's that?" she asked him as he raised his head and his eyes twinkled at her. 

"I'll always be the boss in this marriage," he told her, sounding unbelievably arrogant. 

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said. 

A few weeks later.......... 

Piper looked up at Mark and grinned at the way he calmly accepted Lucas sticking his chubby fingers into his ears. At three months old, he was becoming curious about everything around him, and that mostly meant his father. Mark doted on the baby, and Piper knew she would have her work cut out to stop him from spoiling the child as he grew up. She had decided the best way to avoid it was to give him lots more children, and she intended to start as soon as Lucas was a year old. She smiled again as Mark looked at her and leaned down carefully to kiss her before their attention was drawn back to the front of the church. 

There were lots of things Piper had never expected to see in her lifetime, and one of them was her sister getting married. But there Paige stood, radiant in a flowing silk wedding dress, with Glenn tying to put the wedding band on her finger. The ring looked tiny in his big hands and he fumbled slightly, giving Paige a sheepish smile. His hair had grown back over the months and was now in a short style that softened him slightly, but the enormous smile he wore on his face softened him even more and Piper knew her sister was going to be very happy. Finally the couple kissed for the first time as husband and wife and Piper felt her eyes fill with tears that her sister was now as happy as she was. 

"You owe me ten bucks, sweetheart," Mark murmured, managing to look cocky even though Lucas was now trying to jam his entire hand up his left nostril. Piper had bet Mark she wouldn't cry at the wedding, but he had known better. 

"I haven't got any money on me," she told him with a smug smile. "I guess you'll just have to wait." 

"How about you pay me back some other way.....later on, when everyone has left?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Since they were holding the reception at their house, Piper knew they wouldn't get to bed until the early hours of the morning. "It won't be until much, _much_ later on though," she said. 

"I can wait," he told her. With another small kiss he led her out of the church behind the other guests, his lips curving into a smile of sheer bliss. For once in his life, everything was right with the world, and this time he knew it was going to last. 

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**The End**

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_Hope you liked it, and thanks again for sticking with it! And for anyone waiting patiently for me to put Rockstar by Kliqgirl and myself on my website....I will get round to it, I promise! It's just that stupid life keeps interfering! Dammit!_


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