“I'm not, really,” Tara said, putting the comic back on the shelf. “But I was never as much “not a fan” as I pretended to be. Some of that stuff was cool; well, interesting. It just wasn't “cool” enough for a popular girl to be into, so I never let anyone know. You must have noticed how often I asked you to lend me comics.”
“Not really,” Mark said. “Wait. They weren't for your brothers?”
“Not a chance,” Tara said. “Those two were too busy trying to look up skirts.”
“Can I show you the rest of the apartment?” Mark asked.
“Sure,” Tara said. He showed her the master bedroom, which she'd seen from the hall. There was an attached bathroom with a huge tub and separate glass shower enclosure. Down the hallway past the master was a second bedroom, though this one was empty except for a large exercise mat, a trunk and what looked like a metal post riveted to the floor. A smaller bathroom was off the hallway. Tara didn't ask about the post. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out what it was for.
“I've ordered some bedroom furniture for this room,” Mark explained, “but it won't get here till next week.”
“Why'd you get a two bedroom?” Tara asked.
“I don't know. Just thought it might be nice to have the extra room.”
“I forgot to tell you,” Tara said. “I told my folks I'd be over for dinner tonight.”
“You want me to drop you off?” Mark asked.
“No,” Tara said. “I thought you might come. After this morning I think turnabout is fair play.”
“Are you saying your parents are going to give me the third degree?”
“Is that what I got this morning?” Tara asked. “Pretty tame in that case.”
“Not scared of Marty Griegson?” Mark teased. “That's a new one. I remember she used to have you quaking in your boots.”
“I'm a grown up now Mark,” Tara replied. “Your mom doesn't scare me anymore. What do you want to do for the rest of the day? I'm not due at my folks till 7:00.”
“I don't know,” Mark said. “Watch football?”
“You watch football?” Tara asked.
“Why not?” Mark asked. “I'm a red blooded American male. I even have some beer in the fridge.”
“Light beer?”
“Micro brew,” Mark said, “but we can pretend it's piss water if you want.”
Tara liked the idea. Sunday afternoon in front of the TV with a few cold ones. It was normal and boring, but it appealed to her. It would be like they were a regular couple hanging out, not a dom and his ambivalent submissive trying to pretend there wasn't a crazy stalker hanging around.
“Let's do it,” she said. “Bring on the vegging.”
“Mark,” her mother greeting him that night when they got to her parents' house. “What an unexpected surprise.” She shot Tara a dark look. Tara hoped that was because of the lack of warning and not about Mark himself. They were a little early and she could hear the men in the family room. The house smelled delicious.
“What's for dinner,” Tara asked.
“Beef stew,” her mom said. “Hope it's to your taste, Mark.”
“I love comfort food,” Mark said. “I can't wait.”
“Can I help?” Tara asked, hoping to get her mother alone. “Mark can hang out with the guys while we finish up, can't you, hon?”
The endearment had just slipped out and Tara noticed her mother's eyebrows rise slightly. Her mom needed to chill out. It was Mark that she'd brought home, after all, not some stranger.
“That would be great, dear,” Sarah said. “Don't get into it with them, Mark. They're doing some fantasy sports thing.”
“I'll be circumspect,” Mark said, heading to the family room. Tara admired the view as he walked away. He was such a good looking man.
“What can I help with,” Tara asked, trailing her mother into the kitchen.
“My confusion, first of all,” her mother said. “Last weekend you were ready to cry your eyes out over that man and today he's a surprise dinner guest.”
“I told you we talked,” Tara said, sitting at the kitchen island. “He's been great this week, but that's only a part of it.” Tara sighed, not sure where to begin.
“There's this guy at work that was causing some problems and I had a part in getting him fired on Friday. He vandalized my car and now we think he's stalking me.”
“Oh my goodness, Tara,” her mom said, coming over to touch her arms. “You must be so scared.”
“Mark's been with me all weekend, keeping me company. He's been a godsend. I couldn't bear to be alone.”
“You know you could have come here,” her mother said. “He's not the only one you can rely on.”
“I know that,” Tara said, taking her mother's hands. “I just—I called him on Friday and he came to get me and he's just been so supportive. He's been like a best friend again and I really needed that.”
Tara's mother didn't look convinced. “I'm sure he doesn't mind the sex either.”
“We're not—we haven't,” Tara said. “He knows I don't want that right now and he's respecting it. It's really much better than it was, I swear. Really, Mark isn't the one we need to worry about.”
“You're right,” her mother said. “Have you gone to the police?”
Tara explained what had happened in the last couple of days and her plan to apply for a restraining order. Her mother just seemed to get more worried. Tara didn't know what to say to reassure her. Nothing was really going to negate the fact that Jack was out there, doing god knows what, and there was little or nothing they could do about it. At least she felt safe with Mark nearby. Something told her that if things got dangerous he would know what to do. She was usually a very strong person, but she felt lost in this situation. She had never had to deal with the threat of violence before. God forbid Jack attacked her. She'd fold like a deck of cards.
“We've done everything we can at this point,” Tara said. “Hopefully the judge will grant me a restraining order and Jack will get the message.”
“I hope your right,” her mother said.
“Don't say anything to Dad or the twins, okay,” Tara said. “I don't want them to get worked up or worse – draw this guy's attention.”
“Fine,” her mother said, but she didn't look happy about it.
Dinner passed without much incident except for some gentle ribbing from the boys. Mark weathered it well, returning the jabs when they got too close. By the end of the night everyone seemed to have relaxed towards him except for her mother. Tara couldn't tell if that was because of their relationship or just general worry about Tara. After dinner they drove back to Tara's apartment. He also insisted on walking her to her door.
“Thanks for everything this weekend, Mark,” Tara told him outside the door of her apartment. “I don't know what I would have done without you.”
“Is that your way of saying 'thanks for the memories'?” Mark asked, stepping in close.
Tara smiled. He was trying to charm her.
“Thanks for the memories,” Tara said.
“Very funny,” Mark said. “Wouldn't it be better to have some company tonight?”
“Some innocent, cuddling company?” she asked, touching his chest. His lips were only inches from hers. It wouldn't hurt to have a taste would it.
“If that's what you want,” he said. He moved even closer, caging her with his body. His chest brushed against the tips of her breasts.
The brush of his lips against hers was electric. He tasted like a roaring fire on a winter night, like gingerbread and music and everything good. Tara wanted nothing more than to bury herself in his kiss and stay there forever, but she wasn't sure. She just didn't know if she was ready to go back where they had been.
Reluctantly, she pushed him back with the hand that still rested on his chest. He raised his head, eyes dark. Tara saw the passion in those eyes, but she couldn't help wishing she hadn't had to push him away to see real feeling in him.
“I thin
k I'd better get to bed,” Tara said, turning towards the door. He was still so close she could feel the heat of her body against her back. He didn't step away as she fumbled to open the door.
“Are you sure you want me to go?” he asked, his breath teasing the back of her neck.
“I'll be fine,” Tara said, knowing she would probably be scared alone, but also that she needed space. They had been together non-stop since Friday. It had been wonderful, but it was too much. She slipped through the door and turned to face him. He hadn't moved. His chest moved visibly with his breaths and she knew he wanted very much to overrule her and come inside anyway. If he pushed she might give in, but what were the chances that wouldn't set them back to where they'd started a week ago?
“All right,” he said, taking a small step backwards. “Do you need a ride to work?”
“I'll get a cab or something,” Tara said. “I'm a big girl, Mark, but I promise I'll call you if anything comes up.”
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
He nodded and swallowed roughly. Tara closed the door, aching. The apartment was cold and empty without him. So was she, but she knew she'd done the right thing. She had rushed into his arms because she was afraid, but she didn't want that to be the reason she was with him. She wanted more.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mark sat in his new office, staring out his new windows. It was an amazing day. He was sitting at his own large desk in his own private office. He felt like a million bucks, but he kept thinking about Tara. The weekend should have been terrible. A crazy guy was stalking Tara and they'd had meals with both sets of parents waay to early, but in a way it had been perfect. Until he went and tried to push her. He knew before he did it that he shouldn't have, but he wanted her so bad.
For the first time in his adult life, he really liked a girl. Just thinking about her made him smile. He worried about making her mad, about disappointing her. It was kind of weird that the first woman he'd felt this way about was the first girl he'd felt this way about. When he thought about it, she was the only person he'd ever felt this way about. This was different from high school, though, not least because he wasn't in it alone this time. It wasn't just a crush; they were together. That idea didn't freak him out the way it should have. It actually made him feel good.
The only problem was the sex. He wanted it. He wanted her in his bed. In her bed. He wanted her on her knees. He knew he need to be patient and wait for her to be ready, but he didn't know how he was going to survive it. He was willing to wait, in theory. He didn't think his feelings for her were going anywhere, but he swore his balls were going to fall off. He had been without sex for a lot longer than a week, for months in fact, but Tara drove him crazy like no one ever had. Just thinking about her was physically arousing.
Max stuck his head into Mark's office and it was almost a relief.
“You ready to take a look at those plans I was telling you about?” Max asked.
“Whenever you are,” Mark said, standing up.
“Come on into my office,” Max said. They walked passed rows of empty cubes down to the larger office at the other end of the suite. So far they had only hired one person, a receptionist, but they had interviews set up for the rest of the week. They would be staffing up quickly. The business plan called for them to have their first product in stores before the end of the third quarter next year, but there was a lot of work to get done between now and then. Mark, who had only worked for big companies before, found it a little strange walking into a planning meeting with just one other person, but he knew he was getting an amazing opportunity. He felt solid in his knowledge of fabrication and industrial design, and Max was a extremely experienced and successful businessman. Together they could do something amazing.
The two men huddled over Max's computer, going over the project plan. Mark looked out the window at the cerulean sky, barely marred by a cloud after the weekend's storms. It was a good day. He was a lucky man.
For Tara the day was a mixed bag. Things went well with the car insurance adjuster, but the restraining order was a bust. Because she wasn't in a close relationship with Jack and there was no solid proof he'd been the one harassing her, she wasn't able to get one. The judge even suggested she might be overreacting and though she bristled she didn't argue. She managed to finish out the day without making any huge mistakes, though she was distracted throughout. Abbie dropped by to see how she was doing and invite her to grab a drink after work. Tara wasn't in a very social mood, but she appreciated the gesture and said yes. It would get her mind of all the craziness. She didn't hear from Mark all day except for a “hang in there” around 8:00 am. It was his first day at a new job, so that was expected. Nevertheless, she still felt a little pang when she looked at her phone and there were no new texts.
Tara and Abbie decided to go to a casual restaurant a few blocks from the office, and were lucky to snag a table. For a monday there was a pretty sizable happy hour crowd. Tara was a bit surprised.
“I wasn't expecting this many people,” Tara said, while they waited for their drinks. She had ordered a glass or red wine and Abbie a fruity cosmopolitan.
“I think it's because of Thanksgiving,” Abbie said, flipping back her long black hair. She was wearing a tasteful v-neck sweater that enhanced her hourglass figure. Her pale skin looked striking against the dark locks.
“Thanksgiving,” Tara said. “It's this week, isn't it? I can't believe I forgot. I'm supposed to be making something.”
“What are your plans?” Abbie asked.
“Going to my parents',” Tara said. “Every year. It's turkey, stuffing, pie – the whole nine yards. My uncle and his kids come most years. It's fun. How about you?”
“My boyfriend's,” Abbie said. “It's our first year doing the holidays with his family as a...couple. I'm kinda nervous.”
“Have you met his family before?” Tara asked.
“Oh yeah,” Abbie said. “We were friends for a really long time before we started...dating. It's just a little different being a friend vs being the girlfriend.”
“Don't I know it,” Tara said, though she couldn't imagine Mark's parents would have been nicer to her in whatever capacity she reentered their lives. “You shouldn't worry, though. I'm sure it will be fine.”
“You're probably right,” Abbie said. “I'm getting worked up over nothing. Are you seeing anyone?”
“I..am,” Tara said.
“You don't sound sure,” Abbie said.
“It's just kind of new,” Tara said. “We're still figuring things out.”
“How'd you meet?” Abbie asked.
“We met in grade school,” Tara told her. “We've been pretty close most of our lives, but things didn't get...romantic, until recently.”
“That sounds cool,” Abbie said, encouragingly. “Did you always know you had feelings for him?”
“Well, not always,” Tara said. “I think I didn't want to for a long time because he wasn't the kind of guy I always saw myself with, but now we're both different and I think it could work. It's just a little scary because if it doesn't I lose my friend and my lover.”
“Well, if you don't try you'll never know,” Abbie said, smiling at the waitress as she set their drinks on the table. “Life's too short to play it safe, Tara. I'm learning that, and though that might be the sum total of my wisdom I'm willing to share it with you.”
Tara handed cash to the waitress and took a sip from her glass. “You know what, Abbie,” Tara said. “I think you're right.”
Abbie stared down at Mark's number on her phone. Her thumb hovered over the dial button and then pulled back. If she called him this was it. No more holding back, no more playing it safe. She could wait another day or another week, but the choice was the same no matter how long she waited. She could be halfway in like he'd been in the beginning or she could do what her heart was telling her to do – give in. She didn't want to wait any longer. If he was going to hurt her she wouldn't
find out by making him jump through hoops. She'd just have to roll the dice and see what happened.
“Hey, Tara,” Mark said, when he picked up the phone, pleasure in his voice. “I'm glad to hear from you. You didn't reply to my last text. I was a little worried.”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Tara said. “I was thinking...”
“Yeah?” he asked when she didn't finish.
“I was thinking I might come over,” she said. “I was thinking about you all day. I missed you.”
“You missed me?” he said. “Of course you can come over. I wanted to see you, but how we left things last night I wasn't sure if you'd want to.”
“I've been thinking about things,” Tara said. “I can be there in about an hour.”
“Okay,” Mark said. “I can't wait.”
After she hung up the phone Tara took a quick shower and threw a few things in a bag. She was nervous as hell, but she'd made up her mind. Scrubbed clean her face looked young and frightened. It was her eyes – they were too wide, a darker blue than she was used to seeing them. Her damp hair was a few shades darker than its usual honey blonde and wavy. She hadn't had time to blow it all the way dry. She would have to do, though. If she didn't leave now she might chicken out.
She drove her rental car to Mark's building and called to let him know she'd arrived. He let her into the parking structure and showed her where to park. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the gym bag, but didn't ask. Instead, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close as they rode the elevator up to his apartment. Tara tried to relax, but she couldn't help being nervous. And aroused. All he had to do was touch her and she wanted him. It was the most powerful attraction she'd ever felt in her life and every time they were together it seemed to get stronger. How was she going to get through this. It was like being out of control. If he took her right there in the elevator she'd let him and the thought scared her. She'd let him do whatever he wanted.
“What's in the bag?” Mark asked when they got inside his apartment.
“Clothes,” she said, simply. He took the strap and slid the bag off her shoulder, letting it fall to the floor. Tara couldn't tear her eyes away from his. They were that dark color that meant he wanted her and badly. The way he stared at her face she felt as if she was being swallowed up.
Fast Friends: Reunion Page 18