He reeled away and turned to his vehicle without another word, practically running in his desire to get away from her. She called his name, sounding somewhat concerned, but he ignored her. Slamming his body into the front seat of his fine German automobile, he gunned the engine and backed out of the long driveway, narrowly missing the limousine as it pulled into the courtyard next to Serena's car.
He was at least three miles down the road before his shaking hands forced him to pull over. Disappointment and rage overcame him and he slammed both upturned palms on the steering wheel repetitively with enough force that he felt the impact stinging through his wrists and forearms. But the pain was good. It cleared his mind and made him focus on what he needed to do next.
As much as he wanted to make that freak pay for deceiving him, it wasn't in his best interest to hurt her. She was just too connected to the community to disappear as the others had. If something happened to her, that overgrown oaf from the Open House this afternoon would definitely point a finger at him. And that wouldn't do. Prison was filled with inferiors, and he couldn't tolerate their close proximity. Not for a moment. He'd kill himself first.
The best plan of action would be to avoid her. His behavior had been a bit questionable, but could be explained away if the police interviewed him. He could blame a crossed signal or maybe infer that she had been leading him on. Cops understood that women were teases by nature and were prone to exaggeration. Besides, he hadn't actually threatened her, so he was safe.
But that didn't change the fact that he'd made a huge error in judgment. Again. His grandfather would be so disappointed if he knew. Good thing he'd killed the old man or he'd have to listen to yet another lecture. No, he obviously wasn't developing the ability to distinguish his tribe as he'd hoped. So, he would have to rely on science. And the genetic profiling used at The Farm to chose his next mate.
He stopped punishing himself as an idea formed in his twisted mind. What was preventing him from bringing Adam and his mother here? Anna was submissive and gentle. She would be so grateful to leave the facility that he would never have to worry about her abandoning him. And Adam would certainly benefit from a more normal environment. He could tutor the boy himself. Just like his grandfather had done for him.
He put his car back in gear, and calmly drove back towards the city. A sick little smile licked across his face as warm thoughts of his son's accomplishments, and Anna's submission flooded his mind.
Chapter Eight
Serena wasn't driving towards her condo as she'd originally planned. She was taking a detour through Brookhaven Estates. It was late, and she was dead tired, but she still couldn't quite force herself to go home. Just the thought of being there alone made her uneasy. That weird look on Karl's face when he'd backed away from the car earlier haunted her. He'd looked positively sick. Like he'd seen something horrific when he'd gazed upon her face. She knew she looked a bit haggard and the glasses certainly didn't help with her hotness factor, but nothing short of spewing green pea soup could warrant that look of disgust he'd given her.
Caring about Karl's sudden lack of attraction to her was incredibly stupid. She knew that. She should be happy that her stalker scientist now found her repulsive. The last thing she wanted was for his twisted version of pursuit to continue a moment longer. But on some level that look he gave her still stung. Usually a psycho's opinion wouldn't have fazed her all that much but her ego had taken such a beating lately, both professionally and personally. She hadn't been on a date in a year and half, and having Mark around, constantly reminding her of her awkward teenage crush, certainly didn't help her feel more confident.
She glanced in her rear view mirror, caught her reflection for a second, but couldn't see whatever it was that had made Karl turn and run like Freddy Krueger was on his ass. Alright, she certainly wasn't a supermodel. For one thing, she didn't smile much lately. Chronically pissed was not a good look on anyone. Also, her chin was a bit too sharp in her heart-shaped face. There was no denying that her mismatched eyes were somewhat disconcerting, but she certainly wasn't Quasimodo either. She was a reasonably attractive, 28-year-old real estate agent who was good at her job, had an irritating but otherwise great family, and yet she was miserable. But that didn't explain what had caused Karl's dramatic reaction earlier.
No, there most definitely was something very wrong with him. And she had no idea what to do about it. Any one of her cousins would be happy to beat the shit out of him, but she wasn't sure if that would improve the situation. Karl was clearly unhinged, and violence might just aggravate the situation. She could call the police, but they probably wouldn't be able to rectify the situation. Giving her an odd look and showing up at a bunch of Open Houses didn't exactly warrant a life sentence or even an APB, no matter who Mark knew at the police department. She would just have to be careful and avoid being alone. This is why she was doing her own stalking tonight.
She knew Mark frequently worked late on his projects and half hoped that she'd get a glimpse of him before retiring for the evening. She didn't know why, but she was certain that she'd feel better if she saw him, if only from a distance. His solid, normal presence would provide the reassurance she needed after the evening she'd had. And his gorgeous body might just prove distraction enough to send her on her way with pleasant, lusty thoughts rather than scary ones. So, she drove around looking for some sign of him.
There. On the right. That was his truck. She was sure of it.
She pulled up behind the F150 pick up and turned off her vehicle, staring through the six foot hedges to her right for some sign of life. This was the site for the hedge maze Mark was working on. The trees were thin now but would grow together over the next year to form an impenetrable wall. Right now, however, she could see thin slivers of light filtering through and under the branches. Just in case, she pulled back onto the road and drove two blocks and pulled into the driveway of a townhouse she currently had listed. It was empty, so no one would notice her vehicle there.
Feeling reckless, she climbed out of her car and walked back to the Mark's truck. She found the entrance to the maze on the far left. Letting the light lead the way, she wandered around for a few futile minutes, taking what felt like endless wrong turns and trying not to make a lot of noise. She didn't want to announce her presence. Eventually, she figured out that if she alternated turning right then left she would make her way to the center of the maze.
What she found there surprised her. She'd been half-expecting to discover Mark in the midst of some kind of orgy. But when she stepped into the clearing in the middle of the maze there was just Mark, some very bright lights, and about a hundred late rose bushes in full bloom.
"Oh, Mark. They're beautiful." She said with a sigh as she approached him. Her relief at seeing him practically brought her to her knees. Everything would be all right now. Despite all his flaws, Mark did make her feel safe and protected. Not that she usually needed a man for that. But tonight was different. Tonight she had faced something really frightening, and it made her realize how unbearably alone and vulnerable she really was. She would allow herself to need someone, just this once. And then she would go back to being the strong, independent, and kick ass female she so desperately wanted to be. Tomorrow.
Vaguely, Serena was aware that she was contemplating using Mark. She needed something else to focus on rather than her own fear and confusion over her encounter with Karl earlier and Mark could always be counted on to provide a distraction. His body alone made coherent thought impossible and that was just what she needed.
On some level she knew it was wrong to toy with Mark. Treating him like a piece of meat wasn't exactly humane behavior considering all he'd been through in the past year . But she couldn't help herself. He was making it too easy for her. She'd been given the opportunity to distract herself and exact a little revenge on the man who had done so much damage to her self-esteem. It was too much temptation to resist. So, she would reduce him to stud service, enjoy herself thorough
ly, and then walk away without any regard for his feelings whatsoever.
His behavior and his obvious arousal this afternoon proved that he was attracted to her. She supposed it was also possible that he might even feel some guilt over hurting her so badly as a teenager. If he even remembered that night. As a result, she was fairly certain he wouldn't be able to reject her, even if he suspected her interest in him was strictly limited to his ability to pleasure her.
Besides, he was a well-known womanizer. She'd read the tabloid accounts of his antics in Dallas. He was a no-strings type of guy. He probably wouldn't even notice or care that she was using him anyway. He had certainly had more than his share of casual sex. She was just giving him a dose of his own medicine. In fact, she was doing a public service to her gender by treating him like the human vibrator he was.
Now, if only she could keep her emotions in check. She'd gone through a wild period after Mark left town, but promiscuity had never held any attraction for her. She had experimented with just about everything vanilla sex had to offer, but always within long-term, committed relationships. Being with someone just for sex and revenge was new to her. But tonight she was willing to try something new, if only to feel something other than fear and loneliness.
As much as she longed for someone special in her life on a permanent basis she had no interest in pursuing a relationship with Mark. He was not husband or even boyfriend material. He was strictly fantasy fodder. Good for an hour or maybe even a quick and dirty weekend, but nothing more than that. Even if she wanted more, she could never trust him completely, so a distraction was all he could ever be. Fortunately, tonight was not about forever. It was about making her feel better right now.
He turned, startled, and smiled when he spotted her walking towards him with her usual careless grace. He was surprised, but not shocked to see her. Their discussion this afternoon hadn't been completely resolved, and it was unlike Serena to leave an argument unless she was the clear winner. He loved that about her. She was fearless and difficult and so damn hot he wanted to pick her up again, just to watch her sputter and rage at him. But that would be yet another mistake, so he just looked at her expectantly and pointed at the sea of color before him.
"I'm babying them," he said with a chuckle. "Trying to make them last as long as possible." He shrugged his broad shoulders and looked a tad embarrassed. "I know Jack and Lacey were planning on getting married in a church next month, but I thought maybe they might like to tie the knot here. Right down the street from where they met. Jacob has been working like crazy on that gazebo." He waved toward the half-formed structure to the left of them, which consisted of some stairs leading up to a large round platform. "And I've been trying to finish planting the hedges along the side there." He pointed to the far back corner where there was a gap in the wall of bushes. "I was hoping to surprise them. But I don't think these blooms are going to last much longer. It was a nice thought though." He grinned at her and gave a resigned sigh, pulling off some fading petals from the closest bush.
Serena felt tears welling up in her eyes, yet again. It was so difficult to abuse him when he showed her this sweet side of his personality. Why couldn't he just be a jerk? This would all be so much easier if he would just start bossing her around and insulting her.
She cleared her throat and looked away. "I think you should bring them here and show this to them. I'll bet they'd be calling the minister and setting up an emergency ceremony ASAP." Her voice cracked a bit, but he didn't seem to notice.
"Do you think so?" He beamed at her, suddenly looking like a very pleased little boy.
"Absolutely. This is the most thoughtful wedding present I've ever seen. Much better than the toaster oven I was going to give them."
Mark actually blushed. Was Serena actually paying him a compliment for a change? Just this afternoon she'd been positively enraged with him. His mouth went dry. Could she be softening towards him? It didn't seem possible. "C'mon. It's just some roses. And the maze and gazebo were already part of the plans. I just stepped up the timeline a bit to be part of the ceremony. If they want it, that is."
Serena stepped forward unsteadily and sniffed a particularly bright pink blossom right next to Mark's left shoulder. She brushed his arm as she leaned in and felt a tingle sweep through her lower stomach. Breathing in the heady scent of the flower and delicious man, she closed her eyes to savor both scents for a moment before turning her gaze back to him. "I'm sure they will. Who wouldn't? It's magical in here. Like some kind of fairy grotto in the middle of the suburbs. When did you do all this?" She spread her arms wide, indicating the profusion of roses, but also the neat cobblestone pathways meandering between the flower beds and the stone benches scattered at random intervals throughout the entire garden.
Mark raised a puzzled eyebrow at her. "Um. I planted the roses last year, but you aren't really here to check out my landscaping skills, are you? You've made it pretty clear that you aren't impressed with any of my ideas, so why are you suddenly such a big fan?"
Serena frowned at him and her lip trembled just once. "I'm not," she said vehemently and then gentled her tone. "Well, at least I wasn't. Not before I saw all this. Maybe I was wrong about this particular idea. We could probably rent this space out for wedding pictures too. Don't you think?" Even though it was a balmy Indian summer evening she began rubbing her arms as if she was cold.
Mark knew he should be grateful she was being so non-confrontational for a change, but he didn't trust this turnaround at all. Something was definitely up with Serena. He studied her for a moment. She seemed shaky and on edge. Not her usual hostile type of edginess either, which usually turned him on. This was something he'd never seen before. And he didn't like it one bit.
"Serena. What's wrong?" He asked, taking her by the shoulders.
She wouldn't let him catch her eyes, but she didn't pull away either. She looked him directly in the chin and completely ignored his question. "I sold a house tonight. Or at least I think I did. Larry was pretty drunk. I should probably call him tomorrow and just confirm." Her tone was a dull, without any inflection in it at all. She sounded robotic and emotionally detached. Completely unlike her usual passionate self.
Mark was confused. He knew she was positively rabid to sell a house, so why did she seem so fragile tonight? She should be on top of the world, crowing about her achievement and acting smug. Especially if she'd finally unloaded that big old monstrosity on Old Carriage Lane. The profit margin on that place alone should be enough to keep Kingston Bros., afloat for the next year. She should be celebrating, but instead she looked like she was about to fall apart.
He began to panic, which just made him mad as hell. He gave her a little shake. "Serena. Are you sick? Do I need to take you to the hospital? Or maybe to your mom's place?"
Serena let out a brittle laugh and pulled away from him a few steps. "My mom? You want to take me to my mommy?" She cried out in disbelief. "God. You still think I'm a little girl, don't you? But I'm not. In case you missed it. I'm all grown up. See?" She smoothed her hands down her body to emphasize her curves.
Despite the inappropriateness of his thoughts, Mark couldn't help but wish it was his hands trailing over her luscious body. With some effort he turned his mind back to the subject at hand, and tried not to focus on the way she'd cupped her own breasts for just a second, as if offering those mouth-watering mounds to him.
"Serena," he said his voice low and husky. "I'm completely aware that you're not a little girl anymore. Believe me, I'm hyperaware of that fact. But that doesn't tell me what's wrong. Are you drunk? High, maybe?" He moved into her personal space again and tried to look into her eyes to see if her pupils were dilated, but she just turned her head away defiantly.
"No, I am not drunk," she said in a petulant tone. "Besides, that's really more your thing than mine."
Mark felt enormous relief wash over him. There was a definite fiery note creeping back into her voice, so whatever was bothering her couldn't have done irr
eparable damage. Tenderly, he lifted her chin up with one finger so she was forced to look directly into his eyes. "Granted. But what's wrong? Please. Tell me. I'm going crazy here. Imagining the worst. Whatever it is. I promise. I'll do my best to fix it."
Serena wasn't sure whether to cry at the tenderness in his tone or howl in frustration at his annoyingly male impulse to try and fix everything instead of just listening. But she didn't cry or howl. Instead she lifted up on the tips of her toes, leaned forward and pressed her lips against the corner of his full, delicious mouth.
Mark froze in disbelief. If he was a better man, the man he wanted to be, he would push her away gently and demand to know what was going on with her. But he really wasn't that guy. Had never been the type of person who intrinsically knew the right thing to do and acted on it. He struggled everyday to be a good person and sometimes he failed miserably. Like today.
This weakness combined with the fact that he was completely and irrevocably in love with this woman made it impossible to turn her away. All that mattered right now was that she was touching him and it made everything inside of him come alive. All normal thought processes shut down completely and he was reduced to that basic, primal part of himself which demanded that he take this opportunity to claim what he wanted. To take her, mark her as his and deal with the ramifications of his actions much, much later.
So instead of just standing there, passively, and allowing her to use her lips to deflect his questions as a gentleman would, he acted on his overwhelming desire and hauled her warm, slim body as close to him as possible. She was soft and delicate, everything a woman should be, and yet he could feel the rigid strength in her shoulders and spine.
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