Shipwrecked Ch. 02

The bedroom was just beginning to fill with the watery light of dawn. Tints of rose, gold and lavender began to spread across the quilted covers on the bed. Arianna's internal alarm clock was beginning to nudge her awake but she kept her eyes closed in an attempt to prolong her dreamy sleep.

She stirred in silent protest when her stomach lurched from nausea. In an effort to control it she concentrated on the memories of Mark loving her the night before. He had been exquisitely tender; taking her up and over more times then she could count before he finally came to her for his own release. She smiled and stretched, making sure to rub against the warm flesh that she was draped over.

When she opened her eyes she studied Mark's face. He looked good to her, as strong and warm as her memories of the last year. She had been grateful when she was dropped into his life, but she was blessed that he was still in her life as her husband. But it was her stomach that reminded her that she would also be blessed with his child. She leapt from the bed in a mad dash for the bathroom.

Mark's heart wrenched as he listened to her retching. She had tried her best these last few weeks to keep it from him, but whenever she was away from him for more then a few minutes he always woke up reaching for her. It hadn't taken long to figure out what was going on.

He eased out of the bed and quietly padded over to stand outside the bathroom door. He was wearing nothing but a lazy grin when she opened the door. "Just a touch of the stomach flu eh?" he asked before trailing a finger over the slope of her breast.

"I thought so, until two weeks ago. I'm over a week late now as well." There was uncertainty in her voice. She wanted him to be as desperately happy as she was, but they had never discussed children in any great detail. She could only hope. She heard the rumble of his laugh before he reached out and grabbed her to swing her around in a circle.

"Hmmm god I love you." He whispered before his mouth covered hers in a deep tender kiss. "Now I really have everything a man could ever want." Mark smiled approvingly as he cupped her chin. His thumb brushed over her lips before coming up to trace the dark smudges under her eye.

"You're not getting enough sleep..."

"Well whose fault is that?" she asked before catching the pad of his thumb with her teeth and licking away the marks.

"I guess I have to take the blame for some of it." He murmured as he carried her back to bed. "As for your early morning praying sessions, that's all the little one's fault." His hands began to caress her from head to toe. Her breasts were already hard crowns from his earlier ministrations. "Hmm I hope it won't last much longer. I prefer it when you wake me up." Her breath caught when he took a nipple into his mouth to suckle on it. She moaned when his hand slid between her thighs and brushed against her. She was petal soft and moist like morning dew from his suckling.

His fingers traced the outer folds of her, teasing her to arch against him. Her body visibly shuddered when his finger slid slowly and deeply into her. He slowly moved his finger over the folds insider her until he found just the right spot to concentrate on. Her fingers threaded into the soft silky strands of his hair to hold him close to her. Smiling to him self, Mark repeated the long, gliding caresses over and over until she tightened around him and cried out.

"It never ceases to amaze me how easily you come for me." He whispered against her lips. His breath sucked in when Arianna's hands slid over his belly to bury her fingers in the coarse hair that surrounded his already hard shaft. He groaned when her fingers closed around him, stroking and loving him from base to tip.

The threads of his control began to snap when her nails scraped over him with excruciating care. "Arianna." He whispered to her as he sank into her wet warmth. He drank in her cries, his pace quickening with every breath. "Oh god... I'm not going to last long love."

"It always amazes me how fast you can recover after..." She panted before catching his bottom lip between her teeth.

"Hmm good point, but I want to see you come again." His hand slipped between their bodies to find her clit. Her body began to shimmer with moisture as he circled the violently sensitive nub. His wet fingertips plucked at her until he began to feel her grip around him like a vise.

"Now! Mark, I need you to move now!" She pulled at his hips, her fingernails sinking into the hard flesh while her hips pushed up against him trying to get what she wanted. Mark withdrew from her completely; just leaving his blunt tip nestled in her soft folds. "No!" she cried. Her eyes were pleading with him to come back to her then suddenly went cloudy when he pushed her over the edge.

As her body was bucking from the unbelievable orgasm he drove into her to the hilt. She screamed and bit his shoulder as he pumped into her. His control broke completely when she begged him to go harder. He thrust into her over and over until the rush of orgasm swept through him.

He cried out hoarsely as his lean body arched violently against hers. The sound of a hoarse sob broke from him as he began to convulse, the hard shudders hitting him over and over again. For a split second his eyes opened and pierced into Arianna's soul.

"Never been... this intense..." he bit off before shivering all over again and collapsing on top of her, his breathing heavy and ragged. "Never been this deep..." he murmured against her neck while she held him and comforted him.

Mark awoke to sunlight streaming in over the quilts of the bed. He glanced over at the clock to see that it was close to noon. No wonder I'm so hungry... Of course we did do quite a bit to work up an appetite. He glanced over at Arianna. She looked so happy and peaceful. Mark eased out of bed and headed for the kitchen to make her some lunch in bed. The dogs had been at it again by the looks of the living room, there was a potted plant over turned and the two of them were nowhere in site.

"Ah you guys! I can't believe it. You're old enough to know better." He muttered to know one in particular before grabbing a broom to clean it up.

"Practicing?" Mark glanced over his shoulder to find Arianna wearing one of his shirts; the sleeves were rolled up and the top few buttons were undone. The shirt was thin white cotton and he could see her nipples and a small triangle of dark hair at the apex of her legs. He was reminded of the day they met. He was hard and heavy in an instant, as if he hadn't had a woman in months instead of hours.

"Come here beautiful." He met her halfway before he took her in his arms and lifted her up until her legs could wrap around his waist. "You're making it very difficult for me to get anything done here." He commented before giving her a teasing kiss.

"Well you'll have to get yourself in check because I'm famished." She said against his lips.

"Hmm me too, let me just get my fly undone and I'll feed you." The amusement was clear in his voice but she wasn't going to take the bait.

"For food, not that I'm not always hungry for you but I think my stomach is starting to eat itself." Arianna decided to prolong his torment by grinding her hips against his hard arousal.

"Hmmm you're mean." He gave her a loud smacking kiss before heading to the kitchen and depositing her on the counter. They talked of mundane things while he fixed a lunch of strawberry pancakes. It wasn't long before two golden heads peered around the doorway to the kitchen.

"Well, well, well... Look what the cat dragged in." Mark laughed when one of the dogs woofed at him as if to say "not in your life time buddy".

"You guys are in trouble." He commented without much heat.

"I wonder how they will get along with the baby?" there were so many questions that Arianna had and not many people could answer them for her. She knew she was going to have to make a small sacrifice for the sake of their baby. She was going to have to go to the main land. "I've been thinking a bit." She said quietly.

"Oh really, what about?" Mark could tell that she was a little uneasy. He walked over to wear she was sitting on the counter and nudged his way between her legs. His hands came to her hips and gently began to massage.

"Well, I'm going to need to see a doctor from time to time. And when it gets closer to my due date I'm going to have to start taking Lamaze classes..." she drew a deep breath. "We won't be able to stay on the island all the time until the baby is born."

"I had thought about that. I just didn't know how to bring it up." Since they had met they rarely went to the mainland. Even though Arianna knew she was safe with Mark she still felt apprehensive about anybody seeing her and letting her ex-boyfriend know where she might be. Her family didn't even know the exact location of where they were. "Why don't you call your mom and let her know that we're going to be coming in for a bit. I'll call Christian and see if he can get the name of the doctor his sister used when she had Dorian." He watched for her nod of acceptance, but she only stared at his chest.

"Everything will be fine. We've been back to your mother's before."

"Yes. But not for any extended period of time, we've always been in only for a night or two and then headed back. He might have known I was there and just wasn't able to get to the house before we left."

"He won't get near you. I promise you everything will be fine." He knew it was pointless to promise such things, but he had to do something to reassure her. "There is a restraining order, and the P.I that I hired hasn't found out anything about him being in the area for a long time."

"I know. I'm just being childish." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Ok, let's get to it then."

"Hey! Anybody home?"

"Speak of the devil." Mark only gave an open invitation to a few choice friends. Christian was a member of the coast guard, a former navy seal who had retired early after he decided that he had seen enough blood to last a lifetime. He was a good guy and Mark's best friend. Despite all that he had endured and seen he was usually in good spirits, ready to crack a joke or offer affection when needed. Arianna had grown to love him as much as he loved Mark.

"Devil? Who've you been talking to?" Christian sauntered into the room with a smirk on his face. "Whatever they've told you it's not true."

"Yah right." Mark's tone was oozing with sarcasm. "Actually we were just talking about you. I need a favor."

"Oh yah, and what would you like me to help out with this time?" At home, Christian made a beeline for the fridge. He casually got out the orange juice and was about to take a swig from the spout before the bottle was nipped from his grasp. When he got over his moment of shock he looked down to see Arianna with her hand on her hip and tapping her foot.

"I'll thank you not to do that anymore. Get a glass." Damn she was sexy! Despite her petite form she was one of the few people besides his mother who could put him in his place. He only wished that he couldn't see an outline of her body through that white shirt.

"Ah sorry. Some day I'll get myself house broken." She smiled slightly before handing him back the orange juice. From Christian's point of view he could see just a hint of cleavage. His mouth began to water. "Ah... Hmmm. You were saying?" He turned to look at Mark desperate to take his mind of his best friend's wife.

"I'm going to go have a shower." Arianna made an abrupt about face and headed out of the kitchen. Christian aimed an amused but concerned look at his friend.

"Arianna is pregnant." Mark had to laugh at the shocked expression on his friends face. It was something that was hard to do these days.

"Well. I guess congratulations are in order aren't they." Christian grabbed Mark in a big bear hug. "So I guess that explains the favor a bit doesn't it."

"Yeah. We're going to head to the mainland for a bit. I was wondering if you could get the name of the doctor your sister used?"

"Yah sure man, no problem. Just let me use your phone and I'll call it in. But I have to talk to you first, this wasn't really a social call."

"You got a line on him didn't you?" This was what Mark had been waiting for, a chance to torment the tormentor. "Where is he?"

"Yes." Christian didn't like the look that came into his friend's eyes. He'd seen it before when he'd been on covert ops. He himself had probably had that look himself, right before he was about to head out on a hunt for tangos. Unlike Mark, he had learned to deal with the consequences. "You don't want to do this."

"He hurt her. She's terrified to go to Vancouver because she thinks he's going to be there. She doesn't deserve to live like that." Mark turned away, his voice had taken on a hard edge, he looked like he was ready to hit something, and his control was hanging by a thread.

"I know this. I also know that it's a line that you don't want to cross." Christian watched the muscles on Mark's back bunch and tense as he tried to get control of himself. "So I've taken the choice out of your hands."

"What!" Mark spun around and grabbed Christian by the front of his jacket. "You've got no right! She's my wife!"

Christian's answer was calm. He knew Mark was looking for a fight and he wasn't going to give it to him, no matter how much he pushed. "I have connections with the FBI. Aria isn't the first woman he's messed with. His wrap sheet is longer then my arm: robbery, assault, drug trafficking. He's a petty thug Mark, hardly worth your time." Christian pried Mark's fingers from his clothing and took a step back. "Charges have been filed this morning against him. A warrant for his arrest was filed for rape and attempted murder. Aria was smart enough to see a doctor before she started on her run. Her medical file has DNA evidence that links him to her rape and there are photos that show ligature marks on her neck. They're in the shape of hands and fingers. As soon as they pick him up she's safe. She doesn't even have to testify because of the danger that would put her in."

"But you still don't know where he is, do you? It's not safe until they find him."

"You're not alone in this. She'll have protective services the whole time she's on shore. But you have got to keep a lid on your anger... its not going to get you anywhere except in jail, away from your wife. And she really needs you right now." Christian picked up the orange juice he'd neglected and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. "You want some of this?"

Mark looked at his friend; long ago when they were teens Christian had once been the hot head who charged before he thought it through. Mark had always been the cold water of reality. Mark wondered how the scales had tipped so drastically.

"No. Thanks, for everything. I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her."

"You won't lose her. You were lucky to find her; she's one in a million and fate wouldn't let anything spoil that.

It wasn't until months later that Christian realized how wrong he was.

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November rainstorms swept down on the west shores of Vancouver Island carrying a damp chill that went deep into the bones. Arianna was grateful that she didn't have to go out today; her back had been bothering her more then usual and she imagined that going out into the damp would only aggravate it even more.

She was reclined on the sofa, her feet propped up with a few pillows and a nice cozy quilt draped over her. The book that she couldn't get into had been discarded on the floor long ago. She gazed off into space, her mind full of worries and fears.

Mark had gone out of town for a few days. He hadn't wanted to leave her even for such a short time, as she was due in a few weeks. But she had reassured him and pushed him out the door. Grateful for some peace and quiet... Mark had become quite the mother hen.

The soft kicking of the baby interrupted her daydreaming, she placed her hand over the spot he was intent on kicking a hole through and gently rubbed. Christian Marcus was a little fussy today. "Missing your daddy are you?" Mark had grown into the habit of talking to the baby. His deep voice seemed to have a soothing effect because he often settled down from the summersaults he was doing at the time.

"He'll be home soon my love, in just a few hours." But Arianna was doubtful that would be the case. The wind was howling outside and what little trees that grew around the house were almost bent over against the force of it. She imagined the ferry lines would be on there last runs if they hadn't been cancelled already. Arianna began rubbing her belly in slow circles in an attempt to quiet her son and sooth her own nerves while she wondered where Mark was and what he was doing.

********************

"DAMN IT TO HELL!" Christian stood behind Mark and let him have his tirade. So far Mark had decimated the coffee table to a pile of kindling, relegated a TV to a potential flower planter and was now working on breaking every dish in the kitchen. Thank god it wasn't his house.

"I can't believe that slippery little bastard got away!" he stormed out of the kitchen and pointed an accusing finger at Christian. "You said that these cops were all over this like flies on shit! How the hell did he get away?"

"You're asking the wrong person here Mark. This isn't my deal anymore; I have to follow channels here. Not to mention the fact that we aren't even in the US coast guards jurisdiction, we are lucky to even be involved in this raid. So settle down!"

Christian watched as his friend, his brother of heart if not blood crumbled. Marks shoulders slumped as he sat down on a chair and placed his head in his hands. Nearly nine months of looking for this piece of shit and they had lost him because of what seemed to be bad timing. Christian didn't think so though. The house wasn't emptied out; but all the guy's clothes were gone. Something wasn't right.

"My gut tells me this guy knew we were coming and he didn't get much warning. He had enough time to clear out his bank accounts but not enough to pack everything." Christian mentally ran a list of people who could help out with some information. He had a gut-gnawing hunch that this guy got away because of some insider info. "Sit tight, I'm going to go make a few phone calls."

Mark nodded. He glanced down at his watch and had to double-check what time it was. He had an hour before the last ferry. He knew he should stay another day until they had some idea about what had happened but he couldn't stand being away from Arianna another night. Enough is enough. Mark got up and headed out to find Christian sitting in this car yapping on the cell phone. His expression could only be described as grim.

Christian glanced over as the driver side door opened and Mark folded his tall frame into the sports car. He ignored his questioning look in favor of concentrating on the dumb ass on the other end of the phone. "I tell you, there is no leak in this department. My guys are clean and you've got no right interfering with this. What I did for you was a courtesy, you hear me, a courtesy! No stop harassing my staff." And finally silence.

"Well that was a good use of my minutes." Christian closed his flip phone with a resounding snap and tossed it onto the dashboard before turning to look at Mark. "Ok. Here's what I know. That oxymoron for a chief is either really dense or really stupid to think that his whole squad is clean. I'm going to try a contact I have in the RCMP and see if I have better luck."

"Do whatever, we're out of here. I've got to get back to Arianna and I don't have long to catch the ferry." He started the ignition. "I'll drive and you do your little Mr. Wizard routine." Christian smirked as he started dialing again.