The Masquerade Ch. 02

Alex was a lapsed episcopalian and Mark professed to be more spiritual rather than religious, but had attended a catholic church with his family when he was young. Mark parents had been older when he was born and had died a few years ago within months of each other. He had a sister ten years older than he, who still lived in Maine with her family. Alex's parents both worked the farm in Shelton and she had two older brothers and her brother Nate was in his first year of college.

When the waitress came Alex grabbed the bill before Mark could.

"I'll get it." Mark said, trying to take it from Alex's hand.

"You can get the check next time." Alex held it away from his reach and laughed.

"There is going to be a next time, then?" Mark asked, his voice dropping in octave.

"I certainly hope so." Alex's eyes twinkled down at him as she stood to go pay the bill. She glanced over her shoulder at Mark when she was almost to the cashier's station, to see him watching her. When he saw her looking at him, he smiled his slow smile and unfolded his tall frame from the booth and started making his way towards her.

Alex finished paying and turned to him. He slipped his hand to the small of her back as they walked out the door. Alex felt a shiver up her spine as his fingers tightened slightly before he took his hand away to open the passenger side door. Alex felt the loss of his hand as she folded into the car seat.

"So, I've been wondering something." Mark started as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yes?" Alex watched Mark's hands as he turned the wheel and fiddled with the air conditioning controls. His hands were large, fingers long and ending with calluses she had felt earlier on her cheek.

"Why were you at the Masquerade by yourself? Isn't it something you usually go to with somebody?" Mark looked at her for a moment before moving his eyes back to the street.

Alex laughed, "Well, I was suppose to go with a friend of mine. He loves the Masquerade." Alex paused and saw Mark glance at her.

"He?" Mark asked with a slightly sharp edge in his voice. Was that a bit of jealousy?

Alex laughed. "Yes, he. His husband's uncle died last weekend though, and they were out of town for the funeral. I told you I wasn't married. I assure you, I am not seeing anyone either."

Mark smiled a little guiltily and shrugged. "Sorry, I've been burned there before. I dated someone once before I found out 'not married' was not the same as 'not in a relationship.' I get a little jumpy now and then about it."

"I understand. I've been on the other end of that relationship before." Alex smiled softly. "I had a friend ask me once why I didn't hate the other girl. I asked her why I should. Jeanette didn't know he was my boyfriend of a year. In fact, when she found out she waited until they had gone out that night to a fancy restaurant and tore into him in front of everyone. She said if she was going to be embarrassed by him, he was definitely going to be embarrassed by her." Alex smile grew as Mark laughed loudly. "She took karate from me for a year or two, but didn't love it the way I do. We're still friends. I can't completely hate the guy. I wouldn't have her as a friend if he weren't a cheating scumbag." Mark laughed harder than before.

"I knew I liked you from the start, but that makes me like you all the more. I have to say, I did not become friends with the other guy. I tend not to be friends with people who beat the snot out of me." He smiled as Alex lay her hand on his thigh. "Maybe I should sign up for one of your classes to learn some self-defense."

Alex laughed a low chuckle. "Sorry. I just don't think that is a good idea." She continued when Mark raised an eyebrow at her. "I have a strict rule I learned from my Sensai. No dating the students. As I'm hoping to see you again, I think you signing up for one of my classes is not a good idea."

"As I am planning on seeing you again, I think you are right." Mark squeezed her thigh for a moment. He parked his car outside her house.

"Would you like to come in for some tea?" Alex asked a little breathily as she opened her door.

"Yes, I would." Mark joined her by her door and slid his hand into hers as they walked. As she unlocked her door, she looked to the street as she heard a truck rev its engine as it went past her house. She wrinkled her brow as the truck looked somewhat familiar, but she shook it off as preceded Mark through the door..

Mark slipped off his shoes as Alex slipped off hers. He followed Alex into the living room as she asked, "Should I put on some music?"

"Sure, if I remember correctly you mostly listen to classical and new age?"

"Mostly, but I also have some recordings of the great women jazz singers. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Etta Jones. That okay?" Alex asked as she put some water in her tea pot.

"Sounds good to me." Mark said as he sat on the couch. Alex could feel his eyes on her as she moved around the kitchen. Then Alex put the jazz playlist on her iPod and sat next to Mark.

She sat close enough that her thigh brushed his. Mark's eyes darkened again and he slipped one arm behind her shoulders and brushed a finger down her arm. When she shivered against him, she heard a small growl at the back of his throat. Mark leaned down and trailed kisses from her cheek to her mouth. When his lips touched hers, Alex moaned parting her lips for his.

They shifted towards each other. Mark's hands found their way around her waist and into her hair. Alex fingered just inside the collar of his shirt and braced her other hand across his hard chest. Mark's hand at her waist pulled her closer against him and he growled low in his throat when her mouth opened for his. Alex felt his tongue slide against hers and let hers dance with his.

She shivered as his hand slid up her waist to cup the side of her breast. When Alex made no move to pull away, Mark cupped her breast more fully, squeezing gently before letting his thumb brush her nipple. Alex moaned against his mouth and arched into his body more fully.

Mark slowly tore his mouth from hers and trailed kisses from her mouth to her neck, alternating gentle bites with small licks of his tongue. Mark moved his mouth to her ear and breathed, "You might want to stop the pot."

"I-it's automatic." Alex ran her hand through his hair, slightly tugging his head back down for him to nibble at her neck.

Mark chuckled, "Thank god," and went back to nuzzling her neck and rubbing his thumb over her nipple.

Alex ran a hand over his shoulder and down over muscular arm. She shifted her hand to his side and slowly trailed it up his side and down his chest. She felt his hand trail from her breast to her waist. She felt him undo a button on her shirt. She pulled back from him and saw disappointment in his eyes. She smiled a slow sexy smile and finished unbuttoning her shirt. She slipped out of it, leaving her in her camisole.

Mark breathed a slow breath and slipped his hands under the camisole at her waist, and felt Alex shiver as she brought her mouth to his throat. As her mouth wandered towards his ear, she moaned as his hand found her breast again. With just the bra between her breast and his hand she felt more as he brushed his palms against her nipples. Alex felt her panties dampen when his hands brushed her skin and she whimpered as his fingers found her nipples and gently pinched.

Alex started unbuttoning Mark's shirt and trailed her mouth toward his collarbone. When she finished she pushed his shirt back. She felt the loss of his hands at her breasts keenly as Mark slipped his arms out of his shirt. He then tugged gently at the waist of her camisole and she raised her arms, letting Mark slip it over her head.

"Stand up." Mark said gruffly, pushing her gently with a hand. Alex slipped to her feet before him, looking down at him. Mark sat forward at the edge of the couch, his legs around hers. He slipped his hands to her hips and pulled her gently to him, kissing the upper portions of her breast. Alex arched her back in invitation. One of Mark's arm slide around her waist, holding her to him. The other moved to the button of her jeans. He slowly unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down.

Alex moved back away from Mark, and looking him in the eye, she shimmied out of her jeans and kicked them to the side. Ridding herself of her socks she stood before him in her matching blue bra and panty set. Mark's eyes, already so dark, glimmered at her. He growled in his throat as he shoved to his feet. He opened his jeans, but left them up as he pulled Alex back into his arms.

"You're gorgeous," Mark trailed his mouth down her neck. "Sexy," his lips fluttered over her collarbone. "Cute," Alex felt his mouth against her skin smile. "And the hottest woman I've had in my arms in the longest time." Mark fastened his mouth to the skin just above her bra and let his tongue slip under the edge.

Alex felt a bolt of electricity run straight to between her legs. She trembled against him, her hands fumbling into the waist of his jeans. Then she started to push them down, and Mark helped her, never letting his mouth leave her breast.

Alex moaned as she stepped away from him, and then slipped out of his hands as he tried to pull her back. Alex laughed a low laugh and grabbed his hand. He followed her, running a hand down her spine as she led him to her bedroom.