Mark closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gain control over his emotions. His heart had been broken three days ago when his mother called and told him that she had passed away. Although they were never in love, she always held a special place in his heart and the thought of her dying alone in that big empty house crushed him. 'I should have kept in touch with her.' He told himself. 'I should have gone back.' Wiping a tear from from his cheek, he pulled the door open and stepped into the church.

He made his way up the asile to the front where the coffin lay, ignoring the other mourners who were mumbling, some asking who he was, others asking why the superstar was there. Tears filled his eyes as he looked down at her. Even in death she was beautiful; her face delicately painted, her hair combed in a chestnut pool on the satin pillow beneath her head; and he could feel his heart being ripped from his chest. Reaching out, he tenderly stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, unaware of the tears that flowed down his face as he gazed down at her, remembering the first time he ever laid eyes on her.

~The sun shone brightly as he stepped off the Greyhound bus in the small mid-western town. He was spending the summer here, working on the farm of a friend of his mother's, trying to earn enough money to buy the Harley-Davidson his neigbor was selling. He had agreed to hold on to the bike until the end of the summer, when he returned with the money.

She was suppose to meet him here, but as he looked around, he didn't see anyone who fit his mind's description of her. She was a widow, his mother said, forty-one years old, brown hair, blue eyes. As he scanned the crowd, he noticed a woman, she seemed to be looking for someone. His eyes freely roamed over her slim body, long legs, firm bottom, and round breasts, and he felt the bulge in his jeans begin to grow.

She turned in his direction and smiled, and he blushed at having been caught staring. The closer she came, the more he blushed; and the more he blushed, the wider her smile grew. After watching her walk toward him for what seemed like hours, she stood infront of him, looking up.

"You must be Mark." She said, extending her hand.

Mark took her hand in his, amazed at how much smaller hers was, and gently shook it. "Yes M'am" He replied simply.

"Please, don't call me M'am." She said chuckling, "I'm Tess."~

Mark wiped the tears from his face, leaned over, pressed his lips to her forehead, and kissed her goodbye.

Chapter Two

The small Southern Baptist church was nearly empty as Tess had no family and very few friends. Mark had never been able to understand how a woman as kind and as loving as Tess was could live in a place for so long and not have more people than this care about her. As he looked around, he noticed that most of these people were folks she delt with in town - the grocer, the mailman, her hairdresser - none of them he concidered to be true friends; then again, they could have been very close to her. He sighed heavily and silently cursed himself again for not keeping in touch with her. 'You deserved so much better than this.' He told her silently. As the pastor stepped up to the podeum, Mark drifted back in time as memories slowly began filling his mind.

~"Here we are." Tess announced as they pulled up to the house. Not much was said on the ride home from the bus depot. She had tried to make conversation, but Mark, being born and raised in Houston, had never been on a farm before and was in awe of the endless wheat fields that surrounded them.

"You live here alone?" He asked climbing out of the truck, as he stared at the big farm house infront of him.

"Yes, I do." Tess answered smiling. She got the same reaction from everyone that visited her.

He looked at her curiously. "Why?" He asked, "I mean, it's so big. Don't you get lonely here by yourself?"

She was caught off guard by the question. No one had ever asked her that before and quite frankly she hadn't thought about it since John's death. John had built this house for them and all of the childern they were going to have right after they were married. Although the house was huge and the farm seemed like too much for her at times, she never concidered leaving. This was her home. "I never really thought about it." She answered quietly.

He could see the pain in her eyes as she turned away. Knowing that he had brought back a bad memory, he looked down, not sure what to do or say next. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to withdraw from her either. He liked her and wanted to get to know her better, for them to be friends. Slowly he turned his head and looked at her. She stood facing the barn with her back to him, her arms folded across her chest, and seemed to be deep in thought. Turning toward her, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them as his eyes roamed over her body, settling on her firm bottom. He felt a tightening in the front of his pants again as he stared at her, forgetting for a moment how old she was and that she was his employer and imagined himself reaching out and touching her. Slowly he extended his hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

She turned around and looked up at him. "There's nothing to be sorry about." She replied, giving him her best smile. "Come on, let's get you settled in." She walked past him to the back of the truck and pulled a suitcase from the truck bed.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she smiled, God she had a beautiful smile, and followed her to the truck. After picking up the second suitcase from the truck, he took the first one from her with a smile and followed her inside.

She led him upstairs and down the hall to the last room on the left. "Your bathroom is in there." She said pointing toward an open door on the left. "And here is the closet." She said opening a door to the right, then turned to face him. Dear God he was beautiful. Since the moment they met, she had barely been able to keep her eyes off him, and began thinking about how his lean muscular body would feel pressed against hers. 'Stop it!' She told herself. 'He's a child, for Christ's sake!' A wave of guilt washed over her erasing those erotic images from her mind. 'That's better.' "Why don't you go ahead and unpack. I'm going to go start dinner." She said as she stepped past him.

"Okay." He answered simply. He had seen the look in her eyes as she watched him and even though he didn't have much experience with women, he knew what she was thinking. Smiling he placed a suitcase on the bed and began unpacking while images of her flooded his mind. 'She likes me.' He thought, his smile widening. If he played his cards right, by the end of summer they would be more than just friends. His smile slowly faded as another thought came to him. He was a virgin. What if she wanted someone with experience? He had kissed several girls, he even got to second base once, but he had never had sex. He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair pushing the thoughts from his mind. Taking a deep breath, he caught a whiff of the food Tess was cooking downstairs, causing his stomach to growl loudly. Grinning, he stood and finished unpacking quickly, put his suitcases on the shelf in the closet, and went downstairs to the kitchen.

"It smells delicious." Mark said as he walked in the room.

Tess smiled. "Thank you." She replied. "I hope you like pork chops."

"Love 'em."

"Good. Would you get us a drink while I finish this?" She asked stiring the milk into the mashed potatoes. "The glasses are in that cabinet." She said motioning to the cabinet to the left of the sink.

"Sure thing." He answered pulling two glasses down. "What would you like?"

"Iced tea, please."

He smiled as he pulled the pitcher of tea from the refrigerator and filled both glasses. After putting the pitcher away, he took the drinks to the table and went to the sink to wash his hands before joining Tess at the table.

They ate in silence as both of them were famished. Mark kept sneaking glances at Tess wanting to catch her staring at him, to see that look in her eyes again, but if she was sneaking glances at him, she was hiding it well. After dinner, he dried the dishes while she washed, trying to think of something to talk about, and realized they didn't have very much in common, if anything at all. He found himself suddenly wanting to know everything about her, what she likes and doesn't like, what makes her happy, what makes her sad. "How long have you lived here?" He asked breaking the silence.

"Uh, twenty-one years." She answered. "My husband, John, built us this house right after we were married."

"It's an awfully big house for two people."

Tess pulled on the drain plug letting the water out. "We had planned on having kids." She answered.

"Oh. When did he die?" He didn't know why he asked and he regreted doing so as soon as the words left his mouth. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

She turned toward him and pulled on his arm until he turned to face her and looked him in the eye. "Mark, we're going to be spending alot of time together this summer and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me. You can ask me anything you want. I have no secrets." She said.

Mark took a deep breath. He knew he had to relax around her, but he didn't like seeing the pain in her eyes that he saw earlier and didn't want to see it again. He searched her eyes for a moment and replied, "I didn't want to bring up any bad memories."

Tess nodded. "I know you didn't, but it's more important that we get to know each other and feel comfortable with each other than it is to try avoid certain subjects."

Mark nodded in agreement. "Okay"

She smiled. "His name was John Matthews. He died three years ago." She said answering the question he forgot he asked.

"You never had any kids?" He asked.

"No" She saw the look in his eyes as he looked away. "Why don't we grab a beer and sit out on the back pourch for awhile."

"A beer?" He asked smiling.

She chuckled. "Yeah. You can tell me about all those hearts you broke when you came out here." She said as she pulled two beers from the refrigerator.

Mark smiled and followed her out the back door. This was going to be a great summer.~

"Sir? The service is over." The pastor said softly as he placed his hand gently on the shoulder of the giant man sitting infront of him.

The sound of a man's voice and the feel of a hand on his shoulder startled Mark.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said.

Mark shook his head. "It's alright." He replied.

Mark's voice was so sad and full of emotion that it broke the preacher's heart. "We're going to the cemetery now."

Mark nodded again and stood up, not saying anything, walked outside to the rented Lincoln, and pulled onto the street behind the small procession.

Chapter Three

~ Mark groaned at the sound of his name being called from behind the closed door and sat up a little disoriented at first, then remembered where he was. The door opened slowly and Tess peeked in.

"Hey! Are you awake?" She asked smiling.

"No." Mark groaned and fell back on the bed. "What time is it?" He asked.

Tess chuckled. "It's 5:00. Time to get up." She answered.

"Do you get up this early every morning?" He asked turning his head to look at her. She wore blue jeans, which he noticed hugged her legs and hips quite nicely, a blue tee shirt, and an old pair of boots, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She looked beautiful, he thought.

"Yes I do." She answered smiling. He looked so young and innocent, yet so strong and masculine. The sheet lay across his groin and at a glance - a long glance - it looked as if it was all he had on. She shook herself mentally before those erotic thoughts surfaced again. "Breakfast is ready." She said then turned and quickly went downstairs.

Mark sat up rubbing his eyes and smiling. She hadn't shown any interest in him other than as a friend since they were in his room yesterday, until now. His smile widened as he pictured her looking at him like that, her desire for him shining in her eyes. He stood up, dressed quickly, and went down to join her for breakfast.

"Grab that end." Tess said as she lifted one end of the heavy board. Carefully, they positioned the board between the two fence posts. "A little higher… That's good. Hold it there." She lifted her knee, resting her foot on the bottom board, and put the board on her knee while she placed four nails between her teeth and pulled out the hammer from the waistband of her jeans. Quickly she hammered the nails into the board and walked to the other end.

She had to maneuver her body next to his in order to be able to swing the hammer. Her bottom rubbed against his thigh, sending electricity flowing through his body. It was like that everytime they touched. At first, he tried to avoid touching her all together. He knew he didn't have a chance with her and he didn't intend to torture himself all summer. Soon he realized that their not-so-intimate touches were affecting her as well. He enjoyed watching her struggle against her emotions; to watch the desire burning in her eyes as she forced herself to pull away from him.

It seemed to take her forever to drive those nails into the board, which was fine with him. Once that was done, she stood straight and took a step forward, away from him. Without thinking, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her back against him, and held her tightly.

Tess stiffened in his arms. "Mark…"

"Shhh..."

"We can't do this." She forced herself to say struggling in his arms.

Mark lowered his right arm over her thighs and held her firmly, while his left arm tightened around her rib cage. "Why not?"

God, his innocence was going to kill her. Didn't he know how wrong this was? Why they couldn't be together? Why he… he… Her thoughts faded as he gently pressed his lips against her throat. He had ignited a small fire deep inside her when they first met, a fire she never thought she would feel again, a fire that was now raging out of control. It was wrong, she reminded herself. But it felt so right.

"Why can't we do this?" He whispered in her ear. His lips brushed against her ear and his voice was rough with desire. He loosened his hold on her, turned her around to face him, and, placing his hand on her back, pulled her close to him. Gently he stroked her cheek with his fingertips.

She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. All the thoughts had been pushed from her mind, and for the first time in the two months he'd been there she couldn't think of a single reason why they shouldn't be together.

"I want you, Tess." He breathed as he lowered his head, capturing her mouth with his own. He lowered his mouth to her jaw, her neck, covering her satiny skin with kisses. He made his way across her throat and up to her ear, kissing, nibbling, and gently sucking her flesh as he went.

She moaned, but whether it was from pleasure or frustration she didn't know. Taking his face in her hands, God he was beautiful, she gazed into his eyes and saw that the same fire that burned in her, burned in him.

She slid her arms around his neck, pulling him close, and pressed her lips to his. His mouth opened slightly and she accepted the silent invitation. Turning her head, she deepened the kiss as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. Her body molded against him. She ran her hands up his back, feeling the lean muscles beneath his tee shirt flex and relax at her touch.

Tightening his arms around her, he picked her up and carried her into the barn. ~

Chapter Four

~ Mark continued kissing Tess as he gently lowered her down onto the sweet fresh hay, completely lost in the way her lips felt on his skin, the way her body molded to his - as if she had been made for him. His lips traveled down her throat to her collarbone. Her skin felt hotter, tasted sweeter now, her breath was more ragged, her moans came from deeper inside her. It was all so intense. Leaning on his elbows, he looked down at her. Her hair was disheveled beneath her head, her skin was flushed, her eyes dark with desire. He stroked her cheek enjoying the feel of her skin beneath his fingers and watched as her blue eyes turned almost black with lust. He couldn't remember ever seeing anyone look as beautiful as Tess looked at that moment. His hand slid down her chest to her breast and he could feel her nipple hardening through her clothes.

He stopped as the realization of what was happening slowly began to sink in, and suddenly he didn't know what to do. He wanted this. He wanted Tess. So why couldn't he do it? He looked away helplessly.

Tess took his face in her hands and pulled his gaze back toward her. She saw the panic and desperation in his eyes and knew instantly that he had had very little experience… if any.

"I've never…" His voice was soft, worried.

"That's all right." She said smiling tenderly up at him. "Do you want to stop?" She asked, although she already knew the answer. He might have been having his doubts, but the desire was still there, and as strong as she'd ever seen.

"No!" He nearly shouted. Then he lowered his voice. "I don't want to stop."

Tess pushed him back off of her, until he was sitting on his knees, then she stood up infront of him. He watched as she slowly pulled her tee shirt up over her head and tossed it aside. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra and let it slip down her arms and land silently by her feet. His eyes followed her fingers as they unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, pulled them down, and kicked them off along with her shoes and socks. He held his breath as she slipped her thumbs into the thin elastic waistband of her panties and slid them over her hips, down her long tanned legs, and stepped out of them. He sat motionless, staring at her. He'd seen naked women in his brother's magazines, but nothing had prepared him for this. This was real. She was real, flesh and blood, and standing not two feet infront of him.

She reached out and took his face in her hands, kissed him softly on the lips and whispered, "Breathe." Slowly he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. She let her hands slide down his face and neck, across his shoulders and down his arms to his hands and brought them to her mouth. His fingers were callused from the work they had done and were rough against her soft lips. Then she let go of his hands, leaving them to explore her body on their own.

He slid his fingers down her throat to her chest then pulled away when he realized where they were headed, and looked up. Tess was waiting for him to continue, he thought. He glanced from her face to her breasts then lower to the dark bed of curls between her thighs. He felt his face burn with embarrassment as he stared, but couldn't take his eyes off her. He saw her hands extend toward him and watched as she took his hands and placed them on her breasts. He looked up questioningly.

"Touch me." She gently instructed. With her hands still on his, she started massaging her breasts. Mark closed his eyes and took a deep breath, her scent filling him, his self-doubt beginning to fade. Her hands were suddenly on his chest, pulling his tee shirt off then gliding over his sun-tanned skin and he opened his eyes. She was looking at him as if she'd never seen a man before.

Kneeling before him, Tess leaned forward and took his nipple in her mouth. She sucked on it, rolled her tongue over it and bit down, while she slid her hand up his chest and teased his other nipple with her fingers. Slowly she kissed her way across his chest and replaced her fingers with her mouth. Her mouth was hot and her breath felt like fire against his bare skin. She licked a trail up his chest to his neck, nibbling and sucking on it, then made her way to his ear. "Stand up." She whispered.

Mark hesitated, not wanting her to stop, and looked at her inquisitively. Gently she tugged on his arm, urging him to his feet. Her fingers made quick work of the button and zipper on his jeans and quickly had them, along with his shoes and socks, off. She wrapped her hand around his erection, brought her head forward and kissed the head. His shaft was as smooth as silk, as soft as cotton, and as hard as steel. She licked the dew from the tip then closed her lips around it. A groan came from deep within him as she slowly, deliberately pulled him into her mouth and pushed him out again. He tangled his fingers in her hair and held her head firmly as he pumped in and out of her mouth. She let him slip out completely and licked him firmly from the head to the base and back again. Taking him into her mouth again, she buried him deep in her throat and sucked hard, bringing him to his release, and milked him as his hot liquid slid down her throat.

He stood breathless looking down at her. Holding her gaze, he knelt infront of her, then laid her back on the hay. His eyes followed his hands down her body to her breasts. Taking her breast in his mouth, he began to suck using his teeth and tongue as she had done to him, then repeated with the other one. Slowly he kissed and licked his way down her tummy, stopping at her hairline, and looked up. Her eyes were closed, her head back, her hands were in the hay beside her, clutching it.

He looked down as his fingers slid between her lips and opened her to his gaze. Gently he stroked her sensitive flesh. She was warm and wet, and her scent surrounded him, filling him with a hunger he had only imagined until now. Tentatively, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to her hardened bud and heard her gasp. He looked up quickly and searched her face, thinking he had done something wrong. She looked down at him and smiled, telling him silently to go on. He relaxed and turned his attention back to her waiting center. Slowly he ran his tongue over her opening, tasting the juices her body was already giving him. He pressed his tongue against her clitoris, rolling it back and forth across it, then pulled it into his mouth to suck on it. She whimpered in response, tangled her fingers in his hair, and held him against her. Her hips raised to meet his mouth as he pushed his tongue inside her and thrust in and out. Her body trembled, her juices covered over his tongue. He held onto her reveling in her body's reaction to him.

His erection throbbed again as he looked at her flush complexion, listened to her heavy breathing, and saw the strange look in her eyes. He felt her hands on his arms pulling him up. "Did I do it right?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered smiling as she pushed his hair behind his ear.

Bending down, he brought his lips to hers and claimed her mouth in an urgent, demanding kiss. Her arms slid around his neck as she deepened the kiss. He spread her legs apart with his knee, positioned himself over her, and pressed his tip against her opening. Breaking the kiss, he looked into her eyes and brushed the hair away from her face. "God, you're beautiful." He whispered. With one hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. She cried out and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. He moved slowly at first, then gradually his thrusts became faster and harder. As he drove into her, he felt her inner walls close around him, her body trembled almost violently, and she screamed out his name as her orgasm washed over her. With a few more thrusts, he followed her over the edge.

Rolling off her, he lay down and closed his eyes as he tried to regain control of his breathing. He felt Tess stroking his face and opened his eyes. "You okay?" She asked.

"I'm great." He answered smiling. Then he pulled her to him and held her. He never thought it would be like this. Closing his eyes, he felt her snuggle up against him and tightened his arm around her. ~

Chapter Five

~ Tess watched Mark sleep in the late afternoon light that filled the barn. They had made love three times before exhaustion finally claimed him, and she had to admit that she had enjoyed it every bit as much as he did. He smiled slightly in his sleep and tightened his arms around her. He looked so sweet and innocent, not at all like the eager young lover she had had an hour before. But he wasn't innocent anymore. He had been a virgin and she had been his first. The thought sent a wave of guilt washing over her, but the guilt was soon drowned by a strange satisfaction of having had something that no one else would ever have.

She ran her fingers lightly down his cheek and saw him smile again… a knowing smile. She didn't let on that she knew he was awake, instead, she ignored it and let her fingers continue they're decent down his body. Her eyes widened at the sight of his fully erect penis. 'He's ready again?'

Wrapping her hand around his erection, she began stroking him slowly, eliciting a moan of pleasure from him almost immediately. Slowly, deliberately she took him in her mouth, pulling him deep in her throat, and began to suck him hard. He lifted his hips, pushing himself into her mouth as she pulled him in. She could feel the moister between her legs as her juices began to run down her thighs. Reaching down, she slid her finger between her lips and stroked back and forth over her clitoris and along the soft sensitive flesh around her opening.

Mark heard her moan and looked down. He could feel her hand massaging his balls as she continued to suck him, and could see her free hand between her legs. He opened him mouth to ask her what she was doing, but all he could do was moan in pleasure. Taking her by the arms, he gently pulled her up and kissed her.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked.

"No!" He nearly shouted. He cleared his throat. "I mean no. "

She smiled and started to slide down his body.

"Wait a second." He managed to say and pulled her back up. "What were you doing a minute ago?"

Bewildered, she answered, "Giving you oral sex."

"Yeah." He grinned. "You're good at it."

"Thank you. Do you want me to finish?"

"Yeah. No. I mean… I wanted to know what you were doing while you were doing that."

"Oh." Tess said, knowing what he meant. She looked up at him for a moment, trying to figure out a way to say it. She didn't have a problem talking about sex, but this was more personal, and she'd never discussed it with anyone, not even with John. "I was uh… I was masturbating."

Mark looked at her curiously. "Women can do that?"

Tess laughed. "Yes, women can do that. What do you think we do when we don't have a man around to take care of us?" She felt at ease talking with him, even about this.

"I never really thought about it." He replied. His eyes kept drifting down her body as they talked. He drew his eyebrows together and bit his lower lip as he always did when he wanted to ask her a question. "Um, Tess? Could I… Would you…" He took a breath. "Can I watch?" Tess' eyes widened with surprise. "Never mind. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." He said quickly and turned his head.

Tess took his face in her hand and pulled his gaze back to her then smiling she said, "Yes. You can watch."

His eyes widened as he watched her roll off him, lay on her back and opened her legs. He pushed himself up and made his way down her body, positioning himself between her legs for a better view.

Once he was settled, she ran her hands slowly down her chest to her breasts, teasing her nipples briefly before continuing down her stomach. Sliding her fingers between her lips, she opened herself so that he could see, and with her other hand, she began rubbing her clitoris as she had a few minutes before. Her pink flesh was red from the sex they'd had and ultra-sensitive, and she nearly came with the first touch. Slowly she rolled her fingers over the tiny bud in small circles, then worked her way down one side of her opening, up the other side, and finally over it. She watched him as he watched her, his eyes were dark, his chest heaved with his breathing. She noticed the movement of his arm and looked to find him stroking himself. Slowly she slid her finger inside, then another. Curling her fingers toward her stomach, she slid them along her inner wall, quickly finding her G spot while she continued to work her clitoris with her thumb. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, her hips came up meeting the thrusts of her hand, and she cried out as an orgasm tore through her.

Mark watched her mesmerized, his own masturbation long forgotten. Reaching out, he ran his fingers over her moist curls and down her inner thighs. He loved to touch her. Her skin felt soft and warm under his hands, and her body reacted to his every touch. Firmly his hands traveled back up her thighs to her hips, his thumbs reaching out to stroke her center. Slowly, he slid his thumbs into the curls and opened her again to his gaze. He pressed his finger to her bud and began to rub it firmly. Her body jerked involuntarily pulling her away from him. Thinking he had hurt her, he pulled his hand back and looked at her.

"Like this." She said. Taking his hand, she pushed his fingers between her lips and back to her aching bud, and gently began moving them back and forth, showing him how to touch her. Her hand left his as he began moving it on his own. He rolled his finger in circles over her clitoris as he had seen her do, causing her to moan in pleasure. Slowly he slid his finger inside her, then another, pushing them into her waiting body. He watched her face as his fingers thrust into her, hoping to see the same look she'd had when she'd done this. He could tell from her expression that this kind of pleasure was different for her than making love, and he, for some unexplainable reason, wanted to be able to give this to her as well. "Like this?"

"Curl your fingers up toward my stomach." She answered. He did as she said and felt her body shudder violently. He looked up at her again and saw what he was looking for - that look. He slid his fingers over her inner wall and with his thumb, began rubbing her clitoris as she had taught him. He felt her walls closing in on his fingers and a rush of warm liquid cover his hand.

After her body relaxed, he pulled his fingers from her and moved over her, covering her body with his, and captured her mouth in a hard, demanding kiss. With one hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. Her moans turned to whimpers as he drove into her relentlessly over and over again. Her fingernails dug into his back and her whimpering turned to screams yet he moved faster and harder. His screams mingled with hers and his body stiffened as he exploded, emptying his seed deep inside her.

He collapsed on top of her unable to support his weight for a moment, then quickly rolled off. He lay silently in the hay trying to catch his breath, his eyes closed. Even with his inexperience, he knew that that had to be the best he would probably ever have. Not just the sex, but the whole experience. Tess had shared something with him that she had probably never shared with anyone before, and he loved her for it. He loved her. It wasn't the kind of love that held two people together for a lifetime, but it was definitely love. He would be leaving in three weeks, unless they finished the work before then in which case he would pray for a tornado, and he would probably never see her again. His stomach knotted at the thought of leaving. 'Don't think about it.' He told himself. 'Just enjoy it while it lasts.'

He looked over and saw her watching him and smiled. Rolling onto his side, he tenderly stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers and asked, "Are you okay?"

She smiled up at him. "I'm…" Her stomach growled loudly. "Hungry." She answered.

"Me too." He replied, "Let's get something to eat." Slowly they pulled themselves up off the barn floor. Mark slipped into his jeans and Tess into her jeans and tee shirt, not bothering with underwear and shoes, and made their way across the yard and into the house. ~

Chapter Six

~ The past three weeks had gone by too fast for Mark. He and Tess would work hard all day long and love each other all night. Unfortunately, the work was almost done and he would be going home - in two days. He had forced himself not to think about it, but as he looked around at all the work they had done, he couldn't get it off his mind. Sighing heavily, he picked up the last two cans of paint and headed toward the barn.

Tess was hammering a board over a hole the horse had kicked into the side of the barn as he walked up. "That should do it." She said wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "We should be able to get this painted by lunch time tomorrow." She said looking down the length of the barn.

"Yeah." He replied quietly. Painting the barn was the last thing they had left to do and he was in no rush to do it.

"Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet today." Tess commented as she looked at Mark's troubled face.

"I'm fine." He answered as he stepped past her and walked into the barn. He could feel her watching him from the doorway and turned to look at her. The look in her blue eyes told him that she was worried about him.

"Why don't we take the rest of day off." She suggested as she leaned against the door jam. "I want to take you somewhere."

He looked at her speculatively. She never went anywhere if she didn't have to. "Okay." He replied suspiciously, nearly melting as a smile spread across her lips. Pushing herself off the door jam, she walked past him to the stall where the horse was kept. "You wanna go horse-back riding?" He asked.

"Yes." she replied, "It's the only way to get to where we're going. Grab that saddle, would ya?" Picking up the saddle, he walked over to Tess and watched amazed as she slung it over the mare's back. Was there nothing this woman couldn't do? He wondered as he thought about all the things he had seen her do over the past couple of months.

He never realized how much work went into running a farm. Most farmers, he had learned, hired men to help with the workload, and Tess was doing it by herself. She didn't have any family and the farm didn't make enough money to pay for hired help. The man at the bank wanted his son to marry Tess and take over the farm, but his son was a total dick, according to Tess, and she wouldn't marry him if he were the last man on Earth. Tess' neighbors, Sam and Bess, helped her out as much as they could, which really wasn't very much. Somehow she managed though, and she never complained about it.

"Saddle up." Tess said pulling Mark from his thoughts.

He climbed up behind Tess, wrapped his arms around her waist, and smiled.

The horse made it's way carefully through the dense forest, and Mark wondered more than once if they were going to have to go on foot. The woods were alive with the sounds of its inhabitants and he could see the creatures running away as they drew close. "Look." Tess whispered pointing to a deer and her fawn.

"They're beautiful." Mark whispered back as they watched the pair dash into the cover of the foliage.

A moment later, the forest thickened considerably, the tree limbs were scratching at their clothes and the horse whinnied as if she were finally protesting this little adventure. "Come on, girl. Just a little further." Tess said calmly, urging the mare on.

Mark's eyes grew wide as they stepped between two trees and onto the shore of a small secluded lake. A bear who had been fishing on the other side of the lake, made its way back into the woods, as if leaving them to their privacy. The sun was warm on his face and a gentle breeze blew through his hair. "My God, Tess, this is beautiful." He said in awe of his surroundings, "How did you find this place?"

"I use to go exploring when I was younger. John was always busy with the farm and back then he had farm hands to help him, so I would take Jasmine and go riding. I got turned around one day and stumbled upon this place." She answered.

"Did you and John come here a lot?"

Tess stared out at the lake in silence for a few moments then sighed and answered, "No."

"Why not?" Mark asked. When Tess didn't answer right away, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him.

"The farm was his life. He spent every waking minute of every day working." His stomach knotted as her voice cracked. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away from Mark and slid down out of the saddle, and Mark followed. "I have a great idea." She said turning to face him, "Let's go swimming!"

Mark's eyes grew wide as he watched Tess begin to peel off her clothes. "What if someone sees us?" He asked nervously.

"Nobody's going to see us. I don't think anyone even knows about this place." She answered as she slipped out of her jeans. Watching her undress was almost too much for him. Looking around one more time, he pulled his clothes off and joined Tess in the lake.

The water was cool, and he had to admit that swimming naked was quite refreshing. They swam back and forth across the lake, chasing and teasing each other, completely enjoying each other's company. She dove under water and swam between his legs, her body inadvertently rubbing against his already hard member, causing him to groan in pleasure. He looked at her as she emerged from the water and stood infront of him. "You're a wicked woman. You know that?" He said grinning.

She smiled up at him and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Well, you're no Angel." She replied as she slid her hands around to the front of his waist and slowly up his chest.

Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around her and captured her lips in a fiery kiss. As the kiss deepened, he slid his hands down her back and taking her buttocks in his hands he lifted her up. Feeling her wrap her legs around his waist, he carried her through the water and onto the shore. Her skin glistened in the sunlight as he laid her down in the thick grass. Breaking the kiss, he slowly began to kiss his way down to her chest, kissing and nipping at her flesh. She moaned softly as he took a nipple in his mouth. Over the past week, he'd learned exactly what she liked and was more than happy to oblige.

He learned a lot these past three weeks. He'd been so nervous the first couple of days, and then Tess taught him to relax and do whatever came naturally to him. He learned quickly that there was very little that she didn't enjoy. Whether it was because he was naturally talented, or because she genuinely enjoyed having sex, he didn't know. He did know that he enjoyed listening to her moan when he kissed that spot behind her ear or suck on her breasts as he was doing now. He also liked the way she felt when he buried himself inside her and the way her face contorted in pleasure when he sent her spiraling over the edge. He loved her.

He felt her fingers in his hair as she cupped his head and pulled him back up her body. "What's wrong?" She asked gently. He tried to look away, but she held his face firmly, forcing him to look at her. "Talk to me, Mark. Tell me why you've been so distant today."

He swallowed past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "Tess, I…" He tried to look away again and again she forced him to look at her. Taking a deep breath he continued, "I don't want to leave, Tess. I want to stay here and help you run the farm. I love you."

Tess closed her eyes for a moment. She knew this was coming. She knew how emotional teenagers could be, how easily they fell in love - or what they thought was love - and she cursed herself for letting it happen. She knew it was wrong to make love to him every night and to hold him as he slept, but she was so lonely and he was so willing. She had fallen in love with him, but she knew - even though he didn't - that what he felt wasn't love, and she hated herself for what she was about to do.

"I know you do." She answered quietly, "But you can't stay. You need to finish high school and..."

"I can finish school here." He interrupted.

"No, you can't." She replied more firmly.

"Don't you want me here?" He asked.

Her heart broke when she heard his voice crack. "Of course I want you here, but you're too young to settle down. You have your whole life ahead of you."

Mark shook his head defiantly. "Then I'll come back next year after graduation."

Tess sighed. He was a persistent bugger. "What about collage? The basketball scholarship? You could play for the NBA some day." She said, hoping to talk some sense into him.

"I don't need to go to collage to work here with you."

Tess could see she wasn't going to talk him out of this. She knew that once he got back home his feelings would change and he would probably forget all about her. "Go to collage, Mark. Get your degree, and then come back to me."

Mark looked at her thoughtfully and nodded. "All right, but I'm spending my summers here."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She said smiling, "Now kiss me..." ~

Chapter Seven

~ Mark lightly brushed his lips over Tess' as he tenderly stroked her face. He couldn't believe it was their last night together. After making love to her by the lake, they painted the barn in record time, then went to bed, foregoing food and sleep, and made love to each other until they were to exhausted to move. Now it was 5:23 a.m. - a day and a half later - and his bus was leaving in four hours to take him home. He watched her sleep not wanting to wake her up, but wanting to make love to her one more time before he had to leave. As he watched her, he began to understand why she was sending him back and why she insisted he go to collage before living here with her. Tears filled his eyes as the realization sank in. His feelings were more an infatuation than love, and as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Blinking back the tears before they could fall, he kissed her again, firmly.

Tess returned his kiss this time and slid her arms around his neck, turning her body so that she was facing him. His kiss was tender, his hands moved softly over her body, and she moaned when he broke the kiss and left fiery trail to her neck.

He reveled in the taste and feel of her skin beneath his lips. Gliding his hands over her body, he touched her every curve memorizing every detail of her body. He felt her hands on his chest, her fingers teasing his nipples, pinching them and rolling them back and forth as her tongue explored his mouth. Gently she pushed him onto his back, rolling over with him, and straddled him as her mouth made it's way to his neck. Pulling away, she sat up and looked down at him. Placing his hands on her hips, he picked her up and brought her down again, impaling her as he did. Her walls were tight and slick with their juices, and they strained against him as he filled her up. Slowly, she began to grind her hips into his, pulling herself off of him and driving down again. Her nerves were raw and ultra-sensitive and, unable to control her pleasure, she quickly reached her peak, covering his engorged shaft with her juices.

His hands clutched her hips as he felt her walls tighten, and his fingers dug into her flesh as he tried to regain control over his own body. Once her body had calmed somewhat, he rolled her onto her back, and guided himself back into her warm moist body while he covered her mouth with his own. He set a slow deliberate pace that satisfied him as well as drove him insane with want. Her hands were on his back, her fingernails digging into his flesh, and he felt her body jerk and begin to tremble as yet another orgasm racked her body. He slid his arms beneath her and held her close as he rocked back and forth, each thrust harder than the one before, the tempo faster. Her whimpers turned to screams as he drove into her relentlessly; her body bowed against him and jerked uncontrollably as another orgasm tore through her, and soon he followed her over the edge.

They lay together in silence for what seemed like an eternity before either one of them could move. He looked over and found her watching him. "We'd better get ready." She said softly brushing the hair from his face.

He nodded in agreement, although it was the last thing he wanted to do. They showered and dressed then Tess went downstairs to cook breakfast while he packed his things. An hour later, they were on their way to the bus depot.

They made it just as the other passengers were boarding the bus. After handing over his suitcases to be put under the bus with the others he turned and looked down at Tess. "Thank you for helping me this summer." She said after a moment.

"It was my pleasure." He replied then pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "Will you be all right by yourself?" He asked.

She nodded, but didn't look up. "I'll be fine." She answered simply. God, how she hated good-byes!

Reluctantly, he stepped back then without warning he bent and kissed her passionately, knowing how it affected her, before she could protest. "You're an evil man, Mark Calaway." She said smiling.

"I learned from the best." He replied. "If you ever need help with the farm…"

"You'll be the first one I call."

He smiled softly then turned and climbed into the bus. ~

Mark let out a sigh as he walked into the house. The attorney in charge of the estate was Bess and Sam's oldest son, and at his parents request, had given Mark a key to the house and allowed him to visit before the auction. Mark hated the thought of this place being put on the auction block, but he had just bought a ranch in Houston and, still waiting to sell his home in Tampa, wasn't able to purchase any more property yet. He walked slowly through the house as more memories flooded his mind.

Walking upstairs, he went to Tess' bedroom. It still looked just as he remembered it, and he could still smell her perfume. Walking across the room, he sat down on the bed and ran his fingers over the faded, worn-out bedspread. He closed his eyes and could see Tess lying there beside him, her naked body pressed against his, her face soft and serene as she slept. Feeling the tears sting his eyes, he blinked them back and stood up, then noticed a picture on the nightstand. Picking it up, he looked at it. It was a picture of them together at the bus depot the day he left. His arms were around her waist, hers around his neck and they were looking into each other's eyes - right after he kissed her. Someone must have been watching them then taken the picture, and given it to her later. 'You're an evil man, Mark Calaway.' Tess' voice rang in his ears. Smiling, he took the picture and walked to the door.

Making his way into the bathroom, he turned on the light and stepped inside. He pictured Tess sitting in that bathtub, the steam from the water filling the room. Seeing a bottle of bath oil on the side of the tub, he picked it up and opened it, inhaling the sweet floral scent. He could almost feel her hands on him, pulling his jeans down to expose his seemingly constant erection. She would stroke him, then take him into her mouth and swallow him, burying him deep in her throat as she sucked him. Reaching down, he rubbed his member through the thick denim fabric, trying to bring some relief to the erection her memories had evoked.

Walking back into the hall, he went to his room, and just as the rest of the house, found it the same as it had been so many years ago. He smiled as he remembered the heated look in her eyes that first night, and the way she tried not to look at him the next morning when she realized he wasn't wearing any clothes.

A thought came to him as he descended the stairs - he had made love to her in every room in this house. And in the barn, which he visited while waiting for her attorney to get here with the keys. Oh, the memories he had of that barn!

Walking back into the living room, he looked over the furnishings. How many times had she rearranged the furniture in here? He thought curiously. Maybe never. She had so much to do here, and he figured she probably didn't have the time since she didn't have anyone to help her with the work, and later was just too old to move it. A part of him was glad that she kept it the same. He didn't really want to come in and find that all his memories were gone. Sitting down on the couch, he noticed a scrapbook on one of the end tables and picked it up and opened it. Inside, he found news clippings about the basketball games he'd played in at Weslayan University, the beginning of his career as a professional wrestler, his debut in the WWF in 1990 at Survivor Series, to the sixteen staples he had in his forehead, courtesy of HHH. It was all here, everything he'd done in the past twenty years. He smiled as he closed the book then held it against his chest for a moment before standing up. Taking one last look around, he wiped a tear from his face and took a deep breath. "Goodbye Tess." He said quietly to the empty house, then turned with the picture and scrapbook in hand, and walked out.