Tammy stands, numbly, under the hot water. Her tears have ended minutes ago. Now, she just stares blankly, curtained within the water. Her arm stings where Alexei bit her. It didn't feel as bad as when she first stepped in. The bite mark is deep. Now a purple, blue, and black bruise mottled the mark. Things must have been rougher between them than she'd realized. At the time she hadn't had a good mind, whatever strength she thought she had is broken.

The world is an ugly place and even though she's always chosen the right; the good path seems to have ended for her. Tammy wanted to feel anything besides that numb despair even pain. Maybe that's how Alexei felt as well, but he had the strength not to give in to her self-destruction and sleep with her. Tammy weeps softly.

As she dries off and slips on a white tee-shirt, Tammy is grateful Alexei and herself hadn't slept together.  Tammy decides not to put on a pair of leggings. The clothes drag on her body heavily and slow. She isn't motivated to be dressed. Even her hair is a fluffy undefined afro because of letting the water run through but no product on her kinky curls. She doesn't have the energy. There is so much on her mind.

As Tammy lay on her pillow, the one next to it smells like Mark. The scent sends an aching through her core. During her long shower, she had to admit her hurt. Something in her had fantasized something special was happening to them.

Tammy chose to lie on his pillow as if it were his chest. Hot tears flow from her eyes at the thought of everything that has happened the past months combined with all the bombs Alexei dropped and the revelations she has to face inside.

The door opens and Tammy doesn't turn around.

The door closes bringing the silence and dark back. Although Tammy chose not to turn around, she felt Mark's heat on her back as he drew closer. She smells his scent mixed with soap and cologne. Then she smelled all the alcohol. Mark hasn't come home intoxicated since they'd first started all of this. He smells like maybe he'd drank a time ago, although probably still feeling the effects.

Mark got into the bed, behind her and Tammy stills her body, hoping to give him no reaction. She wants to deprive him of the feeling of her body softening against him. However, Mark begins rubbing the inside of her thighs languidly. And his soft slightly moist kisses on her neck make her tremble against her will.

Each kiss causes a shiver when Mark moves to make the next. Before Tammy knows it Mark is massaging her scalp with one hand in her panties while suckling her earlobe. Tammy bit her lip to stop a moan.

"That's my angel," Mark whispers right over her ear sending chills that harden her nipples and travel down her spine. "I'm sorry baby, I'm not going to act like you didn't see me today."

Tammy turns around and swallows her lust, hoping to be strong. Alexei had been strong enough to tell her no, she could say no. Amber said Alexei could protect her.  Mark is passionately looking at her lips from inches above her. He moves to kiss her and Tammy puts up a weak trembling hand.

"Wait," she says softly. "Why? Why even tell me anything? What's going on between us?"

She needs to make up her mind.

Mark groans with his hands returning to stroke her into slickness. "I'm sorry, sometimes I just need it, like I can't control it. And that was...Ivanka. She is, I mean was my mistress. I was going to resume our arrangement today, but it just wasn't the same."

Tammy tries pushing Mark off.

She is upset. He basically admitted to sleeping with the beautiful model. However, there are many times in life where Tammy's body betrays her and Mark hits that button just then to shake her body with a pent-up orgasm. She bit her lip stifling the moan and still attempts to put space between them.

There is so much on her mind and she is ultimately glad he answered truthfully. Mark and this is the least of her worries. Tammy wants to go home. She needs to find out when they are returning to the states. Tammy just wants a sense of normalcy back into her life.

He is kissing her again. "Mark, stop..."She said weakly but her strength is in pushing him away.

Tammy didn't want or need to be touched.

"Please, don't push me away," Mark begs her. She felt like she could feel his need. "I need to feel close to you. I need to feel like everything is okay with us. I know I messed up and I'm sorry. "

Tammy finds a pause between his kisses where their eyes met. Both of them holding secrets. "You just were with her."

She doesn't say this to accuse him. She just was making out with Alexei. Tammy didn't want them to become physical right now after both having been with other people in intimate manners. She doesn't want to be intimate with him knowing she's still thinking about Alexei. Tammy feels defeat. She knows that she feels something real for Alexei.

Mark still magically found a way to keep his lips and hands on her as he removed his shirt. "I wouldn't do that to you. I left her hours ago and I went to my new warehouse here in Russia to shower and change clothes before I came home to you"

Tammy's mind latched on to the words 'Home to YOU'. Her resolve broke when his lips found hers again. Tammy cupped his cheek with her hand as he kissed her. His body language seemed to soften with relief.

Even though Tammy could sense his urgency and need he still used very controlled movements to slide inside her moist walls. Treacherous walls greedily sucked him in like a vacuum suction. Closing her eyes, she hopes all of the conflicting thoughts and feelings could be lost for a while. The moment her eyes close she sees Alexei. In her mind, she's back in the office, on his lap and undoing the button of his jeans.

Mark whispers into her ear. "I know you have feelings for me and I have them for you. I know I don't want to ever lose you. "

Tears drip from her eyes from the intense pleasure of his dick rubbing on her G-spot with each long, slow stroke and her emotional turmoil. Her muscles fitting around him like a comfortable glove, miking his dick with her second orgasm. In her mind, Alexei is holding her in the way he does that makes Tammy feel safe.

She wonders if Alexei is okay right now. Tammy feels Mark turn her face to him and kisses like he is trying to push Alexei out of her head. As though Mark knows that Alexei is in her head and it made her stomach drop with anxiety. Can Alexei protect her from Mark?

Tammy moans against his lips.
She feels his arm move from her waist and lifts her slightly improving his angle into her dripping pussy. Mark began kissing her neck again. Tammy felt like she floats over her body unable to control the stray tears that fall. Tammy held on to Mark feeling like she wants this over because she didn't deserve to feel good.

"Uh uh, give me more of you, not just your body. I'm sorry " Mark kisses her ear. He caresses the side of Tammy's face and traces her lips as he slows his pace and lavishes her with affection.

Biting her lip Tammy shook her head. She wants to be strong. "I just don't feel like I..."

Mark goes slower, placing his hand behind her neck bringing them closer. He expertly rolls his body against hers before cutting her off.
"It's never going to be like this with anyone else, this is only what we feel like. I can promise that and you know it deep inside. You know this is special."

Tammy nods her vision blurred with the physical pleasure and the emotional pain she is experiencing right now. It isn't fair that Mark bombards her with all of these emotions right now. She wishes she could go back to the night Alexei branded her and fight harder not to be branded. Tammy wishes she could go into that bathroom and fight Alexei then too. Tammy wishes she never kissed Alexei in the office today because right now she knows things are different. She wants Mark but she fears she has fallen in love with Alexei.

"You know he probably can see us.  "
Mark kisses the side of her face.
"He's never going to fuck you like me because everything about you is mine, even if he branded you. "

"Mark..." This is the moment she has been fearing. Can Alexei protect her from Mark?

"Shhh." he kisses her long and passionately. "look right in the corner of the room for me; right at his camera. I want Alexei to see your face when I make you cum.

I don't care about his brand. I know he killed Cookie and when I was getting home, I was praying you were still alive. I don't care what you had to do to be alive. I don't care what conversations the two of you have had, I just want you to know you're mine. "

Does Alexei have cameras in her room?

Did Mark know about her brand? Tammy could only try to sit up. Alexei and Mark have been playing one big game with her that she wants out of. Harsh realities overtake the moment. As Mark expresses all these emotions, she'd fantasied just months ago that he would have, but now it feels like a taunt, threat, or curse. She felt panic. She felt trapped.

"Mark..." She tries to move but he uses force to trap her.

Tammy watched him shake his head and smile at her. He seemed to look at her fondly. At this moment looking into those void eyes, she sees a glimmer that sends a shiver down her spine as Mark presses her down into the mattress. She felt afraid of Mark and she's been afraid of him.

"I knew you were going to come in handy." Mark all but laughs at her panic.

Tammy shook against him and he held her through it. When he moves off of her, Mark held her close to his chest. She was facing away from him with tears falling and thinking over everything. Mark rubs her thigh. Tammy fucked up.

Alexei and Mark are not men to be toyed with. At this moment, Tammy is afraid that their hatred of one another and their possessiveness of her will be what ends her life.

"Tammy, I do care about you. "
Mark finally says in the darkness.
"I know Alexei is trying to take you from me but he's not going to make you feel the way I do. "

Tammy turns and looked into his brown eyes, for once finding them shining with emotion. She swallows the fear of his tears, caresses his cheek, and he took her hand and kissed the palm. Tammy tries to act as though she isn't angry with him. She needs to convince him to take her home.

"I don't know what's going on and I don't want to be in the middle of anything that's going on between you two. " Tammy admits the truth.

Mark sighs. "I hope you never are in the middle. I've seen two people in the middle before and I don't want that for you, for Alexei, or me. I hope you always choose me, us. "

Tammy closes her eyes feeling fatigued take her over. "Mark, I want to go home. "

Mark sat up. "Tammy, I need to be here in Russia. I know you don't understand everything but I have to know what's going on here and I've been setting up a lot of shit.

Going back to the USA isn't going to happen right now."

Tammy sniffles. Her hope shattering anything they could have ever been. If they stay here they will never be the love story they began as. Her heart is breaking. 

"I understand that but if we are going to be together, then why can't I just go back to the US, and then you come to see me when you can?" She's desperate to get out of here.

Mark looks at her like she grew two heads. "Where is this coming from?"

Tammy feels insecure about her feelings and what she needs to say. The way Mark's eyes slit makes her feel intimidated by what he may say or do next. Things feel dangerous.

"I just don't fit into this world, I don't like being here and I think that staying around all of this is going to make me different." Tammy moves away from him as he seems to become upset.

Mark shook his head with a dry chuckle. "Cut the shit, what has Alexei told you?"

Tammy grabs his hand. She wants to plead with him. "This isn't about Alexei!"

Mark jerks his hand back. "That's bullshit, Tammy. I know him and I've been dealing with him way longer than you. Do you think you're the first woman we both wanted?"

Tammy is feeling frustrated. "Whatever you guys have is toxic. Mark, you haven't been yourself here. I can tell you don't like it here. Come on, we don't need to be here."

Mark scoffs but she can tell that he is weighing the options. He is thinking and he knows some of what she is saying is true.

"What are you worried I'm going to find out? Or is it that I'm a fucking game to you? You got me in my feelings like you wanted, and now you want to fucking leave me?" Mark pushes her and she could tell he wants to hit her.

Tammy's breath caught. She is panicking inside. "Mark, I just really believe that if we don't leave that something is going to happen and it'll change our lives forever. That's all it is, I promise. It's not whatever you're thinking. "

Tammy means the words with all her heart.

She couldn't explain how she knew what she knew but when she thought about the future continuing from this point, her deep conscious knows that it isn't a good outcome. Tammy has truly come to an understanding that life will never be the same, although she doesn't have the details.

The way Mark laughs with such bitterness and looks at her with veiled anger as he gets dressed, she knows she can't get through to him. Now she realizes Alexei was right today, the time to choose is clear.