Mark tensed as Sean pressed himself against him. He tried to pull his lips back, but Sean's fingers caressed Mark's jawline to keep him tempted. Sean couldn't let him pull away. Mark had opened the flood gate and Sean wasn't ready to close it. His heart craved him. Lightly stealing kisses from Mark, he let his hands wander a bit. One stroking Mark's cheek and the other snaking around his neck to run his fingers up into his soft hair. Just as his other hand started down Mark's cheek and neck to mess with the buttons of Mark's shirt, Mark jerked back from him roughly. Stumbling back, Mark raised a hand to keep Sean back as he panted out without looking at him. "Stop." The color drained from Sean's face, but he didn't move from his spot. Mark took a few jagged deep breaths, then slowly lowered his hand as he told the floor shakily. "I... We... You shouldn't encourage that." Sean let his lip curl into the tiniest smirk when he uttered out coolly. "Stopping you would only imply that I didn't want you to do it. And I wanted you to do it." Mark pulled the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes as he grumbled out stubbornly. "If anyone saw that..."

Sean risked a step closer, chuckling out teasingly. "What would they do? Hang me? Been there." Mark tilted his head up to reveal his dark concerned eyes when he retorted seriously. "That's not what they'd do to us, Sean. Trust me. You'd beg to be hung or shot." Lifting his own chin defiantly, Sean stated out just as stubbornly. "If I feared everything others would do to me... I wouldn't have left Ireland. I wouldn't have fought so hard to keep my farm going." Reaching out to grab Mark's gun belt, Sean pulled him closer slowly and added in a whisper by his throat. "I'm not going to live forever. So, I'm going to make damn sure that my life was lived MY way. And I'll fight anyone that tries to take that right from me." Brushing his lips up Mark's throat to his ear, Sean added with a light chuckle. "It's that the American dream? Fighting for freedom?" Mark bowed his head, a smile spreading across his lips when he mumbled out. "Nate's a bad influence on you. You're starting to sound like an outlaw." Placing his hand over Mark's sheriff badge over his chest, Sean whispered into his ear softly. "No, Sheriff. I learned it from you."

Mark turned his head to give him a questionable look, but Sean just smiled and whispered over his lips breathlessly. "I'd rather be an outlaw to put an end to injustices... then live the rest of my life the way others tell me that I should. I'm here... because I'd follow you anywhere. Even if you are a cowboy at heart..." A throaty chuckle left Mark, when he whispered back playfully. "Farm boy..." Grinning, Sean lifted his hand off Mark's badge to cup Mark's cheek and kissed him. Mark's hands gingerly rested on Sean's hips, which only encouraged Sean to back Mark up against the door. Kissing him passionately for a minute, Sean broke the kiss to pant out in another whisper over his lips. "We can continue this little game of cat and mouse, Mark... Or you can admit that you were jealous of Helena." Mark's eyes snapped from docile to fiery so fast that Sean snorted. Staring him down, Mark practically growled like a dog when he asked tensely. "You got her name?" Sean casually removed his own hat and ran a hand through his bangs to get them away from his eyes, before answering with a shrug. "Ya. It would have been rude to let her touch me without-" Mark cut him off, gripping his hips to spin him around to slam him against the door.

Dropping his hat, Sean raised his hands up in surrender as Mark kept his hips pinned to the door. Shaking his head, Mark avoided his eyes, when he muttered out through clenched teeth. "She touched you? I thought she just kissed you?" Relaxing when he realized Mark wasn't going to hurt him, he tilted his head back against the door with a bright innocent smile. Mark's eyes rose to meet his, causing Sean to let his smile fade away as he tenderly asked him. "What would you have done if you had seen us together?" Mark's fiery eyes closed as a pained expression crossed his face. Mark's posture relaxed, his voice becoming reluctant when he grumbled out. "Nothing... to you. Or her." Raising an eyebrow, Sean asked curiously. "But Nate...?" Mark shifted on his feet, his hands sliding slowly up Sean's sides seemingly on their own. Sean watched Mark's hands touch his elbows and start sliding up his arms to pin them against the door by his wrists. Once he had him pinned, Mark looked him in the eyes again and told him in a beautiful deep voice. "I don't know... I might have beaten him up... or just run."

Sean slide his legs part just enough to let Mark get closer if he wanted too, asking him sweetly. "If I tell you what she did... What will you do?" Mark licked his dry lips, his grip loosening on Sean's wrist when he uneasily admitted reluctantly. "Nothing..." Sean couldn't help smiling. Mark wasn't taking his bait. He was lawman to his core. Sweet. Lifting his leg, Sean hooked it around one of Mark's knees to pull him closer. Mark quickly adjusted to keep from falling over, his grip tightening on Sean's wrist unintentionally. Sean just smiled at him though and told him warmly. "You wouldn't want to show me how you'd do it? Or are you afraid that you won't be able to turn me on either?" Mark huffed to himself, his eyes looking away before meeting his again with a little hopeful spark behind them. Turning his head to expose his throat where she'd left a hickie on him, Sean casually informed him in a coy teasing tone. "She kissed and sucked on my throat until it gave me goosebumps..." Sean watched Mark consider it with hesitation, until he finally leaned in. Closing his eyes, Sean held his breath as Mark's warm breath puffed over the base of his throat.

Mark's warm lips picked a soft spot under his snake choker to press his lips to. The sensation made Sean inhale and bit his lip. The spot was different from where Helena had picked and when Mark's lips moved over the spot to graze his teeth there, it made Sean's heels hit the door as he rose up on his toes. If Mark noticed, he didn't show it. He focused on grazing his teeth on his flesh and kissing him after. Over and over. Sending tingles over Sean's body that made him shiver. It wasn't until Mark opened his mouth wider to bite his shoulder that Sean let out a sharp groan. The bite was rough but didn't pierce skin. Easing out of the bite, Mark kissed his skin and asked anxiously. "Did it hurt?" Sean shook his head, breathlessly answering. "No... but can I ask why you did it?" Mark kissed the bite again, then whispered over the reddened skin. "Her mark will fade... mine will stay awhile." A short laugh left Sean as he mumbled out. "You cowboys love branding your property..." Mark smirked, nuzzling his lips over Sean's ear when he purred out. "You're not my property, Sean... but I can't to let her believe that you are hers."

Shaking his head, Sean chuckled back in a whisper. "Sure." Mark stepped up closer to him, asking gingerly. "Where else...?" Licking his dry lips with the flick of his tongue, Sean tilted his head back. Mark didn't need to be told. Leaning in, he laid claim to his lips. His lips moving over every inch of his and trying to part his lips to seek out his tongue with his own. Their kiss broke when someone tried to open the broken door, only for Mark to kick it shut again. Sean coughed as the wind was swatted from his lungs. While on the other side, an older woman called out. "Hey! Everything alright in there? If you two are fighting-!" Mark released Sean, allowing him to flee from the door. Mark yanked open the door, startling the woman but Mark calmly told her as he leaned on the doorframe. "We're fine. Sorry about the door. Nathan's paying for it." Sean rolled his eyes, listening to Nathan huff out from the other room. "ME?! YOU broke it!" Mark started to yell something, but Bob quickly cut in over them. "HEY! I'll deal with it! Let's just cool it! We're all tired." Bob started talking to the woman, but Sean missed the conversation because Mark slammed the door and shoved a chair under the fractured handle.

Sean moved to stand near the steaming tub, blushing out as Mark faced him. "So? What do we do now...?" Removing his hat, Mark stuck it on a coat rack and told him a bit nervously. "That's up to you. Say the word and we stop right here..." Resting his hands on the edge of the tub, Sean leaned on it a bit and told Mark as he stared into the water. "Well... I don't want to do that. But... what's enough for you?" Mark eased his long tan jacket off his shoulder and tossed it to the love seat. After a deep breath, Mark shrugged out with bold honesty. "I don't know... Wanna find out?" Blushing, Sean straightened up and walked around the tub toward him. Stopping just out of Mark's reach, Sean shrugged out in return. "You got me all hot and bothered... Might as well." Unbuttoning his vest, Mark let it fall to the floor and replied softly. "Ok. I'll... Start." Mark unbuckled his gun belt and set it carefully aside. They way his hands shook a bit not going unnoticed by Sean. He could just imagine what Mark was struggling with internally to convince himself to go through with this.

Sliding his hand over the edge of the tub, Sean moved up to stand in front of Mark. Without making eye contact, Sean took Mark's hands and guided them to his own chest. Mark's fingers moved over his chest to feel out his curves before easing to the buttons. The blush that burned Sean's cheeks made him feel uneasy about this but he ignored it. He wanted Mark to see him... he just feared that he wouldn't be attractive to him. To calm his nerves, he allowed his own hands to tug up the hem of Mark's shirt from his pants. Catching him a glimpse of Mark's belly button and the smooth curves of his broad hips. Upon opening Sean's shirt to see his torso, Mark let his fingers trace Sean's pale skin that hugged his ribs. The gesture was so light that Sean jerked a step back with a strangled giggle. Hugging himself, Sean mumbled out shyly. "Sorry... I'm... Don't be so light. I'm not fragile... Although, I'm sure I look it..." Sean felt his confidence sinking through the floor, until Mark's warm hands coaxed him to unwrap his arms from around his ribcage. Gently pulling him close, Mark told him in a beautiful deep voice. "You look fine to me."

Shifting on his feet, Sean mumbled out coyly. "No. I don't. Look." Extending out his arm, he took ahold of one of Mark's to lay beside it. The drastic clash of bright pale skin to Mark's golden tan standing out like a drop of blood in snow. Sean tried to recoil as he started to feel like this had been a bad idea. Only to have Mark grip his arm and pull him almost against him. Leaning in to his ear, Mark told him so sweetly. "Doesn't bother me." Sean rolled his eyes with doubt. His pale Irish complexion had put more than a few people on edge when he moved into Iron Hills. Most thought he was sick and wore clothes to hide how sick he truly was. Very few knew that he did it to keep from burning in the sunlight. Ireland wasn't known for its sunny summers. Mark's hands ventured up the insides of Sean's arms and back to his exposed chest. His fingers playfully stroking Sean's thin layer dark chest hair, when he added sweetly. "Honestly... you just look cold to me. Makes me want to warm you up." Without another word, Mark wrapped his arms around Sean and pulled him against him.

Through a series of passionate kisses and giggles, Mark stripped Sean of his clothes and Sean did the same for Mark. Stumbling free of everything, they stood chest to chest for a while and just kissed. Their hands exploring the other. Mark enjoyed stroking his hands along Sean's back and ass. While Sean found his comfort in squeezing Mark's strong thighs and occasionally biting his muscular arms. Eventually, they found their way into the tub. Sitting at opposite ends and allowing their hands to explore more thoroughly beneath the water. While stroking Mark's inner thighs and easing a bit higher, Sean asked him curiously. "Do you... want to try having sex with me?" Mark was distracted with stroking one of Sean's legs that rested on the edges of the tub, but answered coolly. "We don't have to rush. We can take things slow for a bit." Sean rested his hands high up on Mark's thighs, causing Mark to go very still. Looking only at Mark's face, Sean timidly told him. "I know. But... I feel anxious about it. I feel like I should... just do it." Mark's fingers lightly tickled Sean's toes, causing him to jerk up in the tub with a startled giggle.

With Sean away from hiscrotch, Mark chuckled out calmly. "I'mnot a horse, Sean. I'm not going to run off because you didn't show me how goodyou are. I like you already. You don't need to be so brash." Straightening up, Sean crossed his legs underthe water and asked meekly. "I know that...but I just feel like... I'm ready. You know?" Smirking, Mark beckoned Sean to scoot closer. Once he did, Mark whispered to him gently. "You might be. But I'm not. There are stillthings I want to learn about you first... Places I want to explore on you. Canyou let me pet you awhile before you start saddling yourself, you wild stud." Sinking down into the tub, Sean draped hislegs over the sides and started blowing bubbles in the water as he gestured sullenlyto his submerged torso. Chuckling, Markadjusted a pouting Sean between his own legs and carefully let his hands wanderover Sean's crotch. Enjoying how Sean'sbubbling pout turned into him arching his back and spewing water into the airwith a throaty groan of pleasure. To BeContinued...