Home on the Range (AU,M/L,ADULT) Ch 30, 7/17/13 [WIP]

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Cardinal
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 20, 09/2/12, pg 3

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 21

Torture


When Liz woke the next morning, she felt different than she was used to, better actually, but couldn’t quite put a finger on why. And then the heated path across her abs shifted, pulling her back against something that was deliciously firm. She moaned then and wiggled her butt just a bit as she nestled even further into the solid warmth that seemed to surround her. She tried to reclaim the sweet oblivion she’d just been wrapped in, but failed, and as her mind crawled out of its sleep-shrouded fog, everything came back to her.

The ‘solid warmth’ belonged, without a doubt, to Max. Just the idea of that was enough to make her grin from ear to ear. She was about to roll within the compass of his arms to face him when she realized what the ‘delicious firmness’ had to be. Oh, sweet Jesus! Liz chuckled silently. I am so glad women don’t have that little problem. Then she thought about Max’s problem and how long it felt, before deciding his problem wasn’t so little after all.

She cracked open her eyes only to find dawn just breaking over the eastern horizon. From the perfect stillness that pervaded the camp, she assumed no one else was up and about yet, but that didn’t mean no one else was awake. That meant she couldn’t do anything about easing Max’s obvious physical distress without risking being caught. Morning wood is such a terrible thing to waste, she pouted. I guess I’ll just have to take what I can get. She turned in his arms then, and pressed her chest against his as she nuzzled the side of his neck. A few insistent kisses on his collarbone, a warm, wet lick up one side of his throat, and then some slow, insistent nibbling on his earlobe was more than enough to bring him out of this slumber to join her in the waking world.

“Huh?” Max groaned as his mind began the shift from sleep to wakefulness. Like Liz, he was reluctant to wake up, though in his case that had more to do with the dream he was having that involved him, her, and a few choice food products. When he woke enough to realize his dream was just that, but was still asleep enough to remember the details, he grumbled softly, “Screw Nine and a Half Weeks. Zalman King has nothing on my subconscious.” Then he decided having the nearly naked Liz Parker in his arms more than adequately compensated him for losing his erotic dream. The fact that her mouth was currently making his neck its personal playground was the icing on the cake.

“Morning, Liz,” Max finally said, once it became clear she had no intention of stopping just because he was awake.

“G’morning,” she mumbled in between kisses over his carotid artery.

“Not to complain or anything…mmmmmmmmm…but if you keep that up, I’m gonna roll you over on your back and…”

When his voice trailed off, Liz paused just long enough to ask, “And what?” before diving back in.

“Give you what you came to the ranch looking for, and with the way you’re making me feel right now, I’d be giving it to you hard…deep…and fast.”

“I’ll take a rain check on that, if you don’t mind,” Liz purred. Then realizing Max was right, she reluctantly stopped tasting him. “You do know you have hard, and from what I can feel, deep, already covered, right?”

“Don’t remind me,” Max said. “I’m going to be so glad that today’s shower isn’t going to be hot.” After a humorless laugh, he added, “Ice cold would be better, though.”

Hearing Max mention a shower caught Liz’s attention, so she chose that as her way of redirecting their conversation. “How are we going to shower?” she asked. “I haven’t seen anything that might serve us that way.”

“There’s a makeshift shower stall in the wagon,” Max replied. “It’s our one major concession to modern life. We’ve found most of our guests can’t stand to smell each other after a couple of days in the saddle if we don’t let them get clean.”

“At least I won’t be putting clean clothes on over a stinky body,” Liz laughed.

Max favored Liz with a wolfish grin, and murmured, “That’s a sexy body, Liz, that would just happen to have an outdoor scent.” The euphemism ‘outdoor scent’ made her giggle into his shoulder. He pretended he hadn’t said anything unusual and went right on talking. “Here in a few minutes, I’ll get up and assemble the stall down by the river, well upstream from the herd. You ladies will go first, while I stay here with the men. When you ladies come back, we’ll go, and by the time we come back, the cook should have breakfast ready.”

“Mmmm…breakfast.” Liz wriggled far enough up Max’s body that she could look him in the eye. Her motion made both of them conscious that he was still as hard as a rock.

“The options will be somewhat limited,” Max admitted. “I can almost guarantee more bacon, and then hunks of the leftover bread from last night will have their open sides soaked in the bacon grease, and of course, there will be more coffee.”

“Hmmm…if this is how cowboys used to eat on a cattle drive,” she asked, “how is it they didn’t all end up dying from heart disease?”

“Who says they didn’t?” he replied. “At least, the ones who didn’t drink themselves to death or die from some sort of violence first.”

“However they died,” Liz said mournfully, as she rubbed her flat tummy under the sleeping bag, “I’m gonna have to work my ass off when I get back to L.A. to make up for all the fattening foods I’ve had here.”

“Like you’ve gained more than a pound,” Max scoffed. “The way I’ve worked you this past week and a half, I’ll be amazed if you gained even that much.”

“Ass kisser,” Liz mumbled as she lightly punched his shoulder.

“Not here,” Max said roguishly, “but maybe someday in some place a little more private.”

“Max Evans!” Liz shouted mock seriously. She tried to swat him again, but he rolled out from under the sleeping bag before she could. Pretty much the entire camp had heard her yell at him, so by the time he had pulled on his clothes from the night before, they were involved in the process of getting up, and by the time Liz wriggled back into her clothes, Max had grabbed the collection of PVC pipes, fabric, rubber, and wooden buckets that comprised the makeshift shower stall and headed off to set it up about a quarter mile upriver.

Like Max had said earlier, the ladies went first. Each took a blazingly quick shower, as the river water used to fill the perforated bucket they were standing under was considerably colder than they normally preferred. And when the men finished their showers, the cook had breakfast ready. While they ate, he showered and then disassembled the stall and laid the wet parts in the wagon where they would quickly dry as the heat rose.

And that’s pretty much how the last three days of the cattle drive went. Max worked Liz hard during the day, and the two of them were inseparable once they stopped for the night. The only material change for them was that after the first night, they chose to continue to sleep next to each other, but do so in separate bags, as both of them believed even one more night of skin on skin was a little more sexual torture than they cared to endure.

The four separate herds combined over the last half of the final day to the drive, and thus it was that seven cowboys and forty-two greenhorns spent the last few hours bringing in the massive combined herd. That night was for a small meal and a lot of rest for the guests and cowboys as the rest of the ranch staff worked hard to have everyone’s clothes cleaned and ready to pack the next morning.

Max and Liz knew they had some things to talk about before the guests were scheduled to leave the next evening, but both were too tired to do more than exchange a few kisses as they sat together on the porch of the ranch house, boots propped up on the railing, eyes on the stars.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 21, 09/9/12, pg 4

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 22

Arrangements


Saturday was the last day for the ranch guests. Carl and Nadine had major shindig planned for the noon hour, ending the two week cycle the same way it had started: with lots and lots of barbecued brisket, ribs, and chicken. The ribs and brisket had been cooking in smokers since midnight, and the smell of mesquite wood smoke seemed to be everywhere. The boneless chicken breasts were placed into a smoker that morning, for those who insisted on a healthier option. But all that was for later, as was the ice cold Shiner Bock that was waiting to accompany the meal.

Max and Liz were both up early. She had smelled the wood smoke before her meal and thus ate little because she planned on enjoying the party and didn’t want to feel guilty about it. Max, on the other hand, ate heartily like always because the smoke had stoked his appetite. Once the meal was over, they went outside in search of some privacy. Walking hand-in-hand, they ambled around the property until he got the idea to go for a ride. Heading to the horse barn, Max asked the head groom for two horses to be saddled.

“Good idea,” Liz said, “it’ll be nice to ride for once without having to do anything.”

Taking the proper precautions, Max left word that he and Liz would be riding mile or two north of the ranch house, in case something happened to keep them from making it back for the party. Once they got their horses pointed north, they were more than happy to let the glorious animals set their own pace.

“What do we do now?” Liz asked, at long last.

“Keep riding this way until we come to the barbed wire fence, I guess,” Max replied.

Liz rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn’t make a big deal about his deliberate obtuseness. She waited patiently for him to relent and get down to the business at hand.

“We have to talk about you and me…about us…and what we want to do.” Max ran a hand through the short brown hair on the top of his head. “About what we can do.”

“We can do anything we want,” Liz assured him. “But do my wants and your wants match? Or is there at least enough of an overlap between them for us to move ahead?”

“That was well put,” Max said. “Maybe you should be the lawyer.”

Liz grinned at the compliment from the Harvard Law grad. She wasn’t used to being complimented on her intelligence. Truth be told, that hadn’t happened much at all since she had left Cal Tech to start her acting career, but it was definitely something she wanted to experience more often. Score another point for Max, she thought.

He rubbed his slightly sweaty palms on the thighs of his faded Levi’s. “If you can be direct, so can I,” he said, as he turned his head toward her. “You’re going home today, but I’m not ready for you to leave.” Liz wanted to let him know L.A. would never be her home, no matter how long she lived there, but she figured it was wiser to let him go on and say first everything he had on his mind. “I didn’t tell you everything about me, all the most important stuff anyway, just to let you slip through my fingers now; I want to make this work…to make us work.”

“I want you and me to see if we can be an us, too,” Liz assured Max, “but I do have to go back to California. While I want nothing more than to stay here so we can spend more time getting to know each other, I have business interests that require me to be there.” She let that settle in his mind before continuing. “Maybe I can carve some time out of my schedule so I can come back later – maybe – but that likely wouldn’t be until fall at the earliest.”

Liz watched Max as a welter of emotions seemingly battled for control of his face. How one man’s face could manage to combine hope and longing with fear and doubt she had no idea. She was used to him being firm and always in control, but there was none of that from him now. When he couldn’t seem to find the right words, she decided to advance an idea she’d had a few days earlier. “Since I can’t stay here,” she said, “come visit me in L.A.”

“Do what?” Max looked like he had been poleaxed; clearly that idea had never crossed his mind, at least not in any serious way.

“You heard me.” She waited then. The first words out of his mouth had been pure reaction; now she wanted to hear something with thought behind it.

“What would I do in L.A.?” he asked finally. “At least you had two weeks of work on the ranch to keep you busy here.”

“Besides getting to know me?” Liz was about to make an offhand, smartass comment when she realized he didn’t have any idea of what her home life was like. I guess it’s time to educate him a little; hopefully without sounding like a braggart. “Max? I know there aren’t a lot of things to do here unless you’re a rancher, but L.A. is like a fricking Disneyland for young adults, in fact, Disneyland isn’t too far away. There’s basketball, tennis, a workout facility, a great movie theater, a fabulous pool, a nice library…and that’s all before you leave my house.

“Beyond that there are nightclubs galore, beaches, art galleries, pro sports teams – unless you love the NFL – and more good restaurants than you can shake a stick at.”

“And then there’s you,” Max smirked.

“What?” she queried, a perplexed look on her face.

“You,” he repeated firmly. “You were talking about all the things to do in California, and I was just remembering a certain movie star who came out here wanting to get laid.” Tilting his head to one side and politely raising his eyebrows at her, he asked, “You haven’t changed your mind about that…have you?”

Liz was suddenly very flustered, as images of her and Max doing all sorts of things flooded her mind. Her cheeks flushed prettily and other parts of her body began to awaken, as her thoughts got dirtier and dirtier. Before the last of her composure could skitter away, she choked out, “Erm, no…definitely not.”

“I didn’t think so,” he smirked again.

“The way I see it,” Liz said gamely, as she tried to finish her sales pitch, “if you’re bored in L.A., it’s merely because you aren’t trying. And even if you think you’ll hate it out there, you owe it to yourself to spend a couple of weeks in my world to see what it’s like. You know, get to know me on my own turf, and see if you can handle dealing with me away from the ranch.”

Max raised a relevant point. “I’m not sure if my old truck can be counted on to make a drive that long.”

Liz was not about to allow him to get away now, not when he had pretty much agreed to come visit her. Circling her horse around until it was in front of his until she was facing right toward him, she said. “It isn’t expected to make the trip. When I get back to L.A., I’m going to buy you an open-ended, round-trip ticket from Dallas to L.A.” She eyed him up and down, taking into account the length of his legs and the width of his shoulders. “The ticket will be First Class, so even a big guy like you will have plenty of room.”

“Okay, but I can’t come right away.”

“That’s fine, Max. I’m sure you’ve committed to work here for some time yet. Take all the time you need. And while we’re waiting, we can keep in contact electronically…cellphones, Skype, even e-mail for longer messages when one of us is out of touch.”

“Skype will be good,” he said thoughtfully. “Otherwise, I’ll miss seeing you.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

Realizing what they had decided, Max asked rhetorically, “We’re really going to try this, aren’t we?”

“Looks like it.”

“I think we’re probably crazy,” he said, as he turned his horse toward the ranch house and set his horse into motion.

“Crazy like a fox, maybe.”

Max looked over to where Liz was riding and openly eyed her from head to toe. “Well, at least one of us is a fox.”

“A fox?” Liz asked, as her voice pealed with laughter. “Who even says that anymore? Who are you, my dad?”

“I sure hope not,” Max replied with a straight face, “or else the things I plan on doing with you would be highly immoral and possibly just as illegal…though I’d have to check the statutes on that in California.”

Liz’s mouth was hanging open in disbelief and not a little shock by the time he was done. “Ewww! I can’t believe you went there.” Then she thought a moment longer. “What things?”

Ignoring her last question, as he guided his horse around a small depression in the ground, Max said archly, “Well, you started it.”

“Me?”

“I paid your beauty a compliment,” Max said, “and you went and referred to me as your dad. Anything that followed from that is plainly your fault.”

“Whatever!” Liz gave up on that line of conversation, choosing instead to go back to what else he had said. “What things do you plan on doing with me? Hmm?”

“Weeeeeeeeell,” Max replied, giving his best ‘aw shucks’ routine, “I don’t want to get into specifics, but how would you like to reach your sexual peak, and then stay there…for an hour?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m perfectly serious,” Max replied. “Why do you think every woman I’ve ever been with has contacted me again? I guarantee you it wasn’t for my sparkling personality and witty conversation.”

“An hour long, huh?” Liz tucked her tongue in the corner of her mouth as she mulled things over. “I assume that’s a benefit of being with an alien?” When he nodded his head in agreement, she said, “Okay, but know this: that’s a promise you’re definitely going to keep.” They rode on for another minute before she added, “In fact, if we weren’t expected at this going away party, you’d be keeping that promise right now in the middle of this very field.”

One look was all it took to convince Max that Liz was serious. He turned his head back forward to keep his eyes on where they were going, but he couldn’t stop an ear-to-ear grin. “Yeeeees, Ma’am.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 22, 09/13/12, pg 5

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 23

Bon Voyage
The farewell party was a rip-roaring success, so much so that by five that afternoon, most of the guests were half smashed; Liz, however, wasn’t even close to being drunk. That was because she knew she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, and because she was very careful about her public image. She knew the last thing she needed was to be seen stumbling like a three-legged giraffe when there might be cameras around. She had already been wondering which of her fellow guests or ranch employees might try to sell a few personal photos of her to the tabloids; she didn’t care too much if people saw her with Max, but she wasn’t sure how he might react.

By five o’clock, a string of SUVs was lined up in front of the ranch house. While the guests were being helped into the vehicles and their luggage was being loaded in the back, Max and Liz stood on the ranch house’s porch and talked. Among the things they talked about was her suspicion that someone on the ranch would be selling photos of them to one or more of the tabloids. She told him she was used to that sort of thing, but she told him she wanted him to be aware of the possibilities before he made any decisions about them.

“A few grainy, long-range photos of you and me kissing might not generate much interest,” Liz said in conclusion, “but if you come out to California, I can guarantee we’ll spend some time on the front page.” Max was busy mulling over his options, wondering if he should even risk kissing her goodbye, when her voice intruded on his thoughts. “You’ve got my e-mail and phone numbers, right?” she asked, her tone of voice only slightly anxious.

“Yes,” Max said, as he patted his shirt pocket. “Two copies of each just to be sure. And even if I somehow lose both copies, you have my stuff in your purse.”

It was the second time she had asked in the hour since they’d exchanged contact information, but he wasn’t annoyed by it, instead, he thought her mild anxiety was sweet. Not only did he think this was an inadvertent way of her showing him he truly meant something to her, but it also helped ease his own anxiety. For while she was worried about his ability to contact her, he was worried she would return to southern California, get caught up in her life out there, and forget about him completely.

Liz and Max finally came to the point where all they had left to say was ‘see you later.’ Not wanting their last moment together to end, the two of them talked about anything they could think of, including the brutal Texas heat, but eventually the last suitcase was loaded and the last ranch guest had clambered inside the SUVs; all that was left was Liz. Walking hand-in-hand, they descended the steps to the hard-packed red clay and then walked down the line of SUVs until they came to the one which she was to take to the airport. Liz turned to face Max and put her free hand into his. Now that he had both of her hands, he raised them and gently pressed his lips to the back of each, before lowering them again.

“Who woulda thought?” Liz asked, more of herself than of Max. “I came here two weeks ago looking to reconnect with my past in the smallest of ways, and get well and truly laid in the process.” She raised an eyebrow at him in mock surprise, and added, “Instead of some mindless sex, what did I get?”

“Instead of some mindless sex, you got me,” he replied.

“Somehow, I think I came out ahead on the deal.” She smiled, excited by the prospect of finally having a man in her life she might not be able to tame, and wondering if taming him might damage the qualities that made her want him so fiercely in the first place.

“We both got lucky.” Looking over to where the driver of her SUV was gesturing impatiently at him, Max sighed, and said, “You’d better get going.” He wanted to kiss her goodbye, but was exceedingly conscious of their audience. “Call me when you get home tonight, no matter what time.”

“What for?”

“I just want to know you made it home safely.”

“Okay,” Liz replied, as she felt an unexpected warmth inside at his simple statement of concern. “I’ll call you the minute I step in the door.”

As she turned to climb into the SUV, Max looked at the other ranch guests, wondering for a split second which one might cash in on his budding romance with Liz and what that sort of attention might do to him, then his eyes fell on her and he briefly considered what she had come to mean to him in two short weeks. As he watched her lift a booted foot to make the step up into the SUV, he shouted, “Wait!” When she paused, he grabbed her wrist and spun her around before pulling her close against him.

I’ve been hiding who I am for so long that avoiding any sort of attention has become second nature, he thought, but as long as I don’t do anything out-of-this-world in California…

“There’s something I forgot to give you,” he said.

Before Liz could think to ask what he had forgotten, Max’s powerful arms encircled her torso and swept her off her feet, spinning her around him as his mouth engaged hers in a heated, demanding, desperate kiss. Her initial reaction was to grab onto his biceps for dear life, but by the time he’d spun her around once, she’d sunk her fingers into the dark hair on either side of his head and was giving as good as she got.
When Max sat Liz back on her feet, he leaned in, gestured at everyone watching, and said quietly and confidently, “Screw ‘em all. I’ll see you in California as soon as I can get away.” He then helped her up into the SUV and waved as the line of SUVs pulled away. He didn’t chase after her, but his eyes were locked on the small caravan until long after it had passed from his view.

As the SUVs pulled away, Liz’s head was swimming. The funny part was that she didn’t know what was causing her head to whirl more: being spun like a top, kissed like there was no tomorrow, or told that a man whose life depended on secrecy was stepping into the limelight just for her. Once the caravan of SUVs was out on the highway, arrowing its way east toward the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, she took out her phone to program Max’s contact information into it, and while she had the phone out, she placed a quick call to Maria to let her know she was coming back to California. She would have talked to her best friend about everything that happened since they’d last spoken – minus anything related to Max’s stunning admission – but she wanted to wait until they were alone., so she told her they’d talk about the trip when she got home.

The rest of the two hour drive was spent chatting with the others in the SUV about their experiences and checking out their pictures. It didn’t strike her until she was almost to the airport how different her arrival at the ranch was compared to her departure. One involved a self-absorbed Hollywood star riding solo in a limousine, while the other was what she considered to be the real Liz, relaxed, approachable, and gabbing away like everyone else.

Back at the ranch, Max sauntered into the bunkhouse after the SUVs drove out of sight, kicked off his boots, and stretched out on his bed with his legs crossed and arms folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. He was thinking back over the last two weeks, but focused mostly on the week with Liz. Kyle came in a few minutes later and sat on the edge of his bed facing him. He’d watched Liz and Max outside just now, and had seen bits and pieces of them together over the last week and he had come to a conclusion.

“What are you going to do about her?” Kyle asked.

Max remained quiet, not quite sure if he was ready to share what he was feeling. Kyle waited patiently, knowing Max would come around in time.

“I don’t know what exactly what I’m going to do about her,” Max said, at long last. “But I do know I’m going to California.”

“That’s what I thought.” Kyle wasn’t sure how to say what he had to say next other than to just say it. “You know I’m your friend, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And I’ve been a fan of Liz’s for a long time.”

“Yeeeeees,” Max replied, turning his head toward Kyle for the first time. “Is this going somewhere?”

“It’s just that I’ve paid attention to what goes on in her life, you know, public appearances and things that get reported on TV and stuff,” Kyle said. “I can’t claim to know too much about her, because so much of what is printed and reported about her is likely nothing more than rumor, speculation, and outright lies, but one thing I do know is that she has a different guy on her arm seemingly every month.”

“And you think she might do that to me? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“It’s possible. I mean, she dropped me like a hot rock once you became available.” Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just something I want you to think about when you go to California.”

Max didn’t like what Kyle had suggested, he personally didn’t believe Liz was like that, but he couldn’t fault his friend for wanting to warn him, so he said, “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

When the caravan reached the airport two hours later, the SUVs split up so they could disgorge the ranch guests at the various terminals for their flights home. Liz stayed inside her SUV when everyone else got out, and then she was driven around to the entrance for private planes, as she was riding back to California on the same corporate jet she had arrived on. The flight arrived in Los Angeles a little more than two hours later, and with the time difference, she landed about half an hour after she took off.

There was no limousine waiting for her at LAX, instead, Maria was waiting in her red Jaguar XJL to pick her up. Once Liz’s luggage was loaded and they were on the road, Maria said, “So tell me about the rest of your vacation.”

“You really want to know about saddle sores and me spending ten hours a day on horseback?” Liz asked. “I mean, it was fun and all, but it doesn’t exactly make for an exhilarating story.”

“Seriously?” Maria rolled her eyes and glanced at Liz before returning her gaze to the road. “Like I’d want to know about some smelly horse. What I want to know about is sex-on-a-stick.”

Liz went red in the face as she thought of trying to describe her feelings about Max. Maria noticed her friend’s hesitation and gave her a second and much longer look as the Jaguar came to a stop at a traffic light.

“Oh, you didn’t,” Maria said.

Broken out of her reverie, Liz said, “What?”

“You didn’t just take that cowboy for a ride, you actually fell for him.” Maria wasn’t asking a question, she’d already seen the truth in Liz’s expressive eyes.

“We…we haven’t had sex yet,” Liz replied primly.

“You what? You mean you fell for him and you didn’t even…” Maria returned her eyes to the road as the light went green. “Oh girl, do you have it bad.” She switched lanes and made a left turn before returning to the matter at hand. “I have to admit being a little conflicted right now.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’m happy you’ve found someone, but…” she sighed “…he lives 1,500 miles away. I can’t imagine how that’s gonna work.”

“He’s coming to California for a visit,” Liz admitted. “We’re going to give it a try.”

Maria shrieked and pounded her fists on her steering wheel, before pulling onto the freeway and heading west to Malibu. She spent the rest of the drive grilling her best friend, drawing out details about Max that Liz might not have otherwise thought to mention.

“Now if there was only a cowboy out there for me,” she sighed as she punched in the access code at Liz’s front gate and drove through.

“There may not be a cowboy, Maria,” Liz said, as the gate rolled shut behind them, “But there’s someone.”

As the red Jaguar came to a stop on the stone-flagged circle drive in front of the white French Mediterranean-style mansion, two servants rushed out to take care of Liz’s luggage, while their employer unbuckled her seat belt and stretched. “Wanna come in and have a late dinner?” Liz asked. “I’m sure Luis is ready and waiting to whip up something for us.”

“I’d love to,” Maria said, “but I need to get home and get some sleep, because I’ve got a day of shopping planned. Now, as your publicist I have to ask, what do you want me to say about Mr. Evans if someone should call to ask for a statement.”

“Whatever the standard denial is, unless they have photos,” Liz said definitively. “We may go public someday, but not now, not unless we have to.”

Are there photos?”

“Mmm…probably.”

“Soooo…we’re going with the ‘just friends’ defense then,” Maria said, making a mental note to check the photo services and TMZ when she got home just in case something had already shown up.

“Something like that oughta be fine.” Liz stepped out of the car and turned back to peer through the window. “Thanks for the ride, Maria.”

Maria watched Liz long enough to see her bounce toward the front door. As she pulled away, she thought, Oh yeah, she’s got it bad.

Remembering her promise to Max, Liz pulled out her iPhone the moment she entered the house, and placed a call to him. It wasn’t quite 10 pm in California, which made it almost midnight in Texas. Still, he answered after only one ring. “Hi, Liz,” he said.

“Hi, Max,” she breathed.

He asked her to hold on for a moment and then hopped off his bed and stepped outside, dressed only in a white a-shirt and blue boxers, to keep from being overheard by the other cowboys, who were already making kissy noises at the mere mention of her name. They spent the next hour talking, until she realized what time it had to be in Texas. Regretfully, they let each other go, wishing each other a good night and a better tomorrow.
Last edited by Cardinal on Mon Oct 08, 2012 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 23, 09/23/12, pg 6

Post by Cardinal »

Author's Note: After doing some searching online, I found a house that has inspired the house I'm describing in this fic. Unfortunately, this house is French Mediterranean in style, not Hacienda like I mentioned in Chapter 23, so I went back and changed that chapter to fit.


* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 24

There’s No Place Like Home
By the time Max stepped off the Virgin America Airbus A320 in Los Angeles, he had decided he could get used to traveling First Class. Shorter lines through security, boarding first and sitting in wide, super-comfortable seats with plenty of leg room, not having to share an armrest with his neighbor, an expertly prepared dinner…the reasons to love First Class were many. Deplaning first just happened to be the last one.

Max shifted his duffel bag from one shoulder to the other as he made his way through the terminal. When he neared the baggage claim area, he saw an obviously buff guy with close-cropped hair who was wearing a decently tailored blue suit and dark sunglasses while holding a sign which read “Max Evans” in bold, black lettering. His look just screamed private security, which made him wonder why Liz needed hired muscle in the first place.

While the guy was impeccably attired, Max was much more casual, wearing a neat heather gray t-shirt that hugged his sculpted chest and back like a second skin, his second-best pair of Levi’s, and a pair of well-worn Justin boots that gleamed like they’d just been oiled and polished. He’d gotten a few looks from passersby as he walked through the terminal, but beautiful people were a dime a dozen in L.A; it wasn’t until he’d met the security guard that people had begun to give him more than a cursory glance.

That did not go unnoticed by Max.

In a matter of minutes, the security guard had established Max’s identity, loaded his two suitcases onto a baggage cart, and added the duffel bag on top before making a quick call on his cellphone and then leading Max out of the terminal.

“If you would like to wait here, Mr. Evans,” the guard said, “the limousine will be here momentarily.”

“The name’s not Mr. Evans,” Max said patiently, “it’s Max. Mr. Evans is my father.” It was the third time in the past several minutes that he’d requested that the guy use his given name. He was beginning to wonder if the guard was mentally defective. “Honestly, Liz won’t chew your ass if you happen to use my first name.”

The limo turned out to be a glossy black stretch Lincoln, and when it eased up next to Max and the as-of-yet-unnamed guard, the trunk popped open, and the driver hopped out and moved around behind the limo to open the door for him while the guard loaded the luggage into the trunk. As Max stepped into the back of the limo, the door closed firmly behind him, blocking out the outside world, and sitting there on the long, plush black leather couch that lined the length of the left side of the limo was none other than Liz herself. Looking from the floor up, he saw flat, brown leather sandals, teal skinny jeans that showed off every curve of muscle and bone she possessed, and a comfy-looking, untucked blue chambray shirt. But what immediately arrested his attention was her smile, which was sultry, smoldering, and laden with promise.

It had been two months, two looooong months since she had left the Lazy L Ranch, and while they’d had Skype, cellphones, and every other sort of modern communication tool to help them stay in touch, it hadn’t been anything like being with him in person. In fact, two months of wide-ranging conversations about life, love, and anything else that caught their fancies had only served to both widen and deepen their connection in every way but one. Now that Liz finally had Max within reach, she meant to work on that last connection without delay.

Decisively sliding toward him, she pressed a denim-clad thigh next to his and then swung her other leg across both of his, straddling his thighs to complete her capture. Sinking her slender fingers into the hair on either side of his head, she dipped her head at the same time that she pulled his up, and when they came together, her lips brushed his once, twice, before she lost the last remnant of her control and dove in for something much more satisfying.

Neither had spoken a word yet: Liz because she’d had something more important to do with her mouth, and Max because she had moved far too quickly for him to do anything other than meet her lips with his. He did manage the briefest of one-eyed glances at the driver’s seat up front, mostly because he didn’t want an audience. Liz caught the slight jerk of his head, though, and smirked before she said, “Mirror glass, Max. We can see the driver and Marco, but they can’t see us.” Then she made sure his eyes were fixed on hers. “Now where were we? Oh yeah,” she murmured, “making up for lost time.” Then she planted a sucking kiss onto his lower lip, drawing it into her mouth.

Liz was used to men who hesitated when it came to relinquishing control, especially when it came to sex, as if it somehow reflected poorly on their manhood. In fact, she’d been expecting a man’s man like Max to fight her a bit at first, but finding he had no problem with letting her lead the way, she stepped up the pace, kissing him with an immediacy and blind animal ferocity fueled by two months’ pent-up desire.

Max was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He simply responded to her fiery kisses with heat of his own, while challenging her between ragged breaths to give even more. “Is that all you’ve got? Put your back into it.” Meanwhile, he settled his hands on her hips, just under the hem of her shirt and above the low-rise waistband of her jeans, and kneaded her supple, tanned flesh with his long, strong fingers.

“I’ll show you ‘all I’ve got,’” Liz growled. Her small hands darted between them while they continued to kiss, and her slender fingers attacked the buttons of her shirt with a vengeance. She was in such a hurry that she almost ripped off two of the buttons before she could manage to whip the offending garment down her arms and fling it into a corner of the limo’s cabin. And when she pressed herself against him again, molding her chest to his, he couldn’t help but feel the twin mounds of delightfully warm softness that squished against him.

Not about to leave Liz hanging and thus risk making her feel self-conscious about being the only one without a shirt on, Max forced his hands away from her delightfully small waist so he could hook his thumbs under the back of the crew neck of his t-shirt and lift it up and over his head, before tossing it aside to join her blouse in the slowly growing pile of discarded clothing.

The moment Liz felt Max’s muscles flex and his t-shirt move, she had moved back a few inches, both to give him some room, and so she could bear witness as the sharply chiseled and perfectly proportioned muscles of his glorious upper body came into view, inch by delicious inch.

And she wasn’t disappointed. Not in the least.

“Oh…my…God!” Liz exclaimed under her breath. Knowing someone was built like a Greek god and seeing the evidence mere inches away from your increasingly itchy little hands were two entirely different things. Mine, mine….alllllll mine, she thought greedily. But just as her fingertips started tracing the ridges and valleys of the exquisitely defined serratus muscles that framed Max’s ribcage, he nodded at the green bra with black lace that was giving her surprisingly generous cleavage, and asked, “Do you want to or can I?”

Faking an assurance she didn’t quite feel, Liz winked at him, and said, “I’ve got it.”

Reaching behind her back, she deftly unhooked her bra, and as the straps loosened on her shoulders, she drew them down her arms, bring the rest of the bra down with them. Her eyes were fixed on his face, waiting for his reaction. She was surprised to find his eyes stayed focused on hers, instead of moving to her chest.

“You can look, Max,” Liz prodded. She was all-natural and proud of it, having turned down no fewer than three separate requests by various producers and movie studios to get a boob job, but she was well aware of the general male preference for size. That normally didn’t bother her when she was with a guy, but this was Max who was looking; what he thought mattered.

“Soon enough,” he replied, his golden brown eyes still fixed on the deeper chocolate brown of hers. “But for now…” He raised a hand to cup one side of her face as the pad of his thumb stroked the hollow of her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed as her head leaned into his hand. Once he was sure her anxiety had eased – something he had noticed even though she had tried to hide it – he said quietly, “They’re yours, Liz, how could I not love them?”

Not wanting to ruin the moment or make Max regret saying the L word, Liz kept her eyes closed and tried to stay outwardly calm, but inside she was turning cartwheels, even though the only things he’d specifically mentioned loving were her breasts. Moving back against him, she could feel how that one simple admission, that there was more to them than just ‘like,’ had changed things. She had gone to the airport intent on exploring what his body had to offer after spending the last two months getting to know the rest of him, but now she was intent on showing him what he was coming to mean to her.

Liz still had two months’ worth of pent up need, but now it manifested itself differently. Instead of pouring out of her in an uncontrollable surge that demanded satisfaction here and now, it seeped out of every pore until it enveloped her like a thick fog. Patience replaced immediacy and gentle passion replaced animal ferocity as she spread her legs a little more widely so she could sink lower as they kissed, which they did for quite a while, accompanied only by the sound of smacking lips and the occasional and faint honking horn or blaring siren.

It wasn’t until Max realized they’d been going at it for some time that it occurred to him to wonder when they were going to reach her house. “Umm…Liz honey?” he mumbled, in between kisses.

“Yes?” She was in no more of a hurry to stop kissing than he was.

“Are we gonna reach your house before or after Christmas?”

“After,” she replied. “As long as I can stay here like this with you? Definitely after.”

After a little gentle prodding, he learned the driver had strict orders to wander all over the Los Angeles highway network until she gave him the order to head for her estate.

“What if he runs out of gas first?”

“If that happens,” Liz informed him primly, “he’s supposed to pull into a gas station and fill the tank while I stay in here and continue to molest you.”

The contrast between what she said and the way she said it was enough to make Max snort with laughter. When he finally got himself under control, he kissed her quickly on the lips. “I don’t think you can molest someone who’s a willing participant,” he said, “but you’re more than welcome to try.”

“Well, if I could ever get those jeans off of you…” She didn’t really mean that, knowing as well as he did that she could have gotten his Levi’s off at any time she wanted.

Still, Max made to unbutton the fly on his jeans, but he paused before acting. “Just one thing: are you sure you really want to do this now, in the back of a car?” He gestured at their luxurious surroundings. “Even a car like this one?”

When he put it like that, she didn’t think she did want to have sex with him – to make love with him – for the first time in the back of a car. Somehow, that just didn’t seem right. “No, not now. Not here.”

Max reached his arms beneath her, lifting her and swinging her around to sit across his lap. She leaned over and pressed the intercom button, asking the driver to take her home, and then she asking Marco to call the house and let Luis know they were coming. With the arrangements taken care of, Liz threw her arms around Max’s neck and laid into him once more, latching her mouth onto his like it was her only source of fresh air

Soon enough, the limousine was on the 405 headed roughly northwest until it headed west onto the Santa Monica Freeway which it followed all the way to the beach. At that point the highway bent northwest to follow the coastline and became California Highway One – the legendary Pacific Coast Highway. From there it was only another ten miles to her place, which was Liz’s cue to climb off Max’s lap, get her bra and blouse back on, and neaten the rest of her appearance while he did the same.

Both of them were dressed, and she was touching up her minimalist makeup as the limo turned off the highway just after passing Duke’s, a popular seaside seafood restaurant in Malibu. From there, the limo zigged and zagged up a knife-edged ridgeline between the Las Flores and Carbon canyons, before coming to a stop at the wrought-iron gate at the entrance to Liz’s estate.

Once the gate opened and the car was inside, it climbed about forty yards of palm-tree-lined driveway before reaching the circle drive at the top. The driver held the door open and Liz stepped out first followed by Max. His first reaction was to head for their luggage, but she snagged his hand and held him at her side while she thanked the driver for his efforts.

“The luggage will be taken care of,” Liz said, as she led him through a whitewashed doorway that was wedged between the three-car garage and the guest house, across a small, neatly manicured garden that sat between two wings of the house, and into the house proper.

Walking hand-in-hand with him through the front door and into the foyer, she giggled and said, “Be it ever so not humble…well, you know the rest.”

Spinning in a slow circle as he took in the opulence of the entryway, Max swallowed hard, and said, “Yeah…there’s no place like home.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 25, 10/16/12, pg 9

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 25

Love
Liz was greeted by both of her housekeepers, which surprised her to no end because they had both been scheduled to leave work a couple of hours earlier. Seeing them dusting fixtures she knew had been clean before she left the house made her suspicious, and the eager way they looked at Max only served to confirm those suspicions.

“Hannah, Erin,” Liz said, returning each woman’s greeting in turn. “Max? I’d like to introduce you to Hannah Reilly and Erin Murtaugh. They are my housekeeping staff. Ladies, meet Max Evans, who will be my guest for a while.”

Max nodded politely and then flashed them a grin which lit up his whole face and made them giggle like schoolgirls before they made themselves scarce. Liz rolled her eyes and apologized. “Sorry about that. It looks like everyone’s curious to see you.”

“I take it you don’t have many male guests who spend the night?”

“My manager has spent the night a time or two in one of my guest rooms after a party of mine.” Max tried to hide the twinge of jealousy he felt, but he must have failed, because Liz added, “Oh, you don’t have to worry about him. I think he might have been interested in me once, but nothing ever came of it.”

Chagrined by his reaction, Max mused silently, Got to keep the whole jealousy thing in check. Few things are less attractive than the green-eyed monster. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the guy if I ever see him with Liz. She might not feel anything for him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s given up on her.

Liz led him through the foyer, across the great room, and into the dining room, where they found place settings for two. She was glad to see Luis hadn’t used the good china, silverware, or the crystal goblets, but there wasn’t any food on the table either. She was about to head into the kitchen to see if he had finished cooking, when she heard him say in slightly accented English, “Now that you are home, Miss Liz, the food will be served.”

“I hope you’re hungry,” Liz said, as Max pulled out her chair and seated her.

After he took the seat next to her, he replied, “I’ve never turned down a good meal in my life.”

And he didn’t this time either. For Liz, Luis served Moroccan grilled salmon and an asparagus risotto, while Max was treated to Steak au Poivre and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. Each had wine with the meal; Max a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon, and Liz a Muscadet. He was surprised to find he liked the way the bold red paired with the spice of the peppercorn encrusted steak, while Liz enjoyed the crisp fruit of her white wine alongside the flavorful fish, which had been marinated in a sauce of yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

The meals were superb and they were all alone, as Liz had prearranged with Luis for him to leave as soon as the meals were served. The only other people on the premises were two members of her small but elite security staff. They were elsewhere, and would stay that way if they knew what was good for them.

Conversation was light and general in nature, as by unspoken agreement they chose to stay away from the issues that were facing them for at least one more night. When they were done with their steak and fish, Max wasn’t sure if he should ask about dessert, but Liz saved him the trouble, announcing there was a sachertorte on the kitchen counter warming to room temperature. When she hopped to her feet to get the sumptuous dessert, Max stood also, but when he tried to go with her, she gestured him back to his seat, and said, “You just sit there and let me serve my guest.”

A couple of minutes later, he stood again as she reappeared with two slices of the heavenly Austrian cake, which consisted of two dense layers of chocolate sponge cake, separated by a thin layer of apricot jam, with the top and curved end of each slice coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate icing. Carefully spooned to the side of each slice was a healthy mound of whipped cream.

“I swear I’ve already gained five pounds just from looking at this,” Liz said, as she set each slice down on the table, “but there’s no way I’m not going to eat it.”

“I think my mom would kill to get her hands on this,” Max chuckled. “It looks incredible.”

The cake was every bit as decadent as it looked. The first few bites were accompanied by rapturous moans and then they started feeding each other small bites of the decadent dessert. It didn’t take long for Max to get a small spot of whipped cream on the corner of Liz’s mouth. She was about to use the corner of her napkin to dab the offending dairy, when he leaned in, and said, “Let me.”

Wondering what he had in mind, she set her napkin back in her lap and nodded her assent. He picked up his own napkin and moved closer, but just as he was about to wipe off the whipped cream, he leaned in a little closer and kissed it. That only served to smear the whiteness even more, but strangely, neither one of them seemed to mind.

“That didn’t quite seem to work,” Max said, his voice becoming deeper and huskier by the moment. “Let me fix that.”

“Sure,” Liz replied. Her eyes were sparkling in the flickering candlelight and her breathing was becoming more shallow and rapid as he leaned in once more. This time he gave her the softest of licks, making her skin tingle, as he tasted cream, and beyond that, something that was indefinably Liz.

“I love dessert,” he breathed, as he licked her once more before nibbling on the corner of her lower lip.

“Mmmm…” she moaned, as she scooted closer to give him easier access.

Max had gotten as close and done as much as he could with the corner of the rectangular glass dining room table in between them. His first notion was to slide around the table, pick Liz up off her chair, sit down on it himself, and then bring her to rest on his lap so they could continue, but as he stood, he had a better idea.

“What are you doing?” Liz asked as Max approached, picked her up, and cradled her against his chest.

“Taking this,” Max tilted his head down and kissed her, “taking you,” he kissed her again, and any pretense of cleaning the whipped cream was now gone, “to a more appropriate venue.” Only then did it occur to him that he had no idea where she slept in this obviously huge house. “Umm…where is your bedroom?”

Liz giggled at Max’s obvious befuddlement. “Go back to the foyer and take the stairs up to the third floor.” She stretched her neck slightly to kiss him back. “Paradise is at the far end of the hall.”

They both snickered at her cheesy description, but when he opened the door and backed into the room, he decided she might not have been too far off with her one-word description. But while her expansive master suite seemed at first glance to have everything he could think to want, he knew there’d be plenty of time for that stuff later. Right now, all he was concerned about was her king-sized bed and getting them both on it…before she decided to finish undressing him and had her way with him on the spot. For while he had been focused on getting them here, she had gleefully spent her time pulling his t-shirt up over his head – even though it was still on his arms – and then alternating between planting sucking kisses and wet licks of his chest.

“The bed’s over there,” she giggled helpfully, during the moment he’d taken to orient himself.

Max wasted no more time in getting them both to where they wanted to be. He thought about dropping Liz on the bed and letting her bounce as payment for the merciless way she’d tortured him on the way up, but instead he settled her gently on the bed. After he wriggled his t-shirt the rest of the way off, he paused a moment to appreciate her beauty. Sure, she was still wearing all of her clothes, but that did nothing to dim the way she affected him. To him, she was the epitome of feminine beauty and grace, radiating cuteness and sex appeal in equal measure. And beyond that, she was all his. He might have spent more time thinking about her other perfections, but she was waiting on him and he had a promise to fulfill.

Max unbuttoned his jeans and was about to slide them off before joining her on the bed, when she said, “Leave that for me.”

“Fair enough,” he replied, as he sat on the bed, swung his legs up, and rolled onto his side to face her. “Liz, have I told you yet how much you mean to me?”

Blinking her big eyes in an innocent, doe-like manner, she said, “Not yet.”

He curled an arm over the curve of her hip and pulled her to him. Her body slid easily over the 1,500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets as she rolled in the compass of his arm to face him. “It’s strange,” Max began, “we’ve been together as a couple for two months, have been physically apart for nearly every day of that time, and yet I’ve never been this close with another woman in my life.

He began idly stroking her hip and the firm butt cheek just behind it. “There were times when I thought not being able to touch you was going to drive me mad, but two months of daily Skyping, occasional phone calls, and more texting than some teenagers helped us build a solid foundation, giving a depth and breadth to our relationship that would otherwise not have been possible, not this soon anyway.

“So now that we’re physically together once more, and we can touch, I’m not just going to make you feel things you didn’t think possible, I’m also going to show you I love you more than I thought possible.”

When Liz had been set on the bed she had been totally turned on, completely excited that she would at long last get to be with him in the most intimate of ways, but after hearing his unexpected and heartfelt confession of love, a different fire had been stoked within her. This passion rose from her heart, not her loins, making it stronger, hotter, and nearly unquenchable. She quickly moved to straddle him, much as she had in the limousine, and worked on slowly opening her blouse buttons from top on down as she spoke.

“I love you, too, Max,” Liz said, “and that’s not acting. Those words are so much harder to say when I mean them, but…” she searched desperately for the right words “…now that I have, I feel like I’ve given you the most important part of me: my heart.” She shrugged out of her opened blouse and tossed it carelessly on the floor. “Now it’s time to give you the rest of me.”

Liz unhooked and removed her bra for the second time that day, but unlike before, they didn’t stop there. Jeans, shoes, underwear…everything came off both of them to be strewn randomly all over her bedroom, as two nearly perfect bodies molded themselves together in the passionate dance that’s called making love.
Last edited by Cardinal on Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
User avatar
Cardinal
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 224
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:35 pm

Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 26, 11/20/12, pg 11

Post by Cardinal »

Sorry it took so long to get back here, but I rewrote the first part of the chapter three times, and then went back and added some stuff, all while writing a long one-shot fanfic for the new TV show, "Beauty and the Beast."


* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 26

Breakfast in Bed
Liz and Max were both used to being up early, but his internal clock was set two hours ahead of hers as his mind and body were still on Central time. That didn’t make him wake up two whole hours before her, but he did wake to a still-dark world with her delicate, sleeping body curled against his.

The only light in the room was the dim, blue glow provided by the LED numbers of the alarm clock on her bedside table. Max shifted ever so slightly to take advantage of that light to look at the precious bundle he held in his arms. Here in the still of the night she looks so small, so fragile, as simple and helpless as a child, he thought, as a fierce protectiveness welled up within him. Then his mind wandered back over their time together in Texas and even earlier that very night, so very different from when she’s awake.

“Small, maybe,” he murmured to her before pressing a soft kiss against her forehead, “but intelligent, passionate, complicated, and strong are a little closer to the mark, don’t you think?”

At that point, Max’s body took advantage of his wakefulness to inform him there was something he needed to take care of immediately, if not sooner. He spent the next half minute trying to disengage his body from hers and from the tangled bed sheets without waking her up. Hoping she wouldn’t miss not having his body next to hers, while at the same time hoping she did, he held one finger aloft, lighting its tip like a candle to give him enough light to find the bathroom without banging his shins against half the furniture in the suite.

Once he was done with his business, he decided against the risk of waking her up as he tried to slip back into bed. He knew she was an early riser, but figured she could stand with a little more sleep, especially given how long they had been busy “getting busy” the night before. Keeping his finger alight, Max went looking for his clothes from the night before, deciding to save the fresh clothes from his suitcases for after his morning shower when a loud click from opening luggage wouldn’t risk waking her. His t-shirt and jeans were easy enough to locate, but the boxers took a minute to find as they were dangling from one corner of the headboard. Figures, he smirked, things did get a little frantic there for a while.

Not bothering with socks or shoes, he slipped out of her room. Unsure if any of her employees might already be at work, he quit using the flaming fingertip to light the way, but it didn’t take him long to find a light switch, and a minute later he was trudging into the kitchen to see what he could do about making breakfast for two. He was planning on rummaging through the kitchen’s refrigerators to see what he had to work with, but found the kitchen was already in use, as a blonde woman was busy with preparations for making what looked to be several breakfasts.

Not wanting to startle the woman, he stopped in the open doorway to the kitchen and cleared his throat. The woman paused just long enough to look up and register that he was someone new before she returned her eyes to her work, and said, “So you’re the new boyfriend.”

Max leaned against the doorjamb, and said, “Hi, I’m Max.”

Not looking up from where she was chopping onions and bell peppers, the woman replied, “Hi, Max, my name is Julia, and I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Hi, Julia, the pleasure’s all mine.”

Julia brought a couple cartons of eggs out to her work surface and started cracking them open and adding them to a large mixing bowl. “While it’s been nice to meet you, Max, I need to pay attention to what I’m doing. But while you’re here, what would you like to eat this morning?”

“Well…I had been hoping to make breakfast for two and serve it to Liz in bed, so if you have a tray table that’s big enough for that I would really appreciate it. I’m sure you know what she likes better than I do, so I won’t try to give you her order, but for me – if you have them – I’d like slightly crisp bacon, scrambled eggs, link sausage, hash browns, toast…”

Julia paused and looked up at Max again. “So, basically, if I’ve got it, you’ll eat it.” It was more a statement of fact than a question, but the way she said it made him grin, and she found his grin to be every bit as enticing as his thickly muscled arms. Some women have all the luck, she thought. “Miss Parker’s meal will be ready when yours is,” she continued, wishing she could see her boss’ reaction to breakfast in bed, “and I’ll add some extra bacon, because if I know her, she’ll be stealing off your plate.”

Fifteen minutes later, everything was ready, arranged on covered plates and bowls which were sitting on the shelves of a stainless steel dessert cart. Max had no idea how he was supposed to get this small feast up to Liz’s suite, but one of the guards who was walking through on a circuit of the house and grounds took the time to point out the elevator, which was sort of hidden around a corner on the far side of the great room.

Liz was awake by this time, and had been so for several minutes. Long enough, in fact, for her to have begun missing Max, pull on a plush robe, slide her feet into fuzzy powder blue slippers, and head downstairs. She had seen him at the kitchen entrance and was just about to call out to him when she saw the dessert cart being loaded down with breakfast foods. Realizing what was going on, she scampered back up to her bedroom, rid herself of the robe and slippers, and dove back into bed so she could pretend to be asleep and allow him to ‘surprise’ her. She had to wait a couple of minutes for him to find the elevator, but was rewarded by the sound of him pushing the cart into her suite. Leaning on her acting skills to pretend to be awakened by the squeaky cart, Liz rolled over, rubbed her eyes, and asked sleepily, “What are you d…breakfast in bed?” After that, it didn’t take any acting skill at all for her to be delighted by the thoughtful gesture.

“Sit up and lean forward a bit,” Max said briskly. When she complied, he fluffed up a couple of the pillows on her bed and folded them over before stuffing them behind her lower back and head respectively. “Okay, you can lean back now.”

As the top sheet and comforter fell to Liz’s waist, Max was knocked breathless by her artless combination of girl-next-door cuteness and sex goddess hotness. He took a few moments to drink in the sight of her, making no effort to hide the way he eyed her wildly tousled bedhead, luminous brown eyes, kissable lips, tanned skin, pert breasts, and flat tummy.

She, meanwhile, was looking into his eyes and found herself captivated by what she saw: a look that mixed equal parts lust and adoration. Still, she thought, fair is fair. As far as she was concerned, this Max being clothed thing was just going to have to stop. “Umm, Max?”

“Yes, Sweetcheeks?” he breathed heavily.

Liz blushed furiously when Max called her that, mostly because it was a brand new endearment he chosen for her last night upon seeing her naked for the first time. He had announced on the spot that she had the ‘sweetest cheeks’ he had ever seen. “You…naked…now!” she choked out, as her index finger pointed out his unfair clothing advantage.

He wasted no time in fulfilling her demand. She watched avidly as his gray t-shirt slid up his chest and down his arms, leaving behind a stomach that redefined the term ‘washboard abs,’ and pecs and shoulders that were utterly divine. The t-shirt had barely hit the floor when he shoved his jeans and boxers down to his ankles and stepped out of them, revealing a pair of long, lean, well-defined thighs that framed a dangling muscle that was beginning to lengthen and stand at attention. “Better?” he asked.

“Much,” she replied, grinning from ear-to-ear.

He took the tray table off the cart and unfolded its legs before placing it across her lap, and then set about arranging things for her on the tray. As he peeked under the lid on each plate and dish to see what was in them, he asked, “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” she replied, “once I finally managed to get to sleep.”

“You should have said something,” Max said, as he placed a plate of freshly sliced chunks of various fruits on the tray table.

“And what would disturbing your sleep have gotten me?” Liz asked, as she popped a juicy piece of pineapple in her mouth and gave him a questioning look.

“For most people, waking me just after I’d gotten to sleep would earn them a serious tongue-lashing, but for you?” He shifted a plate that carried a perfectly-toasted halved cinnamon raisin bagel over to her tray table and then looked at the ceiling in mock contemplation. “For you, once I’d gotten my bearings, you would have received a nice, slow, gentle massage, until you drifted off into slumberland.”

“Or until I jumped your bones again,” she smirked.

Again? Jesus, Woman, you’re insatiable!”

“Well…you did make me wait two whole months to get my hands on you,” Liz pointed out. “That led to one Hell of a lot of pent up desire. And then there’s the fact that it only took me once to get addicted to” then she whispered, in case someone was waiting outside her door, “alien-induced orgasms.” She took a sip of her coffee and nibbled on her cinnamon-raisin bagel, and then said, in her normal voice once more, “I swear every orgasm last night seemed to go on forever and ever. Seriously, if you could somehow manage to bottle that experience, you’d be the richest man on the planet by New Year’s Day.”

“I told you about that back at the ranch, in fact, I promised you,” Max reminded her.

“That you did,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “And you kept that promise…three separate times. I don’t know if each orgasm was actually an hour, but it sure felt like it was.”

Once Max poured a cup of coffee for himself, he decided to stay off the bed to keep from upsetting the tray table, so he pulled a comfy-looking armchair over and sat by her side as they ate. When he uncovered his plates, there were fluffy scrambled eggs, lightly-crisped maple smoked bacon, link sausage, and hash browns that actually had a browned, nicely crispy texture on the outside.

Liz glanced at the meat on his fork, and mumbled, “That’s not quite the kind of sausage I was hoping for this morning.”

Max stopped just before biting into a sausage link and looked at her with an incredulous look on his face before throwing his head back and laughing uproariously. “If you want,” he said, once his laughter slowed to a chuckle, “I can clear these dishes away. I just thought you might want to fuel up after last night’s exertions before we try to work our way through the rest of the Kama Sutra. Also, I thought you might possibly be a little sore this morning.”

She placed a strawberry between her succulent lips and held it there, making vaguely obscene sucking noises before drawing it into her mouth and eating it. “Sore? Maybe, but I was hoping you might take care of that for me with your magic hands.”

Anyone listening would have assumed she meant a massage like the ones he had talked about earlier, but they both knew she meant his healing touch. He was more than willing to accommodate her request, but his stomach was seriously grumbling now that he had all of this freshly prepared food in front of him, so he said, “If you promise to not molest me until after we eat, I’ll heal you right now.”

“Fine, be that way,” she mock grumbled. “I guess you’d rather eat breakfast than me.”

Max choked on the same piece of sausage he had almost bitten into earlier. Once he’d cleared his airway, he said, “Just for that smartass remark, once I start eating you, I won’t stop until you beg me…and I do mean beg.”

Liz shivered with anticipation, but offhandedly dismissed his threat, saying, “Promises, promises,” hoping it would serve to spur him on. Forcing herself to be content for the moment, she turned her attention to the bounty before her, and took a longer drink of her coffee.

“Your morning cook is a goddess,” Max declared, as he leaned in and touched her long enough to wash away any lingering soreness she was suffering. Then he looked over to see her staring at his food and salivating. Without either of them so much as speaking a single word, Max picked up half his bacon and placed it on her tray. “Aren’t you allowed bacon? God knows you ate it every day back on the ranch.”

“My nutritionist would go nuts if she saw any of this salty, super fatty breakfast meat on my plate, so normally Julia doesn’t fix any, for me or my staff.” Liz happily bit into her first strip of bacon and continued once she’d swallowed. “But with a guest here who loves the stuff…”

“…you had her buy some.”

“Of course! I wouldn’t want my baby to be deprived.”

“Your baby, huh?”

“Yeah, my baby. Oh, one other thing: Julia’s not a ‘cook,’ she’s Luis’ assistant chef.”

“The difference between cook and assistant chef being…?” He wasn’t being obnoxious; he truly wanted to know.

“About three years at Le Cordon Bleu, as well as some practical experience in a few local restaurants.”

“I’ll definitely remember that.” As the two of them ate, Max asked, “Did your agent get those tickets for us?”

“For the rodeo?” she asked. She thought that’s what he had asked for, but it had been a couple of weeks ago and she couldn’t exactly remember. “The tickets are in an envelope in the top drawer of the desk in my office. Alex had them messengered over here the day after you asked for them.”

“Thanks, Liz,” Max said, “and I hope to get the chance to thank this Alex fellow, too, while I’m here. As for the event, it’s not a rodeo, it’s the PBR Tour.” Seeing a lack of comprehension on her face, he explained, “The Professional Bull Riders Tour. No bucking broncos, calf roping, or barrel racing, just men and bulls. It’s the toughest, manliest, most dangerous part of a regular rodeo, turned into its own event. While I might not normally think of taking a woman to something like this, after experiencing the way you got into being a cowgirl back on the ranch, I thought this was something you might want to see.

“Also,” he admitted, “once the event finals are over, there’s someone there I want you to meet.”

Feeling a trap closing in about her, Liz asked cautiously, “Who?”

“My brother Michael,” he said simply.

“Your biological brother?” Max knew that by stressing the word ‘biological,’ she was asking if Michael was an alien like he himself. He’d told her about his family during the last two months, but had avoided any mention of their heritages, mostly because he didn’t know how safe their modes of communication were.

“As far as I know,” he said blandly.

“And he’s a cowboy like you?”

“Not exactly.” Max drank most of a cup of coffee and took a couple of bites of his eggs before they got cold before he continued. “While I chose to work on a ranch, he decided to use his skills on a bigger stage.”

“Why am I meeting him first?”

Max picked up a couple of pieces of fruit off of the tray table and stuffed them into her mouth, which earned him a surprised giggle. “Because, of all my family members, Michael’s likely going to be the most pissed off that I told you about me, and by extension, about him. I figure if we can win him over, the rest of the family will be a piece of cake.”

“I wish you had asked me if I want to do this.” Liz was more than a little annoyed Max had sprung this on her, and even worse, had done so at virtually the last minute. Deciding to let it go, for now at least, she thought, At least with the event being on Friday night, it’ll give me a few days to steel myself for this. “The one thing about this I don’t understand,” she said out loud, “is why you asked for three tickets instead of two.”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? You told me a while ago that your friend Maria had been lusting over your photos of the cowboys on the ranch because she wanted to meet some real men. Because of my connection to Michael, I probably know half the cowboys that will be riding each night, so I thought she might like a front row seat for all of the action, followed by a few introductions.”

Liz wasn’t sure. While Maria did like manly men, her personal tastes in entertainment tended toward music, art, and anything else creative. “I’ll call her and see if she wants to go. Thanks, though, for thinking of her. I appreciate it, whether she will or not.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) A/N, 12/9/12, pg 12

Post by Cardinal »

Merry Christmas!!!

* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 27

The Morning After
Once the lavish breakfast was done with, Max cleared the dishes off the tray table and then moved it out of the way before climbing back into bed with Liz. The two of them were lying on their sides with their faces only inches apart. He swept a few errant strands of hair out of her face, while the fingertips of one of her hands trailed down the side of his ribcage to his waist and up the swell of his hip before coming to rest on one of his buttcheeks.

“What’s on your schedule for us today?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied, “other than me spending time with you.”

“Mmmmm…sounds good to me.”

“I thought you might like that.” The hand Liz had resting on Max’s hip slid down over the curve of his thigh and curled around another part of him, touching him intimately. He groaned and she grinned as she felt him continue to harden. “Staying here for the day, however, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be bored. There are all kinds of things to do here, but those things are for later.”

Feeling full and a bit sluggish from breakfast, Liz contented herself with a slow, gentle, and utterly thorough manhandling of her man. She took the time to explore his body in detail, and every time he tried to join in the fun, she pushed him away, finally resorting to telling him he’d set the pace the night before and now it was her turn. Her fingertips caressed the shallow valleys between his sharply-defined abs, the spinal groove that separated his back into two separate slabs of thick muscle, and even the deep dimples on his delectable ass. Max laid there, huge hands fisting the bedsheets as she kissed and licked all those places and many, many more. His origin gave him stamina that mere humans could only aspire to, but by the time she straddled him and began slowly rolling her hips, brushing the swollen, spongy tip of his cock along the length of her opening, his body was damp with sweat and he was begging for her to end his agony.

Max wasn’t the only one who was damp; Liz’s skin glowed with perspiration of her own, while a different sort of dampness pooled between her legs. She smirked down at her baby as she reached down with one hand, aligned his cock with her entrance, and sank down on him, easing her knees as wide apart as possible.

“Ahhhhhhhhhffffffffuck!” Max gasped, as he felt the heat and friction of Liz’s most intimate embrace swallow him inch by inch.

Her lissome body didn’t stop moving down until she had taken every last inch of him inside of her. Looking down at him with a shit-eating grin on her face, she waited until they had both caught their breath before she leaned forward to brace herself on his chest and then began rolling her hips in an elliptical motion: up and forward, then down and backward, pulling most of his length out of her on each upstroke before sheathing him once more on her way back down.

Max’s body had never felt more alive than it did in that moment. Even so, his mind was more focused on what he was seeing than on what he was feeling. Liz’s wild bedhead shot off in all sorts of crazy angles, her face was devoid of even the least trace of makeup, and her body was covered with a sheen of perspiration, and yet she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld. And as he reached up to cover her small, pert, wildly jiggling breasts with his thick-fingered hands, he told her so.

That earned him the odd combination of a derisive snort and a pleased smile just before she said breathlessly, “I know…just what…I look like.” She sucked in a deep breath, and added, “Don’t patronize me.”

“You know what the mirror tells you,” Max replied, “I’m telling you how I feel about it.”

“Asskisser,” she shot back fondly.

“Well, if you insist…”

It was nearly noon before they could be coaxed from the comfort of Liz’s bed, and even then it was only because Liz knew Luis and Julia would begin cooking made-to-order lunches at high noon for her, her guests, and the entire estate staff. When Liz slid out of bed and walked to her sybaritic bathroom, Max made no attempt to hide the lustful way he was staring at the clench and release of the muscles in her tight, round ass. When he called out loudly and hopefully suggested joining her for a shower, she popped back into the open bathroom doorway and told him if that happened, they would never make it out of her bedroom.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Max chuckled in response.

Even with the separate his and hers showers, they didn’t quite make it down on time, so Max asked Liz what she wanted to drink while they waited for their turn. He got her an iced tea with a twist of lemon, while he found a twenty-ounce Coke in one of the refrigerators for himself. When it was their turn to place their orders, Liz kept her nutritionist in mind when she ordered one of her usuals: blackened salmon with vegetables and wild rice. Max was pleasantly surprised to be able to order a juicy half-pound hamburger with seasoned home fries.

After lunch, Liz gave Max the grand tour of her estate. There were eight bedrooms, eight baths, two offices, a game room, library, media room, and more. She showed him the inside before heading out to show him the koi pond, the workout facilities, the infinity pool with neighboring hot tub, and a large brick deck beyond the pool for outdoor entertaining.

Saving the best for last – to her mind at least – she led him to the handrail at the edge of the deck. She didn’t say a word but she didn’t need to, for while her estate was one-quarter of a mile away from the coast, it was also two-hundred feet above it, giving her and her guests a glorious panoramic view of the sun-drenched sands of Malibu and the jewel-like Pacific Ocean just beyond.

“My God,” Max breathed as he drank in the sight.

“Is this your first time seeing the ocean?” Liz asked.

“No, I’ve been to the Gulf of Mexico several times,” he shook his head in disbelief, “but I’ve never had a vantage point like this one before.” Finally turning to where she was standing, he said, “You must have some of the best sunsets ever.”

“They can be pretty special,” she allowed, “but they’re better when you have someone to share them with.”

Once Max had seen everything Liz’s estate had to offer, she let him choose how they spent the rest of their day. Remembering the two rather large meals he had eaten, and not sure how many calories were burned by vigorous sex, he chose a workout in her fully equipped gym. She joined him and they took turns on the various machines, after which they spent an hour or so goofing off in the long, rectangular pool.

The rest of their day was filled with indolent lounging in twin poolside chaises, a candlelit dinner for two on the expansive second-floor patio, and cuddling with fresh popcorn and a Blu-Ray movie on the media room’s projector screen before capping their night in the hot tub with a glass of wine each.

Knowing how physically close they were now and how much time they had spent outside today, and still conscious of how the tabloids had gone nuts over the few photos of him and Liz from the ranch, Max asked, “Do you have much trouble with the paparazzi here?”

“Not really,” Liz replied. “Because of the slope of the ridge we’re on anyone who wanted to get shots of me would either need to trespass on my private property and risk my electrified fence, or rent a helicopter. If they get anywhere near the fence, they’re already on my property, and my security will be on them like white on rice.

“But who cares if they did get shots of us anyway? We didn’t have sex out here, we didn’t get naked, and they’re already pretty sure we have some sort of connection, so there’s no news there. Maria says the only real value to new photos of us will be for the first photo service that gets clear close-ups of us together, and they’ll have the opportunity to get plenty of those tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What’s up tomorrow?”

“Well…I thought it would be a good idea to get the almost legally required trip to Disneyland out of the way now, before its common knowledge you’re here.”

Max wasn’t sure how much Liz was bothered by her fans when she went out in public, but he couldn’t imagine her going to a place that was so densely packed with people would be easy for her. He told her he didn’t need to visit Disneyland if it was going to cause problems for her.

“Nonsense,” she replied, waving off his concern as if it were really no concern at all, “there are ways around the lines and crowds at Disneyland if only you are willing to pay.”

“And what would those be?”

“For a rather stiff fee, assessed on a per-person basis, you get your own Disney-supplied guide who helps you move from attraction to attraction behind the scenes and then walks you right to the front of the line. It’s a painless, mostly convenient way to visit the House of Mouse.”

Max snickered upon hearing ‘the House of Mouse.’ The phrase itself wasn’t really all that funny, but the way she had said it was undeniably cute. “What time are we scheduled to leave?”

“Early. Once Julia gets us fed in the morning it will be time for us to hit the road.”

“Then we’d better get to bed.” Max stood and stepped out of the hot tub, grabbing both of their thick terry cloth towels and holding hers out to her.

“Why do we need to go to bed now?” she asked as she grabbed her towel and started to towel off. “It can’t be much after nine o’ clock.”

“I just said we needed to go to bed. I didn’t say anything about going to sleep.”

“Max Evans,” she giggled, “are you trying to corrupt a shy, innocent girl like me?” She batted her eyelashes up at him in rapid-fire fashion and then hit him with puppy dog eyes. The combined effect of word and look was comical, so much so that Max laughed uncontrollably.

When he finally brought his mirth under control, he flashed her a smile that she thought was well worth seeing, and said, “Sweetcheeks, if there was even an ounce of you that was left to corrupt…”

Max never finished the sentence, as Liz covered his mouth with hers, which she found to be a most satisfactory way of shutting him up. Strangely enough, once her mouth had tasted his, she couldn't seem to separate them again. Instead, she dropped her towel and put her hands on his shoulders for leverage as she lifted one leg and then the other into position around his waist before locking her ankles in the small of his back. He dropped his towel, too, to curl his muscular arms around her to cup her ass with both hands, thus sharing the work of keeping her aloft between them.

Their mouths never separated, and as Liz lifted her hands from his shoulders to sink them into the short dark hair on either side of Max’s head, he figured he’d better carry her upstairs before they ended up putting on a public show that might be worth photographing.
Last edited by Cardinal on Thu Dec 27, 2012 4:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) Ch. 27, 12/25/12, Pg. 13

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 28

P.B.R.
Faded, well-fitting Levi’s, well-worn, polished cowboy boots, a tooled leather belt with an enormous belt buckle, and a bronze and black western-cut shirt. As Max pulled on each article of clothing he smiled, glad to be going somewhere his normal mode of dress wouldn’t be out of place.

After most of a week spent just hanging out with Liz and doing the wide-eyed tourist thing, he was getting a chance to bring her back into his life, if only for a night. More importantly, he was going to be able to introduce her to someone in his family. If she could get the hard-to-earn Michael Evans seal of approval, then dealing with Tess, Isabel, and their parents would be a comparative piece of cake.

Liz swept into the room as he was giving his clothes one last look in her full-length mirror. “Mmm…mmm…mmm!” She purred as she playfully swatted his backside. “That ass was made for denim.”

He wheeled around and looped his arms around her shoulders, pulled her against him, and growled, “It was made to have your hot, little hands all over it.”

Liz slid her hands down from the small of his back to the back pockets of his jeans and squeezed a double handful of his muscular, dimpled cheeks. “Like this?”

“Exactly.” He was sorely tempted to lower his mouth to hers and make the world go away for a couple of hours, but he remembered Michael, and that Liz’s best friend and publicist Maria was due to arrive any minute, so he stepped back and ran a hand through his short brown hair before scratching the back of his head briefly.

“Keep that thought for later. It’s about time for us to go.”

As if to reinforce that point, one of Liz’s security guards called up on the intercom to let her know Miss DeLuca had arrived and was waiting in the lounge.

“Perfect timing," Liz said.

Liz and Max trooped downstairs to meet Maria. Once greetings had been exchanged all around, the three of them headed to the garage and piled into her Audi A8. After a last check to make sure they had the tickets with them, Liz darted the car back and forth down the ridge until she came to the Pacific Coast Highway and turned left to head into the city.

“Tell me again why I’m going to a frickin’ rodeo,” Maria said grumpily.

Liz looked into the rearview mirror to see Maria’s face, and said, “You’re the one who wanted to see some manly men, and I guarantee you they don’t get any manlier than a bunch of cowboys.”

“Couldn’t you just have them gift wrapped and delivered to my door?”

“There are services that will do that, but those guys tend to be oiled, hairless boys who are trying to dance their way through college.”

“I don’t even want to know how you know that, Liz,” Maria sniffed.

Me?” Liz shot back incredulously. “I saw the guys at your 25th birthday party.”

“Oh. Oh yeah.” After a long pause, Maria quietly added, “I don’t really remember all that much about that night.”

Max chuckled quietly to himself as the two women happily jawed back and forth most of the way into Los Angeles. A little normality was just what the doctor ordered after the events of the last week. The trip to Disneyland, which was where Liz and Maria had expected them to have to deal with paparazzi, had gone off without a hitch. Liz gotten noticed a lot, and she stopped now and then to sign an autograph or take a picture with an eager fan, but it hadn’t been very intrusive.

The first problem had started the next day when they had decided to go for a walk on the beach and play around a little in the ocean. A freelance photographer had been there apparently hoping to get lucky with some candid snaps of a star or two. It took him a minute using his long-range lens to figure out who the petite brunette with the floppy hat and sunglasses was, but one smile at the guy next to her had been all he had needed to see to know it was Liz Parker. He got a lot of shots of them at long range, and once he had that covered, he switched lenses and moved in to get some up close and personal shots.

That’s when Liz and Max noticed him. She was torn between wanting to turn and leave or stay and pretend the guy wasn’t there, while Max just wanted to introduce the guy to his fist. Liz had seen Max getting hot under the collar and that had decided things for her; she picked up her belongings and asked him if they could go home. The guy had followed them all the way to her Porsche convertible, with Max putting his body in between her and the photographer all the way.

Those photos popped up all over the internet by morning, which brought Maria over to the house so she, Liz, and “the boyfriend” as Maria put it, could discuss things. What was worse was that by the time Maria arrived, there was already a hefty contingent of paparazzi parked on the street outside of Liz’s home so they could follow her and her new guy wherever they went. That sort of thing went on for two days, until an aggravated Max had finally had enough. He talked Liz into walking down the steep driveway with him where they presented themselves for all the pictures the paparazzi could want that didn’t involve clothes coming off.

Strangely enough, being open with the camera people worked. Once they’d gotten a memory card or two of shots, there wasn’t any more reason to follow them, especially since they all knew Liz Parker was about as scandal-free as a Hollywood star could get. And as Liz made use of one of the perks of fame to pull into a high-security VIP parking lot just outside the Staples Center, he tuned back into what the girls were saying.

“…admit that if the other cowboys are anything like the boyfriend here, I’ll manage to make it through a rodeo.”

“It’s not a rodeo, Maria,” Max chided her. “This is just bull riding. The meanest, toughest event in a normal rodeo, and these guys are the best in the world at what they do.”Max felt pretty good walking into the arena with a beautiful woman on each side. Liz had dressed in keeping with the nature of the bull riding event, wearing regular jeans and a western-style blouse, while Maria’s vividly printed strapless jumpsuit and flashy accessories were about as far from blending in as you could hope to get.

Liz got noticed half a dozen times at least as they made their way to their seats, which meant more autographs and photos, and another dozen fans came by their seats to see her for themselves.

“Doesn’t that ever get on your nerves?” Max asked at long last.

“Only when I’m out eating or watching a movie, things like that. If anyone comes up to me once the event starts tonight, I’ll wave them off, but for the most part, I realize that dealing with fans is part of the job. If I want the money and fame that comes with doing what I do, then I need to deal with the people who make me famous. All they want is a few moments of my time.”

Maria leaned in and added, “Short version: it’s good for business.”

“I suppose it is, Maria, but you know that’s not why I do it. It’s just giving back a tiny bit to people who have given me so much.”

“I think I like that explanation better,” Max said, as he wrapped one arm around Liz’s shoulders and gave her a hug.

It was another fifteen minutes before the lights over the seating section dimmed, leaving the focus on the dirt-covered floor of the arena. Max took that time to explain to the women that each rider was paired with a bull at random and once the gate opened, the riders had to stay on the bucking, spinning bulls for eight seconds to have a clean ride that scores points. Two judges score them with half of the score coming from the rider for his style and the other half coming from the bucking performance of the bull.

And then the first rider and his bull came barreling out of the starting chute, and both women gasped at the sheer violence of the brief ride. That cowboy only lasted five seconds before being bucked off, and then the rodeo clowns moved in to distract the bull while the unfortunate cowboy made his escape.

“Who are those fools?” Maria asked, pointing at the colorfully clad clowns. “You couldn’t pay me enough to do that.”

Liz silently agreed with Maria assessment of the clowns as fools, but Max spoke of them with only the highest level of respect. “Those guys save a lot of cowboys from serious injury or worse. Broken bones are common in this sport, but it would be a lot worse without the rodeo clowns.”

On and on it went. Liz wasn’t really into it too much, but she could appreciate the bravery and skill being displayed. Maria, on the other hand, was really getting into it, and she started giving each cowboy a score of her own…though her scores had nothing to do with how the man rode a bull. It was halfway through the round before Michael climbed into the chute and got situated on his bull.

Max leaned forward and told the women that his brother was up next. Maria and Liz each took a look at the overhead video board, which had been displaying a large headshot of each cowboy along with some basic biographical information. Liz was suitably impressed by his rugged good looks, but Maria just sucked in a deep breath and stared at the video screen.

Like with every cowboy, it took Michael a minute or two to get set on his bull, and Maria spent every second drooling over his photo. Liz finally noticed and nudged her in the ribs. “Take a breath, ‘ria…and close your mouth.”

All three of them were cheering for Michael, with Max gritting his teeth and watching intently, Liz dutifully cheering for her boyfriend’s brother, and Maria standing up and screaming, “Go, Sexy!”

Michael completed his eight seconds and earned a score of 85, which was good enough to put him fifth so far. That meant he would have a decent shot at coming back the next night and winning if he could put together another good ride. As Michael flew off the still bucking bull and scrambled to his feet, Maria whipped around and focused on Max. “That’s your brother? Mr. Sex on a Stick?”

“Please don’t talk about him that way,” Max pled. “It’s making me sick to my stomach.”

“I’ll do whatever you want, as long as you tell me we’re going to meet him.”

“Deal.” Which Max didn’t mind too much to agreeing to since meeting Michael was already on the agenda. He was just going to have to deal with Michael and Liz’s knowledge of their secret another time. “In fact, we’d better get going if we’re going to catch him before he leaves the arena to get a meal.”

Max led the women out of their front row seats and onto the main concourse before getting directions from an usher to where they needed to go. Security stopped them at the door to that led to the staging area under the arena, but Max got them to send word to Michael that his brother Max and some friends were here to see him. A few minutes later, word came back to let them through. Thanking the security man for working with him, Max led the women down into the bowels of the arena. Once there, Max knew enough of the PBR officials to get directions to the lockerroom.

“Ladies, I’m going to duck in there for a moment and bring him out if you don’t mind. It shouldn’t take more than a few moments.”

Liz murmured her agreement while Maria volunteered to in herself. Max just chuckled and pushed the door open before stepping inside. He was greeted by several of the pro riders, who knew him through Michael, and respected him for being a working cowboy. He finally asked where Michael was, only to see him stepping out of the communal shower, vigorously toweling off his hair.

“Hey, Michael.”

“Maxwell!” Michael’s normally stern countenance split into an ear-to-ear grin. “What are you doing in L.A.? I thought you were still fucking tourists on the ranch.” The brothers avoided a welcoming hug, mostly due to Michael being naked and still damp from the shower.

“Hurry up and get dressed. We’ll talk about that at dinner.”

“What’s your hurry? I can get a 4x4 In-N-Out burger and some fries for hours yet.”

“My hurry is that I have two ladies in the hall waiting to be introduced to you.”

“Two women? You’re not gonna stick me with a dog again, are you?”

“Jeez, Michael, I only asked you to take one for the team that one time. You’d think you’d be over that by now. And I did talk Tess into setting you up with that sorority sister of hers.”

“Heh, yeah you did. I’d forgotten about that. Tess wouldn’t talk to me for a month afterward.” As Michael finished toweling off and started to dress, he said, asked, “Soooo…is one of these women why you’re in L.A.?” Max didn’t have to answer. Michael just watched as a helpless smile spread across Max’s face. “Well, I’ll be damned! I have got to meet this girl.”

“That’s the whole point of us being here. I wanted to introduce her to you, and her friend tagged along because…well…just because.”

Michael was dressed in no time, and slicked back his damp hair with his comb before shouldering the duffel bag with his equipment and following Max outside.

“Liz, Maria, I’d like for you to meet my brother, Michael Evans.” Turning back to Michael, he said, “Michael, I’d like for you to meet Liz Parker and Maria DeLuca.”

Michael thought the brunette looked surprisingly familiar, which he thought was odd because he didn’t know anyone in L.A. Maybe she’s a girl from back home and Max just brought her out here on vacation or something. But before he could make the mental connections and realize why Liz looked familiar, thoughts of her were pushed from his mind by the sight of the strikingly beautiful strawberry blonde standing next to her. God, I hope the brunette is Max’s girl.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ladies,” Michael said.

After a few moments of chit chat, Max asked Liz where was a good place to get something to eat that didn’t require a jacket and tie. She and Maria talked it over for a few moments before settling on a comfortable family-run Italian place in Brentwood. Michael gave a barely audible sigh of relief when Max folded his hand around Liz’s and started to walk off. Falling in beside Maria, he asked her how she’d liked the show.

“You guys are batshit crazy,” she said flatly. “The only people worse are those clown guys who dive in to save you when the ride is over.”

“Bull riding can be dangerous,” he agreed.

“Which leads me to this question: why do you do it?”

“The money’s good, which doesn’t hurt,” he replied, “but I love the thrill of putting myself up against a 2,000 pound beast and coming out on top and unscathed. There’s nothing in this world like it, not skydiving, not bungee jumping, not anything.”

Maria admired his passion, and loved that he was working in a profession he clearly loved. Then she had to explain what she did for a living. Upon hearing she was a publicist for several stars in Hollywood and one member of the L.A. Dodgers, Michael asked her what that entailed.

“I am a media liaison for my clients. Basically, it’s my job to promote them and their interests in the good times, and perform damage control when they screw up. And being in Hollywood, I clean up a lot of messes.”

Michael laughed at Maria’s assessment of her job. He wondered if Maria represented anyone he was familiar with, but it wasn’t until they were almost to the restaurant that the name Liz Parker clicked in his mind and he realized just who was driving the Audi they were riding in. He knew Max had always had a talent for being dropped in a pig sty and managing to come up with a pearl, but this was ridiculous.

While he thought dating a bona fide movie star – a class of people who were notably flaky, demanding, and narcissistic – wasn’t Max’s best idea, Michael figured that conversation was best left for another day. Right now, he was more interested in getting to know Maria better…a lot better.
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:35 pm

Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) A/N, 4/11/13, Pg. 15

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 29

Face the Music
Looking at Max through sleep sand encrusted eyelids, Liz asked, “Tell me again why I set my alarm for six in morning on a weekend.”

“Because I asked you to, and you love me,” Max replied, blowing a kiss to her as he slid out bed and walked to the bathroom.

Liz didn’t bother to say anything in return as she was far too busy staring at the delights of his backside: rumpled waves of inky black hair; impossibly broad shoulders; thick, well-cut slabs of muscle which tapered to an impossibly narrow waist; and the skintight slate gray boxer briefs which covered his firm, deeply dimpled ass. Max had relieved himself and was busy brushing his teeth when Liz slipped into the bathroom behind him, grabbed a double handful of his ass, and squeezed.

“I do love you,” she said affectionately, as she stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss his neck, “and don’t you forget it.”

Max felt goosebumps break out on his chest as the cool silk of her camisole and tap pant set brushed across his skin. He quickly spit out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth before scooping up Liz and depositing her butt onto the cold marble of the countertop. That drew a squeal from her which stopped abruptly when he stepped between her thighs and his lips covered hers for a thorough good morning kiss.

“You know,” he said, “we still haven’t tried out that massive shower stall of yours.”

“I think it might have room for the both of us,” Liz allowed.

“The both of us?” Max snorted. “I think there’s more room in there than in your shoe closet.”

Liz giggled briefly and then said, “You get the water nice and hot while I give my teeth a quick brush and I’ll be happy to join you.”

Max’s boxer briefs were off in a flash, giving Liz a good look at something that was already rising to the occasion. She licked her lips as she reached for her toothbrush and paste, wondering all the while what she was going to do with that bad boy first.

Roughly an hour later, Max was dressed in a white t-shirt, well-faded jeans, and well-worn but nicely polished cowboy boots. Liz was still trying to decide what to wear when he asked her where the spare keys were for Maria’s Jaguar.

“They’re in my office – which is the one on the right hand side of the hallway – in the top right desk drawer.”

“Why do you have her spare keys anyway?” Max asked, when he returned to her bedroom with the keys in hand.

“She knows she can always get ahold of me or my security staff if she needs her spares, so I’m a better choice than any of her other friends.”

“Okay.”

Max drove the red Jaguar into town, and with the help of its GPS system, found Michael’s hotel. A call up to Michael’s suite brought both him and Maria down to the lobby. After the two blondes exchanged kisses goodbye, Michael headed for the parking garage while Max showed Maria where her car was parked. She thanked him for bringing her car to her with a kiss on the cheek and drove off. When Michael finally arrived with his rental car, Max piled into it for the drive back to Malibu. Once Liz’s address was punched into the car’s GPS, they were off.

Eyeing Michael’s maroon and white Texas A&M hoodie, jeans, and Nikes, Max said, “Nice to see you dressed for the occasion.”

“And look at you,” Michael shot back. “No plaid today; call Guinness.”

After Michael watched the colored line on the GPS that indicated their intended route snake through the city and into the coastal mountain range well to the west, he turned to Max, and asked, “What’s so important that you came all the way here to get me?”

Answering his brother’s direct question with a direct answer, Max replied, “Liz. I know you got to meet her briefly last night, but I want you to know her better than that.”

“And…?” Michael asked, knowing from his brother’s obvious case of nerves that there had to be more to it than that.

Looking at Michael apprehensively, Max waited until the car stopped at a traffic signal before he said, “And…she knows our secret.”

Michael’s head whipped around like he was possessed. “The secret?”

“Yes, the secret,” Max confirmed. “That’s why I wanted to come out here, so we could have some private time to talk about this before you got to Liz’s, because I know you’re going to read me the riot act over this.”

“I was planning on ripping you a new one,” Michael admitted, “even before you called this morning to say you were coming. I mean, a couple of months ago Isabel sent me copies of the shots of you two which seemed to be on the cover of every tabloid rag in the country, but we all figured she was just another tourist you were drilling, so it would be okay.”

A car behind Michael honked, as the traffic signal had turned green a few seconds earlier. He reached his left arm out the open window of his rental and flipped off the driver behind him before moving his foot to the gas pedal and pulling away.

“Your girl looks different in person by the way, which is why it took me a bit last night to realize just who she was. Anyway, back to you being a dumbass. Last night things took a turn for the worst when you tell me you two are dating, like, dating seriously.”

Michael debated pulling into a Ralph’s parking lot so he could focus on berating his dim-bulb brother. “You are aware that everything that woman does is news, right? It may not always be CNN-quality news, but definitely something worthy of Entertainment Tonight, not to mention the tabloids.”

“Yeah.”

“And all of those cameras are manned by professional snoops who are all desperate for ‘the big story.’ And while catching a shot of her topless poolside or getting a shot up her dress as she steps out of a car would get them a nice payday, that’s nothing compared to the money that could make if they managed to catch you doing something special.

“And now,” Michael said, “you tell me that you’ve poured gasoline on the fire by telling our deepest, most dangerous secret to someone you barely even know. I’ve heard of thinking with your dick before, but this one takes the cake.” He shook his head in disbelief. “She must have one Hell of a golden sna…”

“Stop right there!” Max demanded, his voice low and filled with menace. Michael was so surprised that he nearly drove into the next lane over. “You can say anything about me that you want to,” Max continued, “but you’d better watch your mouth when it comes to Liz. You will speak about her with respect.

“Now that you’ve had your say, take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. You’re about to spend the morning with her; I expect you to give her a fair chance to show you what she’s like.”

Once Max had set the ground rules, he took several minutes to tell his brother the story of their relationship. He wished Liz was with him for that part of the talk to correct his mistakes and to help fill out the story. He told Michael about their meeting the rainstorm, saving her from the spooked horse, and telling her his secrets under a canopy of stars. The story continued through two months of phone calls and occasional IM chats, right up until he left Texas for California.

“And the rest of our story…is none of your business,” Max said.

“Your shit-eating grin tells me all I need to know.” Michael tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel and took two quick looks at Max’s face. “You really are in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Shit.” Michael asked. “Does anyone else in the family know?”

“Not yet. I wanted to give you the first shot. If Liz can meet with your approval, no matter how grudging it might be, then Isabel and Tess should be a piece of cake.”

“True, and Mom will be thrilled just to see you finally bring a woman home to meet her and Dad.”

It wasn’t long before Michael’s rental car was zigzagging up the ridge line to Liz’s gate. As the gate rolled back and he drove up the steeply-angled drive, his eyes widened in shock at the obvious size and opulence of Liz’s estate. “I knew she had to be rich,” he breathed, “but I had no idea her place would be like this.” The car was met at the top of the drive by a member of Liz’s security team who showed Michael where to park. As they climbed out of the car, Michael grabbed a duffel bag from the back seat, and asked, “Do you have any idea how much money she is worth?”

“No,” Max replied, “I’ve never asked and I won’t; I don’t want to know.”

As this was the weekend, Liz’s kitchen staff was off, so she had gone down to her favorite local bakery to buy a large assortment of breakfast pastries for breakfast. That, along with a fresh-brewed pot of gourmet Jamaican coffee and pitchers of milk and orange juice were what awaited her two guests when Max brought Michael in through the kitchen door.

Both men saw Liz before she saw them, and found their eyes drawn to her like iron filings to a lodestone, and the reason was her mode of dress. She wasn’t dressed to go for a relaxed afternoon of shopping or even for a day lounging around the house, instead, she was dressed for some pool time. What they saw was her in a black, tightly-pleated, halter cover-up dress. The dress left her arms bare and the floaty hem rested on her upper thighs, so it covered her bikini completely while still managing to leave a lot of skin exposed.

When Liz heard them come through the kitchen to where she was in the breakfast nook, she said, “I’m glad you’re back, Max,” as she hopped up from her seat and greeted him with a warm kiss and an affectionate squeeze of his shoulders.

“I’m glad to be back,” Max said. As she kissed him, he looped an arm around her shoulders without a thought and pulled her against him to extend the kiss ever so briefly.

Liz then turned to greet her other guest. “Hello, again, Michael.” One look at him was all she needed to see how uptight he was. “I see Max told you that I know.”

“Hi, Liz.” Michael offered his hand for a brief handshake. “He has, and I can’t say I’m happy about it.” After shooting a quick glance at his brother, he added reluctantly, “But what’s done is done. Please just be worthy of his trust.”

When Max sagged with relief at Michael’s statement, Liz was fairly sure things had gotten intense during their drive to her place. “Being worthy of his trust won’t be a problem,” she said bluntly. “It’s being worthy of his love that I’m worried about.” She decided to change the subject to something of interest to her that included her new guest. “Did you and Maria enjoy each other?”

Thinking about the feisty blonde and their rather passionate night together, Michael smiled, and said, “We did.” Then with a casual wink at Liz, he added, “I’m pretty sure we enjoyed every inch of each other.”

In years past, a bold comment like that would have gotten Liz blushing as fiercely as a virgin bride, but she was older and more experienced now, and anyway, what Maria did and who she did it with was her business, so she blushed only slightly when she said, “I’m glad to hear it.” Then she pointed to the sideboard where the breakfast foods were laid out and asked them to dig in. While they ate, Liz made a point of directing the conversation toward Michael. “When do you have to go back tonight for the P.B.R. finals?”

“Five should be early enough,” Michael replied. “I’d wait ‘til six myself, but the officials that run the tour would get a little bit antsy if I waited that long to show.”

Max helped Liz ask questions about bull riding while doing the same for Michael about the movie business and that was more than enough conversation to see them through their light meal. When the meal was done, Liz cleared away the plates and dishes with help from both men. The leftover pastries were left out for anyone who wanted them, while the dishes were rinsed off and placed into the dishwasher.

Liz nodded her head toward the duffle bag that Michael had left in the kitchen on his way in. “Did Max get you to bring a swimsuit?”

Michael shouldered the bag, and said, “Yeah. Board shorts, sun block, shades, and a change of clothes, just in case.”

“I have a cabana out on the far side of the pool in which you can change.”

Liz was obviously ready for some late morning pool time, and Michael had just been directed to the most convenient place for him to change, so Max pecked Liz on the lips, and said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“No need to rush,” Liz said. “The pool will still be here when you get changed.”

By the time Michael and Max were poolside in their board shorts, Liz had already peeled off her cover-up and was busy laying long, thick terry cloth beach towels over three chaise longues for them to lie on. Deciding she hadn’t wanted to test Max’s jealousy quotient in front of his brother, Liz had chosen to wear one of her more conservative bikinis today: a seafoam green number that provided more coverage than most.

Over the next several hours, the three of them got sun and enjoyed the breeze off the Pacific, horsed around in the pool, shared a pitcher of Margaritas and just had an all-around good time. Michael found himself warming to Liz as the day rolled on, as the conversation and play between the three of them put more than her exquisite looks on display. She’s smart, sweet, fun to be around, has a decent sense of humor…I can see the attraction, he thought. So, despite his misgivings over Liz knowing the family secrets, he had learned she wasn’t just a movie star, she was a woman first and a highly attractive one at that.

When they finally left the pool in the middle of the afternoon to shower and dress for a late lunch at a restaurant down on the beach, Michael pulled Max aside when Liz went inside, and said, “It appears last night wasn’t a put on for my benefit; Liz’s not what I expected her to be. I still don’t think telling her this soon was a bright idea, but…” Michael shrugged his shoulders then smiled “…maybe, just maybe, you’ll get away with it.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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Cardinal
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Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:35 pm

Re: Home on the Range (M/L, Adult) A/N, 7/15/13, Pg. 17

Post by Cardinal »

Chapter 30

What Next?
That evening Michael finished the P.B.R. event in third place, which came with a decent paycheck and enough points to put him fifth in the series’ year-long standings. After the event Liz, Max, Michael, and Maria – who had managed to work her schedule so she could make it to the finals – had a nice, leisurely dinner, after which the two couples went their separate ways.

Liz hadn’t had any doubt that her best friend wanted as much alone time as possible with her newfound playmate, so she had prepared, choosing to drive herself and Max into town in her Range Rover while Michael had taken his rental car. The first few minutes of the drive back to Malibu was quiet, with Liz concentrating on navigating the traffic on Interstate 10, while Max was focused on his brother.

“What do you think?” he asked at long last, drawing a startled look from Liz.

“About what?”

“Michael and Maria.”

“Oh…them,” Liz replied. “What about them?”

“I don’t know,” Max replied uncomfortably, before getting down to business. “Do you think there’s something real there, or are they just…?”

“Screwing around?” Liz finished helpfully.

Liz thought anything serious coming of this hookup was really unlikely, but Max had asked her a serious question, so she gave her answer some equally serious thought. The extra thought didn’t, however, change her mind. “They’ve only known each other for little more than a day and have spent most of their time together humping like bunnies. That kind of makes it hard to develop anything like a relationship. Also, he travels constantly while she is based in California; again, that’s a barrier to making a connection, as we well know.” She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, as she said, “I really wouldn’t expect anything to come of this.”

“That’s too bad,” Max said, “because they fit together really well, and I’m not the only one in the family that Mom wants to see bring home a good woman.”

“I can assure you and your mother that Maria is a good woman.”

“You can assure me, but Mom hasn’t even met you yet.”

Liz flashed a sly grin at Max, and asked, “When are you going to ambush me with her?”

“No more ambushing,” Max assured her. “You meeting the rest of my family, or me meeting yours, is something we’ll do up right.”

Liz stopped along the roadside and they each got a cup of frozen custard blended with the fresh fruit of their choice. As the two of them sat on the back bumper of her Range Rover and spooned the cold treats into their mouths, Max marveled at how anonymous Liz seemed to be.

“L.A. is like that, except for the paparazzi,” she replied. “There are so many ‘stars’ out here that most people seem to be nonchalant about it, others are kind enough to go out of their way to give us our space, while still others are determined to ignore us as if to prove we’re just the same as everyone else.”

“But you are the same.”

“Exactly, but don’t tell anyone I agree with that opinion. The studios, my manager, and my agent all think most people want to believe stars are more glamorous and exciting than everyone else. They say that’s why the tabloids are able to sell so many copies; because the so-called ‘regular people’ want to keep up with the more exciting lives they imagine are being led by the people they see in movies and on TV.”

“That’s…that’s crazy.”

“It’s a crazy business,” Liz agreed.

The two of them sat companionably on the bumper, eating their delectable treats and people watching as new customers lined up, placed their orders, and retreated to their cars. After a while, Max asked, “Now that our first week is pretty much over, what do you have on tap for us next?”

“I don’t have any set plans, but there is a wealth of things we can do. The music scene here is really good, with clubs that cater to virtually every listening preference. We have some very nice museums, in case your tastes run to fine art, and there are all sorts of options for outdoor activities, whether on water or on land.”

“How about horseback riding?” he joked.

“Oh sure,” Liz said readily, “there are a number of options around here for that.”

“Really?” Gesturing at the commercial development that seemed to him to be jammed into every possible nook and cranny, he asked perplexedly, “Where?”

Liz chose to point over her shoulder at the looming Santa Monica Mountains that loomed just to the north of the narrow strip of coastline, before she replied, “We don’t have as many places to ride as you do in Texas, but I bet rollerblades and bikes are more popular here, at least among adults.”

Max smiled slightly at the idea of him on rollerblades, wobbling down the sloped streets of Liz’s neighborhood and either running into parked cars or falling flat on his face. “I think I would rather try snow skiing.”

“That can be arranged, but you’d have to stay around for a couple of months.”

“What torture,” he said, as spoonfed Liz a bit of his custard.

“Mmm…” Liz moaned, as she savored the creamy bite. “Apple’s not half bad.”

Looking into her cup, Max asked, “What did you get? Looks sorta like peach bits in there.”

In response, Liz scooped up a bite of her custard and slid it into his mouth. Watching as he tasted, she finally asked, “Do you like it?”

“It’s different.”

“But do you like it?”

“It’s okay.”

Liz stretched up for a quick kiss, licking bits of mango and custard off the corner of his mouth. She was glad they were much closer in height when they were sitting down. Of course, she giggled to herself, Laying down together is even better.

Oblivious to what she was thinking, Max licked his lips suggestively, and said, “Now that right there is a taste I love.” He then showed the truth of his statement by dipping down to steal another, longer kiss. “Delicious!”

Liz curled one little fist into the open v-neck of Max’s black Polo-style shirt to hold him down in front of her. Once she was sure she had his attention, she whispered, “Hold your horses long enough for us to get home and you can taste me all you want, wherever you want…for however long you want.”

“An all-you-can-eat Liz buffet,” he growled back, reaching down to squeeze her thighs.

Feeling her mouth suddenly go dry, Liz began fumbling for the keys in her purse, while Max scooped up both of their mostly empty custard cups and tossed them into a nearby trashcan before leaping into the Range Rover to find Liz already buckled in and sliding her key into the ignition.

And that’s how the last week of Max’s two-week vacation went: Liz and Max enjoyed themselves, and each other, making full use of her estate and of the many opportunities provided by Southern California. It wasn’t until the night of their last full day together that the looming question of ‘what next?’ was addressed. They were sharing a chaise longue, arms and legs tangled together as they peered out over the edge of her pool at the riot of colors in uneven horizontal bands over the horizon. The sun was setting and a half empty pitcher of sangria and two glasses sat on the low table next to them.

“I don’t want to go,” Max pouted. “Tomorrow sucks.”

“Big time,” Liz agreed. “When is your flight?” She knew the answer already, having asked that question no less than three times during the day. She was just asking to have something to say, as if he might have changed his flight since she had last asked.

“Two p.m.”

The two watched in companionable silence as the colors darkened, faded to dark blue, and then black. A line of low-power footlights lining the paths of her estate were already on by then, giving off just enough light for them to see each other’s face in the near-total darkness. So it was that Liz could see the look on Max’s face when she said, “Don’t go.”

“Don’t go?” he asked stupidly.

“Please.” Liz ran one hand up onto Max’s chest and rubbed it back and forth, her fingertips tracing the well-defined grooves between his muscles. “It feels like I just got you back,” she whimpered, “and now you’re leaving me.”

“Did it hurt a lot when you left me in Texas?” he asked.

Liz nodded, then added, “But not like this. We didn’t have then what we have now. That felt like an ingrown fingernail; this feels like someone is ripping my arm off.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Max sighed, as he used one arm to snug her firmly against the side of his chest. “The longer I’m with you, the harder it gets to be apart.”

“Then don’t be,” she pled. “Stay.”

Liz was seriously tempted to roll out of her comfy position, straddle Max’s hips, and grind on him just the way she knew he liked it, but she held off at the last moment as she wanted this decision to be made with the head on top of his shoulders, not the one tucked away in his swimming trunks.

Max could have been thinking about what he would do with his life if he stayed, or how hard it would be to break this to his close-knit family, but the only thing in his mind at the moment was the same thing that was in his arms: a slender, dark-eyed brunette that filled his heart to overflowing.

Stay.

Such an easy request to make.

Stay.

Such an easy request to grant.

“Okay,” he murmured, as he pressed his lips to hers. “I’ll stay.”
"In the Name of the King"
-----Winner, Round 15 - Favorite Lead Portrayal of Liz Parker
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Use of a Supporting Character (Jeff Parker)
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best New Fic
-----Winner, Round 15 - Best Period Fanfiction
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