Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) [COMPLETE]

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Double Trouble
Obsessed Roswellian
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 31 - 7/2/09

Post by Double Trouble »

chanks_girl: Getting his family together is a priority for Alex. Brooke’s happy that her brothers could finally all get along again.

Liz has led a very sheltered life… and, yes, when Max finally gets his hands on her, look out!

Michael and Maria do make things harder than they have to be, but they’re gonna start questioning themselves about what’s really going on.

Glad you enjoyed Maria’s stunt!

nibbles2: Let’s hope not!

There was no way Michael was going to let that opportunity pass by!

Liz is 18 and hasn’t yet bought a clue! It is hard to believe, but there are girls like that. Sean’s story will eventually be revealed as well.

Eva: It’s true, there are a few of them! That talk is coming soon!

LOL, did ya curse out loud? Yes, waiting is good.

destinyc: Hmm, well, there might be a little something coming up for the Dreamers.

That was great, huh?

Oh, how embarrassing would that be? Talk about your controversial… architecture!

mary mary: LOL, glad you enjoyed that last installment!

You’re right, she’ll figure it out… and Max will be happy to navigate the way!

Alien_Friend: Right? Well, they’re gonna figure it out… eventually!

Look for more of those internal dialogs, because Michael and Maria will both be having them!

Yes, Max will be oh so willing!

Thanksgiving will be very important!

tequathisy: Not under a rock, exactly. But, definitely sheltered.

Infuriating, but we think it’ll be worth it once they finally admit their feelings.

kismet: Liz has depths that have not yet been tapped… Max will bring it out of her!

Keep reading, it’s on its way!

Nope, we agree, that’s definitely not normal!

sarammlover: They are a great couple, huh? No, Michael and Maria are still in denial, but their time is coming. Look for some Dreamer stuff coming up soon.

April: You’re doing awesome! Keep up the good work!

That’s right, no stones…

LOL, liked that Ferris wheel, huh? We’re glad you’re enjoying Tess and Kyle!

Yes, Michael was a bad boy… but, oh, wait, that’s one of the reasons why we love him!

No worries, Max will be the one!

There’s a reason for Sean’s behavior… it will be revealed later on.

Zoi: Michael and Maria will eventually reach ‘sweet’ status!


Part 31 – First Impressions…

Michael didn’t have a single complaint when he was dragged into the janitor’s closet and pushed up against the row of lockers that lined one wall. His arms snaked around her body, pulling her as close as possible and devouring her mouth hungrily. His hands roamed over her, quickly dropping down to her hips and holding her tightly so he could grind his erection against her.

He frowned when she pulled back and just looked at him. “Uh, Maria, I hate to have to rush ‘cause I really do enjoy this, but I’ve gotta be all the way across campus and – “

Maria reached up to cover his mouth and shook her head as her free hand settled over his hard-on and rubbed him with just enough pressure to keep him on edge. “Huh-uh, big boy, today is mine… remember those words?”

“Maria, I’m hard as a fuckin’ rock,” he whined pathetically.

“Michael,” she warned.

“Fine,” he growled ungraciously, “tell me what you want.”

“Hmmm… what do I want?” Maria pressed against him fully and kissed him, taking her time and drawing it out because she knew it was driving him crazy. “I want you to make me come,” she whispered finally.

“Oh, I’m gonna make you come.” He reversed their positions and braced his hands against the lockers on either side of her head as his intense gaze burned into her. “I think we’ll start with these beauties right here,” he said, deftly unbuttoning her top and pushing it out of his way so he could lean down and suck her nipples to full hardness. She’d never be able to hold out, he thought, reassuring himself as he adjusted his dick to a slightly more comfortable position and dropped down to his knees before her.

His hands slid down her sides and over her hips until he reached the hem of her short skirt and he slowly pushed it up as he kissed his way down her stomach. He rimmed her belly button and dipped his tongue inside as he eased her panties down and off, shoving them in his pocket for safekeeping.

“I thought you were in a hurry,” she grumbled when he simply gazed at her body for several minutes.

“Oh, look at that,” he teased, using his thumbs to brush over her mound, “somebody’s in a rush. Did you get yourself all worked up while you were sendin’ me sexy pics? I think you did… but maybe I should check just to be sure before we go any farther.” His thumbs spread her open, revealing her wet center to his hungry gaze. “Um-hmm… wet, flushed, swollen…”

Maria groaned in frustration, pressing her thighs together tightly in an effort to find some sort of friction. “You’re cheating!”

He grinned and leaned forward to press a kiss against the top of her mound as he met her gaze. “Don’t worry, baby, I’m gonna take care of you. Spread your legs for me.” As soon as she had complied he slid his left hand up the back of her leg and lifted it up to rest on his shoulder, opening her up to him. Using his thumbs to hold her folds open he dipped his tongue inside and slid it over her slick center.

“Oh, fuck!”

He smiled against her and worked his tongue over her throbbing flesh, working her clit a little more on each trip. He waited until he could feel her body beginning to convulse and he slipped two fingers into her as he latched onto her clit, sucking it hard and fast. Her scream was muffled through her shirt because she was holding it over her mouth and he quickly realized that he hated that he couldn’t really hear it. He waited until her internal contractions stopped before he eased his fingers out of her and he reached up to hold her leg in place on his shoulder when she started to lower it.

“What’re you doin’?” she asked, looking down at him.

“You’re not finished,” he muttered, smiling at her look of confusion. “And on a side note, we’re gonna have to find someplace more private for these meetings because I don’t like that I can’t hear you when you come.” He shook his head as he slid his right hand under her thigh. “I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said that I love to hear you scream your way through an orgasm that I gave you.”

Maria watched his eyes as they darkened even more, and she couldn’t form a protest as he raised her left leg to hook it over his shoulder. Her breath was coming in short, harsh bursts and she reached up grab the lock hanging from the locker next to her in an effort to maintain her balance on his wide shoulders. Her right hand settled on his head, fingers threading through his spiky hair as she used her grip to guide him. He did remarkably well at taking directions, she thought, her hips beginning to rise and fall as his mouth did things that had to be illegal.

Her head slammed back against the locker and she just barely remembered to cover her mouth as the second orgasm ripped through her body.

Michael pulled back for a few seconds to glance up at her. “Keep it covered, baby,” he growled as his thumb brushed against her clit. She was sensitive, and right on the edge and he quickly slid his fingers back inside her so he could wring one last orgasm from her. He leaned back on his haunches and rubbed her thighs as he eased her through the tremors racing through her body.

She was shocked when he carefully lowered her legs and then stood to sweep her up into his arms. He carried her over to the corner to a large stainless steel sink and he grabbed a handful of paper towels from the dispenser, wetting them and then gently cleaning her. When he was finished he lifted her up to sit on the tiny counter space and insinuated himself between her legs, dark eyes following her hands as she buttoned her shirt back up.

“I need my panties back.”

“You’re seriously gonna make me wait?”

“Um, I seem to recall you making me wait all day long,” she reminded him, “so, I think you can wait more than an hour.” She smiled wickedly. “And, Michael? No cheating and jerking off; I also know what you look like after you come, and while you do have an amazing recovery time, I’ll know if you… take things into your own hands.”

Michael groaned and leaned down so that they were eye to eye as he tried one more tactic. “Y’know if you keep me on edge like this all day you’re not gonna get a chance to enjoy this,” he whispered, taking her right hand and pressing it over his erection. “I’ll blow before you do much more than touch me.”

“That’s okay, baby.” Maria grinned and patted his cheek as she dropped down to stand in front of him. “I’ll just have to be patient and wait for round two then, won’t I?” She held her hand out expectantly. “Now, we have class, so, if I could just have my panties back, please?”

He chuckled and shook his head as he backed towards the door. “Huh-uh.” He winked, shooting a grin at her as he pulled the door open. “Don’t flash anybody.”

Maria made a mental note, adding his theft of her panties to the ever-growing list of things that she needed to make sure he paid for… one way or the other. Although she might be willing to forgive this latest transgression, she thought with a smile. The man had made her come three times in a relatively short amount of time. Hmmm… she’d think about it later. Right now she had a class to get to.

*****

Michael stood in the center of Maria’s bedroom early that evening, staring at her as if she had lost her last operational brain cell. She had made a couple of phone calls while they had been sitting in the library after classes had ended and he was certain that her torture was much worse than his had been. At least he hadn’t made her go to the library to study for two hours after teasing her all day and then made her sit there while he pretended to read.

“Are you kiddin’?”

Maria had been leaning back against her closed bedroom door, watching him as he prowled around in the wake of her final request for the day. She knew the library bit had probably been a bit extreme, but she had enjoyed him squirming around uncomfortably in his chair while she sat across from him with her bare feet nestled in his lap. But, she had needed to buy time while she waited for the girls to do whatever they had to do so she would have the apartment all to herself.

“Now, why would you think I’m kiddin’, Michael?” she asked, walking up to him. She smiled when she leaned against him and he automatically widened his stance to support her weight and maintain his balance.

“Two words for you, Maria… blue balls. If this – “ His voice was silenced when she placed two fingers against his lips and unzipped his jeans with her other hand. He was hot and hard as she wrapped her hand around him, swiping her thumb over the tip to collect the moisture there, and his hands shot up to cradle her face. “Don’t bother drawin’ it out,” he growled as he swooped down to take her lips in a desperate, needy kiss.

It didn’t take much more than a few strokes before he was coming; his knees buckled and he slumped back to lean against the footboard of her bed.

“Told you it wouldn’t take long,” he muttered gruffly.

Maria chuckled and leaned up to kiss him. “I’m gonna go take a shower; you should go clean up so you’re not all sticky. I’d hate for you to be uncomfortable while you’re submitting to my last wish for the night.”

Michael groaned and shook his head. “You were serious about that?”

“Yes, Michael.” She rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom to start the shower. She felt his heated gaze on her as she stripped and stepped into the shower.

“You need me to wash your back?”

“Not this time,” she laughed. “Just do what I said.”

Michael glared at her silhouette on the other side of the shower curtain as he opened the cabinet to pull out a washcloth. “I’m not sure I wanna play this game anymore; it’s definitely more fun the other way around.”

Maria pulled the curtain back and couldn’t control her laughter when she met his gaze in the mirror over the sink. “Are you pouting?”

“Am I naked and in that shower with you?” he countered.

“So, that’s a yes then.”

He grumbled under his breath as he finished cleaning himself up and then went back out into her bedroom, turning on the bedside lamp and turning off the overhead light. He hung his shirt on the bedpost, kicked his shoes and socks off, and straightened the covers on the bed before going back into the bathroom where she was drying her hair… stark naked.

He had intended to ask her what kind of music she wanted, but quickly decided to just pick something out on his own; if he watched her much longer then kneeling on her bed in his jeans was gonna be way too agonizing. Back in her bedroom he flipped through her CD collection before discarding anything there as an option. They needed something slow and sexy, he thought as he turned the small stereo on and slid the tuner to a station that played jazz in the evenings.

“Good choice,” Maria said as she sauntered into the room without a stitch on.

Michael felt his breath hitch in his throat. Damn, she was beautiful! He couldn’t remember a single woman in his past that had been so confident with their nudity. So much for doin’ this without a raging hard-on! He watched her as she walked over and arranged the pillows how she wanted them and then climbed on the bed, lying on her side facing him.

“So, how would you like to start? With my back or my front?”

He cleared his throat. “You’re sure I’ve gotta keep my jeans on for this, huh?”

Maria smiled. “Back or front?”

Hell, he was already hard, what’d it matter now? “Front,” he rasped.

“You just want to torture yourself, don’t you?”

“Do you really think it matters one way or the other at this point?” He gestured helplessly at his obvious erection. “Besides, this way you’ll be facin’ Mike Jr. and before long you’re not gonna be able to deny either of us.”

“Okay.” She rolled over to reach for the bottle of massage oil she had placed there earlier while getting ready for her shower and the bed lurched violently when Michael pounced on it. He was looming over her on all fours as she rolled over again, lying back against the pillows and smiling up at him. “In a hurry?” She dropped the bottle next to his leg and slid her hands up and down his arms, feeling the muscles twitch with every touch.

Michael was lowering his head to kiss her when she stopped him with her hands on his face. “Ah, c’mon, Maria!”

“It’s frustrating, isn’t it?” she asked quietly. “No kissing, no touching outside of my directions, and nothing else…” She pressed the bottle into his hand and squirmed down between his legs. “Get to work.”

Michael’s gaze moved over her body as she wiggled around and after a few moments he leaned back and shook his head. “Okay, I changed my mind; you’re gonna have to roll over ‘cause I can’t do your front first.”

Maria let her hands rest on his muscled thighs, dragging her fingernails over the heavy denim and smiling at the way his body tensed with every touch. “I don’t know, Michael… you did say you’d do my front first.”

“Look, I’m on the verge of shootin’ my load just from lookin’ at you and if I start runnin’ my hands all over you it’s gonna be all over, an’ I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” He grinned suddenly. “Now, if you wanna let me do the body massage naked it won’t be a problem.”

Maria sat up and slowly explored his mouth with a deep kiss that lasted for several minutes before she released him and rolled over, presenting him with her backside. She rested her head on her folded arms and smiled as she listened to him bitching about how unfair she was being while he warmed the oil in his hands.

Despite all of his complaining, he knew exactly what to do as his big hands moved over her body in long, sweeping strokes. He exerted just enough pressure to ease the tension in her muscles while slowly arousing her at the same time.

“Where’d you learn to give massages?”

“Took a class last year, but I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone.” His hands dipped down to brush against the sides of her breasts and he grinned when she moaned loudly and shifted beneath him.

“Oh, my!”

Michael’s head turned so fast he heard things in his neck pop and he stared at the dark-haired woman standing in the now-open doorway with a frown.

“You’ve got the wrong fuckin’ room, lady,” he snarled at the same moment that Maria spoke.

“Mom!” Maria grabbed the corner of her comforter and pulled it up over the upper part of her body. “Um, what’re you doin’ here?”

“Well, at the moment, seeing something that I’m not sure I will ever be prepared to see.” Amy DeLuca met the young man’s gaze, surprised that he hadn’t moved from atop her daughter since she was standing in the room staring at them. “We’ve talked several times recently and I don’t believe you mentioned a boyfriend.” She smiled and shifted to the side so that she could meet her daughter’s disbelieving gaze. “Why don’t the two of you get dressed and we’ll all go to dinner together? I’ll just wait for you in the living room.”

“Up, up, up!” Maria demanded as soon as her mother left the room and closed the door behind her. She smacked Michael’s leg repeatedly, something that was not easy to do in her current position. “Oh, my God! My mother’s here and she just saw us in bed together!”

Michael grinned when she finally managed to shove him over so she could crawl out from under him. He flopped back on the bed and watched her as she stormed around the room, amused by her sudden attack of nerves. He stayed where he was, listening to her rant as she tore through her closet looking for something to wear and as soon as she emerged in a pair of comfortably worn blue jeans and a bra he sat up.

“Where d’you think you’re going?” she demanded, pulling a white tee shirt over her head.

“Shit, I’m goin’ home, baby.”

“Oh, no you’re not! You just cursed at my mom after she walked in and caught us in bed together… naked!”

He laughed and shook his head. “Huh-uh, she may have caught us in bed, but I wasn’t naked… or squirmin’ around and moaning.”

“Look, she thinks you’re my boyfriend, and you’re gonna play that role to the hilt while she’s here.”

“Or what?”

Maria stared at him incredulously. “Or what?” she repeated, walking over to where he was standing, pulling his shirt on. “You either play along or your right hand is the only action Mike Jr. will see for the next couple of weeks.”

“Maria, I don’t do the whole family thing – “

“I don’t care what you normally do, Michael; tonight you will dig your manners up from whatever pit you’ve buried them in, you will blow the dust off of them, and use them. Do you understand me?”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“You apologize for what you said when she walked in, you pick out a nice restaurant, you hold doors open, you hold chairs out, you say things that are polite, and you pay for dinner. You don’t curse around my mother, you don’t act rude, you don’t eat like an animal, and you don’t feel me up in front of her.”

“So, no touchin’ you and I’ve gotta pay for dinner? Doesn’t seem fair somehow.”

“I will go out and talk to her first; you find a restaurant and then come out into the living room and suggest that we go there.”

Michael glared at her. “I expect – “

Maria paused with her hand on the doorknob. “I know what you expect… and you’ll get it. Don’t worry about that.”

He swore under his breath and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Find a nice restaurant,” he grumbled, annoyed by this turn of events. He didn’t do dinner with the parents… ever! So, why was he allowing himself to go along with this charade? All he had to do was walk out; it wasn’t like Maria’s threat meant he couldn’t get laid elsewhere… there were always willing chicks hanging around, hoping for a chance to have sex with him.

He rolled his eyes and dialed Max’s number. He had no interest in any of those chicks; right now he was zeroed in on one hot little blond who was amazingly creative when it came to sex. She could get him hard with nothing more than a look, she was adventurous and sexy, and she loved to have a good time. Max’s voice carried through the phone and he shifted his attention to the call, demanding the name of a good restaurant without bothering to make small talk.

“You want the name of a restaurant that you actually walk into and sit down to eat?” Max asked, his interest showing clearly.

“Yeah, isn’t that what I said?”

Max chuckled. “I’m just makin’ sure there isn’t anything wrong with my connection because as a rule you only eat at places that have a drive-thru and can make the food in five minutes or less.”

“Look, Maria’s mother’s in town an’ she’s insisting that I take them out to dinner. If I don’t take them someplace nice I’m gonna have a pissy woman on my hands and that’ll severely fuck up my plans to have sex anytime in the near future.” He had to tamp down the urge to throw the phone when Max laughed at him; he didn’t want to pay for a second phone in less than a week.

*****

Maria smiled at Michael when he held her mother’s chair, nodding at him when he quickly reached for hers as well before seating himself. Um-hmm, just as she had suspected; beneath that rough exterior, he really did have manners. He held his menu up and leaned towards her, motioning for her to move closer.

“Did you want me to order for you?” he asked quietly, his voice almost a whisper.

Her mother thought they were dating, so she’d think it was weird if she realized that he had no idea what her daughter liked. She glanced over the menu and nodded. “Sure.” He had chosen an Italian restaurant, so he couldn’t go wrong no matter what he ordered.

Michael leaned back in his seat, feeling a little more confident now that he had her permission to handle the ordering. Max had nearly laughed himself stupid when Michael had explained why he needed a decent restaurant, but as soon as he had recovered from near-death-by-laughter, he had imparted several bits of helpful information. He hadn’t realized how little he and Maria really knew about each other until he had been faced with her inquisitive mother.

“So, you’re studying architecture too, Michael?” Amy asked, her gaze moving between the young man and her daughter.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m in my second year.” He relaxed slightly when Maria’s hand settled on his thigh, rubbing it in a soothing manner.

“Is that something your family’s involved in?”

“Uh, no… no, architecture’s just somethin’ I’ve been fascinated with since I was a kid. I grew up in New York City and there’re a lot of amazing buildings there.” He shrugged. “It didn’t take long before I found myself intrigued by the designs, the ideas behind them, the history…” He trailed off when the waiter arrived, grateful for the interruption; he was revealing more about himself than he had intended to.

He motioned for Amy to place her order and when she was finished the waiter turned his attention to Michael. The man patiently answered all of his questions and assured him that the chef would prepare the meal to his specifications. Maria’s finger was tracing the same path against his leg over and over and it took several minutes before he realized that she was trying to communicate with him. He focused on it while she carried the conversation and he nodded to himself when he finally figured out what it was she was spelling.

“How long have you been a nurse?” he asked when Maria nudged him.

“Oh, forever,” Amy said, smiling. “I started going to school right after Maria was born.”

“Forever?” Maria grumbled. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You know what I mean, honey.” She reached for the dressing when the server brought their salads to the table.

Michael listened as Amy talked about her job at the hospital, surprised to find that he was interested in what she had to say. He could tell that she enjoyed what she did, that she loved her job in a way that so few people did, and he hoped that his chosen career made him even half as happy as she seemed to be.

“Finding something you love to do is much more important than having a career that makes a lot of money. What good is money if you’re not happy?”

He nodded, in total agreement with her but unwilling to share his thoughts on the matter. Oh, he liked having money, liked being able to do whatever he wanted to do, whenever he wanted to do it, but it didn’t really make him happy. He was relieved when the server arrived with their dinner and the few minutes that it took for the man to remove the stack of plates from their earlier salads and place their entrées on the table was enough time for the topic of conversation to be forgotten.

Maria smiled when her plate was set down in front of her, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. Michael had ordered the chicken parmesan for her and lasagna with a side order of roasted ravioli for himself, but as she watched him cut into the layers of pasta, meat, and several different cheeses, she felt her mouth water.

“Michael, trade with me.”

“Huh-uh.” He grinned when she pouted and after a few moments he caved, pulling her plate closer and splitting their food between them. “You can’t have it all, but we can share.”

She didn’t waste any time, cutting into the lasagna and taking a bite, chewing slowly and savoring the taste. “Oh, my God,” she moaned.

Michael’s interest in his own food quickly faded as he glanced at her, freezing when he saw the nearly-orgasmic expression on her face. He shifted in his seat and his gaze shot across the table when he suddenly remembered the third member of their dinner party. Thankfully, Amy appeared to be completely oblivious to the effect her daughter was having on him and he tried to be discreet as he adjusted himself.

He tugged his collar away from his neck and reached for his utensils so he could cut his chicken into bite-sized pieces. He chewed slowly, methodically, doing his best to keep his thoughts away from the sounds his girlfriend was making.

“How long did it take for you to get used to Maria’s rather vocal enjoyment of Italian food?” Amy asked.

Michael’s head snapped up when he heard her mother’s question and he recognized the amused tone in her voice. Fuck, she wasn’t as oblivious as he had thought she was! She knew exactly what Maria was doing to him. He cleared his throat; he had to shift the conversation before she figured out that they had never even gone out for dinner together. “She’s always been like this, huh?”

“Um-hmm, only with Italian food though.” Amy reached for her glass of raspberry tea and took a drink as she studied the young man sitting across from her. “So, do you have any brothers or sisters, Michael?”

“Two brothers, one older and one younger, and a younger sister.”

“That’s nice. Do they live here, or are they in New York?”

“No, they live here.”

“And your parents? Do they live here as well?”

Maria felt the tension in the man beside her and she quickly realized that her mother was moving into a minefield without even knowing it. She didn’t know the story with Michael’s family, but she knew he was reluctant to share much of anything about his twin or his parents. She brought up the one topic that was sure to derail her mother’s questions and put her on a track that she would happily navigate the rest of the night.

“So, Mom, how’re things going with the sheriff?” Her mother had been dating the sheriff of Roswell for several years and he was one of her favorite subjects.

“Oh, things are going so well…” Amy gushed, filling them in on her relationship.

Michael was relieved when she finished her dinner and pushed away from the table, excusing herself for a few brief minutes. “And I thought you talked a lot,” he grumbled. “Could you please stop makin’ those sounds an’ lookin’ like that while you’re eatin’? ‘Cause you’re killin’ me, Maria.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I’m talkin’ about you moanin’ an’ lookin’ like you’re about to come while lickin’ the fuckin’ fork clean.”

“I can’t help it, Michael; I enjoy good Italian food.”

“Hell, if I’d known that I would’ve been makin’ dinner for you every night.”

She grinned at him and reached for the dessert menu. “I had no idea you even knew how to boil water, much less actually cook. I can pretty much guarantee that if you cook Italian food as well as you do…” her gaze slid over him slowly, “…other things… the fork wouldn’t be the only thing that I licked clean.”

Michael groaned low in his throat and glared at her in warning as he snatched the menu out of her hands. “Uh-uh, no more food for you; if I have to watch you eat one more thing I’m gonna be incapable of walkin’ outta here without help.”

“Michael?”

“What?”

“Have you ever had gelato?”

“Um-hmm.” He was quite fond of the Italian ice cream and as her eyes glazed over he decided it was time to turn the tables and make her squirm for a while. “Y’know what my favorite flavor is?”

“What?”

“Pistachio…” He shifted his chair closer to her. “Yup, and I think pistachio smeared all over your naked, hot, writhing little body would be even better.” Heat flared to life in his dark eyes when he heard her breathing quicken. “Once I had spread it all over, and I mean all over, baby, I’d crawl up over your body and lick it off so slowly that it’d drive you wild.”

“Well, I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m too full to even think about dessert,” Amy said as she joined them once more.

Maria shifted restlessly as her tormenter slid right back into conversation with her mother. He had taken control of the game and that was not the way the night was supposed to go. Her mind quickly began to compile a list of possible revenge scenarios because he was definitely going to be punished for getting her hot and wet while they were having dinner with her mother.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 32 - 7/5/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Alien_Friend: Michael is many things… stupid is not one of them, lol! His ability to deal with Maria’s mother is just another of his many layers, although if you ask him he’ll say he only acted that way because he was in danger of having his naked privileges cut off by Maria.

Good grief, if it had been Liz there’s no tellin’ what he would’ve done!

And yet they still deny that there’s anything between them… hmm…

mary mary: Had our mothers walked in on a scene like that, we’re pretty sure we would’ve died too!

Thanks! We’re glad you like our replies to feedback! Hmm, Sean… well, that is definitely one possibility. It would explain a lot of things, wouldn’t it?

Eva: Yes, Michael did go out of his way to please Maria, didn’t he? Not that he’s involved or anything… yeah, right! The guy even called Max, knowing he was gonna get laughed at!

Maria took the right path in diverting her mother’s focus. Wasn’t really anything to divert Michael’s focus from Maria while she was enjoying her dinner though!

begonia9508: Yes, well, that naivety won’t last long once Max gets his hands on her!

Getting caught in that position by your mother isn’t something anyone would enjoy!

kismet: Michael is sooo wrapped around Maria’s little finger!

New Max and Liz part… Chapter 35… we know, that means almost two weeks, right? Would it help if we tell you that you can look for Max and Liz parts in Chapters 35, 36, 37, & 38?

destinyc: Intense… great word, huh? Michael did enjoy the date and he might even want to try it again, but will he admit it?

See our reply to kismet for our answer about the next Max and Liz scene!

April: Great minds, chica! LOL, how funny is that?!

Well, as stubborn as these two are… probably not.

sarammlover: Despite all of his denial, Michael (as we all know!) has become more involved than he’s willing to admit and he fully intends to blame his effort to impress the parental on his concern that not doing so would result in a loss of naked privileges.

You can expect Amy to bring that little scene up… she may know that her daughter is an adult, but she’s still gonna speak up.

We’ll do our best to keep the updates hot!

nibbles2: See, there is a method to the madness!

Nope, nothin’ at all… just ask Michael and he’ll tell you.

Nitpick away, it’s alright… hmm… well, that is true, isn’t it? Ya think Amy will question that?

tequathisy: Oh, but if they did that it would prevent some of these amusing scenes! Nope, not our mothers either!

chanks_girl: Michael’s does have a tendency to speak without thinking first. We’ll see a little more of Amy in the next part.

The dinner should open their eyes or at the very least make them take a good, hard look at their ‘relationship’… but, are they willing to do that?


Part 32 – Emerging Doubts

Amy opened the door before Michael had the opportunity to get out of the car and she placed a hand on his shoulder when he started to move. “You two go ahead and say your goodbyes and I’ll just wait upstairs for Maria. Thank you for a lovely evening, Michael; I hope next time I visit I’ll be staying longer so we can spend more time together.”

“I’ll be there in just a minute, Mom,” Maria said, trying to save Michael from any further explanations.

“Oh, don’t hurry on my account, honey.”

Michael pressed the button for the door locks as soon as Amy reached the steps and he leaned back in his seat to take a deep, relieved breath.

“You owe me.”

They looked at each other when they both spoke the same words at the same time.

“I owe you?” Michael asked incredulously. “I took your mom to dinner, Maria! I was supposed to spend the evening getting naked and getting off, but instead I spent it sittin’ next to you with a hard-on that wouldn’t quit while you made sounds that shouldn’t be made in public unless you happen to be engaged in some sort of sexual activity with me.”

“Um, which one of us was supposed to be callin’ the shots today, you selfish bastard?” She glared at him when he shook his head. “I know you went to the bathroom and jerked off.”

“It was either that or I was gonna blow all over myself.”

“Today was my day,” she pouted. She resisted when he attempted to pull her across the console. “It was supposed to be my day and then you cheated, so now I’m wet and horny and I’ve gotta go inside and spend time with my mother.”

Michael laughed and hauled her over to straddle his lap. “Can’t get that image outta your head, can you? Lyin’ back on the bed, covered with gelato… I’ll bet it’d melt so fast when I spread it between your legs – “

She whimpered in need and pressed up against him as her mouth covered his, demanding entrance and receiving permission in an instant. Her hips were grinding against his in a relentless search for release and she froze when a knocking sound finally caught her attention.

“Shit,” she muttered. “She needs the keys.”

“Easy,” he whispered. “Take a couple deep breaths, baby. I’m gonna roll the window down; you give your mom your keys, and tell her you’ll be there in a couple minutes.”

“A couple…”

“It’ll be hard and fast, but I’ll get you off before you go upstairs.”

“Okay.” Maria fumbled for her keys as he lowered the tinted window and she smiled as he spoke with her mother.

“She’s tutoring my sister,” he was saying, “and the kid had a question so Maria’s gonna call her back and then she’ll be on her way upstairs.”

“Um-hmm. I trust I won’t have to wait long.”

“No, Mom, just a few minutes.” She slumped against his chest as he rolled the window back up. “She didn’t believe that story.”

“Do you care?”

“Fuck no!” She popped the snap on her jeans and nearly ruined the zipper in her haste to get it down, relaxing slightly when she felt his palm against her belly as he slid it down, down, down until his hand was wedged tightly between her legs.

“Damn, baby, could you have found a tighter pair of jeans?” he groaned. He was having a difficult time maneuvering his hand because of the constriction. “Okay, hold still for just a second.” He glanced around and checked his rearview mirror before carefully easing his hand free amidst her frustrated cursing. He gripped her hips and exerted just enough pressure to let her know that he wanted her to rise up on her knees.

“What’re you – “

“Shh, I said I’d take care of you.” He quickly shoved her jeans and panties down over her hips and her position gave him the access he needed to slide through her slick folds and thrust two fingers into her. “Don’t try to hold it in, baby, just let it go,” he encouraged and she quickly fell into a hard, fast rhythm. She was panting and he could tell she had her teeth gritted in an effort to keep quiet and he reached up to tip her face to his. She was on the verge of losing it as he pressed against her clit and he pulled her mouth down to his, anticipating her scream when he felt the shudders begin to move through her body.

She continued to ride his fingers even after her orgasm began to subside, her hips just barely moving as she drew the pleasure out as long as possible.

“I could easily sit here and do this all night long, but you need to get upstairs and I think I should get home so I can give Mike Jr. some well-deserved attention.” He withdrew his fingers and used his knuckles to rub teasingly back and forth between her wet folds, gently grazing her clit and smiling when her eyes rolled back in her head and her hips automatically sought out more contact.

Maria sighed raggedly when he gripped the waistband of her jeans and pulled them back up over her hips, zipping and snapping them before he opened the door for her. She stepped out of the car on wobbly legs and turned back to look at him. “Hey, Michael?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever take a bath? Instead of a shower, I mean.”

“When I need to soak some abused part of my body after a game or a tough practice, why?”

“Take one tonight.” She smiled and started walking towards the steps. “Oh, and keep your phone close by.”

*****

Amy was standing in front of the shelf next to the entertainment center, visually browsing the movie titles there when the door behind her opened and Maria walked in. She hid a smile at her daughter’s disheveled appearance and wondered if the younger woman really believed that she was so clueless.

“Michael seems nice,” she said.

“He has his moments.” Maria grinned as she pushed a gallon of milk aside to reach for a bottle of water. “You want somethin’ to drink, Mom?”

“Juice if you have it.” Amy settled on one of the barstools. “How long have you and Michael been seeing each other?”

“Oh, close to a month I guess. Why?”

“It’s just interesting that he seems to know his way around your bedroom, and more importantly, around your bed, but he knew nothing about your obsession with Italian food.”

“Well, we haven’t really had a lot of time to do things like go out to dinner, Mom. We’re both very busy with school… and other stuff.” She snapped her fingers. “Like tutoring his sister.”

“Um-hmm… do you really tutor his sister?”

Maria placed a glass of juice on the counter and leaned back against the refrigerator. “What? Yes, Mother, I’ve been tutoring Brooke for her German class. What exactly are you implying?”

“Why don’t we address the elephant in the room,” Amy suggested.

For all of two seconds Maria considered avoiding the subject altogether, but she was a grown woman, and her mother had to understand that. “I know you’re concerned, but I’m nineteen years old, Mom, and yes, Michael and I are involved in a sexual relationship – “

“Yes, that much was glaringly obvious from the moment I walked into your bedroom.”

“Yeah, about that…”

“I called Tess this afternoon; the seminar I was attending ended a little earlier than expected and since I had a layover in L.A. I thought I’d spend the evening here and leave out first thing in the morning. She arranged for a very nice young man to pick me up at the airport and drop me off here and she had given him her spare key so I could surprise you.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Well, no problem there – I was definitely surprised.”

Amy watched her daughter, seeing the telltale signs that she thought she had escaped from the trap she had unwittingly set for herself. “How is it that the two of you have managed to become so familiar with each other in the bedroom and you’re so clueless everywhere else?”

“What?”

“Honey, I don’t know how stupid you think I am – “

“I don’t think that, Mom!” she quickly denied.

“Um-hmm, then why are you lying to me?” Amy shifted to a more comfortable position and studied her daughter’s stunned expression. “I was your age once, so I know the last thing you want is to have your mother telling you what to do or to give you advice about having sex.” She took a deep breath. “But, we’re gonna talk about your relationship with that young man… or rather, your non-relationship.”

Maria sighed. “Mom – “

“You were so busy trying to convince me that you and Michael are in a relationship that you overlooked something very important.”

“What?” she asked slowly.

“You have never in your life been complacent enough to allow anyone, much less a man, order your dinner for you without so much as asking your opinion. If I hadn’t been suspicious before then, that would’ve sealed the deal.”

“Michael’s just… he’s…”

“Girl, if you dare say the words ‘old fashioned’ we’re gonna have a serious problem.” Amy shook her head as she watched her daughter, easily identifying the agitation evident in the younger woman’s posture. “We’ve always been very open and honest with each other and I’ll respect your wishes if you don’t want to talk about it, but I think you’d better take a hard look at what you’re getting into with Michael.”

“We’re not getting into anything.”

Amy sighed and shook her head. “I had hoped that after that disaster with Billy you’d find someone who would treat you right, someone you could care about and who would care about you, and unless I’ve missed my mark – and, I don’t think I have – you seem to have found that with Michael.”

“What? No, we’re just… hangin’ out.”

“Honey, I wasn’t born yesterday. Men do not go out of their way to impress their girlfriend’s mother if they don’t have any feelings for the girl. If the two of you have convinced yourselves that you’re only together for a brief sexual relationship, then I’ve got news for you…”

“We’re not in a relationship, Mom! We’re together, but not involved, and when he’s ready to move on or when I find a guy who is nothing like Billy, we’ll go our separate ways.”

“I may have only spent a couple of hours with you and Michael, but that man is nothing like Billy, and if you think he is then you’d better take a hard look at him. He cares about you – “

“Mom, I don’t really want to discuss this.” Maria decided a change of subject was needed before the conversation headed in a direction she was trying to avoid. “So, Tess sent Kyle to pick you up?”

“Yes.” Amy decided to let the subject drop as she smiled, crossing her left leg over her right as she leaned on the bar. “He was very nice and it would appear that he’s very devoted to Tess. I have to admit that I was surprised to learn that she’s actually involved with him and not just sleeping with him, although I certainly approve. Oh, and let her know that I left her spare key in her room on her desk like she asked.” She took a drink of her juice as she studied her daughter. “How’s Liz doing?”

“She’s good. Still trying to figure out where she fits into things and whether or not her life is going the way she really wants it to go.”

“She’s having second thoughts about the engagement?”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t say I’m all that surprised.” Amy chuckled at Maria’s shocked expression. “Just because their parents think that their engagement is the most miraculous event since the creation of sliced bread doesn’t mean the rest of us think that. They’ve been together since junior high; they’re not in any position to know what they really want, they haven’t experienced life, and I think they’re gonna discover that there’s a lot more to see and do before settling down.”

“Well, Liz hasn’t talked to anyone but me about this, Mom.”

“Enough said, honey. I won’t say anything to anyone. And what about Isabel, how’s she doing?”

“I think it’d be safe to say that Isabel is in love. She’s involved with a great guy… Michael’s older brother, actually.”

“Really?”

“He’s a senior, studying graphics design or something, works at a firm downtown, has custody of his younger sister, and he worships the ground Isabel walks on.”

“He sounds perfect for her. After the way that Logan broke her heart over the summer…” She shook her head. “Well, it sounds like you girls are doing well here.”

Maria watched her mother for several minutes before deciding that there was some other reason for the woman’s visit. “Mom, was there something else you wanted to talk about?”

“There was one other thing… I know Thanksgiving’s around the corner and you were planning to come home, but I just found out that I’ll be working over the holiday.”

“Oh.”

“I was hoping that you had made some friends that would be staying on campus because I didn’t want you to spend the entire weekend hanging around the house by yourself.”

“They have a big bash on campus for the students that don’t go home for the holidays, Mom, so don’t worry about it.” She had no idea if that was true or not, but she didn’t want her mother to know she’d be alone if she stayed in Long Beach for the holiday.

“I’m so sorry, honey.”

Maria walked around the breakfast bar to hug her mother. “It’s okay, Mom; it’s not the first time you’ve had to work over the holidays.”

Amy glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late and I have an early flight, and I know you’ve got an early class, so we should get some sleep.”

“Do you mind sleeping on the couch?” she asked, hoping her mother would say no. She couldn’t offer her own bed to her for the night because that would just kill the mood for any future sexual games she and Michael would play.

“The couch will be fine,” Amy assured her. She would never be able to sleep in Maria’s bed after what she had seen earlier.

“Okay, let me get you a pillow and a blanket.”

After Maria left the room her cell phone buzzed, causing it to vibrate across the countertop and Amy looked up to see where her daughter was. She picked the phone up with the intention of letting the younger woman know who was calling and realized that it wasn’t a call, but a text message. She flipped the phone open and just glanced over the first few words, eyebrows lifting in curiosity.

“Who’s Mike Jr.?” she asked when Maria dropped a pillow and blanket on one of the chairs and shook a sheet out.

Maria nearly fell over at her mother’s question and she quickly focused on the sheet she was tucking over the couch cushions. “Um, who?”

“Oh, well, your phone was ringing, so I was checking it for you and it was just a text message from Michael that said Mike Jr. misses you.

Just be glad he didn’t send a picture of Mike Jr. along with the message! she thought, placing the pillow against one of the arms and then shaking the blanket out over the couch. She cleared her throat and turned to face her mother. “His um… his younger brother… he thinks it’s funny to call his younger brother Mike Jr. and… so, yeah, younger brother.”

“Uh-huh,” Amy said, her tone clearly stating that she wasn’t buying the explanation.

Maria crossed the room to take her phone from her mother. “Mom, I know you liked Michael and that you don’t approve of my relationship with him because it is sexual, but the truth is that I’m an adult, I’m in college, I have a very healthy sex life, and I’m not gonna apologize or make excuses for it.” She leaned in for another hug and kissed the older woman’s cheek. “I love you and goodnight.”

*****

Maria slumped back against her closed bedroom door and flipped her phone open, scrolling down to read Michael’s message. She had planned to take a quick shower and then call him, but instead she sent him a quick text and went to start running a bath for herself, complete with scented bath salts. She quickly pulled her clothes off and tossed them on the hamper as she set the scene the way Michael had arranged it earlier; she turned the bedside lamp on, shut off the overhead light, and turned the stereo on before going back into the bathroom and locking the door on Liz’ side so she wouldn’t be interrupted.

When the water was nearly ready she punched in Michael’s number on the speed dial and held the phone up to her ear. “Tell Mike Jr. I miss him too,” she said as soon as he answered on his end, “but, thanks for not sendin’ a picture with the text.”

“Don’t say things like that; you’ll hurt his feelings.”

Maria laughed aloud at that. “Please,” she scoffed. “No, seriously, my mom opened it up.”

Michael shuddered at that information. “Okay, could we not talk about your mother? You’re gonna kill the mood.”

“Sorry. Would it help if I told you I’m walking around naked?”

“Yeah, big improvement.”

“Are you running a bath?” She nodded at his affirmative answer. “And you’re not gonna be interrupted, right?”

“Nope, nobody’s home and I’m not expecting them anytime soon.”

“Perfect.”

He chuckled and the sound caused her to shiver. “You should be proud of me, baby; I haven’t touched myself since I left you.”

“Michael?”

He froze where he was standing when he heard the low, husky tone in her voice. “Yeah?”

“What’re you doin’ right now?”

Michael looked down at himself as he leaned over to shut the faucets off; the sound of her voice had gone straight to his dick. “Pitchin’ a serious tent.”

“What’re you wearing right now?”

“A pair of black boxers…”

“And nothing else, right?”

“Nothin’ else,” he affirmed. “You said you’re naked… you in bed?”

“Noooo,” Maria said slowly, dragging the word out into several long syllables as she shut the water off. “I thought we’d take a bath together; I’m gonna put you on speaker so I can slide into the water now, but I want you to wait.”

Michael bit his bottom lip when she set the phone down, waiting impatiently for her to make herself comfortable and tell him what she wanted him to do. He was sure that was what she was planning was going to be torture since her game had been interrupted earlier. He rubbed the heel of his hand along his erection, providing some friction while trying to behave.

“Are you touching yourself?”

“Not yet, but it wouldn’t take much.”

“Okay, your turn; strip and get in the bath, but no touching.”

“You do know you’re killin’ me, right?”

She chuckled and listened to the material sliding over his flesh as he lowered his boxers followed by the sound of splashing water. “So, are you up for a little game?”

Michael switched his phone over to the speaker mode and set it down on the wide rim near the wall. “I’m past ready, baby; tell me what you want me to do.”

“Touch yourself… and tell me what you’re doing.”

“Jerking off isn’t exactly a hard science, Maria.” He chuckled at his unintentional pun. “What I meant was that it’s pretty standard… there’s nothin’ special about it.”

Of course he would be unimaginative for this. “Okay, Michael, let’s take this from a different angle.” She took a deep breath and slid further down in the water. “Slide down until you’re comfortable, stretch your arms out and let them rest on the rim of the tub, and close your eyes for me.”

He did as she asked and after half a minute he huffed impatiently. “Maria, I’m seriously startin’ to feel stupid here.”

“Y’know, I’m naked, in the bath, and touching myself… do you hear me complaining?”

“Yeah, well, the difference is that it’s hot when you do it,” he grumbled.

“What were you imagining when you ran to the bathroom to jerk off at the restaurant?”

“What we were talkin’ about while we were alone… and you makin’ the sounds you were makin’ while eatin’ your dinner.”

“Tell me about it; keep your eyes closed and picture it in your mind while you describe it.”

Hell, that’d be easy enough. He could recall that image with no work whatsoever. “It’s late and I show up at your place with a pint of the pistachio ice cream, you’re in your room lying in bed studying… completely naked.” He paused to see if she was gonna make fun of him. “Anyway, so I cross the room, take the textbook and toss it on the floor, an’ you roll over and look up at me and I can see how much you want me, but I refuse to be rushed. I strip down an’ straddle your body and you’re already wet an’ ready, shiftin’ around restlessly, needin’ me to touch you so bad that it’s makin’ you crazy.”

Maria smiled, listening to him as he described his fantasy scenario. She could hear his voice getting thicker as he got more turned on and she couldn’t believe how detailed his fantasy was, but she was certain that they would be acting it out at some point because it was turning both of them on. He had reached the part where he was licking up every drop of ice cream while she begged for release and she knew he was at a place where he would be more comfortable touching himself and telling her about it.

“Where’s your hand, Michael?”

“Fistin’ my dick at the moment,” he groaned.

“Tell me,” she whispered, urging him on.

“I’m imaginin’ that you’ve had all you can take so you push me over and you’re lyin’ between my legs, and your hand’s wrapped around my dick as you lean down and take me in your mouth.” His fingers clenched convulsively and his hips jerked in response; he knew what she was waiting for but this was new for him and it was just a little unnerving.

“Tell me how you’re touching yourself, Michael.”

“My hand’s wrapped around my dick an’ I’m just kinda strokin’ myself, usin’ my thumb to rub over the head.” His breathing became shallow and he dropped his head back to rest against the wall as his hand sped up. “Sorry, gotta kick it into overdrive; I’m getting close to blowin’. I’ve got my left foot braced against the other end of the tub, I’m kinda squeezin’ an’ tuggin’ at my balls with one hand and pumpin’ my dick with the other.”

“You’re imagining my mouth and hands right now, aren’t you? Stroking you, sucking you…”

Her throaty words pushed him over the edge and he shouted as he shot all over his chest and stomach. He slumped down in the tub, using his foot to keep him from sliding under the water, and he grinned as he glanced at the mess on his chest. “Excellent distance,” he muttered proudly.

“I wish I could see you right now.”

“I could come over,” he offered. “I’ll even bring the ice cream.”

Maria chuckled and shook her head. “Not while I’ve got company, but I’m lookin’ forward to playing out that fantasy with you. And one of these days, I wanna watch you jerk off because I’ll bet it’s fucking hot.”

Michael suddenly realized how she had felt on Saturday night when he had asked her to touch herself while he watched and what it had taken for her to do that for him. He wasn’t new to sex, but he and Maria had definitely moved into new territory; they both had active imaginations and while neither of them was shy about their sexuality, they had never reached this level of play in any of their other relationships in the past.

He hadn’t really considered just how much trust was required or involved in this arrangement they had agreed upon and he quickly pushed those thoughts away because he wasn’t ready to deal with it or the implications. Instead he turned the conversation back to Maria and started teasing her in an attempt to silence the voice in his head that insisted he was getting more involved than he was supposed to.

*****

Amy was still awake when the front door opened a little while later and Liz quietly entered the apartment. She watched the girl as she turned to lock the door and smiled when Liz noticed her for the first time.

“Amy! I didn’t know you were coming for a visit!” Liz ran over to the woman sitting on the couch and hugged her. “When did you get here?”

“Just a few hours ago; it was a spur of the moment visit. I have to catch a flight first thing in the morning, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to stop in for a few hours.” She motioned for the girl to stand up so she could get a good look at her. “Look at you,” she murmured, nodding in approval. “That haircut agrees with you, I like it!”

“Really?” Liz ran a hand through her hair, the gesture uncertain. “I don’t think Sean cares for it.” She shrugged. “He didn’t even notice it until I pointed it out and then he just wanted to know why I did it.”

“Some men are just clueless, sweetie.” She tipped her head to one side when she saw the tiny, secretive smile on the girl’s face. “But, someone noticed it, huh?” She shook her head when Liz’ expression quickly shifted and the smile was replaced by guilt and she reached out to pat the cushion next to her. “Tell me what’s going on, Liz.”

Liz sat down next to Amy and before she knew it she was pouring the entire story out as tears of confusion and frustration ran unchecked down her face. She burrowed into the older woman’s embrace, taking comfort from the familiarity and stability that Maria’s mother had always given to all of her daughter’s friends.

“I don’t know what to do, Amy.”

“Oh, sweetie, you must feel so torn right now.” She brushed her hand over the girl’s dark hair, her touch soothing and healing. “I’m not gonna tell you what you should do, and you already know that, but what I am gonna tell you is that you’re almost nineteen years old and you’re being faced with something that’s new and frightening… the realization that maybe Sean isn’t the man you wanna spend the rest of your life with.”

“But, what do I do about that?”

“I think you already know what you need to do about that.”

Liz sighed. “Talk to Sean.” She sat up to meet the older woman’s understanding gaze. “He’s gonna hate me, Amy.”

“You’re attracted to this other young man… Max, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if he’s even really interested in me or if it’s just a passing thing… I’m just so confused.” She shook her head. “What if Maria’s right and I’m just staying with Sean because he’s what I know? I mean, he’s always nice, polite, and he goes out of his way to make sure I’m taken care of, but what if there’s more than that? What if I’m settling for Sean because I’m scared to step outside of my comfort zone?” She reached up to brush new tears away. “What if I miss out on something amazing with someone else?”

“I don’t have the answers to all of those questions, honey; you’re the only one who can answer them. But, if you’re having these kinds of doubts then you’ve got to talk to Sean.” She nudged the girl’s chin up and met her watery gaze. “You deserve to be happy.”

“My parents will be mad at me… Sean’s parents will be mad at me… they’ve all been expecting us to get married after college, and – “

“Liz, listen to me,” Amy said insistently. “Parents only want what’s best for their children, and while it’s hard to accept, sometimes what we want and what they need are two completely different things. I know how badly you want to keep from disappointing your parents, but, honey, you cannot get married and spend your life with Sean just to make him happy and to please your parents, do you understand me? Marriage is hard enough without going into it with that kind of burden on your shoulders.”

“But, my parents – “

“Your parents may be mad at first, they may be disappointed, and they may try to convince you that you’re making a huge mistake, but I know your parents, Liz; once they’ve had time to calm down and they realize that you haven’t been happy for a long time, they’ll come to their senses.”

“You don’t think I’ve been happy?”

“There’s a big difference between being happy and being complacent.” She smiled reassuringly. “You can either let things happen or make things happen, Liz, but either way, life’s too short to not enjoy it to the fullest. And if you have any doubts about whether or not you’ve been happy recently… take a look in the mirror next time you think about Max.” She patted Liz’ cheek softly and smiled. “I know it’s not gonna be easy, but you do need to sit down and talk to Sean about this.”

Liz nodded and leaned in to hug the other woman. “Thanks, Amy. You always know just what to say to make me feel better.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 33 - 7/9/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Alien_Friend: Amy rocks! Yes, Liz isn’t quite ready for the advice she might get from say… Tess, LOL! The talk with Sean is coming soon.

Amy definitely got right to the point, didn’t she? The signs are there and they will begin facing the truth soon… individually, anyway. But, they’ve gotta start somewhere.

Maria’s room is far enough away from the living area that she may have felt fairly confident that she was safe from her mother’s hearing range. As for Liz… well, thankfully she didn’t make it in early enough to overhear anything that would’ve shocked the poor girl. Truthfully though, she most likely wasn’t even thinking about it.

kismet: Expect that talk in the next part… not sure how clear it’ll make things though.

No promises on Michael or Maria dealing with things in the immediate future.

We’re glad that helps! And, hey, it’s getting closer!

destinyc: He’s slowly becoming aware of it. No promises about that back pedaling, though.
That progress is coming… remember, slow, but sure!

keepsmiling7: Thanks for reading!

begonia9508: Amy’s right on target!

Y’know how men are! Gotta name the brain… it’s necessary to be on a first-name basis with the organ that makes the majority of their decisions for them.

mary mary: You are so right! Thanks, we’re glad you like our Amy!

Here’s to hopin’ that there are no acts of God or rising creeks that’ll keep ya from joining us for the next update!

nibbles2: Thanks, we’re glad you like Amy! It pays to know when to listen, when to talk, and when to give advice.

LOL, let’s hope firemen and/or evacuations from the immediate vicinity won’t be necessary!

tequathisy: Amy is definitely different, but that’s what makes her so great! The girls need someone in their lives who can help guide them without judging.

Maiqu: Welcome back! Thanks!

April: Girl, I think it’s safe to say that any and all of us would be mortified! Those two do have an awesome relationship.

Well, we’re gonna hope that spontaneous combustion doesn’t occur… that scene has been written and about all we can say is that both of our computers are still operational... may have had to replace a monitor or two for the strangest melting issue on the screens, but other than that we’re okay…

sarammlover: Someone that Maria would listen to had to point it out, and who better than her own mother? You’ve pegged Michael perfectly! Liz will be taking a small, but important step with the next update!



Part 33 – Breakfast Interruptus

Maria was making freshly-squeezed orange juice the next morning when the doorbell rang and her mother motioned for her to stay where she was.

“I’ll get it, honey.” Amy opened the front door and studied the young man standing there for several long seconds before she stepped back to let him enter. “You must be Mike Jr.,” she said with a smile.

“Excuse me?” Brendan wasn’t sure how the woman had jumped to that obviously incorrect conclusion.

“Clearly you and Michael are twins, and Maria said that he liked to call his younger brother ‘Mike Jr.’, so – “

“Brendan, you hungry?” Maria asked, hoping to change the subject.

“I am, but I’m actually here to pick Liz up for class ‘cause there’s somethin’ wrong with her car. We’re gonna stop and grab somethin’ to eat on the way.”

“Hey, Brendan, I thought I heard you out here,” Liz said as she grabbed a small glass of juice and headed back to her bedroom. “Do we have a few minutes?”

He nodded as he moved to get a glass down from the cabinet. “Take your time, Liz.”

A horn blared in the parking lot below and Maria glanced up at her mother when the woman moved to the window to look outside.

“Well, that’s my ride,” Amy said as she reached for her bag.

Maria rushed around the bar to join her mother and they walked outside together. “I wish you could’ve stayed longer, Mom.”

“I do too, honey, but we’ll try to do this again.” Amy smiled as she handed her bag to the cab driver. “Maybe when we have more time and things aren’t so rushed. You didn’t mention that Michael’s younger brother was also his twin.”

“Um, yeah, about that…”

Amy chuckled at her daughter and shook her head. “Honey, I know he’s never called his brother Mike Jr.” She nodded when the driver spoke up, letting her know he was ready. “So, that means either he was talking about himself in the third person, something which is slightly disturbing, or it means that like most men he’s named his penis after himself… and in that case, we’ll simply end this conversation right here.”

“So, next time maybe you can stay for a few days and you can meet everybody.” Sometimes her mother was just too smart, Maria thought as she hugged the older woman. It was so easy to forget that parents were people, too!

“I’ll let you know how my schedule looks after the first of the year.”

Maria waited until the cab was out of sight before she turned and hurried back upstairs. She groaned when she entered the apartment and saw Brendan slouched down on one of the barstools waiting for her as he drank his glass of juice.

“So, your mom, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh-huh, let me guess, Michael was here when she arrived?”

“Why d’you say that?”

“Well,” he said, sitting up and reaching across the counter for the pitcher of orange juice to refill his glass, “I’ve gotta say that’s the first time I’ve ever been mistaken for my brother’s dick. I can only imagine how he worked Mike Jr. into the conversation – “

“It was a text message that my mom read.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” He chuckled and settled back into his slouched position.

“How’d you know – “

“That he calls his dick Mike Jr.?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Despite his level of intelligence, he’s too arrogant to give it any other name.”

“Okay, Brendan, I’m ready,” Liz announced as she joined them with her backpack and laptop case. She smiled in gratitude when he stood and took her things before turning back to walk backwards as he spoke to Maria.

“I guess I’ll talk to you later,” he said, nodding as he grinned at her. He turned just as he reached the door and bumped right into Michael. “Oh, hey, looks like Mike Jr. arrived just in time.”

Michael’s mouth was hanging open in shock, but he wasn’t sure what had surprised him more – that Brendan had made a joke about Mike Jr. or that he was actually teasing him. He was incapable of making any kind of response in the face of his brother’s good-natured teasing and he was still staring after him when Maria reached around him to push the door shut and flip the lock.

“What the hell was that all about?” he grumbled, turning to follow her into the kitchen. He picked up her glass and took a drink of the juice.

“That was Brendan making a joke. My mother called him Mike Jr. by mistake.” She patted him on the back when he choked on the juice he had been in the process of swallowing when she delivered her news.

“Your mother did what?” he gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“She may have been under the impression that you call your younger brother Mike Jr.”

“Why the hell would she think that?”

“I might’ve mentioned it.” She rolled her eyes and held her hands up. “I panicked when she asked who Mike Jr. was, okay. Hey, be glad I didn’t blurt the truth out.” There was no reason to mention that her mother had figured it out, she decided.

He snorted. “Be glad I didn’t attach a picture… ‘cause I almost did.” He leaned back against the counter and motioned to the things spread out on the counter. “What’re you makin’?”

“I was thinkin’ about pancakes.”

Michael shook his head. “Waffles are better.” He started moving around, opening cabinet doors and poking his head inside. “You got a waffle iron?”

“Um, yeah… bottom shelf in the cabinet under the bar.”

“Oh, yeah, this’s perfect,” he muttered as he bent down to pull the thing out. He set it on the counter and opened it, checking it over before plugging it up. “You haven’t lived until you’ve had my Belgian waffles. So, sit your sweet little ass down on one of those barstools and look sexy while I fix breakfast for you.”

*****

Brendan turned into the parking lot of a local diner that he favored and parked close to the front entrance before hopping out and running around to open the passengers’ side door for Liz. He waited until they had been seated in a corner booth and placed their orders before he decided to mention his concerns.

“I know we may not know each other well enough for me to ask this question, but I’ve gotta put it out there, so I hope it’s okay that I’m gonna say this.”

“It’s about Sean?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I was wonderin’ what’s goin’ on between you two… it’s not really any of my business, and I know that, but, he’s been in a bad mood for more than a week now and that’s just not like Sean. I’ve tried to talk to him, but he won’t tell me what’s goin’ on. I’ve never known him to act like this, and there’s really only one thing that gets to guys and makes them act like he’s been actin’.”

“It’s because of me, Brendan; I’ll talk to him.”

He started seasoning his food as soon as the waitress placed it on the table in front of him, asking her for a refill on his chocolate milk before glancing at Liz once more. “You guys have a fight?”

“Yes… no… I don’t even know for sure.” She poked at her food with little interest. “Do you know if he’s planning to hit the library after classes today?”

“Doubtful,” Brendan mumbled, cutting into his omelet. “He’s been doin’ all of his studyin’ at the apartment; hasn’t really left to go anywhere other than classes since last week sometime.”

Liz nodded and took a deep breath. “What about you?”

He looked up at her question. “You askin’ if I’m gonna be home tonight?”

“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

“Nah, I’m takin’ Brooke out for dinner and a movie, so I’ll be out until about ten or so.” He smiled at her. “It’s all yours until then.”

“Thanks, Brendan.” She smiled when he just nodded and went right back to eating. He had said what he had to say and it was doubtful he would have much more to say now that the food had arrived. She sighed as she thought about the evening ahead. She wasn’t looking forward to talking to Sean, but she knew it had to be done.

*****

Maria watched Michael as he mixed the ingredients for the waffle mix before setting it aside and turning his attention back to the strawberries he had been slicing in half.

“Michael, where’d you learn to cook?”

“It’s not that difficult, and if you like to eat, you figure it out as you go.” He shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

She nodded, realizing that if she pressed it he was only going to feel cornered and they would end up arguing over nothing. He didn’t like to talk about himself unless if was far removed from his family life and she had to ignore the feeling that his reluctance to share anything personal hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Michael glanced at her when she didn’t respond and he had a bad feeling that her silence was a bad sign. Girls got involved too easily; once their emotions surfaced and they decided that they wanted more things got complicated. It was time to distract her before her brain had the time to detour and take that route because he liked things the way they were. He wasn’t interested in a relationship; he just wanted things to continue the way they were going, and if that happened to include them actually having sex at some point that would be great, but he didn’t want it to change beyond that.

“What’re you doin’?” Maria asked when he reached out and turned the waffle iron off. “I’m still hungry over here.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She shivered when he turned back to look at her and she saw the shift in his features. He might be hungry, but he wasn’t talking about food! She watched him as he stalked around the bar and came to stand directly in front of her. “What’re you hungry for?” she asked, her voice dropping as she lifted one hand to trace her fingers over his lips.

“You,” he growled, grabbing her hips and pulling her forward. Her legs settled around him and he lifted her up with ease, reaching over the counter to grab the bowl of strawberries, the bottle of syrup, and a can of whipped cream. “Hold that.”

Maria chuckled at his gruff tone and struggled to hold onto everything until they reached her bedroom. He kicked the door shut and toed his shoes off before pausing beside the bed to take the items from her and setting them on the nightstand. She felt his big hands slide down to cup her ass and she watched his dark eyes as they traced over her face.

“Get rid of the shirt and bra,” he ordered huskily.

She hurried to divest herself of the items of clothing, tossing them on the floor and sighing happily when she saw his approving gaze. “You too,” she insisted, tugging his shirt up and off. Her hands curled around his shoulders when he moved to the bed, loving it when she felt his weight settle over her. She reluctantly released him when he moved to sit up and she followed his every move as he ran his hands over her naked torso.

Michael shifted so that her legs were pinned between his and he reached over to pick up the bottle of syrup. He leaned back to rest his weight on his knees and he stretched his arm out, squeezing the bottle as he drew designs on Maria’s skin with the sweet stuff. The design traced around, over, and between her breasts before finally coming back down to connect at the point where he had started with his sticky art. He set the syrup aside and traded it for the can of whipped cream, shaking it up before pressing the tip and squeezing a fat drop of the sugary substance around and over her nipples. He finished his creation by placing a sliced strawberry over each of her nipples and then sat back to admire his handiwork.

“I’d love to take my time with this, but, syrup starts to dry and get really sticky after a while and then it’s not fun anymore, so…” He dipped his head down to follow the path of the syrup, making her squirm as his tongue licked up every bit of the thick, dark liquid. Her fingers slid into his hair and attempted to guide him, but he continued on his own path and at his own pace, ignoring her nipples and driving her insane while enjoying every minute of it.

“Michael…”

He mumbled a response, but his tone clearly indicated that he wasn’t really paying any attention to what she was saying. When he was finished with the syrup he straightened his arms out and braced his weight on his hands on either side of her body. He jerked when she reached out to trace her fingertips over his erection and he brushed her hand aside before reaching for the button at the top of her shorts. Once they were gone and out of the way he leaned forward to grab her hands, pressing them into the pillow above her head.

“Leave ‘em there,” he ordered gruffly as he reached for the whipped cream again. He resituated their positions so that he was kneeling between her legs and he lifted her right leg up over his shoulder. “Now that is a beautiful sight.” She was wet, her skin was flushed with desire, her eyes were nearly black with need, and her strawberry-tipped breasts were heaving as her breathing increased.

Maria watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, wondering what he would do next; she loved the anticipation and his creative mind, but she was ready to come. Her hips bucked when he leaned down to dip his tongue between her folds, sliding in and out, up and down, for several minutes before pausing to tease her clit. He waited until she was right on the edge before he pulled his mouth away and took a moment to bring himself back under control.

She cried out when cold whipped cream replaced his hot mouth and the sensation made her tremble as her senses began to overload. “Michael…”

He chuckled and reached for the strawberries, carefully leaning down over her body to kiss her hard and fast. “You have any idea how fuckin’ hot you are?”

“I know how fuckin’ horny I am,” she grumbled, “and in a minute I’m just gonna finish without you.”

“Think it’d be more satisfying than me finishin’ you?” He shook his head as he sat back on his knees and reached for a strawberry, sliding it through her folds to gather up the cream mixed with her own juices before popping it in his mouth.

Maria wasn’t sure if she was more turned on by his arrogance or by his actions because they were both equally hot. By the time he was finished devouring the rest of the excess whipped cream in the same manner she was shaking with need and expecting him to finish her off. She shook her head in denial when he turned his attention back to her breasts, licking away the whipped cream before taking the strawberry into his mouth while sucking on her greedily.

Every time he pulled on her nipples she could feel an electric charge shoot through her body and go straight to that bundle of nerves between her legs. “Michael, please,” she groaned, thrashing under him.

He slid back down between her legs and lapped up the last traces of the whipped cream before resting his chin against her mound and looking up at her. “Tell me what you want,” he said, watching her.

“I want you inside me,” she answered without thinking. Maria quickly reached for his hand, holding it up in front of him. “Y’know what I mean.” She just hoped he wouldn’t read more into her response because the truth was she did want to feel him inside her, she wanted to know what it was like to really make love with him, to know what it felt like to have all of him, but that was the one thing she couldn’t have with him. It would be the end of what they had and she wasn’t ready to lose him yet, so she would continue to take him whatever way she could get him for now.

Michael shoved away that irritating little voice that insisted they were heading for something he was certain he didn’t want. He wasn’t stupid; he knew what she had really meant, but he also knew that once they really fucked it was all over, it would only be a matter of days, weeks at the most before they went their separate ways, and he wasn’t ready for that.

He decided to concentrate all of his efforts on making her come, distracting her from what she really wanted, what they both really wanted. He lowered his mouth to her once more and pushed two fingers into her, feeling her inner muscles clamp down on him. He didn’t draw it out this time, quickly bringing her to her peak and pushing her over the edge in an effort to derail the thoughts he knew she was having. He reveled in her scream of completion, her body shaking under him as it tried to put itself back together, and he rubbed his lower body against the mattress in an effort to placate his dick.

Maria hooked her arms under his and tugged on him until he shifted to lie over her once more. She tried to read his expression but it was shuttered, closed off, and she wondered what he was hiding from her. Was it possible that he wanted the same thing she did but was afraid to admit it? Don’t even go there, her mind reminded her. You don’t want to get involved with him on that level… keep it simple, Maria!

Michael’s eyes registered surprise when she used her weight to roll them over, reversing their positions and straddling his hips. “Your turn,” she said as she scooted back enough to unfasten his jeans. He lifted his hips when she motioned for him to help her as she pushed his jeans out of the way and then tossed them over the footboard once they were off of his body. “Wanna tell me what you want?”

He stared at her for several minutes, realizing that what he wanted was the one thing that he couldn’t have. It’s the one thing you don’t want, dumbass! his conscience screamed angrily. What is wrong with you? You can’t afford that kind of involvement; you know you don’t deserve that type of relationship and you’re never gonna have it. You know better than to set yourself up for that kind of disappointment; take what you can get and protect yourself before you get hurt.

“I want a shower,” he said unexpectedly. “Let’s go.”

Maria was confused, but she followed him into the bathroom and waited while he turned the faucets on and adjusted the temperature. He motioned for her to get in and then stepped into the tub behind her, holding her still when she tried to turn around.

“No, stay facin’ the wall; I need it like this.” He pressed his body up against her back and he sighed raggedly when his erection slipped between her thighs. He loved to watch her when they were getting each other off, but his emotions were too close to the surface and he was playing a dangerous game, so it was best if he wasn’t looking into her eyes this time.

Maria wanted to question him, she wanted to understand what was going on with him, but she knew that demanding answers would cross the boundaries they had agreed upon. Instead, she let him dictate what he wanted without questioning him, letting him place her hands against the wall as he started to rock against her. His left hand was gripping her hip hard enough to bruise and his hips were pounding into hers as he dropped his forehead to rest on her shoulder. His free hand moved down between her legs, stroking her in time to his thrusts, and it didn’t take long before she felt another orgasm building.

He howled as he came only seconds behind her and his left hand shot out to rest against the wall next to hers as he struggled to catch his breath. “I don’t think we’re gonna be makin’ it to class,” he huffed breathlessly.

“Fuck class,” Maria muttered, exhausted. “I say we finish showering, take a nap, and then you make me a plate of those Belgian waffles you were braggin’ about before we got sidetracked.”

He nodded wordlessly, willing to do just about anything as long as it meant they didn’t have to actually talk about this thing between them.

*****

Liz knocked on the door and realized that it was the first time that she could remember ever being nervous about being alone with Sean. She wasn’t prepared for his expression when he finally opened the door; she had expected anger and hurt, but he looked annoyed more than anything else.

“Hey, Sean, I was hoping we could talk.”

“So, talk.”

She swallowed hard, unused to his current behavior. “Can I come inside?”

“Need privacy to break up with me?” he sneered.

“I’m not here to break up with you, but we need to have a serious talk, Sean.”

“Fine.” He stepped back and motioned for her to come in, but there wasn’t an ounce of welcome in his features. “Why don’t we talk about what’s really goin’ on… I can’t tell you how refreshing that would be.”

Liz stood across the room from him and wished that she were anywhere else. “I’m having second thoughts,” she blurted out nervously.

“What’re you talkin’ about?” he asked, his words contrary. He wasn’t stupid; he knew what she was talking about but he was angry and hurt and in that moment he wanted her to feel the same way.

“I’m talkin’ about marriage, Sean; I’m not sure it’s what I want. I’m not even sure who I am or what I want right now.”

“I’m not sure who you are anymore either, Liz. What’s changed?”

“Sean, this isn’t easy for me! I’m changing, I’m discovering new things, and some of those things are making me take a hard look at myself.”

“I think it’s a combination of bein’ in a big city, goin’ to college, livin’ with a house full of sexually active girls, and your introduction to Max Evans.” He paced erratically and ran his hands through his hair. “I knew lettin’ you share an apartment with them was a bad idea.”

“You think you let me live with them?” Liz shook her head in disbelief. “Nevermind. Listen, Sean, haven’t you wondered if we’re together because our families expect it?”

“No. We’re together because we love each other.”

God, this hurt worse than she had imagined. “Do we?”

Sean froze as he suddenly realized that she was serious. “I know I love you, and I know that two weeks ago I wouldn’t have thought twice if anyone had asked me if you loved me.”

“Are you attracted to me? Physically?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, I’m attracted to you; what kinda question is that?”

“Then why is it so easy for us to say goodnight or goodbye? Shouldn’t it be harder for us to walk away from each other? We’ve been together for four years and we’ve never once even tried to convince each other to have sex or touch each other sexually… don’t you think that’s odd? Even with the agreement to wait until we’re married, shouldn’t we want to have sex?”

“You’re attracted to Max,” he accused. “That’s what this is really about, isn’t it?”

“I’m not gonna lie to you, Sean; I feel different when I’m around him – “

“Then stay away from him.”

She sighed. “It’s not that simple, Sean! If it were that simple we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Fine.” He waved his right hand dismissively. “Take some time to figure out what you want; I’ll step back and give you whatever space you need.” He met her gaze as he shook his head. “But, don’t take too long, Liz, ‘cause I’m not gonna wait around forever.”

*****

Alex felt his mouth go dry when Isabel finally joined him in the kitchen and he whistled under his breath. Her blond hair fell over her bare shoulders in golden waves and the red dress she wore flattered her, molding to her curves and enhancing what he felt was already perfect. He smiled as she crossed the room to stand in front of him, her right hand coming up to smooth over his burgundy tie.

He was wearing a black suit over a crisp white shirt and he felt like his collar was too tight, but he wanted the evening to be perfect so he refused to allow himself the comfort of unbuttoning the top button. “The tie’s okay?” he asked uncertainly. “I didn’t wanna look like a chauffer.”

Isabel smiled and reached up to slip the top button free and then straightened his tie over it. “The tie’s perfect, and so are you.”

“If anyone’s perfect here…” He shook his head and grinned at her. “It’s definitely you. Am I gonna get a lecture about messin’ up your makeup if I kiss you now?”

“Probably, but go for it anyway.” She smiled when he leaned in and cradled her face in his hands so he could kiss her properly, taking his time to be as thorough as possible. Knowing that she was going to have to reapply her lipstick anyway she wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss.

Alex growled as he gentled the kiss and released her, leaning back to stare into her eyes as she reached up to wipe her lipstick from his lips. He glanced over her shoulder to the clock on the wall, noting the time. “We should go or we’re gonna miss our reservations.” His heated gaze traveled down over her and he shook his head. “And as much as I would love to just order somethin’ in and make mad, passionate love to you while waitin’ for the food to be delivered, you deserve to be taken out and treated like the lady you are.”

Isabel was so happy she felt like she could burst. “You’ve always treated me like a lady, Alex.”

“Well, tonight, I’d like to take you out for a romantic dinner for two.” He smiled as he followed her back to the bathroom so she could fix her makeup. “In two months we have yet to make it through a single evening without an interruption of some sort, so I’ve threatened Brooke and the twins with serious bodily harm if they find any reason to interrupt this evening.”

“Alex, tell me you didn’t do that.” She rolled her eyes at him when he met her gaze in the mirror and shrugged. “They don’t mean to interrupt things.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I don’t care whether they mean it or not, tonight is our night and any interruption will have dire consequences.”

“They don’t do it on purpose.”

“Um-hmm, I’m not totally convinced that’s true. I intend to take you out for a romantic dinner at a restaurant that has a dance floor, and afterwards I’m gonna bring you home and make love to you all night long.”

Isabel shivered at the promise in his growled words and she turned to look at him. “What time will Brooke be home?”

“Tomorrow after school.” He grinned and nodded. “Haven’t you noticed that the little demons aren’t anywhere around the house? They’ve all been handed over to Brendan for the night and he will return them in good condition tomorrow afternoon. So, for tonight, we’re free; we have no restrictions whatsoever.”

Isabel slid her fingernail along his tie, exerting just enough pressure that he could feel her teasing touch. “We can make love anywhere we want to without worrying about one of them barging in,” she said, her dark eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Anywhere we want to,” he agreed. He took a step back and tapped the face of his watch. “First I’m takin’ you out for dinner and dancing though.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 34 - 7/12/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Alien_Friend: Alex is the best!

Sean… well, yes, right now he is being an ass. Liz is slowly learning to take a stand and we’ll start to see more of that in upcoming chapters.

Brendan is slowly starting to come out of his shell and we’ll be seeing him become more open as the story progresses. Well, Brendan and Liz aren’t actually that close, but as Sean’s friend and roommate, he’s been dealing with the brunt of Sean’s bad moods and he’s getting a little tired of it.

We will be seeing Amy again in the future.

Michael needs a hug… matter of fact, he needs a lot of ‘em! Now he just needs to really ‘see’ what Maria means to him and what he means to her.

Hey, we’ll miss ya while you’re gone!

Eva: LOL, thanks! Mike Jr. appreciates your review!

The relationship between Brendan and Michael will slowly become strong and the reason for the rift between them will be revealed later on.

Michael is a guy who internalizes and currently his only outlet is his music; he has a ways to go before he learns to open up.

tequathisy: Brendan definitely took it with grace!

We will be seeing more of him in the future and he and Michael will eventually work past the problem that has kept them from being close in the past.

kismet: Don’t believe that Sean is as ‘in love’ with Liz as he claims? Hmm, we’re thinking that Max wouldn’t like that either.

You’d like some Belgian waffles, huh? Get in line!

destinyc: We are getting closer!

But wait, you must!

Alex and Isabel will be enjoying their first interruption-free evening together.

sarammlover: Stubborn, yes, but there are other issues as well.

Sean isn’t the right one for Liz, but it’s not something he’s gonna just accept.

Alex is pretty awesome! We love him, too!

begonia9508: Sean is being an ass right now… actually he might be for a while.

nibbles2: Wow, “the most in denial, frustrating pair ever to grace a fanfic”, huh? LOL, well, that’s kind of a compliment.

Liz is finally starting to take those all-important first steps.

Maiqu: Sean isn’t very likable right now, is he? Brendan is a sweetheart and he’ll slowly open up more as the fic goes on.

April: Stone throwing is just so… so… mean! Okay, maybe they haven’t let themselves properly do it, but at least they’re having sex in some form – and with each other! LOL!

Sean is definitely not being a nice guy right now.

unicorngirl: Welcome to our little world! You’ll see more of Max and Liz in several parts starting with Part 35! We update every Thursday and Sunday!

chanks_girl: Well, ya know, there’re always gonna be some bumps!

Good call about Sean. And thanks for the comment about ‘Sean Jr.’… it made one of us choke on our drink, LOL!

Brendan does have a great sense of humor and it’s beginning to surface now that he’s starting to open up.

Michael and Maria… giving in to temptation… well, they could and they probably should, but don’t count on it happening too soon. Michael’s belief that he doesn’t deserve to be loved or be connected to someone else is going to complicate matters. It’s gonna be a rocky road, but these two will eventually stop frustrating themselves and the readers!


Part 34 – One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

Tess fumbled for her keys to unlock the door and she and Kyle nearly fell through when it suddenly gave way and flew open. She giggled when he caught her and they both pushed the door closed and stumbled over to the couch in the dark, kicking off shoes and tearing off clothes in their rush to feel skin on skin. The only light came from over the bar in the kitchen, but it provided just enough illumination for them to see each other.

“Y’know I love it when we take it slow,” she whispered, “but, I can’t wait any longer.” She grabbed his dog tags and dragged him down to kiss him deeply. “God, I can’t get enough of you.”

“Slow an’ easy has its place,” Kyle agreed, his voice ragged. He sat on the couch and pulled her down to straddle his lap, latching onto her breast as she lined his erection up and slowly lowered her body until he was fully sheathed inside her. He growled as he felt her heat surround him, holding him tight as her knees gripped his hips and she tipped his face up so she could kiss him.

Tess felt him shift beneath her, planting his feet firmly on the floor as she started to move; they were so in-sync sometimes that it was almost scary. She knew he was anticipating the moment when she would pick up the pace and start riding him hard and fast, but she wasn’t expecting it when his hands suddenly clamped onto her hips and stilled her movements.

“How ‘bout a preview,” he muttered, easing his grip and letting her hips resume their up and down movements at a slower pace.

She knew what he was requesting and she left one arm around his wide shoulders as she reached between her legs and stroked her clit furiously.

Kyle groaned as she came apart in his arms, screaming into his shoulder. He started thrusting into her before the tremors had time to subside and neither of them were aware of the front door opening as they hit their peak and shouted their release at the tops of their lungs.

“Fuck, Kyle, couldn’t you at least keep it in your pants until you got to the bedroom?”

“Damn it, Tess, we agreed that there wouldn’t be any kind of sex on the living room furniture!”

The angry voices finally registered and within moments they realized that their friends had walked in just in time to witness the grand finale. The next sound to filter in was a door slamming somewhere in the apartment.

“D’you think you two could get dressed?” Maria muttered, snatching some article of clothing up off of the floor and throwing it at the couple as she left the room. She glanced over her shoulder when her bedroom door closed and she realized that Michael was right behind her. “Well, I’m certain that Liz is probably scarred for life now.” She shook her head and motioned towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna run next door and check on her.”

Michael nodded and threw himself down on her bed, moving around until he was comfortably sprawled out. They had gone out after spending most of the morning in bed, intending to catch their afternoon classes, but they had ended up at an arcade down by the beach playing video games all day long.

Liz kept her eyes locked on her laptop screen when she heard the quiet knock followed by the door to the bathroom opening. She had known that Maria would come to check on her and she simply nodded when the other girl asked her if she was okay.

“Hey, you can tell me the truth, y’know. That was traumatizing for me and I’ve certainly had my fair share of sex.”

She cleared her throat and tried to see her marine biology notes but all she could see were naked bodies. “It was a little uncomfortable,” she admitted finally.

“A little?”

“Well… was it uncomfortable for you?”

“Uh, yeah! That’s the whole point behind house rules like no sex on the living room furniture. I don’t care who’s havin’ sex in this apartment, but we’ve all got our own bedrooms, so have a little respect and use your own room. I’ll talk to her, Liz.” They both looked up when they heard a knock on the door and a moment later Tess stuck her head inside.

“Hey, um… look, I’m sorry, okay? Kyle and I were talking and we thought maybe we could all watch a movie after we shower?”

“Oh, well, I’ve gotta study for an exam tomorrow,” Liz said.

“Liz, I’m really sorry,” Tess apologized sincerely. “We weren’t thinking and even though I give you shit about stuff you know I’d never do anything to intentionally make you uncomfortable.”

“I know. I just think I’d be more comfortable studying for my exam.” She forced a small smile. “Maybe another night?”

“Okay, you pick the night and the movie, and I promise I won’t make a single complaint.” She started to turn back to step out into the hall, but she noticed Maria glaring at her and she held her hands up in surrender. “I’ll call to have the couch cleaned first thing in the morning.” She sighed and leaned against the doorjamb. “C’mon, Maria, don’t be mad at me,” she begged. “It’s not like you’ve never been so hot for a guy that you couldn’t make it – “

“Not the point, Tess.”

“I beg to differ; that is exactly the point.” She lifted one eyebrow in question. “Would it have made a difference if we had been fucking against the wall?”

“Uh, hello? Yes, it would’ve made a difference! Not that I necessarily wanted to see that either, but at least I don’t sleep against the wall. I do, however, sleep on the couch on occasion. If you just absolutely couldn’t wait you could’ve at least mounted him in your chair since no one else usually sits in it.”

Liz’ gaze was bouncing back and forth between the two of them as they argued and she was sure that her face was burning with embarrassment as she listened to their words.

“So, what you’re tellin’ me is that if you and Michael had come in and you were so ready to fuck his brains out that you felt like you’d explode if you didn’t have him between your legs right that second that you would’ve stopped to think about the fact that the couch is community property?”

“That’s what I’m sayin’.”

“You’re a fuckin’ liar!” Tess laughed and shook her head.

Liz cleared her throat. “Um, you guys, I really need to study…”

“You’re callin’ me a liar?!” Maria shouted in disbelief. “I’m not the one who’s fuckin’ guys on the couch!”

Tess snorted. “You’re not actually fucking anyone, are you?”

“Okay, that’s it!” Maria was just about to charge her best friend and shove her words down her throat but a strong arm wrapped around her waist and prevented her from moving. “Michael, what the fuck are you doin’?!”

Michael backed out of the room, dragging Maria with him despite the kicking, screaming, and swearing she was doing. “Calm down or I’m gonna toss your little ass in a cold shower – and I can tell you from experience that they’re not all that fun.”

“How dare she say that to me?” she yelled as soon as they reached her bedroom and he released her. “Like I would ever be that inconsiderate! Can you believe that?”

“You don’t think I could get you so hot an’ wet that you’d completely forget your surroundings, strip me naked, and fuck me until we were both exhausted?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and tumbling her onto the bed.

“That is not the point,” she grumbled, wrapping her legs around him so that he was resting in the cradle of her thighs.

He laughed and rubbed his lower body against hers. “Actually, it kinda is the point.”

Maria huffed indignantly and relaxed back into the pillows as she admitted to herself that she was only annoyed with Tess about having sex on the couch. Mostly, she was just jealous that Tess had something with her boyfriend that she didn’t have with Michael… that she couldn’t have with Michael until she was ready for their arrangement to end. He wouldn’t hang around long once they actually had sex; she knew from his past history that it was pretty much the beginning of the end for all of his relationships.

“Hey, you wanna go watch a movie?”

“With Tess and Kyle?”

Michael chuckled as he used his nose to nudge her shirt up over her breasts so he could give them some special attention. “Yeah. We can sit in the chair an’ I’ll even let you sit in my lap.”

“Uh-huh, I bet Mike Jr. will just love that.”

“Well, he’s not gonna complain if he gets to spend the evening pressed up against your sweet little ass.” He sucked on her nipple before nipping it gently. “You still taste like strawberries, baby.” He shifted his attention to her other breast, using his tongue to press against her nipple before leaning back to look up at her. “C’mon, let’s go watch the movie.”

“Let me guess – it’s an action movie, right?”

Troy.”

“There’re some hot guys in that movie.”

“Yeah? Well, look all you want, but just remember who it is that keeps you satisfied.”

“Alright, fine, we’ll go watch the stupid movie, but I’m still pissed at Tess.”

“That’s okay, I’m not sayin’ you shouldn’t be pissed at her. It’ll be dark, the movie’ll be loud, an’ if you wanna change into a pair of shorts I’ll be happy to put my fingers to work and put you in a much better mood.”

Maria tugged him closer and kissed him roughly. “Why don’t you just put me in a better mood before we go watch the movie,” she suggested.

Michael rolled them so that she was lying on top of him and his hands settled on her hips as he met her gaze and made a sound of agreement.

*****

Alex moved with confidence and skill on the dance floor and Isabel was hypnotized by how graceful he was as they moved to the music. The evening had been perfect and she couldn’t imagine how things could possibly get any better. Their candlelit dinner had been flawless, the conversation had been witty and entertaining, and the live band was playing music that was romantic and fit the mood.

“You dance beautifully,” she commented.

“You can thank my mother for that; four years of dancing classes all through junior and senior high school.” He smiled and shook his head. “Not something that any guy wants to do, but now I’m glad I had to take the classes.”

“I love that you know how to dance and that you don’t mind getting dressed up and going out on occasion.” Her right hand came up to stroke his jaw. “I love that you don’t mind things like romantic dinners, or holding hands in public, or kissing me in front of people.”

“I love you.” Alex met her dark gaze and his expression sobered when he registered the shock on her face. “I mean it, Iz. I love you with a depth that I didn’t even know was possible until here recently.”

Tears of happiness shimmered in her eyes as Isabel stared at him and she gently brushed her lips against his. “A few months ago I honestly thought that I knew what love was, and I wasn’t with you very long before I realized that what I thought I knew was nothing compared to the real thing.” Her thumb stroked over his bottom lip as he smiled, and she felt like her body wasn’t big enough to contain all of the emotions that were bubbling up inside of her. “I love you, Alex, and I am so glad that I have you in my life.”

Alex pulled her against his body, holding her close as their lips met for a kiss that was full of hope, promise, and love. He had just taken the biggest leap of faith he had ever dared to take and he knew now that it would be worth it. No matter what happened from that point on, he felt secure in the knowledge that she loved him too.

*****

Tess muted the television as the credits rolled on the movie and she slouched down comfortably against Kyle, handing him the remote so he could put it on the coffee table. She glanced across the room, smiling at Maria and Michael where they were stretched out in the recliner. She knew her best friend hadn’t really been mad at her earlier, but she had been glad to see Maria in a much better mood by the time she and Michael had joined them to watch the movie.

“So, what’re you guys plannin’ for this weekend?” she asked, glancing up at her boyfriend.

“Early game on Saturday and then beach party that night. We’re gonna be playin’, so you’ve gotta be there, babe.”

Maria looked at Michael when she felt him tense up beside her. “I didn’t know you had a gig on Saturday night.”

He shrugged. “It’s not really a big deal; it’s just another beach party.” He couldn’t tell her that he didn’t want to invite her to the party because then it would seem like they were doing things together that actually mattered to them. He had never really invited any girl to come out to one of his gigs; if they happened to show up, that was cool, and if not, well, that was cool, too. But he couldn’t make it seem like he wanted her to be there because she’d read something into it and she’d think they were a real couple, and he didn’t want her to think that.

She nodded. “Well, that’s cool.” She sat up and climbed out of the chair, grabbing their empty beer bottles and carrying them into the kitchen.

Tess really thought about getting up and walking over to Michael just so she could kick him. She could read the hurt in Maria’s features even though she was trying so hard to hide it, and the dumb fuck sitting in the recliner didn’t have a clue. “You want another beer, babe?” she asked as she stood with her bottle and reached for Kyle’s.

“No, I probably shouldn’t have anymore if I’m gonna drive home.”

“Who said I was letting you leave?” she asked, winking at him over her shoulder.

Kyle chuckled and stood to follow her to the kitchen with his own empty bottle. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“I think I’m gonna call it a night,” Michael said, standing and stretching. “I’ve got an early Lit class in the mornin’.” He paused to carry on a short conversation with his roommate before checking his pockets and pulling his keys out.

Maria followed him when he started walking to the front door without a single word to her. She stepped outside behind him and pulled the door closed after her. “Hey, so, I’ll probably see you at the party, but you don’t have to feel like there’s any pressure to hang out or anything.”

Michael reached up to scratch his eyebrow, wishing futilely that he was an idiot and completely clueless so he wouldn’t feel like such an asshole for treating her the way he was. “Look, Maria, it’s just really hectic…”

“Really, Michael, there’s no need to make excuses; you’ve got your own thing and that’s cool.” She forced a smile that she knew didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s the way we wanted it, and it’s working just fine, so why mess with a good thing, right?”

“Yeah, exactly.” He nodded and smiled, but he didn’t feel any better about it. “Well, I’d better go… early Lit class, y’know.” He made his way down the steps and forced himself to look straight ahead and not look back. He wasn’t involved… he wasn’t… and he didn’t want to be involved. She didn’t want to be involved either. He sighed and unlocked his car door, wondering why it felt like he was trying so hard to convince himself that things were exactly the way they both wanted them to be.

*****

Brooke walked beside Brendan as they left the theater, talking about the movie they had just watched. She made a face as they passed a poster for another movie that was currently showing, protesting when her brother grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned, shaking his head.

“What?”

Her innocent tone didn’t fool him for a second. “We’re not gonna go see that movie; Alex already warned me about it, so you can forget about it.” He glanced at her as he unlocked the car and they settled inside. “I don’t know why you wanna see it anyway… y’know horror movies give you nightmares an’ then you won’t be able to sleep unless Michael comes over and sits with you.”

“That is not true!” she denied, punching his arm.

Brendan chuckled. “It is, too! How many times did you watch some stupid horror movie and then go hide in Michael’s room when we were in high school?”

“I was not hiding.”

“He slept on the floor in his own room for a whole week after you watched, what was it… Dawn of the Dead, so you could sleep in his bed because his room was the only place in the house where you felt safe.”

“Okay, how d’you even know about that?”

Brendan glanced at her and rolled his eyes. “Who d’you think distracted Dad long enough for you to sneak over to Michael’s room?”

“Well, now that you mention it, that was unusually easy.” Brooke shifted in her seat so that she could look at him. “Why don’t you an’ Michael get along, Bren? I know Dad’s always pushed the two of you, pitted you against each other, and done his best to make you enemies, but now that you’re out from under his direct influence, why don’t you guys get along?”

He shifted uncomfortably as he exited the freeway and turned onto his street. “That’s somethin’ that Michael an’ I have to work out, Brooke.”

She snorted. “Please! You’d have to actually speak to each other if you were gonna work anything out.” Brooke opened the door when he pulled into his parking space and cut the engine, hurrying around the car so she could continue the conversation before he had the chance to change the subject. “You guys used to be so close, Bren – “

“Brooke, I love you for wantin’ to fix this, but there’re some things you can’t fix no matter how much you want to.”

She watched him as he sorted through his keys, looking for the one to his front door. “What about your relationship with Karen? Is that one of those things that can’t be fixed?”

He sighed and turned to look at her. “Have I done somethin’ to piss you off?”

“No.”

“Then why’re you pickin’ at old wounds?

“You know I love you just the way you are, Bren, but, d’you remember how you were when you were with Karen?”

He was saved from having to answer her question when Sean appeared from the side of the building. “Hey, what’re you doin’?”

“Just walkin’ the dogs,” Sean answered. He handed the leashes to Brooke and then followed them into the apartment. “How was the movie?”

“It was funny and sweet.” Brooke unhooked the leashes from the dogs’ collars and crouched down to play with them. “Hey, are you guys goin’ to the party this weekend?”

“What party?” Brendan asked, pulling a bottle of chocolate milk out of the refrigerator. “You want anything to drink?”

“I was gonna throw a pizza in the oven,” Sean said as he pulled the freezer door open. “You guys hungry?”

“Ooh, I am! And, yeah, I wanna soda, Bren.” Brooke rolled her eyes at her brother and his roommate; they were such complete nerds! “Seriously? The beach party on Saturday night… Michael and Kyle will be playin’ there… Really? You guys don’t know anything about the party?”

“Alex is gonna let you go to a college beach party?” Brendan asked, his tone skeptical.

“Well, no, of course not, but I thought sure you guys would be goin’.”

“I’m gonna be studyin’,” Sean said as he slid the pizza into the oven and shut the door.

“Yeah, an’ I’ve got a chess match, so…”

“Okay, Sean, you’ve got a girlfriend, so you don’t have any excuse for missin’ a beach party. And, Bren, chess club?” She leaned across the counter to pat his cheek. “Sweetie, you are sooo my next project!” She suddenly turned and grabbed her overnight bag, heading for the hall that led to her brother’s bedroom. “I’m gonna run take a shower before the pizza’s ready!”

Brendan shrugged his shoulders when Sean turned to look at him. “It’s just one night, Sean; she doesn’t know you an’ Liz are havin’ some problems. If she did she wouldn’t have said anything about Saturday night.”

“It’s okay, Brendan, I know she doesn’t know about me an’ Liz. I’d just like to keep it that way.”

“Well, I didn’t have any intention of sayin’ anything.” He shook his head, wondering why Sean was pointing out the obvious. “I’m gonna go finish up an assignment that’s due in tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’ll call you when the pizza’s ready.” He wanted to make sure that Brooke didn’t find out about his problems with Liz because it was plain as day that she worshipped Max Evans and she’d probably run tell him all about it if she knew. That’s all I need, he thought, aggravated. If Max Evans knew that Liz was having second thoughts about her relationship with him, the jerk would probably walk right in and sweep her off her feet.

He sighed and let his thoughts turn to Liz, wondering what had caused the sudden rift in their relationship. She had admitted that she wasn’t sure about their engagement, that she wasn’t really attracted to him, and that she felt different when she was around Evans… Yeah, it all came back to that asshole; no matter which angle he tried to view it from, it always came right back to land at Evans’ feet.

Would Liz be at the beach party?
He knew without a doubt that Max would be there. He was one of the most sought-after guys on campus as well as a member of the football team. There was no chance that Evans would miss an opportunity to be worshipped by his delusional followers. There was also no chance that he would pass up the chance to make a move on Liz if he realized she was there… and alone.

Looks like I’m going to a stupid beach party, he decided as he opened the oven door to check on the pizza.

*****

Isabel was emptying the sacks out as Maria carried them in from the car and she silently congratulated herself for getting out of the worst part of grocery shopping – carrying the groceries up two flights of stairs. The girls took turns doing the shopping but she and Maria had quickly combined their time when their turns rolled around, recognizing the benefit of working as a team.

“Okay, that’s the last of it,” Maria huffed as she lifted the sacks up onto the counter. “Hey, do you know what you’re doin’ for Thanksgiving yet?”

Isabel smiled. “Alex asked me to stay here for the holidays. I had thought about inviting him to go back home with me so I could introduce him to my parents, but he’s got Brooke and the twins, so…”

“How’d your parents take it?”

“Um… well… I haven’t told them yet.”

“Well, when’re you gonna tell them, Iz?” Maria chuckled and shook her head. “It’s less than three weeks away.”

“What? No, it’s not.” Isabel was reaching into the cabinet to put the canned items away when she paused, mentally counting. “Maria? What’s today’s date?”

“The eighth.” Maria frowned when her friend turned around with a shocked expression on her face. “Isabel, what is wrong with you?”

“The eighth,” she repeated. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. What’s wrong with you?”

Isabel quickly pulled her panicked feelings under control and she carefully forced her features into an expression of curiosity before looking at Maria again. “I just hadn’t realized that the holidays were getting so close. Why haven’t I heard you talking about going home for Thanksgiving? Liz mentioned that your mom stopped by for a short visit last week.”

“Mother’s should not be allowed to make surprise visits.”

“Since when? You guys have such a great relationship.”

Maria rolled her eyes as she made herself comfortable on one of the barstools and leaned over to grab a bag of chips. “Since Tess made sure my mother was able to get in without having to wait for someone to answer the door.”

“So? Who cares if your mom let herself in?”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but I was in bed, naked, and being straddled by a 180-pound football player when she made her entrance. And to make it even better, Michael didn’t know who she was so he immediately told her to ‘get the fuck out’.”

“Uh-uh,” Isabel muttered in disbelief. “Oh, my God, I would’ve died!”

“Oh, I wanted to, believe me! There was no time for that, though, because Mom thought we should all go out to dinner together.”

“How uncomfortable was that?”

“Well, it could’ve been a lot worse.” She bit into a chip and chewed it thoughtfully. “That ass actually thought he was goin’ home, but I told him if he didn’t go he would lose any naked privileges and that straightened him right up.”

Isabel laughed at that and snagged the chip bag. “That’ll straighten any guy up. It’s amazing how agreeable they become when you threaten to stop putting out.”

“Tell me about it.”

“So, what about Thanksgiving?”

“Mom’s gotta work that whole weekend, so I guess I’m stayin’ here.”

“You should come over to the house, Maria; Alex is planning this huge dinner and we’re gonna watch football – “

“Iz, you don’t even like football, girl!”

Isabel wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “No, but Alex does, and he’s just so adorable when he gets aggravated or excited and he starts yelling at the TV like they can really hear him.” She chuckled. “I don’t mind watching football with him.”

“You must be completely blinded by love.” She turned to look at Isabel and her eyes widened when she saw the look of happiness on the other girl’s face. “What?”

“We went to dinner the other night and while we were dancing he told me he loves me.”

“Oh, my God, Isabel!” Maria shouted, running around the bar to hug her friend. “Stupid question, but did you say it back?”

“Of course! I am sooo glad I took your advice, Maria! Thank you for convincing me to take a chance with Alex, because I almost didn’t.”

“That man was not gonna give up if you said no.”

“Maybe not, but think of all I would’ve missed out on if I hadn’t listened to you!”

“I’m glad you’re happy, Iz.”

“Well… you’re happy, too, right?” Isabel pulled away from her friend and looked into her face, searching for an answer. “Maria? Hey, what’s going on?”

Maria shook her head and turned to open the refrigerator to pull out a drink. “I’ve got a tutoring session with Brooke tonight, so I’m gonna go straighten up a bit before she gets here.”

Isabel watched her go and wondered what exactly was going on between Maria and Michael. It wasn’t that difficult to see that she liked him, but something was holding her back, keeping them from pursuing a real relationship, and she just hoped they could figure it out.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 35 - 7/16/09

Post by Double Trouble »

kismet: Interesting… yes, we agree. Hmm… you may get your wish(es).

Yup, this’s the party you’ve been waiting for… the next four parts as promised.

It’s a possibility…

begonia9508: Security blanket… you could be onto something!

Well, maybe now they’ll take that extra minute to walk down the hall… maybe.

destinyc: Oh, he’s gonna show!

It’s gonna be back and forth for a while, but they’re gonna get there.

Thanksgiving was definitely part of it.

nibbles2: LOL, Tell will keep that in mind for later.

The cracks are starting to show and Michael and Maria are going to reach a point where they can no longer ignore it… the cabin weekend is an important one.

That’s definitely a big part of Sean’s… problem.

April: **gasp** You did not just use the “D” word! Kindred we shall be, either way!

LOL, they’re both starting to come around in their own ways.

The beach party will be interesting.

sarammlover: She could be… and it’s good to know that if she is, you approve! Watch for the cabin weekend – it’ll be important.

twilight: We’re glad you’ve been enjoying the M&M action… and now, your patience will be rewarded – the next four parts will have Max and Liz scenes.

Alex and Isabel have a solid, stable relationship and we’ll see even more of that later on.

mary mary: We thought maybe that creek had risen! Glad to see your name back on the feedback list!

Maiqu: Wow, you touched on so many things! Liz’s discovery that there’s more to life than what she’s known so far has not made Sean happy… especially now that she’s realizing that it may be time for her to move on. Maria has reached a place where she wants more and she’s admitting it – to herself anyway – and knowing that once she and Michael actually have sex he’s gonna take off before long isn’t making it any easier for her to deal with. On the flipside, though, Michael has some issues that he needs to work through as well before he can actually commit to a relationship. We all know Tess couldn’t have kicked Michael and passed it off as an “accident”… and she probably wouldn’t have stopped with a single kick. Isabel… definitely a possibility.

spacegirl23: Hey, we’re glad to see ya again! LOL, probably doesn’t help that we’re updating twice a week now!

They do rule!

tequathisy: Well, Michael and Maria are the ONLY ones who thought that was gonna fly.

Liz is definitely starting to wake up!

chanks_girl: LOL, it’s all good… just means we thought it was hilarious!

Let’s see if Sean can maintain that choice to keep things private. Max does have his supporters, doesn’t he?

Michael and Maria… well, that’d just be too easy, wouldn’t it? They’ll get there though.

‘Bad hornies’… that’s a hilarious nickname for Kyle and Tess – and we didn’t even choke on anything this time!

It was a big thing for Alex to say the three little words, but he knows his girl’s worth every one of them. Isabel freak over that? Nah, not here.

A pregnancy scare is definitely a possibility. No relationship is perfect, but Alex and Isabel come pretty damn close to it!


Author’s Note: Song credit for “Over My Head (Better Off Dead)” goes to Sum 41 – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI2iL-zWH88

Part 35 – First Steps…

The sun had set by the time the girls made it to the beach on Saturday night and the party was already in full swing. Michael and Kyle were on the makeshift stage providing the music, Max was entertaining a group of people with stories from back home, and Alex was talking to a couple of people from one of his classes.

Isabel broke away from the group as soon as she spotted Alex and Maria turned to look at Liz when she felt the younger girl tense up. She followed the brunette’s gaze until she saw Sean standing near the area that had been set up as the bar.

“I thought you said Sean had a study group tonight?”

“That’s what he said, and he hates these kinds of parties, so I don’t know why he’s here.”

Tess snorted and nodded in Max’ direction. “He’s here to assess the threat.” She rolled her eyes when Liz’ shocked gaze flew to Maria. “Girl, no one had to say anything; I’d have to be twelve different kinds of stupid to miss the sparks flyin’ between you and Max, and while I may be many things, stupid is not one of them. As much as I would like to share my worldly wisdom and tell you to jump that Texan, I’m gonna keep it to myself and go get a drink.”

Maria nodded when Tess tipped her head in question, waiting with Liz while their roommate went to get drinks.

“I guess I should go talk to him,” Liz mused, biting her bottom lip uncertainly.

“Max or Sean?”

Liz wasn’t even sure that she knew the answer to that question. “Sean, I guess… I’m not even sure why he’s here.”

“Don’t force somethin’ that’s not there, Liz.”

She nodded to acknowledge Maria’s advice and then wandered off in Sean’s direction. She didn’t know what she was going to say to him, but she couldn’t just ignore him either.

Maria watched her go and wondered what Liz would decide to do; a few months ago she had been so sure that the younger girl was so happy and in a relationship that was perfect, but she was coming to realize that everything was not as it had seemed at first. She turned her head to look at Michael, watching him as he threw himself into the song he was currently singing and she tried to ignore the fact that he hadn’t even invited her to come to the party. Okay, it wasn’t like anyone needed an invitation to be there, but it would’ve been nice if he had at least asked and made it seem like he wanted her to be there.

“Hey, you wanna mingle?” Tess asked, joining Maria once more and handing her a bottle. “Kyle gets distracted if I stand too close to the stage.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” She could feel Michael’s heated gaze following her as they passed by the stage so Tess could let her boyfriend know she was there. “I saw some of the guys from the basketball team heading down to the water a while ago.” She decided it was time to up the stakes; if he wanted to play it like this, to make it a point that they weren’t together, then she would be only too happy to go along with him.

*****

Sean was staring at Max, waiting to see how long it took for him to notice that Liz had arrived. He had known she would be there with Tess, Maria, and Isabel and he had placed himself in the perfect position to see them when they arrived. He knew the exact moment his rival became aware of her presence and he felt jealousy like he had never felt it before. He watched as Evans’ eyes followed every move she made and he had to grit his teeth when the guy had the audacity to wink at her when she finally glanced over at him.

He had heard the rumors around campus about Max, Michael, and Kyle; he was aware of their reputations with the local female population, but he had never expected his fiancé to fall for any of them. He had been confident that their relationship was solid, that his willingness to be the perfect guy and put his own needs on hold was going to pay off in the end, and that they would be married in a couple more years and their lives would play out as planned.

He shook his head as he realized the absurdity of his expectations. He had no idea how to deal with this situation, but he knew if he had any chance of making her see that she was on the brink of throwing everything away, he had to make her see that she was making bad choices and surrounding herself with bad influences.

“Hi, Sean,” Liz said with a tentative smile. “What’re you doing here?”

“What’re you doin’ here?” he countered, his tone annoyed.

“I’m here with my friends.”

“You normally study on the weekends.”

Liz sighed and reached for a bottle of water. “Sean, I’m not interested in fighting with you about this; I know you don’t like that things are changing… that I’m changing, but you agreed to give me some space.” She shook her head. “This is not giving me space!”

“Hey, I just came to hang out.” He shrugged carelessly and motioned at the people mingling in small groups on the beach. “You should go do whatever you came here to do and just act like I’m not even here.” He watched her, easily picking up on her discomfort. “You’re here because you knew he’d be here, aren’t you?” He took a couple of steps back and held his hands up. “I’m gonna just hang over here an’ do my own thing.”

Liz felt her shoulders slump in defeat as she turned and wandered out among the people scattered on the beach. How was she supposed to figure out what she wanted or what was going on in her own head if he wouldn’t back off?

She found herself near the stage and before long she wasn’t paying any attention to Sean or the growing mountain of questions nagging at her during every waking moment. She listened to the lyrics of the song and realized that some of the words fit her situation perfectly.

What happened to you
You played the victim for so long now in this game
What I thought was true
Is made of fiction and I’m following the same

Now they’re over my head for something I’ve said
Completely misread I’m better off dead
And now I can see how fake it can be
This hypocrisy is beginning to get to me

But if I had to say goodbye to leave this hell
I think my time has served me well
I’m fallin’
I’m fallin’

This all came before, those who suffer more
I’m too awake for this, to be a nightmare
What’s with my disgrace, I lost the human race
No one plans for it to blow up in their face


“So, what d’you think of the music?”

Liz turned her head to look at Max when he joined her and she smiled at him. “It’s not bad; the lyrics are interesting, but some of them are kinda dark.”

Max shifted the toothpick he was chewing on to the other side of his mouth and nodded. “Well, some of Michael’s songs reach deeper for the pain than others do. He doesn’t pull any punches with his music; it’s the one place where he really puts himself out there, fully exposed to the world.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that he writes his own material.”

“Um-hmm. Gotta deal with things one way or the other, y’know? Leave it all bottled up inside and it’s just gonna blow up in your face.”

She nodded in agreement.

“I saw the girls headin’ down near the water; you wanna grab a beer and join ‘em?”

“Yeah, okay.”

*****

Kyle hopped down off of the end of the stage and accepted one of the bottles being held out by the hopeful girls gathered around before redirecting their attention to Michael and squeezing between them to make his escape. There was no point in denying that he enjoyed the attention, but he had someone waiting for him and he wasn’t about to give her any reason to doubt his ability to be faithful.

He had kept an eye on her from his position behind the drums so he knew where she was and who she was with. It wasn’t an issue of trust where she was concerned, but he knew what kind of guys came to these parties, whether they were alone or with a date, and a couple of those guys were currently mingling with the group Tess and Maria were with.

He also knew that Michael was doing his best to ignore Maria and despite his best intentions it wasn’t working. He had seen his friend’s expression when he had noticed who she was hanging around with. Kyle had no idea what was going on with them, but he knew Michael was having a difficult time with whatever it was.

“Hey, babe,” he greeted, hugging Tess from behind and kissing her when she turned her head.

“You sounded great up there tonight!”

Maria glanced at them and wished that she didn’t feel jealous every time she looked their way. Why couldn’t Michael just pretend that he was the slightest bit bothered by the fact that she was hanging out with another guy? She forced herself to laugh at something one of the guys – she thought he might have said his name was Scott – said and she let her hand rest on his arm for just a few moments.

After a while a couple of the others wandered off and the remainder of the group decided to sit down to watch the moonlight play over the ocean as they talked. The guy, Scott, sat close by and Maria wished he would just go away; she had only singled him out with the intention of getting a rise out of Michael but it was obvious that he was perfectly fine with her talking to some other guy. Now she just wanted to be left alone, but Scott was determined to impress her with his ability to carry a drunken conversation. Some guys just could not hold their liquor, she thought, watching him as he tried to string his words together in an intelligible manner.

*****

Max shoved his right hand in his pocket before he gave in to the urge to reach out and take Liz’ hand. He was doing his best to watch himself around her because she was with another guy, and even though he couldn’t care less about Sean, he didn’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable or cause her pain.

“How’re your classes comin’ along?” he asked, hoping to distract himself.

“Oh, they’re good; the past few days have been a little bit tricky because I’ve got early classes and my car’s not working, so I’ve been riding to campus with Brendan.”

“What’s wrong with your car?”

“It won’t start.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know. I was gonna have it towed to a shop to have it looked at but when I called my parents to ask for help they said that since I’m out on my own now I need to be an adult and take care of it myself.”

Max frowned at that information. He couldn’t imagine ever calling his parents for help and having them tell him to take care of it on his own. His parents had never given him everything he wanted, but they would never refuse to help him either. “Did Sean take a look at it?” He had to grit his teeth together to get those words out.

“Sean’s not very knowledgeable about mechanical stuff. I checked a book out from the library, but I’m not sure if what I think is wrong is really what’s wrong or not.”

He chuckled. “So, what was your diagnosis?”

“I think maybe it’s the alternator, but if I understood what I read I can’t put another battery in to test that theory because it would just drain it. I mean, I’d have my answer, but it would cost me another battery.”

Max bit back a smile and shrugged one shoulder. “Y’know, you can take the alternator off and run it down to one of the auto parts shops and they can test it for you to let you know if it’s the alternator or not. If it is, you can buy the new one and most places will even take a percentage off of the cost if you leave the old alternator.”

“Boy, you’re just full of helpful information, aren’t you, Evans?”

Max turned to face the owner of the taunting voice and he shook his head at Sean’s drunken swagger. “Seems like someone needs to do somethin’ to help Liz, and you obviously don’t know how to do that. You have no idea how to treat her the way she deserves to be treated.”

Sean attempted to glare but his face felt funny and he wasn’t sure if he was making the right expression. “She doesn’t need your help. There are plenty of women for you to chase after, so why don’t you stop chasin’ after the ones who are already taken.”

Max made it a point to get right in Sean’s face as he reached past him for a beer. “You so sure she’s taken, Sean?” He took a long drink from the bottle as he shifted back away from the other guy.

Liz couldn’t hear what Max had said, but she knew that whatever it was had ignited Sean’s temper and she quickly moved between the two of them. “Max, maybe you should go,” she said, her eyes pleading with him to drop the subject and walk away. “Go join the others and I’ll meet you there after Sean and I talk.”

Max nodded and backed off, but he was only going far enough away to keep an eye on the situation without being involved in it.

“So, that’s the way it is, huh? Just like that, I’ve been replaced.” Sean swore under his breath and stumbled when he took a step forward. “Things are changin’, I get that, but why him? What is it about him that has you pantin’ after him like a bitch in heat?”

“Classy, Sean. Look, I told you that I needed time to figure some things out and until I can do that we can’t be together.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m not even sure we’re together now, and that’s something that I’ve got to know before we go any further.”

“What kinda argument is that? You’re not sure if we’re together? How together do we need to be for you to know if we’re together or not? I mean, hell, Liz, if you just wanna fuck and get it over with, then by all means, let’s do it!”

“You’re drunk, Sean, and I’m not having this conversation with you while you’re like this. You need to go home and sleep it off.”

“Yeah, so you can stay here with Evans? I don’t think so! Y’know, we didn’t have this problem when we were back home.”

“No, we didn’t… we didn’t have any problems when we were at home, and maybe that’s a problem in itself! We never disagreed about anything, we never argued about anything – “

“Well, we’ve resolved both of those issues, haven’t we? We’ve got plenty to argue about now. I know why this is happenin’, Liz; you’re livin’ with two girls who fuck any guy who crosses their path. You’ve finally started to act like Tess and Maria; slutty, promiscuous, and ready to throw away all of your morals and compromise your integrity!”

*****

Michael watched Kyle as he joined the girls down by the water, refusing to acknowledge the feeling of envy that settled over him when he saw his friend embrace Tess with ease. His gaze shifted to Maria and he watched her as she flirted with a couple of the guys. He wasn’t jealous, he decided. But she was flirting with guys that he wouldn’t trust as far as he could throw them, so he needed to intervene before one of them did something to piss him off. Because he wasn’t upset at all that she was flirting with other guys. Nope, it didn’t bother him at all.

He headed towards the bar area to collect a couple of beers that he could take with him, giving him an excuse to join her without being obvious about it.

As he neared the alcohol-laden tables he noticed the argument taking place between Liz and Sean at the opposite end. He glanced around, expecting to see Max close by, and he spotted him before looking very far. Uh-huh, now there was a guy who was jealous. He forgot about his own problems when he heard Maria’s name being mentioned in the argument and he tuned everything else out as he neared the arguing couple.

His blood began to boil in his veins when he heard the words coming out of Sean’s mouth, words that had the ability to hurt not only Maria, but her reputation as well, and he didn’t stop to think as he barreled into the other guy and shoved him to the ground. He could feel the rage as it thrummed through his body and his hands curled into fists as he stood over Sean.

“You wanna get up an’ say that shit to my face? It’s easy to cut somebody down when they’re not there to defend themselves, but why don’t you give it a try when you’re facin’ – “

Sean clumsily got to his feet and the alcohol buzzing in his bloodstream gave him the courage to take several stumbling steps so he could get in Michael’s face. “You think I’m scared of you?”

“I think you’d better ask yourself if you’ve had enough alcohol to dull the pain of the beatin’ I’m about to give you.”

“So you can defend your current slut?”

Liz knew there was no going back as soon as those words passed Sean’s lips and she was torn about what she should do. Maria didn’t deserve to be talked about like that, and especially not by someone who claimed to be her friend, but she didn’t want to see Sean take the beating Michael had just promised. The man had been pushed too far and there was no way he would just back down now that Maria’s honor had been called into question.

“You move,” Michael snarled when Liz stepped in front of him.

“I’m not defending what he said, but this isn’t gonna solve anything.”

“I could give a fuck about solvin’ any-damn-thing, but he’s gonna get his ass kicked for what he just said. Now, either you move or I’ll move you myself.”

“Michael, let it go.”

Liz released a relieved breath when Max joined them and took Michael’s arm, pulling him back and away from Sean.

“These are some great new friends you’ve made, Liz.” Sean shook his head. “I don’t even know you anymore.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if we know each other at all, Sean,” Liz said sadly. “You need to leave now. Let’s go find a designated driver so you can go home.”

Michael shook Max’ arm off and accepted the two bottles that his friend shoved into his hands. “I’m gonna kick that dickhead’s ass; did you hear what he said?!”

“I heard him, and I agree that he should get his ass kicked, but I’m askin’ you to let it go for tonight.”

“No, you’re askin’ me to let it go for her.”

Max’ gaze followed Liz as she herded Sean towards the parking lot, knowing that she would already be on her cell phone calling to arrange a ride for him. “Yeah, that’s what I’m askin’.”

“You know you owe me for this.”

Max nodded and despite knowing how dangerous that was he held his hand out to his friend.

Michael switched both drinks to one hand and shook Max’ offered hand, shaking his head as he grinned. “You must really wanna get your hands on her.”

“I’m not even gonna dignify that with a response.” He turned Michael so that he was facing the small group sitting at the waters’ edge and gave him a small push. “Why don’t you go unleash some of that hostility on the unsuspecting animal that’s down there pawing your woman?”

*****

Maria turned her head to answer a question that Tess had asked when Scott reached for her arm and his hand landed on her breast instead.

“You ever wanna draw another one of your worthless sorry-ass blueprints you’d better move your hand.”

Scott leaned back to look at the owner of the pissed off voice and his eyes widened when he recognized the guy. “Guerin! What’re you doin’ here?”

“I’m about five seconds from snapping every single one of your fingers in half.” Michael sat down behind Maria and his long legs bracketed her body as he shoved the other guy away. He reached around her to offer her the bottle of beer he had gotten for her, relieved when she accepted it without question.

“Hey, Scotty, we’re ready to head over to the party at Jackson’s place,” a new voice called.

They all looked up when a small group of students joined them and Scott scrambled to his feet with their help. He went to high-five one of the other guys and they both broke out into laughter when alcohol-induced lack of coordination caused them to completely miss each others’ hands. He took a couple of steps back, swaying unsteadily on his feet as he fumbled with the keys he had just pulled out of his pocket.

“Okay, we’re ready to roll!” he announced, holding them up.

“Are you insane?” Tess yelled, shoving herself to her feet. “You can’t drive in your condition!”

Kyle reached up and tugged on her hand. “Tess – “

“No, Kyle, they can’t drive like this!”

He glanced at Michael as he got to his feet and shook his head in response to the other man’s questioning look. He had no idea what had gotten into his girlfriend, but it was quite obvious that she felt very strongly about the subject.

Tess shoved Scott back and when his hand lowered as he tried to catch his balance, she snatched the keys out of his hand.

“Ah, c’mon, man, give ‘em his keys back!”

“Yeah, don’t be so uptight; we’re just havin’ fun!”

“And will it be fun when you kill someone, you stupid fuck?!” Tess screamed, furious at the stupidity and foolishness they were exhibiting. “You have no idea how easy it is to kill someone in your state!”

“What, in California?” one of the guys snickered, deliberately misunderstanding.

“Yeah, asshole, keep actin’ like you’re really that ignorant, and when one of you takes off and kills someone… ignorance won’t save you! Chances are good that you’ll be too drunk to even get hurt seriously, but the person in the car with you or the person you hit… they’re not gonna be so lucky!”

“Fuck you!” Scott shouted as he lunged for his keys.

Tess reacted on instinct and she turned and threw his keys without considering her action and a moment later a tiny plop could be heard as they landed in the water.

“You crazy bitch!”

Before Scott could do more than move in her direction he found himself flat on his back, staring up at the sky while he held his bleeding nose.

“You ever think about puttin’ your hands on her again and you’ll get worse than that,” Kyle warned. “I’d suggest y’all find another ride… and take him with you.” He didn’t wait to see if they would do as he suggested, quickly turning back to take Tess in his arms. He didn’t know why she had reacted so strongly, but even now he could feel the fine tremors racing through her body where she was pressed against him. “Tess, c’mon, babe, calm down, okay? You don’t need to worry about them – “

Her hands came up against his chest and she pushed him away. “I will not calm down, Kyle! You don’t understand…” Her voice was shaking uncontrollably and she couldn’t continue.

Maria hurried to her friend and took Tess into her arms, hugging her tightly. “It’s okay, Tess, they’re gone and they’re gonna have to find another ride; Scott won’t be driving anywhere.” Unlike Kyle, who was confused about what was going on Maria knew why the situation had pushed Tess’ buttons and brought her to the brink of hysteria. She leaned back to look into the other girl’s face, taking in the unshed tears glistening in her eyes. “You wanna just go home?”

Tess nodded. “You should stay though; Liz is somewhere around here and we can’t just leave her without a ride home.”

“I’ll take you home, babe,” Kyle said, but it came out sounding more like a question because he wasn’t sure of her reaction.

“Okay,” she whispered, allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and keep her close to his body as he led her off of the beach.

*****

Liz watched the action on the beach and shook her head as she glanced at Max uncertainly. “I don’t think I can do that,” she said.

“It’s fun,” he teased, drawing the second word out for several seconds.

She looked back at the group of people lined up and taking turns at attempting to defy gravity as they did the limbo to loud music and cheering. Firelight from one of the many fires that had been built on the beach gave off plenty of light to see by and her eyes followed the next person who bravely gave the dance a shot.

Max finished off his beer and tossed the bottle in a nearby trash bin and he watched Liz as she took another tentative sip from her own drink. It hadn’t taken long to realize that she had never really indulged in alcoholic drinks before and she had told him that she didn’t care for beer, so he had asked one of the acting bartenders to mix up a Sex on the Beach, but to go easy on the liquor. He had carefully hidden his humor when she had blushed bright red at the name of the drink he had requested because he didn’t want to give her any reason to regret finding him after Sean had left.

“Okay,” she agreed a few minutes later, “let’s give it a try and see what happens.”

The flush on her cheeks let him know that the alcohol was beginning to seep into her veins and Max accepted her half-empty cup when she handed it to him. He tossed it in the trash and followed her out to join the rest of the participants, taking their places at the end of the line.

“I really have no idea what I’m doin’,” Liz confided.

“Just go with the music, beautiful.”

Liz felt like an electric shock shot through her body when he shifted closer to her so that he was nearly pressing against her and his hands settled on her hips. His thumbs were brushing against her skin where her shirt had ridden up at her sides and she unconsciously leaned back into him. She felt hot and slightly dizzy, but she didn’t know if it was from the alcohol she had consumed or the fact that Max was touching her. She rarely drank, but she knew enough about alcohol to know that her lack of experience with it would allow it to hit her bloodstream faster than it would if she drank on a regular basis.

“You like to dance?” he growled in her ear.

“Um-hmm,” she murmured dreamily.

Max groaned when she began to relax and let herself feel the music because as soon as that happened her body followed suit and the next thing he knew she was swaying in time to the beat. He had a feeling that she honestly had no idea how her movements were affecting him and he did his best to keep her from brushing up against his awakening erection.

“Okay, Max, how do I do this?”

He immediately forced down the response that leapt to the forefront of his mind and he made his brain pay attention to the steps she would need to follow. “Watch and learn,” he said with a grin as he moved around her and started to ease into the correct position without falling on his back.

Liz watched him, mesmerized by the graceful way his body moved; he was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. Could those words be applied to a man? she wondered with a slight frown. He emerged on the other side of the pole and he continued to move to the music as he motioned for her to follow him. They were words that could be applied to this man, she decided as she began to lean her upper body back.

When she successfully regained her upright status on the other side he was waiting for her and she smiled brightly as she reached out to take the hand he was holding out to her. She was more than willing to follow him back around to take their places in the line as the pole was lowered another notch.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 36 - 7/19/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Eva: Max recognizes that Liz needs to stand up for herself. It’s not easy for him to stand back and let that happen, but he’ll do his best.

Well, in Michael’s case, it’s not just a matter of being blind to the truth. A big part of it is his refusal to accept it.

Tess’s story is coming up.

destinyc: Max knows that Liz needs to be able to stand on her own and he’s trying to stand back and let that happen. No, she doesn’t see herself as available. She’s trying to figure out what she wants and needs… what, or better yet who, could that be?

Nope, no hitting on other girls to get back at Maria.

mary mary: Yes, that’s one beating that needs to be memorable. The answer to the Tess question will be in this next part.

Zoi: Not yet…

It’ll happen, just wait for it.

You’re right, that agreement never works – inevitably someone always becomes more involved and that disrupts the entire plan.

spacegirl23: These boys are protective… and HOT!

Look for it to happen in this next part.

Max and patience are two words that just go together… he knows Liz is worth waiting for.

Isabel’s sitch… will be revealed in a bit…

begonia9508: Yes, Sean was incredibly lucky! However, if he’s going to get a beating like that he should certainly be able to remember it the next day!

kismet: There is more to the situation.

Max has recognized that he needs to be patient, to let her decide what’s right for her, and for her to have control over her life, but even Max Evans occasionally steps outside his own boundaries.

Not sure if Michael agrees with you about that!

Tess will talk to Kyle in this next part.

More Max and Liz time coming right up…

sarammlover: Sean was being an ass and Liz handled it well. We all wish Michael had planted his fist square in Sean’s face because he deserved it, but the time wasn’t right.

Tess’s story will come out in this next part.

The cabin update is a few parts away – and it will take quite a few parts to tell that part of the story.

tequathisy: That’s one possibility. We suppose it’s human nature to assume the worst. It is difficult for Sean to see her moving on to someone else.

We all would’ve cheered if Sean had gotten his lights knocked out.

Michael is aggressive but normally its tempered with the other part of his personality, so if he had unleashed all of that on Sean, well, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

The talk will happen, but not right away.

nibbles2: That was a fun scene for Liz, huh? She’ll be having more fun!

They’ll talk about it in this next part.

Michael and Maria will have sex talk… eventually. Yeah, yeah, we know you hate that word, right?

Maiqu: Oh, it’s not so much blind as outright denial! Tess and Kyle will talk in this next part. We’re glad you like our Max and, wow, your favorite character, huh? Very cool!

Alien_Friend: First, welcome back! And second, we’re happy to see ya back… waiting for the fresh version of ya for feedback was well worth the wait!!

Part 34

Look out, Brendan! Yeah, he can be clueless about a lot of things, but he’s more aware of things than he’s given credit for because he does have a tendency to be absent-minded and clueless at times. He and Michael will get there, promise.

Michael will eventually get past that little glitch in his personality.

Oh, that would be too easy, lol!

That’s an interesting observation about Sean. The end of that particular misery is coming to an end.

Part 35

Definitely not a smart move on Sean’s part, was it? Why is Liz unable to just make a clean break at this point? The answer to that will become clearer as the Thanksgiving scenes arrive.

She will, in this next part.

And jealousy doesn’t imply that he cares for her, does it? Poor, deluded man.

There’s more fun to come!

chanks_girl: Tess will open up to Kyle about her experiences.

On some unconscious level Michael may have realized that he’s in deeper than he ever intended, but he has yet to admit that to himself.

Seeing that he’s losing Liz isn’t an easy realization for Sean regardless of his reasoning or his feelings. He’s acting like an ass and he definitely deserved a fist or two in the face for what he said, but the timing wasn’t right.


Part 36 – Tragedy and Irony

Kyle followed Tess up the stairs to her apartment and took her keys to unlock the front door when he realized that her hand was shaking too badly to line the key up with the keyhole. He stepped inside behind her and closed the door, turning a lamp on before moving across the room to drop her keys on the bar.

“Talk to me, Tess.”

She cleared her throat and shook her head. “There’s really nothing to talk about,” she denied without looking at him.

“Bullshit!”

“I just feel very strongly about people who drive while under the influence.”

“Uh-huh, I got that part.”

“That’s all there is, there’s really nothing else to say – “

“That may be all you’ll say on the matter, but it sure as hell isn’t all there is to tell. Physically and sexually, we share everything, so why is it when somethin’ personal comes into play you won’t let me in?” he yelled, frustrated by her refusal to let him help her.

“Some things don’t need to be talked about!” she snapped angrily. He had no right to push her about this!

“Anything that causes you to react like that needs to be talked about.” He sighed when she looked at him and he saw the tears in her blue eyes. He crossed the room and took her hands in his, tugging her closer until he could reach up to gently cradle her face in his palms. “Tess, you can tell me anything, babe; you know that, right? Hey, I may not be a genius like my roommate, but I’m perfectly capable of knowin’ when something’s wrong with my girl.”

Tess collapsed against his chest, overwhelmed by the tenderness in his voice, and clutching him tightly as her hands fisted in the material of his tee shirt. She was not going to cry in front of him… she wasn’t! She forced her breathing to level out until she felt like she had herself under control and then she rested her head on his shoulder. “I never talk about this, Kyle.”

“It’s just me, babe.” He waited a few minutes and when she didn’t utter a word he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall to her bedroom. He settled in the bed with her, holding her close so that she was lying against him with her head tucked under his chin.

“What’re you doin’?”

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk when it’s dark.” His right hand was stroking her shoulder in a hypnotic pattern and he just hoped that he had made the right call.

“Have you ever known someone that died?” she asked finally.

“Not really; my grandfather, but I didn’t really know him.”

“We had a friend… me an’ Maria, that is, and we were close, practically sisters…. we had been friends since meeting our first year of high school. Isabel and Liz used to come over and we’d all hang out together; she was cool about them bein’ a year younger, didn’t really care about that at all. But, the three of us were the same age and we did everything together… well, almost everything…”

“What was her name?” It hadn’t escaped Kyle’s notice that she had been referring to her friend in the past tense.

“Anna… her name was Anna. We went to a party right before the end of our senior year; finals were over and we just wanted to celebrate. Maria stayed home that night because she had come down with somethin’… summer cold, stomach virus… huh, I don’t remember what she had.” She shrugged and pulled at a loose string she had found at the edge of his shirt pocket.

“We rode over to the party with Anna’s boyfriend Eric and he got shit-faced before midnight.” She shook her head in disgust. “He was trying to prove that he could drink more than anyone else at the party. I’d had more than my fair share to drink, but when Anna told me they were ready to leave I had enough sense to tell her I wasn’t goin’ anywhere with him behind the wheel. I told her not to get in the car with him, but Anna was convinced that they’d be okay because they were goin’ back to his place and it was only five minutes away. I asked her not to go…”

“There was an accident?”

“It’s ironic, really,” she choked, “there’s never any traffic in Roswell at that time of night…”

“The other driver?”

“Paralyzed from the waist down. Anna was trapped in the car for more than an hour and she died before they could get her to the hospital. Eric walked away from it…”

“Drunk drivers usually do, babe.” Kyle pressed a kiss to her head and rubbed her back. “You blame yourself for her death, but it’s not your fault, Tess. No, listen to me,” he insisted when she started to argue with him. “It was stupid and tragic and senseless, but she made the decision to get in the car with him in that condition.”

“I should’ve made her stay.”

“The choice was hers to make, Tess. Yeah, okay, you could’ve tried harder, but if she had made up her mind, if she trusted him that much, you wouldn’t have changed her mind.”

“I could’ve changed her mind if I had just tried harder! You didn’t know her!”

“Why’re you tryin’ to turn this into an argument?”

“I want you to leave.”

And here we go again, Kyle thought, not surprised when she got up and turned the bedside lamp on. “Tess – “

“I’m not gonna stand here and listen to you talk about something that you clearly know nothing about!” she yelled. “I told you I didn’t wanna talk about this!”

Kyle sighed as he pushed himself to his feet, facing her from the opposite side of the bed. “I’m not gonna fight with you about this, Tess. The only reason you’re even pickin’ a fight is because I’m getting too close and that scares you.”

“What? No, I’m not – “

“Not what? Scared to let me in? Yeah, you are. You’re completely open and honest when it comes to sex, but when it comes to anything personal you shut me out.”

Tess stared at him, shocked by his accusation. It wasn’t true… was it? No, it wasn’t, she decided, and she didn’t need any self-examination to know that he was wrong. “Most guys would be happy to – “

“I’m not most guys, Tess! You think this is just about sex for me? Don’t get me wrong here; the sex is fuckin’ incredible, but I could have sex with anyone – “

“Oh, really? Well, why don’t you just do that then?” Her eyes widened in shock when he suddenly chuckled and shook his head. “You think this is funny?”

“Funny? No, not really. Ironic, but not funny. I don’t know what kinda guys you’re used to, but from what I’ve been able to piece together you’re not used to guys who stick around long enough to really wanna get to know you.” He smiled and shook his head. “I’m not those guys, Tess, and I’m not gonna let you run me off. Now, I’m goin’ back to the party, but if you change your mind all you’ve gotta do is call me and I’ll drop whatever I’m doin’ to be here for you.”

Tess watched him walk out of her room and she curled up in the center of her bed. She didn’t need him! Who did he think he was anyway? He had no right to come in like some knight in shining armor, telling her that Anna’s death wasn’t her fault. He was wrong; she should’ve been able to stop Anna from getting in the car with Eric that night. She grabbed one of her pillows and wrapped her arms around it, burying her face in it as the tears refused to be held back any longer.

Kyle stood at the front door for several minutes, hoping she would call him back and when she didn’t, he stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind him. He hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, but she was feeling vulnerable and she wasn’t ready to share that with him yet. At some point she was gonna have to learn to let him in, to trust him beyond what they shared in the bedroom. He sighed as he slid in behind the steering wheel and started the engine, glancing up at the darkened apartment windows once more before backing out of his space and leaving the parking lot.

*****

For several minutes Maria stood rooted to the spot where she had held Tess, her expression faraway and her thoughts lost somewhere in the past. It didn’t take a genius to know that something was wrong, Michael thought as he got to his feet and moved to stand next to her.

“You wanna tell me what that was all about?”

His gruff tone was laced with gentleness and it took everything Maria had to keep from throwing herself in his arms. She had to keep reminding herself that they didn’t have that kind of relationship and that she didn’t want that with him anyway.

“We lost a very good friend last year because of a drunk driver.” Maria found herself telling him the entire story and when her emotions surfaced against her will and the tears spilled over to trail down her cheeks, he surprised her by pulling her into his arms and murmuring words of comfort.

“So, Tess blames herself,” he guessed after she began to calm down.

“Yeah. She thinks she could’ve convinced her to stay if she had tried harder.”

“What d’you think?”

“I think Anna was just as stubborn as Tess is and if she had made up her mind she wasn’t gonna change it no matter how much Tess tried to convince her otherwise.” She fell silent, enjoying the opportunity to be held by Michael as his right hand rubbed her shoulders in a comforting gesture.

It was rare moments like this that made her wish for the impossible, she thought as she stared out over the ocean. But, they weren’t a couple and he hadn’t exactly been subtle when he had reminded her of that little fact by not inviting her to the party.

“I should go find Liz,” she said suddenly.

“What? Why?”

“Because I can’t leave without Liz; she rode out here with us.”

“No, I meant why’re you leavin’?” He shrugged and held his hands up when she moved back out of his embrace. “What? I just kinda thought we’d be getting naked and fuckin’ around tonight since you came out here.”

She really oughta give him shit for not inviting her to the party, but that wasn’t really part of their agreement so she supposed she didn’t have much of an argument to use. “As much as I was hopin’ for the same thing, I should really get home and make sure Tess is okay.”

“Kyle can handle her.”

“He can if she lets him, but I really doubt that’s gonna happen.”

“Okay, well, he’s only been gone an hour,” Michael said, pulling her back into his arms. “Give him time to at least try.”

“He’s probably already on his way back, Michael.”

“But, you don’t know for sure.”

“You just want a blowjob.”

“Well, I’m sure not gonna turn one down. C’mon,” he coaxed as his hands slid down to cup her ass and hold her tight against him. “Y’know you want to… I know you’re already wet,” he rasped against her ear. “When I was drivin’ out here earlier tonight I was thinkin’ about how much I’d like to strip you naked, spread you out over the hood of my car, and go down on you.”

Maria moaned at that image and she couldn’t help but grind against his erection despite knowing that she couldn’t stay long enough for them to act out his fantasy. Damn, the man had such an amazing imagination.

Michael lowered his head, fully intending to kiss her into complying with his plan but she reached up to cover his mouth with her hand. “Maria,” he grumbled against her palm.

“You’ve certainly made it hard to say no to you, but she’s my best friend, Michael, and I need to go make sure she’s okay.”

He sighed roughly and nodded. “So long as you know that after three days of my right hand, Mike Jr. is getting more and more difficult to please.”

Maria smiled at his plaintive tone and lowered her hand. “I think you’ll both survive one more night.” She let her weight rest against him as she leaned in to press her lips to his. The kiss started out slow and remained that way as her mouth explored his gently, nibbling and teasing as she drew it out.

Michael’s gaze wandered over her face as she leaned back and reached up to run her thumb over his bottom lip. His heart felt like a jackhammer pounding in his chest and he wasn’t sure how to respond to that kiss; they hadn’t had sex and they weren’t getting ready to have sex, so why had she kissed him? “What was that for?”

The question came out abrasively and Maria suddenly realized what she had just done. They didn’t kiss unless it was after sex or right before; a kiss for no reason suggested involvement on a different level than what they had agreed on. She shook her head and shrugged. “Just to show you what you’re missin’ tonight,” she said as she forced a smile and hurried away to find Liz.

Things just got complicated, Michael thought as he turned to watch her. She had allowed herself to get involved emotionally… what were they gonna do now?

*****

Liz walked along beside Max as they followed the shoreline away from the party that wasn’t showing any signs of slowing. They had done the limbo until the bar had been lowered far enough that both of them had fallen flat on their backs on their last pass.

“Did y’know that the Pacific Gray Whales pass through here during migration season?”

“Um-hmm, one of my instructors mentioned that recently; December through April, right?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, you can take a whale watching cruise that’ll bring you within 100 yards of the whales, and chances are pretty good that you’ll see quite a few other species of whales, seals, and dolphins. I took the cruise back in March and it lasted nearly three hours; it wasn’t very expensive either… I think I paid like forty bucks, but it was definitely worth the money.”

“That sounds like it would be fun.”

“Well…” He paused and rubbed the back of his neck before he stopped walking and turned to look at her. “Maybe we could go together?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Max.” Liz bit her bottom lip as she moved to stand several feet away. “I um, I told Sean I needed some time and space to figure things out…” She trailed off when he took several steps towards her, captivated by the way his deep brown eyes seemed to get darker as his gaze locked with hers.

“Why’re you with that guy, Liz?”

“Sean and I have been together – “

“I’m not askin’ how long you’ve been together; I wanna know why you’re together. You’re just bursting at the seams to get out and experience life, I can see it in your eyes.”

“Well, Sean just isn’t very…” She floundered for a word that wouldn’t make her fiancé sound boring or uninteresting. “He’s conservative, that’s all.”

“What’s he studyin’?”

“Statistics.”

“Um-hmm, so he’s gonna be a statistician and you’re gonna be a marine biologist; how do those two things mix?”

Liz really didn’t have an answer for that despite the questions she had been asking herself about that very same thing.

“I’d hate to see you give up somethin’ that means so much to you just so he can pursue the career he wants.” He raised his right hand to cup her cheek and his thumb gently stroked over her high cheekbone. “You deserve so much more than that, Liz.”

She swallowed with difficulty and forced her next question to surface. “What makes you think that I’d give up my dream?”

“You’re engaged to a man you’re not in love with for starters.” He cursed under his breath when she backed away from him, quickly putting several feet between them.

“I should go… it’s getting late and Maria’s probably ready to leave.” She didn’t know what to do or how to respond to Max’ words; she was already confused and there were so many questions that she didn’t have answers to.

Max watched her walk away from him and he quickly went over his options. He was fighting an internal battle, debating what to do because he had never thought himself capable of going after a woman who was already in a committed relationship. But, he was afraid that if she left with things the way they were that he wouldn’t get another chance with her and he wasn’t willing to lose something that he just knew he had been waiting for his whole life.

Liz wasn’t expecting it when Max suddenly appeared beside her and grabbed her arm in a gentle grip, making her stop and look at him. “Max, what’re you – “ She was shocked when his mouth settled over hers, and she stood there, frozen in place as he brought his hands up to cradle her face.

It was only a matter of seconds before she started to respond and without even realizing it her hands slid up to settle on his shoulders, holding him close. She followed his lead, angling her head in the direction he wanted and shivering when she felt his tongue slip out to tease her lips. She lost the battle with her conscience when she felt him growl and the moment she relaxed he deepened the kiss.

His facial hair tickled her skin and her right hand moved to rest along his jaw, her thumb slowly stroking over the soft hair of his goatee. This was wrong, but nothing in her memory had ever felt more right than kissing him. Guilt was starting to tease the edges of her conscience when she became aware of someone calling her name. She giggled when Max growled at the interruption but a moment later his expression eased into one of such gentleness and she felt the strangest sensation in the pit of her stomach.

She was reluctant to look away from him but she heard her name being called again and the tone was insistent enough to let her know that its owner wasn’t going away.

*****

Maria and Liz entered their apartment in silence; neither of them had spoken after leaving the beach. They were each wrapped up in their own dilemmas and both of them were thankful for the lack of conversation in the car. They went in separate directions, Liz going to her room and Maria going to find Tess.

Tess was lying on her side, staring at the wall when Maria stepped into her room. She flopped down on the bed and pressed her shoulder against the other girl’s back. “You ever get tired of guy drama?” she asked, smiling when she heard the watery chuckle from the other side of the bed.

“Yeah. I’ve been layin’ here contemplating how difficult it would be to just give men up and become a lesbian.”

Maria laughed and shook her head. “Never happen.”

“That’s true.” Tess sighed and shifted until she was lying on her back. “Girl drama wouldn’t be any better and guys do have their uses.”

“No argument there.” She nudged Tess with her elbow. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She reached up to wipe her eyes. “I guess I haven’t put it as far behind me as I thought I had.”

“What’d you do with Kyle?”

“I told him about Anna because he just wouldn’t let it drop and then he started tellin’ me how it wasn’t my fault and she made her own decision… like he knows anything about it.”

“So, you picked a fight with him.”

Tess shoved herself into an upright position and twisted around to look at Maria. “Why’d you say that?”

“Because that’s what you do when anyone gets too close, Tess; you push them away and when they don’t come back it just reaffirms your belief that you shouldn’t let anyone in.”

“Maybe you should be the one studyin’ psychology,” Tess mumbled as she flopped back against her pillows. “Kyle said he was leavin’ because he wasn’t gonna fight with me.” She plucked at the comforter beneath her body. “He said to call him when I was ready and he’d drop everything to be with me.”

“Why haven’t you called him?” Silence fell over the room for several minutes before Maria spoke up again. “There’s nothin’ wrong with needing someone, Tess.”

“Explain your relationship with Michael to me again?”

“Don’t try to change the subject; we’re not talkin’ about me.” Maria turned her head to look at her friend. “You didn’t want him to leave, did you?”

“No.” Tess sighed. “I wanted to lay here wrapped in his arms because he always makes things seem better and I feel so safe with him.”

“And that scares you.”

“It terrifies me, Maria! I’ve never let myself rely on anyone like that and I want to with Kyle.”

“Then why haven’t you picked up the phone and called that man yet? For all of their flaws, men are useful for more than just sex, and you got one of the good ones so don’t let him get away because you’re scared to let him in.”

“I don’t know how to let people in.”

Maria smiled as she hugged the other girl. “Just stop pushin’ him away, Tess, that’s all it takes.” She reached over and picked up the cell phone lying on the nightstand, tossing it on the mattress next to Tess. “Call him.”

*****

Michael was sitting at one end of the stage that had been set up for them, drinking a beer and watching several of the cheerleaders as they stripped down to barely-there bikinis and ran towards the ocean. Without even realizing it his mind backtracked to the kiss, and he wondered how he had gotten in so deep when they had both agreed that they didn’t want to get involved in anything that could be mistaken for a relationship.

He knew he was going to have to confront Maria about it because he had to find out if she was as emotionally involved as he was beginning to suspect she was. He turned his head when he felt someone sit nearby and his right eyebrow lifted in surprise when he saw Kyle sitting there.

“What?” Kyle snarled when his roommate stared at him.

“Nothin’… Maria said you’d be back.”

“Good for her.” He took a long drink from his beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Next time you see her, why don’t you see if she can predict the winning lottery numbers.”

“There a reason you’re bein’ a dick?” Michael asked even though he already knew it was related to Tess.

“Y’know,” he muttered, lying back on the stage, “most women wanna talk about their feelings, your feelings, the feelings of the world at large… not mine, though. No sir, I’ve got a woman who would rather watch grass grow than talk about her feelings.”

Michael snorted. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“You’d think so, right? But, no, it’s not a good thing because for the first time in my life, I actually wanna know what a woman’s thinkin’ an’ feelin’… I wanna know this shit an’ I’m the one bein’ shut out!” He propped himself up on his elbows and took another drink. “Somehow, our roles have been reversed and I have no idea what to do to get her to talk to me.”

“Talk about irony.”

“Fuck irony. I’m sick of irony. Y’know what irony is? Irony is bullshit!”

“Boy, she really pissed you off, didn’t she?”

Kyle sighed as he sat up and shook his head. “Not really pissed off… I just want her to let me in, to let me take care of her, and I don’t know how to make her understand that she’s not givin’ anything up if she lets me do that.” He shook his head when a couple of girls walked by and asked if they wanted company.

Michael kept his comments to himself when Kyle turned the girls down and he pulled his keys out, using his bottle opener to pop the top on the fresh bottle of beer sitting beside him. “I don’t know what to tell ya, Kyle; you’ve got what every guy wants an’ you’re not satisfied with it.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?”

“A woman who enjoys sex as much as you do, hangs out with you while you watch sports, and has no interest in talkin’ about all that emotional shit.”

“She’s more than just a piece of ass that I’m nailin’, Michael. I want more than just sex with her.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“Fuck if I know.” Kyle watched his roommate when the cheerleaders paraded right in front of them, wet, practically naked, and flirting directly with the other man. He wondered if Michael even had any clue that he was brushing off several of the most popular girls on campus, and after a minute he realized that the man really had no interest in them. “What I do know is that she lost someone close to her and it’s still causin’ her pain.” He finished off his beer and set the empty bottle next to him. “It kills me to know that she’s hurtin’ an’ she won’t let me do a damn thing to help her.”

“Y’think women think this stuff over as much as you are?”

“Probably more.” He shifted to the side so he could pull his cell phone out of his pocket and he paused when he saw Tess’ name on the caller ID. “It’s her.”

“Guess you’d better answer it before she hangs up then.” Michael listened in to Kyle’s end of the conversation and he knew before it ended that the other man would be heading over to the girls’ apartment before long.

“She wants me to come back,” he said as he jumped to his feet and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “I’ll catch up with ya later, Michael.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He watched Kyle as he hurried to cross the beach, making his way up to the parking area.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 37 - 7/23/09

Post by Double Trouble »

mary mary: LOL… so, you’re sayin’ we should continue to update at our regularly scheduled times? Oh, we will be delving further into all of those subjects!

Eva: Ah, don’t worry, Michael and Maria will get there and once they do… well, we think you’ll be happy! Kyle isn’t carrying around the baggage Michael is, so he’s in a much more stable place emotionally.

Well, y’know, it’s easier to give advice than act on it sometimes.

Alien_Friend: Wow, we take that as a very high compliment! Thanks!

Kyle is a tower of strength and he wants to be there for Tess in every possible way. He cares for her very deeply and that shows through in his actions. For Tess, opening up the way he was asking her to was terrifying, but thankfully he recognized that she needed to come to that decision on her own. You’re right – Kyle will keep everything together in one piece! Maria will take her own advice… yes, eventually.

Right, Michael and Maria are both dealing with that fear and it will cause them to hurt each other, but they’ll survive it and come out stronger for it.

Max took a big chance with that kiss, but it’s definitely gonna give her something to think about! The cabin weekend we’ve mentioned is important to the Max and Liz storyline as well. Familiarity is a big part of the reason why Sean and Liz are still together and Liz is in the process of seeing the truth.

Liz has never had much reason to challenge Sean because, as you said, her heart isn’t really in it. The problem is that until now she hasn’t really understood why her heart isn’t in it… enter Max Evans… she’s about to figure out what’s really going on.

nibbles2: The cabin weekend is very important for the Candy couple and it will make Michael start to take a look at his relationship with Maria. That conversation probably isn’t going to go in a direction that anyone suspects…

Kyle wants to fix it for Tess, but he knows that unfortunately it isn’t within his abilities to fix it. And he doesn’t want to push her, he just wants her to let him in emotionally and to understand that he’s there for her.

Wow, thanks! We were a little bit nervous about the Dreamer couple because we weren’t sure that we would be able to capture them well, but everyone has been very supportive of our take on the Max and Liz relationship.

destinyc: Don’t worry, Maria will eventually come around! Well, that kiss is going to lead in what is most likely an unexpected direction…

And let us just say… that cabin weekend… well, it’ll be important for Max and Liz, too.

kismet: You’re so right – you will do things you previously thought yourself incapable of when you meet that right someone. And I think we all know that Max has met her!

If ya liked that kiss… keep an eye out for the cabin weekend.

Michael has no clue that there are other women on the planet at the moment… just the one that has him wrapped up in knots!

twilight: Max and Liz will work it out! Well, there will be another kiss…

Tess made the right choice, huh?

begonia9508: Thanks for reading!

Maiqu: We’re glad you loved it! And the kiss, too… let’s not forget that kiss!

spacegirl23: They do love it – now they just need to get over themselves!

She will… it just needs to be on her terms.

chanks_girl: Tess has never trusted any other guy to this extent; she’s never allowed herself to get so involved. Not really a bad personal experience, more a matter of protecting herself from the possibility of getting hurt.

Thankfully she called him back, so it’s a big step for her.

You’re right about Michael and Maria… as far as the timeline is concerned… as far as posting goes, that’s another story because we tend to delve deeply into the scenes and that kinda makes them long sometimes, lol. That is a lesson that’s going to be learned, but it isn’t gonna be an easy lesson.


Part 37 – Alternators and Receipts…

Maria flopped back on her bed and grabbed the remote for the television, turning it on and muting it. She flipped through the stations several times before turning it back off and staring at the ceiling. Her mind refused to let go of her earlier slip and no matter how much she wished it hadn’t happened, she couldn’t go back and change it now.

I can’t believe I kissed him! She was surprised he hadn’t run in the opposite direction as soon as it had ended. They didn’t kiss unless it was after sex or leading up to it; kissing for any other reason wasn’t really part of their arrangement. She had screwed up royally and she had a feeling that he wasn’t gonna just let it go.

She rolled off of her bed and got to her feet, intending to change into something she could sleep in when the sound of crying caught her attention. The only other bedroom at this end of the apartment belonged to Liz and after the scene she had walked up on she was positive that the younger girl was probably feeling guilty.

She walked through the connecting bathroom and knocked on the open door on Liz’ side. When she didn’t respond, Maria stepped into the room and crossed to the bed on the far wall, pausing to look down at Liz for several seconds before she sat down beside her.

“Hey, you wanna talk about it?”

Liz shook her head. “I’m a terrible person, Maria,” she mumbled into her pillow.

Maria stroked Liz’ hair as she shook her head. “No, you’re not.” She sighed and leaned back against the headboard. “You’re just really confused right now, Liz.”

“I don’t even know what I’m doin’. I just know that it feels so ridiculously right when I’m with Max… it shouldn’t feel like that if I really love Sean.”

“No, it shouldn’t,” Maria agreed. “Did you talk to Sean?”

“Yeah, and he’s really not happy with me right now. He thinks the only reason I went to the party was because Max was gonna be there too.”

Maria turned her head to look down at Liz. “Was he right?”

“It’s part of the reason,” Liz answered honestly. “I wanted to see him again even though I feel so nervous and tongue-tied around him.”

“Well, kissin’ him is definitely one way to solve those problems.” Maria chuckled and shook her head. “I’m guessing you didn’t initiate the kiss?”

“No.”

“How was it?”

Liz smiled despite the blush on her cheeks. “It was incredible and so different from anything I’ve ever felt before. I had no idea kissing a guy could be so… so… God, I don’t even know what the word is, Maria!”

“That hot, huh?”

“I think I finally have a little understanding of what you guys are always talking about now.”

“Um-hmm, and you feel guilty about it.”

“Yeah. I mean, I told Sean that I needed space and some time to figure out what’s going on, but I never really thought I’d do more than try to figure out what I want.”

“Well, since you didn’t start havin’ doubts until Max arrived on the scene, wouldn’t you need to add him into the equation to formulate your hypothesis or whatever you wanna call it?”

Liz chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I just didn’t expect such explosive results.” She sobered after a few moments. “Sean and I have always gotten along, we never fought until just recently, and we’ve never even really had any real conflicts… Do you think this is about more than just a new guy that I’m attracted to?”

“I think that you know it’s about more than your attraction to Max and that it scares you because now you have to ask yourself what your real feelings are for Sean. Because it’s not fair to leave him hangin’ while you test your theory out with Max… if you suspect that you’re not in love with Sean – and I think you’ve got sufficient reason to question that – then you’re gonna have to decide what you want. If you wanna pursue somethin’ with Max like I think you do, then you really have to consider what you’re gonna do about Sean.”

“I don’t know what to do, Maria. What if I end things with Sean and Max isn’t interested in anything more than just… y’know…” Liz sighed in frustration; she knew she wasn’t expressing herself very well. “I don’t have any experience with guys, so I don’t know how to read them about this stuff.”

Maria forced herself to hold back her smile at her friend’s embarrassment. “Knowing you, Liz, you’ve gotta have some instinct that’s telling you he can be trusted, otherwise you wouldn’t be doin’ this.”

“I think he’s dealing with his own conflicted feelings because he told me before that if I wasn’t engaged he would’ve already kissed me. Brooke even told me that he doesn’t go after girls that are involved with other guys.”

“That kiss looked pretty serious and he didn’t look like he was ready to let you go.” Maria shook her head as she looked at Liz. “Seriously though, you can’t just keep Sean waiting in the background while you test your new wings out; if you’re unsure enough of your relationship and your feelings, you should probably do more than just tell Sean you need some space.”

“You think I should break up with him?”

“I think you have to be fair to him. I know you, Liz, and if you’re having these doubts then it’s more than just noticing a hot guy and bein’ attracted to him.”

“Have you ever been with someone and at some point you suddenly realize that you don’t even know each other?” She sat up and plucked at the fur of the teddy bear she was holding against her body. “Sean never drinks, y’know? But, he was drinking earlier tonight and he’d had too much… he said some really mean things when Max and I went to get a drink and we ran into him.”

“He was probably just hurt and that’s how it came out.”

She sighed raggedly. “It wouldn’t matter so much if he had said stuff about me because I know he was hurt, but he wasn’t sayin’ mean things about me; he was sayin’ them about you an’ Tess.”

Maria pulled back and frowned. “What?”

“He said you guys don’t have any morals, that you’re slutty and promiscuous.”

“Okay, well, that was mean.” She swallowed hard. “What else did he say?”

“Oh, he didn’t really say anything else; Michael just came up out of nowhere and pushed him down on the ground. I really thought he was gonna hurt Sean even though I asked him not to, but Max pulled him away so I could get Sean away from him.”

“Really?” Maria couldn’t ignore the feeling of happiness that welled up inside of her at the knowledge that Michael had jumped to her defense.

“Yeah, he was very… emphatic.” Liz looked at the other girl curiously. “How do you handle someone who’s so aggressive, Maria?”

She had to laugh at that question. “There are ways to tame the beast,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. “There’s something about guys who come across the way Michael does… you’d never know it, but there’s so much gentleness in him; there’s a whole other side to him that the rest of the world never sees.”

“Do you love him?”

“What?” Maria got to her feet and started to pace. “No! Of course not! We’re just hangin’ out and getting each other off, there’s nothing more to it.”

Liz’ eyebrows lifted at Maria’s vehement tone as she denied involvement. “So, it’s just sex?”

“Well, not really, because we’ve never actually had sex.”

“But, you just said… I don’t understand.”

“There’re a lot of ways to get off without having sex.”

Liz snorted at that. “Isn’t that just semantics?”

Maria’s eyes widened in shock as she stopped pacing and stared at Liz. “What have you been reading?”

“Just some books I checked out from the library.” Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson color. “What? It was your suggestion!”

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually do it!” She cringed when Liz quickly looked away. “No, no, no, I didn’t mean that the way it came out. I’m sorry, Liz.” She flopped back down on the bed beside the younger girl.

“You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t matter though because it’s never gonna go anywhere.”

Liz studied her for a while, biting her lower lip as she debated whether or not she should say what she was thinking. “But, you want it to be more?”

“We have an agreement; sexual satisfaction without strings.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It doesn’t matter that I want more than what we’ve agreed to because once those words come out of my mouth, it’ll be over. I don’t know how it could be any worse.”

“You could be thinking about ending things with your fiancé and having to deal with his parents and yours over Thanksgiving.” Liz smiled, but it was tinged with sadness as she looked down at her engagement ring. “I think if it comes to that, Sean will be the easiest one to deal with; it’s gotta mean something that he’s never tried to convince me we should have sex or at least do more when we make out, right?”

“Well, it’d make me suspicious; even the nicest guy wants to do more than what you guys have done. But, maybe he’s just really reserved sexually…” Okay, she didn’t really buy that, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be true.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet, but I know I need to figure it out. I don’t want to cause Sean anymore pain than I have to.”

“Are you gonna see Max again?” Maria asked.

“I don’t know. I want to…”

“Maybe you just need some time away from both of the guys; we’re goin’ up to some cabin that Kyle’s parents own next weekend and you should go with us. Max isn’t going because he’s got somethin’ planned already, but we could just hang out.”

“Yeah, that might be fun.”

“Alright, you think about it and let me know.” Maria stood up and stretched. “I think I’m gonna go to bed; it’s been a very long day.”

“G’night, Maria, and thanks for listening.”

“No problem.” She paused in the doorway and turned to look at her friend. “Y’know we’re all here for you, right? And if you need anything, someone to talk to, someone to listen while you rant about whatever… y’know we’re here, right?”

Liz smiled and nodded. “I know, Maria.” She heard the door close behind the other girl and she stared at her ring as she twisted it around her finger. She didn’t know what she was going to do about Sean, but she knew it needed to happen soon.

*****

Maria looked up when a car pulled up and blocked her path; somehow she wasn’t surprised that it was Michael. She leaned down to rest her forearms on the open window and lifted her left eyebrow in question. “What’re you doin’ here?”

Michael shrugged, not bothering to answer the question. “You need a ride home?”

She studied him for several seconds, trying unsuccessfully to read his expression. She hadn’t seen him or talked to him since Saturday night and she was fairly certain that he hadn’t forgotten that kiss. “Sure, I guess so.”

He was silent as he navigated the streets and he was so busy trying to figure out what he was going to say to her that they were at her apartment before he had gotten a single word out. The parking lot was nearly deserted, which was usual for that time of day; most of the people in the building were students. He shut the engine off and leaned back in his seat, staring at the steering wheel as he cleared his throat.

“When we started this we agreed that we wouldn’t get involved, but Saturday night it seemed like maybe you’re getting emotionally involved.”

“No, I’m not,” Maria denied.

“Then explain that kiss, because that’s not part of our usual game. We kiss before, during, or after getting off, but we don’t kiss just to kiss. So, I need to know how emotionally involved – “

“I was feeling emotional the other night, but it wasn’t about you, okay? Anna was a very close friend and talking about her just brought a lot of emotions and memories to the surface so, don’t worry, the emotional thing had nothing to do with you.”

She was lying through her teeth, Michael thought as he stared out through the windshield. “I don’t have any interest in getting involved on that level, Maria,” he said finally. “You can lie an’ call the other night whatever you wanna call it, but I’m the guy you were kissin’ and it sure as fuck felt different to me.”

“Then maybe you’re the one getting too involved.”

“I’m not the one who initiated that kiss.”

“Um-hmm, so you think that just because I kissed you without one of us getting off it means that I’m gonna start makin’ demands on you? Because just kissin’ you for no reason means that I must suddenly have some emotional investment in our arrangement.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’.”

“You do realize that there is some degree of emotion involved in screwin’ around, don’t you? Or do you deny that too?”

“We don’t do emotions, Maria; we agreed to that!”

“No emotions at all? No, we agreed that we wouldn’t get emotionally involved, Michael, we didn’t say anything about bein’ cold and clinical with each other.”

“It’s the same damn thing.”

“Is it?”

“Same damn thing.” He jumped when he felt her fingers tugging at his belt. “What’re you doin’?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a quick handjob; I’ll make sure there isn’t any emotional involvement at all, Michael.” She released him from the confines of his khaki pants and wrapped her hand around him, quickly bringing him to full hardness. “Matter of fact, since you’re so certain that what we’ve done up until now hasn’t involved any kind of emotion, then this won’t require much of anything beyond your dick and my hand.”

Michael bit his bottom lip when she stroked him the way he liked it, using the perfect pressure and speed to bring him right to the edge. Usually she teased him while jerking him off; kissing him, fondling him, tracing the fingers of her free hand over his body, all while her eyes were locked with his. She barely spared him a glance as she finished him off and then leaned back in her seat to wipe her hand with a tissue from her purse.

“What the fuck was that?” he snarled, trying to sound angry instead of confused and hurt as he put himself back together. She had always taken the time to clean him up and take care of him after getting him off; with her sitting on the other side of the car watching him with disinterest he felt like he had just been used by some random stranger.

“You said you didn’t want any emotions, Michael… that is what you said, isn’t it?”

“Well, what’s that got to do with… with… what you just did?”

“Tenderness is an emotion.”

Michael stared at the suddenly empty passengers’ seat when Maria climbed out of the car and made her way up to her apartment. He didn’t understand what had just happened but he knew he didn’t want it to happen again. He couldn’t recall a single orgasm that had come anywhere close to being as disappointing as the one he had just experienced. Physically, everything had gone perfectly, but there was something elemental that had been missing, something that had left him feeling completely unsatisfied.

He didn’t care to give it any further consideration and he turned the key in the ignition with more force than necessary as he started the engine up again. He just wanted to go home, take a shower, and forget that this day had ever happened.

*****

On Wednesday morning Liz walked into the kitchen and found Maria rooting around in the refrigerator. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything or not because the other girl had been in a horrible mood since Monday night and no one knew why. She glanced over her shoulder when Tess joined them, pulling Kyle along behind her. They had stayed at the apartment the past two nights, which was unusual since they spent most nights at his place.

“Will you be talkin’ to Michael anytime soon?” Tess asked as she leaned on the counter beside Maria.

“Will you be mindin’ your own business anytime soon?” Maria countered irritably, standing up straight and slamming the door.

“Highly doubtful. It’s just that Kyle’s bed is so much more comfortable than mine, but until Michael gets out of the seriously pissy mood he’s been in all week we’re kinda stuck here.”

“What makes you think I have anything to do with his pissy mood?”

Kyle’s bark of laughter startled them and the three girls turned as one to look at him. He was sitting on the couch, tying up the laces on his tennis shoes. “Uh, I hate to state the obvious here, but no one else has ever managed to piss that man off the way you do. And I don’t know what happened on Monday because he won’t talk about it, but he’s been in a mood that would make Satan himself proud.” He finished with his shoes and joined them, squeezing in between his girlfriend and Maria so he could get the pitcher of juice. He chuckled when he noticed the glare that Maria was aiming at him. “Y’know, between you an’ Michael, I’m surprised I’ve got any skin left on my bones; that look could just about melt steel.”

“Obviously Tess isn’t sleepin’ with you for your sense of humor.”

“If I were a lesser man, that scathing comment might actually bruise my ego.” He grinned unrepentantly and handed his half-empty glass of juice to Tess so she could finish it. “However, you have the good fortune of attempting to insult me on a day when I am in much too good a mood to be insulted.”

Tess placed her glass in the sink and followed Kyle when he motioned to the front door. “Hey, do either of you need a ride to campus?” she asked.

“I’m cuttin’ classes today.”

Liz glanced at Tess and shook her head. “No morning classes today; I was planning to see if I could get my car working.”

“Well,” Tess drawled, “I guess that’s the excuse I’d use if there was a hot guy messin’ around under my hood.” She giggled when Liz frowned at her. “Max came by earlier and asked if he could get your car keys; he’s been downstairs for the past hour workin’ on your car.”

“Huh-uh.” Liz ran past the other girl and leaned against the railing so that she could look down into the parking lot. Sure enough, the hood of her car was raised and she could see one jean-clad leg from the hip down because he was leaning forward and the rest of his body was hidden. She hurried down to the parking lot before she realized what she was doing and she slowed her pace as she approached her car.

His jeep was parked in the next space, the radio tuned to a rock station and he was singing along with the song playing. He couldn’t sing, she realized as she neared him. His voice suddenly lowered to a hum that was much closer to being in-tune and a moment later his body shifted forward violently and he cursed out loud.

“Sonofabitch!” He backed away from the car, transferring the wrench to his left hand and shaking his right hand. He froze when he noticed Liz standing there watching him, but before he could get a word out she moved to stand in front of him and she reached out to take his hand.

“Oh, look at what you did,” Liz murmured as the fingertips of her free hand traced around the torn flesh on his knuckles. “That must hurt.”

“Nah, it’s okay.” Max couldn’t feel anything but her skin touching his at that moment. “I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by to replace your alternator.” He smiled. “You were right about that bein’ the cause of your problem.”

“Really?”

He smiled at the excitement in her voice and the happy flush on her cheeks. “Yep, and as soon as I finish tightening up a couple more bolts you’ll be ready to go.”

Liz stared up at him, amazed that he had not only remembered the problem with her car but also that he had come by to fix it for her. Her gaze traced over his features and she was tempted to reach out so that she could run her fingers over the facial hair that was even softer than it looked. She had been shocked to discover just how soft it was; she had expected kissing a guy with facial hair to be unpleasant, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

As reluctant as he was to break contact with her, Max knew if he didn’t take a step back he was going to kiss her again and he wasn’t sure either of them was ready for that. He pulled his hand back as conflicted feelings assaulted him; he wanted her, but despite their actions a few nights before, she wasn’t available. He sighed and turned his attention back to the exposed engine when he saw those same feelings written so clearly on her expressive face.

Once the last bolt had been tightened and everything was in place he handed her the keys and motioned to the car. “You wanna crank ‘er up?”

Liz nodded and accepted her keys from him. She settled in behind the wheel and inserted the key into the ignition, turning it and shouting in exhilaration when it started so smoothly. She sat there while he slammed the hood and put his tools away, getting out only when he put his toolbox away and reached for a rag to wipe his hands off.

“You didn’t have to do this, Max.”

He lifted his head and smiled at her. “I wanted to.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder once he had finished rubbing the worst of the grease smudges off of his hands. “I’ve got a class in an hour, so I’m gonna run home and grab a shower.”

“How much do I owe you?”

Max shook his head as he tossed the rag back in the jeep. “I left the receipt for the alternator in the box on the front seat, but there’s somethin’ besides money that I’d rather have.”

“What’s that?” Liz felt her pulse start pounding when he crossed the distance separating them and he braced his hands against the top of the car on either side of her body.

“I know I shouldn’t be sayin’ anything like this to you because you’re with someone else and you’re engaged, but I wrote my cell number on the back of that receipt, Liz; if things don’t work out with you an’ Sean, call me.” He took a step back as his right hand came up to cradle her cheek in his palm. “I’m gonna go because if I don’t I’m gonna press you up against the side of this car and kiss you again.”

Liz felt heat flood through her body and her knees went weak at the promise in his husky voice and she was grateful that she was leaning back against the car. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to call his name because she knew instinctively that a single word was all it would take for him to stay, but she knew he was right. She also knew that he was having a hard time reconciling the fact that he was attracted to a girl who was already involved with someone else.

She watched him as he settled behind the steering wheel, starting the engine and reaching for the gearshift. He slid on a pair of dark sunglasses and she smiled when he waved as he backed out of the parking place. She stood there for several minutes before she finally decided she needed to go back up to the apartment and figure out what she wanted to do since she had no morning classes and now she had nothing else on her schedule.

*****

Maria was on the phone when Liz stepped inside the apartment, pacing around the living room restlessly. “How’s your car?”

“Max fixed it,” Liz said airily. She pulled the milk out of the refrigerator and poured a glass.

“You said you don’t have classes this mornin’, right?”

“Huh-uh, and now that my car’s working again, I don’t really have any plans.”

Maria turned her attention back to the phone. “No, make that reservation for two, please.”

Liz listened in on the rest of the conversation, but she couldn’t decipher who Maria was talking to. “Are we going somewhere?” she asked when it ended and Maria tossed the phone on the counter.

“We are going to spend the day at the spa, after that we’re gonna shop for new outfits, and then tonight we’re gonna go to a party on campus.”

Max will be there. Liz tamped that thought down and forced herself to focus on Maria. “Okay, well, let me go get ready and we can go.”

*****

Early that evening, Liz looked at herself in the mirror over the bathroom sink and smiled at the results of a day spent at the spa. She looked relaxed, her skin was glowing, and she felt so much better than she had in weeks. “Hey, Maria,” she called, “d’you want the shower first?”

Maria paused in the process of emptying out her purchases onto her bed and moved to stand in the doorway. “I’ll be in there for a little while, so I guess it depends on how long you wanna wait. I’ve gotta shave and since it’s a sensitive area I prefer to take my time.” She rolled her eyes, wondering why she was even bothering; it wasn’t like Michael was gonna be there to appreciate the time and effort she put into it. Well, fuck him and his no-emotions bullshit; it wasn’t like she needed him to get off. She didn’t need a man for that… she was perfectly capable of making herself come.

“A sensitive area…” Liz’ eyes widened in shock. “You mean you shave down there?”

“Um-hmm, you should try it.” She winked at Liz when the younger girl blushed. “Just think about it; it’s an interesting sensation.”

“You really shave everything?”

“Smooth as a baby’s bottom… and it’s just a bonus that it drives Michael crazy. Not that it matters because he’s bein’ an ass right now, but when he works himself back into my good graces he’ll be very happy.”

“Did you guys have a fight?”

“You could call it that, I guess.” She shook her head and straightened away from the doorframe. “At some point he’ll realize that he has no choice but to grovel for forgiveness if he intends to get in my panties again… trust me, I’ll win this round.”

“Why d’you make sex into a competition, Maria? I thought you wanted a guy who was everything that the guys in your past haven’t been?” She shrugged one shoulder in confusion. “I thought you were pretty happy with Michael.”

“What Michael and I have is purely sexual; we don’t want anything else from each other.”

“Y’know how you’ve been tellin’ me that I’ve gotta figure out what I want?” Liz really hoped she wasn’t about to cross the line with Maria. “I think you need to do the same thing.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Maybe I don’t know anything about sex because obviously I’ve never had it, but it just seems to me that you like him more than you’ve admitted.”

“I can’t afford to romanticize what Michael and I do together, Liz; he’s not the kinda guy who’s gonna stick around long-term.”

“Then why invest the time in this… relationship?”

“Because I like what he makes me feel when we’re together. In a completely sexual way,” she added when she saw the speculative look in Liz’ eyes. “Just shut up and get ready so we can hit that party.”
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 38 - 7/26/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Alien_Friend: LOL, glad to hear we can still shock ya! Michael wasn’t going to see anything unless it lacked any subtlety whatsoever… and, well… that fit the bill. They are both stubborn, but in this case, Maria may just get her way.

Hmmm, who just shows up and fixes your car? Max Evans, that’s who! Obviously the man doesn’t live in the real world because, really… that’s never happened for either of us! Liz is starting to step out a little bit and she’ll keep going. Sean… well, it’s doubtful that anyone’s feeling much sympathy for him right now.

The party should bring about something good. As for the cabin weekend… look for it to start next Sunday and it’ll take a few updates to get through it, but it’s important all around!

kismet: Hmm… why will Max change his plans? We’ll see. The cabin weekend will actually be a deciding factor for Liz as far as her relationship (or, non-relationship) with Sean goes. LOL, Max is a patient man for the most part… he could come and fix your car, huh? You’d better get in line! No, Max isn’t interested in making it a guessing game; he tries to be as direct as possible.

Nope, and they’re both upset and in a bad mood… we think that implies feelings!

What will happen at the party… let’s take a look and find out…

We’ll be posting Double Date by the end of this week.

Eva: Maria is slowly coming around, but she’s still fighting it.

That lesson was blunt… question is, did he learn anything from it?

Max knows what he wants and he knows how to get it.

nibbles2: Michael definitely thought about it – and he doesn’t care to ever experience that again.

Liz is in a difficult position, but she’s on the verge of making her final decision about Sean.

Where was Isabel this week? That’s a very good question… we looked for her and couldn’t find her… we’re sending out the search dogs even as we type!

destinyc: Yes, and it wasn’t pleasant for either of them.

The end is coming! The cabin weekend will be the deciding factor for Liz. Max is a sweetie!

begonia9508: What a guy, right? Where are these guys in reality? Not fixing our cars, that’s for sure!

Cabin weekend… keep an eye out for it!

Nope, definitely not in love with Sean.

mary mary: Maria thanks you for the compliment! That confusion will begin to clear over the weekend at the cabin.

Sorry, posting late… Internet issues!

chanks_girl: Michael may begin to see the light… we’ll know soon.

Liz will make her final decision over the cabin weekend. She should try him out in the literal sense, huh? Well, who knows, maybe she’ll give him a test run at the cabin… stranger things have happened.

sarammlover: Yes, Alex and Isabel are the normal relationship and Kyle and Tess run a close second. Liz and Max will get their chance and so will Michael and Maria.


Part 38 – Lessons Learned

Max was leaning over the bathroom sink, his face only a few inches from his reflection as he stroked his fingers over his goatee and mustache. He frowned when he spotted a hair that was slightly longer than the others and he reached up to snip it with the little trimming scissors he held in his right hand.

“Are you gonna be finished makin’ yourself pretty anytime soon?” Michael demanded as he barged in without even bothering to knock. “You spend more time in front of the mirror than any girl I’ve ever known.”

Max snorted at that and turned his attention back to his reflection. “I like to take my time, Guerin, and if you knew anything about women, you’d know that they like it when you take a little extra care with your – “

“I’ve never had any complaints, Evans. Now, why don’t you get the fuck out so I can get ready to go?”

“Yeah, because anything you do to get ready’s gonna impress Maria with that attitude you’ve got.” Max rolled his eyes as he turned his head back and forth, making sure everything was in place before he finally took a step back.

“Did I ask for any of your advice? No, I didn’t, and just so we’re clear, I’m not doin’ anything to impress Maria.”

“That’s for damn sure,” Max muttered as he reached for his deodorant and cologne. “If you were, you sure as shit wouldn’t be treatin’ her the way you’re – “

“Fuck off.”

“You’ve been in this shitty mood for three days now, and I’m about sick of puttin’ up with it.”

“Yeah? Well, guess what? I’m sick of you spoutin’ off all of your little tips that you’ve been collecting from those stupid women’s magazines that Tess leaves everywhere… you wanna be so in-touch with your feminine side, then do it somewhere else!”

“Wouldn’t hurt you to learn how to treat women better than – “

“Get off my fuckin’ back, man!” He snorted as he shoved Max back out of the bathroom. “Why don’t you just focus all of your knowledge on getting into your little virgin’s panties instead of tellin’ me how to act?”

As a rule, Max was an even-tempered man, but he reacted on instinct when Michael threw the callous words out and he dropped the bottles in his hand to shove him back. “You watch your fuckin’ mouth!”

Michael hadn’t been expecting Max to come at him and he wasn’t able to catch his balance in time, so they crashed through the open doorway on his side of the bathroom and landed on the floor in his bedroom. Someone was pulling them apart before either of them had the chance to throw a punch.

“What the hell are you two doin’?” Kyle snapped, standing between them once they were both on their feet again.

Max shrugged off Kyle’s hand and pointed at Michael as he passed him on the way out of the room. “I wasn’t kiddin’; you’d better control that mouth of yours.”

“What is goin’ on with you this week?” Kyle took a step back when he heard the door on Max’ side of the bathroom slam shut. He was well aware of how far Max had to be pushed before he lost his temper, so he could only imagine what Michael had said to him. “We just stopped by for a minute; we’re on our way to that party on campus. D’you think you can manage to leave the apartment in one piece?”

“Get outta my room and let me get ready in peace.” He threw himself down on his bed as soon as he had been left alone and he reached up to rub his eyes tiredly. He had been on edge since he and Maria had parted company on Monday afternoon and he still didn’t really understand what had happened.

She hadn’t contacted him and he had managed to stay away from the places where they ran the highest risk of running into each other. He wasn’t avoiding her, he denied silently. He drummed his fingers against his chest and after several long minutes he felt calm enough to finish getting ready for a party that he wasn’t even really interested in.

*****

Liz stayed close to Maria when they arrived at the party because it wasn’t the type of event she normally attended and she really didn’t know anyone there. She shook her head when Maria motioned to the bar and she tried to blend in with the wallpaper when the other girl left her to go and get a drink.

“Hey, beautiful.”

She would know that voice anywhere, she thought as she turned her head and smiled at the man making his way through the crowd to lean against the wall beside her. “Hi, Max.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said.

“Well, normally, I wouldn’t be here because I’m not much of a party girl, but I think Maria needs some company tonight. She’s been… um…”

“In a bad mood since Monday?” Max guessed.

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Because Michael’s in the same damn mood.” He shook his head and raised his bottle of beer to his lips. “Personally, I think we should all get together and lock them in a room somewhere until they get whatever it is straightened out because they’re makin’ life miserable for the rest of us.” He tipped the bottle in her direction. “You don’t have a drink; you want me to get you one?”

“Um, well… I did like that drink the other night.”

“So, a little Sex on the Beach, huh?” Max nodded and went to get her a drink even though he wanted to stay there and tease her.

Liz watched him as he smiled and responded politely to everyone who crossed his path, but before long he had collected the drink and was on his way back to her.

“Looks like you’ve already managed to find some company,” Maria remarked. She turned her head to follow Liz’ gaze across the room to the tall, dark-haired man; there was a red-headed girl trying to pull him towards the next room where people were dancing, but he wasn’t paying any attention to her.

“We’re just talking… that’s okay, right?”

Maria nodded and took a drink of her beer to hide her smile. “It’s okay, Liz,” she assured her. “Is he bringing that drink for you?”

“Um, yeah… he had one made for me the other night and I really liked it, so…”

“And what is it?” Maria’s tone was distracted when she caught a glimpse of Michael moving through the crowd with several girls hanging onto his every word and a couple more clinging to him. She didn’t even notice when Liz stuttered out the name of the drink because at that moment he turned and their eyes met for just a moment before he turned his attention to the brunette hugging his left arm.

So he wanted to play it like that, huh? Maria waited until Max returned and then she took off to follow him through the house.

*****

Michael was aware that he was being stalked through the house and he made it a point to be seen flirting with every attractive woman in the place. It was the first time he could ever remember having to force himself to turn on the charm with the opposite sex, and he was sure it was all Maria’s fault.

He slouched down on one of the couches, uncomfortably sandwiched between a cheerleader and a girl from the drama club. His arms were draped over their shoulders and he knew anyone passing by would falsely assume that he was right where he wanted to be. Outwardly he looked like he was having a good time, eating up the attention being lavished on him, but the truth was that he was wishing he was anywhere but where he was.

After a couple of hours of taunting Maria by flirting with numerous girls he was ready to go, but he wasn’t giving up before she did. He had temporarily sought refuge in a corner under the guise of making a phone call and he was on the verge of conceding defeat when Maria suddenly approached him.

“Just stop with the fake phone call, Michael,” Maria said as she shook her head and snatched the phone out of his hand.

“Jealous?” he taunted, leaning one shoulder against the wall as his gaze slid over her.

“No, you’re just makin’ a fool of yourself out there and it’s painful to watch.” She leaned close to him and slipped his phone into his front pocket. “Why don’t we leave and go someplace – “

“Nope, I’m good.” He leaned around her to snatch an unopened beer out of some freshman’s hand, grinning when the younger guy glared at him and kept walking. “I’ve been thinkin’ that maybe I’m in the mood to get naked tonight…”

“Then let’s go.” She was so sick of watching him flirt with every girl in the place.

“Nah, like I said, I’m good.” The satisfaction that he had expected to feel when disappointment settled over her features wasn’t quite as strong as he had anticipated. “But, you go on.”

“So, you’d rather stay here than come with me?”

He popped the top on the bottle and downed half of it in one long swallow. “It’s only ten o’clock; why would I leave a party this early? There are expectations with someone of my stature, y’know.”

“Could your ego be any bigger?”

Michael grinned. “I could try.” He pushed away from the wall. “See ya later.”

She stared after him in shock when he disappeared into the crowd without giving her a single look. What an asshole! Why was she attracted to him again? Oh, that’s right, because he’s an asshole! That’s alright, she consoled herself. She didn’t need him to ease the frustration that had been building to nearly unbearable levels ever since she had set her eyes on him earlier that night. She swore under her breath and went to find Liz so they could go home.

*****

Liz listened to Max as he talked about growing up in Dallas with his parents, and an older brother and sister. It was obvious that he loved his family and cared about them very much, and as much as he loved going to school in Long Beach, he missed being so close to them. They had walked outside to get away from the noise of the party and ended up sitting on the back deck as they lost themselves in conversation.

“My nephew’s birthday is in December, a couple days before Christmas; he’s gonna be a year old this year.” He took a drink from the soda he had been nursing for the past hour and he stared into the plastic cup. “My brother never got to see his baby… he died five months before J.J. was born.”

“He’s named after your brother?”

Max smiled. “Yeah, but it’s still hard to call him by my brother’s name, so everyone just calls him J.J.” He shifted to pull his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it to show her the pictures inside. “That was taken a couple days before I came back for school.”

“Aw, he’s sooo sweet, Max!”

He chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a good kid; I’m probably biased since I’m his uncle, but I figure I’m entitled to at least a little bias.”

“Liz, there you are!” Maria exclaimed as she stepped out onto the deck. “I’ve been lookin’ for you for the past half hour.”

“Oh, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, and the sooner the better! Because if I don’t get out of here, Max is gonna have one less roommate.”

Max grimaced. Great, that meant that Michael was still gonna be in a pissy mood. “I guess that means you two came here together?”

“Um-hmm.”

“Any chance you wanna let Maria take your car so you can stick around an’ I’ll give you a ride home later on?”

Liz was reaching for her keys before she could formulate a response and she turned to hand them to Maria with a smile. “Do you mind?”

“Are you sure about this?” Maria asked. She held Liz’ gaze for several long seconds until the younger girl nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you later then.”

*****

Kyle was digging around through the selection of chips available on one of the tables, looking for the brand that he preferred when Michael suddenly appeared across the table from him. He could tell from the expression on his friend’s face that nothing had been settled between him and Maria, which meant another night in Tess’ uncomfortable bed. “Can I help you with somethin’ or would you just like to stand there an’ stare at me all night?”

“Where’s Tess?” Michael growled.

“Did I hear my name?” Tess asked, sidling up next to Kyle. “What’re you boys doin’?”

“I heard you bitchin’ about your bed earlier.”

“Yeah, and…?”

“So, lemme have the key to your apartment an’ me an’ my bad mood will vacate my apartment tonight.”

“Hmmm… so, you want my spare key so you can what, exactly? Go over and fix things between you an’ Maria?”

“That’s none of your business; it’s between us.”

Tess rolled her eyes as she fished around for her spare keys and then pulled the apartment key off of the ring and handed it to Michael. “Just leave it on the kitchen counter and I’ll get it next time I’m home.” She shook her head when he took the key and left without another word. “Does he always get this irritable when he’s not having sex?”

“In all the time I’ve known him, I have never known him to get this pissed off over a woman; I think it’s more than just not havin’ sex.” He suddenly paused in his search for chips and turned his head to look at his girlfriend. “Y’know, it just occurred to me that my apartment is empty right now, so unless you just really wanna stay here, there’s a big, comfortable bed waitin’ for us in my room at home.”

“Well, we shouldn’t keep it waitin’ any longer then, should we?”

*****

Michael unlocked the front door of the girls’ apartment and stepped inside the darkened interior. He closed and locked the door behind himself and crossed over to the kitchen to leave Tess’ key on the counter before he forgot about it and then turned to walk down the hall to Maria’s bedroom. He could see a faint light at the bottom of her door and he paused with his hand on the wall before leaning back to glance at Liz’ room. Her door was open so he backtracked to her room and glanced inside, seeing that the bathroom door was standing open. He crept through her bedroom, closed the bathroom door once he was inside the smaller room, and then moved to stand in the open doorway on the opposite side.

The television was on, the images flashing across the screen providing the only light in the room. At first he thought Maria was asleep but then he saw the way her body was shifting beneath the comforter. A slow smile crept across his face when he heard her breath coming in shallow pants followed by a long, slow moan that told him she was getting close.

“Not without me, you’re not,” he grumbled under his breath. He had come over with the intention of paying her back for Monday afternoon, but catching her in this state had him so hard that he knew he would never be able to stick with that plan. He kicked his shoes off and toed his socks off and then entered her bedroom, his movements stealthy as he crossed the floor and reached for the edge of the comforter.

With one strong flick of his wrist he jerked the covers off of her and she quickly moved, sitting up and curling in on herself in an effort to cover all of the essential parts.

Maria stared at him, shocked to see him standing at the foot of her bed, the comforter clutched in his right hand. “What the fuck are you doin’ in my bedroom? How did you manage to get into my apartment? Who let you… It was Tess, wasn’t it?” Her temper spiked when he merely dropped the comforter, grinned at her with that infuriatingly smug grin, and then crossed his arms over his chest. “Get out!” she roared, pissed that he seemed quite content to just stand there and watch her.

“Go ahead an’ finish,” he rasped, eyes turning darker as the shadow and light played across her bare skin.

“I want you to leave!”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, baby; I wanna stand right here an’ watch you get yourself off.” His eyes traveled over the sheets… black satin sheets, he realized and his breathing quickened in response. He had been fantasizing about this for so long!

Maria knew the exact moment he noticed that her bed was covered in black satin and she could practically see the fantasy playing out in his mind. She could feel the tension in him from several feet away and she knew she had just been given the upper hand. “I really don’t think I can, Michael… you said no emotions, remember? I get really emotional when I touch myself and you don’t want that, so…”

“I think you owe me for that stunt you pulled on Monday afternoon and you promised you’d do the satin sheets thing! You promised, Maria!”

Oh, he was begging, and he was so cute while doing it, too! “Michael, you won’t admit that there are different levels of emotional involvement, so I think it would be best if we just let it go, because if I continue touchin’ myself there are gonna be some pretty emotional moments and I’d hate to make you uncomfortable with that.”

“Maria…”

“Tell me you know there’s a difference, Michael.” She moved to stack two fluffy pillows behind her and leaned back against them, straightening her body out in a long stretch before pulling her knees up, opening and closing them just enough to give him a teasing glimpse of the shadowed flesh between her legs.

She saw his Adam’s apple bob when he swallowed hard and she knew he was losing his grasp on his precious control. He was trying so hard to stay where he was and when his hands reached out and curled around the footboard she saw how much she was affecting him by the white skin stretched taut across his knuckles.

Michael was so ready to just launch himself across the footboard, but he knew she wasn’t going to let him taste, touch, or anything else until he gave in and told her what she wanted to hear. The problem was that she was right and he never liked to admit that he was wrong about anything, and until he did she wasn’t giving anything up.

“So, Michael… d’you have anything to say?”

His eyes glazed over when her right hand slid down between her legs, but after several minutes he realized that she wasn’t making a sound as she touched herself. His gaze shot to hers and he stared at her as he shook his head. “Fine,” he snapped, “you win; there are different degrees of emotion involved in getting off, and it’s not the same if you get off without them.”

Maria smiled at his admission. “You don’t have to be so pissy about it.” She motioned at him with her free hand. “Take your shirt off and stay awhile.” She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as she spread her legs to let him watch her fingers as they slipped between her slick folds. He pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the floor but his eyes remained riveted to her body, roving over her as she writhed and bucked under her own touch.

His nostrils flared as she began to moan louder, her fingers playing over her flesh faster, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He jumped over the footboard and landed between her legs with perfect precision, dislodging her hand and enjoying her frustrated groan. He crawled up over her and rested his weight on his knees and forearms as he pressed her back into the pillows and kissed her with a weeks’ worth of pent-up passion.

His left hand slid under her pillow and he paused when his knuckles brushed up against something unexpected. He uncurled his hand and let his fingertips trace over the object, grinning when he knew for sure what it was. “It’s been a week,” he growled as he broke the kiss and used his lips and tongue to trace a path down to her aching center. “How bad did you miss me?”

“A lot… I missed you sooo bad.” Maria’s breath hitched in her throat as soon as she felt his tongue right where she wanted it most and her hips shifted restlessly. Her hands threaded through his hair and she scraped her nails against his scalp when he stroked relentlessly over her clit. “Oh… Michael…” She groaned when he lifted his mouth off of her and he started to kiss his way back up to her breasts. He lavished attention on them, scraping his teeth over her nipples before sucking them into his mouth. “Michael…” She wanted him back between her legs and she curled her right leg over his hip as she tried to pull him closer.

Michael slid up over her body, keeping most of his weight on his left side as his mouth settled over hers once more. His tongue invaded her mouth, demanding entrance, and plundering as deeply as possible.

Maria broke the kiss and cupped his face as she forced him to meet her gaze. “Michael, please, I need you…” Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt the tip of the dildo that had been hidden under her pillow brush against her clit.

Michael watched her eyes as he slid the dildo into her, fascinated by the way her pupils dilated and the irises shrank until they were just a thin ring at the outer edges. He loved to watch her come apart in his arms and this time was no exception; he slid the dildo in and out, speeding up the thrusts and slightly changing the angle to maximize her pleasure.

“Oh… oh… Michael!”

She bucked against him, screaming his name as she came and for the first time in his life he found himself jealous of an inanimate object. He eased it from her body and tossed it near the foot of the bed as he slid down between her legs to swipe his tongue over her sensitive flesh. He had missed this; missed being able to touch her, taste her, tease her, and hold her afterwards.

“You drive me crazy,” he admitted as he rested his chin against her mound and met her gaze in the muted light. “Y’know that, don’t you?”

“Probably no crazier than you drive me,” she said with a sated smile. Her heart was finally beginning to slow to its normal rhythm and she motioned for him to come to her. When he capitulated and crawled up over her body she wrapped her legs around him and flipped him over on his back. She watched his eyes as she unsnapped his jeans and slowly began to ease his zipper down, and she felt him tense beneath her at the same moment that she saw the hesitation enter his dark eyes.

He was holding his breath, anticipating her touch even as he was wary of it. The last thing he wanted was to repeat Monday’s performance because he hadn’t enjoyed the feelings that had settled over him afterwards.

Maria read his thoughts in his open expression and she knew she would never be able to do that to him again. It hadn’t been a pleasant way to prove a point and she had known the moment she had made her escape that he had been hurt by it. She had locked herself in her bedroom and cried for hours after leaving him lost and confused in his car.

She kept her touch gentle as she removed his jeans and boxers and she wondered what would satisfy him the most this time. She stretched out between his muscled thighs and brushed her cheek along his erection before turning her head running her tongue along his length. His hips jerked at the barest touch and she wondered if he had gotten off since Monday night. She braced her weight on his upper thighs to hold him down as she wrapped her hand around him and took his head in her mouth.

Maria ran her tongue over his head, paying special attention to the sensitive underside, working him until he was fighting to keep from bucking up into her mouth. She pulled back off of him and smiled when he filled the air with curses and he fisted his hands in the sheets as his hips jerked in an effort to find some sort of friction.

Michael was ready to scream in frustration when she pulled off of his dick and made her way up over his body, flesh pressing against flesh as she stretched out over him. His breathing was ragged, his heart was racing, and he was on the verge of moving her out of the way and taking care of it himself when she suddenly shifted and he felt his dick slide between her slick folds.

Maria felt his groan when she pressed her lips to his, kissing him slow and deep as she rocked her pelvis against his. His big hands settled on her hips and she eased back, hands flat against his chest as she stared down at him. “Take me any way you want me,” she whispered.

She hadn’t expected him to move so fast, but before she had the time to draw another breath he had reversed their positions so that she was flat on her back and he was above her. He quickly fell into a fast rhythm and he was angling his thrusts just right so that he was stimulating her clit with each pass.

“Legs, Maria… wrap your legs around me, baby…” He sighed when her arms and legs came around him, holding him close as his pounding hips quickly brought both of them the release they had been waiting for.

She could feel the trembling in the taut muscles of his arms as he did everything he could to keep from collapsing on top of her. “Let it go, Michael,” she whispered against his lips. “Let it go… I’ll catch you.”

Michael groaned when he heard her words and he carefully let his body slide down until it was cradled against hers. His head settled between her breasts and he felt her right leg shifting repeatedly but he was too tired to figure out what she was doing. The answer came a few moments later when he felt the comforter being pulled up over them and he realized that he must have left part of it lying on the bed.

This was what had been missing the other day, he thought drowsily.

“I’m sorry about Monday, Michael,” Maria apologized as she combed her fingers through his hair.

“You had a point to prove,” he mumbled.

She wasn’t the only one who was agreeable after sex. “Yeah, but, I’m still sorry.”

“It’s okay… as long as you don’t feel the need to do it again.”

Maria shook her head as the image of his face, filled with hurt and confusion rose to the surface of her memory. “No, I won’t ever do that again, Michael.” She pressed a kiss against the top of his head. “I promise, never again.”

He mumbled what sounded like a positive response and shifted onto his back, tugging her against his side. She was slipping into an exhausted sleep as he held her close, rubbing her back and dropping soft kisses against her forehead. He was beginning to relax as well, drowsy, warm, and sated, when she suddenly mumbled something that he didn’t understand. “What?”

Her breath ghosted over his skin as she repeated the words again, “Stay the night, Michael.”

Every muscle in his body tensed in unison at her sleepy request and he sat up, fully awake, and feeling the immediate urge to vacate the premises. “I uh, I can’t stay the night, Maria; I’ve gotta get back to the apartment.”

“What?” Maria had to force her eyes open when he shifted and climbed out of bed. “Where’re you goin’?”

“I’ve got an early class tomorrow and the instructor’s got an exam planned.” He shrugged as he quickly collected his clothes and hurriedly pulled them on. “I’ve really gotta get home and study up for it.”

He was lying and she knew it, but she didn’t call him on it. She simply got up and grabbed her robe, pulling it on and following him as he rushed through the apartment. When he reached the front door he didn’t waste any time unlocking it and pulling it open.

“I just… it’s a huge exam, Maria…”

She nodded. “Well, you don’t wanna blow an exam, so you should get home to study.”

“Right, right, well… okay.” He leaned in to give her a quick kiss and then hurried down the stairs and to his car.

Maria closed and locked the door once he pulled out of the parking lot and she made her way back to her bedroom, collapsing on her bed and reaching for the covers. It didn’t feel quite as nice as being wrapped in Michael’s arms, or pressed up against his big body, but she supposed it would have to do for the night. She was too exhausted to think about what had just happened, and she knew that if she started she’d never get any sleep, so she let it go with the knowledge that it would still be waiting for her tomorrow.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 39 - 7/30/09

Post by Double Trouble »

kismet: Numero uno, chica!

We’re glad you like the parts with the boys – there will be a couple of those at the cabin that you should enjoy. Y’know Max… he doesn’t appreciate anyone being disrespectful to the woman he cares about! He is a goner, totally and completely! We actually didn’t draw that conversation out any further.

Yes, we think you’ll be happy with the cabin weekend. We actually have a cabin weekend scene that will take an entire part and unless we change it you can look forward to that entire scene containing Max and Liz only.

Michael’s about to realize that the emotional involvement he accused Maria of having… it’s a two-way street.

destinyc: We promise, one of these days he’s gonna stop running.

Max will be the perfect boyfriend and he will continue to defend her honor!

Eva: Whoa! You’re not the first reviewer to be under that misunderstanding, lol! They did not go all the way!

That is exactly why Michael ran and it’s going to take some work for him to get to a place where he can be on the receiving end of those emotions and accept that he does deserve to be loved.

abbs007: Thanks for the review!

begonia9508: Ouch, ouch, ouch! There’s a lot more depth to Michael; we hope in time you’ll see what Maria sees.

LOL, well, Max wasn’t about to risk running into Liz without making sure he was ready!

That’s Max for ya – look for more of his gentlemanly behavior.

Alien_Friend: That would be huge… but, um… it didn’t happen. You’re right about Maria breaking through his defenses eventually though. The night brought about a revelation that he wasn’t ready for, but he’ll begin dealing with it. Michael coming to Maria and her apologizing for the scene in the car earlier in the week were both important moments.

That was a big step for Liz and it was important that Max opened up to her about his brother.

mary mary: Congratulations on being in the cool again!

Maria didn’t want him to be hurt, that was never her intention; unfortunately that didn’t stop it from happening.

spacegirl23: Hey, we’re glad to hear you’re caught up!

Slow and steady, that’s Max and Liz! Kyle and Tess are hanging tough, too! Alex and Iz will be back this week. The cabin weekend is going to take quite a few updates, so you can look for more “couple” time for all of them.

Michael and Maria have a long way to go, but they’re gonna get there!

Zoi: He will… in time.

Hey, we appreciate all feedback! Thanks for dropping us a couple lines!

sarammlover: That was the wrong time to push and she recognized that. You could be onto something! We’re glad you loved it, but, um… that actually wasn’t their first time. Physically, it was no different than what they’ve done in the past. Their first time won’t happen until they’ve worked through some of their issues. But, we’re glad you loved that scene!


Part 39 – NO, THEY DIDN’T HAVE SEX!!!

Michael grabbed the morning newspaper off of the coffee table, grateful to have something he could focus on. He hadn’t been in the mood to deal with his roommates after leaving so he had called his older brother and asked if he could crash on his couch.

The couch had already been made up by the time he had arrived and Isabel had met him at the door, ushering him inside and fussing over him. She had informed him that his brother was buried under a mountain of homework while fighting off a headache, and then insisted on making him something to eat before going back to bed.

She had mothered him in a way that his own mother had never even bothered to attempt. He wasn’t about to admit it, but it had felt kinda nice to have someone who was genuinely concerned about him. They didn’t know each other very well, she was younger than him, and there was certainly no expectation of kindness since he knew he had woken her when he called, but she had only been concerned with making him comfortable.

“Michael?”

He glanced at Isabel over the top of the newspaper and his right eyebrow lifted in question. “What’s up?”

“Would you mind taking Brooke over to the apartment at nine? She and Maria have a tutoring session this morning.”

“At nine? Why so early?”

“Because we’re leaving at noon to go to the cabin and we didn’t want her to have to spend part of her time away working on homework. I’d take her but Alex has an early class and despite the migraine that’s been threatening to explode at any minute he refuses to miss the class. So, I’m gonna go have his prescription refilled and hopefully convince him to lay down for a couple of hours after his class is over.”

Michael winced in sympathy; Alex had been dealing with migraines his whole life and he didn’t like having his actions dictated by the excruciating pain. “It started last night?”

“Um-hmm. He worked late because one of the company’s top clients insisted that they had to have a new graphics design at the last minute, so it was nearly eleven by the time he got home, and then he had a ton of homework to finish. I tried to convince him to stay home and miss this morning’s lecture, but the man is too damn stubborn for his own good.”

Michael laughed at her annoyed tone. “Stop an’ get him an orange soda before you head over to the campus.”

“Orange soda?”

“Yeah, somethin’ in it causes the blood vessels in the brain to expand or contract or somethin’ like that. It might at least help until you can get him back home and medicated.” He shrugged. “I can fix the kid somethin’ to eat an’ drop her off with Maria. You want me to pick her up after her session and bring her back home?”

“No, Tess said she’d bring her back by.” She turned when she heard Alex packing up his laptop. “Thanks for taking care of Brooke for us, Michael.”

He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “No problem. Just gimme a call if you need anything else.”

After the couple had gone Michael finished reading the sports section and was just turning to the comics when he heard his sister’s dogs barking as they ran through the hall. It was only a matter of seconds before they noticed him and they quickly joined him on the couch, wiggling under the newspaper to crawl up in his lap so they could demand attention.

“Don’t look at me,” he grumbled. “I’m not feedin’ you.”

“Michael!” Brooke shouted and then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth as she glanced back towards Alex’ room.

“They’re already gone.”

“Whew! I can’t believe Isabel let him outta the house as bad as his head was hurtin’.”

Michael chuckled as he folded the newspaper over and placed it neatly on the coffee table. “I have a feelin’ that woman knows how to pick an’ choose her battles. I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t make arrangements for you to ride with someone else so she can make Alex take his meds and sleep off the worst of that migraine.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” She shrugged. “Well, I can ride with you an’ Maria, right?”

“Well, you could,” he hedged, scratching his eyebrow. He hadn’t told anyone yet, but he had decided that he wasn’t going. He had realized the night before that Maria wasn’t the only one who had gotten emotionally involved and he didn’t know what to do with that. She had made it clear that he wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted to get involved with so he was sure she would end things if he suggested it, and that was the last thing he wanted.

“Well, what does that mean?” Brooke demanded.

He shrugged and got to his feet, making his way to the kitchen. “I’m not gonna go up to the cabin, Brooke. I see everybody who’s goin’ on a daily basis, so I think I’m just gonna spend the weekend – “

“Did you an’ Maria get in a fight?”

“No. Now, whatcha want for breakfast?”

“Alex an’ Iz always make breakfast in the mornings; eggs and bacon, pancakes and sausage, omelets and hash browns, or French toast.” She wrinkled her nose. “They’ve got all kinds of healthy ways of makin’ the food, but it’s still really good. Oh, and we have fresh fruit and Isabel always makes freshly-squeezed orange juice,” she added as an afterthought.

“You’ve gotta be at school by seven forty-five every mornin’,” he muttered. “And you’re tellin’ me they get up an’ cook every mornin’? They never just give you cereal, toast, and juice out of a carton?”

“Are you kiddin’? Cereal is for the weekends and that’s only if I want cereal. Oh, and even then the juice is freshly-squeezed.”

“Why don’t you go shower and get ready to go and we’ll stop at the closest drive-thru and you can have a sausage biscuit?”

“Thursdays are blueberry pancakes day.”

“Uh-huh, well, this Thursday is get-your-ass-in-gear day.”

“Are you sure you an’ Maria didn’t have a fight?” Brooke asked as she poured food in the dogs’ bowls.

“No, we didn’t have a fight.”

“Fine.” She put the dog food away and turned to look at him. “I’ll ask her, y’know.”

“So?” He laughed when she rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room. Blueberry pancakes, huh? Hell, he should move in with them if they ate like that everyday! Well, pancakes were easy enough to make, and seriously, how hard could it be to squeeze juice out of an orange?

*****

Maria was standing outside, leaning on the railing when Michael’s car pulled up in the parking lot just before nine. She wasn’t surprised when Brooke emerged after several minutes, a scowl on her pretty face as she leaned down to say something before slamming the door and hurrying to the stairs.

“You two have a disagreement?” Maria asked.

“No, my brother’s just being an ass.” Brooke glanced at Maria as they walked inside. “Did you an’ Michael get into a fight?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Arguments with Michael aren’t that easy to forget,” Maria snorted.

“I suppose that’s true. I just figured that made the most sense considering his sudden decision to stay home this weekend. And there’s also the fact that he wouldn’t even come upstairs to say hi.” She rolled her eyes and sat down when Maria motioned for her to take a seat at the bar. “So, everything’s fine with you guys?”

“Well, he was actin’ a little weird when he left last night, but we weren’t arguing about anything.”

“Huh, I wonder if that’s why he stayed at our house last night.” She rested her chin in her hand and watched Maria as she moved around the kitchen. “Y’know, Michael wouldn’t tell me why he decided to stay home this weekend, but I think it has somethin’ to do with you.”

Maria wasn’t ready to get into that particular discussion with Michael’s little sister, so she tackled the conversation from a different direction. “So, his decision to stay home is recent?”

“He just told me about it a little while ago.”

“Um-hmm.” Maria leaned back against the counter as she thought about the way Michael had taken off the night before. “I’ll talk to him, Brooke.” She nodded at the backpack sitting on the barstool next to the girl. “Are you hungry or are you ready to get started on that homework?”

“Homework, I guess.” She unzipped the bag and pulled her study materials out. “Michael made breakfast before we came over.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course he destroyed every orange in the kitchen when he tried to make freshly-squeezed orange juice; I came back from getting ready and I’ll bet there were at least a dozen mangled oranges lying on the counter. Needless to say, there wasn’t any juice with breakfast.”

“Well, I hope he cleaned the mess up because if he didn’t Isabel will definitely tell him about it.”

Brooke laughed as she nodded. “I know, and I told him that, too.” She opened her textbook up and flipped to the chapter she needed to review. “I’m so glad you guys all moved here; my boys are all so happy. Well, Michael’s getting there anyway.” She frowned as she folded the corners of the pages down and then flattened them out again. “Now if I could just figure out how to fix things for Brendan…”

“Why isn’t he goin’ to the cabin this weekend, Brooke?”

“Alex tried to talk him into goin’ but he said he already had plans.”

“But you don’t believe that,” Maria guessed.

“He’s not goin’ because Michael’s goin’; he might say it’s for some other reason, but it’s not.” She sighed. “I hate that they don’t get along. I remember them getting along when I was little.”

“That must be hard for you.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know why my dad has to be such a dick,” she muttered. “They were really close at one time an’ he ruined that.”

“Your father’s got some serious problems, Brooke, and I would never presume to understand his reasoning for coming between your brothers the way he did. But, they’re grown men now, and the choice to either close that distance or maintain it is up to them; it doesn’t matter how much you want them to move past it because it’s a decision they have to make.”

“They’re both comin’ over for Thanksgiving.” She laughed. “I don’t know how Alex managed to convince both of them, but they both agreed to be there.”

“Football and homemade food, girl!” Maria smiled. “Besides, it’s a holiday and I’m sure they don’t wanna disappoint you.” She reached out to tap the textbook. “Okay, we’re getting off track here; Tess is supposed to pick you up in an hour, so let’s get this outta the way so we don’t have to postpone your brother’s planned departure time.”

“True, Alex does like to stick to his little schedules.”

“Well, we don’t wanna hold him up then, do we? Okay, you remember what we were studyin’ last week?”

“Conjugating verbs.” She wrinkled her nose and nodded when Maria gave her a look. “I know, I know, I don’t wanna fail.”

“Right.” Maria moved the backpack and sat on the barstool, leaning on the bar and focusing her attention on tutoring the teenager.

*****

Michael kept his pace steady as he jogged along the path that wound through one of the city’s wooded parks, concentrating on the music blaring in his ears and the miles he was racking up as his feet pounded against the pavement. For the past hour he had been able to lose himself in the music and his workout, temporarily forgetting the problems that seemed to be piling up despite his best intentions to keep his life simple.

As he reached the end of the trail he slowed down and made his way to the center of the park where an old woman was sitting on a bench. Ms. Judy was always there, rain or shine, sitting on her bench and reading through a stack of mail. The woman was in her sixties, silver-haired, and smart as a whip; nothing ever got by her and he had quickly come to enjoy their conversations.
It hadn’t taken long before he had become curious about the never-ending stack of mail that she always had with her and they had been conversing for several months before he had discovered that she was the writer for the local paper’s advice column.

She had been happy to watch his sister’s dogs while he went for his run and as he neared her he could see the little beasts lying down at her feet acting like they were well-behaved. He grinned when he heard the familiar tap-tap-tapping as she pecked the keys on the laptop keyboard; when they had first met she was writing her thoughts down in a notebook and then transferring them over to an old computer she had at home. He had met her in the park one Sunday afternoon and brought his laptop with him, and she had been so intrigued by the piece of equipment that she had immediately insisted he teach her how to use it.

“Hey, Ms. Judy,” he greeted when he was close enough to speak to her without yelling. He pulled the ear buds out of his ears and let them dangle against his chest by their thin wires as he braced his hands on the back of the bench.

“I do believe you have company, young man,” she said, glancing up and nodding in the direction of the parking lot. “There’s a pretty little blond who’s been waitin’ by your car for about fifteen minutes now.” She smiled when his head snapped to the side and she saw recognition settle over his features. There was something else there as well, but he quickly covered it up with a look of cool disinterest and she chuckled. “I’ll try to not be insulted by that rather poor attempt to hide your feelings.”

“What feelings?” he growled.

“I may be old, Michael Guerin, but I’m still a woman.” She pointed one long, bony finger at him and shook her head. “You are not the first man to wear that expression and you most certainly won’t be the last.”

“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about. We’re just… friends… from school.”

“Um-hmm, and I suppose she’s here to ask for help with her homework?” She snorted inelegantly and turned back to her computer screen. “You don’t fool me, boy.”

“You’ve spent too many years answering those letters,” he teased, grinning at her.

Ms. Judy just shook her head at him. “Go on and see your girlfriend.” She smiled to herself and waved him off. “I know, I know, she’s not your girlfriend. What is it you young people call it these days? Friends with benefits, isn’t it?”

“Ms. Judy!”

She laughed out loud at his shocked tone. “I tell it like I see it, boy. Now, go on, and let me answer these letters.”

Michael leaned over the bench to press a quick kiss to her temple. “One of these days, I’m gonna write a letter to you so you can put all that wisdom to work and solve my problems for me.”

“You do that… because I already know the answer.” She turned to smile at him. “You’re not as unlovable or as difficult as you think you are.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.” He snapped his fingers and the dogs ran over to him, jumping up against his legs as he leaned over and unhooked their leads from their collars. “I’ll see ya next time.”

He whistled for the dogs as he turned to jog out to the parking lot, careful to keep an eye on them at all times. It wouldn’t take much to trip over them or squash them, so he had to know where they were in relation to his feet. He slowed to a walk as he reached the edge of the gravel parking lot, lifting the edge of his tank top to wipe the sweat from his face.

Michael’s expression was curious as his gaze met and locked with Maria’s. “What’re you doin’ here?”

“Your sister’s upset that you’re not goin’ this weekend.” She shook her head when he opened his mouth to speak. “Please don’t give me that line you gave her about not wantin’ to see the same people you see everyday.”

He shrugged and unlocked the trunk so he could pull a towel out, running it over himself and removing any excess sweat before grabbing the cover he used to protect his seat when he had been out running. “Look, it’s not a big deal,” he muttered as he put the cover in place. He snapped his fingers and then pointed at the open door when the tiny dogs stopped running around to give him their attention. “Get your asses in the car and do not get off of your blanket.”

Maria couldn’t help but giggle when the dogs ran over to him and sat at his feet, tails wagging happily as they stared up at him.

He leaned over and scooped them up, holding them away from his body as he looked at them. “This is why you do not qualify as real dogs; a real dog would be able to jump in the car.”

Despite his words, his tone was gentle and they responded to it, their tails wagging so fast that it caused their little bodies to squirm around in his hands. He leaned over and placed them in the passengers’ seat before standing upright to face Maria again.

“Look, Michael, I think we both know you’ve decided not to go because I’m gonna be there; if you recall, I saw the way you practically ran out of my bedroom last night.”

Michael winced at the reminder. “I told you – “

“Yeah, I know… big exam… and yet, you’re at the park and not in class.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter because I had planned to ditch a couple of classes tomorrow so I could go, but I think I’m gonna just go ahead and go to class.” She watched him strip the tank top off and tuck one end into the waistband of his shorts as he ran the towel over his upper body again; the sun was playing over his damp muscles and it took a herculean effort to keep her distance. “It’s important to your sister, Michael, and I really think you should go.”

“So, if I go you’re not gonna go and if you go I’m not gonna go; Brooke’s gonna be pissed at me either way, Maria, and you were lookin’ forward to this weekend, so you should go.”

“Michael, I wasn’t goin’ so I could watch Alex an’ Isabel or Kyle an’ Tess make out all weekend, and as much as I love your sister, I wasn’t goin’ so I could bond with a teenager; I was goin’ because you were goin’, it’s as simple as that. I’m not suggesting that we should stand here an’ discuss why it’s suddenly a problem for us to spend this weekend together, I’m just askin’ you to go because I think your sister needs you to be there.” She chuckled. “How much fun do you think she’s gonna have without you? So, just go, okay?”

He shrugged and dropped the towel and tank top in the trunk before grabbing a dry tee shirt and pulling it on. “If that’s what you want.”

Maria nodded. “That’s what I want.”

No, it wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t really see any reason for him to miss out on a weekend with his family just because he had gotten spooked the night before. She knew he had been fine until she had asked him to stay, so she felt like it was her fault that he was planning to stay home alone.

“Alright.”

After she had gone Michael stood beside the car with his forearms resting on the roof. He hadn’t expected to be spending the weekend with two couples and his little sister. His original plans had included him, Maria, and a hot tub, but when she had asked him to stay the night before things had suddenly felt way too complicated and he didn’t know how to handle that.

“Well, I guess we’d better get home because I’ve gotta pack an’ get ready to go.” He slid in behind the steering wheel and inserted the key into the ignition as he glanced at his passengers. “I suppose that means we’ll be spendin’ the weekend together,” he muttered.

Spike and Buffy barked sharply in response to his disparaging comment.

*****

Isabel followed Alex into the house, closing the door as quietly as possible as she glanced around; there was no sign of Brooke or the dogs, which meant that they had already been by and left again. She had called Tess and arranged for her roommate to stop by and pick up the girl’s things so that she could ride to the cabin with Michael and Alex would have a few hours to sleep and hopefully get rid of his migraine before it became unmanageable.

“We have to finish getting ready,” Alex said as she took his laptop case and placed it on the coffee table before guiding him down the hall.

“Everything’s ready.”

He grunted when they walked into their bedroom and he stopped when they were halfway between the door and the bed. “We need to leave in an hour.”

“No, we need to work on getting that migraine under control, and then we’ll think about leaving. C’mon, Michael has Brooke and the dogs, I’ve got your prescription, and we’re gonna try a massage and see if loosening up those muscles will do anything for that migraine.”

“We’re gonna be late…”

“Um-hmm, and how much fun do you really think you’re gonna have if we drive up there while you’re hurtin’ like this?” She shook her head and pointed to the bed as she moved past him to pull the comforter back. “The sooner you stop arguing with me, the sooner this will all be over.”

Alex unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, hanging it over the footboard and kicking his shoes off before sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can’t lay down, Iz,” he said as he reached for the bottle of pills on the nightstand. He tossed a couple of them back and washed them down with the bottle of water she had placed beside the pills. “I can’t handle the pressure it puts on my head.”

“Grab a pillow or two and lean back against the footboard,” she instructed as she left the room to get the massage oil.

Alex winced when he felt her fingers brush against the tight muscles in his shoulders, neck and back.

“No wonder your head hurts.” His muscles were so taut it felt like she was touching solid rock. “You’re so tense I’ll bet you can hardly turn your head.”

He grunted out a negative response and hissed when her finger dug deeper into his muscles. “I can’t decide if that hurts or if it feels good,” he groaned.

“It probably hurts right now, but it’ll feel better once those muscles loosen up and you start to relax.”

Alex felt completely boneless by the time she was finished with him and between the massage and the medication he could feel exhaustion creeping up on him. He was half-asleep and didn’t have enough strength to argue with her when she urged him to lie down. He just barely registered the fact that he didn’t feel the expected pressure when his head made contact with the pillow and then he was asleep.

Isabel watched him for several minutes, making sure he was sleeping comfortably before pulling the door closed and going to load the truck. He would want to get on the road when he woke up and as long as he wasn’t in pain she was fine with that. Alex had only had one full-blown migraine since they had been together and he had been out of commission for almost two days. She had never known anyone who suffered from the horrific headaches so she had been shocked to learn just how debilitating they could be.

She glanced up when she heard someone turning into the driveway and she smiled when she recognized Brendan’s car. “Hey, did you change your mind about going with us?”

“Huh-uh, I’m just droppin’ my stuff off; I asked Alex earlier if I could crash here over the weekend.” He snorted and pulled his bag and laptop case out before slamming the door. “Sean’s not exactly a barrel of laughs here lately, so it’ll be nice to get away for a few days.” He glanced at his watch and frowned. “I thought Alex was plannin’ to be on the road by now?”

“He has a headache that’s trying to turn into a migraine, so he’s sleeping right now.”

“Oh, well…” Brendan looked down at his stuff. “I could just come back later.”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “You’ll do no such thing,” she denied, motioning for him to follow her as she led the way into the house. “Have you had lunch?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“I was thinking about making some chicken fajitas, so if you’re hungry…” She grinned when he ran past her to grab the screen door and hold it open.

*****

Liz was slouched down in the recliner as she alternated between watching the movie playing on TV and watching Maria as she got up to pace yet again. Since deciding that she wasn’t going to the cabin she had been moody so Liz had just left her alone. Maria had invited her to go with them, but when she had changed her mind about going Liz had reconsidered her decision to go as well; spending nearly four days with the others without Maria there to act as a buffer didn’t seem like a lot of fun.

“You wanna talk about it?” she asked finally. It had been hours since Maria had come back to the apartment with the announcement that she wasn’t going to the cabin and she hadn’t spoken beyond that.

“It’s just… I don’t know. You just can’t get involved with a guy without them making things complicated. Michael was supposed to be a distraction, someone I could hang out with and get off with, without any fuckin’ complications. But, no, he had to go and read more into… No, it’s not even worth thinkin’ about.” She sighed and shook her head. “Are you sure you wanted to stay here? You could’ve gone with the others; you’ve still got time if you wanna go. When Iz called a while ago she said she and Alex weren’t leavin’ until four o’clock.”

“No, that’s okay.”

Maria threw herself down on the couch and stared at the television for several minutes. “Would your answer be different if Max had been goin’?”

Liz blushed. “Yeah, probably.”

“You really like him,” Maria observed. “Have you thought about what you’re gonna do about Sean?”

“No. I know I need to make a decision soon; it’s not fair to keep him waiting like this and I don’t want to hurt him anymore than I already have, but I wanna be sure, y’know?”

“Did he know you were gonna go up to the cabin this weekend?”

“Yeah, I told him about it and he immediately assumed that Max would be there.” She shook her head and sighed. “He didn’t believe me when I told him that Max had other plans and then he turned around and said that maybe the trip was a good thing because maybe it’d help me decide what I wanted to do.”

“Well, he could be right about that, but since Max wasn’t gonna be there it doesn’t really matter.”

“True enough. So, what should we do since we have the next three days free and nothing to do?” Liz didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about what she should do because she had nearly made her mind up, but the repercussions weren’t going to be pleasant if she followed her current train of thought where Sean was concerned.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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Double Trouble
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Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 40 - 8/2/09

Post by Double Trouble »

Alien_Friend: Nope, we promise, they didn’t… unless they didn’t tell us and that would just be wrong on so many levels!

Brooke does deserve to hang with her big brother and Maria was right to encourage Michael to go. Brooke may be mature for her age and act older than her years a lot of the time, but she’s still a 16-year-old girl. The guys have to make that decision for themselves, it’s true… and they’ll get there.

Ms. Judy is great, huh? We thought Michael needed someone in his life who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is and she just fit the bill!

Michael’s a big softy.

It definitely takes a strong woman to deal with the Guerins… especially when dealing with ALL of them!

Ungh… migraines suck big time!

Eva: LOL, it was close… but, we promise, they didn’t seal the deal.

The weekend will focus on all four couples.

kismet: It’s slow, but they’ll get there.

Hmm… you have psychic abilities. Now, about those winning lotto numbers…

mary mary: Well, some things will be resolved, but remember who we’re dealing with here! Misunderstandings occur because of their inability to actually talk things out, and that isn’t something that these two are going to solve right away. Shhh, Sean doesn’t know it, but we’ve already started packing his bags.

destinyc: You assume correctly! Thanks, we’re glad Isabel’s staying true to form. Encouraging Michael to go with his family was the right thing to do. Hmm… what will change Maria’s mind? Better question is who will change her mind.

spacegirl23: We’re glad you like Isabel here and Alex definitely knows how lucky he is!

Michael’s getting there – the cabin weekend is important!

You’ll be seeing some Dreamer development at the cabin as well.

sarammlover: LOL, no, Brooke isn’t as innocent as she plays. Don’t feel too bad for Michael and Maria – they got themselves into this mess and now they’re fighting what they really want. But, when they do get together for real – and they will! – they’re gonna be much stronger for all of these struggles. We’re glad you LOVE Isabel!

Cabin weekend starts this week! Sean’s bags are being packed unbeknownst to him.

begonia9508: Brooke is mature for her age, but there will be moments when she exhibits her true age!

nibbles2: Oh, no, these two aren’t there yet.

Um, ouch… We see Isabel as the nurturing type, but we can see how that might come across differently to others. Just because Michael was there didn’t mean he had no plans of his own for the day, so Isabel was just letting him know she appreciated that he was willing to run his sister over for her tutoring session, leaving her free to take care of some other things.

The weekend should bring about some interesting developments.

Maiqu: He’ll come around! We’re glad you love Isabel!


Author’s Note: Song Credit for “Breakdown” goes to Seether – lyrics obviously don’t belong to us!

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9c5lg39tg4


Part 40 – A Little Bit of R&R

Kyle tossed his keys on the dining room table and carried his and Tess’ bags into the master bedroom. The drive had taken almost four hours instead of the normal two and a half because the girls had insisted on stopping at every tourist trap between Long Beach and the cabin. Now he knew why he had never gone to the cabin with a girl, he thought.

“Kyle, it’s so beautiful here!” Tess enthused, quickly hugging him before hurrying to look around the room. “I saw the hot tub on the back deck and I sooo can’t wait to get naked with you in it.”

Scratch that last thought! He followed her out of the room when he heard Michael yelling for him.

“What’re you yellin’ about, Guerin?” he asked.

“Bedrooms… you already assign ‘em?”

“I figured your brother an’ his girl can take the bedroom upstairs an’ the kid can take the bedroom at the end of the hall behind me. It’s across from the one I thought you could take, an’ then Maria an’ Liz could’ve taken the one on the other side of the house since it’s got two beds, but since they decided not to come along, you guys can take whichever rooms you wanna take.”

“Cool.” Michael nodded and headed for one end of the cabin, pausing in the hallway to turn and look at Kyle. “Hey, your dad still got the ATV’s garaged up here?”

“Yeah, you wanna take ‘em out this afternoon?”

“Shit, yeah. Let’s get everything unloaded an’ go.”

“Hey, we could hit the hot springs.” He turned his head to look for his girlfriend. “Hey, Tess, whatcha think about goin’ swimmin’?”

“I’m up for that.” Tess emerged from the opposite side of the cabin. “Did I hear you say you’ve got hot springs up here?”

“Um-hmm… we could put some things together and picnic there if ya want.”

Michael rolled his eyes and hollered for his sister when Tess squealed and launched herself at Kyle; it wouldn’t be long before they were making out and he had no interest in hanging around for that.

“Hey, Michael, what’re…” Brooke rolled her eyes at the couple locked in a tight embrace and rushed past them to follow her brother. “What’re we gonna do today?”

“We’re gonna take the ATV’s out an’ go swimmin’ in the hot springs.” He glanced over his shoulder. “That work for you?”

“Yeah, that’s cool.” She ducked her head into the room across from the one her brother had disappeared into and glanced around before scampering after him and jumping on his bed with the dogs. “Your room’s bigger than mine,” she complained.

He chuckled as he tossed his bag on the dresser. “Uh-huh, and we’re not tradin’, so what is your point exactly?”

“There’s a dead animal hangin’ on the wall in my room and it’s gotta go.” She made a face. “I can’t sleep with a furry creature stuck on the wall over the bed.”

Michael rolled his eyes and motioned for her to join him as he crossed the hall. “Okay, show me this…” His eyebrows lifted when he saw the size of the deer head hanging over the bed. “Wow, that’s um…”

“It’s disgusting.”

“Hey, Kyle!”

“What’s up?”

“Oh, my God!” Tess exclaimed, staring at the monstrosity on the wall. “Who killed Bambi?”

“Let me guess, you want it taken down?” Kyle exchanged a look with Michael and they each stood on either side of the bed and reached up to lift the trophy up off of its hanger.

“Shut up,” Michael growled when Buffy and Spike charged across the mattress to bark and growl at the heavy deer head.

“You’d be doin’ the same thing in our room if there were any of these poor things hangin’ on the walls in there.”

Kyle shot a quick glance at Tess. “My mom took care of that years ago.”

“Your mom is obviously a very smart woman.”

“Hey, what time are Alex an’ Iz gonna get here?” Brooke asked.

“Probably close to eight if they left at four because they’re gonna catch some of the afternoon traffic before they get outta the city.” Michael glanced at his sister as he and Kyle maneuvered the deer head through the doorway. “What’s up, brat?”

“I just thought maybe we could make dinner since Alex wasn’t feelin’ well earlier. I know Iz said his headache’s under control, but y’know it’s gonna be another ten or twelve hours before he starts feelin’ good again.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Brooke; let’s go see what’s in the kitchen while the guys get rid of that horrid animal head.”

*****

After spending the afternoon riding the trails through the woods and swimming in the hot springs, the foursome went back to the cabin to clean up and get dinner started. The girls had busied themselves making a salad, dessert, and rolls while the guys set the steaks to marinade and got the grill ready.

“Hey, they’re here!” Brooke yelled before running through the cabin with the dogs chasing after her. She barreled through the front door and ran down the steps just as they stepped out of the truck. “I hope you guys are hungry ‘cause dinner’s almost ready.”

“You didn’t have to wait for us,” Alex said, hugging his sister when she threw her arms around him in greeting.

“Nobody minds,” she assured him. “Are you feelin’ better?”

“Much better.” He shot a teasing grin at his girlfriend. “Although if you could convince Isabel that I’m not an invalid and that I can carry my own bag – “

“Nope, I’ve got it.”

“Do you really wanna get into that again, Alex?” Isabel nodded in satisfaction when he just held his hands up in surrender before walking inside.

Brooke laughed at his behavior before turning to the other girl, her expression serious. “He is feelin’ better, right?”

“He wouldn’t be outta bed if I wasn’t certain he was feeling better.” She gave the teenager a quick hug before opening the back door to retrieve their bags.

“You guys got the room upstairs,” she said as she took one of the bags and led the way inside and up to the second floor. “You even got your own bathroom.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve gotta share one with Michael.”

“Um-hmm. I thought Liz an’ Maria were supposed to be here?”

“Yeah, well, Michael did somethin’, I just don’t know what it was; earlier today she was goin’ and he wasn’t and by the time we were getting ready to go, he was goin’ and she wasn’t, so I have no idea what’s goin’ on with them.” She tossed Alex’ bag on the bed and grinned at the other girl. “I’m workin’ on a plan though, so if I happen to start talkin’ about somethin’ that you know is absolutely not true…”

“Just go with it.” Isabel grinned and nodded as she moved around the room. “I assume you’ve already let Tess in on your little plan?”

“Uh-huh.” Tess had turned out to be a very good ally. “So, are you ready to eat?”

“Sure. What’d you guys do today?”

Brooke shared the days’ events as they walked downstairs and they took a quick tour through the cabin before stepping out on the back deck where the others were already gathered. Kyle was busy watching the steaks on the grill, Tess was sitting close by talking to Alex about the latest episode of American Idol, and Michael had settled into a deck chair at the other end of the porch.

He was slouched down in his chair, bare feet propped up on the railing as he plucked the strings of the acoustic guitar in his lap. He shifted when Buffy and Spike ran across the deck and jumped up to squeeze in between him and the side of the chair. The dogs squirmed around until they were comfortable with their muzzles resting against Michael’s thigh as he went back to strumming the strings on the guitar.

He would play the instrument for a while, humming along with the music and occasionally mixing words in before leaning over to scribble in the notebook lying on the table beside him. When he finally decided he liked the way the words were fitting together he let his fingers play over the strings, eyes closed as he started to sing the completed lines.

And I’m the one you can never trust
‘cause wounds are ways to reveal us
And yeah I could have tried and devoted my life to both of us
But what a waste of my time when the world we have is yours

So break me down if it makes you feel right
And hate me now if it keeps you alright
You can break me down if it takes all your might
‘cause I’m so much more than all your lies


“Okay, those lyrics are slightly disturbing,” Isabel muttered as she curled up beside Alex. “Does he ever write anything that’s happy?”

“Not that I recall.”

“Hey, y’all stop that,” Kyle growled from his position in front of the grill. “We’ve got a good thing goin’ on with his lyrics; they’re edgy, angry, and thought-provoking. Don’t mess with that because our fans like what we’re puttin’ out there.”

“Are we gonna eat out here?” Brooke asked.

Kyle glanced around. “That cool with everyone?” He nodded when he received positive responses. “Okay, one more turn and the steaks are done.”

“C’mon, Brooke, let’s go put those rolls in the oven and grab the salad.”

“You guys need any help?” Isabel asked.

“Nah, hang with your old man; we’ll take care of everything tonight and you guys can make breakfast in the mornin’.”

“That sounds good.”

“Hey, who’re you callin’ old?” Alex grumbled.

Tess laughed and ruffled his hair as she passed him on her way into the cabin. “You can’t deny you’re the old man in the group.”

Alex was saved from having to comment when she disappeared inside with Brooke. He looked down when he felt Isabel shaking and realized that she was laughing. “I don’t know why you’re laughin’,” he growled. “You’re the one who’s stuck with an old man.”

“All I have to say is that you’re a very energetic lover for an old man,” she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him.

Alex chuckled. “I’d have to be to keep up with you.” His gray eyes traced over her features as his fingertips trailed along her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, old man.”

“Saved by the bell,” Michael muttered when Kyle’s phone rang, cutting off the sentimental declarations. He listened to Kyle’s side of the conversation and it only took a few minutes to figure out that Max’ plans had changed and he would be joining them the next day.

“What’s up with Evans?” he asked when Kyle disconnected the call.

“Nada. He said the motocross event for this weekend was cancelled so he’ll be able to join us; he’s gonna leave after his last class tomorrow.” He reached for the top plate on the stack that Brooke was holding as she came out to stand beside him.

“Max is comin’ up tomorrow?”

“Yup, he should be here around five or so.”

“Cool.” Brooke glanced at Michael over her shoulder. “Y’know, it’s too bad Maria an’ Liz couldn’t come too. I know Max would’ve enjoyed spending some time with Liz.”

“She probably had a test to study for,” Michael muttered, fingers plucking at the strings again. “And Maria’s probably busy with other stuff.”

“Well, she did get a call from Gary Lawson while she was helpin’ me with my homework.” She shrugged and held the next plate out for Kyle when he speared another steak and lifted it off of the grill. “They were talkin’ about goin’ out tonight I think.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief when Tess passed by and winked at her.

“Gary Lawson?” Michael snarled. “The forward on the basketball team? Why would she have any interest in that seven-foot freak?”

“He seems to be pretty popular,” Tess added as she placed the salad and dessert on the table. “The man does have big feet and you know what they say about men with big hands and feet.”

“True, I did read that in a magazine,” Brooke spoke up. “They said that the size of a man’s penis can be – “

“Brooke!”

Isabel and Tess laughed when the girls’ brothers both shouted at the same time.

“What? Look, I know I’m the youngest, but I’m 16, you guys! I’ve known the names of body parts for a while now and I do know what sex is.”

“Oh, my God!” Alex just knew that headache was coming back.

“I knew I should’ve killed that little punk you were hangin’ around with at that motocross event,” Michael said, shaking his head.

“Luke doesn’t have anything to do with it.” Brooke rolled her eyes and placed the last plate on the table. “And I don’t see what that has to do with anything anyway; I don’t question you guys about who you sleep with.”

“God, we are not havin’ this conversation,” Alex groaned.

“You two need to relax. Luke and I haven’t had sex, so you can stop contemplating the best way to kill him, Michael.” She shook her head when he stuck his tongue out at her. “You act like this and then you ask what Maria could see in a guy like Gary?”

Michael stood and put the guitar back in its case before dropping the notebook on top of it. “If she made plans with Gary – not that I care one way or the other – but, if she did, it’s gotta be because she feels sorry for him.”

“Maybe she’s just lonely because you’re not there to occupy her time,” Brooke said, her tone sarcastic.

“Whatever. I’ve gotta go wash up.” As soon as Michael had made his escape he dug his phone out of his pocket and hit Maria’s number on his speed dial. He locked the bathroom door behind him and leaned back against the sink while he waited for her to answer the phone.

“Michael?”

He frowned at the breathless tone of her voice. What had she been doing? “Hey,” he muttered gruffly. “You busy?”

“Nothin’ I can’t finish later,” Maria answered. She had been exercising, but she knew his mind wasn’t conjuring up images that came anywhere close to something so innocent. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Oh, right, well, I’ve been thinkin’ that it’s just stupid for us to spend the entire weekend apart when we could be getting each other off and scarin’ the hell outta the local wildlife.”

“Well, I was thinkin’ about that very same thing, but Liz and I talked about it, and her car really wasn’t designed for drivin’ in the mountains and besides that we’ve already made plans for tonight, so…”

“Okay, here’s the deal,” he interrupted before she could go on. He wasn’t interested in hearing about her date with that idiot Gary. “Max is comin’ up here tomorrow afternoon, so why don’t you an’ Liz catch a ride with him? I promise you, I can make you forget all about whatever you’re doin’ tonight.” Don’t you mean whoever? his mind taunted.

He thought she was with another guy, Maria realized and she had to force her smile down because she knew it would show through in her voice. “Oh, I don’t know, Michael. Tonight’s activities promise to be memorable.” She could hear him clenching his teeth through the phone. “Besides, you just want me to come up there because the only girls around are Tess, Isabel, and Brooke, so there’s no one for you to hook up with.”

“First, I just thought maybe you’d wanna hang out an’ play some naked games with me, but if not, fine! And, second, just because we’re in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any girls around. Matter of fact, I could’ve spent the night with a curvy redhead from the hot springs, but I turned her down. Why? I have no fuckin’ idea! Because I could’ve been havin’ sex and instead I’m on the phone with you, a hundred and fifty miles between us, and my right hand for tonight’s company – “

“There’re women up there?” Maria demanded, annoyed at the thought of Michael spending time with another woman.

Michael’s fist shot up in the air in triumph. She was jealous! He had her now! “Yeah. It’s cool though; don’t worry about comin’ up here. You’ve obviously got other plans.”

Uh-huh, like she wasn’t gonna see right through that pathetic cover-up; he was practically begging her to come up to the cabin! “Alright, well, I’ll talk to Liz and see if she still wants to come up there, but I really do have to go; my ride’s gonna be here soon.”

“Okay, so, I’ll call Max and tell him to pick you guys up?”

“Sounds good.” She hid a smile. “Bye, Michael.”

He stared at the phone in his hand when the connection ended abruptly. His first thought was to get in his car and drive right back to Long Beach to make sure there was no other guy in the picture, and he refused to think about what that meant as he ignored that urge and turned to wash his hands.

*****

Maria shouted in elation after hanging up and tossing her phone on the kitchen counter. She was still grinning and dancing around when Liz ran into the room.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Oh, Michael’s just finally got around to tellin’ me that he really wants me to come up to the cabin because he misses me.”

“Wow, he told you all that?”

“Well, not in so many words, but that’s what he meant.” She smiled as she looked at her friend. “Oh, we can ride up with Max tomorrow, if you still wanna go.”

“Max decided to go?”

“Yup, so, whatcha think?”

“I think I’d better go pack everything I just unpacked!” She paused as she turned to walk back down the hall. “Does Max know we’re goin’ with him, or did Michael just volunteer his services?”

“He said he’d call Max.”

“Okay.” Liz couldn’t hide the smile that surfaced at the thought of spending the next couple of days with Max; he was just so… everything!

*****

Maria groaned when her ringing phone woke her from a deep sleep and she cursed out loud as she felt around on the nightstand for it. Once she located it she flipped it open and fumbled with it, blinking as she tried to pull the name on the screen into focus. “Oh, my God,” she grumbled, “why are you callin’ me at…” She glanced at the clock. “Three in the mornin’… why’re you callin’…” She suddenly chuckled and dropped the phone on the bed as it stopped ringing. He was calling because he thought she had been out with another man.

Well, he wasn’t getting off the hook that easily,
she thought. Give it half an hour and then she’d call him back.

*****

Michael stared at the screen when Maria’s phone went to voicemail and a moment later he closed the phone and wrapped his hand around it. He couldn’t call her back because that would just look like he was desperate and he was not desperate. Why hadn’t she answered the phone? Was she in bed with some other guy? His teeth clenched together until his jaw started to ache and he got up to go get a drink. Was she with Gary? There was no way she’d ever fuck Gary Lawson! The guy was a first-class jerk! He could send a text… that wouldn’t seem desperate… right? He didn’t wait any longer to think about it, just punched in the message and sent it before he could change his mind.

In the kitchen he opened the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of soda out, uncapping it and taking a long drink. He switched the bottle to his left hand and held his right hand up in front of him, tipping his head to one side as he studied it. Was the size of a guy’s hands and feet really an indicator of the size of his dick? he wondered. He glanced down at his bare feet in the light from the open refrigerator. He did have big hands and feet… yeah, that study could actually be true.

“Why’re you standin’ in the dark starin’ at your feet?” Alex asked as he flipped the switch on the wall, flooding the kitchen with light. He grinned when his brother jumped and turned to glare at him. “Tell me you weren’t just debating the validity of that myth Brooke brought up at dinner.”

“Myth?” Michael parroted.

“Yeah, that’s all it is.” Alex chuckled and reached past Michael to pull the refrigerator door open. “Do you know if there’s any ginger ale in here?”

“There’s some in the pantry; I don’t know about the fridge.” He went to get a bottle from the pantry and carried it back to his brother. “Your head startin’ to hurt again?”

“No, Isabel’s not feelin’ well; she’s got heartburn and an upset stomach.” He got a glass down from one of the cabinets and filled it with ice before pouring the carbonated drink into it. He nodded at the phone on the counter when he passed Michael on his way back to his room. “Your phone’s ringin’.”

Michael grabbed the phone and walked out on the back deck, flipping it open and scanning over the text message he had just received.

Date wasn’t bad. Nothing compared to what you can do with your hands though ;)

He glared at the screen as a dozen unwelcome thoughts flew through his overactive imagination. “Oh, you wanna play it that way,” he growled. He hit the reply button and his fingers flew over the keys.

Not a shock – nobody can touch you the way I can.

He nodded in satisfaction when the phone remained silent for several minutes. Yeah, let’s see what she has to say to that, he thought smugly. The phone buzzed a couple minutes later and he checked the message.

I wish you were touching me now…

“Not fair,” he muttered. “Hope you remember that tomorrow, ‘cause you’re gonna pay for that.” He had no doubt that she would be catching a ride with Max, especially now. But, there was no reason to let her off the hook now; it was time to up the stakes and make her wish she was there with him right at that moment. He punched in another message and hit the send button.

Come up here with Max tomorrow and I’ll touch you as much as you want.

He was grinning when the phone buzzed again and he opened up the message, anticipating her complete capitulation.

We’ll see…

“Are you kiddin’?” he snarled under his breath. “We’ll see? That’s your response? We’ll fuckin’ see?” He was so pissed off with her response that he barely registered the fact that the phone was buzzing again. He pressed the necessary buttons to open up the message and a slow smile replaced his frown as he read it.

You’re pissy now, right? I hope you’ll be over that by the time I get there tomorrow. G’night, Michael.

“See? I knew you couldn’t resist for long.” He chuckled and put his phone away as he walked back inside and locked up before going back to bed.

*****

Maria slouched down in the backseat of the jeep when she heard the deejay on the radio confirm what she had already known – they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They had gotten caught in heavy traffic on the freeway and she was certain they hadn’t moved more than a mile in the past hour.

“Well,” Max said, shifting so that he was more comfortable in his seat, “looks like we’re gonna be here a while.”

“They’re shutting the freeway down?” Liz asked, glancing around at the cars packed onto the road, taking up every inch of space.

“Standard procedure when there’s a fatality; they’ve gotta get all of the photos, statements, and evidence before they open it up again.”

“Oh. So, we’re gonna be here for a while.”

Max turned his head and his dark gaze slowly traced over her features. “Yeah, we’re not even close enough to an exit to get off the freeway; not that it’d matter because all the service roads are gonna be backed up with the people who do manage to get off the freeway.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve got a cooler full of drinks and snacks though, so at least we won’t have to sit here and starve while we’re waitin’.”

Maria moved to a new position in an effort to avoid the sun beaming down on them and she reached up to rub her neck. Max had already called Kyle to let him know that they were stuck in traffic and they had no way of knowing when they would be arriving at the cabin. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, selecting the text option and typing in a message to send to Michael.

Tell me how you’re gonna touch me tonight…

She could just imagine his expression as he read her text and she waited impatiently for him to respond. She was doing her best to ignore the couple in the front seat, more interested in what Michael was thinking. The phone in her hand buzzed and she flipped it open to read his response.

How d’you feel about hot tubs? Ever got off in one?

She smirked at his teasing comments and started typing in her answer.

No, but looking forward to it! Stuck in the backseat for two hours now. Every part of my body is tense and tight – need a massage in a really bad way!

His response came back in record time.

I’m waiting to drive you crazy! Any idea on the ETA?

Maria sighed. With the current situation she had no idea how long it would be before they arrived at their destination.

Looks like it could be late before we get there.

She smiled when his next message came through.

No worries… I’ll take care of you and make sure you forget all about this afternoon.

“I have no doubt about that,” she mumbled as she shifted again, looking for a more comfortable position.
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Fics: A Xmas Story - A Merry Mt. R. Xmas - Cupid's Revenge - Double Trouble - Double Date - Double Dare - Double Empire - Double Xmas Wish - In The Course Of A Lifetime - Mountains So High - Not A Question At All - Surrender - TIC TAC - Two Double Dates at Xmas
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