A Special Kind of Love (M&L, Adult) (Complete)

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 21


Max opened his bedroom door a crack and carefully looked down the hall. He listened to the sounds the house made, a creak here or there, the furnace kicking on, everything else silent. He opened the door wide and holding Liz’s hand, they stepped into the hall.

“Are you sure about this Max?” Liz asked apprehensively. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened at my place.” They were standing naked in the hallway and Max was smiling that crooked little smile of his.

“Do you want to get some ice cream first?” he said and then laughed at the horrified look on her face. “Don’t worry. We’re all alone. Isabel’s at school, and my Mom’s helping my Dad in Bittercreek today. They won’t be home for hours.” He pulled her hand and they walked down the hallway.

“Max, we’re going to get in so much trouble for cutting class,” she said guiltily.

“No we won’t. I’ll take care of it.” Max opened the bathroom door and led Liz inside. “We always do everything that’s expected of us, always walking that straight line. Let’s just do what we want to do for a change.” He pulled back the shower curtain and reached inside to turn on the water. They were both sweaty from their lovemaking and the thought of having Liz in the shower with him was a fantasy he’d never dreamed might come true.

“After you, my sweet,” Max said with a flourish and held the shower curtain open for her. She smiled and stepped into the warm water. Max followed her inside.

* * * * *

“Thanks for the ride Maria,” Isabel said sincerely. “I forgot my report on my dresser and today is the last day I can turn it in for credit. I don’t know where Max went. I was going to just take the jeep, but it wasn’t in the parking lot.”

“No problem Isabel. It was my free period anyway.” The Jetta turned the corner and Isabel’s house came into view. The jeep was parked in the driveway.

“What’s he doing home?” Isabel said with a frown.

* * * * *

“Do you know that I’ve always dreamed of this?” Max said as he smiled down at Liz. The water drilled into his back and ran in streams over his chest and down his stomach. Her skin shimmered with the water cascading over her and Max felt like he was in heaven.

“You have?” Liz sighed. He always said things that made her melt inside. He looked so erotic with the water running over his skin and the steam rising around them.

“Yes, I have,” he answered and then his lips slowly descended to hers. He kissed her lingeringly and then he reached for the soap. She had put her hair up in a clip on top of her head and little tendrils of hair spilled around her neck. He turned her body so that she was facing away from him and he slowly moved the soap over her back. His hands washed her hips and caressed her round bottom and then he knelt down to wash her thighs and calves and then her tiny little feet. He stood back up and she leaned back into him feeling his erection pressing hard into her back. He turned her around again and looked down into the dark sensual pools of her eyes.

His hands moved over her shoulders leaving a trail of suds and then moved down to her breasts. Her nipples were hard and pouty and he had to fight hard to keep himself from taking her right here. His breathing was getting more labored by the second and his pulse was pounding in his veins.

Her skin was tingling everywhere that he touched her. He cupped her breasts, lightly squeezing her and stroking her nipples and she moaned loudly. He smiled down on her and then dropped his hands down over her ribs and her tiny waist and then down to her sweet center. His fingers slipped between her legs and he stroked her thoroughly. She felt the waves building in her and she closed her eyes, letting Max take her where he wanted her to go. Her breathing came in short gasps and then her body shuddered with pleasure. Her head fell back exposing her throat and Max kissed her there, moving his lips over her throat as her climax swelled over her.

“Max . . .” Liz breathed out.

* * * * *

Isabel opened the Jetta door and stared at the jeep. “I’ll be back in just a minute Maria. Do you want to just wait for me here?”

“Sure,” Maria replied and pressed the buttons on her radio looking for a better song.

Isabel passed the jeep and headed for the front door. “I wonder if everything’s okay,” she said with a frown.

* * * * *

Liz took the soap out of Max’s hand and traded places with him. The water rinsed the soap off her back and ran in rivulets over her breasts. He watched her, mesmerized by the way she looked and the way she moved. She rubbed her hands together and created a rich lather with the soap. She touched the tip of his nose with a soapy finger and she almost melted from the smile he gave her.

She gently ran her hands over his throat and along his shoulder blades and then down over his chest muscles. His body was so firm and taut and it was exciting for her to touch him. Max could feel her small hands touching him everywhere and he sighed in pleasure. He’d dreamed of this very thing before, fantasizing about what it would be like to have Liz here like this. Her body was perfect to him in every way. He looked down at her, taking in her beauty, and he noticed the rose pendant she was wearing. He remembered the first day he’d seen her wearing it again, that day when she’d read him the poem. She hadn’t taken the rose off since. He smiled down at her feeling happier than he had ever felt in his life before.

She washed his belly and then her fingers dropped lower to the patch of kinky dark hair above his swollen member. She looked up at him with a sultry air and then watched his face as her hand closed over him. He gasped out loud and she smiled. He groaned again as her fingers tightened on him and then she started to stroke him.

“Oh God . . .” he said huskily, looking down to watch what she was doing.

* * * * *

Isabel opened the front door and looked around. Everything seemed normal, nothing out of place.

“Max?” she called out and then she thought she heard the sound of running water. She made her way toward her bedroom keeping her eyes open for Max and then she slowed as she passed the bathroom. She could hear the water running in the shower and then she clearly heard his voice groaning ‘Oh God’. She looked toward the door in amazement. Her mouth dropped to the floor and she shook her head back and forth.

“Oh my God, he’s at it again,” she whispered incredulously. “Did he skip school just to come home and do this? I think he’s lost his mind!”

* * * * *

Her soapy hand glided smoothly over his erection, pumping up and down the length of him. His hips moved against her hand as she stroked him, bringing his fantasies to life. He watched as her fingers circled round and round him, wiping off the little drops of white fluid that were leaking from him. Another groan rumbled in his chest and he wanted to scream out her name. Her hand closed around him again, squeezing him with just the right amount of pressure. She used one hand to pump his erection and the other hand caressed his tight sacs. She could feel his legs trembling and his thighs quivering and she knew he was close. She looked up into his amorous face and her tongue darted out from between her lips. He was almost ready to explode when suddenly her hand was gone and she spun him around into the spray of the water. At the loss of her hand a gut-wrenching moan tore from his throat.

* * * * *

Isabel could hear his loud groan all the way in her room and covered her ears with her hands. Her eyes frantically searched her room looking for her report. She just wanted to get it, and then get the hell out before Max knew she was home.

Over the years she’d heard him making noises in the bathroom before, but today he sounded like he was killing himself. She finally found the report under the Cosmo magazine she had been trying to find for days and she frowned. How’d that get there? She grabbed the report and as quickly and as quietly as she could she headed towards the front of the house.

Isabel hurried past Max’s room and then she stopped dead in her tracks.

“No, it couldn’t be . . .” she said aghast.

She slowly backed up and peeked through his partially open door. Something red had caught her eye, something red with little white buttons. Isabel’s eyes bulged when she saw Liz’s red sweater lying on the floor of Max’s room, along with a black skirt, and a pair of black tights, and a red bra. He brother’s pants were on the floor turned inside out, right next to the olive green shirt he had been wearing this morning when he left the house. Isabel’s head spun toward the bathroom as the realization hit her that Max wasn’t alone in there.

* * * * *

The water was hitting Max directly in the chest now, rinsing all the soap off of him, but all he could think of was the ache in his loins. She wasn’t going to leave him like this, was she? She’d brought him right to the brink and then stopped.

“Liz . . .?” he managed to choke out.

She turned him around again and his eyes looked down at her pleadingly. She looked his gleamingly clean body up and down and her tongue once more darted out of her mouth to wet her lips. She brushed her fingertips over his rock hard erection and Max sighed. A grin spread over her face and Max smiled in relief, hoping that meant she wasn’t going to leave him this way. His smile froze and his mouth fell open in surprise when Liz dropped to her knees in front of him. The air was suddenly trapped in his lungs when he realized what she was going to do. His heart was racing and he held his breath as he watched her mouth open and her tongue dart out to touch him.

He felt bolts of electricity course through his body at the feel of her hot tongue licking him. He could feel her breath on him first, and then her tongue was circling around the tip. Her hand was clutched around him, holding his shaft securely and her lips closed over him. Her eyes were looking up at him, gauging his reaction and she smiled when she saw him let out his breath in a deep sigh. Another groan rumbled deep in his chest and Liz closed her eyes, happily knowing that what she was doing was giving him great pleasure.

He watched as her mouth took more of him and he felt her tongue caressing him. She moved her hand down to the base of his shaft and she took him deeper into her mouth. He watched as he disappeared into that hot, wet interior, and then she pulled away, exposing the length of him again.

“Do you like that?” Liz asked huskily and her tongue circled around his head again.

“Yes,” Max managed to croak out. Liz smiled and her mouth closed over him again. “Oh God, Liz . . .” Max groaned and his hips jerked toward her mouth as she covered him.

She sucked him in and then pulled back, setting a steady rhythm. She took as much of him as she could, letting him slide to the back of her throat. He rocked his hips toward her each time her mouth covered him, sucking him in, sliding in and out. His hands flanked the sides of her head, holding her, watching himself disappear inside her eager mouth.

She released him briefly so that she could take a deep breath. He whimpered and his hands clutched at her hair. She licked her tongue along the full length of him and then she sucked him in again. He tasted salty and spicy to her and he thrust into her mouth, unable to stop himself. His groans intensified and she could feel his thighs twitching and trembling. His breathing was coming in hard gasps, panting almost, and then he cried out her name as he pulled himself out of her mouth. Her hand covered him and his juices squirted against her palm, seeping through her fingers, dripping onto her chest. Her forehead fell against his abdomen and his fluids still pumped out against her palm, dripping down to mingle with the water that flowed around them.

* * * * *

“You’re not going to believe this,” Isabel said leaning into Maria’s window.

“What?” Maria asked. She couldn’t read the look on Isabel’s face. She looked embarrassed and surprised and concerned and even a little sheepish.

“Max isn’t alone.” Isabel watched Maria’s mouth fall open and it made her laugh.

“Liz is in there too?” Maria almost screamed.

“Oh yeah. They’re both in there . . .” Isabel’s embarrassment showed through.

“Where are they? In his room?” Maria asked and grabbed at her door handle.

“No, right now they’re in the shower.” Isabel had to step back as Maria jerked opened her car door and stepped out. “Maria, what are you doing?”

“They’re in the shower? Oh my God! I gotta go see this!” She closed her door and headed for the house at a quick pace.

“Maria, NO!” Isabel exclaimed.

“What do you mean NO,” Maria laughed. “Come on!”

“For God’s sake Maria, he’s my brother!” Isabel ran to catch up to her. It was bad enough what she had just heard in there. She certainly didn’t want to SEE anything. She grabbed at Maria’s arm and tried to pull her away from the door, but she squirmed away from her.

Maria slowly opened the door taking great pains to be very quiet. She tip toed into the house and motioned for Isabel to follow. Isabel stood on the porch shaking her head back and forth and mouthing the word NO. Maria grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside.

“Maria, let’s get out of here,” Isabel whispered sharply. Her cheeks were turning red with embarrassment.

Maria held her finger over her lips indicating for Isabel to be quiet and then both girls listened carefully. They heard the muffled sounds of Max and Liz’s voices from the hallway and it sounded like they were headed toward the kitchen.

* * * * *

“So where do you think Tess has been for the last week?” Liz asked as they stepped into the kitchen.

“I don’t know,” Max answered. “I should try to find out. I don’t know how much she’ll tell me though.” Max opened the cupboard and took a box from the top shelf. “There’s a bowl in that cabinet,” Max said pointing at the drawer next to Liz.

She opened the drawer and took out a large stainless steel bowl. “This one?” she asked. Max nodded and she set it on the kitchen counter. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. “Do you want juice or a Cherry Coke?” Liz turned to Max holding a Coke in one hand and the juice in the other.

“I’ll take the Coke,” Max answered and couldn’t stop grinning at her. She really did look adorable standing there like that.

Liz put the juice back in the fridge and took out another can of Coke. Max opened the box and removed a packet of microwave popcorn. He opened the microwave door, placed it inside and set the timer. Liz walked back to him and handed him his Coke.

“And just what do you two think you’re do-” Maria blurted out as she and Isabel stepped into the kitchen and then the words lodged in her throat.

Max and Liz jumped in surprise and stared at the two girls that had suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Isabel turned her head and put her hand over her eyes. Maria stood staring at them with her mouth dropping to the floor. Max grabbed Liz and held her in front of him while Liz tried to squirm her way behind him.

“Oh my God!” Maria gasped as she stared at her two friends, standing stark naked in the kitchen.

Max was using Liz to shield his nakedness and Liz was covering herself with her hands while trying to make Max let go of her. His eyes were popping out of his head, staring at Maria and Isabel like he was caught in the path of a speeding freight train. His hand darted out and grabbed the bowl Liz had set on the counter and used it to cover his nakedness. He let go of Liz’s arm and she jabbed him in the chest as she ran behind him to hide.

“Um . . . what are you guys doing here?” Max asked trying to sound casual. He twitched his head nervously and took a deep breath. He scratched his head behind his ear and then his arm dropped to cover his chest. He could feel Liz banging her head into his back and whispering “This isn’t happening . . . this isn’t happening . . . this isn’t happening . . .”

The sound of popcorn popping filled the room and when the timer went off Max nearly jumped out of his skin. The bowl slipped from his hand and he had to scramble to get it back in the right position.

“Max, the question is what are YOU doing here?” Isabel said turning back to look at him. “I take that back. It’s obvious WHAT you were doing here. The question is WHY? Why are you here . . . like that . . . when you should be in school?”

Max cleared his throat and he could feel the blood rushing back into his face. “Uh . . . we just, um . . . Liz wanted to get some lunch,” Max blurted out and Liz jabbed him in the back.

“And what kind of lunch did you have Liz?” Maria finally managed to say as she started to laugh.

“Go away Maria.” Liz answered from behind Max.

“Were you two planning on going back to school today?” Isabel asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Max’s eyes darted between Isabel and Maria. He arched his eyebrows and then he shrugged his shoulders. “We kinda found something better to do-”

“Max!” Liz said and jabbed him in the back again. “Stop talking.” She put her hands on his hips and started to pull him backwards. She desperately wanted to get out of the kitchen. He stumbled over his big feet and he almost dropped the bowl again.

“Isabel . . . Maria . . .” Max said hesitantly and twitched his head nervously again. “Do you guys want to turn around?” He could feel the heat burning in his cheeks and he was dying of embarrassment. He could feel Liz’s breath on his back and he thought he could hear her mumbling something about making him pay for this. When neither one of the girls moved, Max looked at them pleadingly.

Isabel and Maria turned toward each other and then they shrugged their shoulders. They turned to look the other way and Max pushed Liz in the direction of his room. They ran out of the kitchen, but not before Maria turned back to get a quick peek at Max’s departing tush.

“Not bad . . .” she mumbled.

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 22


Liz sat in the passenger seat of the jeep and stared unseeing at the houses and streets that passed just beyond her window. School had let out a few minutes ago and she and Max were headed to Michael’s apartment. The engine had yet to warm up and it was chilly in the jeep, but the shiver that passed through her had nothing to do with the cold.

“Max,” Liz began. “What was this afternoon all about?”

Max looked over at her and felt a stab of concern. Her face was hidden and he could tell by the set of her body that she was deep in thought.

“What do you mean?” he asked apprehensively. She slowly turned to look at him and he could see that she was troubled.

“I mean this morning everything seemed fine. Even after we saw Tess, you were fine. But then when I met you for lunch, I could tell something was very wrong.” Liz watched the conflicting emotions cross his face.

Max took a deep breath and turned his eyes back toward the road in front of him. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel and he felt his body tensing up. He didn’t want to talk about this, or think about this, and he didn’t want to say anything that would only hurt or dismay her.

“Max, I know you had an argument with Michael. And I know the argument was about me.” Liz saw his shoulders sag and his head dropped down in a defeated manor. “When we made love, I could feel your stress deep inside you. What was it about, Max?”

“I wasn’t going to tell you because I didn’t want to upset you.” Max turned to look at her again, giving her a small smile. “It’s just Michael being Michael. Ever since last May, he’s been distancing himself from everything and everyone. It seems nothing I do is right in his eyes, and . . .” Max swallowed hard, not wanting to say it, but knowing she had the right to know. “Michael thinks I should stay away from you. He thinks we should stay away from all of you. Maria, Alex, Kyle . . . you. Especially you.”

Liz nodded her head slowly and then turned to look out the window again. She hadn’t been able to tell exactly what the argument had been about, but she’d seen the image of Max slamming Michael against the lockers and felt his anger.

“Liz, he’s wrong. I know he’s wrong. I can feel it in here.” Max spread his hand out over his chest, right above his heart. “Michael needs to learn that we are stronger together, all of us, but he’s spent his whole life shutting everyone out. We just need to give him time to come to terms with all of this. I shouldn’t have gotten angry with him, but you know Michael. He knows how to push my buttons.” Max gave her a half laugh and Liz turned to look back at him.

“So when we went to your place, were you trying to convince me that we belong together? Or were you trying to convince yourself?” She held his gaze and he had to tear his eyes away from her to keep the jeep going forward in a straight line.

“It’s not like that Liz.” Max looked at her again and wondered how in the world he could ever explain what he had been feeling. He pulled the jeep over to the side of the road and put the gears in park. “Liz, Michael and I fought right before I met you for lunch. And yes, we did fight about you. But that was just the excuse he used. The real reason is far deeper that that. I think it’s something buried deep inside of us, and it’s been struggling its way toward the surface since last May. Maybe its forgotten memories, or maybe it’s just our different personalities. Whatever it is, the problem is between me and Michael, and it made me angry that he’s trying to bring you into it.”

“Max, you seemed so . . . almost desperate by the time we got to your house . . .” Liz let the words hang in the air.

“I was Liz, because I knew what you were thinking. I can’t go through that again. I can’t watch you pull away from me because it’s what you think is best for me, because of what I am and what my supposed ‘Destiny’ is supposed to be. If you ever stop loving me, I’ll walk away. I’ll let you go. But as long as I know you love me, nothing in this world, or this universe, or a thousand different lifetimes is going to keep me away from you.”

“Max, I’ll never stop loving you,” Liz said with the worried look finally leaving her face. Her hand cupped his cheek and he covered it with his. His fingers closed around her hand and he brought her fingers to his lips.

“I’ve loved you forever, Liz. That will never change.” They looked into each other’s eyes and then a smile spread over his face. “So,” Max said lightening the mood. “Are you hungry? We didn’t really get any lunch. We could get something before we get to Michael’s.”

“What do you have in mind?” Liz asked suddenly realizing she was starving. She was feeling better after talking this over with Max, but realizing at the same time just how complicated their lives really were.

“Well, there’s a sub shop just up the road. We could split a sub with the works.” He watched her eyes getting as big as saucers and tried to keep a straight face. “My only question is whether you want a 6” or a footlong?”

“What?” Liz blurted out and she felt the blood drain out of her face. His eyes were dancing and then he started laughing. The blood rushed back into her cheeks with a vengeance and she covered her face with her hands.

“I saw a few things earlier too,” Max said.

“Max . . . I . . .I . . .” Liz faltered, not knowing what to say.

“I think we better get used to the idea that we can’t keep anything from each other,” Max said with a grin and then he put his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close and kissed her lightly on the forehead before putting the jeep back in gear.

“And what’s this about my ego?” Max asked and Liz’s hands flew to cover her face once again. The sound of his laughter filled the jeep as he pulled out into traffic.

* * * * *

Michael was pacing his apartment in agitation wondering what was taking Max so long. He’d called this meeting after all, and he couldn’t even arrive on time, Michael thought with irritation. He was probably off with Liz somewhere, completely forgetting about his responsibilities and his duties. Why couldn’t he see that Liz was just in the way of what they needed to do and what they needed to prepare for?

Isabel sat on the couch and Maria sat in a chair right next to her, deep in conversation. Michael took a step toward them and then rolled his eyes when he heard what they were talking about.

“Dan asked Pam to go to the dance first, but then Jamie told him that Lisa wanted him to ask her, so Dan made up an excuse to back out of going with Pam and then he asked Lisa, but Mark had asked her already and since she thought Dan was taking Pam, she told Mark okay,” Maria said as if that explained everything.

“But then how did Pam end up going with Mark?” Isabel asked leaning closer to Maria.

“When Lisa found out Dan wasn’t taking Pam, she told Mark she couldn’t go with him but then before she could tell Dan she wasn’t going with Mark, he had already asked Patti . . .”

Michael listened to the inane prattle coming out of Maria’s mouth and thought he was going to scream. “Don’t you two have anything better to talk about?” Michael exclaimed.

Maria and Isabel both turned to stared at him.

“We’re at war here and you two are babbling on about some stupid dance. What’s the matter with you?” Michael hissed.

“Michael, we’re talking about Pam Troy,” Maria said.

“So,” Michael shot back. “Who gives a shit about Pam Troy?”

“I’ve spent my entire life waiting to see that girl fall off her high horse,” Maria answered as if Michael was the densest person in the world.

Michael turned at the sound of a knock on the door and then Max was entering the apartment with Liz directly behind him. “It’s about time Maxwell. Where have you been?” Michael fumed.

“Um,” Max began slightly taken aback by Michael’s tone. He held up the cup he had in his hand for Michael to see. “We stopped to get something to eat.”

Maria saw the words ‘Sub Shop’ printed on the cups and had to stifle a laugh. She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes met Liz’s.

“Don’t even start Maria,” Liz said looking at her sternly.

“I didn’t say anything!” Maria exclaimed.

Max’s eyes met Liz’s and she felt the blush creeping into her cheeks again. Maria watched the exchange between them and realized Max knew exactly what she was talking about. She felt her own blush rising with the understanding that Max knew about her and Liz’s conversation from the night before.

“What’s this all about Max?” Michael interrupted. He had no patience and he wanted to get right to the point.

“Does this have anything to do with popcorn and naked bodies?” Maria quipped.

Max and Liz looked at each other embarrassedly, Isabel covered her face with her hand while she tried to keep from laughing, and Alex sat up with interest.

“Popcorn and naked bodies?” Alex said, his curiosity piqued. “Finally something worth listening to.”

“Look everybody,” Max said as he crossed the room and stood next to the couch near Alex. Liz stayed close to him with their hands firmly clasped and their shoulders touching. “The first thing I want to talk about is Tess.”

“What about Tess,” Isabel asked with a sense of apprehension.

“She’s back.” Max let his eyes sweep around the room gauging their reactions. Michael had his arms folded over his chest. Isabel had sat up straighter and she appeared slightly nervous.

“Here we go again,” Alex mumbled.

“I knew her leaving was too good to be true,” Maria huffed. “What’s the little tramp want?”

“Liz and I saw her this morning, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet,” Max informed everyone. “I don’t know where she’s been, and even when I do ask her, I don’t know if I can believe what she tells me. At this point I don’t trust her. I think we all need to remember that last year she was less than honest with us. She tried to manipulate all of us, and she kept important information hidden just to suit her own purposes. I want us to be very careful around her.”

“She’s one of us, Max,” Michael said angrily.

“Yes, Michael, she is one of us. But that doesn’t mean she’s on our side.” Max and Michael stared hard into each other’s eyes. Michael clenched his teeth together and his jaw twitched in anger. Max stood tensely fighting to maintain his iron control. Finally Michael dropped his eyes and Max took a silent breath.

“Alright,” Max said and led the conversation in a new direction. “There’s something else you all need to know. Friday night Liz and I went out to the Granilith. Interestingly, the Granilith seemed to know or recognize Liz. I’m not sure how or why, but when we were leaving Liz put her hand on the palm print and it responded to her.”

“How can that be, Max?” Isabel asked with a frown.

“We think it might have something to do with the changes that are happening in me,” Liz said quietly. “From Max healing me.” Liz looked up into Max’s eyes and he smiled down at her, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead.

“It could be changes on the cellular level that we don’t know about yet,” Max continued. “We’re going to stay after school tomorrow and go to the Bio Lab to run some tests on her cells and blood. Liz needs to know if the changes are visible. If they are, then she’ll have to be as careful as the rest of us when it comes to doctor visits or medical tests.”

“That’s great,” Michael muttered. “That’s just great.”

Max glared at Michael sending him a warning look. “Now, something else happened Friday night,” Max said and sat down on the arm of the couch. Liz leaned against him and he lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest for a moment before setting it in his lap.

“We don’t need to hear about your sexcapades with Liz-” Michael started and then clenched his hands at his sides when Max bolted to his feet. Liz stopped him with a hand to his shoulder and Max took a deep breath. His eyes bore into Michael’s and once again Michael was forced to lower his eyes.

“As I was saying,” Max resumed and forced himself to sit back down. “When Liz and I got back to the Crashdown all the power was out, just like it was all over downtown. I went into the Caf to get a flashlight under the register and I interrupted what we thought at the time was a thief. Whoever it was had the gun Liz’s Dad leaves under the register and I got shot in the chest.”

“WHAT?” Isabel nearly screamed. “You got SHOT? Are you okay? What happened? Did you heal yourself?”

“Actually Isabel, no, I wasn’t okay.” Everyone was staring at him now, even the look on Michael’s face had changed from anger to concern, or even fear. “The bullet tore my chest open and I didn’t have enough strength to heal it. I was right at the brink of death when Liz healed me.” Max looked into Liz’s eyes again and he lifted her hand up to his lips for a soft kiss. Everyone started talking at once, firing questions left and right at Max and Liz.

“Wait,” Max said holding up his other hand.

“What do you mean, Max? How could Liz heal you?” Michael demanded.

“It has to do with the changes that are happening in her,” Max continued. “Just like when I was in New York and Isabel couldn’t reach me. When Liz held Isabel’s hand she was able to strengthen the projection, so that I could see Liz. Isabel didn’t have enough strength to do it on her own. I couldn’t heal myself on Friday, but when Liz took my hand she was able to draw the power out of me and she healed me. If it hadn’t been for Liz, I would have died on the floor of the Crashdown.”

Everyone was looking at Liz now and she felt like a bug under a microscope. Maria and Alex were staring at her with their mouths hanging open in amazement, and Isabel kept looking between Max and Liz with tears forming in her eyes. Even Michael was staring at her like she was some weird new species.

“Wow,” Michael finally said to break the silence.

“I’m still me,” Liz said quietly and then she remembered a day when Max had said the same thing to her. Max squeezed her hand and his warmth helped her relax a little.

“Wow,” Michael said again, utterly speechless. He shook his head trying to focus his thoughts and stared at Liz. “Just how bad was this bullet wound?”

“Michael, it was a fatal wound,” Max answered and watched Michael coming to terms with this. He was looking at Liz differently now, and his eyes had lost that hard edge.

Michael was taken aback by the news he had just heard. Liz had healed Max? How could that be? Michael had always been bothered by the fact that he couldn’t heal the way Max could. His saving grace was that Isabel wasn’t very good at it either. Even if Liz had been changed, how was it possible that she could do something even he and Isabel couldn’t do?

Deep in thought, Michael tried to sort it all out in his mind. Max was the one that could heal. Isabel could dreamwalk, or get into people’s subconscious minds. Yet Liz, just a human as Tess liked to remind everyone, could do both those things. Tess could mindwarp, making people see things that weren’t there, and he had the ability to destroy things by concentrating with his mind. Could Liz do those things too?

“How could she . . .?” Michael started to say and faltered.

The group sat in Michael’s apartment and talked for the next few hours, discussing Liz, and the changes in her and how that might affect everyone. Plans were made for Liz to work with Michael to see if she was able to mimic his skills too. Michael watched Liz in a new light, slowly coming to the realization that it was quite possible that they needed Liz. She wasn’t someone to shut out and push into the background like he had been trying to do for so long. He looked over at Maria, wondering if he had been wrong about her all this time too. Maybe she hadn’t been changed the way Liz had, but maybe they were stronger together than apart.

“I want to keep this information away from Tess right now,” Max said and looked toward Michael expecting another argument. He saw Michael nodding in agreement and his eyebrows rose in surprise. “We need to make her feel welcome and a part of the group, but be very, very careful what you say around her. I’ll let you know when, or if, I think she can be trusted.”

“I’m starving,” Maria blurted out. “Let’s go get a pizza.” Everyone agreed and rose to their feet stretching tired muscles from sitting so long. Liz turned to the door, pulling Max’s hand along when he stopped her with a gentle squeeze.

“You go ahead with Maria,” Max said looking down into her eyes. “I need to talk to Michael alone for a minute. I’ll meet you out at the jeep.” She nodded her head at him and he gave her a soft kiss before releasing her hand.

After the door closed Max and Michael stood staring at each other for a minute. Max felt a lessening of some of the tension between the two of them and it helped ease his troubled mind. He needed to be able to count on Michael, and trust him to do what was asked of him.

“Michael, there’s something else I need to talk to you about,” Max said reluctantly. He hated even voicing his concerns, as if saying them aloud would give them credence, but sharing his fears could mean the difference between life and death.

“What is it Max?” Michael’s tone had softened.

“Liz sometimes gets a feeling, an intuition, that something is wrong. I think it might be part of the changes that are happening to her.” Max paused trying to sort through his thoughts.

“You mean like a sixth sense or something?” Michael asked.

“Yes, exactly,” Max sighed knowing Michael was following his train of thought.

“And . . .” Michael said knowing there was more coming.

“Friday night, right before the gun went off, Liz tried to warn me. She didn’t know what was wrong; she just knew something bad was going to happen. When she called out to me, I turned to block her from coming further into the room and that’s when the gun went off and I got shot in the back.”

“What are you trying to say Max?” Michael asked with growing concern.

“I’ve replayed it in my mind a thousand times since Friday night. I’ve looked at the angles and the line of trajectory. When I turned, I stepped in front of Liz.” Max paused and took a deep breath before saying the words aloud. “Michael, the bullet wasn’t meant for me. It was meant for Liz.”




TBC...

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 23


Max and Liz headed down the school hallway hand in hand. The school day had ended over an hour ago and the hallways were empty except for an occasional student who had stayed after to work on projects or catch up on assignments. They turned a corner and noticed Kyle coming out of Mr. Steven’s class.

“Hey Kyle,” Liz said as they approached him. “What keeps you after school?”

“Detention,” Kyle answered with a smirk. “Steven’s didn’t like the book I was reading in English.”

“What book?” Max asked curiously.

“We were supposed to be reading Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men,” Kyle said with a shrug.

“Good book,” Max replied.

“Yeah? I thought ‘Blushing Biker Babes’ sounded more interesting. Steven’s didn’t agree.” Kyle gave them both a lopsided smile and then slapped Max on the shoulder. “Gotta go. See ya.”

The two of them watched Kyle leave and then they both laughed softly when Max mumbled “Blushing Biker Babes”. Still hand in hand, Max and Liz set off in the direction of the bio lab. When they reached the door they noticed the lights were off in the room and when Max tested the doorknob, it was locked. He glanced up and down the hallway before settling his hand over the knob and disengaging the lock. They hurried inside and Max closed the door quietly behind him.

“Let’s go back here,” Liz said leading Max to the back of the room. “We can set up everything here at this table.” Max followed behind her and helped her pull slides and equipment out of the cupboard. Liz sat at the tall stool in front of the table and began to arrange things around her. When everything was ready, she took a cell sample from the inside of her cheek and prepared a slide. Liz took a deep breath and looked up into Max’s eyes before placing the slid into the microscope. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and she turned to look through the lens.

“Max, everything looks normal!” Liz exclaimed. She leaned to the left so that Max could take a look for himself.

“Thank God,” Max sighed with relief as he looked at the normal human cells. He had been so worried that he’d placed one more burden on Liz. It was bad enough that he had turned her whole life up side down. She didn’t need to worry about doctors and hospitals and hiding a different cell structure too.

“Let me try a blood sample now,” Liz said as she prepared a new slide. Max watched her expertly jab her fingertip to draw a drop of blood. It dripped onto the slide and then she placed another slide over the top. She took a close look through the microscope and Max could see her lips curve into a large smile. “Take a look,” she said making room for Max to view the new slide.

He leaned forward and Liz placed her hand on his arm as he looked through the microscope. The normal blood cells stared back at him and Max’s smile matched that of Liz’s. He turned to Liz and took her into his arms, happy that physically she seemed to be completely normal. He held her tightly and looked down into her captivating eyes.

“Just what I like,” Max said smiling with relief. “Everything looks normal.”

“Are you happy?” Liz asked looking up into his shining eyes. Her arms were around his waist and she pressed her body up against his.

“Very,” Max answered as he bent over to nuzzle her ear. “Hummm. You smell so good.” His lips trailed down her throat and then up to nip at her other ear.

“Max . . .” Liz sighed feeling her knees growing weak.

“Hummm?” he mumbled while his lips kissed along her shoulder blade.

“Max, we’re at school, in the Bio Lab.” Liz was trying to think clearly but the feel of Max’s hand sliding up the skin of her stomach and getting dangerously close to the lower edge of her bra was affecting her concentration. “We shouldn’t be doing this . . .”

“Yeah, I know,” Max said softly while he planted kisses down her throat and the upper part of her chest. One button of her blouse had already popped open and Max was certain the next was about to follow suit. “I always wanted you to give me a private biology lesson in this room.”

“Max, this is a public school,” Liz said as her hand combed through the hair at the nape of his neck. “A teacher could walk in here at any time, or a janitor or … someone … else …” She wasn’t really able to finish her train of thought thanks to his hand making its way over her ribs and then higher to cup her breast. His thumb stroked over her nipple turning it hard and Liz inhaled sharply as that familiar sensation spread through her. Max sure knew how to set her skin on fire.

“I sealed the door closed when we came in here,” Max said and then his tongue left a wet trail between the mounds of her breasts. Two more buttons had come undone and he could easily see the deep rosy color of her nipple poking firmly against the pale pink of her sheer bra. Max could feel his jeans becoming increasingly tighter and with his left hand pressing against the small of her back he pulled her hips even closer to his.

“I think you like living dangerously,” Liz managed to say between gasps. “We’re going to get caught again if we aren’t careful.”

“We won’t get caught,” Max said raising his head from her breast. He was smiling that sexy smile of his and his eyes were filled with smoldering passion. “No one can walk in on us, they can’t see into the room and if you don’t moan too loudly, no one will be able to hear us.”

“Max,” Liz said shyly and felt her cheeks blushing. She couldn’t help the sounds she made when Max was touching her. He made her body come alive and she lost all control when his skin came into contact with hers. His mouth took hers hungrily and she found her fingers clawing at the buttons on the front of his blue checked shirt. She wanted to feel the smooth hot skin that lay beneath that shirt, and she wanted to feel it right now. She tore the front of his shirt open and Max was surprised to hear a button go flying off into a corner of the room. He looked down at his torn shirt and then Liz’s mouth was on him, kissing his chest and nipping at his nipples. Her tongue traced little circles all over the front of his chest and he sucked his breath in when her hand closed over the straining bulge in his jeans. She really turned into a tiger when she wanted something bad enough, and right now she wanted Max.

The blood was pounding through his veins and he let out his own moan as he gave in to his growing excitement. He cupped the back of her head with his large hand and roughly pulled her face up to his. He kissed her hard, devouring her lips and then her tongue was in his mouth exploring every inch of him. He always knew that it would be this way with her. She drove him crazy just looking at her from across the room. To touch her and taste her and make love to her was living out every dream he ever had of belonging with her. They stumbled backwards until they crashed into the empty table behind them.

Max raised his head from her and took in the sight of the table. This was the very table the two of them had used last year. The very one that he had carved their initials into the corner when no one was looking. It had been a childish thing to do, but it made him smile every time he sat down in class for the rest of the semester. He had often fantasized about Liz during class, wanting to pick her up and lean her backwards over the table. He had pictured himself climbing on top of her and tearing her clothes off and then listening to her cry out his name as he thrust into her. That had only been a fantasy last year. What a difference a year could make.

Max was driven by his desires now and he lifted Liz up onto the table. His fingers swiftly unfastened the last button on her shirt and then he spread it wide so that he could view her beautiful body. The bra she wore had the clasp in front, just the kind he liked and his fingers were becoming more practiced at releasing her from the confining material. The clasp popped open and Max couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath he drew when her breasts came into full view. The deep rosy color of her nipples was just as he had always imagined they would be all those days that he sat beside her wanting to touch her and certain that he never would. It had been the sweetest torture, wanting her so much and dreaming of touching her, yet always keeping her at arms length. Now at last, his every dream and desire was coming true and he lived each moment to the fullest, savoring each delectable second. His mouth closed over her breast and she arched her back so that he could taste her thoroughly. He pulled at her hardened nipple, sucking her into his mouth and rolling his tongue over her. Her skin was sweet and she smelled faintly of roses and the ache in his groin grew as she made soft mewing sounds in the back of her throat.

Liz held the back of Max’s head tightly against her breast as he claimed her flesh. She had lived this dream a hundred times as she sat day after day in this classroom, wanting to feel his mouth touching her skin. She’d always found him extremely attractive, and even in the 9 th grade when they had taken entry level Biology in this very room, she had daydreamed of Max kissing her after class. She had been so happy that they had been paired as lab partners, and it was only natural that in 10 th grade they would continue being partners. She loved Biology and hoped to someday find a career in that field, but sitting next to Max day in and day out made it hard to concentrate on their assignments sometimes. Some days he would stand so close to her that she was certain he could smell how aroused she became around him. Time after time she had pictured herself tearing his clothes off and begging him to make her feel like a real woman. Then of course she would turn a thousand shades of red, embarrassed that he would somehow know what she was thinking.

He had always seemed so mysterious, a challenge, and Liz never felt she was worthy of that challenge. She was, after all, just a science geek. A small town girl that nothing exciting ever happened to. Maria would tease her about Max, telling her that he was watching her or interested in her and it would make her heart soar with anticipation until she reminded herself that a guy as gorgeous as Max Evans could never be interested in a geeky little girl like Liz Parker. Thank God she’d been wrong.

Liz moaned again when Max let go of one breast only to take the other into his mouth with equal relish. She always knew her breasts were too small, but Max didn’t seem to mind at all. She had assumed that all men liked big jugs and that only exacerbated her feelings of inadequacy about what she had to offer. But Max made her believe that she was special, and everything she had to give him was a rare and special treat.

The feel of his tongue circling her nipple was driving her close to ecstasy and Liz found herself wanting Max inside of her. Her head was thrown back, exposing her throat and her quiet moans rumbled deep in her chest. Max continued to suckle at her breast, but his hand was slowly making its way up her inner thigh. He forced her legs gently apart and she gave him the access he desperately desired. She was wearing a navy blue skirt today and the fabric was soft and silky. She wasn’t wearing pantyhose, and the bare skin of her thighs was driving him to a heightened arousal. His hand reached the top of her inner thigh and he could feel the moisture that told him how much she wanted him. He stroked her for a moment through the silky material of her panties and he smiled as her moans increased in intensity. There was no doubting what made Liz come alive sexually. She had no qualms about letting him know exactly what turned her on.

He released her breast suddenly and pushed her gently down until her back was lying on the table. He lifted her skirt and then spread her legs wide so that he could see her better. His fingers pulled the lace of her panties aside and she lay exposed before him. He drank in the sight of her for a moment and then his lips descended on her. He wanted to taste every inch of her and his tongue licked at her before settling over the mound of nerves that he knew she like him to touch. He sucked on her with enthusiasm and her fingers pulled at his hair as he made her feel things she had never felt before. She writhed underneath his probing tongue and then his fingers were driving into her, while he waited for her to let herself go. Her hips bucked beneath him and he smiled knowing that he could give her the type of pleasure she would remember for a long time.

“Oh God Max,” Liz cried out, unable to force herself to be quiet. “God yes!” Her legs were trembling as she exploded with orgasmic delight. Her hips lifted off the table as wave after wave of pleasure swept over her. Max held onto her, continuing to stroke the fires that had brought her to life a minute ago. He enjoyed seeing her lose all control and give herself completely over to him. Of course, Liz was the only person he could ever see himself doing this to. He wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone else, ever. He was completely head over heels in love with Liz, and that’s just the way he wanted it.

She came down from her Max induced bliss and knew what it was that he needed. She fumbled with the button on his jeans and then sat up to reach him better. Her fingers pulled the zipper of his pants down and his hard member sprang out of the confines of his jeans. She slipped her hand under his boxers and her fingers closed around his velvety skin. She was still amazed that he could be so hard yet so silky soft at the same time. His member was huge in her tiny hand and she caressed him intimately before striping his boxers and jeans down to his knees. She stroked him gently, taking great care to touch him in the way he had shown her. Her fingers traced a circle around the head of his arousal and Liz shivered with sexual excitement when drops of creamy fluid began to leak from him. A moan of pure pleasure rumbled deep in Max’s throat and his lips sought out hers wanting to taste her once again. He buried his hand in her thick silky hair and he pressed his naked chest against hers, moaning yet again when he felt her hard nipples rubbing his skin.

His hand fumbled in his back pocket trying to retrieve the condom he had put there earlier. Thank God he’d slipped into the drug store next to the sub shop while Liz ordered their sandwiches. He hadn’t known that he would be needing one again so soon but after yesterday afternoon’s frantic search of his room, he knew it was better to be prepared than caught without one. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and slipped the condom out. The intensity of his kisses had fueled the fire in Liz again and she desperately wanted to feel him inside her. She broke off the kiss and grabbed the condom out of his hand. He couldn’t help smiling at her as she frantically tore the package open and removed the contents. He had always known how much he wanted her, but to see her trembling with desire for him was something he never thought he’d see. It made his heart beat wildly in his chest and his emotions soared.

Liz enjoyed rolling the condom down the length of his thick member. She did it slowly, stroking him until she could tell that he was going crazy with his need to be inside her. Her body was tingling with anticipation and when he was ready she lay back, pulling him down with her. His hands hooked around the lace of her panties and she lifted her hips so that he could pull them free. He pulled them down her thighs and past her knees before dropping them on the floor behind him. She was still wearing her shoes and socks and when she wrapped her legs around him he found that highly erotic. His body strained to reach her but the tabletop was too high and he couldn’t get close enough to her. He tried standing on his tiptoes, but that only teased him when he could just barely feel his head touch the hot skin of her dripping core. Finally in desperation he waved his hand over the table and it miraculously lowered a foot in height. Max grabbed Liz’s hips and roughly pulled her to him while he thrust his hips forward, plunging deeply into her. They both moaned in satisfaction when he entered her, feeling their bodies join together. He pumped into her hard and deep and he leaned over her, taking her breast into his mouth again. Her hips met his powerful thrusts taking his magnificent length deep inside of her. He made her body come alive in ways that she had never dreamed of. Her fire was burning out of control as he pounded into her over and over. She whimpered loudly when he suddenly pulled out of her and pushed her body into the middle of the table.

Max had reached a near fevered pitch when he forced himself to suddenly stop. He pushed her away from the edge of the table and then he scrambled up to join her. Her surprise turned to renewed desire when he stretched out above her and he settled between her legs again. His smoldering eyes looked down into hers and he slowly entered her again. He let his weight rest on her feeling the naked flesh of his chest on hers and the sweat on their stomachs mingling and running together as he thrust slowly and deeply into her. Her hips undulated beneath him and her tight inner walls surrounded him like a glove. He wanted to ravish her, to take her hard and fast, but he made himself wait. He stroked the fire within them with deep slow thrusts while he watched her desire flaming in her eyes. He loved looking into her deep chocolate eyes, and the way she looked at him when he made love to her made him tremble with the love he felt for her.

Liz couldn’t even feel the hard table beneath her as all her concentration was centered on Max and how he was making her feel. His hot skin made her blood boil in her veins and the way his body moved inside of her drove all other thoughts out of her mind. She could see the love in his eyes as he gazed down at her and her heart filled to overflowing knowing that she was what he wanted. She could see the strain on his face as he tried to take it slow, to make these moments last forever. She rose up, lifting her lips up to smother his. Her hands flanked the sides of his head and she plunged her tongue deeply in to his mouth. Theirs moans of pleasure echoed around the room as they lost themselves in each other. Their connection intensified and Max could hear her silent chant floating in his mind.

‘Oh yes . . . yes . . . there, Max, there . . . just like that . . . God, yes . . . yes . . . yes . . .’

The intensity of her passion for him still caught him by surprise, even though he had felt it in her before. Her emotions flooded into him, overpowering the control he was fighting to maintain. His thrusts turned from slow and paced to something bordering on wild abandon.

Liz felt his control slipping away from him and she smiled inside as he gave in to his raging desires. Their mouths were hungry for each other and their tongues touched in an erotic imitation of what their bodies were doing. Max plunged into her, grinding his body against her core in his attempt to get as deeply into her as he could. His thick sex stretched her tight walls, filling her body with each passionate thrust. This was what they both wanted, this sweet surrender of their individual selves as their bodies joined and their minds merged into one. Their thoughts blended together and their love for each other flowed between them.

Max cupped one hand around her hip, feeling her rise off the table to meet him as he drove into her. Her body was so responsive to him that he felt like he had known her this way forever, instead of just the few times they had been intimate like this. He felt her body trembling as she raced toward the peak of pleasure. Her breathing came in small gasps and her mind had forgotten all words except the two she kept repeating silently over and over . . .

‘Yes Max . . . yes . . . yes . . . Max . . .Max . . . yes . . . yes . . .’

Hearing her say his name with such passion was sheer bliss to him. Hearing the musical sound of her voice in his mind was paradise. Her fingers began to dig at the small of his back as her body climbed to the very edge. Max shifted his angle of penetration ever so slightly but it was just enough to hit that sweet spot deep within her. Her hips slammed up to meet his as her orgasm exploded from deep inside. She rode wave after wave of intense sensations as Max slammed into her again and again. Her fingers dug into the hard muscles of his butt as her hips thrust upwards, grinding her core against his body uncontrollably. All thoughts of being quiet were forgotten as his name burst from her lips and her moans filled the room.

A deep animal groan tore from Max’s throat as he shared her physical sensations. Her orgasm was so intense that it triggered his own and they rode another wave of mind searing ecstasy. His seed surged from his throbbing sex and he could feel the rhythmic clenching of her walls around him. His climax had intensified her own and their bodies shuddered together in one long shared moment of such intense sexual bliss that they were left breathless in each other’s arms.

Max collapsed onto Liz, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Sweat trickled between their bodies from the intense physical nature of their lovemaking. Liz felt Max shudder again as his body released the last drops of his precious fluids. He lay spent on top of Liz as his body sent out pleasure signals to every nerve ending.

Her body had been taken to a place Liz was sure no one had ever gone to before. To experience sexual pleasure was one thing, but to share it so completely was beyond imaginable. Her lungs heaved from the intensity of their physical bonding and Max’s weight pressed comfortably down on her. She loved these moments of quiet afterwards, when she could still feel him buried deep inside her and their hearts still raced in a synchronized pace. She could feel his chest expand as he drew in deep lungfuls of air. No words were necessary when they lay together like this. Their minds were still joined and all their thoughts were one.

Max finally lifted his head from her neck and his twinkling eyes gazed into hers. He stared at her with such love that her eyes began to fill with tears.

“What’s the matter?” Max asked gently though he could sense no sadness in her.

“I just love you so much,” Liz whispered as she cupped his cheek with her hand.

“And I love you the same,” Max answered and he kissed her gently. “I always will.”

They smiled at each other and then Liz was reminded just how hard a bio lab table really was. Max pulled out of her reluctantly and sat on the edge of the table while he removed the condom.

“What are you going to do with this one?” Liz asked mischievously as she leaned against his shoulder.

“What do you think I should do?” Max asked. “This is Ms. Hardy’s class. What kind of stuff does she like?”

“Well, let’s see . . . pig embryos, Bunsen burners, test tubes . . . Oh! I know!” Liz said excitedly. “She loves little statues, especially unicorns. She believes they really existed once, a long long time ago and we just haven’t found the evidence yet.”

“Really?” Max said with interest. He placed the condom between his glowing hands and it changed into a small pewter figurine of a mythical unicorn. He set the unicorn next to him and slid off the table. He grabbed his shorts and pants and pulled them up in one fluid motion. He began to button his shirt and then noticed the small tear near the missing button.

“Damn, I like this shirt,” Max said with a frown.

“Let me see if I can fix it,” Liz suggested. She scooted over to the edge of the table and she pressed her palm over the torn cloth. After a moment she lifted her hand to reveal the undamaged shirt.

“That’s just so cool!” Liz exclaimed. Max was grinning from ear to ear, happy that she was so excited about the changes he had caused in her. “Go find the button, Max.”

He looked around on the floor and finally found it in the corner by Mr. Bones, the name students had given the resident skeleton. As he walked back to Liz he noticed her adjusting her bra and then she began to button her shirt. He sighed as a part of him wanted to take her all over again but he knew it was getting late and Liz had to start her shift at the Crashdown soon. Max handed Liz the button and she once again took his shirt between her palms to make the repair.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile and helped Liz down from the table. Max turned to start putting the equipment away when he noticed Liz get down on her hands and knees looking for something.

“Where did you put my underwear?” Liz asked as she searched the floor. He knew he had just dropped them behind him and he scanned the floor.

“Where’d it go?” Max mumbled and then got down on his knees beside Liz. She turned to look under the table and he nearly bumped into her backside with his nose. He found himself getting turned on again, knowing she was naked underneath that skirt. His hand slid up the back of her thigh and under her skirt to touch her bare bottom.

“Max, stop that!” Liz said slapping at his hand.

Max pulled his hand away and then watched her as she crawled on her hands and knees further under the table. Her bottom swayed back and forth and he wondered if she was teasing him on purpose. He didn’t know how he could get so hard again so fast, but Liz just had that kind of effect on him. He scooted closer to her and his hand found its way under her skirt again.

“Max! What are you doing?” she said startled by the feel of his hand rubbing over her bare ass. She slapped at his hand again and turned to glare at him. “You’re supposed to be helping me here.”

“I am helping you,” Max said as he tried to keep from laughing at the look on her face. He could swear that he saw her smiling as she turned her face away from him. He looked around the floor and out of the corner of his eye he noticed something pink. He turned to look and sure enough her panties had somehow gotten under the stool Liz had been sitting on earlier. He grabbed them and was just about to hand them to her when he suddenly stuffed them into the front pocket of his jeans. With a devilish grin he pretended to look some more as he made his way closer to her. When his nose was just inches from her again, he flipped up her skirt and planted a kiss right on her cute little butt. Liz was so startled she rose up and slammed her head against the bottom of the table.

“Ow,” Liz cried out and then slapped at Max again. “What’s gotten into you?” Liz asked trying not to laugh. Her head hurt but the little boy look on his face was just too funny.

“I’m sorry,” Max said and he rubbed the sore spot on her head. “I just can’t help myself around you sometimes. Come on,” he said pulling her out from under the table. “Let’s put this other stuff away and then we’ll find your underwear.” Liz nodded her head and they quickly put the slides and the microscope away and soon the room was back the way it looked before they had come in.

“I don’t get it,” Liz said as she looked around the floor again. “I can’t find ‘em anywhere.”

“We better go,” Max said and he really had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

“I can’t leave without my underwear, Max! How could they disappear like that?” Her cheeks were turning red at the thought of someone finding them tomorrow morning when school started.

“Liz, you’re going to be late for work if we don’t leave now,” Max said convincingly. He picked up the unicorn figurine and then took Liz’s hand and pulled her toward the front of the classroom. He set the statue in the middle of Ms. Hardy’s desk and then he pulled Liz over to the door. She scanned the floor once more with a frown on her face while Max unsealed the door and then he pulled her into the hallway. He was having a hard time keeping a straight face and it wasn’t long before Liz noticed.

“What did you do?” Liz demanded and came to a stop in the middle of the hall.

“What do you mean?” Max asked innocently.

“You know what I mean!” Liz said with her hands on her hips. “What did you do? Did you change them into something? Did you make them just disappear? Max Evans, what did you do with my underwear!”

“What makes you think I did something?” Max tried to feign a hurt look. He held his arms out from his sides and Liz looked him up and down. She noticed a bulge in his front pocket and Max realized he was busted. “Oh, you mean these?” he said as he pulled the pink panties out of his pocket and held them high above her head.

“Max!” Liz exclaimed and she tried to reach what was in his hand but she was too short. She jumped but still couldn’t reach and it made him laugh all the more. Her skirt flipped in the air each time she jumped and Max couldn’t help but slid his hand under her skirt again. She danced away from him and an impish look came over her face.

“So you want a little more of this?” Liz asked as she lifted her skirt to show him her naked butt. Max took a step forward and Liz took another step back. “Or a little of this?” as she lifted up the front of her skirt. She saw Max swallow hard and she felt a giggle deep in her throat. His eyes were shining with renewed desire as she teased him and he took another step closer to her. She turned from him and ran a few feet down the hall before lifting her skirt to show off her cute little cheeks again. He started chasing her now and she squealed as she turned to run away from him. She ran down the hall and around the corner with the sound of his footsteps in hot pursuit. She squealed again when she felt his fingers brush her arm and then he lost his footing and almost fell. She ran a few more feet and then turned to see him regain his balance and stare at her. His eyes were smoldering now and she raised the front of her skirt one more time. A deep growl emitted from his throat and she turned to run. He chased her once again and when she finally let him catch her, the sound of her laughter echoed through the halls.

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 24

Max pulled to a stop in front of the Crashdown and turned off the engine. Liz scrambled out her door and walked around to the front of the jeep to meet him.

“I have to hurry,” Liz said but her demeanor told him she really didn’t want to go. “My shift starts in just a few minutes and I still have to change.” Her fingers touched his gently, almost shyly, and Max wondered what had caused her to go from a wild tiger earlier at school to this suddenly quiet and reserved girl. She was avoiding looking into his eyes and when she started to move toward the restaurant Max squeezed her hands so she wouldn’t go.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concerned.

She didn’t answer at first and for a moment he was afraid she wasn’t going to. They had spent too much time keeping secrets, even though they thought by doing so it was protecting the other, and old habits were sometimes hard to break.

“Liz? Tell me,” Max said softly. His finger touched her gently under her chin and he raised her face up to look at him.

“It’s silly, Max. I don’t want you to think I’m being foolish,” Liz said carefully and then her eyes looked up into his.

“If it’s bothering you, I want to know.” He could feel himself falling into the depths of those dark brown windows to her soul. When she looked at him like that all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and make sure nothing scared her or frightened her or ever made her sad.

“It’s . . . it’s just,” Liz paused as she thought about what she wanted to say. Would he really understand how she was feeling? “It’s just that a little while ago I was so happy that I was normal, that at least by what we can tell so far I don’t have any physical changes and . . .”

“And?” Max urged her on. He was also elated that whatever he had done that had caused these miraculous changes in her wasn’t evident to the probing eye. She was safe as far as he could tell, and that was good news. So why did she seem almost upset right now?

“And now I’m not.” She looked away from his intense eyes and Max had to turn her chin back to look at him.

“Why?” he said in disbelief.

“Because . . . because a part of me wanted to be change,” Liz said meeting his eyes again.

“What? Why?” he asked shaking his head.

“Because then we’d be the same Max, and I wouldn’t ever have to wonder if we are doing the right thing. I’d know that we really were meant to be together and I wouldn’t lie awake at night wondering if I’m just being selfish wanting you for myself. I don’t want to ever lose you Max, but I can’t forget that you were meant for a greater purpose, a purpose that was never meant to include me.” A look of pain flashed across his face and she instantly regretted saying anything.

“Liz,” Max said as he cupped her cheek with his hand. “I know that we were meant to be together. I felt it the very first time I saw you. I feel whole when I’m with you. You make me a better person, a better leader. If that’s what my purpose is, then I need you with me cuz I can’t do it without you. When you’re not with me, I can’t focus. I’ve made bad choices when you haven’t been there to help me find my way. You challenge me and you support me and you make me see things differently. I can’t do it without you. I don’t want to do it without you.”

“Max . . . when I though that maybe I had become like you, I thought we wouldn’t always have to wonder about the differences between us.” Liz leaned forward and rested her forehead against his chest.

“It doesn’t matter that we’re different, at least not to me,” Max whispered into her ear. “Does it matter to you?” She had every right to question this relationship, Max thought to himself. What good could loving him bring her? She was at risk because of him, by enemies that had no faces and no names. He should have been a man and let her go a long time ago for her sake, but he couldn’t.

Liz shook her head no and kept her face pressed up against his chest. She couldn’t tell him that she dreamed of one day bearing him a son, or how she would sometimes think about walking by his side on strange and distant shores. With their different cell structure, chances of giving him a child were nearly zero. Traveling to a distant planet was an equally remote possibility. What if he went home, and she couldn’t follow? How could she live the rest of her life without him?

“Do you love me Liz?” Max asked so quietly that Liz wasn’t sure he had actually said it.

“More than anything in all the worlds combined,” Liz fervently answered.

“Then that’s all that matters,” Max sighed.

* * * * *

Max sat in a booth and watched Michael as he entered the Crashdown. He pulled his motorcycle helmet off his head and when their eyes met Michael crossed over to stand at the end of the table.

“I thought you had a big dinner to go to tonight,” Michael said staring down at his friend. Max noticed that Michael’s hair was all askew, but that was a pretty normal state of affairs as far as Michael was concerned.

“I do,” Max answered. “I’m waiting for Isabel, and then we have to leave. Sit down Michael, I need to talk to you for a minute.”

Michael dropped his helmet onto the table and slid into the booth on the opposite side of Max. “What’s up?”

“I want you to keep an eye on Liz tonight while you guys are working. See if you notice anyone looking at her strangely or hanging around here,” Max said in a low voice so that no one else could hear.

“Max, you’re the only one that hangs out here almost every single minute of the day,” Michael said sarcastically. Max gave him one of his ‘I’m being dead serious here’ looks and Michael relented. “Fine, I’ll watch her like a hawk.”

“Thanks,” Max said in relief. He hated letting Liz out of his sight when he was worried that someone might be after her. Maybe he was all wrong, and the attempted robbery the other night was simply that, a robbery that went wrong. But he didn’t believe that, and the certainly that Liz had become a target was weighing on him heavily. He wished he didn’t have to leave her but his family was going out to dinner to celebrate his birthday tonight because his dad would be out of town for the next week on business. His mom went nuts over birthdays, and she insisted they celebrate as a family before dad left for Chicago.

“Hey, man,” Michael said trying to ease the worried look on his friends face. “I’ll take good care of her.”

“Thanks,” Max said again.

* * * * *

Liz hurried down the stairs tying her silver apron as she went. She was late and she knew she’d never hear the end of it if Agnes didn’t get relieved on time. In fact, she’d probably just walk off and leave the café with no waitress at all. Liz ran into the kitchen to retrieve her order pad and a pencil and nearly collided with Michael. His back was to her as he flipped a burger on the grill and Liz grabbed him by the arm as she brushed past him.

“Hey Mich-,” Liz started to say when she was suddenly overcome with a vision of dark swirling images. A sense of dread and fear and pain and death swarmed through her mind and she almost lost her footing at the shock of it. Her knees felt like they were going to collapse and she sagged against the counter to support her weight. A hand grabbed her by the arm to hold her up and she looked up into a pair of dark eyes.

“Carlos,” Liz said shakily. She shook her head to clear it and then straightened up. She wanted to tear her arm out of his grip, but she told herself to remain calm. She needed time to figure out what had just happened, and she didn’t want him to think she had felt something unusual.

“Are you okay?” he asked in his deep voice while keeping a strong grip on her upper arm.

“Yeah,” Liz replied and forced a smile. “I just slipped when I tried to pass behind you. Must be some grease on the floor or something.” She straightened her uniform and Carlos dropped his hand from her arm. He turned back to the grill and she tried not to stare at him as she picked up her pad and turned to leave the kitchen. Who was he and why had she though he was Michael when she first saw him? He was the same height as Michael and they were both built about the same. Carlos’s hair was darker and his eyes were so dark they were nearly black. His mustache and neatly trimmed beard hid many of his facial features.

She could feel his eyes on her as she left the kitchen and she tried to keep a neutral look on her face. Inside she was a mass of quivering nerves. Who was he? WHAT was he? Why had she gotten a vision when she touched him? It was similar to what she had experienced when Nasedo had pretended to be Max last year. Was Carlos a shapeshifter? She quickly pushed through the door into the café hoping to catch Max before he left but instead found herself face to face with Michael.

“Is Max still here?” Liz asked urgently as she grabbed onto his arm.

“No, he had to leave,” Michael said with a frown and looked down at her fingers digging into his skin. “What’s with you?”

“Shhhh,” Liz said under her breath and she looked around to see if anyone was watching them. “Come on,” she said tightening her grip on his arm and pulled him down the hall into the storage room. She closed the door after checking to see if they had been seen and turned to look up into his smirking face.

“Look Liz, I know I’m irresistible,” Michael said trying to crack a joke. “But Max isn’t going to like this, not to mention Maria. I can deal with him, but a Maria on the war path is just too scary to think about.” He saw the serious look on her face and his smile disappeared. “Ok, what is it? What happened?

“Michael, Carlos isn’t what he appears to be,” Liz said in a low voice. “I don’t think he’s human.”

“What?” Michael hissed. “How? Did you see him do something? What-”

“Michael, listen,” Liz grabbed his arm again trying to get him to quiet down. “When I went in the kitchen I could have sworn it was you. I never noticed before, but he’s the same height as you and you’re both built about the same way. Even the shape of his face is like yours if you look past his beard. When I walked past him I touched him and I got a rush of images. Dark, haunting images. Very similar to the kind I got from Nasedo.”

“Do you think he’s another shapeshifter?” Michael asked harshly.

“I don’t know,” Liz answered shaking her head. “That’s what I thought at first, but then when I thought about it for a minute . . .”

“What?” Michael said impatiently.

“What if it’s Rath? I mean, if you look close Carlos does look a lot like you. Max said Rath and Lonnie just disappeared when he was in New York. What if he’s back now? What if they’re both back?” She saw Michael’s jaw tighten and he turned toward the door. She grabbed him by the arm again to hold him back.

“Let go of me,” Michael said shaking her hand off.

“What are you doing?” Liz said forcefully. “You can’t go out there and confront him. We need to find out if it is Rath, or if it’s a shapeshifter, or a skin or whatever. We can’t let him know we suspect something.”

“Okay,” Michael said as he thought it through. “Okay. We’ll keep a close eye on him. His shift is just ending. I’ll ask Jose if he can cover for me and then I’ll follow ‘Carlos’ to see where he goes.”

“I’m going with you,” Liz said earnestly.

“No you’re not,” Michael said fiercely. “Max will kill me if I put you in danger.”

“Michael, I’m going with you.” She stared insistently into his hard eyes. She wasn’t about to let Michael do this alone. They were stronger when they worked together and it was about time he realized it. She saw his shoulders sag in acceptance and knew he wasn’t going to argue with her any more.

* * * * *

Michael and Liz watched Carlos leave through the front door of the Crashdown. Jose had agreed to cover Michael’s shift in exchange for the next two Fridays and Liz had been forced to offer Agnes a nice ‘bonus’ before she would agree to stay and work a double shift.

Liz quickly changed into a pair of dark jeans and sneakers and met Michael in the alley next to the Crashdown just before Carlos walked out the doors. They watched him climb into a jet black Pontiac Firebird and blend into traffic. Michael pulled his helmet over his head and swung his long leg over the seat of his motorcycle. Liz followed suit with his spare helmet and climbed on the seat behind him. He waited until several cars were between him and Carlos before making his own way into traffic. Liz wasn’t able to see anything beyond Michael’s broad back so she just held on tight with her arms around his waist and watched the street signs to keep track of where they were going.

After several minutes the traffic thinned out as they wound their way through an industrial area of town and Michael was forced to back off even further so that Carlos wouldn’t become suspicious of someone following him. In the distance he could see the car pulling into an old warehouse and Michael brought the motorcycle to a stop in a nearby alley.

They quickly but cautiously darted from one building to the next trying to stay in the shadows as they made their way toward the building Carlos had entered. Even though it wasn’t quite 6:00 pm, sunset came early in March and the sky was dark already. They peered through one filthy window and then another before Carlos came into view. They saw him walk up behind a second figure and when she turned around Liz and Michael saw Lonnie’s sultry face as she gave him a welcoming hug. Her smile was devoid of any warmth and a shiver went up Liz’s spine at the coldness that she saw there. Carlos released her and as he turned around they watched his features metamorphosis into the image of Rath. His overall appearance hadn’t changed, not in the way that Nasedo could alter his size and shape. Rath had only manipulated his hair and his coloration enough to disguise his appearance and make him look like someone else.

Lonnie and Rath were deep in conversation but they were too far away for Michael and Liz to hear what they were saying. The sound of a car approaching had them blend further into the shadows and the headlights flashed over their heads. It came to a stop half a block from them but even at that distance the driver’s blonde hair was instantly recognizable as she opened the door and climbed out of the car. Michael and Liz stared at each other feeling both surprise and resignation.

“Tess,” they both said at the same time.

* * * * *

Tess looked carefully up and down the street before making her way to the entrance Rath told her to use. The streets were deserted and she relaxed a little certain no one had seen her. She entered the door and heard Lonnie and Rath’s voices off in the distance.

“Bout time,” Rath barked out when he saw Tess come into view.

“I got here as quick as I could,” she answered defensively.

“Not quick enough,” he shot back. A noise sounded behind her and Tess jumped nervously.

“What was that?” she said sharply as she turned to look into the shadows.

“Rats,” Rath said smugly as he looked Tess up and down. “The place is full of ‘em.”

“Look,” she said turning back to him. “I don’t think I can go through with this. There must be another way.”

“You’ve been back for a week,” Lonnie said caustically. “You’ve been watching him. Is he going to give his bitch up without a fight?”

“No,” Tess admitted. “He ‘loves’ her. He’s not just going to walk away and leave her behind.”

“Only four can go,” Lonnie reminded her. “And we can’t go back without him, so unless you’re planning on staying here the only way we can get him to walk away from this hell hole of a planet is to get rid of her permanently. He’ll have nothing to hold him to this stinkhole once she’s gone.”

“I know but-” Tess began.

“No buts about it little girl,” Rath said scornfully. “You came to us, remember?”

* * * * *

Michael glared at Liz when she bumped into an old table in the dark and the sound reverberated though the room they were in. They froze in place ready to flee and then relaxed after a few minutes passed in silence. They could still hear indistinct voices in the distance and set off once again to try to get close enough to hear what they were saying.

“Michael, wait,” Liz whispered.

“What?” he whispered back and then he heard it too. The sound of footsteps, coming closer. They scurried through another doorway and Michael watched through the crack between the door and the jam. Rath passed by and then he was followed by Lonnie and then Tess as they headed out of the building.

“Let’s go see what our fearless leader is up to tonight,” Rath said and his words were dripping with scorn. Lonnie laughed harshly and Tess trailed along behind them.

“What a bitch!” Michael exclaimed forcefully once he heard the door close behind them. “She’s working with those two freaks. How could she do that to us? I trusted her. She drove a wedge between me and Max when he chose –” Michael stopped his sudden outburst when he realized what he was about to say.

“When he chose me over her,” Liz finished for him. She could see the guilty look on his face and she looked away awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Michael said finally. “Look Liz, I’m sorry. Max was right and I was wrong. I . . . I . . .”

“It’s okay Michael,” Liz said letting him off the hook. “We better go before we lose track of them.”

Michael nodded and they hurried out of the warehouse but by the time they reached the street Tess’s car was gone and they were nowhere in sight.

“Let’s go back to the Crashdown,” Liz said with a sigh. “I want to call Max and leave him a message.”

* * * * *

Liz held on tight as Michael weaved through traffic on the way back to the Crashdown. The engine sent a vibration through her body and she shifted on her seat behind him. She lifted the visor on her helmet and then tapped him on the chest to get his attention.

“Hey Michael,” Liz shouted over the roar of the engine.

“What?” Michael shouted back and glanced back at her.

“Does Max know how to drive this thing?” Liz shouted again. She could tell he couldn’t hear what she said and he had to turn his attention back to the road as he turned the corner into the alley behind the Crashdown.

“What did you say?” Michael asked when he brought the bike to a halt by the back door. He took his helmet off and strapped it to the handlebar and then watched Liz remover hers.

“Does Max know how to drive this?” Liz asked again as she shook her hair out behind her. She handed him the helmet and lifted her leg over the seat before sliding off his bike.

“Ah, yeah,” he answered surprised by her interest. “I’ve let him drive it a couple of times. Why?”

“I was just wondering,” Liz remarked and a smile spread over her face. “Will you let him borrow it sometime?”

“Sure, I guess. Why?” he asked curiously.

“Like maybe on Thursday?” she asked trying to keep the eager tone out of her voice.

“I guess,” Michael answered again and looked at her with furrowed brows. Why did she want Max to borrow his bike on Thursday? He saw her tongue dart out and wet her lips and he couldn’t believe the sudden thought that flashed into his mind.

“Great! Thanks Michael,” Liz said with a grin and headed for the back door.

“No!” Michael exclaimed chasing after her. “There will be no sex on my bike!”

“Michael!” Liz said looking at him with a shocked expression.

“I mean it,” Michael insisted. “If I let you borrow my bike, it better still be a virgin when I get it back!”

“Michael, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz said biting her lip.

“Oh you do too,” Michael declared. “Don’t play the innocent little Miss Parker with me. I’m not buying it. Maria’s told me too many stories –” and then his mouth snapped closed when Liz turned to look at him.

“Maria’s told you what?” Liz said with her dark eyes boring into his.

“I’m shutting up now,” Michael said. He opened the door and held it wide so Liz could go in first. “How ‘bout we go leave Max that message now?” he said trying to change the subject. By the look on Liz’s face, Michael knew it wouldn’t be long before Maria found out what a big mouth he had, and then he was going to really be in trouble.



TBC ...

[Breathless]

A/N: In a little over a week I'm going away on a trip so I'm going to speed up the posting of this story in an attempt to finish it before I go. I'm going to try to post a new part every day or so.


A Special Kind of Love
Part 25


Liz and Max walked the school hallway in a comfortable silence. Activity swirled around them but they were only aware of each other. Max held her hand tightly and Liz leaned her cheek against his shoulder. They had talked late into the night after he returned home and listened to her message on his phone. He had been shocked at first that Rath and Lonnie were back, and then enraged that Tess was somehow involved with them. He had felt an overpowering urge to rush right over to Liz and keep watch over her, to protect her from whatever evil reason they had for being back in Roswell, but she had convinced him she was fine and for now everything needed to look as normal as possible. She had reminded him that Tess would be watching them, and any suspicious activity would no doubt get reported right back to Rath and Lonnie.

Max was disappointed t learn his suspicions about Tess had been confirmed. Maybe it was the way she was raised by Nasedo, maybe she never had a chance for her human side to develop the way it had for him and Isabel and Michael. It was hard to know if Rath and Lonnie were so hard because of the way they grew up in the sewers of New York, or if it was because they were simply more alien inside. If that was the way they lived on his home world, did he ever really want to go there? It didn’t look like a kind of life he would want to live. And what about Ava, he wondered? Liz had seemed to form an attachment to Ava in a way that could never happen with Rath and Lonnie, yet Ava grew up with them. How was it possible that she seemed more human than Tess? Maybe it all came down to DNA.

Max released Liz’s hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her close to him. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and felt her arm slide around his waist. He smiled when he heard her sigh contentedly and then his attention was drawn to the room they were passing. He could hear the commotion inside and he suddenly became apprehensive when he realized it was the Bio Lab. They stopped in their tracks and stared at each other before taking a hesitant look inside.

A group of students stood milling around at the back of the room and Max lead Liz towards them to see what they were looking at. As they got closer they could hear what was being said.

“Well who would do this as a prank?” Lisa Thompkins asked aloud.

“But you can’t even tell where they were cut,” Sheila Winters said to her friend Brenda.

Max looked over the shoulder of Mark Peters and the object of their interest came into view. They were all staring at the lab table at the back of the room. The color drained from his face and then came rushing back with a vengeance. There was one thing that he had forgotten to put back in order before he and Liz left yesterday. He had forgotten to put the table back to the right height. It was a foot lower than all the other tables in the room. This was the table Todd Blakely and Susan Fordham used during first period and they were sitting on stools with their knees rising above the tabletop, instead of comfortably resting beneath it. Max covered his mouth with his hand as he tried not to laugh. Liz finally nudged past Mark and her hand flew to cover her mouth too.

“Max!” Liz whispered vehemently. She elbowed him in the stomach lightly to wipe the smile off his face. “How could you forget to fix that!

Max placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away, leading her toward the door. “You know, I wasn’t the only person in this room yesterday,” he said grinning. “You didn’t exactly notice it either.”

“Well if I hadn’t been so frantic trying to find my underwear, maybe I would have.” Her whispered rant froze in her throat when Ms. Hardy entered the room.

“Good morning everyone,” she announced as she walked across the room. She was about to drop her purse on her desk when she noticed the miniature pewter unicorn. “Oh how pretty! Where did this come from?” she exclaimed and held it up in the air for everyone to see.

Max and Liz almost lost it then and they had to flee the room before they burst into laughter. Max leaned his back against the lockers in the hall trying his best to contain the laughter that was bubbling inside him and Liz hit him square in the chest with her fist.

“I am never doing anything like that again, do you hear me Max Evans!” Liz admonished him. She was trying to sound stern but she was having a hard time not choking on her own laughter. That made him laugh even harder and it spurred her on. “I mean it! You are cut off mister!”

“Really?” Max challenged her.

“Really!” Liz charged right back.

He flanked the sides of her head with his hands and he kissed her deeply. He could feel her melting into him and it made him smile all the more. “Are you sure about that?” he said when he finally released her lips.

“Uh huh,” she managed to mumble and Max kissed her on the forehead as the first bell rang to start the day.

“Time for class,” Max said and escorted Liz to the end of the hall for her first class of the day. Liz gave his hand a squeeze and watched him as he turned to hurry to his own class.

“Max,” Liz called out to him and he looked back at her expectantly. “I like it when you laugh.”

“Me too,” Max answered and his smile said it all.

* * * * *

“Here you go birthday boy,” Michael said as he dangled his keys in front of Max’s face.

“What’s this for?” Max asked with raised eyebrows. They were standing at Max’s locker and he was stuffing all his books inside. He’d caught up on all his homework during study hall and he had no intention of thinking about school for the rest of the day. It was his eighteenth birthday today, and he planned on just enjoying the rest of the day.

He knew people sometimes looked at him strangely when he mentioned his age. Eighteen and still just a junior? He was an honor student and obviously he wasn’t dumb and hadn’t been held back a grade or anything. He didn’t like to have to explain that when other people were starting kindergarten or first grade, he couldn’t even speak English, or any other language for that matter. It had taken him and Isabel time to adjust after they came to live with the Evans, and when he entered school that first day he’d been as scared as he’d ever been in his short life. Climbing off the bus that first time had been pure torture, until his feet hit the ground and the most beautiful sight he had ever seen came into view. His sister was eager to join in all the activity going on around them, but Max’s eyes could only see her.

Max smiled as he remembered the way Liz looked that day. Her hair was long and wavy and she’d been playing a game that he’d never seen before. It wasn’t the game that drew his attention, but the way her laughter floated in the air to him, almost as if it was calling him. She’d always seemed happy then, smiling and giggling and laughing with her friends. He had wanted to be included in that circle from the moment he laid eyes on her.

“What are you smiling about?” Michael demanded.

“Oh nothing,” Max answered. “Why are you giving me your keys?” he said changing the subject.

“I guess you’ll have to ask Liz,” Michael answered.

“Liz?” Max asked in confusion. “What does Liz have to do with the keys to your motorcycle?”

“Look,” Michael said with a smile. “It’s your birthday and you’re not supposed to ask any questions. Don’t you know the birthday rules? Even I know the birthday rules, and I’ve never had a birthday celebration in all my life.”

“What are you talking about?” Max asked incredulously. “Maria threw you a great party last year.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Michael answered as he remember the way Maria had convinced the Parkers to close the Crashdown early so that they could have a party to celebrate his seventeenth birthday. She had made him feel special that night, and for the first time in his life he understood what it felt like to have people care about him. He always knew Max and Isabel cared for him, they were like his brother and sister, but to feel that coming from the Parkers and the Evans and Liz and Alex and Maria, especially Maria, he hadn’t known how to react. Michael had never been good with emotions, and of course by the end of the night he’d just pissed Maria off yet again, but he had to admit, he loved her more than anything in the world.

“So why are you giving me the keys to your motorcycle?” Max asked again. He snatched them out of Michael’s hand and a small smile spread over his face. It was a kick riding his bike, and if Liz wanted to go along, it sounded like fun.

“Look, all I know is Liz wants you to take her for a ride,” Michael said and then he lowered his voice to a mumble. “. . . and when you come back, I don’t want to know anything about it.”

“What was that Michael?” Max said. He hadn’t been able to make out that last part.

“Nothing! Have a good time birthday boy!” Michael started to turn away and then he remembered. “Hey, give me the keys to the jeep.”

Max stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his keys. He tossed them to Michael and Max watched him turned away with a smirk on his face.

* * * * *

It was a warm day for the middle of March and Max felt the sun caressing his skin as soon as he stepped out of the school doors. He noticed Liz right away standing beside Michael’s motorcycle in the parking lot and he almost tripped over his own feet when he saw what she was wearing. She must have changed after school ended because she hadn’t been wearing THAT when he walked her to the last class of the day. She had on a sheer white blouse draped over a snug fitting strapless tank top that was tucked into a short black leather skirt. Very short. Her legs were bare, at least what he could see of them, for they were mostly covered by a pair of high heeled leather boots that came up over her knees. He’d never seen her wear leather before except for her black leather jacket, which he now noticed she had thrown over the seat of the bike.

Liz was standing by Michael’s motorcycle waiting for Max and watching the parking lot empty out when she felt his eyes on her. She turned and her eyes locked on his as he walked across the parking lot. His long strides exuded confidence and the smile on his lips made her heart beat wildly. He wore a short sleeve white button front shirt over a pair of loose fitting faded denim jeans and Liz had to remind herself to breathe calmly. He looked good enough to eat and then Liz blushed slightly when she gave that phrase a little more thought. He had picked up the pace and he was jogging over to her now with his hair blowing in the slight breeze.

“Wow,” Max gasped when he came to a stop in front of her. His eyes swept over her hungrily and she dropped her eyes shyly under his intense scrutiny. Max took a deep breath and swallowed hard before finding his voice again. “What’s all this about?”

“Well I know you like motorcycles and since it’s such a beautiful day, I thought it would be nice to go for a ride.” The way he was looking at her made the butterflies in her stomach take flight. “What do you think? Michael said he didn’t mind.”

“Yeah,” Max said enthusiastically. “I think it’s a great idea. Where do you want to go?” He couldn’t stop staring at her and he knew he must be grinning stupidly. His stomach was rumbling again, the way it did every time he saw her, except right now it was even louder than normal.

“What do you think, should we just hit the road?” Liz asked and then bit down on her lip nervously.

“Okay,” Max said with zeal and pulled the keys out of his pocket. He was about to climb on the bike when he took Liz in his arms instead. He kissed her hard and leaned her backwards over the seat of the bike. A deep voice behind him hollered out “Get a room!” and Max finally released her lips. He climbed onto the bike and held Liz’s hand as she settled onto the seat behind him. She strapped her jacket to the seat behind her while Max turned the key in the ignition.

The bike roared to life and Liz paused, her lips curving into a smile as she felt the vibration between her legs. Max pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on while Liz settled onto the seat with her thighs pressing against his hard body. Her hands circled around his waist and she snuggled up against his back. Max had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to calm his racing heart when he felt her body mold itself to his.

Max gunned the engine and looked back at her over his shoulder. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“Oh yeah,” Liz replied with a grin. “More than ready. Oh, and Max?”

“Yeah?”

“Happy birthday.”

He kissed the top of her head and gunned the engine once more before setting out of the parking lot. He’d only driven the bike a few times, always under Michael’s watchful eye, but he drove it now like a pro. Liz was so light that her weight didn’t effect how the bike maneuvered at all. The breeze against his face felt warm and it blew his hair backwards off of his forehead. He drove carefully through town and as they hit the open road they picked up speed.

The bike handled like a dream and as the miles fell away behind them they made their way deeper into the desert. Traffic was light, with only an occasional car or truck passing them in the opposite direction. Max felt free and relaxed and he smiled each time he felt Liz move behind him. He was acutely aware of the feel of her thighs around him and her breasts pressing against his back. The noise of the road and the engine precluded speech between them, but they were comfortable with their silence.

Liz felt her body heating up more and more with each passing mile. She felt his chest expand with each breath that he took and Liz was mesmerized by the feel of his body. Her face was pressed up against his strong back and she could feel his muscles rippling. She knew they should be wearing helmets but it felt too comfortable like this. She also knew they’d get a ticket if they were caught, but right now she didn’t care.

The vibrations of the engine reverberated through her thighs and her stomach and literally every part of her body. She could feel the rumble deep inside her and all she could think about was the way his body felt as she pressed against him. Her nostrils were filled with his heady scent and she wasn’t surprised by how much she wanted him right now. Her fingers developed a mind of their own and slipped between the buttons of his shirt to touch his warm skin.

Max sucked in his breath when he felt her fingers touching his chest. His speed dropped off as his concentration lapsed and he felt the bike wobble ever so slightly. He glanced down in surprise as her fingers slowly unfastened one button after the other. His shirt was soon flying open in the breeze and her hands were exploring his chest and the ridges of his stomach. He gunned the engine and picked up speed again. He had a destination in mind now, and he wanted to get there in a hurry.

His skin felt so good under her hands and she circled one of his nipples with her fingertip. It was amazing the way Max made her feel and the things she wanted to do to him made her cheeks blush a deep crimson. She never would have pictured herself acting this way, but there was only one Max Evans, and he was something special. She wet her finger with her tongue and when she circled his nipple again she felt his body tremble.

‘God!’ Max shouted in his mind when her wet finger touched his skin. Did she know what she was doing to him? Thank God he’d worn these old jeans today because he was growing so hard that even their loose fit was too restrictive. He shifted on the seat trying to give himself more room. He hoped the turnoff was close because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep driving. Her hands dropped to his stomach again and he couldn’t help the groan that rumbled deep in his throat. He took his left hand off the handlebar and stroked the bare skin of her thigh.

Liz inhaled sharply when his hand closed over her upper thigh. She felt moisture soaking into her panties and she pressed her body even closer to his. God, she wanted him right now. How much longer was he going to keep driving? Each passing mile was becoming sweet torture. Unable to stop herself, her hand dropped from his stomach to the front of his jeans.

Max’s hand revved the engine involuntarily when he felt her hand clutch at him through his jeans. She must be trying to drive him insane, he thought through his haze of growing passion. He wanted to stop the bike and take her right here on the side of the rode. If she didn’t stop he was going to forget how to drive and they were going to get in a wreck. He removed his hand from her leg with the intention of lifting her hand away from him, but instead he ended up squeezing her hand tighter around his now throbbing erection.

His hand closed over hers and Liz smiled when he rubbed her hand over him, stroking him through the heavy material. She could feel his back trembling and his chest was heaving as he drew in deep breaths of air. He suddenly veered of the highway and his hand released hers as he steered over the rough gravel road.

Max sighed in relief when the side road finally came into view. He gripped the handlebars tightly as the bike veered to the right and the road transformed from hard blacktop to loose gravel. A few minutes later the gravel gave way to hard dirt. He was going on memory now; it had been so long since he had visited this place. He relaxed for a moment when Liz removed her hand until he felt her fingers slide under the front of his pants. A deep groan tore from his throat when her hand grasped him again. How was he supposed to drive when she was holding him like that?

Liz wanted him now. She wanted him to just stop the bike and take her right here. They were far from the road now and there was no one anywhere in sight for miles around them. She slipped her hand beneath the front of his pants and stroked his hard manhood. His pants were too tight and she moved her left hand from his chest to the button on his jeans, releasing it with one quick motion and he sprang free covered only by his shorts. She could hear his groan over the sound of the engine and feel it rumbling through his back. Her hands slid under his boxers, one hand cupping his balls and the other stroking down the length of him and then the bike came to a sudden stop.

Max couldn’t take another second. He brought the bike to a stop and with the engine still rumbling between his legs, he grabbed Liz by the arm and lifted her from the seat behind him. It was all a blur to her as she suddenly found herself facing his passion filled eyes. Her legs straddled over him and she could feel his fingers tearing her panties aside. He held her over his exposed member and then he impaled her on him in one outburst of mind blinding need.

His legs trembled from the combination of the strain of balancing the bike and his deep thrusts into her welcoming body. His hips rocked up into her at a fast pace, unable to think about anything but quenching his searing need. His mouth sought hers greedily and she held on to him tightly as she rode him. His hands lifted her hips repeatedly, plunging her down onto him at a near frantic pace. She arched away from him as her first orgasm tore through her and her cry of ecstasy echoed around them. He tore the strapless top that covered her breasts down to her waist and his mouth covered one nipple while kneading and twisting the other. Their connection intensified as their physical bodies screamed with their need for each other.

His throbbing sex thrust into her moist depths, filling her and stretching her walls to accommodate his sizable member. She arched her back further until she was leaning over the handlebars and his ravenous eyes swept over her magnificent body, soaking up the sight of her breasts and then dropping down lower to see his shaft driving past her swollen lips. Her moans became louder and he leaned over her, driving into her deep, hard, fast. His teeth grazed her nipple and she cried out again as her walls clenched rhythmically around him. He exploded into her with his own cry of release and his body shuddered as he emptied into her secret depths. He impaled himself deep within her and stayed there as the last of his fluids surged from him. His breathing was ragged and his blood was hammering in his veins as his body trembled with the afterglow of sexual gratification.

“Oh my God, the things you do to me,” Max mumbled as his head rested against her chest. His arms were surrounding her, holding her burning body and he couldn’t stop himself from sucking on her nipple again. He was still incredibly hard and he could feel her muscles throbbing and twitching around him.

“Michael’s gonna kill me,” Liz mumbled as she cradled his head to her breast. Her hips rocked against his manhood and the fact that he was still aroused wasn’t lost on her. She could feel him deep inside and she squeezed her muscles around him.

A deep groan rumbled in his chest and his hips rocked up to meet hers. “What do you mean? What about Michael?” He was still breathless and his eyes were smoldering orbs of desire.

“He said no sex on the bike,” Liz answered between deep moans. “He made that very clear.”

Max looked up into her eyes and things suddenly came into focus. He looked at her naked breasts just inches from his lips and then at the leather skirt that had ridden up over her hips. Panic filled his eyes and his hands went to her hips to lift her off of him.

“Jesus Liz, I didn’t use anything! God, how could I be so stupid?” His voice was thick with emotion. Terror, dismay, fear, all rolled up into one. He felt her hands grab his and hold him tight.

“It’s okay Max,” Liz said soothingly. “I went on the pill after our first time. I’ve been on them long enough that we don’t need the extra protection anymore.”

“Oh,” Max sighed and she could see him visibly relax. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Liz answered and proved it by squeezing him again and then rocking onto his still raging erection. She smiled when she heard him moan again and then he gunned the engine of the motorcycle.

“Hold on,” he said and suddenly they were moving again. “Don’t move,” he pleaded fearing he would lose complete control of the bike if she squeezed him one more time. The bike bounced through a dip in the road and Liz sighed deeply next to his ear.

They drove over a rise in the desert floor and there before him was the special place where he used to come when he wanted to be alone. It was his own little oasis with a patch of grass shaded by a handful of trees that flanked a small stream. He’d never seen anyone else out here and he called it his imaginary playground because he wondered if he had just made it up in his mind. He had first found it years ago when he and Michael used to search the desert for clues about their past. It was a soothing place and he had come here day after day, thinking of her, dreaming of her, wanting to share this place with her.

He brought the bike to a halt and shut the motor off before lifting his leg over the seat and standing up. That was easier said than done since he was still deeply imbedded inside Liz. Her legs were wrapped around his hips and he cradled her bottom with his arm. Her nipples bounced against the flesh of his chest as he walked the last few feet to the soft carpet of grass. He dropped to his knees and eased her gently onto her back, watching her eyes looking up at him with such love. He hovered above her, brushing stray strands of hair away from her face before his mouth descended to claim her lips as his own. He moved gently and slowly, with none of the frantic behavior of before.

As her body grew more heated her kisses took on a greater urgency. Max paused suddenly and pulled out of her to rid them both of the restrictive garments they were still wearing. As he pulled the last of her clothing aside, he stared down at her beautiful body and his hands nearly shook with his desire to touch her everywhere. He started at her feet, running his fingers along her soft skin and then planting one kiss after another along the inside of her ankle, then up to her knee and her thigh. Her breathing was heavy and when his mouth reached her sweet center she let out a strangled moan. His tongue flicked out tasting the salty sweet taste of their earlier joining and his hands could feel her thighs trembling. His lips moved up further to touch her belly and then her ribs and once more seeking the hard peaks of her breasts. He teased her with his tongue and his teeth, gently sucking her nipples into his mouth, nibbling at her with his teeth, circling her with his tongue. She said his name over and over as he drove her body crazy with desire. His lips moved to her side, wanting to kiss every inch of her beautiful flesh. He worked up to the tender skin under her arm and then along her shoulder to the hollow of her throat. Slowly he made his way up her throat, over her chin until hungrily taking her mouth again. She kissed him back with equal relish, plunging her tongue past his lips and deep into his mouth. Her body craved the feel of him inside her and she arched up into him when he entered her again. Her contented sighs grew more fevered with each deep thrust of his hips and her silky legs rubbed along his, maximizing the amount of skin to skin contact.

He let his body rest lightly on hers, needing to feel her skin beneath him but careful not to crush her. The majority of his weight he absorbed with his arms as he worried about the ground underneath her being too hard.

“I’m not a porcelain doll,” Liz whispered as she pulled him down to her and their bodies raced together with renewed vigor. She never imagined making love could make her feel this way, so totally alive and loved and wanted. His arms circled behind her back and he lifted her hips to him as he stroked into her with long, deep thrusts. This was heaven to him, so utterly and completely one with her that he never wanted it to end. In all the times he had dreamed of being here with her, he had never imagined it could be anything like this. The grass was cool to their feverish skin and the air around them filled with the sweet sounds of their love.

Their minds blended to share their sensations as the passion in their bodies built in intensity yet again. The trees shielded them from the harsh glare of the sun while the warmth in the air caressed their skin. It was perfect here, in this special place he had found, and their lovemaking matched the beauty of their surroundings. They were free in this place, to touch and explore and learn and love. Max held her eyes with his, seeing into the depths of her soul, and the beauty that was there. He always knew this was where he belonged, with her, a part of her, sharing his love with her.

Liz felt every emotion that coursed through Max and her love for him swelled over them both. Her dreams of a future with him were his dreams too. Her desires to fulfill his every wish were matched by his for her. Her fears of not being good enough for this once and future king were cast aside as she let herself believe their love was meant to be, ordained by a power higher than them.

Their joined bodies climbed toward the precipice and when they went over the edge it was with an explosion of pure, untainted love, sweeping through their minds and their bodies with such intensity that they lay quietly in each others arms for many minutes after, awed by the power of their shared experience. They held each other in a comfortable silence while their minds spoke from their hearts. Their love was strong, undeniable, the type often dreamt of but rarely found. Across distances greater than any ever known before, these star-crossed lovers had found their way into each other’s arms and changed their lives forever.

* * * * *

Max rounded the corner and pulled the motorcycle to a stop next to the stairs up to Liz’s balcony. He felt her slide off the seat and he lowered the kickstand as he shut off the engine. She stood beside him looking like a windswept sex goddess in leather and he couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face.

“What?” she asked grinning back at him.

“It’s just that I suddenly find myself understanding Kyle a lot better today than I did a few days ago,” Max answered and his eyes were twinkling.

“What do you mean?” Liz asked finding it hard to believe that Max and Kyle could ever think alike.

“Well, I have a new respect for his attachment to Blushing Biker Babes, that’s what,” Max said and then laughed when Liz actually started to blush.

“Max,” Liz said with an embarrassed tone and hit him lightly on the shoulder. “It’ll only take a minute to change and then I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Max replied and watched as she started to climb the ladder. She hadn’t wanted her parents to see her dressed this way so she was sneaking up to her room to change. “Hey,” he called out when she was half way up. “Can I button my shirt now?”

She looked over her shoulder at him sitting on that mass of shining chrome with his tousled hair and his chest exposed by his open shirt. She had insisted he leave it unbuttoned on the ride back to town so that she could feel the taut muscles and the ridges of his stomach. He hadn’t seemed to mind one bit.

She smiled down at him and slowly shook her head. “I’ll let you know when I’m done looking.”

It was his turn to blush now and she laughed softly as she climbed up the ladder and made her way to her room. She quickly changed into tan slacks and a black short sleeve sweater and rejoined Max on the street below. She slipped onto the bike again and they headed for his place with her hands splayed across his chest once again.

* * * * *

Diane Evans opened the box to the third pizza wondering if Max was going to get back in time to celebrate his birthday at all. Isabel, Michael, Maria, and Alex were all in the living room laughing and having a good time.

“Pizza’s ready,” she called out and a mass of teenage bodies flocked into the room. Just then the sound of a motorcycle pulled up in the driveway and Diane sighed in relief. She hadn’t been too happy when Michael showed up in the jeep and told her Max was driving his bike.

“Hey, we’re home,” Max shouted from the front door.

“You’re late!” five voices rang out.

Max and Liz walked into the kitchen and he was immediately assailed with happy birthday wishes. The room was filled with balloons and streamers and signs proclaiming his eighteenth birthday.

“Watch it Max,” Michael said pointedly. “You’re not a juvie anymore. Better stay away from jailbait.”

Max smiled and looked over at Liz sheepishly. Isabel walked up to him and gave his shirt a little tug.

“Been dressing yourself long?” she said with a devilish grin and then her eyes darted to Liz. Max looked down and saw that Liz had missed a button when she re-buttoned his shirt as they drove down his street. Half his buttons were out of alignment and he quickly refastened them hoping no one else, especially his mother, had noticed.

After the pizza was finished everyone moved out into the living room and Isabel shoved a brightly wrapped present into Max’s hands.

“Thanks,” Max said smiling and sat down on the couch. It was heavy and he unwrapped it quickly to reveal ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien in a special edition boxed set of hardback books. He looked at the titles, The Return of the King, The Two Towers and The Fellowship of the Ring and remembered how he had fallen in love with these books as a child. He had read them over and over until the paperback covers had fallen off and the spines had come apart.

“Isabel,” Max said, truly touched by her remembering how much they had meant to him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome Max,” she said happily. She watched him as he opened the first book and touched the pages reverently with his fingers. These books had given him great solace when he was younger, letting him come alive in a fantasy world while he felt like a stranger in the real one.

“Here you go Max,” Maria said looking like the cat that ate the canary.

“Thanks, Maria. You didn’t have to do this.” Max was touched that she had got him a present.

“You’re welcome. It’s actually from both me and Michael because he’s gift challenged, if you know what I mean. Now open it!” She watched him take the tissue paper out of the gift bag and withdraw the gift certificate.

“The Gap,” Max grinned. “Thanks again.”

“Now Max,” Maria said sarcastically. “That’s for those days when you just can’t find anything to wear.”

Max’s eyes grew as big as saucers and Maria and Isabel burst out laughing. Liz covered her face with her hand fighting back a laugh of her own and Michael just rolled his eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Diane asked innocently.

“Nothing Mom,” Max said as he felt his cheeks turning hot. The girls, including Liz, were laughing even harder than before.

“Here Max, this is from me,” Alex said handing him a small package.

“Hey Alex, thanks.” Max opened the box and pulled out a book for everyone to see. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

“Very appropriate Alex,” Maria applauded him.

“I thought it might come in handy some day,” Alex deadpanned.

* * * * *

The party came to an end and Max walked Liz to the jeep so that he could give her a ride home. He’d had a great birthday, having fun with his family and his friends and he was thankful that each one of them was a part of his life. He helped Liz into the jeep and walked around to the driver’s side. Michael was just putting on his helmet and Maria was just pulling out of the driveway in her Jetta with Alex beside her. She honked her horn and they all waved as they drove down the street.

Max climbed into the jeep and started the engine as Michael swung his leg over the seat of his bike. One hand was resting on the gas tank and the other on the handlebars when his eyes suddenly grew wide.

“MAXWELL!” he bellowed and tore his helmet off his head.

“Let’s get out of here!” Liz said shaking Max’s arm and he ground the gears in his haste to put it in reverse. “Hurry!” Max tore out of the driveway and turned back to see Michael glaring at them with his hands on his hips and his face fuming.

Michael watched his best friend give him a guilty shrug and then smile like the Cheshire Cat. He turned back to his bike and stared at it.

“You’ve been deflowered.”

* * * * *

Max pulled the jeep to a stop in front of the Crashdown and shut the motor off. The Café had closed a short while ago and the lights dimmed as Jeff Parker finished locking up. Max turned to Liz taking her hand in his as he collected his thoughts.

“Liz, I had a really-”

“Max, will you meet me upstairs? There’s something I want to give you.” Liz said rubbing her hand over the back of his.

“Okay,” he said and they climbed out of the jeep. Liz unlocked the Crashdown doors and stepped inside as Max walked around to the alley and climbed the ladder to her rooftop. He waited until he saw her bedroom door open and she stepped out through her window to join him.

“Did you have a good birthday Max?” Liz asked smiling up at him.

“Yeah,” he answered and rested his head against her forehead. “Thanks to you. You make everything special for me.”

“Come inside, I have something for you.” Liz took his hand and guided him into her room. He sat on the edge of her bed while she opened the top drawer of her dresser and removed an envelope. Her eyes smiled at him as she crossed the room and she sat down on the bed beside him. “This is for you. Your birthday present. I hope you like it.”

Max took the envelope out of her hand and lifted the flap. Her eyes were watching his every move and he thought she seemed just a little apprehensive, as if she wasn’t sure he would like the gift. His finger and thumb slipped into the envelope and withdrew a pair of tickets.

“Gomez,” he said quietly and his heart skipped a beat in his chest. “You got me Gomez tickets.” The image of Liz and Kyle in this bed together flashed quickly into his mind and he shook it off. It hadn’t been real, but the pain he had felt that night had been. It was a pain he knew he’d never really forget. Gomez would always be tied to that pain.

“I thought if we went together, the way we should have that night, that maybe all the bad memories could be replaced by the happy ones we could make.” She saw him swallow hard and wondered if this had been a really bad idea. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“No,” Max said quickly. “I want to go. It’s the perfect gift. It gives us back something we lost along the way.” He looked deeply into her eyes and he saw relief there as a slow smile touched her lips. “Thank you, Liz. For everything. For being you.”

“Oh Max,” Liz sighed and she fell into his arms. They kissed long and tenderly and then Max took a closer look at the tickets.

“Ah, Liz? These tickets are for a concert in LA,” Max said disappointed.

“I know,” Liz answered brightly. “And look, we have backstage passes.”

“How did you get these?” Max asked in amazement.

“Alex got them. Remember when he played in that concert last year, the night you got drunk?” Max nodded his head and Liz rushed on. “Well, he’s stayed in contact with the concert promoter and when he heard they were booking Gomez, Alex let me know.”

“But how are we going to get to LA?” Max asked in confusion. “Your parents are never going to let me take you to California.”

“Well it just so happens they have to be in LA at the same time so we can go with them, and I already asked your parents and they said it was fine. We’re going to California!”



TBC ...

[Breathless]

And because I try to keep my promises.....


A Special Kind of Love
Part 26


Jeff Parker watched Max enter the Crashdown and noticed how the boy’d eyes softened as soon as they fell on his daughter. He felt that little tug at his heart when he saw her looking back at him with that same look. He remembered when he felt like he and Nancy were Liz’s whole world, and he had to admit, it was hard watching her grow up. Max slid into the booth he normally sat in and Liz made her way over to him smiling broadly.

“Hi,” Liz said and sat down across from him.

“Hi,” Max answered and just stared at her. It didn’t matter if she was dressed in a ravishing red evening gown with her hair piled high on her head or her silly alien theme uniform wearing silver sequined antenna, she was beautiful in his eyes.

“Is your shift over?” she asked and reached her hand across the table to touch his. Their fingers entwined and Max nodded his head slowly.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I’m done for the weekend. Are you free to go for a ride?” he teased.

“Max . . .” Liz blushed, knowing he was referring to their little ride on Michael’s motorcycle the other day. She still couldn’t believe how she had acted, literally tearing his clothes off of him. Her mother would ground her for life if she ever knew even half the things Liz wanted to do to Max.

“Do you get off at 7?” He had thought that maybe they could see that new movie that just opened recently, the one that had that famous actor’s son in it.

Liz shook her head disappointedly. “I have to close for Agnes tonight, payback for asking her to cover for me the other night.”

“Oh,” Max with equal disappointment. “Have you seen or heard from ‘Carlos’?” He hadn’t shown up for work since the night Liz and Michael had followed him to the warehouse he had been staying at.

“No,” Liz answered and then her eyes were drawn to the door as Michael entered. She watched him march across the room and she scooted over so he could sit down.

“Hey Michael,” Max greeted him as he took a seat next to Liz. “Any luck today?”

“Nothing,” Michael responded. “Zero, zilch, nada. Lonnie and Rath haven’t been back to the warehouse since we saw them there the other night and between Isabel and me, we’ve kept Tess in constant sight, but she hasn’t contacted them either. Not that we can tell. Oh, prepare yourself, she’s on her way. I saw her and Kyle headed this way when I parked the bike out front.” At the mention of his motorcycle, Michael turned to stare at Liz and smiled in satisfaction when she turned a deep shade of red.

The Crashdown doors jangled open and they all turned to see Tess enter with Kyle right behind her. They made their way over to the table and Max reluctantly slid over to make room. Liz motioned for Michael to let her out, giving room for Kyle to sit down.

“Hey Max, Michael,” Tess said as she sat next to Max. She looked from one to the other, noticing they had stopped talking when she neared the table.

“Tess,” they both responded at the same time. Michael nodded to Kyle with a half smile and Max busied himself by peeling off his UFO vest and laying it on the table.

“It’s going to be a madhouse in here when the dinner crowd hits,” Liz said trying to sound light. “What can I get everyone in the mean time?” She took their drink orders and turned to head over to the fountain.

“What’s that Max?” Tess asked when she saw the book in the pocket of his vest. Max pulled it out to reveal ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’.

“It was a birthday present from Alex,” Max admitted with a self-conscious grin.

“A birthday present? Do you actually celebrate birthdays?” she asked incredulously. “You weren’t born Max, you came out of a pod.”

“Yeah, I know,” Max said as he looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation. “But my parents and my friends like to celebrate, so . . .” and then the look on her face told him to shut up.

“You guys had a party? When was this?” Tess asked feeling the pangs of jealousy.

“The other day,” Michael cut in trying to sound like it was no big deal. “We just stopped by Max’s after school the other day . . .” and then the way she looked at him told him he’d said the wrong thing too.

“We? Who’s ‘we’?” Tess asked. “What day did you have this party?”

“Well,” Max stumbled wondering how to smooth over this but knowing he couldn’t lie about it. “You know, my Mom and Isabel, and Michael, and well, Alex,” he said as he pointed to the book. “And then Liz and Maria. That’s all. My Mom picked March 15th for my birthday.”

“So you mean everybody but me,” Tess fumed inside.

“Look Tess, it was just a last minute thing,” Michael said trying to make light of it.

“Yeah,” she snorted. “A last minute thing that everyone had time to buy a present for.” She looked from Max to Michael and felt the tears stinging in her eyes. “Whatever! Birthdays are stupid anyway. Just like all these other holidays humans celebrate.”

Kyle looked at the faces around him and felt the tension thick in the air. Whatever struggle was going on here, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of it. “I’ve always thought a party was the perfect way to end the week and start the weekend.”

“Oh shut up, Kyle,” Tess hissed and rose from the table. “Let’s go.”

“Tess . . .” Max started to say. “We didn’t exclude you on purpose . . .”

“Whatever!” she repeated and headed for the door pulling Kyle along with her.

“Well that could have gone better,” Michael said staring at Max.

* * * * *

Isabel watched her brother from the doorway with an amused look on her face. He was packing for his trip to California with Liz, and obviously quite concerned about his clothing selection. He had pulled countless sweaters and shirts off his hangers only to turn around and throw them on the floor of his closet when he decided they simply wouldn’t do.

“Max, you’re only going for four days, remember? Packing should be a piece of cake!” She spoke from the hallway and Max snapped his head in her direction.

“Isabel,” Max said startled to see her standing in his doorway. He looked down at the assortment of clothes that were piled all over his bed and shook his head. “I just want everything to be . . .” and then his voice trail off.

“Perfect,” she finished for him. “Yes, I know.”

“Isabel . . .” Max chastised her for teasing him and then he turned around and dropped heavily onto his bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, suddenly worried by the change in his attitude. A minute ago he had seemed so excited and even nervous. Now he just looked sad or depressed. She crossed the room and sat down next to him. “Max . . .?”

“I shouldn’t go, Isabel,” Max said dully.

“What do you mean?” she said in surprise. The trip was exactly what Max needed. For the last year his life had been in turmoil. Tess and Nasedo had shown up disrupting everyone’s lives, but especially Max’s. The FBI had closed in on him, tortured him in the white room and he still hadn’t recovered from that. There were nights when he woke up shouting, remembering what they had done to him. Over the summer and fall, without Liz in his life he lacked balance. When he thought he’d lost Liz for good, he’d become just a shadow of what he used to be. Now he was happy again, and stronger. He deserved a long weekend of just being carefree. Just a guy, hanging out with his girl, not thinking about duty and responsibility.

“I shouldn’t leave you and Michael,” Max answered looking down at his hands. “We haven’t seen Rath or Lonnie in over three weeks. We have no idea what they’re doing or planning. We still don’t know exactly what Tess’s involvement is. How can I leave when we still have all these questions? What if something happens to you or Michael while I’m gone?”

“Michael and I can take care of ourselves. Besides, you can’t be responsible for us all the time. Max, for once just do what you want to do.”

“But-” he started to protest.

“No buts, Max,” Isabel insisted. “You need this. You deserve this. It really is okay just to have fun once in awhile.”

“Are you sure, Iz?” he asked sounding hopeful.

“Of course I’m sure. Now let’s get you packed.” Isabel stood up and started sorting through the clothes on his bed. She picked up a long sleeve sweater that he had recently bought at The Gap. Dark green, v-neck, a stripe around the sleeve. Very conservative, very staid, very boring. She gave him one of her ‘What Am I Going To Do With You?’ looks and dangled the sweater in front of his face. “Max, you’re going to California! What were you thinking?”

* * * * *

Diane watched her son as he kept looking out the front window every few minutes. He checked his watch again and then sat down on the couch, watching the TV but not really seeing what was on.

“Relax honey,” Diane said patting his hand gently. “They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“I know,” he said giving her a self-conscious grin. He turned more serious and looked down at her hand covering his. “Mom?”

“What honey?” she asked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much you and Dad mean to me.” He looked up to meet her eyes and saw her surprise. He didn’t normally open up, or talk about his feelings.

“Max-” Diane wasn’t sure what to say.

“I love you, Mom. You’ve done so much, for me and Isabel, and you haven’t asked any questions, even though I know you have a ton of them. You’ve always been there for me, Mom, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“Oh Max,” Diane said fighting to keep her voice steady. She could feel her eyes filling with tears and she blinked rapidly trying to chase them away. “I love you so much, you and your sister. You mean the world to me. That night we found you walking out in the desert was the most important night in my life. It feels like I was meant to find you.”

He hugged her close, grateful that this kind and caring woman had opened her home and her heart to them. Lord knows it hadn’t been easy in the beginning. Six year olds who didn’t understand a thing about the world around them, or even about their own bodies. It had taken weeks for them to learn to communicate in even the simplest of terms, but she had been there supporting them every step of the way. Someday, maybe he’d be able to tell her everything.

“Mom . . .” he started and then his head snapped toward the window. “They’re here.”

Diane hadn’t heard anything. Max hurried over to the window and a minute later the Parker’s car pulled into the driveway. “How did you know that, Max?”

“I always know when Liz is near,” Max answered absently. “I can feel her.” He turned to look at Diane and the smile that lit his face filled her with happiness.

“Time to go!” he said excitedly and grabbed his backpack from the chair. Diane followed him out the front door and she gave him a hug when he turned to say goodbye.

“Have fun Max. I’ll see you on Sunday night.” Max kissed her on the cheek and then he ran to the car. He waved at her one last time and she watch as they drove off.

* * * * *

Max looked at his ticket to verify his seat again as he walked down the aisle of the plane. 17A and B. Liz had told him to take the window seat. She wanted him to see everything and do everything on this trip. He’d never been to California before and the excitement on his face made her heart sing with joy. He stuffed his backpack into the overhead compartment and then lifted her carry on, placing them side by side. Max took his seat staring out the window at the activity going on around the plane as it readied for take-off, and Liz took the seat next to him tucking her tote bag under the seat in front of her. She looked behind her and saw her parents settling into their seats a few rows behind them. She felt Max’s hand skip into hers and she turned her complete attention to him.

“Are you looking forward to this?” she asked and watched the smile spread over his face.

“You know I am,” he answered squeezing her hand tighter.

* * * * *

Jeff Parker rummaged in his bag for the hotel confirmation letter as he walked toward the check-in counter. He had reserved two connecting rooms, one for his family and one for Max. Even though the boy was eighteen now and legally old enough to be responsible for himself, Jeff had promised the Evans that they’d keep on eye on him while they were in “The Big City”.

“I have a reservation for two rooms, last name Parker,” Jeff said to the neatly dressed hotel clerk.

“Jeff Parker?” the clerk asked as information came up on his monitor. Jeff nodded his head and watched as the young man’s hands flew across the keyboard. A frown crossed his face and he took a closer look at the confirmation letter.

“I’m sorry sir,” the clerk finally said. “We seem to only have one room assigned to you. A double, with two queen beds, non-smoking.”

“Well, that room’s fine for us,” Jeff said with a frown of his own. “But I will need that second room. Can you get them close together? At least on the same floor?”

“Sir,” the clerk responded. “I’m terribly sorry, but the hotel is booked solid through the weekend. There are no more rooms available.”

“What?” Jeff said raising his voice. “I have my confirmation letter right here. See? Right there it says TWO ROOMS.” Jeff shoved the letter toward the clerk and drilled his finger into the paper.

“I’m terribly sorry about the mix-up, sir,” the clerk said trying to calm the man in front of him. “I don’t know how this could have happened, but there are no more rooms available until Monday.”

“I can’t believe this,” Jeff muttered.

“One moment please,” the clerk said and stepped into the room behind the counter. He returned a few minutes later with an envelope in his hand. “The hotel would like to compensate you for this inconvenience. Please accept these attraction passes and our sincerest apologies.”

“Fine,” Jeff fumed and reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

“Would you like to be informed if a room becomes available during your stay?” the clerk asked as he took the credit card out of Jeff’s hand.

“Yes, please.” Jeff looked over at where Nancy, Liz and Max were waiting with their luggage, hoping nothing else would go wrong.

* * * * *

Jeff inserted the key card into the lock and opened the door when the light flashed green. “Here’s home sweet home for the next few days.”

They walked into the room and Max hung back slightly, feeling somewhat awkward. The room was nice, with two beds, a dresser and a nice big table over by the window. It even had a nice balcony that looked out over the swimming pool.

“Which bed do you girls want?” Jeff asked.

“We’ll take the one by the window,” Nancy said and set her bag in the middle of the bed.

“Okay Max,” Jeff said looking at the young man. “This one’s ours.”

Max looked at Jeff and then at the bed. He’d thought a lot about what might happen on this trip, but sleeping with Jeff Parker had never crossed his mind. He shrugged out of his backpack and set it carefully on the foot of the bed.

“Cheer up Max,” Jeff said slapping Max on the shoulder. “I won’t bite you.”

Max looked at Liz and she had an embarrassed smile on her face. He had thought that with a room of his own, they might get some quiet time, together. That wasn’t going to happen now, not with the four of them crammed into this one room.

“So what do we want to do now?” Nancy asked cheerfully. “We have the rest of the afternoon and all evening free.”

“What about those passes they gave you Dad?” Liz asked.

“Let’s see,” Jeff said taking the envelope out of his pocket. “We’ve got four tickets to Universal Studios. That might be fun. And here’s two tickets to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Liz, maybe you and Max could go there tomorrow while your Mom and I are tied up looking at the restaurant equipment.” The purpose of the trip to LA had been to visit a restaurant designer. He had been thinking about upgrading the grill and the refrigeration units and maybe even remodeling the whole kitchen over the winter.

“What do you think, Max?” Liz asked. “What do you want to do while we’re here?”

“Universal Studios sounds like fun. I went to the one in Florida, but that was when I was eight.” Max hesitated for a moment and debated saying anything more. “There is one thing I’d like to do before we leave, though.” All eyes were looking at him and he dipped his head shyly.

“What would you like to do, Max?” Nancy asked sincerely. She’d noticed that he never seemed to ask for anything for himself. She got the impression that he was always watching out for those around him, putting everyone else’s needs above his own.

“I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean,” Max said quietly and looked up to meet Liz’s eyes. He and Liz had had a conversation once about seeing the world and she had wanted to be able to see it with him. He had told her that he couldn’t, but that he’d always be waiting for her when she came back. Now it seemed that maybe it was possible to see and do everything they wanted, together, without worrying about destinies and wars and the world coming to an end. His lips turned up in that shy smile of his and for just a moment it felt as if they were the only ones in the world. She crossed over to him and took his hands in hers.

“Yes, Max,” Liz said looking up into his gentle eyes. “We’ll see it together.”

* * * * *

It had been a warm afternoon and they stayed long into the evening enjoying the sights and sounds of one of LA’s top tourist attractions. Max and Liz had wandered in one direction while her parents and gone in another, each couple wanting to spend some time apart. Living in that cramped hotel room for the next few days would be more than enough time together. Max and Liz strolled through the streets hand in hand, feeling all the worries and struggles that they faced in Roswell falling away from them. Here, under these warm skies, they could relax. No one knew who they were. No one was there to look over their shoulders, judging their every move.

They ate a late dinner at the restaurant across from the hotel and it was nearly midnight when they returned to their room, tired from the long day yet happy and relaxed.

Liz covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to stifle a yawn on the ride up in the elevator. Max wanted to take her into his arms and smother her with kisses, but with her parents standing right next to them he had to settle for feeling her shoulder pressing against his arm. He wondered how he was ever going to get through the next three nights with her sleeping only a few feet away from him.

“Are you tired honey?” Nancy asked her daughter. Liz nodded her head and smiled through another yawn. The elevator doors opened and they were all dragging their feet as they made their way down the hall. Jeff opened the door letting first his wife and then his daughter enter. As Max started to walk through the door Jeff stopped him with a touch to his arm.

“How about we go down stairs while they get ready for bed?” Jeff suggested.

“Okay,” Max answered, trying to keep his tone neutral. Did Liz’s father really just want to give them some privacy, or was there some other reason? Liz turned back to look at him and as the door closed, he could have sworn she was giving him the ‘Good luck, you’re gonna need it’ look. Jeff closed the door and they made their way back down to the ground floor in silence. They walked out a set of double doors and found their way to the outdoor pool. Jeff took a seat at one of the round tables that flanked the pool and Max walked to the tiled edge, stooping down to dip his fingers into the warm water.

“So how long have you been interested in my daughter, Max?” Jeff asked from the shadows.

Max’s hand froze in the water and his back stiffened with tension. Was that why Liz had looked at him like he was a lamb being lead to slaughter? Had she known her dad was going to bring him out here to give him . . . The Talk?

Max slowly rose to his feet and wiped his wet hand on his thigh. His eyes scanned the pool enclosure, seeing all the lounge chairs and tables, looking everywhere except in the direction of Jeff Parker. Where was that exit again, his mind thought frantically, trying to decide whether he should just start running now.

“Um,” Max stammered, knowing he and to say something but not having a clue what it should be. What if he said the wrong thing? What if he pissed her dad off? For God’s sake, he had to sleep in the same bed with the man tonight! “Um,” Max said again and mentally hit himself over the head for sounding like an idiot. “Liz and I have been friends for a long time. A really long time.” As he said the last sentence his voice had taken on a tender quality.

“I know,” Jeff replied. “I remember you coming into the Crashdown when you were younger, just ten or eleven I guess, and hanging around all day, watching Liz when you thought no one was looking.”

“You noticed that, huh?” Max said, glad it was too dark for Jeff to see the blush that had crept into his cheeks.

“I’ve noticed a lot,” Jeff said watching the younger man. “I noticed how your friendship turned into something more than that last year, and I noticed last spring when something seemed to come between you. I noticed how something made Liz so upset that she felt she had to leave, to spend the summer with her aunt in Florida. I noticed that when she came home there was a lot of tension between you while you tried to win her back. And then something else happened in the fall that broke her heart. I don’t know what it was, but I know it centered around you.”

“A lot of things have happened between Liz and I,” Max said staring into the smooth surface of the water. His eyes were drawn upward to see her standing on the balcony of their room looking down at him with a soft smile. “I love your daughter Mr. Parker,” Max said reverently as he watched her turn back into the room. “I would never hurt her intentionally.”

“I guess it’s the unintentional part that worries me,” Jeff said and watched the young man turn to look at him. “I think they’re probably done doing whatever it is girls do at night before bed. Let’s go back up.” Max heaved a sigh of relief and they headed back to the room. As they stepped out of the elevator Jeff put his arm around Max’s shoulder and gave his arm a squeeze.

“Just remember Max, if you break my daughter’s heart again, I’ll be forced to poison your hamburger and watch you wither in agony as you die on the Crashdown floor.” Jeff smiled at him and gave his arm another squeeze before releasing him to open the door.

Max stared at Jeff Parker’s back as they entered the room, knowing this was going to be one very long night.

* * * * *

Max’s eyes fluttered as he came up from the depths of sleep. His head rested on the firm pillow with one hand cupping his cheek and the other curled up in the hollow below his chin. His mouth was ajar and an occasional noise rumbled in his throat as he breathed in and out. He still clung to the last of his dream, feeling Liz’s fingers touching his lips and her sweet breath against his cheek. He smiled as the dream seemed to linger, continuing over into the waking world as he became aware of his surroundings. His eyes suddenly popped open and he nearly choked at the sight of Jeff Parker’s face only an inch away from his own. The older man was still sound asleep and his hand had somehow fallen across Max’s face. His not so sweet smelling morning breath chased away all traces of the dream. Max jerked away from him as if he was on fire and Jeff turned over restlessly in his sleep.

Jesus! Max thought to himself and he rubbed his hands across his face. What a sight to wake up to! He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling trying to calm down. He listened to the sounds around him aware that he was the only one awake. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was nearly six o’clock and the alarm would be going off soon. He pulled the covers aside deciding now would be a good time to get his shower out of the way. He heard stirring from the other bed and he stood beside it for a moment, watching Liz as she slept. Her dark hair fanned out across the pillow and she looked so peaceful, so beautiful. With a smile he turned toward the bathroom, thinking that someday he hoped to spend a lifetime waking up with her face just an inch away from his own.

He showered quickly and when he was finished drying off he wrapped the towel around his waist. After shaving and brushing his teeth he realized he had forgotten to grab a change of clothes out of his backpack. He ran his hand through his uncombed hair and opened the bathroom door to see a sleepy eyed Liz standing in front of him.

Liz had climbed out of bed a few moments before and still half asleep made her way to the bathroom. She tried to fight off a yawn and rubbed a hand across her eyes as the bathroom door suddenly opened to the sight of a nearly naked Max. He was standing before her wearing only a towel and his face looked every bit as surprised to see her as she was to see him. His hair was disheveled and still damp and water had dripped down his neck and ran in little streaks down his chest. Past his nipples, those chestnut colored circles that she couldn’t help staring at. She couldn’t stop her eyes from dropping lower to the ridges of his stomach and then lower still to the bulge that his towel couldn’t hide. The door closed quickly and she was left staring at the wood surface but the image of Max’s magnificent body lingered in her suddenly wide awake mind.

Max closed the door in Liz’s face, shocked that she had been standing there. She had been rubbing her eyes and it was obvious that she had just woken up. She had already been in bed last night when he had returned to the room and he hadn’t noticed what she was wearing, but the image of her standing on the other side of the door was burned into his brain now. Her hair was messy from sleep, sexy, and the pink tank top she wore showed plenty of cleavage. Her nipples were poking against the material making his Little Max stir with interest. Her shorts were pink and purple plaid and very loose fitting, showing off her cute navel. Her sensual legs were bare as were her small feet. His hand reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door again.

Liz watched the door open an inch at a time and then Max cautiously peered out. His eyebrows arched as he looked over her body again and she heard him sigh deeply. His eyes darted over her shoulder and she knew he was checking to see if her parents were still sleeping. She pushed past him and closed the bathroom door behind her.

“Liz!” Max whispered in shock. “You can’t be in here with me like this. You’re parents are going to wake up any minute!” Her eyes were looking at him with that hungry look she got every time she wanted him, and God help him, he could feel himself becoming aroused.

“Max . . .” Liz whispered trying to keep herself from tearing the towel right off him. What was she thinking? What was she doing in here with him like this? “Can’t you freeze time or something?” she blurted out.

“What?” Max whispered back, trying not to laugh at the dead serious look on her face.

“You know, freeze time! What good are alien powers if you can’t freeze time?” She wasn’t making sense and she knew it, but she really wanted him right now. She lunged at him, covering his lips with her mouth as she pulled his head down to her. He kissed her back hard, crushing her body to him, letting his hand slide up the warm skin of her back. His hand moved forward to cup her breast but when she moaned against his mouth he was brought back to reality. He pulled his hand away from her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

“No, I can’t freeze time,” Max whispered desperately. “And unless you want to see me withering in agony on the Crashdown floor, you have to go!” His mind pictured him stripping off her clothes, lifting her onto the bathroom counter and feeling her legs wrap around him as he slid into her. He shook his head to clear the image and he turned her around so that she was facing the door. His hand reached for the knob and as he leaned forward his body pressed against her back. She could feel his erection through the towel and then the door was open and he pushed her out. He closed the door quickly and Liz leaned her back against it trying to calm her breathing and ignore the ache between her legs. Max leaned his back against his side of the door and looked down at the towel sticking straight out in front of him.

“Oh brother,” he muttered. “This weekend is going to kill me.”



TBC ...

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 27


Max sat nursing a cup of coffee in the hotel café waiting for Liz and her parents to join him. He tried to concentrate on the newspaper in front of him, but he couldn’t get Liz’s image out of his head. After convincing her to set his backpack outside the bathroom door, he had grabbed it quickly and changed into fresh jeans and a dark green t-shirt. When he’d opened the door again, Liz had been standing just a few feet away wearing a robe over her pajamas. Her hair was still messy looking in that sexy way and she was looking at him with a combination of embarrassment that she had tried to jump him in the bathroom, and desire to do it again. He looked over her shoulder and saw that her parents still hadn’t moved.

“Morning,” Max said quietly as he stepped close to her. He reached for her hands and gently intertwined his fingers with hers. He wanted to squeeze her close to him, to ravish her mouth and carry her back to her bed, but he settled for a soft kiss on her tender lips.

“Morning,” Liz responded in a hushed tone as their foreheads touched. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept fine,” Max smile at her. “It was the waking up part that was hard. It was kind of a shock to the system to wake up practically sucking on your Dad’s fingers and-”

“What?” Liz blurted out.

“Shhhhh,” Max said holding his finger up to his lips and then he continued in a whisper. “I woke up and your Dad’s hand was across my face and his nose was almost touching mine. He is definitely not the Parker I want to wake up with in the morning.”

“Oh Max,” Liz said looking up at him with laughing eyes as she tried to picture it. “This weekend isn’t turning out exactly like you thought it would, is it?”

“Liz,” Max said as he stroked his fingers through her hair, “Every minute that I get to spend anywhere near you is perfect in my book.” Max leaned into her again, gently touching her lips with his. His hand cupped her face in a familiar gesture and their kiss deepened. The alarm on the nightstand rang out and Max nearly jumped out of his skin. He took several steps away from Liz and then her parents were stirring in their beds.

Nancy sat up and ran her fingers through her hair as Jeff shut the alarm off. She stretched and yawned before noticing Max standing fully dressed near the foot of her husband’s bed. She thought he looked slightly uncomfortable and she felt bad for him. He hadn’t expected to be thrown into the same room with them like this. She’d known him for years, after all he seemed to practically live at the Crashdown most of the time, but she’d never really gotten to know him. He was such a private young man, polite and gracious, and she had hoped by the time the weekend was over that they’d have a chance to know each other better, but this was closer quarters than any of them had bargained for.

“Good morning,” Max said politely. “I’m just going to go downstairs to the restaurant. Should we just meet there for breakfast when you’re ready?”

“Sure Max,” Nancy responded. “That sounds good. We won’t be too long.” She watched him smile shyly as he turned to leave the room. She heard the door close softly and then she climbed out of bed to start the day.

* * * * *

Liz came around the corner and her eyes searched for Max, sweeping the room before falling on his reflective face. It looked like he was reading a booklet or a pamphlet and then he suddenly lifted his head and their eyes met. His features softened as soon as he saw her and a smile spread over his face.

“There he is,” Liz said excitedly to her parents and made a beeline for the booth he was sitting at.

Nancy and Jeff glanced at each other with a knowing look, and then followed behind their daughter as she rushed across the room. Max stood up as they neared and his hands touched hers briefly before Liz slid into the booth. Max waited until Nancy and Jeff had both taken their seats before he too sat down.

“Anything good on the menu?” Jeff asked looking directly across the table at Max.

“Everything looks good this morning,” Max answered and his eyes darted to Liz for just a moment.

“Well did you two decide what you want to do today?” Nancy asked.

“We thought it’d be fun to use the tickets to Six Flags,” Liz answered, grinning up at Max. She could feel his leg pressed up against hers under the table and she slipped her foot out of her shoe so she could burrow under his pant leg with her toes.

“You two should enjoy that,” Nancy beamed. “Now, how do you want to get there? The hotel has a shuttle you can take, or we can drop you off on our way to the designer.”

“We can take the shuttle,” Max and Liz said at the same time. They looked at each other sheepishly for seeming so eager to have some time alone together.

“Okay, okay,” Jeff said with a smile. “We get it. The parents are cramping your style.”

“Dad-” Liz said feeling embarrassed.

“No, no honey, that’s okay. Believe it or not, your Mom and I were once young too.” Jeff turned to look at his wife with a dead serious look on his face. “You can remember that far back, can’t you Nancy? The stone ages weren’t THAT long ago, were they?”

“Jeff!” Nancy scolded and poked her elbow into his ribs. Hard.

“Well it’s been awhile since I carried a club and pulled you around by your hair,” Jeff said laughing and then exhaled a loud puff of air when Nancy elbowed him again even harder.

“Dad!” Liz exclaimed as she covered her face with her hand in chagrin. She glanced over at Max and noticed he seemed to be getting a kick out of her father’s antics. He was biting his lower lips as he tried not to burst out laughing and his eyes were sparkling.

“Jeff, be nice!” Nancy admonished. “If you don’t watch it you’ll find yourself locked out of the cave tonight!”

“Mom!” Liz pleaded, totally embarrassed by both of her parents now. Max had given up the fight and his shoulders were shaking as he laughed.

“How about this,” Jeff suggested as he rubbed his ribs. “We could meet back here later this afternoon and head over to the beach. Max said he wanted to see the ocean, and I have a colleague that owns a little restaurant out in Malibu. We could have a nice dinner looking out over the Pacific Ocean. What do you think?”

All eyes turned to Max and he was momentarily surprised to be the focus of attention. Her parents were really trying to make him feel welcome, he thought to himself. He looked at their smiling faces and felt himself relaxing around them more and more. “That sounds great.”

They enjoyed a rousing breakfast of good food and even better company as Nancy and Jeff told Max stories about Liz that he’d never heard before. Stories that sometimes made her blush to the very tips of her toes and Max memorized every one of them.

* * * * *

It was a beautiful day for early April and Max and Liz enjoyed it to the fullest. They arrived at the park early and were content to just walk around for awhile, taking in all the sights and the sounds. After Liz was sure breakfast had settled thoroughly, she made the suggestion to start small and work their way up to the big rides. They consulted the map they had picked up when they entered and Liz pointed her finger at what looked like a simple old fashioned roller coaster, the kind you’d see at a county fair. The line was short due to it still being early in the day and they soon found their way to the head of the line.

“Um . . .” Liz began as she nervously looked around her. “Are you sure you want to sit in the front car, Max?”

“Sure. Why not?” Max answered with a big grin. “It should be fun.” He looked closer at her and noticed her hesitance. “We can sit further back if you want.”

“No, that’s okay,” Liz said shaking her head. “You just have to promise to hold me tight, and don’t laugh at me when I scream!”

“Okay,” Max promised and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead and then the next train came rumbling into view. Max helped Liz into the car and they strapped themselves in. He held her hand tightly with their fingers laced together as they inched slowly up the first incline. They kept going up . . . up . . . up, and as they crested the top, two sets of eyes nearly popped out of their respective heads.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh SHITTTTTTTTTTTT,” they both screamed as the ride plunged downward, falling, falling, falling. They flopped from side to side as the ride curved to the left and then to the right. Liz screamed again as they dropped downward once more and Max laughed as his stomach flipped upside down. The train began a slow torturous climb, going higher and higher, much higher than before.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God . . .” Liz mumbled over and over with her face buried against Max’s shoulder. She squeezed his hand so tightly her knuckles were turning white. He curled his other hand around the side of her face to comfort her and block her view as they reached the pinnacle and the train seemed to pause at the top of the world before beginning its descent. She peeked out between his fingers and then the train was falling straight toward the earth at breakneck speed and they were screaming again. Liz squeezed her eyes shut as the ground rushed toward them and they were flying again, lurching left, right, up, down, Max’s screams every bit as loud as hers. After the longest three minutes of her life, the train pulled to a stop and it was over.

“Was that great or what!” Max exclaimed as he climbed out of the car and pulled Liz to her feet. “Which ride do you want to go on next?”

Her stomach was still in her throat and Liz looked at him like he was crazy. His eyes were shining with merriment and she’d never seen his face so animated before. It wasn’t just the grin that lit his face, or the way his eyes were sparkling that made her pause. There was an air of excitement about him that she didn’t think she had ever seen before. She suddenly realized that it wasn’t very often that she saw Max having fun. Just plain fun, without worrying about the future or the past or what he was and how that affected the people around him. She looked at him bubbling with excitement and acting like a kid, a guy without a care in the world, and she loved it. She loved seeing him this way.

“You pick this time, Max,” Liz smiled and slipped the map into his hand. “I’ll follow you anywhere you want to go.”

* * * * *

Nancy glanced over her shoulder at the two kids in the back seat. Liz had leaned her head on Max’s shoulder and his head rested against the top of her head. Their clasped hands rested on Liz’s thigh and Nancy felt the slight tug at her heart as she looked at their peaceful faces. They had fallen silent about twenty minutes before as the excitement of the day caught up with them and sleep claimed them. They had looked so cute together when they climbed off the shuttle coming back from Six Flags. She’d never seen Max so talkative and excited before. She was so used to seeing him serious and somber; it was nice to see him enjoying himself for a change.

“They still asleep?” Jeff asked as he glanced in the rear view mirror.

“Yes,” Nancy answered and turned her eyes toward her husband. “How much longer?”

“Not very long. You can smell the change in the air. The ocean’s just up ahead.” Jeff peered at his wife briefly and then his eyes returned to the road. “I think they’re having a good time, even if they are stuck with us.”

“I think so too,” Nancy agreed with a nod of her head. “I think I’ve seen Max smile more today than I’ve seen him smile in the last five years combined.” She looked back at Max with a solemn expression. “I wonder what his early life was like, before the Evans found him and his sister wandering out in the desert. Diane told me once that they have no memories of their early life. I wonder though.” She glanced at her husband again and then at the road in front of them. “I wonder if the memories are so awful that they just don’t want to remember.”

“Are you worried Nancy?” Jeff asked anxiously. “About his past coming back to haunt him, and maybe Liz getting hurt in the process?”

“I don’t know, Jeff,” Nancy admitted. “I just don’t know.” She stared out the window lost in thought for a few minutes and then she turned back to look at Max. She reached over the seat and gently touched him on the knee. “Max? Max, wake up.”

His head shot up and his unfocused eyes darted around him. For just a moment, Nancy was sure she had seen fear or alarm cross his face. Fear of what, she wondered? The look disappeared quickly as he became aware of his surroundings, and a sleepy smile softened his features, but that brief moment of fear on his face tugged at Nancy’s heart.

“We’re almost there Max. I didn’t want you to miss anything,” Nancy smiled.

“Thank you,” Max said sincerely and glanced down at Liz before turning to stare out the windows. Even as his neck stretched to look in all directions, his hand came up to touch Liz on the cheek in an intimate gesture. Nancy noticed how even with his attention diverted elsewhere, Liz was always foremost in his thoughts. His gentle nature assuaged her fears, knowing that Max could never hurt Liz, at least not intentionally.

Max rolled the window down slightly and then felt Liz stir next to him. She lifted her cheek from his arm and he smiled down into her angelic face. He really wanted to kiss her, but with her parents in the front seat he thought better of it. Instead, he settled for brushing his thumb over her full lips. She smiled knowingly and gave his palm a quick kiss before turning to look out the window.

They could smell the salt air and as the car crested a hill, the expanse of the Pacific Ocean came into view. The afternoon sun made the surface of the water sparkle and shine and Max was taken with the majesty of it all. The waves rolled into the shore, one after another crashing against the sand in its never ending ritual. Max watched it, spellbound by the rhythmic movements of the water.

“Wow,” Max mumbled softly feeling Liz give his hand a squeeze.

“It’s nice to get out of Roswell once in a while, isn’t it Max?” Nancy said smiling back at him.

“Yes, it certainly is,” Max answered with his eyes still fixed on the water. He turned to look at Liz and then her mother. “Can we . . . can we stop?”

“The restaurant is just up the road a couple of miles,” Jeff said looking at Max in the rear view mirror. “It has some nice beach access there. I thought Nancy and I could have a nice visit with my friend Bob and his wife while you and Liz maybe went and did some beach combing. How’s that sound?”

* * * * *

The ocean breeze ruffled through his hair as Max walked along the beach with Liz at his side. They had left their shoes near a pile of driftwood back by the restaurant and their toes sank into the warm sand. They walked without purpose, ambling along the uncrowded beach with no destination in mind. The air was pleasantly warm and the late afternoon sun cast their shadows onto the beach.

Max glanced sideways at Liz, once again taken by how beautiful she looked. Her dark hair trailed behind her, blown by the brisk sea air. She wore a pale yellow dress made of a gauze type material that fit her upper body snugly and then spread out in a full skirt that fell just below her knees.

Her small feet left an indentation in the damp sand near the waters edge. His own footprint was nearly twice the size of hers. His pants were rolled half way to his knees to keep them away from the water that surged around their feet with the incoming tide.

“You’re awfully quiet Max,” Liz said finally breaking the silence.

Max looked down at her pensively before looking out toward the western horizon again. He nodded slowly and then began to speak. “There’s something almost familiar about this,” Max said hesitantly. He wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to her about this. It was a topic they never really discussed.

“Tell me, Max,” Liz urged.

He turned to look at her again with a sad, melancholy look in his eyes. Looking over her head he noticed a stack of driftwood and he steered them over to it. He sat down on the sand with his back against the wood and with his hands in hers, he pulled her down until she was nestled comfortably between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her as she leaned back against his chest and they looked out over the expanse of the blue ocean spread out before them.

“Sometimes, I get images . . . memories I think, of the past,” Max began haltingly. He felt Liz stiffen slightly in his arms and he was reminded of exactly why he hadn’t wanted to talk to her about this, at least not now. He continued on, knowing she would insist he tell her what was on his mind. “I think my planet was a water planet, like Earth. Something about the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, and the sun setting in the west reminds me of . . .”

“Home?” Liz asked in a small voice.

“Yeah,” Max nodded his head. “It feels comfortable here, almost like I belong. But it was different there.” He was quiet for a moment and then he continued. “I’ve seen images of a moon that filled the entire sky and the waves that crashed on the beaches were huge compared to this. I think I must have lived near the water because I have memories of standing on the shore watching the sunset, or strolling along the sand in the moonlight.”

“What else do you remember Max?” Liz asked as she dipped her head to stare at the back of his hand.

He knew what she was asking. If his memories of his former life were coming out, was he remembering his wife . . . Tess. His finger touched her under her chin and lifted her face up to look at him.

“There’s one thing I remember clearly, Liz,” Max said with his eyes locked on hers.

“What, Max?” she asked so quietly that he could barely hear her.

“I remember being lonely. So very lonely,” Max answered truthfully.

“Max . . .” Liz sighed with compassion as she looked into his eyes. She had felt that loneliness in him before through the connection that they shared.

“I think I was always waiting for something, Liz. It wasn’t the keys to a kingdom, and it wasn’t a princess bride.” Max cupped her cheek with his hand as his eyes searched her face. “I think I was always waiting for you.”

“Max . . .” Liz tried to say around the lump that had formed in her throat.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense,” he pressed on. “For all we know, my planet could be on the other side of the universe. But I do know this Liz. I wasn’t happy there. I needed something I didn’t have. I needed you.”

Liz stared at him through her tear filled eyes. She had seen such sadness in him before. Sadness that no one as kind and gentle as he was should ever have to bear. “After you healed me, you came to see me at the Crashdown. You wanted me to know that you hadn’t changed. That you were still the same Max Evans that I’d always known. That was the first time we connected and I saw how lonely you were inside. Is that what it felt like? Was that the kind of loneliness you felt on your home world?”

Max looked at her with a sad smile. “Multiply it by about a million. You see Liz, here, even though I didn’t have you, I got to see you everyday. I got to be near you everyday. I could hear the sound of your laughter in the air. I could breathe you in when you walked by me. All those things kept me alive, Liz. On my home world, I had nothing.”

Liz was speechless as the lump in her throat intensified. The love he felt for her was astounding. Liz was deeply bothered by the desolation she could hear in his voice. “But you had Isabel and Michael . . . and Tess. She was your wife, your bride. You must have loved her.”

“I don’t really remember Isabel or Michael. When I think of them I get only vague impressions of betrayal and distrust. As far as Tess goes . . . the only memories I have are of duty. I don’t think I ever really loved her. My heart was always waiting . . . for you.”

“Max?” Liz asked, resting her head against his chest and looking up at him with shimmering eyes.

“Yeah?” Max answered unable to tear his eyes away from the woman he had spent at least two lifetimes waiting for, dreaming of, wanting.

“I never knew what love was until I saw it in your eyes.”

Her words replayed over and over in his mind as they sat and watched the sun on its daily journey into the sea. This was a place that felt like home, but that home had been a sad place. It was a place of the past, and without the love that he had found in this life none of it really mattered anyway.

“Someday, they’re going to ask you to go home,” Liz said softly as she stared out at the orange tinted horizon. “Have you thought about what you’ll do then?”

“That depends on you,” Max said taking her small hand in his.

“Me?” Liz asked looking up into his eyes.

“It depends on whether you’d come with me or not, because I can’t bear to be without you. I love you Liz,” Max said empathetically. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

“I won’t Max,” Liz said with passion. “I’d go anywhere you asked me to go, do anything that you asked me to do. You’re the love of my life. Nothing will ever change that.”

He smiled at her then, a smile that told the story of a man that had found the one thing that he had always wanted. It wasn’t fortune and it wasn’t fame. It wasn’t power and it wasn’t dominance. All he ever wanted was to love, and be loved, by the woman he was holding in his arms. As long as he had that, his world was complete.



TBC...

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 28


Max tried to watch nonchalantly from his poolside lounger as Liz slipped out of the little sundress she had over her bathing suit. She draped it over the foot of her lounger and stretched out languidly as the sun warmed her skin. Saturday had arrived as another beautiful California day with the temperatures hovering near 80 degrees and Liz looked relaxed in her black tropical print bikini. Max smiled thinking about the many facets of Liz. She could be Miss Alberta Einstein one minute, blushing biker babe the next, and now seeing her stretched out beside him she looked the epitome of a California beach bunny.

Max reached for her hand and entwined his fingers between hers. He noticed the smile that spread over her face and he couldn’t help his own wide grin when she turned to look at him. He leaned over and kissed her quickly before settling back on his own lounger to let the sun soak into his skin. They lay in comfortable silence for a while until the heat of the sun turned Max’s thoughts to the tantalizing water in the pool. He turned to Liz with a devilish glint in his eyes. She looked so peaceful and relaxed as she soaked up the sun and the impish side that he rarely showed just couldn’t resist. He bolted to his feet and scooped Liz into his arms before she even had time to blink.

“What are you doing, Max!” Liz yelled, startled out of a near doze.

“You look like you’re getting too warm,” Max said with a grin. “I think you need to cool off!”

“No, Max! NO!” Liz pleaded as his long strides took them right to the edge of the pool. She was kicking her legs and pounding her fists against his chest. “No, the water’s too cold! I’ll get my hair wet!” His eyes had that teasing quality in them and she knew he was going to do it. “MAX! NO!” She had time to scream one last time before he heaved her small body out of his arms and right into the deep end of the pool.

She came up sputtering for air at the shock of the cool water against her sun baked skin. She wiped the water from her eyes just in time to see Max make a perfect dive into the water headed straight for her. She screamed and laughed at the same time as she turned to swim away from him. He came up underneath her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her below the surface with him. She fought against him for a moment and then his face appeared in front of hers. Her hair floated all around her and he held her in his arms as they drifted to the surface. Their heads broke above the water with their eyes locked on each other and their lips moving closer and closer together until they touched.

Their kiss was tender as he placed his lips gently on hers. With the water too deep for her to touch the bottom, Liz draped her arms over his strong shoulders and leaned into him. His incredibly lean body felt so strong and sensual and Liz was swept away once again by the feel of him. His gentle kisses were teasing her, giving her only a fraction of what she knew he had to offer her.

He could feel the intensity increasing as she lifted her legs to wrap around his waist. He buried his hands in her wet hair and brought his mouth hard against hers. They were oblivious to the sights and sounds around them as they lost themselves in their desire for each other.

“Daddy look!” a young girl exclaimed as she and her father made their way to the pool. “Look what I can do Daddy!” The girl jumped from the side of the pool, pulling her knees up against her chest and pinching her nose between a finger and a thumb. She hit the water with a tremendous force for such a small body and the splash drenched Max and Liz. They came up for air wiping the water from their startled faces and wondering what the hell had just happened.

Max pulled Liz to the shallow end of the pool and as she started to climb out of the water he squeezed her hand as he sat down on the steps.

“Let’s just sit here for a couple of minutes,” Max said as he gazed down into the water.

Was his face red from too much sun, Liz wondered? He lifted his eyes up to look at her and she saw his embarrassment. Looking further down, she suddenly saw why.

“Not ready to get out of the water yet, huh?” Liz teased as she sat next to him on the steps. His swim trunks were showing quite a bulge, and it wasn’t from a pocket of trapped air. Liz rested her hand on his inner thigh and smiled mischievously as her fingers moved along his skin.

“That’s not helping,” Max laughed lightly as he grabbed her hand away from him.

“But Max, it’s so much fun,” Liz teased again.

“Fun?” Max said and arched his eyebrows. “You’re not the one who can’t get out of the water! At least not if we want to keep things rated “G” around here. Families are present, you know.”

“Yeah,” Liz said with a nod of her head. “I noticed. That little girl’s probably peeing in the pool right now.”

“Okay, that worked,” Max said looking down at his rapidly deflating shorts. Max grabbed her small hand in his and led her back to the loungers. They stretched out side by side once more to let the sun dry their skin.

“Hey kids,” Nancy called as she walked across the tiles. “Don’t you get enough sun back in Roswell?”

“Mom, this is California sun,” Liz said meeting her mother’s smile. “It’s a requirement to lay in the sun when you are on vacation here.”

“I see,” Nancy responded with a laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t know the rules. Honey, your Dad and I thought we’d go do a little sight seeing. We want to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mann’s Chinese Theater. Do you two want to come along?”

Liz looked at Max and sensed his hesitation. They didn’t mind doing things with her parents, but it was nice laying here together by the pool. “I think we’ll just stay here Mom. I don’t want to feel rushed when it’s time to get ready for the concert, you know?”

“Okay, honey.” Nancy said with a wave as she turned to leave. “We’ll see you in a couple of hours then. I might even get your Dad to take me over to Rodeo Drive and buy me something really expensive!”

They watched her leave and then they both settled back against the loungers and closed their eyes to enjoy the warm sun. Max sought Liz’s hand and slid his palm against hers. Their eyes popped opened at the same time and they turned to look at each other.

“A couple of hours?” they said together and sat up quickly. They looked toward the empty doorway her mother had just walked through and in less than a blink of an eye, they gathered their things together and raced upstairs.

Max stood behind Liz kissing the back of her neck as she tried to insert the key card into the lock of their hotel room. His hands were on her hips and he was leaning his body into hers.

“Max, I can’t concentrate,” Liz sighed as his lips brushed against her throat. The lock flashed red again denying them entrance and Max gently turned it around so that the arrows on the face of the card were pointing the right direction.

“Try it now,” he whispered seductively into her ear.

His naked chest was flush against her back touching her own bare skin and her hand was nearly trembling as she inserted the key card once again. The green light finally flashed and she push into the room with Max right behind her. He swept her into his arms pressing his mouth hungrily against hers as his tongue slipped between her sweet lips. The door slammed shut behind him and they stumbled further into the room. As they reached the foot of the nearest bed, Max and Liz fell as one onto the bedspread. He pinned her beneath him feeling the hot skin of her nearly naked body under his own burning flesh. His lips moved slowly down her throat to the valley between her breasts trailing soft kisses and tasting her with his tongue. He lifted her higher onto the bed until her head was resting on the pillow. Her urgent need for him was momentarily abated when she realized he had stopped kissing her as he stared at the pillows.

“What’s the matter?” she asked breathlessly.

“I can’t make love to you,” Max said in a strained voice.

“What? Why?” Liz asked in disbelief.

Max focused his tension filled eyes on her and took a ragged breath. “I can’t make love to you in the same bed I sleep with your Father. Wait a minute. That didn’t come out right.”

“What did you say?” Liz said as she fought back the laughter.

“Sleep NEXT to your Dad, not with him,” Max corrected. “Oh, you know what I mean!” Max felt the blush creep up his neck and into his cheeks as she laughed even harder. He rolled off the bed and stood in the space between the two beds. “We have to use yours.”

“So you’re telling me you can make love to me in that bed that I share with my Mom, but we can’t make love in this bed because you sleep in it with my Dad,” Liz said as he pulled her to her feet. “Why?”

“Because it’s different,” Max replied.

“What makes it different?” Liz asked bemused.

“I don’t know,” Max insisted. “It just IS!” Liz laughed softly at the strained look on his face. He definitely had issues with her father, she decided.

“Okay, my bed,” Liz said as she cupped the sides of his face and pulled his head down to her. His features softened and his lips turned up in a nervous smile. His arms wrapped around her once again and Liz slid her hands down his back and under the band of his swim trunks. His shorts fell to the floor around his ankles and she felt his growing erection pressing into her belly. His kiss became more urgent and then he picked her up and laid her gently in the middle of the bed. He looked down into her beautiful face, the face he loved more than anything in the world, and his heart beat wildly as he saw the same love shinning back at him from her eyes.

She stared up into his passionate face and her pulse began to race. His body hovered above her and then his eyes dropped to her lips and his head slowly descended toward her. As his lips touched hers, a sigh of pleasure passed between them. His weight settled onto her and the kiss deepened as the feel of their skin touching increased their need. His hand caressed her delicate throat and then moved along the smooth skin of her shoulder. His fingers slid the strap of her bikini off her shoulder and then he pulled away from her.

He unclasped the bikini top and pulled it free, absently setting it on the bed beside him as he stared at her perfection. His fingers hooked under her bikini bottom and pulled it down her legs and set it aside.

His breath caught in his throat once again as he looked at her flawless body. Her skin was so smooth and supple and her eyes begged for him to touch her. His hands parted her legs and his thighs settled between hers. His hands cupped her breasts and then his lips descended to caress her hard pouty nipples. He pulled at her gently, listening to the moans deep in her throat and feeling her back arch up to him. She was so easily aroused it made it difficult for him to hold back. He released her breast and hovered above her, gazing down into her smoldering eyes. They had time to take things nice and slow, but seeing her body tremble with desire filled him with the need to enter her swiftly. He prepared to slide into her moist depths, when they heard the click of the lock and the door to the room suddenly opened.

“I think I left it on the night stand,” Nancy told Jeff as she opened the door. “Either there, or on the table by the window.”

Panic filled Max at the sound of the familiar voice and he collapsed onto Liz trapping her underneath him. He could see her eyes growing huge with shock and they both turned to see the door inching open further and further. Their naked bodies clutched at each other desperately knowing they had no time to hide when suddenly Max’s base instincts kicked in and he threw his hand out in front of him. The air around them began to shimmer and glow with a soft blue radiance. He pressed a finger against Liz’s lips and shook his head almost imperceptibly. ‘They can’t see us’ Max mouthed silently to Liz. Don’t move, don’t make a sound, don’t even breathe, Max kept repeating silently to himself.

Nancy walked into the room and headed to the nightstand between the beds. Max watched her every move with his heart racing in his chest. Whatever it is, dear God find it fast, Max prayed. He wasn’t sure how long he could continue to shield them from view. This was a new power for him, born from necessity. Were they shielded on all sides? Nancy stood next to them leaning over the nightstand and rested her hand on the bed just inches from Max’s arm.

With his weight pressing down on her Liz could barely breathe. Max knew he was crushing her and he tried to shift his weight slightly. The bed creaked and they both held their breaths waiting for Nancy to turn in their direction.

“Where is it?” Nancy mumbled as she peered at the nightstand. She opened the drawer and then closed it. She knelt down between the beds and lifted the bedspread on Jeff’s bed. She looked underneath wondering if maybe it had gotten knocked to the floor.

Liz covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes closed. ‘This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening . . .’ she kept repeating in her mind. She could feel Max trembling as he tried to keep from crushing her, while at the same time trying not to make a sound.

Max watched Nancy turn in his direction. What if she lifted the bedspread on this bed, he thought to himself? Would she be able to feel that something was weighing the bedspread down? What if she tried to sit down on the bed? What if they decided to stay in the room? OH GOD, WHAT IF THEY DID’T LEAVE? Sweat, caused by fear and stress, began to break out on his brow.

Jeff walked into the room and headed toward the table by the window. Max concentrated hard, trying to keep the shield strong around them. “I don’t see it here,” Jeff said as he searched through the bags on the table. “Are you sure you didn’t put it in your purse?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Nancy answered with a touch of irritation in her voice. “You saw me look there already.” She lifted the bedspread on her bed and looked underneath. She picked up Max’s swim trucks and frowned slightly. Wasn’t Max wearing these a few minutes ago down by the pool? They even still felt damp around the waistband. “Are the kids still down by the pool?”

Jeff opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the balcony. “I don’t see them.”

“Hum, I wonder where they went so fast,” Nancy said curiously. “I better hang these up so they’ll dry.” She headed into the bathroom and draped his shorts over the shower bar.

“Do we really need to take pictures?” Jeff said as he closed the slider and stepped back into the room. Max watched in horror as Jeff bent down and sat on the end of the bed. Max pulled his feet up trying not to make any rustling sounds.

“Yes, we do,” Nancy called from the bathroom. “Here it is! I remember now. I set the camera on the counter in here when I used the bathroom right before we left.” She came into view holding the camera out in front of her.

“Do we really have to go sight seeing?” Jeff said as he grabbed Nancy by the hips and pulled her between his legs. “I think all the sights I want to see are right here in this room. I know what kind of pictures I want to take.”

‘Oh dear God,’ Liz thought to herself. Her father was nuzzling her mother just two feet away from her. He’s talking sexual banter! Sweet Jesus, he’s trying to pull her mother down onto the bed! She’d never be able to look through the family photo albums again without remembering what kind of pictures her dad just said he wanted to take!

“Jeff, behave yourself!” Nancy chided him. “The kids might show up at any time.”

‘That’s an understatement’, Max thought as he stared at her parents. When his concentration lagged he could see the shield start to lose its integrity.

“Okay, let’s go then,” Jeff said as he pushed Nancy away from him. “Besides, I’ve got you all alone tonight while the kids are at the concert.” Max and Liz watched her parents as they left the room and they breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“Oh my God!” Liz exclaimed as Max rolled off of her. “What did you do, Max? Did you mind warp my parents?”

She was staring at him with relief that they hadn’t been caught, but there was something else he saw there too. Was it anger that he saw in her eyes? Distrust? While he expected her to be tense and scared by almost getting caught, the tension that he could sense in her went far deeper than that.

“No,” he said and tried to cup her cheek with his hand. She brushed his hand aside and anger flashed in her eyes. “No Liz, I didn’t mind warp them. Liz? What’s wrong?”

“If it wasn’t a mind warp, then what was it?” Liz asked in a trembling voice. She had drawn her knees up to her chest and Max could feel her closing herself off from him.

He could see tears shimmering on the surface of her eyes and it suddenly dawned on Max what this was about. Tess had used the mind warp to make him see things she wanted him to see. She used it to manipulate people for her own advantage, and more than once she had used it on him to make him see the two of them in compromising positions. Tess had thought that Max would fall into her arms after seeing a planted image of them in a sexual situation like that day in the Bio Lab last year, but it hadn’t worked. Even though it hadn’t, the mind warp was an alien power that left Liz feeling vulnerable and defenseless.

“Liz, it wasn’t a mind warp. I don’t know how to do that.” Max held her face between his hands and she didn’t resist him this time. “I panicked when your parents came in the room and something just kicked in, instinct maybe, and suddenly I knew how to bend the light around us so they couldn’t see us. I swear Liz, I didn’t mess with their minds. I just changed the way the light refracted around us and created a little pocket of . . . of invisibility.”

“You made us invisible?” Liz asked and Max nodded his head. “Well that came in handy,” she sighed as she tried to calm down.

“Yeah, it did, didn’t it.” Max relaxed as he felt her anger and hurt subside. He knew anything associated with Tess would always be a sensitive issue between them. To counteract that, he would just have to make sure that Liz never had any reason to question his feelings for her.

“Max?” Liz said finally letting herself lean against him for comfort.

“Yeah,” he answered as he closed his eyes briefly. He knew their moment of intimacy had passed, overshadowed by her parents walking into the room, but he was content just to hold her close to him.

“If you’re going to develop any new powers, I really think that freezing time is the best way to go.” She looked up at him with big innocent eyes and he couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll work on that,” Max said with a laugh as he held her tightly in his arms.

[Breathless]

A Special Kind of Love
Part 29


Max sighed contentedly as he finished his sandwich and pushed his plate aside. Even with the fiasco earlier in their room, it had been a really good day. Just being with Liz made it perfect. He watched her as she nibbled on the last bites of her sandwich and he marveled that he was even sitting here with her. He had dreamed of this so often over the years, always certain she could never love someone like him, but still dreaming just the same. Now, seeing the love shining in her eyes, his whole body sighed contentedly.

“I need to run upstairs,” Liz said as she finished her meal.

“Okay,” Max replied. He took a close look at the bill and then signed his name and entered their room number.

They left the restaurant hand in hand and waited patiently at the elevators. A man holding a briefcase joined them and it was immediately apparent that he was in a foul mood. Max recognized him from earlier when he had made a spectacle of himself at the front desk. Something about his room had been wrong, and he wanted to make sure everyone within earshot was aware of it. Max had never had patience for someone who thought they were better than everyone else, and this man just grated on his nerves.

The elevator door slid open and Liz started to step inside. The man pushed her aside as he entered the elevator, making Max seethe with anger. Liz squeezed his arm and Max had to take a deep breath to keep from strangling the asshole. At the next floor a mother entered carrying a small baby. The child was fussy and the young mother looked at them apologetically.

“I’m sorry, he’s teething,” she said as if that explained it all.

“You should keep the damn brat home,” the man hissed and Max was tempted to put his hands around the guy’s throat and squeeze the life right out of him. When the doors opened again, he barreled his way out of the elevator and the three of them were left staring after him speechless.

“Some people shouldn’t bother getting out of bed in the morning,” the woman replied and Max just shook his head in disbelief at the man’s attitude.

Max and Liz left the elevator and headed toward their room, all the while Max was watching the asshole as he entered his room. They passed by him as they walked down the hall and suddenly Max came to a halt. He couldn’t let the actions of that idiot go without retribution.

The room number was 527, just a few doors down from their own, Max noted. He walked up and listened at the door, hearing only mumbling inside. Whatever this creep’s problem was, getting along with others was a big one. Max didn’t normally get involved in this sort of thing, but the guy pushed his buttons. He stood outside the door, picturing what the room looked like inside. As he concentrated, his mind’s eye could see the dresser drawers flying open. Max heard the occupant curse and he concentrated on the water turning on in the shower and the sink. After a few minutes of unexplained phenomena, Max was satisfied to see the man leave with not only his briefcase, but his suitcase as well. Max and Liz followed the man down to the front desk and listened as he checked out of the hotel.

“Just hurry it up,” the man barked to the hotel clerk. “I want to get the hell out of here.”

Max looked down at Liz with a smile across his face. He casually walked up to the front counter and asked for reservations. “Um, we have a room on reserve. It’s listed under the name Parker. Can you tell me if one has become available yet?”

The clerk accessed the computer and after a minute he looked up at Max with a smile. “As a matter of fact, one room has just opened up. It’s on the same floor as the room you have now, just as you requested.”

“Good. That’s great. Can I get the key now?” Max asked.

“I’ve just dispatched room service to get the room cleaned, but I can certainly give you your key now. The room should be ready for occupancy in about an hour.” The clerk had Max sign the reservation form and then handed him the key card.

“Thanks,” Max said and turned back toward the elevators. “At least I get one night where I don’t have to sleep with your Dad,” Max laughed softly.

* * * * *

Liz stood in front of the bathroom mirror putting on the last of her makeup. She finished with her lip gloss and stepped back to assess how she looked. Her hair was piled on her head and little wisps cascaded down around her shoulders. Her cheeks had a rosy glow, partly from the sun earlier in the day, and partly from the light dusting of blush she had applied. She didn’t normally wear very much makeup, but tonight she wanted to look perfect for Max.

Her dress was deep black and form fitting, with thin spaghetti straps. It showed just enough cleavage to be interesting, without going too far. She smoothed the fabric over her hips and then turned so she could see how she looked from behind. Was her dress too tight? Did her butt look too big? Would Max be disappointed by how she looked?

“Oh honey, you look beautiful,” Nancy said from the bathroom doorway.

“Do I look okay Mom?” Liz asked uncertainly.

“Max is going to think he’s died and gone to heaven when he takes a look at you,” Nancy smiled encouragingly.

“Thanks Mom,” Liz smiled self-consciously. “Can you help me with this?”

Nancy took the rose pendant out of Liz’s hand and draped it around her neck. She clasped it securely and then the delicate rose rested just above the fullness of her breast. Liz smiled, remembering the day that Max had given it to her and how happy he had been when he realized how much she liked it.

“Who’s this super model standing in my bathroom?” Jeff asked from the doorway. His little girl looked so grown up and his smile reflected his mixed emotions.

“I’m too short to be a super model, Dad,” Liz replied feeling embarrassed by his remark. Just then she heard a knock on the door and her heart began to race. Her father gave her a knowing smile and he left to open the door. She could hear Max’s soft voice coming from the hallway and the butterflies in her stomach took flight. She stepped out of the bathroom and held her breath as she heard his voice coming closer.

Max stepped into the room and the words on his lips froze as his eyes fell on her. She was a vision, standing in front of him. He’d never seen her looking more beautiful. Her dark hair was pulled up and it gave her supple neck and shoulders a regal appearance. Her dress fit her perfectly, accentuating her delicate body, and her high heels lent her an air of sophistication. His breath caught in his throat and he was left totally speechless.

Her eyes were riveted to him as he stood before her looking elegant and refined. He wore a dark green jacket with a matching shirt and tie and Liz noticed how it brought out the depth in his eyes. The light in the room highlighted his rich skin tones and his dark hair framed his face perfectly. His hand was casually tucked into the pocket of his black slacks and he slowly pulled it free as he straightened up, staring at her as if he’d never seen her before.

“Don’t you two look gorgeous together,” Nancy said breaking the silence. “I need a picture.”

Liz slowly walked up to Max and their eyes remained locked on each other. Neither even noticed as her mother scurried around the room looking for the camera. They didn’t see the flashes as she snapped picture after picture and she finally had to shake Max on the arm to get his attention.

“Turn this way, Max,” she said and he had to tear his eyes away from Liz. “Now smile. Both of you.” They posed for pictures and when the roll of film was finished, Nancy set the camera on the bed.

“We better go now,” Max said finally finding his voice. He guided Liz to the door and she grabbed a light jacket as they passed by the closet.

“When can we expect you back?” Jeff asked as they stepped into the hall.

“Late,” Liz said with her eyes still locked on Max. “We’ll be back late.”

“Late?” Jeff asked turning to look at Nancy. “What does late mean?”

“Late means they’re old enough to take care of themselves,” Nancy said closing the door.

* * * * *

Max followed behind the usher as they were shown to their seats in the VIP section. He was surprised that Alex had gotten them such great tickets, but knowing important people definitely had its advantages. Max looked at the faces around him as they took their seats. He noticed a pretty blonde with a familiar face sitting just a few seats away, and the dark haired guy sitting next to her was giving Liz an appreciative look.

“Is that who I think it is?” Max whispered into Liz’s ear and she followed his gaze. “Isn’t she in that vampire show on TV? Buffy something?”

“Oh my God Max, I think you’re right,” Liz whispered back excitedly. “That’s the first Hollywood celebrity I’ve ever seen. This is so cool! And that’s her boyfriend next to her. Prinze I think.”

“Well that prince has been giving you the eye ever since we walked in here,” Max said with a touch of jealousy in his tone. Max saw him nod his head in Liz’s direction and he tightened his grip on her hand.

“What do I care about a prince when I have a king all to myself?” Liz said staring up into his eyes with a smile spreading over her face.

Max was surprised when she said that. She never really talked about him that way, as a King, a member of the Royal Four. He knew that was a part of his life she felt uncomfortable with, something that set him apart, and he knew she questioned her right to be by his side. Maybe this was a first step for her, a step that said she not only accepted everything about him, but her right to be there with him too.

The house lights went down and the crowd hushed in anticipation. The concert began, and with the familiar songs came the memories. Max remembered his climb up to her balcony on that fateful night over a year ago. He had known what he wanted to do, and his body had been trembling, wondering what it would feel like to touch his lips to hers.

He’d taken Liz into his arms that night with the gentle sounds of Gomez playing in the background, and he’d kissed her for the first time. He’d pulled away quickly, partly from his own fears and partly to gauge her reaction to him. Her eyes were trusting and willing and he’d leaned into her again, taking the kiss deeper, sensing it was what she wanted too. He’d held her in his arms, feeling her body close to him and that night, for the first time in his life, he’d felt himself truly come to life.

Max draped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against him. From their seats in the second row, center stage, Max and Liz watched spellbound as the night progressed. As the concert drew to a close, the lead singer stepped to the front of the stage.

“We have a special dedication tonight to a very special couple. They’ve come a long way to be here together tonight and this song holds a special meaning to them. So, for Max and Liz, this song is for you…”

We came, we came, we came again
To stem the tide and point the blame
Came back for more
Came back to see what you had in store
Everyone join the line, everyone
Yeah

So you want to spin the world around
So you want to spin the world around . . .

Liz lifted her face to look up at Max with tears shimmering in her eyes. His face showed his surprise and his pride and his love. His hand cupped her cheek and their foreheads leaned together as they listened to the song that held such a special meaning for them. The concert came to a close and Max and Liz were escorted backstage to meet the band. As exciting as that was, Max found himself unable to take his eyes off the woman that he adored. As the evening came to an end, Max and Liz walked the short distance back to the hotel with their heads filled with the sounds of a memorable night.

“It was a wonderful night, wasn’t it?” Liz said to Max as the elevator doors opened onto their floor.

“It doesn’t have to be over yet,” Max said coming to a stop near the door to his room. His arms were surrounding her and his lips were close to her ear. “I don’t want to be alone,” he whispered. “Not yet.”

“Me either,” Liz whispered back.

Max waved his hand over the lock to enter his room and pulled Liz in with him. The door closed softly behind him and he took the time to securely fasten the locks. He took Liz into his arms and just held her, remembering the sights and sounds of the night and how proud he had been to be seen with her on his arm. Knowing that she belonged to him and he belonged to her filled his heart with joy. This birthday present that she had given him, coming here away from all the craziness that they had to deal with everyday, had been a godsend for him, for them both really, and he would cherish these memories for the rest of his life. He held her close to him, breathing in the rich flavors of her scent, yet he kept his passions in check. He wanted her, he wanted her everyday of his life, but tonight was about forging a bond between them that went beyond the physical. It was the mental connection, the bond that they shared that he craved the most, because through that bond he knew they could never be parted.

“I couldn’t have had a better birthday present, Liz,” Max said huskily. “Everything . . . I mean everything was perfect.”

“I’m so glad, Max. I wanted it to be special for you. I wanted it to be something that you could always remember.” Liz lifted her head and looked into his penetrating eyes. It was his eyes that had first drawn her to him. They were the windows to his soul and tonight his soul looked like it was floating on air.

“I’ll always remember tonight,” Max said with certainty. “I’ll always remember how beautiful you look, and how proud you made me feel, and how I wanted this night to last forever.”

“It’s not over yet,” Liz said gazing deeply into his eyes. She wasn’t ready for the night to end yet either. She craved the closeness that they shared when their bodies became one and if he wasn’t going to make the first move, then she would. Her hands went to his tie and slowly loosened the knot. His eyes closed and he breathed deeply, trying to control his emotions. He felt her fingers pull his tie free and then work at the buttons on his shirt.

“Liz . . .” Max said with a passion filled voice.

“Max . . . I never knew what love really was, until you showed me.” She leaned her forehead into him and she felt his warm breath in her ear. Her hands pulled his shirt free from his body and it fell to the floor behind them.

“Liz . . . I don’t want you to think that all I want is . . .” Max couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was never about sex with him. Sex wasn’t important. Making love with her was everything. Sharing that special connection that they had, peering into the depths of each other’s souls, that was what he wanted. It was the connection to her that he needed.

“Shhhhhh,” Liz quieted him. Her hand found the belt on his pants and she released it. His pants pooled around his ankles and he felt his manhood stirring beneath his shorts. Unable to resist, his hands found the zipper to her dress and slowly pulled it down her back. The thin straps that held the dress up fell off her shoulders and the dress soon made its way to the floor. She slipped her feet out of her high heeled shoes and he towered over her protectively.

“Oh God, Liz . . .” Max sighed as he gazed down at her beautiful body.

“Make love to me, Max,” Liz whispered. “Make me a part of you.”

Max picked her up and carried her the short distance to his bed. He tore the covers off and placed her in the middle of his sheets. He unclasped her black strapless bra, and then his fingers hooked under her pantyhose and pulled them free, removing the last barrier she had to her exquisite body.

He stretched out beside her, needing to taste her and feel her, and her hands slipped under the band of his boxers to remove his final article of clothing. He was still amazed that their relationship had ever progressed this far. He’d always dreamed of it, but to actually have her in his arms like this was pure bliss. She made his life worth living, and he was going to make sure she understood exactly what she meant to him each and everyday for the rest of their lives.

“I love you Liz,” he said with a voice thick with emotion. His fingers stroked slowly through her hair and then along the contours of her face. His eyes moved over her, taking in the shape of her cheeks and her chin and her lips and her eyes and even the little scar above her eyebrow, “I love you more and more everyday.”

“And I love you, Max. I can’t imagine spending my life without you.” She brushed his hair gently off his forehead as she looked up into his amorous eyes. Her fingers traced a path along his strong jaw and then down along his long elegant throat. His skin glowed in the soft light from the single lamp on the nightstand and the warmth of his body penetrated into hers. Her hand glided along the smooth skin of his chest and she could hear his sharp intake of breath when she circled his bronze colored nipple with her fingertip.

Max closed his eyes for a moment as he let the sweet sensations of her hand touching him course through his body. Her touch was silky soft, and as her fingers moved over his flesh his skin tingled in exhilaration. She brought him to life, both inside and out, and he wondered how he had ever survived all those years without her. Her hand moved along his arm and then to his hand where their fingers entwined. She brought his hand to her lips and she kissed his fingertips tenderly, one by one.

His hand slipped from hers and cupped her face to bring her closer. He leaned in and his lips slowly touched hers. His heartbeat quickened as her lips parted ever so slightly, opening herself to him. His hand dropped down to her delicate neck and then lower still until the soft mound of her breast filled his palm. Her nipple was rigid and he could feel her sigh as his thumb stroked over her. His kiss deepened as her back arched into his hand and his tongue slid between her lips.

Liz felt his urgency increase as his weight leaned onto her more. Their legs were entwined and his hands roamed freely over her body stimulating her everywhere. His mouth hungrily took hers before moving down her throat on a tortuously slow journey to her breasts. She sucked in her breath as his mouth descended on first one hardened nipple and then the other. He pulled at her, sucking her into his mouth, tasting her, licking circles around her, teasing her with feather light touches that had her crying out his name. She squeezed his thigh between her legs as her ache for him built in intensity. His mouth moved over her body, kissing her, tasting her hot skin, touching her intimately with his hands and his lips and his tongue.

The moans that escaped from deep within her throat inflamed the passion that he was trying so hard to control. Her hands moved along his skin enticingly, touching his throat, his shoulders, his chest, drawing her nails slowly down the center of his back, kneading the muscles of his butt with her fingertips and squeezing his thigh between her legs. Her hand came around, slowly moving up his inner thigh and brushing lightly over his aroused form.

Max let out his own deep groan when he felt her fingers lightly touch him. Each time she touched him like this it was intoxicating to him. Her small hands could take him to heights he never knew existed. Her fingers on his chest, her hands on his hips, her nails scrapping across his back, all these things fueled his passion. Her hand closed over him again, stroking him slowly, and he trembled from her tantalizing touch.

“Make love to me, Max,” Liz whispered as she pulled his face up to hers. His touches and his kisses were driving her insane with need. She wanted to feel him inside of her, forming the bond that they both craved. Her hands flanked the sides of his face and their eyes locked on each other.

Max looked into her dark sultry eyes and felt himself being pulled into her very soul. She was completely open to him, mentally, physically, emotionally. Her heart belonged to him, her body was his for the taking, her mind was reaching into his to form the connection that they both wished would never end.

He shifted his body, slipping between her thighs and bringing his chest into direct contact with hers. The sensation of his skin touching hers felt like the most natural thing in the world, as if this was how it was always supposed to be. He stared down into her love filled eyes, watching them change as he slowly slid into her depths. The need that had been there a moment ago had been replaced by a look of such complete satisfaction, as if their bodies weren’t their own, but merely a part of a greater whole.

She could feel his mind merging with hers as he entered her, burying himself deep inside of her. She could hear his breath catch in his throat and his body sighed as he sought the place he felt most at home. His eyes stared down at her with such intensity as his body moved slowly inside her. She was everything to him, all that he lived for, all that he dreamed of, all that he wanted. His mouth covered hers, his kisses growing more insistent with every deep thrust into her body. Her inner walls held him tightly and his length plunged into her over and over. He whispered words of love to her, his Goddess, his Queen, his Love. Her tiny body was a temple that he worshipped at, adoring every inch of her sacred body and soul.

His mouth ravished her as he sought fulfillment deep inside of her. Her hands pulled at his hair, his shoulders, his back, settling on his hips as she raced up to meet him. He could feel her body quivering all around him, her chest, her thighs, her inner spaces, all building toward that moment of ecstasy. Her body collided with his again and again, rushing up to him as he bore down into her. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, breathing in her heady scent as they neared completion. Her moans increased in intensity, filling the room with her euphoria as he plunged rapidly into her.

Max could feel the burning desire deep inside of her bubbling to the surface. He took her with long, deep thrusts, moving faster as the tension between their bodies built to a pitch they hadn’t experienced before. This was a passion built not just on physical need, but an emotional bond stronger than any they had experienced before. He plunged into her, no longer worried about hurting her in his zeal. Her body was responsive to a degree he would have never thought possible. She arched up to meet him, taking all that he had to give her, murmuring his name repeatedly. He stroked into her hard and deep and she cried out as her orgasm took her to heights she’d never dreamed possible. He followed her there, his seed surging deep into the recesses of her body. They trembled together as they shared their physical sensations and their emotions merged and blended in their minds.

Afterwards, they lay together quietly, his body curled around hers, wishing she wouldn’t have to leave but knowing that she must. He longed for the day when he could make passionate love to her at night and wake up in the morning to do it again before starting yet another perfect day with her. Whatever hardship they would have to face in their lifetimes, as long as they had each other they would survive.

With regret, they dressed and Max walked her the short distance to her room. In a few hours they would be returning to Roswell, and all the stresses and uncertainties they faced everyday would resurface. But tonight, for one perfect night, they had loved and been loved. They had reached heights they never imagined possible, and they tasted just a fraction of what the future could hold.

A future they might not have . . .



TBC...

[Breathless]

Okay, hold on everybody. You knew the good times couldn't last. Things are about to get very bumpy!

A Special Kind of Love
Part 30


Max stood at his door wanting to take Liz into his arms, but knowing that her parents were watching them from the car. They had just arrived home from the airport and Liz had walked him up to his house so that she could say goodbye in some semblance of privacy.

“Max . . .” she said softly as she leaned into him.

“I know,” Max replied taking her hands in his.

Neither if them wanted to be apart. Being so close together the last few days had felt so right to both of them. Liz understood now why that future version of Max had said they became inseparable after they made love the first time. The bond that had developed between them was both physical and mental in nature, and the thought of being apart caused an ache deep inside them.

“I’ll call you later, after you get home,” Max said with a tremble in his voice. “And I’ll pick you up early tomorrow before school.”

“Okay-” Liz started to say when the front door suddenly opened.

“Max, you’re home!” Diane exclaimed. “Liz, you look so pretty. You two got some sun. Did you have a good time?” She was bubbling with excitement and Max couldn’t be upset with her for interrupting his moment with Liz.

“Come in, tell me everything,” Diane urged, curling her arm around Liz. “I made an early dinner. You can stay can’t you, dear? It’ll be ready in half an hour or so. Max can give you a ride home later, right Max?"

Liz looked from Diane’s twinkling eyes to Max’s smiling face. “I just . . . I need to see if it’s okay . . .” Liz stammered as she pointed at the waiting car. Diane’s enthusiasm had taken her completely by surprise.

“Sure honey, go ask your parents. I’m sure they won’t mind,” Diane beamed.

Liz ran back to the car and leaned into the passenger side window. After a moment she straightened up and waved as her parents pulled out of the driveway.

“Mom,” Max said holding her by the shoulders. “Have I ever told you I think you’re the best mother in the whole world?” He was grinning from ear to ear and he impulsively leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Diane watched him as he ran back to Liz, taking her hand and leading her back to the house. She could tell the weekend had been good for them. Over the last few weeks his life had drastically changed, for the better, all because of this little wisp of a girl. Max looked happier than she had ever seen him before, and Liz was fairly glowing as she looked up at him. Diane wasn’t sure if love at first sight or people fated to be together really existed, but looking at her son holding the hand of the girl he loved, she believed.

* * * * *

They sat around the dinner table finishing a fabulous meal and replaying all the events of the weekend.

“And he made me go on every single ride,” Liz exclaimed.

“Twice!” Max chimed in.

“The most amazing thing was that I didn’t throw up all over him!” Liz laughed.

“Well I thought you were going to when we did that loop-d-loop on the Viper,” Max added. “I didn’t know a person could actually turn that color of green.”

“And right after that you wanted to eat a chilidog. A chilidog! I was still queasy for an hour!”

“It sounds like you two had a great time,” Philip said pushing back from the table.

“We did,” Max and Liz said at the same time and everyone laughed.

“I really should get going,” Liz said finally. “Thanks for dinner. It was wonderful.”

“Well you’re very welcome, Liz,” Diane smiled. “We’ll have to do this again soon.”

“I’d love that.” Liz stood up from the table and Max followed behind her as she headed out the front door. Isabel followed behind Max and stood in the doorway watching him lift Liz into the jeep.

“Enjoy it while you can, brother,” she said under her breath. “It won’t last much longer.” The smirk on her face was cold and her eyes were hard.

* * * * *

“You can just drop me off right up here,” Liz said pointing to a spot across the street from the Crashdown. Max slowed the jeep and came to a stop on the side of the road. He reached for his keys to turn off the ignition when Liz stopped him with a touch of her hand.

“You don’t have to come in, Max,” she said smiling at him. “It’s late, and I still have to unpack and do laundry.”

“But-” Max protested.

“Max, if you come in I won’t be able to get anything done,” Liz looked at him with that knowing look.

“You’re right,” he admitted.

“So, I’ll see you in the morning. Early,” Liz said.

“Early,” Max repeated. “Very early. We have to get some quality time in the eraser room before class starts.” His eyes were smiling while he teased her.

“Max, I told you before, it’s not going to happen in the eraser room!” Liz scolded.

“We’ll see,” Max challenged and then he pulled her into his arms. “I’ll call you tonight, before you go to sleep,” he whispered in her ear.

“You better. I can’t live without hearing the sound of your voice,” she said as she nuzzled his ear.

“Me either,” Max said with a sigh.

“You can’t live without hearing the sound of your own voice?” Liz teased.

“You know what I mean,” he laughed. He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her deeply before letting her climb from the jeep. He watched as she crossed in front of him, never taking her eyes off of him as she stepped into the street. Her smile captivated him and he called out to her one last time.

“Hey!”

“Hey what?” she asked taking a step back toward him.

“I love you Liz Parker!” Max yelled for all the world to hear.

Liz walked back to the jeep and leaned into the window. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and planted a passionate kiss on his smiling lips. “I love you Max Evans. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t,” Max promised and watched her as she turned to run across the street. His smile said everything about how he was feeling. He loved the way she said his name. He loved the way she smiled at him. He loved the way her lips felt when she kissed him. He loved everything about her. She was his reason for existing.

His smile froze and then turned to horror as a truck came barreling around the corner. It was moving at a high rate of speed and Max watched transfix as his world fell apart. Liz stood immobile in the direct path of the truck and it slammed into her before Max had a chance to do anything.

“No,” he said, feeling the blood in his veins turn to ice. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” he screamed out seeing her body fly through the air like a rag doll. “OH GOD NO!”

He scrambled out of the jeep, tripping in his terror and going down hard on the pavement. He didn’t feel the cuts and scrapes on his hands and his arms as he struggled back to his leaden feet. All he could feel was the deadness inside him as he watched her limp body tumble to the ground with a sickening thud.

“LIZ, OH GOD, LIZ . . .” He didn’t notice the tears streaming down his face as he shoved aside a flock of people that were suddenly blocking his view of her. His body was shaking in grief and his voice was turning hoarse from crying out to her. Time slowed to a crawl. The sounds and the voices of the people around him made no sense.

“Poor girl . . . dead before she knew what hit her . . . to die so young . . .” What were they talking about? He had to get to Liz. He had to see that she was okay. That what he thought he saw, he didn’t really see at all. Surely she’d be sitting on the sidewalk rubbing her scrapped knee and wondering who the jerk in the truck was that almost ran her down.

He couldn’t have seen her body flying through the air. Not his Liz. No, that was something that couldn’t possibly be real. Liz was his life. She was his reason for being. He was going to ask her to marry him, to be his wife. She was supposed to share that little house on that quiet street with him. The house with a tricycle in the front yard and a red wagon in the driveway. If she had a scrape on her arm or a bruise on her face, he’d just have to fix her. She couldn’t possibly be . . .

He pushed the last gawker aside and collapsed to his knees next to her mangled body. Her legs were bent at the wrong angle. Her back was contorted unnaturally. Her head was turned oddly and her eyes were open and unseeing. Max lifted her into his arms and her head flopped back limply.

“NO . . . NO . . .” His mind refused to accept the evidence that was right in front of his face. “Liz, wake up. You have to wake up. Come back to me Liz. Come back to me.” He rocked her back and forth and his tears dripped onto her deathly white cheeks. “I can’t live without you,” he whispered in anguish. He set her body gently on the pavement and placed his hands on her neck. They glowed brightly and he tried to repair the damage her body had sustained. “Don’t leave me Liz,” he begged. “Please don’t leave me.”

He moved his trembling hands to her face and then cupped the back of her head. His eyes grew wider in horror as he felt the concave feel of her skull. “God, oh God no . . .” he cried mournfully over and over. His shaking hands continued to glow as he attempted to heal a body too damaged to be repaired. The crowd murmured around him, watching the strange and tragic spectacle. Hands began to pull at him desperately trying to get his attention.

“Max! Max, we have to go!” Tess shouted trying to get through to him. She grabbed his face between her hands trying to block his view of Liz. “Max, we have to go. NOW.”

Tess’s familiar face swam into view and it took a minute for the sound of her voice to reach him. He shook his head, his tears streaming down his cheeks and his body wracked by tremors. “I can’t leave her. I have to fix her. I have to make her well,” he cried as he looked up into her frightened face and then he grabbed desperately at the sleeve of her jacket. “Help me Tess. Please . . . help me make her whole again.”

“Max, listen to me,” Tess pleaded. “You can’t bring her back, Max. She’s dead. Look at her. Max,” she implored holding his face between her hands. “You can’t bring back the dead.”

“Nooooo . . .” Max broke down sobbing. “She can’t be dead . . .”

He collapsed in despair and Tess tried to cradle his head against her as wracking sobs tore through him. “We have to go, Max. Too many people saw what you tried to do. We have to go now.”

“I can’t leave her.” Max pulled away from Tess and picked Liz up in his arms. He held her against his chest and he closed his eyes as he rocked her gently.

“There’s nothing you can do for her now,” Tess tried to reason with him. A siren sounded in the distance and her eyes grew more frightened. “Max, it’s the police. Please, we have to leave.”

“Valenti . . .” Max mumbled with his face buried in Liz’s hair.

“It’s not Valenti.” Tess cried softly. “Max, that’s what I came to tell you. Max, listen. Please. The FBI came back to Roswell while you were in California. They’re here and they’re coming. You can’t stay here and get caught. Liz wouldn’t have wanted that.” She pulled his face up to look at her, pained by the desolation she saw in his eyes. “Liz wouldn’t want you to die too, not at the hands of the FBI. Max, you have to let her go. She would have wanted you to be safe. Max, let me help you.”

Tess pulled Liz’s broken body from his arms and set her gently on the ground. He numbly let Tess pull him away from her, away from the only thing he had ever loved. His life was over. It had no meaning anymore. He stumbled blindly toward the jeep and Tess helped him into the passenger seat. He covered his face with his hands but the shattered image of Liz was all that he could see.

* * * * *

Liz ran into the Crashdown and turned to wave at Max. A frown crossed her face when she saw him staring blankly into space. He’d been smiling at her when she crossed the street. Was something wrong now? She turned back toward the door, wondering if there was something he had forgotten to tell her.

“Hey Liz, come here! Tell me about your trip.” Michael called out from the kitchen.

Liz looked toward the kitchen and then back out the front windows of the Crashdown. Max hadn’t moved and his face looked like he was in pain. Liz stepped closer to the window and then saw Tess standing off to the side in the shadows, a few feet from the jeep. Her eyes were closed and it looked like she was deep in concentration.

“What the hell?” she mumbled under her breath. “Michael? Michael, come and look at this!” She could see Max clutching at his shirt with his fists and she was certain his face was wet. Was he crying? Frightened, she ran back to the kitchen to get help. “Michael, something’s wrong with Max. Come out here quick!”

Michael ran from the back of the restaurant pulling his bandanna off his head. He stood behind Liz and they watched Tess helping an obviously despondent Max into the passenger side of the jeep. He was bent over as if in pain and he leaned heavily against Tess like he couldn’t support his own weight. He looked like he was in anguish and as he sat down he covered his face with his hands.

“Michael, Max was fine a minute ago. Something’s not right here,” Liz said running for the door.

“Wait,” Michael shouted as they watched Tess put the jeep in gear and drive away quickly. “My bike is around back. Let’s go.”

Michael tore off his apron as they ran through the back of the Crashdown. He threw it and his bandanna on a counter and he fished in his pocked for his keys as they ran though the door to the alley. He grabbed his helmet and climbed on his bike while Liz slipped onto the seat behind him. She wrapped her hands around his waist and her body immediately went rigid. Dark images assailed her. Menacing images filled with violence and bleakness.

“What’s the matter?” Rath said narrowing his eyes as he felt her slipping off the seat of the bike.

“Nothing,” Liz said looking up into the face that looked like Michael’s, but wasn’t. “I just want to tell my Mom that I’m leaving . . .”

“We don’t have time for that. Let’s go before we lose them.” Tossing his helmet aside, Rath grabbed Liz and set her on the seat in front of him. Liz sat stiffly feeling his hot breath blowing on the back of her neck.

* * * * *

Tess pulled up to the back of the UFO Center and hurried around to Max’s side of the jeep. He was just sitting there, with his head lying against the back of the seat staring up at the darkening sky. He hadn’t said a word after he got in the jeep. He’d just sat there like a zombie with tears drying on his face. What was it about Liz that had captured his heart so, Tess wondered with a stab of jealously? He had never looked at her the way he looked at Liz. His voice never had that soft lilt to it when he spoke to her, the way it did when he talked to Liz. Even when they were in New York together, when he touched her hand or put his arm around her, she could always feel that his heart was somewhere else, his mind on someone else. Even in ‘death’, Liz owned his heart and soul.

“Give me the keys,” Max said flatly. He sat up and stared straight out ahead of him. “You and Isabel and Michael can run. Hide out somewhere until the FBI is gone. I’m going back. I’m going back to be with Liz.”

“Max, don’t talk crazy. You can’t do anything for her.” Tess touched him gently on the arm and he turned to meet her eyes. “She’s gone Max.”

“It doesn’t matter. I have to be with her.” His eyes were overflowing with unshed tears and then he held his hand out to her. “Give me the keys.”

“Max!” Isabel shouted as she burst through the back doors of the UFO Center. “Max, have you heard? The FBI came back. They’re looking for you. They’re looking for all of us!” She came to a stop near the jeep and when she saw the unresponsive look on his face she turned to Tess questioningly.

“Isabel,” she began looking from Max to his sister. “Liz is . . . Liz is dead.”

“Oh my God! How? When? Oh my God, Max,” Isabel stared at him in shock.

“I killed her,” Max spoke numbly as he stared blankly ahead of him. His face crumpled again and fresh tears streamed down his cheeks. “Oh God, I killed her. If I hadn’t called her back, if I’d just let her cross the street she wouldn’t be dead now. I killed her. I just wanted . . . and then the truck, and she was just standing there . . . all because I just wanted to kiss her one more time . . .”

“Oh Max . . .” Isabel said taking him into her arms. He sobbed against her shoulder, clinging to her like a drowning man. “Max, there’s only one thing we can do now. We have to use the Granilith to go home.”

“What?” Max asked shakily. “What are you talking about?” Had the whole world gone insane, he wondered? Liz was dead and Isabel was talking nonsense about the Granilith.

“Max, it’s not safe here for us anymore,” Isabel explained. “The FBI has come back for us. They showed up right after you and Liz left. They took Mom and Dad in for questioning and they’re ransacking the house right now. I snuck out the back and used the cell phone to call Tess to get you and Michael at the Crashdown and meet me here. We can’t stay here anymore Max.”

“No, I can’t leave . . .” Max said with a trembling voice.

“Max, there’s no reason to stay anymore.” Tess rested her hand sympathetically on his shoulder. “There’s nothing to keep you here. Liz is gone. All those people in the street saw you using your powers on her. If you stay, it’s just a matter of time before the FBI tracks you down.”

“But we don’t even know how to use the Granilith,” Max said shaking his head. His voice was trembling and he didn’t want to think about anything. His mind was trying to shut down. If he let himself think, he’d think of Liz. And if he thought of Liz, he’d see her broken body lying shattered in the street. If only he could take back that one moment in time. He sat up slowly and his eyes swam into focus. An idea was forming in the back of his mind. The Granilith . . .

“Isabel and I spent the weekend studying the book,” Tess tried to explain to him, “the book that shows us in it. Max, it shows how to use the Granilith to go home.”

Max stared at Tess but didn’t really see her. If he could figure out how to use the Granilith, he could bring Liz back. He could go back in time, just like his future self did before. He could make sure that Liz never crossed that street. He could stop that truck before it ended her life. He could make this nightmare end.

“Where’s Michael? Let’s go.” Max climbed out of the jeep and walked around to the driver side door. “Come on, let’s get out of here while we still can.”

Isabel turned her back and an ugly smile spread across her face. That had been even easier than she thought it’d be, Lonnie smirked. Max seemed eager to go to the Granilith. Maybe his bitch didn’t mean that much to him after all. Now, all she needed was for him to show her and Rath where the Granilith was, and with Max in tow, they had their ticket home.

* * * * *

Rath pulled to a stop in front of the UFO Center and slid off the bike. Without saying a word he held Liz by the upper arm and led her through the front doors and down the stairs. Her eyes grew wide with fear when she saw the place was full of people, people with peeling skin and menacing eyes. Skins. The room was full of Skins. Rath shoved her forward roughly and she fell into the crowd.

Her hands reached out to catch herself from falling and she was pushed from one person to the next, pin balling between them. As she bumped into one after another, dark images assailed her senses. Was this what the vision of Max’s mother had meant last May when she had said they would know the enemy by ‘The Evil Within’? These creatures were full of darkness and Liz shuddered as she felt the hate that was inside of them.

“Well, well, what have we here?” Rath leered as he looked Liz up and down. “I was hoping I’d have enough time to sample the King’s fair Lady, but sadly I have to be leaving soon. What a pity. I get the feeling there’s a lot of fire under that prissy exterior.” He grabbed Liz by the hair with one hand and groped her butt roughly with the other.

“Take your hands off me,” Liz said shoving him away from her. His eyes narrowed sharply and she thought he was about to hit her when he grabbed her by the arm. Instead, he set off across the room, dragging her along.

When they reached the other side, Rath stood in front of a large heavy metal door. “See this? This door is 12 inches thick. It’s got a center core of depleted uranium. Nothing can break through that. Not Max, not Michael, not even me. All your friends are behind that door. It’s time for you to join the party.” Rath smiled viciously and swung the door open. Liz got a brief glimpse of Maria and Michael against the far wall. Isabel jumped to her feet and Alex stepped protectively in front of her. Kyle stood off to the side looking miserable. Rath’s hand tightened painfully on her arm and shoved her into the room, slamming the door behind her.