Part 11
Liz began to cry uncontrollably as the weight of her secret became unbearable. Max pulled her into his arms and stroked his fingers through her hair trying to comfort her. He scooped his arms under her legs and picked her up holding her close to him. She buried her face against his chest and let a torrent of tears fall. Max sat on the edge of his bed and rocked her back and forth until her sobs began to lessen.
“Liz, I want you to tell me the truth,” Max softly implored. “I need you to talk to me. We can work anything out if we just trust each other and confide in each other.” He stroked his fingers through her hair with his cheek resting on her forehead. “We can do anything, as long as we’re together.”
“I can’t. I can’t tell you,” she sobbed.
“Liz,” he said gently. “Liz, look at me.” When she didn’t respond he lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes. “Listen at me. There’s something . . . special between the two of us, something I can’t explain. There’s a connection between us that I don’t believe exists between anyone else, anywhere. I believe that connection is there for a reason. And to fight it, to try to pretend that it doesn’t exist, is to reject who we are.”
“Max, you don’t understand . . .” Liz said through her tears.
“You’re right,” he brushed his thumb along her wet cheek. “I don’t understand. I make love to you night after night in my dreams and in the morning when I wake up, I have the marks on me that say it really happened even though I know it was only a dream. I feel your hand touching me and your voice in my ears when I know you’re not there. You tell me things in the dreams that you won’t tell me during the day. Things I don’t understand because they’re not explained. You talk about me telling you things I know I never said. You tell me you slept with Kyle but I know it isn’t true. When I kiss you, I know that there isn’t anyone else and never has been.”
“I want to tell you,” Liz said. “I want to tell you the truth.”
He took her hand in his, holding it close to his heart. “Then tell me. Who told you to lie to me?”
Liz sagged into him, unable to fight it any more. She closed her eyes and said in a trembling whisper, “You did.”
* * * * *
“So let me try to understand here. I came back from 14 years in the future to tell you that because of us, the world as we know it was about end.”
Liz nodded her head as she listened to Max repeat her explanation of the events that had brought them to this point.
“And I told you that you had to sacrifice yourself, your own happiness – our happiness – to prevent that from happening.” He was pacing now as he tried to absorb everything. He watched her nod her head and he continued. “How do you know it was even me? I mean, maybe it was a shape shifter, like before, when Nasedo pretended to be me,” he said looking at her hopefully.
“Max, it was you. I’d know you anywhere,” Liz smiled for the first time. Max pause, knowing that she was right. He pushed aside the papers on his bed and sat down beside her.
“So you were willing to give up everything, all that we meant to each other. Why?” he asked uncertainly.
Liz answered without hesitation. “Because you asked me to.”
In that moment it struck him that she would do anything for him, simply because he asked her to. That’s how much love and faith she had in him and he was humbled by the knowledge. He slipped his hand into hers and raised it to his lips, kissing her fingertips gently. As much as he wanted to believe it was all a lie, everything was starting to make sense now. “So you kept trying to set me up with Tess, thinking that if you stayed away from me, I would gravitate towards her and then she wouldn’t leave and the world would turn out right.”
“Yes, but you wouldn’t give me up, not even after the horrible things I said to you that night in your room,” Liz said lifting her hand to cup his cheek. “Things I never meant. So I got desperate, and I knew there was only one way to turn you away from me. One way that would hurt you so much that you would never be able to look at me the same again. So I made you think I slept with Kyle, on the night that should have been our night.”
“So, the night of the concert, the Gomez concert,” Max began carefully. “When I came to your room, we . . . would have made love.”
Liz nodded her head. “You, the future you, said you had protection with you that night.” After a short pause, she asked, “Did you?”
Max looked down at the small delicate hand he was holding in his and slowly nodded his head. “It’s not that I was planning anything. I don’t want you to think that.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers. “It’s just that I wanted you so much.” How, he wondered, could loving her and being loved by her possibly lead to something as horrible as what she described? He watched a tear fall down her cheek and he wiped it gently away with his thumb. “God, I’ve been such a fool. Can you ever forgive me for the way I’ve acted towards you? For not believing in you?”
“Oh Max,” Liz sighed. She placed her hand over his and kissed his palm.
Putting his arm around her, he kissed the top of her forehead and then pulled her close to him. “Liz, this bond between us is special, and I can’t believe we would be given this kind of gift if we weren’t meant to experience it together. We belong together. I’ve always known it. We can make this work. We know the danger we face now, and together we can find a way.”
“Max . . .”
“Tell me you believe it, Liz,” Max caressed her cheek with his hand. “Cuz I can’t bare the thought of being without you.”
“But you said-”
“I don’t care what the future version of me said. We’ll find a way to do this that doesn’t include me having to live my life without you.” Max felt relief when he saw her features soften.
“Max, I love you so much. I wish there was a way for us to be together.” She wanted to believe he could make everything work out right, but she just didn’t think it was possible.
“There is a way, we just have to find it. That’s all.” He lifted her chin with his fingertips and kissed her gently. Their kiss was long and slow and as it deepened, they let go of the pain and heartache they had been living with for the lasts weeks and months. His lips parted from her and he rested his forehead against hers. “God I love you, Liz. You’re what makes my life worth living.”
“It’s about damn time you two worked things out!” Isabel admonished from the bedroom doorway. Max and Liz looked up to see Isabel standing just inside his room with a grin splashed across her face. They smiled back at her but she could tell by their faces that there was more going on than the two of them finally coming to their senses.
Max slid off the edge of the bed and knelt in front of Liz. He took her hands in his and held them tightly as he spoke. “I have to go find Tess. I’ll tell her what we know, and how important her part is in all of this. While I’m gone, I want you to tell Isabel everything.” He pulled her close to him for one last kiss before he stood up and reluctantly let go of her hands. As he passed his sister on the way out the door he paused. When his eyes met hers she could see how concerned he was.
“Take care of her while I’m gone,” Max spoke to his sister in a hushed tone. He looked back at Liz one last time and then he left.
* * * * *
“He should have been back by now Isabel,” Liz said restlessly as she paced around the room. “Something’s wrong. I just know something is terribly wrong.”
“Liz, stop worrying,” Isabel said trying to hide her own growing fear. Liz had explained everything to her in the two hours Max had been gone. She was still trying to process it all, but one thing was certain. It looked like their semi-normal existence here in Roswell wasn’t going to stay normal for long. She felt a chill go through her and found herself once again wishing Alex was here, but he was out of town at another of those damn Star Wars conventions he was so wrapped up in lately.
“Isabel, what am I going to do? If Tess is gone, it will be all my fault, and everything I tried to do to change the future will have been for nothing. Everybody is going to die and it will be because of me.” Liz covered her face with her hands and began to sob. “You, and Michael, my God, everyone is going to die and it will be because of me.”
* * * * *
Max pulled up in front of his house and turned his eyes toward the front door. How was he going to tell her? Her worst nightmare seemed to be coming true in front of their eyes. He’d arrived at the Valenti house but no one had answered his knock at the door. He’d finally let himself in, using his powers to unlock it. He’d wandered around the house searching for Tess, but the place was empty.
Max wandered into Kyle’s old room, the one he knew Tess had been using since she moved in, and immediately noticed the open dresser drawers. Clothes were strewn around haphazardly and it seemed obvious that someone had packed hastily. The closet door stood wide open revealing empty hangers where full ones should have been. Standing there, he’d come to the realization that Tess was gone, and the nightmare Liz had been living with might very well be coming true.
Max slowly climbed from the jeep and made his way into the house. Walking down the hallway he could hear Isabel’s voice coming from her room and then the sound of someone crying. Liz. He stood in his sister’s doorway and took in the sight before him; Liz on the bed and Isabel with her arms around her trying to console her as she cried against her shoulder. Isabel turned in his direction with relief flooding over her face.
Liz felt his presence and lifted her head to see him standing in the doorway. Looking at the tears streaking down her cheeks he knew what he was about to say would crush her.
“Max!” Liz nearly shouted as she ran across the room to him. She grabbed him by the arms, imploring, “Did you find her? Did you explain everything to her?”
Max stared down into her desperate looking eyes and gently framed her cheeks with his hands.
“No,” he said quietly. “She’s gone.”
“What?” she said as panic seized her again. “She’s gone? Oh my God,” Liz began to back away from him. He reached out to her but she pulled free of his grasp. “It’s happening, isn’t it. We won’t be able to stop it. The future is going to repeat itself and it’s all my fault.”
“Liz, don’t say that. Don’t blame yourself for-”
“Don’t blame myself? You came to me because you said I was the only one you could trust. But I failed you. I failed everyone.” Her eyes were wild with fright knowing that everything she had tried to do to change the future had been in vain. “There’s nothing we can do to prevent the future from repeating itself.”
“Yes there is,” another voice broke in.
Max and Liz both turned to look at Isabel standing calmly off to the side of the room. When she had their attention she took a step closer to them.
“There is something we can do to prevent the future from repeating itself.” Her eyes locked onto Liz and stared at her intently. “We teach you, Liz. We teach you everything we know how to do and then we work harder than ever to develop our powers further. You have strength in you Liz, I could feel it last night. And between the four of us, you and Max and Michael and me, we’ll find a way to be ready for what we have to face.”
“Me?” Liz said incredulously. “I can’t do anything. I can’t take the place of Tess.”
“Yes, you can Liz,” Max said smiling at her now. “It’s inside you now. Whatever I did when I healed you, it changed you. We just need to bring that change to the surface. We just need to learn what gifts you have inside you, waiting to come out.” Turning serious, he asked the question that everything would hinge on. “But are you willing Liz? Are you willing to give up a safe and normal life for the kind of life I have to offer you? Are you willing to take the risk of facing the kind of danger that we might have to deal with? We can teach you everything we know, but it won’t matter if you’re not willing to join us. Will you take my hand Liz?” Max stretched out his hand to her, praying that she wouldn’t turn away from him, and yet at the same time dreading the danger she would be placing herself in if she agreed.
Liz stared at his outstretched hand and then up to his face. “Do you really think I can make a difference?” she asked doubtfully.
“I think you’ll make all the difference in the world,” Max said smiling at her again. She reached out her hand and placed it inside of his, instantly forming a connection to him. He felt the fear leave her as she placed her trust in him to show her the way. He pulled her into his arms and she rested her head against his chest, feeling herself relax for the first time in weeks.
TBC . . .
A Special Kind of Love (M&L, Adult) (Complete)
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
Part 12
Max entered the Crashdown looking around anxiously for Liz but she wasn’t in sight. He walked across the café to the door into the back area thinking he might find her there. During the five minutes they’d been able to talk at school today she told him she would be working until closing tonight. He thought maybe he could help her clean up after hours and that way they would get a chance to talk.
He’d barely seen her at school and during the one class they shared, the whole period had been taken up with a pop quiz Mr. Seligman had so generously decided to give them to start the week. They’d stolen glances at each other during the test, which unfortunately their teacher soon noticed. Max was certain Mr. Seligman wouldn’t think he and Liz were cheating, but you just never knew what a teacher was really thinking. After class they’d been able to talk for a few minutes, and then he hadn’t seen Liz for the rest of the day.
She called him after school and told him she had something exciting to tell him but wouldn’t say what it was. She’d just told him to come over at closing time and she’d show him. Show him what, he wondered?
As he pushed through the door into the back of the Crashdown it came to a jolting halt half way open. He heard a startled groan. Poking his head through the opening, he saw Maria rubbing her shoulder.
“Watch it when you open that door, buster!” Maria growled emphatically. “You know, there’s a window in it to keep you from knocking people over. You should look through it sometime!”
“I’m sorry, Maria,” Max apologized, rubbing his hand on her shoulder where the door had hit her. He craned his neck, asking, “Is Liz back here?”
“Max,” Maria’s eyes were drawn to the spot his hand was touching. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?” he asked distractedly, continuing to dart his eyes around searching for Liz.
“Max!” Maria raised her voice to get his attention. “Look at what you’re doing!”
They both looked at his hand on her shoulder, and the glow that was coming from beneath his palm. He’d been healing a bruise that hadn’t even had a chance to form yet, and he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. His mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of finding Liz he hadn’t even noticed what he was doing. He pulled his hand quickly away from her, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.
“She’s in the storage room behind the kitchen,” Maria said with a smile. “You better go find her before you start glowing all over.”
Max gave her an embarrassed grin and headed off in the direction Maria pointed. As he neared the room he heard her rustling around inside, and he paused in the doorway so that he could watch her moving gracefully around the room. She removed the antennae headband and then the rubber band that held her hair in a ponytail. She shook her head and then ran her fingers through her hair before suddenly turning to look in his direction. Her face broke into a wide smile when she saw him, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Since she was smiling, maybe what she wanted to talk to him about was good news.
“Hi Max,” Liz said excited to see him.
“Hi,” he replied, suddenly feeling the burning desire to take her into his arms. Why was it that every time he was near her lately his hormones went into overdrive? He could hardly look at her without feeling his pulse start racing.
“Did you just get here?” She noted he was wearing a black pullover sweater with the sleeves pushed up his forearms and faded blue jeans. The combination gave him a very casual yet sexy look.
“Yeah. Maria told me you were back here.” He walked into the room and around the center counter to stand near her. He watched her take items off one of the shelves and stack them in a basket on the counter. With her back to him, his eyes were drawn to the way her uniform fit her petite body. He knew it wouldn’t take much effort to pull the snaps on her uniform apart. Was she wearing white under her dress, or maybe black, or maybe even red, like the bra he’d glimpsed her wearing on Saturday when he was in her bedroom–
“Max?” Liz said for the third time.
“What?” Max stumbled when it finally dawned on him she was asking him something. His eyes rose to meet hers feeling a blush creep across his cheeks.
The hungry look in his eyes caught Liz by surprise, making her momentarily forget what she asked him. “Um,” she said and swallowed hard. “Can you . . . can you give me that stool over there?”
Max looked in the direction of her pointing finger. “Sure,” he replied, eager to have something to do while he tried to compose himself. He retrieved the step stool and watched her climb up to reach for a box of napkins on a higher shelf. It was just out of her reach and she stretched trying to grab an edge to pull it closer. Max instinctively put his hands on her hips to steady her.
“Why don’t you let me get that?” Max asked in a tight voice. As she stretched her dress rose up exposing more and more of her shapely thighs, which were at his eye level now. Max had to fight the urge to run his hand up her legs.
“I think I can get it,” she said as she stood on her tiptoes. His hands felt hot on her hips, and she could feel his breath on her bare legs. She had to remind herself to pay attention to what she was doing.
“Lizzy, the last customer just left . . .” Jeff Parker said as he poked his head into the storeroom. He was greeted with the sight of Max Evans holding his daughter by the hips, with his face just inches from her backside.
Startled by the sound of her father’s voice, Liz twisted to look in his direction and lost her precarious balance. Max felt her falling and caught her in mid air, with one arm around her back and the other under her legs. Her uniform rose up revealing lacy white underwear and Max nearly threw her out of his arms in his haste to set her feet on the ground.
“Dad!” Liz exclaimed, trying to smooth down the front of her uniform. “You scared me!”
Max stood at arms length away from Liz, wishing to God her father would quit looking at him that way. He was sure the color had drained from his face and he felt his heart racing a mile a minute. “I was just . . . helping . . . Liz,” he said lamely.
Jeff looked from Liz to Max and then back to Liz. Helping? Is that what they called it nowadays? “I locked up the front doors,” his eyes kept shifting from Max to Liz, trying to decide what else to say. “Are you almost done down here?”
Liz looked up at Max. The color had returned to his face with a vengeance, and now it was nearly the shade of the can of tomato sauce in her basket. She was sure hers was too. She turned back to her father noticing he was still waiting for her answer.
“Al . . .almost,” she stammered. “Max is just going to give me a hand carrying these things to the kitchen.”
“Alright,” Jeff said as he gave Max the eye again. “Don’t be too long. Tonight is a school night.” He stared at them for a minute longer and then turned to head upstairs.
Liz rushed to the door and watched until her father was out of sight. After he climbed the stairs she turned back to Max and started to giggle. “Well, that was awkward.”
“I swear to God Liz, your Dad looks at me like I’m some kind of bloodsucking leech or something!” His cheeks were still burning and his heart rate still hadn’t returned to normal.
“He likes you Max, or at least he hasn’t gotten his shotgun out and used it on you yet.” His eyes get even bigger, making her laugh all the more. “I’m just kidding Max!” She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the kitchen. “Besides, we don’t have a shotgun. Just a gun under the counter by the cash register, so if you come in the Crashdown and see him at the register, you better turn around and run!”
“Very funny, Miss Parker,” he said and gave her hand a squeeze. He set the basket down on the kitchen counter and turned her around to face him. “Well if your father thinks we’re guilty of something . . .”
He let his voice trail off as his lips descended to meet hers. Her eager response thrilled him. There was a time not too long ago when he thought he’d never be able to taste her lips again. Now he could allow himself to believe all that was in the past. She kissed him back passionately and he buried his hand in her hair, drawing her even closer to him. Her hands were in constant movement, rubbing over his back and grabbing handfuls of his sweater. She broke off the kiss after a minute to suck in a deep breath of air. She lifted her chin and his lips made their way down to the delicate skin of her throat.
“Max,” she breathed out huskily.
“Huh?” he mumbled against her ear. His tongue darted out from between his parted lips to taste her sweet skin, feeling how it made her body tremble. Her fingers ran up his neck and into the hair at the back of his head, causing a similar response in him.
“Max, remember . . . I asked you . . . to come over tonight . . . for a reason?” She barely got the words out because his lips had found hers again, and the intensity of his kisses had increased. His hand clutched her uniform under her arm and a sudden popping noise sounded suspiciously like the top snap coming undone.
“Uh huh,” Max said listening to her but unable to tear his lips away from her. He began to trail kisses down her throat again, this time reaching down as far as her upper chest. He heard a small moan escape her lips, seriously testing his struggle to maintain control. He wanted to lift her onto the counter and join her there or lay her down on the kitchen floor, right here, right now.
“I got a letter today . . .” she pulled his face back up to hers and attacked his lips. Her tongue plunged into his mouth and dueled with his. His hand tightened even more on her uniform and she heard a second snap come undone.
Max heard it too. He lifted his mouth away from hers as he tried to pull his mind away from what he really wanted to do to her. “A letter?” he asked breathlessly as his eyes darted between her face and the open front of her uniform.
“I got a letter . . .” she said trying to catch her breath. “ . . . from Ava.”
“From Ava?” he parroted, but his mind was somewhere else. White. She was wearing white under her uniform. With lots of lace. He knew he should be more curious about what Ava’s letter said, but at the moment he couldn’t get the image of white lace out of his mind. He went for her lips again, his hand cupping her throat and then sliding down the smooth skin to her shoulder. She let out a soft moan when his hand dropped lower to lightly brush over the mound of her breast. Starting to lose control, his hands, still inside her uniform, grabbed her under her arms and lifted her onto the kitchen counter. His left hand moved slowly forward to cup her breast, while his lips kissed a trail from her throat down her exposed cleavage. Her legs straddled his hips while his right hand circled around her back, drawing her to the edge of the counter. Her hands raked into his hair holding him close, her breath becoming more labored.
“Max . . .” she sighed as his lips made their way over the rise of her breast. “Max . . . wait . . .”
“Wait?” he echoed as his lips nuzzled her sweet skin.
“Max . . . we can’t do this,” she said pulling his face up from her breast. “Not here. Not like this.”
Max met her eyes, flushed and breathing hard. He looked around the kitchen knowing she was right, her mom or her dad could walk in at any moment. What was he thinking? Oh, right, he wasn’t thinking. The last thing he wanted was for them to have memories of their first time together here on the kitchen counter in the Crashdown. He rested his forehead against hers while he tried to get his breathing under control.
“You’re right,” he sighed. He kissed her lightly once more and then lifted her off the counter. He held her close while her body slid down the front of his until her feet touched the ground. She clutched the front of her uniform together, looking up at him shyly through her long lashes. He smiled down at her and then moved her hands aside so he could fasten the snaps on her uniform like a gallant gentleman. He adjusted the collar and then smoothed her hair back into place before lightly kissing her lips.
Liz was once again struck by the many levels of this man in front of her. He could be so intense, so in control, and so strong. He could be so sensual and wildly passionate when he let himself go, and yet at the same time he could be the gentlest creature in the world.
“You said something about a letter?” He was getting himself under control now but the feel of her soft skin was embedded on his brain. He still wanted to tear her dress right off her, but now was not the right time or the right place. He told himself to relax and think of anything besides the creamy soft skin he’d been kissing a moment before.
“Let’s go out here,” she grabbed his hand and led him out into the café. They sat at a booth across from each other and she reached into her apron pocket to retrieve the letter. She set it on the table and pushed it toward him. “It came in the mail today. The postmark says Seattle.”
“Why’d Ava go to Seattle?” Max asked, looking from the letter to Liz.
“It doesn’t say. Go ahead. Read it.” Liz watched him as he lifted the envelope and a puzzled look crossed his face.
Max immediately noticed there was something inside the envelope besides the sheets of stationery. He reached inside and withdrew a flat stone with a familiar design engraved on the surface.
“This is the same symbol that’s on the necklace Isabel found at Atherton’s house,” Max said holding the stone in his hand and wondering what the symbol could possibly mean.
“Yes, it is the same. Read the letter, Max,” Liz urged him again. He set the stone on the table and removed the letter from the envelope. He unfolded the stationery and began to read . . .
Dear Liz,
I’m not sure why I’m writing this to you, but in the short time I knew you, for the first time in my life I think I felt what it must be like to have a friend. I never really knew that feeling before. Even when I was with Lonnie and Rath and Zan, I always felt alone. I’m not even sure what to think about all this. You see, on my home, in that other life, we never really felt emotions like this. Allegiances were made, partnerships were formed, marriages were arranged. We didn’t really feel emotions like friendship and love.
On my home world, Zan’s father and mine made a partnership which resulted in our marriage. Zan was several years older than me, and he had never married. His father had been pressuring him for years to form ties with the other ruling houses, but he always resisted. He was different than the rest of us. He cared more about things. He wasn’t just after the power his position gave him. But he was lonely too. He always seemed like he was waiting for something, or someone. I knew I wasn’t the one he was waiting for, but after years of pressure by his father, he finally relented, and accepted me as his bride. I was satisfied with the position of power being his wife gave me. What did I care about love? The emotion was foreign to me.
It wasn’t until I was reborn here, that I came to understand these human emotions. I don’t think Lonnie and Rath got much of the human part when they were mixing our DNA. For them it’s all about the power. But Zan? Zan wasn’t like them. He wasn’t like them on our world and he wasn’t like them when he was reborn here on Earth. That’s why they killed him. And I just watched them do it. I didn’t try to stop them even though I cared for him. Maybe I didn’t get a lot of that human DNA either.
Your Isabel and Michael are different. Maybe it’s because of the way they were raised. Maybe they got more in the mix. I don’t know. It’s yet to be seen if their human side will be their salvation or their downfall. Your Max is different than my Zan was, but not by a lot. Zan had an emptiness in him that I think Max never had, because Max found you. You were what he was waiting for. I think that will make him stronger.
It might also make him more vulnerable. I don’t know if my counterpart, your Tess, is going to be willing to give him up, or the power that being his mate gives her. I couldn’t really read her, not like I could Isabel and Michael. Maybe I simply can’t judge her because she’s me. Confusing, isn’t it? In any case, she could be dangerous for you.
I know you gave up Max because you thought it was the right thing to do. And I know the strength and determination in you will keep you away from him if you think that’s what he needs. But I’m going to tell you right now that you’re wrong Liz. What Max needs is you. You are his strength. You are the light he looks for in the darkness. You make him whole. Go to him Liz.
The enclosed rune is a symbol of the An, much like the Coat of Arms humans have used to signify family. The An is the symbol of Zan’s family. Max’s family. If you ever need me, hold this rune in your hand and think of me. I’ll be able to sense that you need me and I will come.
Until that day, I remain your friend,
Ava
“Wow,” Max said finally. His eyes rose up from the stone that was lying on his palm.
“Is that all you can say Max? Just ‘Wow’?” Liz asked with a touch of curiosity in her eyes.
“Yeah. That, and now I’m more certain than ever before that we belong together. Even Ava knows it, and she only knew us for a few days.” He took her hand in his and pressed the stone into her palm.
“Max, I can’t take this,” Liz admonished as she tried to give it back to him. “This stands for your family. It belongs to you.”
Max placed the stone on her palm again and closed her fingers around it. “I’m hoping that one day my family name will be yours too.” His eyes held hers seeing her features soften. A smile touched her lips making his heart soar. He pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and then added, “Besides, Ava gave this to you. I think she meant for you to keep it.”
Liz looked down at his hand covering hers and tension filled her body again. “What if nothing has changed Max? What if we’re still headed on the path that means the end of the world for us?”
“We changed things already Liz,” Max replied in earnest.
“Why Max? How can you be so sure?” Liz asked, wanting to believe him but not sure she could.
“Because you said we would have made love that night when I was on your balcony, and if that’s true, there’s no way I would have ever gone to New York. I would have denied the alien side of me, for you. So that I could be with you and try to live a normal life, or as close to a normal life as I could make it. We never would have been ready to face what the future had in store for us. You never would have found out you had something special inside you.”
Liz dropped her eyes from his as she thought about the changes he had caused in her. She wasn’t alien, but she wasn’t entirely human anymore either. Max lifted her chin and she met his eyes once more.
“I don’t have to try to pretend I’m human anymore Liz. Not when I’m with you. Not like before. I was always afraid to let you see what I was really like, for fear that you’d run away from me. Even after I knew you cared for me, loved me, I was always afraid that one day you’d be appalled by what I really am. That you’d turn away from me, so I would have denied who and what I was, so I could be with you. But because of all we’ve seen and learned over the last few weeks, everything’s different. I’m not afraid to show you everything about me now. In fact, I’m looking forward to teaching you and learning new things with you.” He smiled at her finally, the simple act making her heart melt. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say Liz?”
“Yes,” she replied in a whisper and then she was around the table and sitting on his lap with her arms around him. “I love you Max,” she whispered in his ear as she clung to him.
He held her tightly, and for the first time in his life felt truly complete.
TBC . . .
Max entered the Crashdown looking around anxiously for Liz but she wasn’t in sight. He walked across the café to the door into the back area thinking he might find her there. During the five minutes they’d been able to talk at school today she told him she would be working until closing tonight. He thought maybe he could help her clean up after hours and that way they would get a chance to talk.
He’d barely seen her at school and during the one class they shared, the whole period had been taken up with a pop quiz Mr. Seligman had so generously decided to give them to start the week. They’d stolen glances at each other during the test, which unfortunately their teacher soon noticed. Max was certain Mr. Seligman wouldn’t think he and Liz were cheating, but you just never knew what a teacher was really thinking. After class they’d been able to talk for a few minutes, and then he hadn’t seen Liz for the rest of the day.
She called him after school and told him she had something exciting to tell him but wouldn’t say what it was. She’d just told him to come over at closing time and she’d show him. Show him what, he wondered?
As he pushed through the door into the back of the Crashdown it came to a jolting halt half way open. He heard a startled groan. Poking his head through the opening, he saw Maria rubbing her shoulder.
“Watch it when you open that door, buster!” Maria growled emphatically. “You know, there’s a window in it to keep you from knocking people over. You should look through it sometime!”
“I’m sorry, Maria,” Max apologized, rubbing his hand on her shoulder where the door had hit her. He craned his neck, asking, “Is Liz back here?”
“Max,” Maria’s eyes were drawn to the spot his hand was touching. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?” he asked distractedly, continuing to dart his eyes around searching for Liz.
“Max!” Maria raised her voice to get his attention. “Look at what you’re doing!”
They both looked at his hand on her shoulder, and the glow that was coming from beneath his palm. He’d been healing a bruise that hadn’t even had a chance to form yet, and he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. His mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of finding Liz he hadn’t even noticed what he was doing. He pulled his hand quickly away from her, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.
“She’s in the storage room behind the kitchen,” Maria said with a smile. “You better go find her before you start glowing all over.”
Max gave her an embarrassed grin and headed off in the direction Maria pointed. As he neared the room he heard her rustling around inside, and he paused in the doorway so that he could watch her moving gracefully around the room. She removed the antennae headband and then the rubber band that held her hair in a ponytail. She shook her head and then ran her fingers through her hair before suddenly turning to look in his direction. Her face broke into a wide smile when she saw him, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Since she was smiling, maybe what she wanted to talk to him about was good news.
“Hi Max,” Liz said excited to see him.
“Hi,” he replied, suddenly feeling the burning desire to take her into his arms. Why was it that every time he was near her lately his hormones went into overdrive? He could hardly look at her without feeling his pulse start racing.
“Did you just get here?” She noted he was wearing a black pullover sweater with the sleeves pushed up his forearms and faded blue jeans. The combination gave him a very casual yet sexy look.
“Yeah. Maria told me you were back here.” He walked into the room and around the center counter to stand near her. He watched her take items off one of the shelves and stack them in a basket on the counter. With her back to him, his eyes were drawn to the way her uniform fit her petite body. He knew it wouldn’t take much effort to pull the snaps on her uniform apart. Was she wearing white under her dress, or maybe black, or maybe even red, like the bra he’d glimpsed her wearing on Saturday when he was in her bedroom–
“Max?” Liz said for the third time.
“What?” Max stumbled when it finally dawned on him she was asking him something. His eyes rose to meet hers feeling a blush creep across his cheeks.
The hungry look in his eyes caught Liz by surprise, making her momentarily forget what she asked him. “Um,” she said and swallowed hard. “Can you . . . can you give me that stool over there?”
Max looked in the direction of her pointing finger. “Sure,” he replied, eager to have something to do while he tried to compose himself. He retrieved the step stool and watched her climb up to reach for a box of napkins on a higher shelf. It was just out of her reach and she stretched trying to grab an edge to pull it closer. Max instinctively put his hands on her hips to steady her.
“Why don’t you let me get that?” Max asked in a tight voice. As she stretched her dress rose up exposing more and more of her shapely thighs, which were at his eye level now. Max had to fight the urge to run his hand up her legs.
“I think I can get it,” she said as she stood on her tiptoes. His hands felt hot on her hips, and she could feel his breath on her bare legs. She had to remind herself to pay attention to what she was doing.
“Lizzy, the last customer just left . . .” Jeff Parker said as he poked his head into the storeroom. He was greeted with the sight of Max Evans holding his daughter by the hips, with his face just inches from her backside.
Startled by the sound of her father’s voice, Liz twisted to look in his direction and lost her precarious balance. Max felt her falling and caught her in mid air, with one arm around her back and the other under her legs. Her uniform rose up revealing lacy white underwear and Max nearly threw her out of his arms in his haste to set her feet on the ground.
“Dad!” Liz exclaimed, trying to smooth down the front of her uniform. “You scared me!”
Max stood at arms length away from Liz, wishing to God her father would quit looking at him that way. He was sure the color had drained from his face and he felt his heart racing a mile a minute. “I was just . . . helping . . . Liz,” he said lamely.
Jeff looked from Liz to Max and then back to Liz. Helping? Is that what they called it nowadays? “I locked up the front doors,” his eyes kept shifting from Max to Liz, trying to decide what else to say. “Are you almost done down here?”
Liz looked up at Max. The color had returned to his face with a vengeance, and now it was nearly the shade of the can of tomato sauce in her basket. She was sure hers was too. She turned back to her father noticing he was still waiting for her answer.
“Al . . .almost,” she stammered. “Max is just going to give me a hand carrying these things to the kitchen.”
“Alright,” Jeff said as he gave Max the eye again. “Don’t be too long. Tonight is a school night.” He stared at them for a minute longer and then turned to head upstairs.
Liz rushed to the door and watched until her father was out of sight. After he climbed the stairs she turned back to Max and started to giggle. “Well, that was awkward.”
“I swear to God Liz, your Dad looks at me like I’m some kind of bloodsucking leech or something!” His cheeks were still burning and his heart rate still hadn’t returned to normal.
“He likes you Max, or at least he hasn’t gotten his shotgun out and used it on you yet.” His eyes get even bigger, making her laugh all the more. “I’m just kidding Max!” She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the kitchen. “Besides, we don’t have a shotgun. Just a gun under the counter by the cash register, so if you come in the Crashdown and see him at the register, you better turn around and run!”
“Very funny, Miss Parker,” he said and gave her hand a squeeze. He set the basket down on the kitchen counter and turned her around to face him. “Well if your father thinks we’re guilty of something . . .”
He let his voice trail off as his lips descended to meet hers. Her eager response thrilled him. There was a time not too long ago when he thought he’d never be able to taste her lips again. Now he could allow himself to believe all that was in the past. She kissed him back passionately and he buried his hand in her hair, drawing her even closer to him. Her hands were in constant movement, rubbing over his back and grabbing handfuls of his sweater. She broke off the kiss after a minute to suck in a deep breath of air. She lifted her chin and his lips made their way down to the delicate skin of her throat.
“Max,” she breathed out huskily.
“Huh?” he mumbled against her ear. His tongue darted out from between his parted lips to taste her sweet skin, feeling how it made her body tremble. Her fingers ran up his neck and into the hair at the back of his head, causing a similar response in him.
“Max, remember . . . I asked you . . . to come over tonight . . . for a reason?” She barely got the words out because his lips had found hers again, and the intensity of his kisses had increased. His hand clutched her uniform under her arm and a sudden popping noise sounded suspiciously like the top snap coming undone.
“Uh huh,” Max said listening to her but unable to tear his lips away from her. He began to trail kisses down her throat again, this time reaching down as far as her upper chest. He heard a small moan escape her lips, seriously testing his struggle to maintain control. He wanted to lift her onto the counter and join her there or lay her down on the kitchen floor, right here, right now.
“I got a letter today . . .” she pulled his face back up to hers and attacked his lips. Her tongue plunged into his mouth and dueled with his. His hand tightened even more on her uniform and she heard a second snap come undone.
Max heard it too. He lifted his mouth away from hers as he tried to pull his mind away from what he really wanted to do to her. “A letter?” he asked breathlessly as his eyes darted between her face and the open front of her uniform.
“I got a letter . . .” she said trying to catch her breath. “ . . . from Ava.”
“From Ava?” he parroted, but his mind was somewhere else. White. She was wearing white under her uniform. With lots of lace. He knew he should be more curious about what Ava’s letter said, but at the moment he couldn’t get the image of white lace out of his mind. He went for her lips again, his hand cupping her throat and then sliding down the smooth skin to her shoulder. She let out a soft moan when his hand dropped lower to lightly brush over the mound of her breast. Starting to lose control, his hands, still inside her uniform, grabbed her under her arms and lifted her onto the kitchen counter. His left hand moved slowly forward to cup her breast, while his lips kissed a trail from her throat down her exposed cleavage. Her legs straddled his hips while his right hand circled around her back, drawing her to the edge of the counter. Her hands raked into his hair holding him close, her breath becoming more labored.
“Max . . .” she sighed as his lips made their way over the rise of her breast. “Max . . . wait . . .”
“Wait?” he echoed as his lips nuzzled her sweet skin.
“Max . . . we can’t do this,” she said pulling his face up from her breast. “Not here. Not like this.”
Max met her eyes, flushed and breathing hard. He looked around the kitchen knowing she was right, her mom or her dad could walk in at any moment. What was he thinking? Oh, right, he wasn’t thinking. The last thing he wanted was for them to have memories of their first time together here on the kitchen counter in the Crashdown. He rested his forehead against hers while he tried to get his breathing under control.
“You’re right,” he sighed. He kissed her lightly once more and then lifted her off the counter. He held her close while her body slid down the front of his until her feet touched the ground. She clutched the front of her uniform together, looking up at him shyly through her long lashes. He smiled down at her and then moved her hands aside so he could fasten the snaps on her uniform like a gallant gentleman. He adjusted the collar and then smoothed her hair back into place before lightly kissing her lips.
Liz was once again struck by the many levels of this man in front of her. He could be so intense, so in control, and so strong. He could be so sensual and wildly passionate when he let himself go, and yet at the same time he could be the gentlest creature in the world.
“You said something about a letter?” He was getting himself under control now but the feel of her soft skin was embedded on his brain. He still wanted to tear her dress right off her, but now was not the right time or the right place. He told himself to relax and think of anything besides the creamy soft skin he’d been kissing a moment before.
“Let’s go out here,” she grabbed his hand and led him out into the café. They sat at a booth across from each other and she reached into her apron pocket to retrieve the letter. She set it on the table and pushed it toward him. “It came in the mail today. The postmark says Seattle.”
“Why’d Ava go to Seattle?” Max asked, looking from the letter to Liz.
“It doesn’t say. Go ahead. Read it.” Liz watched him as he lifted the envelope and a puzzled look crossed his face.
Max immediately noticed there was something inside the envelope besides the sheets of stationery. He reached inside and withdrew a flat stone with a familiar design engraved on the surface.
“This is the same symbol that’s on the necklace Isabel found at Atherton’s house,” Max said holding the stone in his hand and wondering what the symbol could possibly mean.
“Yes, it is the same. Read the letter, Max,” Liz urged him again. He set the stone on the table and removed the letter from the envelope. He unfolded the stationery and began to read . . .
Dear Liz,
I’m not sure why I’m writing this to you, but in the short time I knew you, for the first time in my life I think I felt what it must be like to have a friend. I never really knew that feeling before. Even when I was with Lonnie and Rath and Zan, I always felt alone. I’m not even sure what to think about all this. You see, on my home, in that other life, we never really felt emotions like this. Allegiances were made, partnerships were formed, marriages were arranged. We didn’t really feel emotions like friendship and love.
On my home world, Zan’s father and mine made a partnership which resulted in our marriage. Zan was several years older than me, and he had never married. His father had been pressuring him for years to form ties with the other ruling houses, but he always resisted. He was different than the rest of us. He cared more about things. He wasn’t just after the power his position gave him. But he was lonely too. He always seemed like he was waiting for something, or someone. I knew I wasn’t the one he was waiting for, but after years of pressure by his father, he finally relented, and accepted me as his bride. I was satisfied with the position of power being his wife gave me. What did I care about love? The emotion was foreign to me.
It wasn’t until I was reborn here, that I came to understand these human emotions. I don’t think Lonnie and Rath got much of the human part when they were mixing our DNA. For them it’s all about the power. But Zan? Zan wasn’t like them. He wasn’t like them on our world and he wasn’t like them when he was reborn here on Earth. That’s why they killed him. And I just watched them do it. I didn’t try to stop them even though I cared for him. Maybe I didn’t get a lot of that human DNA either.
Your Isabel and Michael are different. Maybe it’s because of the way they were raised. Maybe they got more in the mix. I don’t know. It’s yet to be seen if their human side will be their salvation or their downfall. Your Max is different than my Zan was, but not by a lot. Zan had an emptiness in him that I think Max never had, because Max found you. You were what he was waiting for. I think that will make him stronger.
It might also make him more vulnerable. I don’t know if my counterpart, your Tess, is going to be willing to give him up, or the power that being his mate gives her. I couldn’t really read her, not like I could Isabel and Michael. Maybe I simply can’t judge her because she’s me. Confusing, isn’t it? In any case, she could be dangerous for you.
I know you gave up Max because you thought it was the right thing to do. And I know the strength and determination in you will keep you away from him if you think that’s what he needs. But I’m going to tell you right now that you’re wrong Liz. What Max needs is you. You are his strength. You are the light he looks for in the darkness. You make him whole. Go to him Liz.
The enclosed rune is a symbol of the An, much like the Coat of Arms humans have used to signify family. The An is the symbol of Zan’s family. Max’s family. If you ever need me, hold this rune in your hand and think of me. I’ll be able to sense that you need me and I will come.
Until that day, I remain your friend,
Ava
“Wow,” Max said finally. His eyes rose up from the stone that was lying on his palm.
“Is that all you can say Max? Just ‘Wow’?” Liz asked with a touch of curiosity in her eyes.
“Yeah. That, and now I’m more certain than ever before that we belong together. Even Ava knows it, and she only knew us for a few days.” He took her hand in his and pressed the stone into her palm.
“Max, I can’t take this,” Liz admonished as she tried to give it back to him. “This stands for your family. It belongs to you.”
Max placed the stone on her palm again and closed her fingers around it. “I’m hoping that one day my family name will be yours too.” His eyes held hers seeing her features soften. A smile touched her lips making his heart soar. He pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and then added, “Besides, Ava gave this to you. I think she meant for you to keep it.”
Liz looked down at his hand covering hers and tension filled her body again. “What if nothing has changed Max? What if we’re still headed on the path that means the end of the world for us?”
“We changed things already Liz,” Max replied in earnest.
“Why Max? How can you be so sure?” Liz asked, wanting to believe him but not sure she could.
“Because you said we would have made love that night when I was on your balcony, and if that’s true, there’s no way I would have ever gone to New York. I would have denied the alien side of me, for you. So that I could be with you and try to live a normal life, or as close to a normal life as I could make it. We never would have been ready to face what the future had in store for us. You never would have found out you had something special inside you.”
Liz dropped her eyes from his as she thought about the changes he had caused in her. She wasn’t alien, but she wasn’t entirely human anymore either. Max lifted her chin and she met his eyes once more.
“I don’t have to try to pretend I’m human anymore Liz. Not when I’m with you. Not like before. I was always afraid to let you see what I was really like, for fear that you’d run away from me. Even after I knew you cared for me, loved me, I was always afraid that one day you’d be appalled by what I really am. That you’d turn away from me, so I would have denied who and what I was, so I could be with you. But because of all we’ve seen and learned over the last few weeks, everything’s different. I’m not afraid to show you everything about me now. In fact, I’m looking forward to teaching you and learning new things with you.” He smiled at her finally, the simple act making her heart melt. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say Liz?”
“Yes,” she replied in a whisper and then she was around the table and sitting on his lap with her arms around him. “I love you Max,” she whispered in his ear as she clung to him.
He held her tightly, and for the first time in his life felt truly complete.
TBC . . .
-
Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
ASKOL Part 13
Part 13
Liz pulled back the covers on her bed and climbed in between the sheets. She opened the letter from Ava and read it again, for the fifth or sixth time. She held the An stone in her hand, wondering where Ava was and what she was doing. Was she lonely by herself in a strange place? Liz touched the center of the stone with her thumb as she cupped it in her hand. She began to drift in that place somewhere between awake and asleep, her mind floating to a place many, many miles away . . .
Liz found herself in a large room with row upon row of cots. Walking between the rows, she looked down at the faces of the people around her. Some slept peacefully, some not. Up ahead she glimpsed a familiar figure. She approached slowly, and as she neared Ava turned to look at her. She sat up on the cot and watched as Liz approached her. When Liz reached her, Ava patted the blanket beside her.
“Sit down, Liz,” Ava said smiling.
“Are you alright?” Liz asked and then was surprised that her voice was audible. When she’d done this to Max when he was in New York, he hadn’t been able to hear her.
“You’re getting better Liz, but this is only the beginning for you. There’s much more to come.”
Liz sat next to Ava and took the young woman’s hand in hers. “Come back to Roswell. We’ll find a place for you. You should be with us, not here in a shelter with no one you know.”
“And give up all this?” Ava asked as her eyes scanned the room. “I’m not living in a sewer. I’m not sleeping next to a dumpster. And besides, Seattle has this whole underground thing going on. Look at me. I wouldn’t fit in very well in Roswell. You know it, and I know it. And other than the rain, Seattle seems like a pretty good place to live for a while.”
“Are you sure? Will you be happy here?” Liz’s concern showed in her eyes.
“You’re sweet. Cornball, but sweet. I will come back to Roswell, someday. Until then, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Can we stay in touch, like this? Can I come visit you?” Liz was concerned that Ava might see this as an invasion of her mind.
“I’d probably be sad if you didn’t,” Ava replied. It’s nice to feel like I have a friend . . .”
Liz awoke feeling tired, yet relieved knowing that Ava was doing okay. It was a relief to know that she could reach her so easily.
* * * * *
Max watched the door, wondering where Liz was. Class was about to start and it wasn’t like her to be late like this. He’d hoped they would have time to talk before class started, but now he was just worried if she was okay. She came running in as the late bell rang and Max breathed a sigh of relief.
Liz took her seat quickly and glanced over at Max. She could tell that he was curious why she was late. It had just been one of those mornings, and being tired wasn’t helping. She’d slept fitfully last night after contacting Ava, and she’d been feeling the effects all morning. She covered her mouth with her hand as another yawn hit her.
“Are you alright?” Max whispered in a worried tone.
Liz looked over at him and nodded her head. He was leaning over toward her and the concern on his face made her smile. “I’m just tired,” she whispered back. “Didn’t sleep well.”
“How come?”
Mr. Seligmen began to speak to the class preventing further conversation. Liz silently mouthed the words ‘I’ll tell you later’, and then opened her textbook. Max sat back in his chair feeling a mixture of concern and curiosity.
The teacher droned on and on talking about the report due on Friday and Liz had a hard time concentrating. She toyed with the rose pendant around her neck and every few minutes she felt her head nod as sleep tried to claim her.
Max watched her with a smile on his face. She looked so cute trying to stay awake. Her head would bob forward and then she’d wake up with a start and look around to see if anyone had seen her sleeping. Their eyes made contact and she gave him an embarrassed little grin.
Max looked up at the clock and realized with a sigh the period wasn’t even half over yet. He slumped forward, propping his cheek on his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Liz had lost her battle to stay awake.
Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out as her mind began to drift in that other place.
The teacher’s voice still droned on in the background. She could hear the restless movements of the students around her. In her dream world, she suddenly wasn’t tired anymore. She felt energized, sexually charged. She looked over at Max and she knew she had to have him.
She rose from her chair and made her way toward him. The students, the teacher, everything faded away. All that remained was Max Evans, slumped at his desk. She stood next to his side and reached out with her hand, running her fingers through his hair . . .
Max bolted up straight in his chair. He looked around him quickly, but everything seemed to be in order. He could have sworn something had touched him, though.
A hand.
In his hair.
She moved around to his other side, with his eyes following her every move. She touched her fingers to the surface of the desk and it disappeared. Now he sat only on a chair, and she sat on his lap, facing him with her legs straddling him.
Her fingers stroked through the hair at the back of his head and her lips gently touched his . . .
Max felt a weight settle over his lap and fingers in his hair again. His eyes grew wide when he felt lips brush across his.
Familiar lips.
Her lips.
He looked over at Liz and then leaned in her direction.
“Liz?” he whispered.
“Liz,” Max whispered her name while planting soft kisses on her throat. His arms pulled her closer as he nuzzled his lips down along her collarbone. She breathed heavily in his ear, and then her tongue darted into and around it. She sucked at his earlobe and then down along his throat . . .
Max suddenly felt moisture in his ear. He bolted upright in his chair again. He could hear heavy breathing and then he felt lips moving down his throat.
Soft lips.
And a tongue.
Her tongue, touching his throat.
A groan escaped his lips. Pam Troy looked over at him with a frown.
Her hands went to the front of his shirt and unbuttoned the top button, and then the next and the next. She pushed his shirt aside and gazed down at the hard muscles of his chest . . .
Max felt the top button of his shirt suddenly pop open. He quickly covered it with his hand. He leaned forward, squirming in his chair, trying to refasten it with trembling fingers. Scott Miller turned around to look at him.
“Sorry,” Max mumbled. He ducked his head down and looked over at Liz again.
“Liz,” he whispered a little more forcefully, and reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. He inhaled sharply at the sensation of her tongue circling his left nipple, and then her teeth nibbling at him.
“Mr. Evans!” Mr. Seligmen called out from the front of the room. “Is there something wrong Mr. Evans?”
“NO,” Max nearly shouted out. “Everything’s fine,” he said, nearly choking. His cheeks were burning, and everyone in class was looking in his direction. He looked over at Liz but she still appeared to be sleeping. He sat up straight again, with his hand touching his forehead to try to hide his face. He could feel her fingers moving down his chest, past his waist, and then she was touching him. THERE. He jumped out of his chair.
“Can I get a bathroom pass?” Max blurted out in a strangled voice.
Mr. Seligmen turned in his direction with a startled look. He shook his head in obvious irritation and picked up a slip of paper from his desk. He walked up the aisle and held out the pass to Max.
“Make it quick, Mr. Evans.” He gave Max the eye once again and returned to the front of the class. Max turned to leave and leaned over Liz, shaking her shoulder.
“Wake up Liz,” he whispered directly into her ear.
Liz startled out of her dream, looking around the room with unfocused eyes. She noticed everyone staring in her direction and her cheeks turned flaming red. Max breathed a sigh of relief and left the classroom. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, waiting for his heart rate to settle down.
“Her dreams are gonna kill me,” he said under his breath, and began to laugh softly.
* * * * *
The bell rang to signal the end of class and Max gathered his books together. Liz had barely looked at him after he returned to the classroom, and when she did her face would turn red and she’d turn away quickly. He waited while she got her things together.
“So, um . . .” he began after the room had cleared out. “Your, uh, dreams are pretty vivid, huh?”
“You saw it?” she asked sharply, with the color draining from her face.
“No,” he answered, shaking his head. As she started to relax, he added, “I just felt it.”
“What?” she hissed in shock and almost dropped her books.
“Yeah, the uh, tongue – in the ear . . .” he said, pointing at his ear. His face broke out in an embarrassed grin as he added, “. . . and my shirt, kinda popped open, and, um . . .” he waved his fingers in the general direction of his chest and raised his eyebrows. “You like to bite . . .?”
“Oh my God!” Liz dropped her books on her desk and covered her face with her hands.
“It felt pretty good, actually,” Max said with a humorous glint in his eyes.
“Could anyone else tell what was going on?” she asked, peeking out from between her fingers.
“Well, with all the moaning going on-”
“I was moaning? Oh my God! I was moaning?” Liz asked, totally mortified.
“No, not you. Just me,” he answered, laughing at the look on her face. “I’m the only one that was making a complete ass out of himself. You were quiet as a mouse.”
“Well, that’s me, isn’t it?” Liz sighed as she picked her books up off her desk. “Mousy Liz Parker.”
“You’re anything but mousy, Liz Parker,” Max said seriously as he turned her face to look up at him. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. Nothing compares to you.”
“Aren’t you two going to be late for your next class?” Mr. Seligmen asked from the doorway.
Startled out of such an intimate conversation, Max and Liz quickly left the classroom. They stopped in the hallway and faced each other. Max placed his fingers under her chin.
“Will I see you at lunch?” he asked smiling down at her.
“Sure,” she smiled. He brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek and then hurried off to his next class.
“If I don’t see you before then,” she mumbled to herself. Just don’t fall asleep between now and then and everything will be alright, she told herself, and then hurried off to her next class.
* * * * *
Max opened the front door and ushered Liz inside his house. It felt so good to have her with him again. So natural. When they saw each other at lunch they made plans to meet after school. She didn’t have to work until the dinner shift, so he thought today would be a good time to test her abilities, to see what she was capable of doing besides slamming doors in his face.
“Mom? Mom, are you home?” Silence greeted them and Max shrugged his shoulders. “I guess she’s not home.”
Liz nodded her head and swept her eyes around the room. She swallowed hard at the thought of being all alone in his house with him.
“Are you hungry?” Max asked. “Do you want something to eat? I’m sure there’s something in the ‘fridge we could eat.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m not hungry,” Liz answered. She was too nervous to eat anything. It had been one thing to test her powers with Isabel, but it seemed totally different with Max. Maybe because she didn’t want to disappoint him. What if she couldn’t do anything he tried to show her?
“What about something to drink?”
“Sure, cherry coke, if you have any.” Her mouth was dry and a cold drink would taste good right now.
Max went into the kitchen and returned with two cans of cherry coke and a bottle of tabasco sauce.
“Come on,” he said, handing her a can and nodding toward the hallway. “Let’s go to my room.”
Max placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward his room. When he stepped inside, he scanned the room quickly, relieved that there were no dirty clothes spread all over the place. The last thing he wanted her to see was his dirty underwear.
Liz stood awkwardly near the door, remembering how she’d invaded his privacy during class today. It was one thing to dream about him, but when that dream crossed over into the physical world, that was something else entirely.
Max noticed her hesitation and smiled at her casually. “Have a seat,” he said, and pointed at the end of his bed. He set his drink down on the desk next to his computer and then moved over to his CD player. “Do you want to listen to some music?”
“Sure,” Liz answered as she sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. She popped the lid on her cola and took a big drink.
“How about . . .” Max began as he sorted through his CD’s. “Gomez. Do you want to listen to Gomez?”
“No,” Liz responded quickly and shook her head.
Max looked over at her and noticed the color rising in her cheeks. “Okay, then how about . . . Sarah McLachlan?”
He watched her shake her head no.
“Um, Dido?”
Again she shook her head and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Eminem? No? Didn’t think so. Let’s see . . .”
Max picked up a CD and a smile broke over his face.
“Moby!” he said holding up the CD and nodding his head enthusiastically.
“Okay,” Liz laughed, knowing how much he liked that CD.
Max inserted it into his stereo and smiled as the melody drifted softly from the speakers. He picked up his drink and popped the tab, shaking liberal amounts of tabasco sauce into it. He returned to sit on the bed beside her and Liz pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged facing him. She took another drink from her can and then he gently took it out of her hand and set it on the floor next to his.
Max took her hands in his and looked at her seriously. “Maybe we should talk about what happened today, you know, in class.” She looked away quickly, and he saw the color rising in her cheeks again.
“Max,” she said and sighed in embarrassment.
“It’s okay Liz. I mean, yeah, it was a little awkward, but it’s not like I didn’t like it or anything.”
“Oh God,” Liz said softly and dropped her head so he couldn’t see her face.
“Hey,” he gently lifted her chin. “You just need to learn to control it. To make it happen when you want it to, not just indiscriminately. It’s a good thing you weren’t dreaming about Mr. Seligmen.”
“Max!” Liz shouted and slapped at his chest.
“Well, can you see him up there trying to teach the class with your tongue poking into his ear?” Max laughed.
“That’s not funny Max!” Liz shouted, but she couldn’t help laughing too. She took another swing at him.
“Or how about if you were biting his-”
“Don’t even say it, Max! This is NOT funny!” She pushed him backwards, totally embarrassed, but she couldn’t stop laughing.
“Okay! Okay!” he said, sitting back up with a big grin on his face.
“How am I supposed to control it?” Liz asked helplessly. “I mean, I was asleep!”
“Practice,” Max told her. “Time. This stuff’s all new to you Liz. It’ll take time to train your mind.” Max saw the doubtful look cross her face and he smiled at her. “Don’t worry. Before long you’ll wonder what you were ever worried about.”
“Well I wasn’t worried about sticking my tongue in Mr. Seligmen’s ear until you mentioned it! Now I’m afraid to go back to class!”
Laughing, Liz reached down to pick up her soda. She took a large drink and her eyes got huge as the tabasco sauce registered on her taste buds. Her throat refused to accept the foul concoction and it spewed from her mouth with a powerful force. The liquid hit Max squarely in the face and chest and then dripped down onto his lap.
“Oh my God!” Liz cried out, sputtering and choking on the foul taste. “God, I’m so sorry!”
Max wiped his hand over his face and then looked down at the mess covering him. He was soaked with sticky cherry coke and tabasco sauce.
“What happened?” he asked and then started laughing.
“I think this one’s yours,” Liz held up his can.
He took it from her and took a sip. “Yep. This one’s mine.”
Liz started laughing so hard tears began to stream down her face. She rolled onto her side and covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking with hysterical laughter.
“Very funny!” Max said as he tried to wipe the liquid from his chin. “Okay Liz Parker, this is your first lesson. I want you to remove this, this mess. Make it look like it never happened.”
Liz sat up with her expression turning serious. “How? I don’t know how.”
Max took her hands between his and looked at her with complete faith in her. “Think about it. Visualize it in your mind. See yourself pull the liquid off my skin. It’s all about your mind, Liz. Your mind controls it all. When you wave your hand over my skin, picture the fluid lifting up and evaporating into the air.”
Liz closed her eyes and concentrated. She did everything he said, and when she felt ready, she opened her eyes and waved her hand over his face. Nothing changed. Her shoulders sagged and her face dropped forward in failure.
“I’m sorry, Max. I just can’t do it,” she said dejectedly.
“Try it again,” Max said, giving her hands a squeeze.
She looked up ready to protest and then his eyes captured her attention. She could see the faith he had in her reflected in his eyes. She couldn’t quit in the face of that. She concentrated again and once more waved her hand over his face. A smile broke over his face as the sticky sensation left his skin.
“I did it! I did it!” Liz shouted.
“Yes. Yes, you did,” Max said with a wide grin. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I knew you could do it.” He held her for a moment and then pulled away. “Now clean the rest of this crap off of me!”
Liz concentrated again and then waved her hand over his chest. She could feel the familiar tug at her mind and the fluid disappeared from his clothes. She laughed ecstatically and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tightly and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him. She was learning fast and he knew as her confidence grew, her skills would grow even faster. This petite girl that he loved was a powerhouse, and there was no telling how strong she could become.
“Max, honey,” his mother said from the doorway, and then she noticed he wasn’t alone.
Max jumped off the bed and stood awkwardly like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Liz slowly stood up next to him, hoping his mother hadn’t seen her using her powers.
“Hi, Liz,” Diane said casually. She looked from her son to Liz and began to smile. Her maternal instincts were telling her to have a long talk with Max about responsibility and waiting and the benefits of abstinence, while another part of her was just happy these two seemed to have worked out their problems and were finding their way back to each other. “Are you staying for dinner Liz?”
“I can’t Mrs. E-, I mean Diane. I’m supposed to start my shift at the Crashdown in just over an hour. But thank you anyway.”
“Another time then,” Diane said smiling and turned and left the room.
“I should probably go home pretty soon. I still have to change and everything.” She looked up into his eyes wishing she didn’t have to leave, but with his mother here they couldn’t really experiment any further.
“Okay,” Max said softly and leaned down to touch his forehead against hers. His fingers found their way into the hair at the back of her head and then his lips touched hers in a long, soft kiss. He held her close and her arms surrounded him, making him feel what he had always known. She was what he needed. She was what he wanted. She was all that mattered. He’d never let himself forget that again.
Liz pulled back the covers on her bed and climbed in between the sheets. She opened the letter from Ava and read it again, for the fifth or sixth time. She held the An stone in her hand, wondering where Ava was and what she was doing. Was she lonely by herself in a strange place? Liz touched the center of the stone with her thumb as she cupped it in her hand. She began to drift in that place somewhere between awake and asleep, her mind floating to a place many, many miles away . . .
Liz found herself in a large room with row upon row of cots. Walking between the rows, she looked down at the faces of the people around her. Some slept peacefully, some not. Up ahead she glimpsed a familiar figure. She approached slowly, and as she neared Ava turned to look at her. She sat up on the cot and watched as Liz approached her. When Liz reached her, Ava patted the blanket beside her.
“Sit down, Liz,” Ava said smiling.
“Are you alright?” Liz asked and then was surprised that her voice was audible. When she’d done this to Max when he was in New York, he hadn’t been able to hear her.
“You’re getting better Liz, but this is only the beginning for you. There’s much more to come.”
Liz sat next to Ava and took the young woman’s hand in hers. “Come back to Roswell. We’ll find a place for you. You should be with us, not here in a shelter with no one you know.”
“And give up all this?” Ava asked as her eyes scanned the room. “I’m not living in a sewer. I’m not sleeping next to a dumpster. And besides, Seattle has this whole underground thing going on. Look at me. I wouldn’t fit in very well in Roswell. You know it, and I know it. And other than the rain, Seattle seems like a pretty good place to live for a while.”
“Are you sure? Will you be happy here?” Liz’s concern showed in her eyes.
“You’re sweet. Cornball, but sweet. I will come back to Roswell, someday. Until then, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Can we stay in touch, like this? Can I come visit you?” Liz was concerned that Ava might see this as an invasion of her mind.
“I’d probably be sad if you didn’t,” Ava replied. It’s nice to feel like I have a friend . . .”
Liz awoke feeling tired, yet relieved knowing that Ava was doing okay. It was a relief to know that she could reach her so easily.
* * * * *
Max watched the door, wondering where Liz was. Class was about to start and it wasn’t like her to be late like this. He’d hoped they would have time to talk before class started, but now he was just worried if she was okay. She came running in as the late bell rang and Max breathed a sigh of relief.
Liz took her seat quickly and glanced over at Max. She could tell that he was curious why she was late. It had just been one of those mornings, and being tired wasn’t helping. She’d slept fitfully last night after contacting Ava, and she’d been feeling the effects all morning. She covered her mouth with her hand as another yawn hit her.
“Are you alright?” Max whispered in a worried tone.
Liz looked over at him and nodded her head. He was leaning over toward her and the concern on his face made her smile. “I’m just tired,” she whispered back. “Didn’t sleep well.”
“How come?”
Mr. Seligmen began to speak to the class preventing further conversation. Liz silently mouthed the words ‘I’ll tell you later’, and then opened her textbook. Max sat back in his chair feeling a mixture of concern and curiosity.
The teacher droned on and on talking about the report due on Friday and Liz had a hard time concentrating. She toyed with the rose pendant around her neck and every few minutes she felt her head nod as sleep tried to claim her.
Max watched her with a smile on his face. She looked so cute trying to stay awake. Her head would bob forward and then she’d wake up with a start and look around to see if anyone had seen her sleeping. Their eyes made contact and she gave him an embarrassed little grin.
Max looked up at the clock and realized with a sigh the period wasn’t even half over yet. He slumped forward, propping his cheek on his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Liz had lost her battle to stay awake.
Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out as her mind began to drift in that other place.
The teacher’s voice still droned on in the background. She could hear the restless movements of the students around her. In her dream world, she suddenly wasn’t tired anymore. She felt energized, sexually charged. She looked over at Max and she knew she had to have him.
She rose from her chair and made her way toward him. The students, the teacher, everything faded away. All that remained was Max Evans, slumped at his desk. She stood next to his side and reached out with her hand, running her fingers through his hair . . .
Max bolted up straight in his chair. He looked around him quickly, but everything seemed to be in order. He could have sworn something had touched him, though.
A hand.
In his hair.
She moved around to his other side, with his eyes following her every move. She touched her fingers to the surface of the desk and it disappeared. Now he sat only on a chair, and she sat on his lap, facing him with her legs straddling him.
Her fingers stroked through the hair at the back of his head and her lips gently touched his . . .
Max felt a weight settle over his lap and fingers in his hair again. His eyes grew wide when he felt lips brush across his.
Familiar lips.
Her lips.
He looked over at Liz and then leaned in her direction.
“Liz?” he whispered.
“Liz,” Max whispered her name while planting soft kisses on her throat. His arms pulled her closer as he nuzzled his lips down along her collarbone. She breathed heavily in his ear, and then her tongue darted into and around it. She sucked at his earlobe and then down along his throat . . .
Max suddenly felt moisture in his ear. He bolted upright in his chair again. He could hear heavy breathing and then he felt lips moving down his throat.
Soft lips.
And a tongue.
Her tongue, touching his throat.
A groan escaped his lips. Pam Troy looked over at him with a frown.
Her hands went to the front of his shirt and unbuttoned the top button, and then the next and the next. She pushed his shirt aside and gazed down at the hard muscles of his chest . . .
Max felt the top button of his shirt suddenly pop open. He quickly covered it with his hand. He leaned forward, squirming in his chair, trying to refasten it with trembling fingers. Scott Miller turned around to look at him.
“Sorry,” Max mumbled. He ducked his head down and looked over at Liz again.
“Liz,” he whispered a little more forcefully, and reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. He inhaled sharply at the sensation of her tongue circling his left nipple, and then her teeth nibbling at him.
“Mr. Evans!” Mr. Seligmen called out from the front of the room. “Is there something wrong Mr. Evans?”
“NO,” Max nearly shouted out. “Everything’s fine,” he said, nearly choking. His cheeks were burning, and everyone in class was looking in his direction. He looked over at Liz but she still appeared to be sleeping. He sat up straight again, with his hand touching his forehead to try to hide his face. He could feel her fingers moving down his chest, past his waist, and then she was touching him. THERE. He jumped out of his chair.
“Can I get a bathroom pass?” Max blurted out in a strangled voice.
Mr. Seligmen turned in his direction with a startled look. He shook his head in obvious irritation and picked up a slip of paper from his desk. He walked up the aisle and held out the pass to Max.
“Make it quick, Mr. Evans.” He gave Max the eye once again and returned to the front of the class. Max turned to leave and leaned over Liz, shaking her shoulder.
“Wake up Liz,” he whispered directly into her ear.
Liz startled out of her dream, looking around the room with unfocused eyes. She noticed everyone staring in her direction and her cheeks turned flaming red. Max breathed a sigh of relief and left the classroom. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, waiting for his heart rate to settle down.
“Her dreams are gonna kill me,” he said under his breath, and began to laugh softly.
* * * * *
The bell rang to signal the end of class and Max gathered his books together. Liz had barely looked at him after he returned to the classroom, and when she did her face would turn red and she’d turn away quickly. He waited while she got her things together.
“So, um . . .” he began after the room had cleared out. “Your, uh, dreams are pretty vivid, huh?”
“You saw it?” she asked sharply, with the color draining from her face.
“No,” he answered, shaking his head. As she started to relax, he added, “I just felt it.”
“What?” she hissed in shock and almost dropped her books.
“Yeah, the uh, tongue – in the ear . . .” he said, pointing at his ear. His face broke out in an embarrassed grin as he added, “. . . and my shirt, kinda popped open, and, um . . .” he waved his fingers in the general direction of his chest and raised his eyebrows. “You like to bite . . .?”
“Oh my God!” Liz dropped her books on her desk and covered her face with her hands.
“It felt pretty good, actually,” Max said with a humorous glint in his eyes.
“Could anyone else tell what was going on?” she asked, peeking out from between her fingers.
“Well, with all the moaning going on-”
“I was moaning? Oh my God! I was moaning?” Liz asked, totally mortified.
“No, not you. Just me,” he answered, laughing at the look on her face. “I’m the only one that was making a complete ass out of himself. You were quiet as a mouse.”
“Well, that’s me, isn’t it?” Liz sighed as she picked her books up off her desk. “Mousy Liz Parker.”
“You’re anything but mousy, Liz Parker,” Max said seriously as he turned her face to look up at him. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. Nothing compares to you.”
“Aren’t you two going to be late for your next class?” Mr. Seligmen asked from the doorway.
Startled out of such an intimate conversation, Max and Liz quickly left the classroom. They stopped in the hallway and faced each other. Max placed his fingers under her chin.
“Will I see you at lunch?” he asked smiling down at her.
“Sure,” she smiled. He brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek and then hurried off to his next class.
“If I don’t see you before then,” she mumbled to herself. Just don’t fall asleep between now and then and everything will be alright, she told herself, and then hurried off to her next class.
* * * * *
Max opened the front door and ushered Liz inside his house. It felt so good to have her with him again. So natural. When they saw each other at lunch they made plans to meet after school. She didn’t have to work until the dinner shift, so he thought today would be a good time to test her abilities, to see what she was capable of doing besides slamming doors in his face.
“Mom? Mom, are you home?” Silence greeted them and Max shrugged his shoulders. “I guess she’s not home.”
Liz nodded her head and swept her eyes around the room. She swallowed hard at the thought of being all alone in his house with him.
“Are you hungry?” Max asked. “Do you want something to eat? I’m sure there’s something in the ‘fridge we could eat.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m not hungry,” Liz answered. She was too nervous to eat anything. It had been one thing to test her powers with Isabel, but it seemed totally different with Max. Maybe because she didn’t want to disappoint him. What if she couldn’t do anything he tried to show her?
“What about something to drink?”
“Sure, cherry coke, if you have any.” Her mouth was dry and a cold drink would taste good right now.
Max went into the kitchen and returned with two cans of cherry coke and a bottle of tabasco sauce.
“Come on,” he said, handing her a can and nodding toward the hallway. “Let’s go to my room.”
Max placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward his room. When he stepped inside, he scanned the room quickly, relieved that there were no dirty clothes spread all over the place. The last thing he wanted her to see was his dirty underwear.
Liz stood awkwardly near the door, remembering how she’d invaded his privacy during class today. It was one thing to dream about him, but when that dream crossed over into the physical world, that was something else entirely.
Max noticed her hesitation and smiled at her casually. “Have a seat,” he said, and pointed at the end of his bed. He set his drink down on the desk next to his computer and then moved over to his CD player. “Do you want to listen to some music?”
“Sure,” Liz answered as she sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. She popped the lid on her cola and took a big drink.
“How about . . .” Max began as he sorted through his CD’s. “Gomez. Do you want to listen to Gomez?”
“No,” Liz responded quickly and shook her head.
Max looked over at her and noticed the color rising in her cheeks. “Okay, then how about . . . Sarah McLachlan?”
He watched her shake her head no.
“Um, Dido?”
Again she shook her head and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Eminem? No? Didn’t think so. Let’s see . . .”
Max picked up a CD and a smile broke over his face.
“Moby!” he said holding up the CD and nodding his head enthusiastically.
“Okay,” Liz laughed, knowing how much he liked that CD.
Max inserted it into his stereo and smiled as the melody drifted softly from the speakers. He picked up his drink and popped the tab, shaking liberal amounts of tabasco sauce into it. He returned to sit on the bed beside her and Liz pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged facing him. She took another drink from her can and then he gently took it out of her hand and set it on the floor next to his.
Max took her hands in his and looked at her seriously. “Maybe we should talk about what happened today, you know, in class.” She looked away quickly, and he saw the color rising in her cheeks again.
“Max,” she said and sighed in embarrassment.
“It’s okay Liz. I mean, yeah, it was a little awkward, but it’s not like I didn’t like it or anything.”
“Oh God,” Liz said softly and dropped her head so he couldn’t see her face.
“Hey,” he gently lifted her chin. “You just need to learn to control it. To make it happen when you want it to, not just indiscriminately. It’s a good thing you weren’t dreaming about Mr. Seligmen.”
“Max!” Liz shouted and slapped at his chest.
“Well, can you see him up there trying to teach the class with your tongue poking into his ear?” Max laughed.
“That’s not funny Max!” Liz shouted, but she couldn’t help laughing too. She took another swing at him.
“Or how about if you were biting his-”
“Don’t even say it, Max! This is NOT funny!” She pushed him backwards, totally embarrassed, but she couldn’t stop laughing.
“Okay! Okay!” he said, sitting back up with a big grin on his face.
“How am I supposed to control it?” Liz asked helplessly. “I mean, I was asleep!”
“Practice,” Max told her. “Time. This stuff’s all new to you Liz. It’ll take time to train your mind.” Max saw the doubtful look cross her face and he smiled at her. “Don’t worry. Before long you’ll wonder what you were ever worried about.”
“Well I wasn’t worried about sticking my tongue in Mr. Seligmen’s ear until you mentioned it! Now I’m afraid to go back to class!”
Laughing, Liz reached down to pick up her soda. She took a large drink and her eyes got huge as the tabasco sauce registered on her taste buds. Her throat refused to accept the foul concoction and it spewed from her mouth with a powerful force. The liquid hit Max squarely in the face and chest and then dripped down onto his lap.
“Oh my God!” Liz cried out, sputtering and choking on the foul taste. “God, I’m so sorry!”
Max wiped his hand over his face and then looked down at the mess covering him. He was soaked with sticky cherry coke and tabasco sauce.
“What happened?” he asked and then started laughing.
“I think this one’s yours,” Liz held up his can.
He took it from her and took a sip. “Yep. This one’s mine.”
Liz started laughing so hard tears began to stream down her face. She rolled onto her side and covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking with hysterical laughter.
“Very funny!” Max said as he tried to wipe the liquid from his chin. “Okay Liz Parker, this is your first lesson. I want you to remove this, this mess. Make it look like it never happened.”
Liz sat up with her expression turning serious. “How? I don’t know how.”
Max took her hands between his and looked at her with complete faith in her. “Think about it. Visualize it in your mind. See yourself pull the liquid off my skin. It’s all about your mind, Liz. Your mind controls it all. When you wave your hand over my skin, picture the fluid lifting up and evaporating into the air.”
Liz closed her eyes and concentrated. She did everything he said, and when she felt ready, she opened her eyes and waved her hand over his face. Nothing changed. Her shoulders sagged and her face dropped forward in failure.
“I’m sorry, Max. I just can’t do it,” she said dejectedly.
“Try it again,” Max said, giving her hands a squeeze.
She looked up ready to protest and then his eyes captured her attention. She could see the faith he had in her reflected in his eyes. She couldn’t quit in the face of that. She concentrated again and once more waved her hand over his face. A smile broke over his face as the sticky sensation left his skin.
“I did it! I did it!” Liz shouted.
“Yes. Yes, you did,” Max said with a wide grin. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I knew you could do it.” He held her for a moment and then pulled away. “Now clean the rest of this crap off of me!”
Liz concentrated again and then waved her hand over his chest. She could feel the familiar tug at her mind and the fluid disappeared from his clothes. She laughed ecstatically and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tightly and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him. She was learning fast and he knew as her confidence grew, her skills would grow even faster. This petite girl that he loved was a powerhouse, and there was no telling how strong she could become.
“Max, honey,” his mother said from the doorway, and then she noticed he wasn’t alone.
Max jumped off the bed and stood awkwardly like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Liz slowly stood up next to him, hoping his mother hadn’t seen her using her powers.
“Hi, Liz,” Diane said casually. She looked from her son to Liz and began to smile. Her maternal instincts were telling her to have a long talk with Max about responsibility and waiting and the benefits of abstinence, while another part of her was just happy these two seemed to have worked out their problems and were finding their way back to each other. “Are you staying for dinner Liz?”
“I can’t Mrs. E-, I mean Diane. I’m supposed to start my shift at the Crashdown in just over an hour. But thank you anyway.”
“Another time then,” Diane said smiling and turned and left the room.
“I should probably go home pretty soon. I still have to change and everything.” She looked up into his eyes wishing she didn’t have to leave, but with his mother here they couldn’t really experiment any further.
“Okay,” Max said softly and leaned down to touch his forehead against hers. His fingers found their way into the hair at the back of her head and then his lips touched hers in a long, soft kiss. He held her close and her arms surrounded him, making him feel what he had always known. She was what he needed. She was what he wanted. She was all that mattered. He’d never let himself forget that again.
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
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ASKOL Part 14
Originally, I meant to update this 2 or 3 times a week, but I haven't been able to follow that schedule. Real life has just been too hectic. I'm kind of updating this as I go, just making the words flow a little smoother, so that's why it's taking me longer than it should.
Here's the next part . . .
Part 14
Philip knocked on his son’s door and poked his head inside. Max was putting his clean laundry in his dresser and he looked up as his father entered the room.
“What’s up, Dad?” Max asked offhandedly.
“You got a minute, Max?” his father said edgily.
“Sure,” he replied and then narrowed his eyes slightly. His father seemed a little nervous or anxious and Max wondered what was bothering him. He closed his dresser drawer and put his empty laundry basket inside his closet. He turned toward his father and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, waiting to find out what he had to say.
“How’s school going this year?” Philip asked after an awkward silence.
“Fine,” Max answered, getting more puzzled by the minute. They didn’t usually have uncomfortable conversations like this. “It’s just . . . school, you know?” he finished and shrugged his shoulders.
“Are you planning on joining any, oh, any . . . clubs or anything? Like the Spanish club, or the yearbook? What about the yearbook?” Philip was floundering and he knew it.
“I hadn’t really thought about it. You know, with working I don’t have much free time.” Max was really getting curious now. Something was on his father’s mind and he was taking a long time to get to the point.
“Oh.”
Another long silence followed, with Philip getting edgier by the minute. He took a deep breath and then turned the conversation in the direction he was dreading. “So, how are things going between you and Liz Parker?”
Max had started to turn away from his dad to go to his desk when he froze in his tracks. His eyes got huge and his mouth fell open when he realized what was going on here. The Talk. His dad was giving him The Talk.
“Things are going fine,” Max answered carefully as he slowly turned to face his dad.
“Good. Good.” Philip looked around the room, giving unwarranted scrutiny to the posters on the walls. “She seems like a really nice girl.”
“Yes,” Max agreed. “She is.”
“So you like her, huh?”
Philip watched Max nod his head.
“A lot?”
Max nodded his head again.
“I’d hate to see either of you get hurt,” Philip said looking at his son directly now.
“What do you mean?” Max wondered where exactly he was going with this.
“Well, sometimes, when things go too far, too fast, when you’re not ready for it, people can get hurt. We wouldn’t want to see that happen.”
“Don’t worry Dad, I’m-”
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” Philip said cutting him off. “Don’t rush into things. You two kids are still so young.”
“Dad-”
“But if you do, you’ve got to be careful.” Philip was on a roll now and he barreled on. “With AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases out there, you can never be too careful. You’ve got to think of her. You don’t want accidents to happen. You’ve got high school to finish, and then there’s college. You don’t want anything to interfere with that.”
“Dad, I’m-”
“I can pick something up for you at the drug store if you want, if you feel uncomfortable buying them yourself,” Philip offered.
Max pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger and took a deep breath.‘Please, please, tell me this isn’t happening’, he thought to himself.
“No, that’s okay Dad.”
Philip walked over to Max and put his hands on his son’s shoulders. Max looked into his eyes and tried to keep a straight face. “You’re a smart kid Max,” Philip said with a smile and tousled his son’s hair. “Think with your head, the one up here.”
“Okay, Dad,” Max answered, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing.
* * * * *
The rest of the week passed quickly and Friday arrived before they knew it. No evil enemies came crashing into Roswell. No deathrays sucked the life out of the town. No skins arrived to wreak havoc on their semi-normal existence.
Each day they attended school and each afternoon and evening they worked, studied and practiced honing their skills to be ready someday for whatever battles that might come. Until then, they faced the future one day at a time.
* * * * *
Max waited outside of the classroom impatiently for Liz to arrive. He hated giving oral presentations and he was dreading the next hour. He’d spent his whole life trying to blend into the background, so each time he was forced into a position of being the focus of attention, he disliked it. Great skills for the leader of an entire race, he thought ironically. Can’t even stand in front of a roomful of bored teenagers without his knees shaking. Liz was good at this though. When she was talking science, she was in her element, so she was going to give the report and he would play the roll of Vanna White, clicking away at the mouse button during the PowerPoint presentation.
“Hi, Max,” Liz said from behind him.
Max spun around and sighed in relief.
“Hi,” he replied with a smile spreading over his face. “I was afraid you were gonna be late.”
“No,” she teased, gazing up into his eyes. “You were afraid I wasn’t going to show, and you’d have to do the report yourself.”
“That too,” he answered with a laugh. They turned together and entered the classroom, and almost bumped into Mr. Seligmen.
“Mr. Evans, Miss Parker, are you ready to give your presentation? Yours is first on the agenda this morning.”
“We just need to go to the library and check out the laptop in Media Services,” Max replied.
“Well, you better hurry. We want to get started right away.” Mr. Seligmen headed for the front of the classroom and Max and Liz dropped their things on their desks and made their way out the door in the direction of the library.
“Liz?” Max said as they walked down the hallway.
“Yeah?” she answered curiously. He seemed a little pensive and she wondered what he was on his mind.
“I . . . I should have asked you this a long time ago, but . . . anyway, do you want to come with me out to the Granilith? Tonight? I think you should see it.”
Max looked down into her dark eyes and he thought he saw a momentary flash of pain cross her face. The Granilith, and the future version of him, and the deception with Kyle were all bound together. She couldn’t think of one without thinking of the other images as well.
Liz nodded her head slowly and bit at her lower lip. “Okay,” she said softly. Her eyes misted over, remembering how that older version of Max had talked about the Granilith, and how it felt to dance with him, and ultimately, how devastated she’d felt when he disappeared and she knew he no longer existed. She couldn’t think of the Granilith without remembering every thing he had said, every gray hair on his head, every battle scar on his arms and on his face.
Max slipped his hand into hers and they walked quietly down the hall. He could sense her sadness and all he could think of was taking her pain away. He darted a look around the empty hallway, and then he was pulling her along quickly, right into the eraser room.
“Max! What are you doing? We need to go to the library.” Her dark eyes were huge in the dimly lit room and Max shut the door quietly and sealed it shut.
“That can wait a minute,” Max answered and pulled her close to him. “I need to know what you’re thinking right now.”
She didn’t say anything at first, wanting to deny anything was wrong, but the honest and open look on his face wouldn’t let her. “It’s just that, when you talk about the Granilith, it has all these memories associated with it, and I don’t even know what it looks like.” She leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes.
“Come with me tonight, and we’ll face those memories together.” He lifted her chin with his fingers and as her eyes rose to meet his, the worried look slowly left her face and she tried to smile. He smoothed her hair with his hand and then leaned forward, gently touching his lips to hers.
“Max.” She said it in a near whisper, but it was full of want, and need and desire. He could see it in her eyes and feel it in her body. They stared at each other for a moment longer and then their mouths were racing together. She kissed him hard and his lips attacked hers just as forcefully. Her arms surrounded his shoulders and his circled around her back, lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. He crushed her body close to him, feeling her molding against him. His body shivered when he felt her fingers stroking through his hair and his arms tightened around her even more.
He lurched into the center of the room and her legs lifted, wrapping around his hips. His hand moved down the curve of her back and cupped her bottom, pressing her close to him. He stumbled into a table in the middle of the room and would have dropped her if she hadn’t been kissing him so fiercely. Her weight settled onto the surface of the table and his lips moved down her chin to the sweet tasting skin at the base of her neck. She moaned softly and arched her back, exposing more of her throat to him. The only sounds he could hear were her raspy breaths in his ear and his own blood pounding through his veins.
He leaned her backwards, his mouth moving from her throat to her collarbone and back to her mouth before seeking out her throat again. The weight of his upper body pressed down on her, pinning her to the table beneath him. His hand rested on her hip for a moment and then moved upward to her waist. His fingers slid under the lower edge of her sweater and touched the warm skin on her stomach. The contact was electrifying and he paused for a moment, staring into her eyes before eagerly seeking her lips again. His fingers slid up her skin, feeling the small bones of her ribs and then began to move higher. He felt her body stiffen with sudden tension and she stopped the movement of his hand. For a moment he thought he had gone too far, and then he heard it too. Someone was trying to open the door to the eraser room.
Liz sat up pushing Max off of her. They both turned to look at the door and saw the knob twisting back and forth. The door rattled in its frame and then they could hear the sound of keys being inserted into the lock.
“Max,” Liz whispered and slid off the table.
“It’s okay,” he whispered back and put his finger against her lips to silence her.
They heard a muffled curse and then the sound of footsteps retreating. Max grabbed Liz’s hand and led her to the door. His hand glowed over the lock to break the seal he’d created earlier and slowly opened it. Glancing in both directions he saw the hallway was empty and he quickly pulled her from the room. They hurried back to their classroom.
Liz came to a screeching stop near the open door and pulled back on Max’s hand, nearly knocking him to the floor. He looked at her in surprise while he regained his balance.
“Wait!” she whispered hoping no one in the class could hear her. “We didn’t get the laptop!”
“Oh shit!” Max cringed.
They turned around and raced back in the direction of the library, knowing that when they finally got back to Mr. Seligmen’s classroom, they were going to be in big trouble.
* * * * *
“Please?” Liz looked up at Michael pleading with him for the third time.
“No,” Michael said again. “There’s a hockey game on tonight, and I want to watch it. I can’t do that if I’m stuck here closing the restaurant for you. You know, you’re dad left YOU in charge while they’re off in Dallas for the weekend at that trade show thing.”
“Michael!” Maria stood with her hands on her hips glaring at him. “That hockey game is a repeat.”
“So?” Michael shot back.
“From 1979,” Maria said sarcastically.
“And what’s you’re point?” He looked from Maria’s exasperated face to Liz’s lost puppy dog look. “It was a good game!”
“Michael! Get a VCR.” Maria began to tap her foot impatiently.
He looked from one face to the other and knew he was a beaten man. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it. But you’re gonna owe me.”
Liz sighed in relief and gave Maria a hug before racing upstairs to change from her uniform. She showered quickly and threw on a pair of jeans and a black sweater and raced back downstairs just in time to see Max pull up in his jeep.
“Thank you, Michael!” Liz called out to him as she flew through the restaurant with her coat in her hands.
“Yeah, whatever,” Michael muttered and turned back to the grill just in time to flip the latest burger before it turned to charcoal. “I’ve got to get a better job.”
Liz slowed down at the doors and took a deep breath before carefully opening them and making her way to the jeep. Max was in the process of securing the top and she watched him move from one side of the jeep to the other. He looked ready for a hike in the desert dressed in his tan cargo pants and boots. He looked up as she neared and smiled.
“The weather report says we might get some rain tonight, so I thought I better put the top up.” He finished tying it down and then opened her door and helped her in. After closing it, he walked around to the driver’s side and hopped in. “Are you ready?” She nodded her head and Max put the jeep in gear and blended into the light traffic.
He glanced at Liz every few minutes as they made their way out of Roswell to the Vasquez Rocks. She’d said very little during the drive and he was getting worried about her. She hadn’t been to the site since last May, and so much had happened to them since then. He was feeling the tension too. If only he hadn’t listened to Michael on that day last May. If only he’d gone after her, instead of just watching her leave. Things might have been so different.
Liz sat silently next to Max feeling the tension all around her. She was dreading seeing the pod chamber again, and the thought of seeing the Granilith was unnerving her. The closer they got, the tenser she became.
Max reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. “It’s okay Liz. Don’t be so worried.”
“It’s just that . . . I have this feeling something bad is going to happen.” She couldn’t shake this sense of dread hanging over her.
“Are you psychic now?” he asked jokingly.
“No, Max,” Liz sighed and finally smiled at him. The feel of his warm hand was starting to relax her.
“That’s better. We’re almost there.”
He turned off the highway and in a few minutes they arrived at the base of the rock formation that housed the pod chamber. Max brought the jeep to a halt and reached into the back seat for the flashlights. It was a cloudy night and it was pitch black out. Max handed Liz a flashlight and they climbed out of the jeep. They made their way over the rough terrain and in minutes they were at the entrance to the chamber.
Max activated the entrance to the cave and stepped inside with Liz following close behind. He held her hand tightly, feeling the way she trembled. She gazed around the room noticing how the luminous walls cast a greenish glow over everything around them. Max led her beyond the old withered pods and showed her the entrance to the Granilith chamber. He activated the palm print and after he placed his hand over it an opening appeared in the wall.
The first thing Liz noticed was the steady hum coming from inside, and then she stepped over the threshold to see the massive structure that filled the room. A rainbow of swirling colors revolved around the room and Liz could feel the immense energy radiating from the Granilith.
“What do you think?” Max asked her as they walked in a circle around it. He’d seen it many times, but he still found himself in awe of it.
Liz put her face close to the reflective surface. “Can you hear that, Max?”
Underneath the steady hum she could hear background noise, like the static a TV gives off when it’s not on station. The sound was low and barely audible, but there.
“Yeah.”
Max watched Liz as she studied the Granilith. He could tell that her scientific mind was in overdrive thinking of various purposes this machine could have been created for. He could sense that now she was actually looking at it, she’d lost her fear of it.
“You said it’s a great source of power, but it wasn’t meant for time travel,” Liz said aloud. “You had to alter it to be able to use it in that way.”
She hadn’t taken her eyes off of the Granilith, so she didn’t notice the perplexed look on Max’s face. She was talking about things the other Max, the future Max had said, as if he had said them. And to her, he had. To her, the boy he was right now, and the man he would have become were one and the same.
“What else did I say Liz?” Max asked her gently. She hadn’t told him very much about what had happened. In the few days that had passed since he found out the truth, she had avoided talking about the man he might have been. He knew only that he’d come from the future to change the shape of the world, and in the process a part of both of them had been lost.
“You told me a little about the life we would have had. You weren’t supposed to, but you told me anyway.”
Liz turned to face Max with her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You said we ran away and got married, that I insisted even though you said we were too young.” Liz gave Max a small laugh. “You said I wouldn’t take no for an answer. We were only nineteen.”
“That sounds just like you Liz,” Max said, and wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek.“When you make up your mind, there’s no stopping you.”
He watched the smile leave her eyes and he was suddenly dreading what she would to say next.
“I watched you die that night Max,” Liz looked at him with haunted eyes.
“Liz, don’t-” Max began and then she turned away from him, unable to look in his eyes any longer.
“I not only killed the love you felt for me that night, I killed the man you would have become. The man who loved me unconditionally. The man that had total faith in me. I asked you to dance with me that night, because I knew we’d never dance together again. I knew that after that night was over, you’d never be able to look at me the same again. So we danced, and then . . . you . . . you just disappeared, and I knew that the man you would have been, the man that loved me completely, no longer existed.”
“I’m still here Liz. None of that’s changed.” Max touched her shoulder and turned her around to face him. “Yes, I was angry and I was hurt, but I swear to you Liz, I never stopped loving you. It tore me apart when I saw you with Kyle, and . . . and when you kept saying that you had been with him, I started to believe you. But even after that, I couldn’t stop loving you. It’s always been you, Liz. No matter what, it’s always been you.”
“Oh, Max,” Liz gazed deeply into his eyes. “I did what I thought I had to. I didn’t want to hurt-”
Max held a finger to her lips to stop her confession.
“I know, Liz. And it only makes me love you more.”
Her eyes suddenly flew wide open, startling him.
“Take me home, Max.”
She looked up at him, remembering how Future Max had said those very words to her. She remembered how her heart had raced, beating wildly out of control when he said them. He’d pleaded with her to make him stop loving her, while at the same time professing how deeply he loved her. And now, to hear him say those words again made her doubts return. Were they doomed to repeat their past mistakes? Was the future something they couldn’t change? Or were they heart felt words that Max would say no matter what time or reality they live in?
“Okay,” he said soothingly and they turned to leave the chamber. “Let’s go home.”
Max placed his hand over the palm print on the wall and sealed the chamber behind them. They made their way past the pods and stepped out of the entrance to the cave into a night that had turned stormy. Lightning flashed around them and thunder rolled over their heads. Huge drops of rain fell from the sky and ran in rivulets along the ground. Max lifted his hand to seal the cave closed but Liz stopped him with her hand on his arm.
“Let me try, Max.” He stepped aside and Liz placed her hand on the palm print. The print glowed under her hand and the cave sealed closed.
“I did it! It knows me,” she said lifting her eyes to look at Max with a radiant smile on her face. Her doubts suddenly chased away, she threw her arms around him. He picked her up hugged her tightly. He kissed her softly and then set her feet back on the ground.
“Watch this,” he said and he cupped his hands in front of him. A blue glow emanated from his palms and a bubble suddenly formed around them, protecting them from the storm. They splashed through the puddles on the ground as they made their way back to the jeep, but the rain couldn’t touch them.
TBC . . .
Here's the next part . . .
Part 14
Philip knocked on his son’s door and poked his head inside. Max was putting his clean laundry in his dresser and he looked up as his father entered the room.
“What’s up, Dad?” Max asked offhandedly.
“You got a minute, Max?” his father said edgily.
“Sure,” he replied and then narrowed his eyes slightly. His father seemed a little nervous or anxious and Max wondered what was bothering him. He closed his dresser drawer and put his empty laundry basket inside his closet. He turned toward his father and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, waiting to find out what he had to say.
“How’s school going this year?” Philip asked after an awkward silence.
“Fine,” Max answered, getting more puzzled by the minute. They didn’t usually have uncomfortable conversations like this. “It’s just . . . school, you know?” he finished and shrugged his shoulders.
“Are you planning on joining any, oh, any . . . clubs or anything? Like the Spanish club, or the yearbook? What about the yearbook?” Philip was floundering and he knew it.
“I hadn’t really thought about it. You know, with working I don’t have much free time.” Max was really getting curious now. Something was on his father’s mind and he was taking a long time to get to the point.
“Oh.”
Another long silence followed, with Philip getting edgier by the minute. He took a deep breath and then turned the conversation in the direction he was dreading. “So, how are things going between you and Liz Parker?”
Max had started to turn away from his dad to go to his desk when he froze in his tracks. His eyes got huge and his mouth fell open when he realized what was going on here. The Talk. His dad was giving him The Talk.
“Things are going fine,” Max answered carefully as he slowly turned to face his dad.
“Good. Good.” Philip looked around the room, giving unwarranted scrutiny to the posters on the walls. “She seems like a really nice girl.”
“Yes,” Max agreed. “She is.”
“So you like her, huh?”
Philip watched Max nod his head.
“A lot?”
Max nodded his head again.
“I’d hate to see either of you get hurt,” Philip said looking at his son directly now.
“What do you mean?” Max wondered where exactly he was going with this.
“Well, sometimes, when things go too far, too fast, when you’re not ready for it, people can get hurt. We wouldn’t want to see that happen.”
“Don’t worry Dad, I’m-”
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” Philip said cutting him off. “Don’t rush into things. You two kids are still so young.”
“Dad-”
“But if you do, you’ve got to be careful.” Philip was on a roll now and he barreled on. “With AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases out there, you can never be too careful. You’ve got to think of her. You don’t want accidents to happen. You’ve got high school to finish, and then there’s college. You don’t want anything to interfere with that.”
“Dad, I’m-”
“I can pick something up for you at the drug store if you want, if you feel uncomfortable buying them yourself,” Philip offered.
Max pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger and took a deep breath.‘Please, please, tell me this isn’t happening’, he thought to himself.
“No, that’s okay Dad.”
Philip walked over to Max and put his hands on his son’s shoulders. Max looked into his eyes and tried to keep a straight face. “You’re a smart kid Max,” Philip said with a smile and tousled his son’s hair. “Think with your head, the one up here.”
“Okay, Dad,” Max answered, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing.
* * * * *
The rest of the week passed quickly and Friday arrived before they knew it. No evil enemies came crashing into Roswell. No deathrays sucked the life out of the town. No skins arrived to wreak havoc on their semi-normal existence.
Each day they attended school and each afternoon and evening they worked, studied and practiced honing their skills to be ready someday for whatever battles that might come. Until then, they faced the future one day at a time.
* * * * *
Max waited outside of the classroom impatiently for Liz to arrive. He hated giving oral presentations and he was dreading the next hour. He’d spent his whole life trying to blend into the background, so each time he was forced into a position of being the focus of attention, he disliked it. Great skills for the leader of an entire race, he thought ironically. Can’t even stand in front of a roomful of bored teenagers without his knees shaking. Liz was good at this though. When she was talking science, she was in her element, so she was going to give the report and he would play the roll of Vanna White, clicking away at the mouse button during the PowerPoint presentation.
“Hi, Max,” Liz said from behind him.
Max spun around and sighed in relief.
“Hi,” he replied with a smile spreading over his face. “I was afraid you were gonna be late.”
“No,” she teased, gazing up into his eyes. “You were afraid I wasn’t going to show, and you’d have to do the report yourself.”
“That too,” he answered with a laugh. They turned together and entered the classroom, and almost bumped into Mr. Seligmen.
“Mr. Evans, Miss Parker, are you ready to give your presentation? Yours is first on the agenda this morning.”
“We just need to go to the library and check out the laptop in Media Services,” Max replied.
“Well, you better hurry. We want to get started right away.” Mr. Seligmen headed for the front of the classroom and Max and Liz dropped their things on their desks and made their way out the door in the direction of the library.
“Liz?” Max said as they walked down the hallway.
“Yeah?” she answered curiously. He seemed a little pensive and she wondered what he was on his mind.
“I . . . I should have asked you this a long time ago, but . . . anyway, do you want to come with me out to the Granilith? Tonight? I think you should see it.”
Max looked down into her dark eyes and he thought he saw a momentary flash of pain cross her face. The Granilith, and the future version of him, and the deception with Kyle were all bound together. She couldn’t think of one without thinking of the other images as well.
Liz nodded her head slowly and bit at her lower lip. “Okay,” she said softly. Her eyes misted over, remembering how that older version of Max had talked about the Granilith, and how it felt to dance with him, and ultimately, how devastated she’d felt when he disappeared and she knew he no longer existed. She couldn’t think of the Granilith without remembering every thing he had said, every gray hair on his head, every battle scar on his arms and on his face.
Max slipped his hand into hers and they walked quietly down the hall. He could sense her sadness and all he could think of was taking her pain away. He darted a look around the empty hallway, and then he was pulling her along quickly, right into the eraser room.
“Max! What are you doing? We need to go to the library.” Her dark eyes were huge in the dimly lit room and Max shut the door quietly and sealed it shut.
“That can wait a minute,” Max answered and pulled her close to him. “I need to know what you’re thinking right now.”
She didn’t say anything at first, wanting to deny anything was wrong, but the honest and open look on his face wouldn’t let her. “It’s just that, when you talk about the Granilith, it has all these memories associated with it, and I don’t even know what it looks like.” She leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes.
“Come with me tonight, and we’ll face those memories together.” He lifted her chin with his fingers and as her eyes rose to meet his, the worried look slowly left her face and she tried to smile. He smoothed her hair with his hand and then leaned forward, gently touching his lips to hers.
“Max.” She said it in a near whisper, but it was full of want, and need and desire. He could see it in her eyes and feel it in her body. They stared at each other for a moment longer and then their mouths were racing together. She kissed him hard and his lips attacked hers just as forcefully. Her arms surrounded his shoulders and his circled around her back, lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. He crushed her body close to him, feeling her molding against him. His body shivered when he felt her fingers stroking through his hair and his arms tightened around her even more.
He lurched into the center of the room and her legs lifted, wrapping around his hips. His hand moved down the curve of her back and cupped her bottom, pressing her close to him. He stumbled into a table in the middle of the room and would have dropped her if she hadn’t been kissing him so fiercely. Her weight settled onto the surface of the table and his lips moved down her chin to the sweet tasting skin at the base of her neck. She moaned softly and arched her back, exposing more of her throat to him. The only sounds he could hear were her raspy breaths in his ear and his own blood pounding through his veins.
He leaned her backwards, his mouth moving from her throat to her collarbone and back to her mouth before seeking out her throat again. The weight of his upper body pressed down on her, pinning her to the table beneath him. His hand rested on her hip for a moment and then moved upward to her waist. His fingers slid under the lower edge of her sweater and touched the warm skin on her stomach. The contact was electrifying and he paused for a moment, staring into her eyes before eagerly seeking her lips again. His fingers slid up her skin, feeling the small bones of her ribs and then began to move higher. He felt her body stiffen with sudden tension and she stopped the movement of his hand. For a moment he thought he had gone too far, and then he heard it too. Someone was trying to open the door to the eraser room.
Liz sat up pushing Max off of her. They both turned to look at the door and saw the knob twisting back and forth. The door rattled in its frame and then they could hear the sound of keys being inserted into the lock.
“Max,” Liz whispered and slid off the table.
“It’s okay,” he whispered back and put his finger against her lips to silence her.
They heard a muffled curse and then the sound of footsteps retreating. Max grabbed Liz’s hand and led her to the door. His hand glowed over the lock to break the seal he’d created earlier and slowly opened it. Glancing in both directions he saw the hallway was empty and he quickly pulled her from the room. They hurried back to their classroom.
Liz came to a screeching stop near the open door and pulled back on Max’s hand, nearly knocking him to the floor. He looked at her in surprise while he regained his balance.
“Wait!” she whispered hoping no one in the class could hear her. “We didn’t get the laptop!”
“Oh shit!” Max cringed.
They turned around and raced back in the direction of the library, knowing that when they finally got back to Mr. Seligmen’s classroom, they were going to be in big trouble.
* * * * *
“Please?” Liz looked up at Michael pleading with him for the third time.
“No,” Michael said again. “There’s a hockey game on tonight, and I want to watch it. I can’t do that if I’m stuck here closing the restaurant for you. You know, you’re dad left YOU in charge while they’re off in Dallas for the weekend at that trade show thing.”
“Michael!” Maria stood with her hands on her hips glaring at him. “That hockey game is a repeat.”
“So?” Michael shot back.
“From 1979,” Maria said sarcastically.
“And what’s you’re point?” He looked from Maria’s exasperated face to Liz’s lost puppy dog look. “It was a good game!”
“Michael! Get a VCR.” Maria began to tap her foot impatiently.
He looked from one face to the other and knew he was a beaten man. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it. But you’re gonna owe me.”
Liz sighed in relief and gave Maria a hug before racing upstairs to change from her uniform. She showered quickly and threw on a pair of jeans and a black sweater and raced back downstairs just in time to see Max pull up in his jeep.
“Thank you, Michael!” Liz called out to him as she flew through the restaurant with her coat in her hands.
“Yeah, whatever,” Michael muttered and turned back to the grill just in time to flip the latest burger before it turned to charcoal. “I’ve got to get a better job.”
Liz slowed down at the doors and took a deep breath before carefully opening them and making her way to the jeep. Max was in the process of securing the top and she watched him move from one side of the jeep to the other. He looked ready for a hike in the desert dressed in his tan cargo pants and boots. He looked up as she neared and smiled.
“The weather report says we might get some rain tonight, so I thought I better put the top up.” He finished tying it down and then opened her door and helped her in. After closing it, he walked around to the driver’s side and hopped in. “Are you ready?” She nodded her head and Max put the jeep in gear and blended into the light traffic.
He glanced at Liz every few minutes as they made their way out of Roswell to the Vasquez Rocks. She’d said very little during the drive and he was getting worried about her. She hadn’t been to the site since last May, and so much had happened to them since then. He was feeling the tension too. If only he hadn’t listened to Michael on that day last May. If only he’d gone after her, instead of just watching her leave. Things might have been so different.
Liz sat silently next to Max feeling the tension all around her. She was dreading seeing the pod chamber again, and the thought of seeing the Granilith was unnerving her. The closer they got, the tenser she became.
Max reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. “It’s okay Liz. Don’t be so worried.”
“It’s just that . . . I have this feeling something bad is going to happen.” She couldn’t shake this sense of dread hanging over her.
“Are you psychic now?” he asked jokingly.
“No, Max,” Liz sighed and finally smiled at him. The feel of his warm hand was starting to relax her.
“That’s better. We’re almost there.”
He turned off the highway and in a few minutes they arrived at the base of the rock formation that housed the pod chamber. Max brought the jeep to a halt and reached into the back seat for the flashlights. It was a cloudy night and it was pitch black out. Max handed Liz a flashlight and they climbed out of the jeep. They made their way over the rough terrain and in minutes they were at the entrance to the chamber.
Max activated the entrance to the cave and stepped inside with Liz following close behind. He held her hand tightly, feeling the way she trembled. She gazed around the room noticing how the luminous walls cast a greenish glow over everything around them. Max led her beyond the old withered pods and showed her the entrance to the Granilith chamber. He activated the palm print and after he placed his hand over it an opening appeared in the wall.
The first thing Liz noticed was the steady hum coming from inside, and then she stepped over the threshold to see the massive structure that filled the room. A rainbow of swirling colors revolved around the room and Liz could feel the immense energy radiating from the Granilith.
“What do you think?” Max asked her as they walked in a circle around it. He’d seen it many times, but he still found himself in awe of it.
Liz put her face close to the reflective surface. “Can you hear that, Max?”
Underneath the steady hum she could hear background noise, like the static a TV gives off when it’s not on station. The sound was low and barely audible, but there.
“Yeah.”
Max watched Liz as she studied the Granilith. He could tell that her scientific mind was in overdrive thinking of various purposes this machine could have been created for. He could sense that now she was actually looking at it, she’d lost her fear of it.
“You said it’s a great source of power, but it wasn’t meant for time travel,” Liz said aloud. “You had to alter it to be able to use it in that way.”
She hadn’t taken her eyes off of the Granilith, so she didn’t notice the perplexed look on Max’s face. She was talking about things the other Max, the future Max had said, as if he had said them. And to her, he had. To her, the boy he was right now, and the man he would have become were one and the same.
“What else did I say Liz?” Max asked her gently. She hadn’t told him very much about what had happened. In the few days that had passed since he found out the truth, she had avoided talking about the man he might have been. He knew only that he’d come from the future to change the shape of the world, and in the process a part of both of them had been lost.
“You told me a little about the life we would have had. You weren’t supposed to, but you told me anyway.”
Liz turned to face Max with her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You said we ran away and got married, that I insisted even though you said we were too young.” Liz gave Max a small laugh. “You said I wouldn’t take no for an answer. We were only nineteen.”
“That sounds just like you Liz,” Max said, and wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek.“When you make up your mind, there’s no stopping you.”
He watched the smile leave her eyes and he was suddenly dreading what she would to say next.
“I watched you die that night Max,” Liz looked at him with haunted eyes.
“Liz, don’t-” Max began and then she turned away from him, unable to look in his eyes any longer.
“I not only killed the love you felt for me that night, I killed the man you would have become. The man who loved me unconditionally. The man that had total faith in me. I asked you to dance with me that night, because I knew we’d never dance together again. I knew that after that night was over, you’d never be able to look at me the same again. So we danced, and then . . . you . . . you just disappeared, and I knew that the man you would have been, the man that loved me completely, no longer existed.”
“I’m still here Liz. None of that’s changed.” Max touched her shoulder and turned her around to face him. “Yes, I was angry and I was hurt, but I swear to you Liz, I never stopped loving you. It tore me apart when I saw you with Kyle, and . . . and when you kept saying that you had been with him, I started to believe you. But even after that, I couldn’t stop loving you. It’s always been you, Liz. No matter what, it’s always been you.”
“Oh, Max,” Liz gazed deeply into his eyes. “I did what I thought I had to. I didn’t want to hurt-”
Max held a finger to her lips to stop her confession.
“I know, Liz. And it only makes me love you more.”
Her eyes suddenly flew wide open, startling him.
“Take me home, Max.”
She looked up at him, remembering how Future Max had said those very words to her. She remembered how her heart had raced, beating wildly out of control when he said them. He’d pleaded with her to make him stop loving her, while at the same time professing how deeply he loved her. And now, to hear him say those words again made her doubts return. Were they doomed to repeat their past mistakes? Was the future something they couldn’t change? Or were they heart felt words that Max would say no matter what time or reality they live in?
“Okay,” he said soothingly and they turned to leave the chamber. “Let’s go home.”
Max placed his hand over the palm print on the wall and sealed the chamber behind them. They made their way past the pods and stepped out of the entrance to the cave into a night that had turned stormy. Lightning flashed around them and thunder rolled over their heads. Huge drops of rain fell from the sky and ran in rivulets along the ground. Max lifted his hand to seal the cave closed but Liz stopped him with her hand on his arm.
“Let me try, Max.” He stepped aside and Liz placed her hand on the palm print. The print glowed under her hand and the cave sealed closed.
“I did it! It knows me,” she said lifting her eyes to look at Max with a radiant smile on her face. Her doubts suddenly chased away, she threw her arms around him. He picked her up hugged her tightly. He kissed her softly and then set her feet back on the ground.
“Watch this,” he said and he cupped his hands in front of him. A blue glow emanated from his palms and a bubble suddenly formed around them, protecting them from the storm. They splashed through the puddles on the ground as they made their way back to the jeep, but the rain couldn’t touch them.
TBC . . .
-
Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
Sorry for the long delay. I took a bit of a break from all things fan fic, but hopefully I'm back now.
Let's see, where did we leave off? Max and Liz were slowly growing closer. Tess left Roswell when she caught them in an embrace in Max's room. Max took Liz out to the pod chamber, where Liz found out the chamber "recognized" her when she put her hand on the sliver palm print.
A Special Kind of Love
Part 15
Max and Liz pulled into town immediately noticing the lack of lights in the houses around them. They drove down streets illuminated only by the headlights of the jeep and the lightning that continued to flash overhead. Max turned into the alley behind the Crashdown and brought the jeep to a halt. He started to open his door when Liz stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Wait right there,” she said with a smile and then opened her door. She turned her back to him and he couldn’t see what she was doing. Her shoulders hunched forward and she cupped her hands together. She concentrated hard and sighed happily when the bubble formed around her. She turned to smile at Max and he beamed at her proudly, overjoyed by her desire to learn and expand her abilities. She hurried around to his side of the jeep and the bubble doubled in size to include him.
Max climbed out of the jeep and pulled Liz into his arms. He couldn’t believe how much he loved this little wisp of a girl, or how much her love for him sustained him. She looked up at him with her big dark eyes and he couldn’t resist kissing her. His lips descended on hers and they stood in the alley kissing passionately, as if nothing else existed in the world except the two of them. Liz folded her arms around him; neither of them noticing how the bubble disappeared as her concentration shifted only to him. The rain poured down on them, soaking into their hair and their clothing but their senses were filled only with each other. A blast of thunder echoed around them and they finally broke apart.
“We better get inside,” Max said as he gazed into her eyes. His hair felt drenched and rain was streaming down his neck and running down his back. “I don’t want you to catch cold.”
“Well if I do, you’ll just have to warm me up,” Liz said, looking at him with innocent eyes, but Max could sense her hidden meaning. Was it possible that she could want him as much as he wanted her? They had shared a level of intimacy in their dreams that felt beyond mere passion or sexual desire, but dreams weren’t real. And Max wanted to feel Liz’s skin against his. He wanted to touch her and love her and be loved by her. He wanted to form a bond with her that no one could ever take away from them. He kissed her again, letting his desire for her flow into her. He didn’t want to hide it from her anymore.
Liz felt his desire burning through her and knew she felt the same. The rain pelted her in the face as she looked up at him but she couldn’t feel it. Her thoughts were only of him. She stared into his eyes and then grabbed his hand, pulling him to the back door of the Crashdown. She searched for her keys and then felt Max’s hand reach around her to unlock the door with his powers. The door fell open and Max took Liz into his arms again. His lips sought out hers hungrily, nearly crushing her body when they collided with a nearby wall. They stumbled along in the dark with their lips locked on each other and their hands struggling to rid each other of their soaking wet coats. The coats fell to the floor in a soggy heap and they paused, staring into each other’s eyes unable to deny the reality of what they both wanted.
Their dripping hair and wet clothing left puddles of rainwater on the floor as they staggered in the direction of the kitchen, lips touching lips and hands clutching at each other. Liz automatically flipped on the light switch and then laughed at herself for forgetting the power was out.
“There’s a flashlight under the counter by the cash register,” Liz said as she struggled to catch her breath. She could feel his lips on her throat and it made her shiver in anticipation. To actually feel him touching her was so far beyond even her most vivid dreams.
“I’ll go get it,” Max said as he reluctantly let her go. He kissed her once more and then pushed through the doors into the Café.
“Max, wait!” Liz cried out as sudden dread filled her. She watched his silhouette as he disappeared into the Café and she raced after him.
Max knew something was wrong as soon as he entered the room. He could feel the presence of someone else there and as the lightning flashed again he could see the outline of someone near the register. The figure bent low and Max turned back the way he had come, trying to stop Liz from coming any further.
“Liz, go back!” Max hissed at her. “Don’t come in here!”
She could literally feel the panic in his voice as she stood in the doorway and watched him turn back in her direction. Lightning and thunder roared above them and then Liz saw a flash from the area near the front doors. Max suddenly arched his back and his shirt shredded in front of her eyes. Blood flew through the air, splattering over the walls and the floor and her clothes and her face.
“Max! OH MY GOD, MAX!” she screamed with the realization that he had been shot with the gun her father kept under the register. A dark figure fled past her as she knelt to pull Max into her arms. “Max, are you alright? Tell me you’re alright.”
Max had crumpled to the floor after the bullet tore through his chest. It entered his back on the right side just below his shoulder blade and exploded through his chest when it exited out the front. She’d heard the bullet fragments whiz past her ear as they exited his chest. Her mind registered the thief fleeing through the back door, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was Max, and the open wound in his chest.
“Liz,” Max whispered unable to raise his voice any louder. His body felt numb, the initial pain that he’d felt when the bullet entered his body was now buried somewhere deep inside his mind. He knew people with fatal injuries rarely felt the pain of the wound and a part of him realized he was dying. His mind railed against it, refusing to believe that God would be so cruel as to take him away from her so soon, but all he needed to do was look down to see the irreparable damage before him. He instinctively knew that the amount of damage was beyond something he could heal in his weakened state. He simple didn’t have the strength. Tears filled his eyes with the knowledge that he would never watch the sun come up with her in the morning, or feel her sleeping peacefully beside him in the dark. He felt her hand close around his and her fear flashed over him.
“I love you Liz,” Max croaked out as blood trickled past his lips. “Don’t ever forget how much I loved you.”
“Max, don’t leave me,” Liz pleaded. “Don’t you leave me.” She grabbed his hand and pressed it against the hole in his chest. “You can heal it Max. You’ve done it before. Come on Max. I know you can do it.”
“I can’t Liz,” Max whispered as he looked up into her panicking eyes. “The damage is too severe. I don’t have the strength.” He coughed and more blood poured out from between his lips.
“No,” she looked around her with wild eyes. “No Max. I’ll find help.”
She scrambled over to the phone and dialed 911 with a shaking hand. The sound of static fill her ears, the phone line was down as well as the power. She looked around desperately trying to think of what she could do.
“Liz . . .”
His voice came out so weak Liz could barely hear him. She rushed to his side again and cradled his head in her lap. His body began shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to speak.
“Tell Isabel that I lov-”
“Don’t Max. Don’t say it.” Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head back and forth. “You’re not going to die, Max. I’m not going to let you die. Do you hear me Max? I’m not going to let you die.”
He used the last of his strength to raise his hand to caress her cheek. He felt himself slipping away and he had to focus hard just to see her. “I . . . love . . . you . . .”
The words came out haltingly and then lightning flared around them again. It illuminated her hair and the air around her, making it look like a halo, his own angel come to take him home. He smiled up at her and then his eyes closed and his hand fell away from her.
“NO! NO MAX!” She screamed into the night and then did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers between his, then placed her left hand over the gaping hole in his chest. She concentrated hard, struggling to form the connection between them. Her mind called out to him, praying that he hadn’t given up yet. An image suddenly sprang into her mind of him standing before a white light. She called out to him and he turned to look at her. She reached out her hand to him and he looked at it, and then he turned back into the light. She called out to him again and he turned to face her once more. He slowly lifted his arm to reach out to her, and as she touched him their hands began to glow.
His pain slammed into her chest and she redoubled the effort to keep the connection strong. Her eyes flicked open to the sight of her hand glowing over the wound in his chest. The light grew in intensity as his healing powers flowed into her, and then through her hand back to him, repairing the damage the bullet had caused. Time ceased to have meaning. All that existed was Max and Liz and the healing.
Max stirred and slowly opened his eyes. The sight before him amazed him, making his mouth drop open in awe. Liz hovered above him, clutching his hand tightly in hers. Their hands were glowing brightly and then he looked to where her left hand was touching his chest. That hand was glowing too and he could see the small bones in her fingers shining through her skin. The damage to his chest was nearly gone and his skin was once more whole. He looked up to her face seeing how she trembled with the strain. Pain was etched on her face and when he lifted his hand to touch her arm she collapsed onto him.
“Liz,” he said in a near whisper. “What did you do?”
She lifted off of him and stared at his chest. The only evidence of any injury was the red discoloration of the skin where the wound used to be. “I . . . I just helped you to heal yourself. That’s all.”
“That’s all?” Max said in amazement. “Liz, you healed me.”
“No, no I didn’t,” Liz said shaking her head. “I can’t heal. It came from you. I just made it stronger, because you couldn’t.”
“You saved my life, Liz.” Max pulled her into his arms, feeling her tears spill onto his cheek. His body was suddenly racked by chills and he shuddered violently.
“You’re still hurt Max,” Liz pulled away from him and cupped his cheek with her hand. “We can‘t stay here. Let me help you upstairs.”
She put his arm around her shoulder and they struggled to stand. His legs felt weak and he had to lean on her heavily for support. They stumbled into the back room and faced the steep flight of stairs that would take them to the comfort and safety of her room. They took the stairs one step at a time, pausing often for Max to rest.
When they reached her room she guided him to her bed and he sat down heavily. She lit several candles around her room so that she could see, and when she turned back to Max she was appalled by the color of his skin. He had lost too much blood he was deathly pale. He was visibly shaking from the shock and stress his body had suffered, as well as from the chill of the wet clothing he was wearing.
“You have to get out of those wet things,” Liz mumbled as she ran into her bathroom. She came back quickly with a thick towel and began to dry his face and his hair and then looked down at the tattered shirt he was wearing. It was covered with his blood and wet from getting caught in the rain earlier.
“Try to lift your arms Max,” she said gently and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. She carefully pulled it up and over his head and then his arms fell heavily back into his lap as if he had no strength left. She tossed it on the floor and wrapped the towel around his shoulders trying to stem his violent tremors.
She knelt before him and removed his boots and his socks. His feet felt freezing to the touch, and she wrapped her small hands around first one foot and then the other trying to warm them. His pants were soaked, drenched by the rain, and felt cold and clammy when her arm brushed against his leg.
“Try to stand up for a minute, Max,” Liz urged. He leaned on her heavily as he rose to his feet and she quickly unzipped his pants and slipped them off. He collapsed back onto the bed wearing only his boxers, shaking violently. She knew his body was still trying to heal itself and if he slipped into shock she could still lose him. She pulled her covers aside and helped him slide between the cold sheets. She ran to her closet for more blankets to keep him warm and spread them over him. He curled on his side, but the tremors shaking his body told her he needed more than just blankets.
She ran to her bathroom for another towel and used it to get the dripping water out of her hair. She kicked her shoes off and stripped down to her panties and bra and then used the towel to dry her wet skin. She went to the far side of the bed and without hesitation climbed between the sheets. She scooted close to him knowing that her body heat would help him. She wrapped herself around him urging him to rest his head on her chest. She rubbed her hands over the skin on his arms and his back trying to create friction to warm his skin.
Max struggled to remain conscious, afraid that if his eyes closed he might never see her again. Her body pressed against his and he could feel her warmth seeping into him. She found his hand and laced her fingers between his just as she had done downstairs. She pressed the back of his hand to the warm flesh between her breasts, letting her energy pouring into him.
“You’ll be alright, Max,” she whispered and kissed the top of his head. “You’re going to be fine.”
After several minutes she felt his tremors begin to subside and she allowed herself to relax a little. His breathing evened out and she knew he was drifting into sleep. His body relaxed and Liz smiled in relief. He had been on the verge of death and she had helped bring him back. The knowledge filled her with wonder and she sighed softly. Her life had been changed so dramatically by this man lying in her arms, and she wouldn’t have wished it any other way.
Max listened to the soothing sound of her voice and felt the gentle touch of her fingers brushing the hair off his forehead. His eyelids were getting heavy and he knew his body needed rest to finish healing the massive damage he had suffered. He could hear the strong steady sound of her heart beating just below his ear and it lulled him into a deep sleep.
Outside, the storm was raging. Inside, Liz heard only the sound of his steady breathing as she watched over him.
TBC ...
Let's see, where did we leave off? Max and Liz were slowly growing closer. Tess left Roswell when she caught them in an embrace in Max's room. Max took Liz out to the pod chamber, where Liz found out the chamber "recognized" her when she put her hand on the sliver palm print.
A Special Kind of Love
Part 15
Max and Liz pulled into town immediately noticing the lack of lights in the houses around them. They drove down streets illuminated only by the headlights of the jeep and the lightning that continued to flash overhead. Max turned into the alley behind the Crashdown and brought the jeep to a halt. He started to open his door when Liz stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Wait right there,” she said with a smile and then opened her door. She turned her back to him and he couldn’t see what she was doing. Her shoulders hunched forward and she cupped her hands together. She concentrated hard and sighed happily when the bubble formed around her. She turned to smile at Max and he beamed at her proudly, overjoyed by her desire to learn and expand her abilities. She hurried around to his side of the jeep and the bubble doubled in size to include him.
Max climbed out of the jeep and pulled Liz into his arms. He couldn’t believe how much he loved this little wisp of a girl, or how much her love for him sustained him. She looked up at him with her big dark eyes and he couldn’t resist kissing her. His lips descended on hers and they stood in the alley kissing passionately, as if nothing else existed in the world except the two of them. Liz folded her arms around him; neither of them noticing how the bubble disappeared as her concentration shifted only to him. The rain poured down on them, soaking into their hair and their clothing but their senses were filled only with each other. A blast of thunder echoed around them and they finally broke apart.
“We better get inside,” Max said as he gazed into her eyes. His hair felt drenched and rain was streaming down his neck and running down his back. “I don’t want you to catch cold.”
“Well if I do, you’ll just have to warm me up,” Liz said, looking at him with innocent eyes, but Max could sense her hidden meaning. Was it possible that she could want him as much as he wanted her? They had shared a level of intimacy in their dreams that felt beyond mere passion or sexual desire, but dreams weren’t real. And Max wanted to feel Liz’s skin against his. He wanted to touch her and love her and be loved by her. He wanted to form a bond with her that no one could ever take away from them. He kissed her again, letting his desire for her flow into her. He didn’t want to hide it from her anymore.
Liz felt his desire burning through her and knew she felt the same. The rain pelted her in the face as she looked up at him but she couldn’t feel it. Her thoughts were only of him. She stared into his eyes and then grabbed his hand, pulling him to the back door of the Crashdown. She searched for her keys and then felt Max’s hand reach around her to unlock the door with his powers. The door fell open and Max took Liz into his arms again. His lips sought out hers hungrily, nearly crushing her body when they collided with a nearby wall. They stumbled along in the dark with their lips locked on each other and their hands struggling to rid each other of their soaking wet coats. The coats fell to the floor in a soggy heap and they paused, staring into each other’s eyes unable to deny the reality of what they both wanted.
Their dripping hair and wet clothing left puddles of rainwater on the floor as they staggered in the direction of the kitchen, lips touching lips and hands clutching at each other. Liz automatically flipped on the light switch and then laughed at herself for forgetting the power was out.
“There’s a flashlight under the counter by the cash register,” Liz said as she struggled to catch her breath. She could feel his lips on her throat and it made her shiver in anticipation. To actually feel him touching her was so far beyond even her most vivid dreams.
“I’ll go get it,” Max said as he reluctantly let her go. He kissed her once more and then pushed through the doors into the Café.
“Max, wait!” Liz cried out as sudden dread filled her. She watched his silhouette as he disappeared into the Café and she raced after him.
Max knew something was wrong as soon as he entered the room. He could feel the presence of someone else there and as the lightning flashed again he could see the outline of someone near the register. The figure bent low and Max turned back the way he had come, trying to stop Liz from coming any further.
“Liz, go back!” Max hissed at her. “Don’t come in here!”
She could literally feel the panic in his voice as she stood in the doorway and watched him turn back in her direction. Lightning and thunder roared above them and then Liz saw a flash from the area near the front doors. Max suddenly arched his back and his shirt shredded in front of her eyes. Blood flew through the air, splattering over the walls and the floor and her clothes and her face.
“Max! OH MY GOD, MAX!” she screamed with the realization that he had been shot with the gun her father kept under the register. A dark figure fled past her as she knelt to pull Max into her arms. “Max, are you alright? Tell me you’re alright.”
Max had crumpled to the floor after the bullet tore through his chest. It entered his back on the right side just below his shoulder blade and exploded through his chest when it exited out the front. She’d heard the bullet fragments whiz past her ear as they exited his chest. Her mind registered the thief fleeing through the back door, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was Max, and the open wound in his chest.
“Liz,” Max whispered unable to raise his voice any louder. His body felt numb, the initial pain that he’d felt when the bullet entered his body was now buried somewhere deep inside his mind. He knew people with fatal injuries rarely felt the pain of the wound and a part of him realized he was dying. His mind railed against it, refusing to believe that God would be so cruel as to take him away from her so soon, but all he needed to do was look down to see the irreparable damage before him. He instinctively knew that the amount of damage was beyond something he could heal in his weakened state. He simple didn’t have the strength. Tears filled his eyes with the knowledge that he would never watch the sun come up with her in the morning, or feel her sleeping peacefully beside him in the dark. He felt her hand close around his and her fear flashed over him.
“I love you Liz,” Max croaked out as blood trickled past his lips. “Don’t ever forget how much I loved you.”
“Max, don’t leave me,” Liz pleaded. “Don’t you leave me.” She grabbed his hand and pressed it against the hole in his chest. “You can heal it Max. You’ve done it before. Come on Max. I know you can do it.”
“I can’t Liz,” Max whispered as he looked up into her panicking eyes. “The damage is too severe. I don’t have the strength.” He coughed and more blood poured out from between his lips.
“No,” she looked around her with wild eyes. “No Max. I’ll find help.”
She scrambled over to the phone and dialed 911 with a shaking hand. The sound of static fill her ears, the phone line was down as well as the power. She looked around desperately trying to think of what she could do.
“Liz . . .”
His voice came out so weak Liz could barely hear him. She rushed to his side again and cradled his head in her lap. His body began shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to speak.
“Tell Isabel that I lov-”
“Don’t Max. Don’t say it.” Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head back and forth. “You’re not going to die, Max. I’m not going to let you die. Do you hear me Max? I’m not going to let you die.”
He used the last of his strength to raise his hand to caress her cheek. He felt himself slipping away and he had to focus hard just to see her. “I . . . love . . . you . . .”
The words came out haltingly and then lightning flared around them again. It illuminated her hair and the air around her, making it look like a halo, his own angel come to take him home. He smiled up at her and then his eyes closed and his hand fell away from her.
“NO! NO MAX!” She screamed into the night and then did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers between his, then placed her left hand over the gaping hole in his chest. She concentrated hard, struggling to form the connection between them. Her mind called out to him, praying that he hadn’t given up yet. An image suddenly sprang into her mind of him standing before a white light. She called out to him and he turned to look at her. She reached out her hand to him and he looked at it, and then he turned back into the light. She called out to him again and he turned to face her once more. He slowly lifted his arm to reach out to her, and as she touched him their hands began to glow.
His pain slammed into her chest and she redoubled the effort to keep the connection strong. Her eyes flicked open to the sight of her hand glowing over the wound in his chest. The light grew in intensity as his healing powers flowed into her, and then through her hand back to him, repairing the damage the bullet had caused. Time ceased to have meaning. All that existed was Max and Liz and the healing.
Max stirred and slowly opened his eyes. The sight before him amazed him, making his mouth drop open in awe. Liz hovered above him, clutching his hand tightly in hers. Their hands were glowing brightly and then he looked to where her left hand was touching his chest. That hand was glowing too and he could see the small bones in her fingers shining through her skin. The damage to his chest was nearly gone and his skin was once more whole. He looked up to her face seeing how she trembled with the strain. Pain was etched on her face and when he lifted his hand to touch her arm she collapsed onto him.
“Liz,” he said in a near whisper. “What did you do?”
She lifted off of him and stared at his chest. The only evidence of any injury was the red discoloration of the skin where the wound used to be. “I . . . I just helped you to heal yourself. That’s all.”
“That’s all?” Max said in amazement. “Liz, you healed me.”
“No, no I didn’t,” Liz said shaking her head. “I can’t heal. It came from you. I just made it stronger, because you couldn’t.”
“You saved my life, Liz.” Max pulled her into his arms, feeling her tears spill onto his cheek. His body was suddenly racked by chills and he shuddered violently.
“You’re still hurt Max,” Liz pulled away from him and cupped his cheek with her hand. “We can‘t stay here. Let me help you upstairs.”
She put his arm around her shoulder and they struggled to stand. His legs felt weak and he had to lean on her heavily for support. They stumbled into the back room and faced the steep flight of stairs that would take them to the comfort and safety of her room. They took the stairs one step at a time, pausing often for Max to rest.
When they reached her room she guided him to her bed and he sat down heavily. She lit several candles around her room so that she could see, and when she turned back to Max she was appalled by the color of his skin. He had lost too much blood he was deathly pale. He was visibly shaking from the shock and stress his body had suffered, as well as from the chill of the wet clothing he was wearing.
“You have to get out of those wet things,” Liz mumbled as she ran into her bathroom. She came back quickly with a thick towel and began to dry his face and his hair and then looked down at the tattered shirt he was wearing. It was covered with his blood and wet from getting caught in the rain earlier.
“Try to lift your arms Max,” she said gently and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. She carefully pulled it up and over his head and then his arms fell heavily back into his lap as if he had no strength left. She tossed it on the floor and wrapped the towel around his shoulders trying to stem his violent tremors.
She knelt before him and removed his boots and his socks. His feet felt freezing to the touch, and she wrapped her small hands around first one foot and then the other trying to warm them. His pants were soaked, drenched by the rain, and felt cold and clammy when her arm brushed against his leg.
“Try to stand up for a minute, Max,” Liz urged. He leaned on her heavily as he rose to his feet and she quickly unzipped his pants and slipped them off. He collapsed back onto the bed wearing only his boxers, shaking violently. She knew his body was still trying to heal itself and if he slipped into shock she could still lose him. She pulled her covers aside and helped him slide between the cold sheets. She ran to her closet for more blankets to keep him warm and spread them over him. He curled on his side, but the tremors shaking his body told her he needed more than just blankets.
She ran to her bathroom for another towel and used it to get the dripping water out of her hair. She kicked her shoes off and stripped down to her panties and bra and then used the towel to dry her wet skin. She went to the far side of the bed and without hesitation climbed between the sheets. She scooted close to him knowing that her body heat would help him. She wrapped herself around him urging him to rest his head on her chest. She rubbed her hands over the skin on his arms and his back trying to create friction to warm his skin.
Max struggled to remain conscious, afraid that if his eyes closed he might never see her again. Her body pressed against his and he could feel her warmth seeping into him. She found his hand and laced her fingers between his just as she had done downstairs. She pressed the back of his hand to the warm flesh between her breasts, letting her energy pouring into him.
“You’ll be alright, Max,” she whispered and kissed the top of his head. “You’re going to be fine.”
After several minutes she felt his tremors begin to subside and she allowed herself to relax a little. His breathing evened out and she knew he was drifting into sleep. His body relaxed and Liz smiled in relief. He had been on the verge of death and she had helped bring him back. The knowledge filled her with wonder and she sighed softly. Her life had been changed so dramatically by this man lying in her arms, and she wouldn’t have wished it any other way.
Max listened to the soothing sound of her voice and felt the gentle touch of her fingers brushing the hair off his forehead. His eyelids were getting heavy and he knew his body needed rest to finish healing the massive damage he had suffered. He could hear the strong steady sound of her heart beating just below his ear and it lulled him into a deep sleep.
Outside, the storm was raging. Inside, Liz heard only the sound of his steady breathing as she watched over him.
TBC ...
Behr's Bitch
-
Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz
Rating: PG 13 to NC 17
Note: As I was getting this part ready to post, I noticed that I failed to change the header when I posted part 15. It's an important chapter, so if you missed it, you'll find it on page 9.
For those of you who did read it, but need a refresher.....
When Max and Liz came back from the Pod Chamber, Max came upon an intruder in the restaurant. The unknown assailant shot Max in the chest, but Liz used her emerging 'gift' to boost Max's waning powers, together healing his fatal wound. Too weak to be left alone, Liz took Max up to her room so she could watch over him for the night.
On to the story ...
A Special Kind of Love
Part 16
His eyes slowly opened to the soft glow of flickering candlelight. It was early, still before dawn, and the world was silent around them. His head lay upon her breast and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat soothed him. The even rise and fall of her breathing told him she was still asleep. Her arms were around him holding him close and their legs had entwined during the night. Last night, his damaged body had been racked with chills and she had used her body to warm him. Now, in these minutes before dawn, he felt at peace.
Max lifted his head and watched Liz as she slept. Her skin glowed in the candlelight and his heart swelled with the love he felt for her. He brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and she sighed softly in her sleep. His thoughts turned to the night before and all that she had done for him. She’d said that she didn’t heal him, but she had. Healing might not be a gift she possessed, but her ability to draw it from him and strengthen it and then turn it back to him had been what saved his life. Isabel couldn’t do that. Neither could Michael. It was a gift that Liz alone possessed.
Last year when he had saved her life he hadn’t known what the consequences would be. He knew he risked exposure, but he had to do it. He had no choice. To let her die would have killed a part of himself. He knew how to heal her and he did. But Liz, she didn’t know how to do it, yet she saved him anyway. She had acted on pure instinct. Less than a month ago she didn’t even know she had something special inside her, and last night she’d been able to harness that power to bring him back from the brink of death. It amazed him. What might she be like, a year, 5 years or 14 years from now? What power might she be able to show them all?
She stirred against him bringing his attention back to her beautiful face. As her eyes fluttered open they gazed upon each other, and in that single moment they knew without any doubts. They belonged together. Today, tomorrow, forever, and nothing would ever change that now. Neither could exist without the other.
Max reached up and laid his hand upon her cheek. Her skin felt warm and soft, and as his hand touched her, she closed her eyes to absorb the sensations she was receiving from him. The connection was strong between them and his love for her filled her mind.
She covered his hand with hers and he immediately could feel her pain. He turned her hand over and saw the burn marks left from the healing. The energy it had taken for her to channel his healing powers had been enormous, and she had paid the price. She’d used all the strength she had, and more, and this had been left for her to suffer in silence. Max placed his palm over her hand and used his restored powers to heal her wound.
“Thank you,” she whispered to him.
“I’d say the same thing to you,” he spoke softly. “But thank you is so inadequate for what you did for me. You’re unique Liz, special. The only one in the world able to do for me what you did last night. I owe you everything.”
“You owe me nothing,” Liz said gently. “To lose you would be to lose myself. Besides,” she said smiling. “You gave this gift to me. It’s only fitting that you benefit from it.”
They lay with their bodies close together and their eyes locked on each other. His body had felt so cold last night, but now, everywhere their skin touched their warmth radiated into each other. Her fingers stroked through his hair and she kissed him lightly on the forehead. Her love for him had never been stronger and she wished that she could lay this way in his arms forever.
“How are you feeling,” Liz asked unable to stop worrying about him. “You seem so much better this morning.” Her fingers touched his hair and his cheek and his shoulder. She needed to touch him to reassure herself that he was alive and well and not the broken body she had seen lying on the floor of the Crashdown last night.
“I’m fine,” he answered her. “In fact, I’ve never felt better in my life.” He closed his hand over hers and nestled it in the hollow below his chin. Waking up to her beautiful face had a lot to do with how he was feeling, but that wasn’t what she was asking. “You don’t have to worry about me Liz. I’m okay.”
She pulled her hand gently away from his and moved his arm aside. Her fingers touched the right side of his chest and she could feel how smooth his skin was. Last night there had been a gaping hole there and today his skin was flawless. Her fingers fluttered over his chest and when she glanced up to meet his eyes her hand froze. She’d seen that look before. Hunger. Wanting. Yearning. She’d seen that look last night when she thought he would be doing something more than just sleeping in her bed.
Max looked away from her, knowing she had seen more than he wanted her to. He expected to feel her pull away from him, but instead he felt her hand rise from his chest to his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over his lips and his eyes locked on to hers once more. He had never wanted her more than he did right now, but still he hesitated. They’d been through so much in the last few hours, he was afraid this might be too much, too soon. He didn’t want to scare her, or pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for.
“Maybe I should go, before my parents notice I didn’t come home last night.” He disentangled his legs from hers and slowly moved away from her. He pulled the covers aside and sat up on the edge of the bed, feeling the loss of her body heat in the cold morning air.
“Max . . .” she said quietly.
He sat unmoving with his hands at his sides, knowing he should go but wanting so much to stay. He was missing her already and he wasn’t even out the door yet. The bed moved as she sat up and he could feel her right behind him.
“I don’t want you to go.” She said the words softly and her hand covered his. He could feel her warm breath on his shoulder and he slowly turned around to look at her. Her hand slid up his arm and over his chest, and then rose up to cup his cheek. His eyes met hers, seeing the same desires etched on her face that he was feeling.
Max twisted around to face her. When he was young, he had longed to be near her. As he got older, he fantasized about kissing her. After he saved her, he dreamt about spending a lifetime with her. To have her look at him, the way she was looking at him now, was more than he had ever hoped for.
He’d convinced himself growing up that he was destined to spend his life alone. No one could love an alien. A monster from another planet. A creature of foul proportions living under this human shell. But looking into her eyes, he knew how wrong he had been. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
He lifted his hand and rested it gently on her cheek. She leaned into his palm and his eyes wandered over her face, noting the flush of desire in her cheeks. He wanted to memorize everything about how she looked right now. The rosy tone of her cheeks and the natural red of her lips. The way her dark hair fell around her pale shoulders. The delicate curve of her throat that begged to be kissed. The fullness of her breasts that he’d only fleetingly touched. And her eyes. The dark pools of her eyes drew him in. He slowly leaned forward.
His lips touched hers, kissing her gently at first. Her lips were soft and sweet and he flicked out his tongue needing to taste her. He’d gone too long without her lips touching his during those months they’d been apart. His hand slid up the back of her neck burying his fingers in her thick hair. His arm surrounded her and pulled her body close to him. Her breasts, covered only by the sheer fabric of her bra, pressed against his chest. The feel of her body excited him and his kiss intensified. His right hand cupped the back of her head as he pressed his lips harder against hers. His left hand traveled over her back, caressing her skin while his need for her grew even stronger. He moved his lips away from hers and their eyes held each other as he eased her back down to the soft sheets. He stretched out beside her, his thigh parting her legs, his stomach touching hers, the hard muscles in his chest pressing against the soft mounds of her breasts as they lay side by side facing each other.
Max rested his hand on her hip for a moment, feeling the silky material of her black panties, then glided up her skin, past her waist and over her ribs before rising up the side of her breast. He tentatively cupped her with his palm, barely daring to breathe, feeling her heart racing as fast as his. His hand settled over her and her nipple became firm under his palm. She moaned softly against his lips, the sound of it making his pulse hammer through his veins. She rolled onto her back and his body followed her, lying partially on top of her. His lips moved to her throat, tasting her sweet skin, consumed by the feel of her beneath him. His fingers slid under the strap of her bra and pushed it off her shoulder, allowing his hand to cup her naked flesh. Her skin felt soft and warm, a perfect inside his hand, as if he was made to touch her. He lifted his head from her throat to look at her and her beauty took his breath away.
The rosy circle of her compact areola surrounded her hard nipple. Max stared at her for a moment and then his lips descended over her. His tongue licked at her, circling around her before covering her. Her back arched up while her hand pressed the back of his head toward her. He sucked at her, pulling her into his mouth, rolling her nipple with his tongue, his actions sending shivers of pure pleasure through her.
He lifted his mouth from her suddenly and he heard her whimper. He looked at her rapt face, with her closed eyes and her parted lips, and he had to kiss her again. His mouth closed over hers with an intensity that took her breath away. He kissed her long and hard and then pulled away from her as abruptly as he had descended upon her. He rose above her and his hand fumbled at the clasp on the front of her bra. It popped open and he held his breath as it fell away from her, exposing her completely.
“You’re so beautiful,” he sighed passionately. His hand cupped one breast while his mouth covered the other, tasting that one for the first time. His lips pulled at her hardened nipple, stimulating every nerve ending in her body. She moaned in pleasure and the heavy sound of her breathing echoed around the room. His body shifted, moving to rest fully on top of hers. His hips pressed against her hips and his thighs nestled between her thighs. His mouth released its treasure and moved to capture her mouth again.
“Max …”
The sound of her whispering his name inflamed him more and he kissed her even harder, crushing her lips and sucking her tongue into his mouth. His fingers traced down her spine to the small of her back and he pressed her closer to him. She arched against him, feeling his firm erection against her heat. He moved against her rhythmically with her hips matching his pace, wanting him, needing him, crying out for him.
“Max . . . oh Max,” she sighed, feeling her body tremble with need and desire.
Max lifted his face from her and gazed deeply into her eyes. His breathing was rapid and his pulse was racing in his chest. He rested his weight on his elbows and his hands cupped the sides of her face. “I love you Liz,” he whispered passionately. “More than you’ll ever know.”
“Then show me,” she answered breathing heavily. She pulled his face back to her, covering his mouth with hers and flicking her tongue between his lips. She could feel his body trembling from his mounting desire and her hunger for him grew. He couldn’t get enough of her and he tasted her sweet lips before they parted and his tongue plunged inside. Her erect nipples rubbed against the hard muscles in his chest and the feel of his muscular thighs between her legs sent thrills of anticipation up her spine. His erection pressed against the center of her body and the sensation was new, yet familiar at the same time.
Max felt her body mold to him as his weight pressed down on her. The feel of her naked skin made his blood run hot in his veins. She rubbed her toes up and down the back of his leg and he sighed with pleasure. His hands moved slowly along her skin, touching her face and her throat and her shoulders. He wanted to touch her everywhere. He wanted to know every part of her.
“Max . . .” she mumbled against his lips.
“Yeah?” he answered breathlessly. She tried to speak again but his kisses made her words unintelligible. For a while he’d been afraid he would never be able to kiss her again or hold her in his arms, and now that his dreams were coming true, he didn’t want to let her go. His lips moved to her throat again and he slowly made his way back to her breasts. His mouth covered one nipple and his hand covered the other. Her soft moans drove him wild with the knowledge that what he was doing was giving her as much pleasure as he was feeling.
“Max . . .” Her hands were in his hair and she gently lifted his head up to her. He released her breast reluctantly and stared into her eyes. She could feel his rapid pulse and heavy breathing and knew hers was the same.
“Do you still-” Liz began.
“Yes,” Max finished as he tried to draw air into his lungs. He knew exactly what she was asking. He returned her steady gaze suddenly feeling anxious. “In my . . . in my pocket.” He hesitated again, then asked, “Should I-”
“Yes,” she answered quickly. He stared at her unmoving, and for a moment she wondered if he was having second thoughts.
“Now?” he breathed out.
“Yes,” she said, nodding her head and smiling shyly. “If you’re ready.”
He’d been ready for this moment for longer than he could remember, and now that it was here he felt his self-doubts rising. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he disappointed her? What if it was over in 60 seconds? He lifted off of her and rolled off the bed. His pants were on the floor in a heap and he bent over to scoop them up. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and removed the small packet he had stored there. Clutching it in his hand he walked back to the side of the bed.
Liz rose up and knelt on the edge of the bed watching him as he walked back to her. She laid her hand gently on his chest and caressed the smooth skin. “You can’t even see a mark now,” she marveled. His chest had been torn open by the impact of the bullet but now it was whole again, unflawed, with no reminder of just how close he had been to dying last night. Her lips touched his skin, kissing the area, feeling how alive he was. He lifted her chin to kiss her softly and he felt her hands slide slowly down his back and under the band of his boxers. They fell to his ankles and Liz pulled slightly away to see him better.
He stood before her unclothed for the first time, and she smiled at his familiar appearance. Her hand rested on his hip and slowly moved over his stomach and lower until she touched the velvety skin of his manhood for the first time. Her hand felt the same to him as she had in his dreams and his fantasies and she touched him the way he had showed her how. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply as her touch drove him to new heights. When his eyes met hers again she removed the packet from his hand. She opened it and offered the contents to him, watching him as he rolled it into place.
He eased her gently back onto the sheets and his fingers hooked under the elastic of her panties. She lifted her hips slightly and he pulled them slowly down her thighs and then past her ankles before dropping them on the floor behind him. He knelt in front of her and his hands moved up her thighs parting her legs. She watched his face as he looked at her for the first time and then her eyes closed, enthralled by the way his fingers gently touched her. She felt his body settle over her and she opened her eyes to see his concerned face hovering over her.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he looked deeply into her eyes, worried about how it would feel to her.
“I know what to expect. I felt you inside me before.” She felt his erection poised at her entrance, waiting for her to let him in.
“You mean in the dreams?” he asked and she nodded her head. He felt her hands stroke over his back sending shivers of anticipation through him. “Were they real?”
“They weren’t real,” she answered. “But they weren’t just dreams either. We were connecting in our minds, I just don’t know how much of the connection was physical too.”
“I want to know what you’re feeling,” Max said as his fingers laced through her hair. His palm rested over her temple and he concentrated to form the connection that was familiar to them. Images flashed between them, memories of moments they had shared. Liz covered his hand with hers and the connection immediately intensified. Their thoughts and emotions began to merge, blending into each other. Her thoughts became his thoughts, his sensations mingled with hers. His love filled her mind and his need mixed with hers. Their fears fell away as their minds joined and Max slowly entered her, joining their bodies as well. He inhaled sharply, nearly overwhelmed by the feel of her body surrounding him, wet, slick, hot, tight. He pulled back and entered her again, her body stretching to accept him as he moved deeper. She trembled slightly, feelings of love and desire and curiosity all mixing together in her mind as he moved inside her. He felt the resistance of her barrier and he hesitated, knowing what he was about to do would hurt her. He pulled back again and he paused, waiting for her to tell him she was ready. Their eyes remained locked on each other, nothing else existing but the two of them and this moment in time. Her mind touched his, telling him now, and he thrust swiftly and deeply into her. He buried himself inside of her and they cried out together as their virginity was lost and their bond was forever made.
Max trembled above her, feeling both the pleasure and the pain. She pushed the pain to a back corner of her mind and he felt it retreating, letting only the pleasure remain. He shook with the strain of holding his weight above her, afraid of crushing her small body beneath him. She lifted her head from the pillows to claim his mouth and she pulled him down to her. He relaxed onto her, ravishing her mouth, tasting her lips, plunging his tongue into her. Her hard nipples drilled into his chest and his belly slapped against hers as he drew back his hips and plunged into her again. She arched up against him, taking him into her depths, wanting all of him. With each thrust he filled her, sending waves of pleasure through her nerve endings. She could feel his own excitement building as he set a steady rhythm, stroking into her, sensing what movements felt good to her, which angles sharpened her response, which areas gave her the greatest stimulation.
He held himself in check, not letting himself spin out of control. He heard her whispering his name repeatedly, and he wasn’t sure if she was saying it out loud or if he was hearing it only in his mind. They’d shared vivid dreams of being together, but they couldn’t compare to what he was feeling now. Her body was so tight she surrounded him like a glove and each time she moaned in pleasure he felt himself drifting closer to losing control. Her breath felt hot on his throat and as her lips touched him, his body shivered in delight. Her tongue touched him and her teeth nibbled at him driving him so close to the edge. The breath rushed out of him with each deep thrust and he could feel her riding the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body. Her hands traveled over his back, touching him, thrilling him, driving him crazy. Her legs wrapped around him, her skin feeling warm and silky, her hands sliding down, over his butt, pushing him deeper into her while her hips rose up to meet him.
“God . . . Liz,” he breathed hoarsely next to her ear. He’d never felt anything remotely like this before. He’d never imagined what it would be like to share not only her body, but her mind as well. She spoke silently to him, telling him what she wanted, asking him what he needed. His lips found hers again, kissing her intensely, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her so close to him that not a breath of air separated them. He was close, oh so close, but he fought it, unwilling to have this ecstasy end so soon.
Max rolled her over, knocking pillows, blankets and sheets to the floor. He wanted to slow things down, make it last longer. She gasped at the sudden change of position and then smiled as she lifted from his chest and hovered above him. Her hair was wild around her face and she took his breath away with her beauty. She arched her back and snapped her head backwards, sending her dark tresses flying behind her. His hands rose from her hips, over her ribs until he was cupping her breasts. She moaned loudly when his thumbs stroked across her nipples and then he sat up, taking first one nipple into his mouth and then the other. She pushed him back down to the sheets and hovered above him, staring into his eyes with a passion that made his heart race even faster. Her hair brushed over his chest, setting his skin aflame, and then she descended toward him. He groaned as her tongue circled his nipple, teasing him, tasting him, nipping at him.
His hands flanked her face and he pulled her to him, smothering her mouth with his. He kissed her hard, craving her and when she pulled away from him he ached to feel her lips again. He grabbed at her to pull her back down to him when suddenly she began to rock her hips. His breath rushed out of him as she lifted her hips and then plummeted down on him, impaling her body on the full length of his swollen member. She lifted from him again, riding wave after wave of pleasure with each downward thrust. His hands held her hips, guiding her movements, grinding their bodies together. Her moans intensified and he could feel her racing toward her climax. Her body shuddered and she cried out in bliss as her orgasm surged through her and swept into him. She collapsed onto him and his arms surrounded her, both of them trying to catch their breaths. Her muscles throbbed around him and his body cried out for his own release.
He rolled over again, pinning her beneath him. Her hair fanned out across the sheets and her face was flushed as desire swelled within her again. She cupped his face with her hands and pulled him down to her. His mouth covered hers, devouring her lips as he finally let his passions drive him. He plunged into her with wild abandon, his body trembling as he stroked into her repeatedly. Deep. Hard. Fast.
He could feel the tide rising in her, surging through her as they sped together toward satiation. His arms held her body close to him, her breasts pressing against him, her hard nipples dancing over his chest muscles feeding his frenzy. Her nails scraped over his back filling him with excitement. Nothing else in the world existed except her and him and their rapidly approaching climax.
Liz arched up, crying out his name as wave after wave of orgasmic delight washed over her. Max answered with a cry of his own as he exploded inside of her, his love pouring out of him, physically, mentally, connecting on a level unimagined and unanticipated. They shared their physical bond, their bodies shuddering and throbbing together with the afterglow of their sexual union. Whispered words of love drifted through their minds, revealing the special kind of love they shared, a love so unique no one else in the world could rival it. Their minds touched, blending into one thought, one mind, and one body.
Max buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling her tears sliding down her cheek and mingling with his own. He’d never felt such pure love before. It flowed from her mind to his mind and his heart filled with emotions so strong they overwhelmed him. They lay with their bodies still joined together long after their passion was spent. Their minds spoke to each other, still connected on a level only they were capable of sharing.
Max pulled out of her slowly and instantly regretted losing the feel of her surrounding him. She sighed when he pulled free, missing his presence inside her. He rested his head against her chest for a moment, breathing in the scent of her. His hand reached down and removed the condom, uncertain what to do with it now. He stretched out beside her holding it in his hand, knowing he should get up and discard it, but he didn’t want to leave her side.
He met her eyes and she could see his embarrassment. His eyes suddenly lit up and he clasped his hands together with the condom between them. His palms glowed with a bluish white light and when he opened his hands he revealed a white rose in full bloom. Liz picked it up by the stem and her eyes danced in merriment.
“It signifies our first time,” Max said, still feeling embarrassed. “I’ll go throw it away now,” he finished, reaching to take it from her.
“No, I want to keep it,” she smiled at him making his blush deepen. She set it on her nightstand and then snuggled next to him.
“I love you Liz,” Max said nuzzling her ear. “I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
She cupped his cheek with her hand, feeling radiant inside and out. “Oh Max. You’re all that matters to me.”
His smile lit up his face and he kissed her softly. When their lips parted, she turned over and he spooned up against her. He kissed the top of her head and then he held his hand over the side of the bed. A pillow lifted from the floor and floated to him. He placed it beneath his head and then wrapped his arm around her holding her close to him. Her head fit comfortably beneath the curve of his chin, his chest cuddled up to her back and the curve of her bottom fit perfectly against his lap.
She lifted her head and with a twinkle in her eyes she held her hand out. A blanket rose from the floor at the foot of the bed and it moved to hover over them. She flicked her wrist and the blanket floated down to cover them.
“Copy cat,” Max said teasingly.
“Just practicing,” Liz said smiling. “I’m just trying to impress my teacher.”
“Believe me,” Max whispered into her ear. “He’s very impressed.” He kissed the top of her head again and then relaxed onto the pillow. His hand reached around her cupping her breast comfortably. His breathing soon became even and steady as he drifted to sleep. The last thing he heard was her soft voice and a smile spread over his face.
“I love you Max,” she whispered. Her eyes were drawn to the rose lying on her nightstand. She would look at it many times over the years ahead, reminding her of this night. The bloom never faded. The petals never withered. Its sweet scent remained.
She closed her eyes contentedly and the two young lovers slept peacefully in each other’s arms.
Category: Max and Liz
Rating: PG 13 to NC 17
Note: As I was getting this part ready to post, I noticed that I failed to change the header when I posted part 15. It's an important chapter, so if you missed it, you'll find it on page 9.
For those of you who did read it, but need a refresher.....
When Max and Liz came back from the Pod Chamber, Max came upon an intruder in the restaurant. The unknown assailant shot Max in the chest, but Liz used her emerging 'gift' to boost Max's waning powers, together healing his fatal wound. Too weak to be left alone, Liz took Max up to her room so she could watch over him for the night.
On to the story ...
A Special Kind of Love
Part 16
His eyes slowly opened to the soft glow of flickering candlelight. It was early, still before dawn, and the world was silent around them. His head lay upon her breast and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat soothed him. The even rise and fall of her breathing told him she was still asleep. Her arms were around him holding him close and their legs had entwined during the night. Last night, his damaged body had been racked with chills and she had used her body to warm him. Now, in these minutes before dawn, he felt at peace.
Max lifted his head and watched Liz as she slept. Her skin glowed in the candlelight and his heart swelled with the love he felt for her. He brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and she sighed softly in her sleep. His thoughts turned to the night before and all that she had done for him. She’d said that she didn’t heal him, but she had. Healing might not be a gift she possessed, but her ability to draw it from him and strengthen it and then turn it back to him had been what saved his life. Isabel couldn’t do that. Neither could Michael. It was a gift that Liz alone possessed.
Last year when he had saved her life he hadn’t known what the consequences would be. He knew he risked exposure, but he had to do it. He had no choice. To let her die would have killed a part of himself. He knew how to heal her and he did. But Liz, she didn’t know how to do it, yet she saved him anyway. She had acted on pure instinct. Less than a month ago she didn’t even know she had something special inside her, and last night she’d been able to harness that power to bring him back from the brink of death. It amazed him. What might she be like, a year, 5 years or 14 years from now? What power might she be able to show them all?
She stirred against him bringing his attention back to her beautiful face. As her eyes fluttered open they gazed upon each other, and in that single moment they knew without any doubts. They belonged together. Today, tomorrow, forever, and nothing would ever change that now. Neither could exist without the other.
Max reached up and laid his hand upon her cheek. Her skin felt warm and soft, and as his hand touched her, she closed her eyes to absorb the sensations she was receiving from him. The connection was strong between them and his love for her filled her mind.
She covered his hand with hers and he immediately could feel her pain. He turned her hand over and saw the burn marks left from the healing. The energy it had taken for her to channel his healing powers had been enormous, and she had paid the price. She’d used all the strength she had, and more, and this had been left for her to suffer in silence. Max placed his palm over her hand and used his restored powers to heal her wound.
“Thank you,” she whispered to him.
“I’d say the same thing to you,” he spoke softly. “But thank you is so inadequate for what you did for me. You’re unique Liz, special. The only one in the world able to do for me what you did last night. I owe you everything.”
“You owe me nothing,” Liz said gently. “To lose you would be to lose myself. Besides,” she said smiling. “You gave this gift to me. It’s only fitting that you benefit from it.”
They lay with their bodies close together and their eyes locked on each other. His body had felt so cold last night, but now, everywhere their skin touched their warmth radiated into each other. Her fingers stroked through his hair and she kissed him lightly on the forehead. Her love for him had never been stronger and she wished that she could lay this way in his arms forever.
“How are you feeling,” Liz asked unable to stop worrying about him. “You seem so much better this morning.” Her fingers touched his hair and his cheek and his shoulder. She needed to touch him to reassure herself that he was alive and well and not the broken body she had seen lying on the floor of the Crashdown last night.
“I’m fine,” he answered her. “In fact, I’ve never felt better in my life.” He closed his hand over hers and nestled it in the hollow below his chin. Waking up to her beautiful face had a lot to do with how he was feeling, but that wasn’t what she was asking. “You don’t have to worry about me Liz. I’m okay.”
She pulled her hand gently away from his and moved his arm aside. Her fingers touched the right side of his chest and she could feel how smooth his skin was. Last night there had been a gaping hole there and today his skin was flawless. Her fingers fluttered over his chest and when she glanced up to meet his eyes her hand froze. She’d seen that look before. Hunger. Wanting. Yearning. She’d seen that look last night when she thought he would be doing something more than just sleeping in her bed.
Max looked away from her, knowing she had seen more than he wanted her to. He expected to feel her pull away from him, but instead he felt her hand rise from his chest to his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over his lips and his eyes locked on to hers once more. He had never wanted her more than he did right now, but still he hesitated. They’d been through so much in the last few hours, he was afraid this might be too much, too soon. He didn’t want to scare her, or pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for.
“Maybe I should go, before my parents notice I didn’t come home last night.” He disentangled his legs from hers and slowly moved away from her. He pulled the covers aside and sat up on the edge of the bed, feeling the loss of her body heat in the cold morning air.
“Max . . .” she said quietly.
He sat unmoving with his hands at his sides, knowing he should go but wanting so much to stay. He was missing her already and he wasn’t even out the door yet. The bed moved as she sat up and he could feel her right behind him.
“I don’t want you to go.” She said the words softly and her hand covered his. He could feel her warm breath on his shoulder and he slowly turned around to look at her. Her hand slid up his arm and over his chest, and then rose up to cup his cheek. His eyes met hers, seeing the same desires etched on her face that he was feeling.
Max twisted around to face her. When he was young, he had longed to be near her. As he got older, he fantasized about kissing her. After he saved her, he dreamt about spending a lifetime with her. To have her look at him, the way she was looking at him now, was more than he had ever hoped for.
He’d convinced himself growing up that he was destined to spend his life alone. No one could love an alien. A monster from another planet. A creature of foul proportions living under this human shell. But looking into her eyes, he knew how wrong he had been. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
He lifted his hand and rested it gently on her cheek. She leaned into his palm and his eyes wandered over her face, noting the flush of desire in her cheeks. He wanted to memorize everything about how she looked right now. The rosy tone of her cheeks and the natural red of her lips. The way her dark hair fell around her pale shoulders. The delicate curve of her throat that begged to be kissed. The fullness of her breasts that he’d only fleetingly touched. And her eyes. The dark pools of her eyes drew him in. He slowly leaned forward.
His lips touched hers, kissing her gently at first. Her lips were soft and sweet and he flicked out his tongue needing to taste her. He’d gone too long without her lips touching his during those months they’d been apart. His hand slid up the back of her neck burying his fingers in her thick hair. His arm surrounded her and pulled her body close to him. Her breasts, covered only by the sheer fabric of her bra, pressed against his chest. The feel of her body excited him and his kiss intensified. His right hand cupped the back of her head as he pressed his lips harder against hers. His left hand traveled over her back, caressing her skin while his need for her grew even stronger. He moved his lips away from hers and their eyes held each other as he eased her back down to the soft sheets. He stretched out beside her, his thigh parting her legs, his stomach touching hers, the hard muscles in his chest pressing against the soft mounds of her breasts as they lay side by side facing each other.
Max rested his hand on her hip for a moment, feeling the silky material of her black panties, then glided up her skin, past her waist and over her ribs before rising up the side of her breast. He tentatively cupped her with his palm, barely daring to breathe, feeling her heart racing as fast as his. His hand settled over her and her nipple became firm under his palm. She moaned softly against his lips, the sound of it making his pulse hammer through his veins. She rolled onto her back and his body followed her, lying partially on top of her. His lips moved to her throat, tasting her sweet skin, consumed by the feel of her beneath him. His fingers slid under the strap of her bra and pushed it off her shoulder, allowing his hand to cup her naked flesh. Her skin felt soft and warm, a perfect inside his hand, as if he was made to touch her. He lifted his head from her throat to look at her and her beauty took his breath away.
The rosy circle of her compact areola surrounded her hard nipple. Max stared at her for a moment and then his lips descended over her. His tongue licked at her, circling around her before covering her. Her back arched up while her hand pressed the back of his head toward her. He sucked at her, pulling her into his mouth, rolling her nipple with his tongue, his actions sending shivers of pure pleasure through her.
He lifted his mouth from her suddenly and he heard her whimper. He looked at her rapt face, with her closed eyes and her parted lips, and he had to kiss her again. His mouth closed over hers with an intensity that took her breath away. He kissed her long and hard and then pulled away from her as abruptly as he had descended upon her. He rose above her and his hand fumbled at the clasp on the front of her bra. It popped open and he held his breath as it fell away from her, exposing her completely.
“You’re so beautiful,” he sighed passionately. His hand cupped one breast while his mouth covered the other, tasting that one for the first time. His lips pulled at her hardened nipple, stimulating every nerve ending in her body. She moaned in pleasure and the heavy sound of her breathing echoed around the room. His body shifted, moving to rest fully on top of hers. His hips pressed against her hips and his thighs nestled between her thighs. His mouth released its treasure and moved to capture her mouth again.
“Max …”
The sound of her whispering his name inflamed him more and he kissed her even harder, crushing her lips and sucking her tongue into his mouth. His fingers traced down her spine to the small of her back and he pressed her closer to him. She arched against him, feeling his firm erection against her heat. He moved against her rhythmically with her hips matching his pace, wanting him, needing him, crying out for him.
“Max . . . oh Max,” she sighed, feeling her body tremble with need and desire.
Max lifted his face from her and gazed deeply into her eyes. His breathing was rapid and his pulse was racing in his chest. He rested his weight on his elbows and his hands cupped the sides of her face. “I love you Liz,” he whispered passionately. “More than you’ll ever know.”
“Then show me,” she answered breathing heavily. She pulled his face back to her, covering his mouth with hers and flicking her tongue between his lips. She could feel his body trembling from his mounting desire and her hunger for him grew. He couldn’t get enough of her and he tasted her sweet lips before they parted and his tongue plunged inside. Her erect nipples rubbed against the hard muscles in his chest and the feel of his muscular thighs between her legs sent thrills of anticipation up her spine. His erection pressed against the center of her body and the sensation was new, yet familiar at the same time.
Max felt her body mold to him as his weight pressed down on her. The feel of her naked skin made his blood run hot in his veins. She rubbed her toes up and down the back of his leg and he sighed with pleasure. His hands moved slowly along her skin, touching her face and her throat and her shoulders. He wanted to touch her everywhere. He wanted to know every part of her.
“Max . . .” she mumbled against his lips.
“Yeah?” he answered breathlessly. She tried to speak again but his kisses made her words unintelligible. For a while he’d been afraid he would never be able to kiss her again or hold her in his arms, and now that his dreams were coming true, he didn’t want to let her go. His lips moved to her throat again and he slowly made his way back to her breasts. His mouth covered one nipple and his hand covered the other. Her soft moans drove him wild with the knowledge that what he was doing was giving her as much pleasure as he was feeling.
“Max . . .” Her hands were in his hair and she gently lifted his head up to her. He released her breast reluctantly and stared into her eyes. She could feel his rapid pulse and heavy breathing and knew hers was the same.
“Do you still-” Liz began.
“Yes,” Max finished as he tried to draw air into his lungs. He knew exactly what she was asking. He returned her steady gaze suddenly feeling anxious. “In my . . . in my pocket.” He hesitated again, then asked, “Should I-”
“Yes,” she answered quickly. He stared at her unmoving, and for a moment she wondered if he was having second thoughts.
“Now?” he breathed out.
“Yes,” she said, nodding her head and smiling shyly. “If you’re ready.”
He’d been ready for this moment for longer than he could remember, and now that it was here he felt his self-doubts rising. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he disappointed her? What if it was over in 60 seconds? He lifted off of her and rolled off the bed. His pants were on the floor in a heap and he bent over to scoop them up. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and removed the small packet he had stored there. Clutching it in his hand he walked back to the side of the bed.
Liz rose up and knelt on the edge of the bed watching him as he walked back to her. She laid her hand gently on his chest and caressed the smooth skin. “You can’t even see a mark now,” she marveled. His chest had been torn open by the impact of the bullet but now it was whole again, unflawed, with no reminder of just how close he had been to dying last night. Her lips touched his skin, kissing the area, feeling how alive he was. He lifted her chin to kiss her softly and he felt her hands slide slowly down his back and under the band of his boxers. They fell to his ankles and Liz pulled slightly away to see him better.
He stood before her unclothed for the first time, and she smiled at his familiar appearance. Her hand rested on his hip and slowly moved over his stomach and lower until she touched the velvety skin of his manhood for the first time. Her hand felt the same to him as she had in his dreams and his fantasies and she touched him the way he had showed her how. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply as her touch drove him to new heights. When his eyes met hers again she removed the packet from his hand. She opened it and offered the contents to him, watching him as he rolled it into place.
He eased her gently back onto the sheets and his fingers hooked under the elastic of her panties. She lifted her hips slightly and he pulled them slowly down her thighs and then past her ankles before dropping them on the floor behind him. He knelt in front of her and his hands moved up her thighs parting her legs. She watched his face as he looked at her for the first time and then her eyes closed, enthralled by the way his fingers gently touched her. She felt his body settle over her and she opened her eyes to see his concerned face hovering over her.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he looked deeply into her eyes, worried about how it would feel to her.
“I know what to expect. I felt you inside me before.” She felt his erection poised at her entrance, waiting for her to let him in.
“You mean in the dreams?” he asked and she nodded her head. He felt her hands stroke over his back sending shivers of anticipation through him. “Were they real?”
“They weren’t real,” she answered. “But they weren’t just dreams either. We were connecting in our minds, I just don’t know how much of the connection was physical too.”
“I want to know what you’re feeling,” Max said as his fingers laced through her hair. His palm rested over her temple and he concentrated to form the connection that was familiar to them. Images flashed between them, memories of moments they had shared. Liz covered his hand with hers and the connection immediately intensified. Their thoughts and emotions began to merge, blending into each other. Her thoughts became his thoughts, his sensations mingled with hers. His love filled her mind and his need mixed with hers. Their fears fell away as their minds joined and Max slowly entered her, joining their bodies as well. He inhaled sharply, nearly overwhelmed by the feel of her body surrounding him, wet, slick, hot, tight. He pulled back and entered her again, her body stretching to accept him as he moved deeper. She trembled slightly, feelings of love and desire and curiosity all mixing together in her mind as he moved inside her. He felt the resistance of her barrier and he hesitated, knowing what he was about to do would hurt her. He pulled back again and he paused, waiting for her to tell him she was ready. Their eyes remained locked on each other, nothing else existing but the two of them and this moment in time. Her mind touched his, telling him now, and he thrust swiftly and deeply into her. He buried himself inside of her and they cried out together as their virginity was lost and their bond was forever made.
Max trembled above her, feeling both the pleasure and the pain. She pushed the pain to a back corner of her mind and he felt it retreating, letting only the pleasure remain. He shook with the strain of holding his weight above her, afraid of crushing her small body beneath him. She lifted her head from the pillows to claim his mouth and she pulled him down to her. He relaxed onto her, ravishing her mouth, tasting her lips, plunging his tongue into her. Her hard nipples drilled into his chest and his belly slapped against hers as he drew back his hips and plunged into her again. She arched up against him, taking him into her depths, wanting all of him. With each thrust he filled her, sending waves of pleasure through her nerve endings. She could feel his own excitement building as he set a steady rhythm, stroking into her, sensing what movements felt good to her, which angles sharpened her response, which areas gave her the greatest stimulation.
He held himself in check, not letting himself spin out of control. He heard her whispering his name repeatedly, and he wasn’t sure if she was saying it out loud or if he was hearing it only in his mind. They’d shared vivid dreams of being together, but they couldn’t compare to what he was feeling now. Her body was so tight she surrounded him like a glove and each time she moaned in pleasure he felt himself drifting closer to losing control. Her breath felt hot on his throat and as her lips touched him, his body shivered in delight. Her tongue touched him and her teeth nibbled at him driving him so close to the edge. The breath rushed out of him with each deep thrust and he could feel her riding the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body. Her hands traveled over his back, touching him, thrilling him, driving him crazy. Her legs wrapped around him, her skin feeling warm and silky, her hands sliding down, over his butt, pushing him deeper into her while her hips rose up to meet him.
“God . . . Liz,” he breathed hoarsely next to her ear. He’d never felt anything remotely like this before. He’d never imagined what it would be like to share not only her body, but her mind as well. She spoke silently to him, telling him what she wanted, asking him what he needed. His lips found hers again, kissing her intensely, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her so close to him that not a breath of air separated them. He was close, oh so close, but he fought it, unwilling to have this ecstasy end so soon.
Max rolled her over, knocking pillows, blankets and sheets to the floor. He wanted to slow things down, make it last longer. She gasped at the sudden change of position and then smiled as she lifted from his chest and hovered above him. Her hair was wild around her face and she took his breath away with her beauty. She arched her back and snapped her head backwards, sending her dark tresses flying behind her. His hands rose from her hips, over her ribs until he was cupping her breasts. She moaned loudly when his thumbs stroked across her nipples and then he sat up, taking first one nipple into his mouth and then the other. She pushed him back down to the sheets and hovered above him, staring into his eyes with a passion that made his heart race even faster. Her hair brushed over his chest, setting his skin aflame, and then she descended toward him. He groaned as her tongue circled his nipple, teasing him, tasting him, nipping at him.
His hands flanked her face and he pulled her to him, smothering her mouth with his. He kissed her hard, craving her and when she pulled away from him he ached to feel her lips again. He grabbed at her to pull her back down to him when suddenly she began to rock her hips. His breath rushed out of him as she lifted her hips and then plummeted down on him, impaling her body on the full length of his swollen member. She lifted from him again, riding wave after wave of pleasure with each downward thrust. His hands held her hips, guiding her movements, grinding their bodies together. Her moans intensified and he could feel her racing toward her climax. Her body shuddered and she cried out in bliss as her orgasm surged through her and swept into him. She collapsed onto him and his arms surrounded her, both of them trying to catch their breaths. Her muscles throbbed around him and his body cried out for his own release.
He rolled over again, pinning her beneath him. Her hair fanned out across the sheets and her face was flushed as desire swelled within her again. She cupped his face with her hands and pulled him down to her. His mouth covered hers, devouring her lips as he finally let his passions drive him. He plunged into her with wild abandon, his body trembling as he stroked into her repeatedly. Deep. Hard. Fast.
He could feel the tide rising in her, surging through her as they sped together toward satiation. His arms held her body close to him, her breasts pressing against him, her hard nipples dancing over his chest muscles feeding his frenzy. Her nails scraped over his back filling him with excitement. Nothing else in the world existed except her and him and their rapidly approaching climax.
Liz arched up, crying out his name as wave after wave of orgasmic delight washed over her. Max answered with a cry of his own as he exploded inside of her, his love pouring out of him, physically, mentally, connecting on a level unimagined and unanticipated. They shared their physical bond, their bodies shuddering and throbbing together with the afterglow of their sexual union. Whispered words of love drifted through their minds, revealing the special kind of love they shared, a love so unique no one else in the world could rival it. Their minds touched, blending into one thought, one mind, and one body.
Max buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling her tears sliding down her cheek and mingling with his own. He’d never felt such pure love before. It flowed from her mind to his mind and his heart filled with emotions so strong they overwhelmed him. They lay with their bodies still joined together long after their passion was spent. Their minds spoke to each other, still connected on a level only they were capable of sharing.
Max pulled out of her slowly and instantly regretted losing the feel of her surrounding him. She sighed when he pulled free, missing his presence inside her. He rested his head against her chest for a moment, breathing in the scent of her. His hand reached down and removed the condom, uncertain what to do with it now. He stretched out beside her holding it in his hand, knowing he should get up and discard it, but he didn’t want to leave her side.
He met her eyes and she could see his embarrassment. His eyes suddenly lit up and he clasped his hands together with the condom between them. His palms glowed with a bluish white light and when he opened his hands he revealed a white rose in full bloom. Liz picked it up by the stem and her eyes danced in merriment.
“It signifies our first time,” Max said, still feeling embarrassed. “I’ll go throw it away now,” he finished, reaching to take it from her.
“No, I want to keep it,” she smiled at him making his blush deepen. She set it on her nightstand and then snuggled next to him.
“I love you Liz,” Max said nuzzling her ear. “I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
She cupped his cheek with her hand, feeling radiant inside and out. “Oh Max. You’re all that matters to me.”
His smile lit up his face and he kissed her softly. When their lips parted, she turned over and he spooned up against her. He kissed the top of her head and then he held his hand over the side of the bed. A pillow lifted from the floor and floated to him. He placed it beneath his head and then wrapped his arm around her holding her close to him. Her head fit comfortably beneath the curve of his chin, his chest cuddled up to her back and the curve of her bottom fit perfectly against his lap.
She lifted her head and with a twinkle in her eyes she held her hand out. A blanket rose from the floor at the foot of the bed and it moved to hover over them. She flicked her wrist and the blanket floated down to cover them.
“Copy cat,” Max said teasingly.
“Just practicing,” Liz said smiling. “I’m just trying to impress my teacher.”
“Believe me,” Max whispered into her ear. “He’s very impressed.” He kissed the top of her head again and then relaxed onto the pillow. His hand reached around her cupping her breast comfortably. His breathing soon became even and steady as he drifted to sleep. The last thing he heard was her soft voice and a smile spread over his face.
“I love you Max,” she whispered. Her eyes were drawn to the rose lying on her nightstand. She would look at it many times over the years ahead, reminding her of this night. The bloom never faded. The petals never withered. Its sweet scent remained.
She closed her eyes contentedly and the two young lovers slept peacefully in each other’s arms.
Behr's Bitch
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
A Special Kind of Love
Part 17
Max lifted his shirt off the bedroom floor and looked at the gaping hole in the front. It was covered in dried blood and he knew there was no hope of salvaging it. He’d worn this shirt for the last year and a half and it meant a lot to him. It’d come full circle, he suddenly realized. He’d been wearing it on that fateful day in September when Liz was shot and his whole life had changed. He’d worn it the night he kissed her for the first time. And now he’d worn it on the night Liz saved his life.
Liz stepped out of her bathroom to the sight of Max standing in the center of her room wearing only a pair of gray boxers and holding his ruined shirt. She paused, admiring his bulging chest muscles and his powerful thighs. Thighs that had been between her legs not very long ago.
“I guess there’s no hope for this one,” Max said with regret. His eyes swept over Liz noticing she had dressed in her uniform and was in the process of tying her apron. Her shift was going to start in a few minutes and she was almost ready.
“You need a shirt Max,” she said. “You can’t put that back on. I’ll go get one of my Dad’s.” She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a shirt folded over her arm.
“Um, isn’t that the same . . .” Max started to say as he stared at the shirt she was holding out to him.
“What?” Liz asked in confusion.
“Nothing.” Max lifted the familiar shirt out of her hand and slipped it on. He picked his wrinkled pants up off the floor and pulled them on and then sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and boots.
Liz stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her antennae headband while Max watched her every move. He finished dressing and then picked his blood stained shirt up from where he’d set it on the end of the bed.
“Where should I put this?” he asked wistfully. E hated throwing it away.
“I’ll take it,” Liz turned from the mirror and took the shirt out of his hand. She opened her hamper and put it inside to get it out of sight.
“Do you think we got everything cleaned up downstairs?” Max asked with a worried tone.
“Max, we checked and double checked everything early this morning,” Liz said turning to look at him. “We got all the blood cleaned up and the money was in the safe right where it was supposed to be. Everything’s fine. Now, it’s time for me to go to work.”
She walked over to him and kissed him deeply before grabbing his hand and heading for the door. She glanced at her nightstand as she walked by and smiled at the two white roses lying side by side.
* * * * *
Maria watched Liz as she buzzed around the café. Her friend hadn’t stopped smiling since she walked down the stairs to start her shift hours ago. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that Max had followed her downstairs. Maria was dying to know what had happened between them.
She glanced over at Max sitting in his customary booth. He watched Liz everywhere she went and when their eyes met they couldn’t stop grinning at each other. Maria couldn’t help noticing the way Max touched Liz when she came by the booth to freshen his coffee or fill his water cup. It was like he just had to touch her. And Liz would lean into him in a very familiar way.
Maria turned in the direction of the kitchen to pick up the order Michael had just set on the pass-thru. As she walked toward him she could see him fidgeting.
“So what’s up with those two,” Michael asked pointing in Max’s direction.
“What do you mean?” Maria responded.
“Well look at the big dopey grin on his face. What’s up with that? And she keeps blushing every time she looks at him.” Michael’s frown deepened as he watched Max rest his hand on Liz’s hip as she leaned over to pick up his lunch plate from the table.
“You don’t think they . . .” Maria started to say and then stopped as Liz turned and headed in their direction.
“Hey Michael, is my order ready for table 5?” She looked from Maria to Michael, noticing that way they were staring at her. “What? What are you looking at me that way for?”
“Table 5,” Michael said hastily. “Coming right up.” He turned back to the grill and flipped the burger onto the waiting bun.
Liz looked at Maria who was still staring at her. “What’s up with you guys? Maria, why are you staring at me like that?”
Max walked up behind Liz and slipped his hand around her waist. She looked up at him with a shy smile, feeling his hard chest against her back.
“I have to go to work,” he said leaning down to nuzzle her neck.
Maria noticed the way his hand spread across her belly and how Liz leaned into him. They turned without another word and Maria watched Liz walk Max to the front door of the Crashdown.
“They DID!” Maria exclaimed as Michael dropped Liz’s order onto the shelf of the pass-thru. “They slept together!”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Michael countered.
“God, men are just so blind,” Maria said and rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you Michael, they did it!”
“Yeah? Well, it’s none of my business what Max does between the sheets.” His eyes narrowed in irritation as he watched Max cross the street and disappear into the UFO Center. He turned back to Maria and saw her frowning at him. “Your order’s up.”
“Michael, why can’t you just be happy for them?” She watched him as he turned back to the grill to retrieve her order. “Do you have something against Liz? Or is it just humans in general?”
“Maria,” he said in exasperation. “We’re here for a reason, and he can’t concentrate on that reason when all he can think about is Liz.” His eyes held hers for a moment and then he looked away. “We don’t belong with any of you.”
Maria stared at him, realizing what he really meant. “Don’t worry Michael,” she said scornfully. “I got your message loud and clear.”
Michael opened his mouth to speak but she had already stormed off. His shoulders sagged, knowing he was doing the right thing, but hating it just the same. He didn’t like hurting her, but keeping her at a distance was the only way he knew of to keep her safe.
* * * * *
“Liz, it’s time for a break,” Maria said unable to contain herself any longer. She pulled Liz into the backroom and looked around to see if anyone else was near. “Ok, tell me, tell me! What’s going on with you and Max?” Her grin stretched from ear to ear.
“What are you talking about Maria?” Liz asked trying to sound nonchalant.
“You know what I’m talking about Liz! Come on, girl, spill!” Maria grabbed Liz by the arm and pulled her upstairs.
“Maria, wait-” Liz stumbled up the stairs and down the hall feeling like a three year old being dragged by her mother.
“I saw Max and you coming down the stairs this morning, and he was wearing your Dad’s shirt again. Why was he wearing that shirt?”
“Maria-”
“And he couldn’t take his eyes off of you all day,” Maria barreled on. “And I saw the way he kept touching you.”
“Maria, there’s noth-”
“And I saw the way he kept looking at your bod! Something happened, didn’t it? I want details! I want to know-”
Maria stopped dead in her tracks as she barged into Liz’s room and saw the state of her bed. Liz was always so neat and Maria knew for a fact that Liz always made her bed before she left her room in the morning. She stood there gaping at the sight before her. Liz’s bed was nearly stripped bare. Pillows looked like they had been tossed around the room. Sheets and blankets were strewn around the floor with wild abandon. Maria turned to look at Liz with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as big as saucers.
“You did, didn’t you! You and Max . . .” Maria pointed at the bed, “The two of you . . .”
“Maria . . .” Liz said shyly and blushed deeply.
“Tell me everything!” Maria said excitedly. “He brought you roses?” she said looking at the nightstand. “Did you just melt into his arms when he gave them to you?” She reached to pick one up and Liz blocked her hand.
“Yes,” Liz smiled as she lifted the roses to smell their sweet scent. “He spent the night last night.”
“He did? I knew it! Was it good? I want to know everything!” Maria rushed on. “Did it hurt? What was he like? Did he look normal? Did it last very long? Tell me! Tell me!”
“Maria . . .” Liz looked at her shyly and then began to grin from ear to ear. “Maria, it was . . . it was amazing.”
“Oh, I knew it!” Maria wailed. “Why did you get the good alien?”
Liz laughed and set the roses back on the nightstand. “There’s so much to tell you,” she exclaimed and gave her best friend a hug. “But we don’t have time now.”
“You’re right,” Maria said nodding her head. “If we don’t get back downstairs Agnes will probably burn the place down.” As they turned to leave Maria stared once more at the ruined bed and sighed. She seriously doubted her alien was ever going to leave roses on her nightstand.
* * * * *
Max kissed the top of Liz’s head and pulled her close to him. She cuddled up next to him with their legs entwined. He could feel her warm breath on his chest, and knew that he could get used to lying naked in her bed with her like this. He had come over to the Crashdown after his shift at the UFO Center ended and waited for the Crashdown to close. He helped her clean up after the doors were locked which didn’t take long when an alien with the ability to snap his fingers to clean the dishes or wave his hand to clean the floor was in the house. The Crashdown was spotless in a matter of minutes and they were in her room minutes after that.
Liz stretched languidly and rubbed the arch of her foot along the inside of his lower leg. It felt perfect lying in his arms like this, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. Their lovemaking had been intense and heated, and now as their bodies cooled and their breathing slowed, she felt a contentment she had never felt before.
“When do your parents get home?” Max asked, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
“Tomorrow afternoon sometime. The trade show ends tomorrow evening but they said they were going to get an early start home.” She looked up at him and smiled, knowing he was thinking the same thing she was. Once her parents got home, there would be no more nights spent together in her bed.
“Maybe we better make the most of the time we have left,” he said huskily in her ear. His mouth sought out her already swollen lips and he felt them turn up in a smile. His hand cupped her breast before making the slow trek down her ribs, beyond her flat stomach and past her patch of dark curls. He stroked her for a moment and she squeezed her legs together trying to capture his hand.
“But first I think I need some energy!” Max exclaimed as he pulled his hand away and sat up next to her. “Do you have any ice cream?” His eyes were dancing mischievously.
“You TEASE!” she yelped and swung at him striking a glancing blow to his chest.
He rolled on top of her and kissed her nose. “I love you, but you didn’t answer my question.” His face hovered just inches above her as he stared into her eyes.
“What question?” she asked unable to concentrate on anything except the feel of his body touching hers.
“Ice cream, silly. I seriously need ice cream. It’s a great energy source.”
“Downstairs. The freezer. In the kitchen. Double chocolate fudge.” She couldn’t help laughing as his eyes lit up.
“Yummy,” he said and kissed her hard on the lips before sliding off of her. He stood up next to the bed and looked down at her. “Do you want any?”
Her eyes took him in, standing there like a sculptured Greek God. His golden skin made him look almost exotic. The muscles in his arms and chest were covered with a thin sheen of sweat from their lovemaking, looking like his skin had been freshly oiled. The ridges in his stomach were sharply etched and rock hard. The muscles in his abdomen were finely toned and led her eyes to the dark hair that began just above his sizable male appendage.
“Do I want any?” she repeated but her mind wasn’t on ice cream.
“Double chocolate fudge?” he repeated.
“I’ll just have a little of yours,” she answered and forced her eyes to look up into his.
“Okay,” he said, hesitating slightly before heading toward the door. He glanced back at her as he turned to leave and he knew the hungry look on her face had nothing to do with chocolate. He nearly ran down the hall and the stairs to the restaurant in his haste to return to her quickly. He felt funny walking through her house naked, but this would only take a minute so what harm could there be?
He found a bowl in the cupboard and spoon in a drawer and went to the freezer. He filled the bowl quickly and sprinkled tabasco sauce on one side and left the other side alone in case she wanted to share. He walked out of the kitchen into the back hall licking his spoon and suddenly stopped frozen in his tracks.
A very naked Max Evans, caught like a deer in the headlights of a car, suddenly found himself standing less than 10 feet away from Jeff Parker.
Part 17
Max lifted his shirt off the bedroom floor and looked at the gaping hole in the front. It was covered in dried blood and he knew there was no hope of salvaging it. He’d worn this shirt for the last year and a half and it meant a lot to him. It’d come full circle, he suddenly realized. He’d been wearing it on that fateful day in September when Liz was shot and his whole life had changed. He’d worn it the night he kissed her for the first time. And now he’d worn it on the night Liz saved his life.
Liz stepped out of her bathroom to the sight of Max standing in the center of her room wearing only a pair of gray boxers and holding his ruined shirt. She paused, admiring his bulging chest muscles and his powerful thighs. Thighs that had been between her legs not very long ago.
“I guess there’s no hope for this one,” Max said with regret. His eyes swept over Liz noticing she had dressed in her uniform and was in the process of tying her apron. Her shift was going to start in a few minutes and she was almost ready.
“You need a shirt Max,” she said. “You can’t put that back on. I’ll go get one of my Dad’s.” She left the room and returned a few minutes later with a shirt folded over her arm.
“Um, isn’t that the same . . .” Max started to say as he stared at the shirt she was holding out to him.
“What?” Liz asked in confusion.
“Nothing.” Max lifted the familiar shirt out of her hand and slipped it on. He picked his wrinkled pants up off the floor and pulled them on and then sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and boots.
Liz stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her antennae headband while Max watched her every move. He finished dressing and then picked his blood stained shirt up from where he’d set it on the end of the bed.
“Where should I put this?” he asked wistfully. E hated throwing it away.
“I’ll take it,” Liz turned from the mirror and took the shirt out of his hand. She opened her hamper and put it inside to get it out of sight.
“Do you think we got everything cleaned up downstairs?” Max asked with a worried tone.
“Max, we checked and double checked everything early this morning,” Liz said turning to look at him. “We got all the blood cleaned up and the money was in the safe right where it was supposed to be. Everything’s fine. Now, it’s time for me to go to work.”
She walked over to him and kissed him deeply before grabbing his hand and heading for the door. She glanced at her nightstand as she walked by and smiled at the two white roses lying side by side.
* * * * *
Maria watched Liz as she buzzed around the café. Her friend hadn’t stopped smiling since she walked down the stairs to start her shift hours ago. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that Max had followed her downstairs. Maria was dying to know what had happened between them.
She glanced over at Max sitting in his customary booth. He watched Liz everywhere she went and when their eyes met they couldn’t stop grinning at each other. Maria couldn’t help noticing the way Max touched Liz when she came by the booth to freshen his coffee or fill his water cup. It was like he just had to touch her. And Liz would lean into him in a very familiar way.
Maria turned in the direction of the kitchen to pick up the order Michael had just set on the pass-thru. As she walked toward him she could see him fidgeting.
“So what’s up with those two,” Michael asked pointing in Max’s direction.
“What do you mean?” Maria responded.
“Well look at the big dopey grin on his face. What’s up with that? And she keeps blushing every time she looks at him.” Michael’s frown deepened as he watched Max rest his hand on Liz’s hip as she leaned over to pick up his lunch plate from the table.
“You don’t think they . . .” Maria started to say and then stopped as Liz turned and headed in their direction.
“Hey Michael, is my order ready for table 5?” She looked from Maria to Michael, noticing that way they were staring at her. “What? What are you looking at me that way for?”
“Table 5,” Michael said hastily. “Coming right up.” He turned back to the grill and flipped the burger onto the waiting bun.
Liz looked at Maria who was still staring at her. “What’s up with you guys? Maria, why are you staring at me like that?”
Max walked up behind Liz and slipped his hand around her waist. She looked up at him with a shy smile, feeling his hard chest against her back.
“I have to go to work,” he said leaning down to nuzzle her neck.
Maria noticed the way his hand spread across her belly and how Liz leaned into him. They turned without another word and Maria watched Liz walk Max to the front door of the Crashdown.
“They DID!” Maria exclaimed as Michael dropped Liz’s order onto the shelf of the pass-thru. “They slept together!”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Michael countered.
“God, men are just so blind,” Maria said and rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you Michael, they did it!”
“Yeah? Well, it’s none of my business what Max does between the sheets.” His eyes narrowed in irritation as he watched Max cross the street and disappear into the UFO Center. He turned back to Maria and saw her frowning at him. “Your order’s up.”
“Michael, why can’t you just be happy for them?” She watched him as he turned back to the grill to retrieve her order. “Do you have something against Liz? Or is it just humans in general?”
“Maria,” he said in exasperation. “We’re here for a reason, and he can’t concentrate on that reason when all he can think about is Liz.” His eyes held hers for a moment and then he looked away. “We don’t belong with any of you.”
Maria stared at him, realizing what he really meant. “Don’t worry Michael,” she said scornfully. “I got your message loud and clear.”
Michael opened his mouth to speak but she had already stormed off. His shoulders sagged, knowing he was doing the right thing, but hating it just the same. He didn’t like hurting her, but keeping her at a distance was the only way he knew of to keep her safe.
* * * * *
“Liz, it’s time for a break,” Maria said unable to contain herself any longer. She pulled Liz into the backroom and looked around to see if anyone else was near. “Ok, tell me, tell me! What’s going on with you and Max?” Her grin stretched from ear to ear.
“What are you talking about Maria?” Liz asked trying to sound nonchalant.
“You know what I’m talking about Liz! Come on, girl, spill!” Maria grabbed Liz by the arm and pulled her upstairs.
“Maria, wait-” Liz stumbled up the stairs and down the hall feeling like a three year old being dragged by her mother.
“I saw Max and you coming down the stairs this morning, and he was wearing your Dad’s shirt again. Why was he wearing that shirt?”
“Maria-”
“And he couldn’t take his eyes off of you all day,” Maria barreled on. “And I saw the way he kept touching you.”
“Maria, there’s noth-”
“And I saw the way he kept looking at your bod! Something happened, didn’t it? I want details! I want to know-”
Maria stopped dead in her tracks as she barged into Liz’s room and saw the state of her bed. Liz was always so neat and Maria knew for a fact that Liz always made her bed before she left her room in the morning. She stood there gaping at the sight before her. Liz’s bed was nearly stripped bare. Pillows looked like they had been tossed around the room. Sheets and blankets were strewn around the floor with wild abandon. Maria turned to look at Liz with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as big as saucers.
“You did, didn’t you! You and Max . . .” Maria pointed at the bed, “The two of you . . .”
“Maria . . .” Liz said shyly and blushed deeply.
“Tell me everything!” Maria said excitedly. “He brought you roses?” she said looking at the nightstand. “Did you just melt into his arms when he gave them to you?” She reached to pick one up and Liz blocked her hand.
“Yes,” Liz smiled as she lifted the roses to smell their sweet scent. “He spent the night last night.”
“He did? I knew it! Was it good? I want to know everything!” Maria rushed on. “Did it hurt? What was he like? Did he look normal? Did it last very long? Tell me! Tell me!”
“Maria . . .” Liz looked at her shyly and then began to grin from ear to ear. “Maria, it was . . . it was amazing.”
“Oh, I knew it!” Maria wailed. “Why did you get the good alien?”
Liz laughed and set the roses back on the nightstand. “There’s so much to tell you,” she exclaimed and gave her best friend a hug. “But we don’t have time now.”
“You’re right,” Maria said nodding her head. “If we don’t get back downstairs Agnes will probably burn the place down.” As they turned to leave Maria stared once more at the ruined bed and sighed. She seriously doubted her alien was ever going to leave roses on her nightstand.
* * * * *
Max kissed the top of Liz’s head and pulled her close to him. She cuddled up next to him with their legs entwined. He could feel her warm breath on his chest, and knew that he could get used to lying naked in her bed with her like this. He had come over to the Crashdown after his shift at the UFO Center ended and waited for the Crashdown to close. He helped her clean up after the doors were locked which didn’t take long when an alien with the ability to snap his fingers to clean the dishes or wave his hand to clean the floor was in the house. The Crashdown was spotless in a matter of minutes and they were in her room minutes after that.
Liz stretched languidly and rubbed the arch of her foot along the inside of his lower leg. It felt perfect lying in his arms like this, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. Their lovemaking had been intense and heated, and now as their bodies cooled and their breathing slowed, she felt a contentment she had never felt before.
“When do your parents get home?” Max asked, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
“Tomorrow afternoon sometime. The trade show ends tomorrow evening but they said they were going to get an early start home.” She looked up at him and smiled, knowing he was thinking the same thing she was. Once her parents got home, there would be no more nights spent together in her bed.
“Maybe we better make the most of the time we have left,” he said huskily in her ear. His mouth sought out her already swollen lips and he felt them turn up in a smile. His hand cupped her breast before making the slow trek down her ribs, beyond her flat stomach and past her patch of dark curls. He stroked her for a moment and she squeezed her legs together trying to capture his hand.
“But first I think I need some energy!” Max exclaimed as he pulled his hand away and sat up next to her. “Do you have any ice cream?” His eyes were dancing mischievously.
“You TEASE!” she yelped and swung at him striking a glancing blow to his chest.
He rolled on top of her and kissed her nose. “I love you, but you didn’t answer my question.” His face hovered just inches above her as he stared into her eyes.
“What question?” she asked unable to concentrate on anything except the feel of his body touching hers.
“Ice cream, silly. I seriously need ice cream. It’s a great energy source.”
“Downstairs. The freezer. In the kitchen. Double chocolate fudge.” She couldn’t help laughing as his eyes lit up.
“Yummy,” he said and kissed her hard on the lips before sliding off of her. He stood up next to the bed and looked down at her. “Do you want any?”
Her eyes took him in, standing there like a sculptured Greek God. His golden skin made him look almost exotic. The muscles in his arms and chest were covered with a thin sheen of sweat from their lovemaking, looking like his skin had been freshly oiled. The ridges in his stomach were sharply etched and rock hard. The muscles in his abdomen were finely toned and led her eyes to the dark hair that began just above his sizable male appendage.
“Do I want any?” she repeated but her mind wasn’t on ice cream.
“Double chocolate fudge?” he repeated.
“I’ll just have a little of yours,” she answered and forced her eyes to look up into his.
“Okay,” he said, hesitating slightly before heading toward the door. He glanced back at her as he turned to leave and he knew the hungry look on her face had nothing to do with chocolate. He nearly ran down the hall and the stairs to the restaurant in his haste to return to her quickly. He felt funny walking through her house naked, but this would only take a minute so what harm could there be?
He found a bowl in the cupboard and spoon in a drawer and went to the freezer. He filled the bowl quickly and sprinkled tabasco sauce on one side and left the other side alone in case she wanted to share. He walked out of the kitchen into the back hall licking his spoon and suddenly stopped frozen in his tracks.
A very naked Max Evans, caught like a deer in the headlights of a car, suddenly found himself standing less than 10 feet away from Jeff Parker.
Behr's Bitch
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Breathless
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Sorry I disappeared again. Life is always crazy around the holidays.
Last time I left Max in a very unfortunate position, didn't I? Here's a little reminder...
From part 17
He found a bowl in the cupboard and spoon in a drawer and went to the freezer. He filled the bowl quickly and sprinkled tabasco sauce on one side and left the other side alone in case she wanted to share. He walked out of the kitchen into the back hall licking his spoon and suddenly stopped frozen in his tracks.
A very naked Max Evans, caught like a deer in the headlights of a car, suddenly found himself standing less than 10 feet away from Jeff Parker.
A Special Kind of Love
Part 18
Max ducked back into the kitchen praying Jeff Parker hadn’t seen him yet. ‘Please, please, please,’ he kept repeating in his mind. Mr. Parker’s back had been facing him when Max first noticed him. His coat was still on and it looked like he had just come in the back door. Max could only assume that Mrs. Parker was still behind her husband. ‘Please, please, please,’ Max repeated to himself. Don’t let Mrs. Parker be the one to find him standing naked in her kitchen.
Think . . . think. How was he going to get out of this? This was worse than Valenti hounding him all last year. This was worse than Tess repeating the word ‘Destiny’ over and over again. This was worse than a thousand White Rooms all rolled into one. He was standing naked in the Parker’s kitchen and they were only ten feet away!
Suddenly a light went off in his head and he got an idea. He poked his head carefully into the hallway and saw the two of them just inside the back door. Mr. Parker was hanging up his coat on the rack by the door and Mrs. Parker was right beside him. Max concentrated hard and after a moment the shrill sound of a car alarm sounded nearby.
“What the hell?” Jeff said turning his attention to the door. “What made that go off?” Nancy followed her husband outside to see what could have triggered the alarm.
As soon as they were out the door, Max made a mad dash for the stairs. He took them three steps at a time and raced toward Liz’s bedroom. He burst through the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Liz looked at Max in shock. She wasn’t used to a naked man standing in her room, let alone a scared shitless naked man holding a bowl of ice cream.
“Max! What is it?” she cried out clutching the blanket to her chest.
“Your parents are home!” Max nearly shouted. His eyes were huge with panic.
“What?” Liz hissed at him. “Did they see you?”
“I don’t think so,” he answered shaking his head. He set the bowl of ice cream down on her dresser as he rushed into the room. He began tossing aside blankets and sheets that had tumbled to the floor earlier. “My shorts. My shorts. Where the hell are my shorts?” He moved a blanket and found his pants and one shoe. He grabbed those and kept searching.
Liz rushed to her dresser and pulled out a tank top and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. She pulled them on quickly and then joined Max in his search for his shorts. She found her dad’s shirt, the one Max had been wearing all day, and she threw it at him. She began piling blankets and sheets onto her bed but still couldn’t find his shorts. She froze when she heard the sound of footsteps and then a soft knock on her door.
“Liz? Liz honey?” her mother said from the hallway.
“Oh God!” Liz whispered vehemently at Max. “Put ‘em on! Put ‘em on!” she motioned at his pants and he quickly stepped into them. He pulled them up frantically and reached for the zipper. “Be careful!” she whispered sharply, not wanting him to damage anything in his haste.
He almost started laughing at the look on her face, but then another soft knock came from the door.
Liz looked around her room wildly and then grabbed Max by the arm. She pulled him forcefully across the room and shoved him into her closet. She took a deep breath and headed for her door when she saw his sock lying in the middle of the floor. She flung the closet door open, threw the sock at him and then shut it quickly. She walked across the room on trembling legs and then spotted his ice cream. The closet door flew open again, she shoved the bowl against his chest, grabbed a set of clean sheets from a shelf and closed the door quickly.
It was all a blur to Max. One minute he was trying to get his pants on without damaging his goods for life, and the next minute he was in her closet with a sock hitting him square in the face. Then he nearly yelled out loud when a freezing bowl of ice cream slammed into his bare chest and he ended up wearing half the contents. He held his breath, afraid to know what was going to happen next.
“Mom,” Liz exclaimed as she opened her bedroom door. “What are you doing home?”
“We came home early,” Nancy said as she entered her daughter’s room. “There were only a few new things at the show, so we decided not to stay until tomorrow.” She noticed the sheets in her daughter’s arms and then the stripped bed. “How come your door was locked?”
“I always lock my door when I’m the only one here at night,” Liz answered.
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Do you want me to help you change your sheets?” she asked taking them out of her hands.
Liz rushed over to kick the pile of blankets into a corner and stubbed her toe on Max’s boot. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out in pain.
Nancy walked over to the side of the bed and noticed the four white roses lined up on her nightstand. “How pretty.” Liz automatically reached out her hand to stop her from touching the rose, but she was too far away. Nancy picked one up and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. “It smells so sweet.” Liz turned beat red and her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“Did Max give these to you?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah,” Liz answered nodding her head.
“So, did you two work things out?”
Liz nodded her head again.
“He seams like a nice boy.”
Max stood in the closet trying not to move a muscle. ‘God,’ he thought to himself. ‘It’s The Talk. Her mother’s giving her The Talk.’
“I hope you’re not letting things get too serious honey,” Nancy said as she spread the bottom sheet out over the mattress.
“What do you mean?” Liz replied carefully. She grabbed a corner of the sheet and tucked it under the mattress.
“Well, you’re still so young.” Nancy said while she unfurled the top sheet. “You should be dating lots of boys, having fun. You’re so pretty and smart. You shouldn’t fall in love with the first boy that asks you out.”
“For your information Mom, Max isn’t the first boy that’s ever asked me out,” Liz said indignantly. “There was Troy Hartley back in the sixth grade, and of course I went out with Kyle too, remember?”
“But they didn’t mean anything. You didn’t have feelings for them, not like you do for Max. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right but-”
“And Max has strong feelings for you too, doesn’t he?” Nancy asked.
“Yes he does-”
“Honey, I just want to make sure that you don’t let things get out of control.”
“Mom, I-”
“You’re just so young. You shouldn’t have to carry the weight of the world around on your shoulders.”
“Mom, you have no idea-”
“You should be carefree. Enjoy high school. College. Then you can think about getting serious about someone.” Nancy smoothed out the top sheet.
“Well, Mom-”
“I just want you to think about it Liz, before things go too far. You know, there’s only one first time.” Nancy brushed her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “It should be special. With someone special. Just remember that, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.” It was special, Liz thought with a smile. And so is he.
Nancy turned to pick up one of the blankets and Liz noticed something gray fall to the floor. She rushed over to take the blanket from her mother and let it fall back to the floor, covering Max’s shorts.
“I’ll finish this Mom. You must be really tired after that long drive.” Liz led her mother toward the door and gently pushed her into the hall. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight Liz. Think about what I said, okay?”
“I will Mom. ‘Night.” Liz watched her mother head toward her own bedroom and Liz stepped back into her room and locked the door. “Oh my God,” Liz breathed out and rested her back against the door.
She took a deep breath and then hurried over to the closet and opened the door.
“So who’s Troy Hartley?” Max asked, standing there with chocolate dripping down the front of his chest. His nearly empty bowl of ice cream was in one hand and his spoon in the other.
“A boy. We met at camp.” Liz pulled Max out of the closet. “I was 12. I kissed him behind the outhouse. It was very romantic.”
“And how long did this relationship last?” Max asked as he followed her into the room. He was enjoying teasing her.
“About 24 hours, and then I caught him kissing my friend Becky in the kitchen. So I dumped his two-timing ass and pushed Becky in the lake.” Liz looked into his bowl and saw that it was nearly empty. “I thought you were going to give me some.”
Max looked down at his chest and then back to her, arching his eyebrows. Liz rolled her eyes and went into her bathroom to get a wash cloth. As she walked back to him he could see the glint in her eyes.
“Should I try to make it disappear?” Liz asked innocently.
“Sure,” Max said. He was happy that Liz was so willing to test herself, to try to learn new things.
Liz looked into his eyes and then down at his chest. She held her hand in front of him and just when he thought she was going to wave her hand over him, her tongue licked him from his navel to his throat. She caught him completely off guard and his breath caught in his throat. She licked him again and again, driving him nearly crazy.
She cleaned the ice cream off his chest with her tongue and stood in front of him licking her lips. “You’re right. It was yummy.” He tried to reach for her, suddenly feeling the need to smother her with kisses, but she’d already moved away from him. She picked up a blanket and reached for the gray boxers on the floor. She tossed them to him and then she uncovered his boot.
“You better go home before my Dad decides he needs a heart to heart with me too.” She held his boot out to him and he reluctantly took it. She put her arms around him and in his haste to hug her back he dropped his bowl on the floor breaking it into a thousand bits. They heard footsteps hastening down the hall and Liz frantically pushed Max toward the window.
“Go! Go! Before they get here!” Liz said quickly. Max scrambled out the window and raced for the ladder that would take him to safety. He had one boot on and he hopped along trying to slip on the other boot. He dropped his shorts and Liz had to call him back off the ladder to retrieve them. She heard her parents pound at her door and she called out “Just a second.”
Max stood at the top of the ladder and smiled at her flustered face. “I love you Liz Parker,” he whispered loudly.
“And I love you Max Evans!” she whispered back. He was smiling from ear to ear as he descended the ladder and disappeared from sight.
TBC...
Last time I left Max in a very unfortunate position, didn't I? Here's a little reminder...
From part 17
He found a bowl in the cupboard and spoon in a drawer and went to the freezer. He filled the bowl quickly and sprinkled tabasco sauce on one side and left the other side alone in case she wanted to share. He walked out of the kitchen into the back hall licking his spoon and suddenly stopped frozen in his tracks.
A very naked Max Evans, caught like a deer in the headlights of a car, suddenly found himself standing less than 10 feet away from Jeff Parker.
A Special Kind of Love
Part 18
Max ducked back into the kitchen praying Jeff Parker hadn’t seen him yet. ‘Please, please, please,’ he kept repeating in his mind. Mr. Parker’s back had been facing him when Max first noticed him. His coat was still on and it looked like he had just come in the back door. Max could only assume that Mrs. Parker was still behind her husband. ‘Please, please, please,’ Max repeated to himself. Don’t let Mrs. Parker be the one to find him standing naked in her kitchen.
Think . . . think. How was he going to get out of this? This was worse than Valenti hounding him all last year. This was worse than Tess repeating the word ‘Destiny’ over and over again. This was worse than a thousand White Rooms all rolled into one. He was standing naked in the Parker’s kitchen and they were only ten feet away!
Suddenly a light went off in his head and he got an idea. He poked his head carefully into the hallway and saw the two of them just inside the back door. Mr. Parker was hanging up his coat on the rack by the door and Mrs. Parker was right beside him. Max concentrated hard and after a moment the shrill sound of a car alarm sounded nearby.
“What the hell?” Jeff said turning his attention to the door. “What made that go off?” Nancy followed her husband outside to see what could have triggered the alarm.
As soon as they were out the door, Max made a mad dash for the stairs. He took them three steps at a time and raced toward Liz’s bedroom. He burst through the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Liz looked at Max in shock. She wasn’t used to a naked man standing in her room, let alone a scared shitless naked man holding a bowl of ice cream.
“Max! What is it?” she cried out clutching the blanket to her chest.
“Your parents are home!” Max nearly shouted. His eyes were huge with panic.
“What?” Liz hissed at him. “Did they see you?”
“I don’t think so,” he answered shaking his head. He set the bowl of ice cream down on her dresser as he rushed into the room. He began tossing aside blankets and sheets that had tumbled to the floor earlier. “My shorts. My shorts. Where the hell are my shorts?” He moved a blanket and found his pants and one shoe. He grabbed those and kept searching.
Liz rushed to her dresser and pulled out a tank top and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. She pulled them on quickly and then joined Max in his search for his shorts. She found her dad’s shirt, the one Max had been wearing all day, and she threw it at him. She began piling blankets and sheets onto her bed but still couldn’t find his shorts. She froze when she heard the sound of footsteps and then a soft knock on her door.
“Liz? Liz honey?” her mother said from the hallway.
“Oh God!” Liz whispered vehemently at Max. “Put ‘em on! Put ‘em on!” she motioned at his pants and he quickly stepped into them. He pulled them up frantically and reached for the zipper. “Be careful!” she whispered sharply, not wanting him to damage anything in his haste.
He almost started laughing at the look on her face, but then another soft knock came from the door.
Liz looked around her room wildly and then grabbed Max by the arm. She pulled him forcefully across the room and shoved him into her closet. She took a deep breath and headed for her door when she saw his sock lying in the middle of the floor. She flung the closet door open, threw the sock at him and then shut it quickly. She walked across the room on trembling legs and then spotted his ice cream. The closet door flew open again, she shoved the bowl against his chest, grabbed a set of clean sheets from a shelf and closed the door quickly.
It was all a blur to Max. One minute he was trying to get his pants on without damaging his goods for life, and the next minute he was in her closet with a sock hitting him square in the face. Then he nearly yelled out loud when a freezing bowl of ice cream slammed into his bare chest and he ended up wearing half the contents. He held his breath, afraid to know what was going to happen next.
“Mom,” Liz exclaimed as she opened her bedroom door. “What are you doing home?”
“We came home early,” Nancy said as she entered her daughter’s room. “There were only a few new things at the show, so we decided not to stay until tomorrow.” She noticed the sheets in her daughter’s arms and then the stripped bed. “How come your door was locked?”
“I always lock my door when I’m the only one here at night,” Liz answered.
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Do you want me to help you change your sheets?” she asked taking them out of her hands.
Liz rushed over to kick the pile of blankets into a corner and stubbed her toe on Max’s boot. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out in pain.
Nancy walked over to the side of the bed and noticed the four white roses lined up on her nightstand. “How pretty.” Liz automatically reached out her hand to stop her from touching the rose, but she was too far away. Nancy picked one up and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. “It smells so sweet.” Liz turned beat red and her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“Did Max give these to you?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah,” Liz answered nodding her head.
“So, did you two work things out?”
Liz nodded her head again.
“He seams like a nice boy.”
Max stood in the closet trying not to move a muscle. ‘God,’ he thought to himself. ‘It’s The Talk. Her mother’s giving her The Talk.’
“I hope you’re not letting things get too serious honey,” Nancy said as she spread the bottom sheet out over the mattress.
“What do you mean?” Liz replied carefully. She grabbed a corner of the sheet and tucked it under the mattress.
“Well, you’re still so young.” Nancy said while she unfurled the top sheet. “You should be dating lots of boys, having fun. You’re so pretty and smart. You shouldn’t fall in love with the first boy that asks you out.”
“For your information Mom, Max isn’t the first boy that’s ever asked me out,” Liz said indignantly. “There was Troy Hartley back in the sixth grade, and of course I went out with Kyle too, remember?”
“But they didn’t mean anything. You didn’t have feelings for them, not like you do for Max. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right but-”
“And Max has strong feelings for you too, doesn’t he?” Nancy asked.
“Yes he does-”
“Honey, I just want to make sure that you don’t let things get out of control.”
“Mom, I-”
“You’re just so young. You shouldn’t have to carry the weight of the world around on your shoulders.”
“Mom, you have no idea-”
“You should be carefree. Enjoy high school. College. Then you can think about getting serious about someone.” Nancy smoothed out the top sheet.
“Well, Mom-”
“I just want you to think about it Liz, before things go too far. You know, there’s only one first time.” Nancy brushed her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “It should be special. With someone special. Just remember that, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.” It was special, Liz thought with a smile. And so is he.
Nancy turned to pick up one of the blankets and Liz noticed something gray fall to the floor. She rushed over to take the blanket from her mother and let it fall back to the floor, covering Max’s shorts.
“I’ll finish this Mom. You must be really tired after that long drive.” Liz led her mother toward the door and gently pushed her into the hall. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight Liz. Think about what I said, okay?”
“I will Mom. ‘Night.” Liz watched her mother head toward her own bedroom and Liz stepped back into her room and locked the door. “Oh my God,” Liz breathed out and rested her back against the door.
She took a deep breath and then hurried over to the closet and opened the door.
“So who’s Troy Hartley?” Max asked, standing there with chocolate dripping down the front of his chest. His nearly empty bowl of ice cream was in one hand and his spoon in the other.
“A boy. We met at camp.” Liz pulled Max out of the closet. “I was 12. I kissed him behind the outhouse. It was very romantic.”
“And how long did this relationship last?” Max asked as he followed her into the room. He was enjoying teasing her.
“About 24 hours, and then I caught him kissing my friend Becky in the kitchen. So I dumped his two-timing ass and pushed Becky in the lake.” Liz looked into his bowl and saw that it was nearly empty. “I thought you were going to give me some.”
Max looked down at his chest and then back to her, arching his eyebrows. Liz rolled her eyes and went into her bathroom to get a wash cloth. As she walked back to him he could see the glint in her eyes.
“Should I try to make it disappear?” Liz asked innocently.
“Sure,” Max said. He was happy that Liz was so willing to test herself, to try to learn new things.
Liz looked into his eyes and then down at his chest. She held her hand in front of him and just when he thought she was going to wave her hand over him, her tongue licked him from his navel to his throat. She caught him completely off guard and his breath caught in his throat. She licked him again and again, driving him nearly crazy.
She cleaned the ice cream off his chest with her tongue and stood in front of him licking her lips. “You’re right. It was yummy.” He tried to reach for her, suddenly feeling the need to smother her with kisses, but she’d already moved away from him. She picked up a blanket and reached for the gray boxers on the floor. She tossed them to him and then she uncovered his boot.
“You better go home before my Dad decides he needs a heart to heart with me too.” She held his boot out to him and he reluctantly took it. She put her arms around him and in his haste to hug her back he dropped his bowl on the floor breaking it into a thousand bits. They heard footsteps hastening down the hall and Liz frantically pushed Max toward the window.
“Go! Go! Before they get here!” Liz said quickly. Max scrambled out the window and raced for the ladder that would take him to safety. He had one boot on and he hopped along trying to slip on the other boot. He dropped his shorts and Liz had to call him back off the ladder to retrieve them. She heard her parents pound at her door and she called out “Just a second.”
Max stood at the top of the ladder and smiled at her flustered face. “I love you Liz Parker,” he whispered loudly.
“And I love you Max Evans!” she whispered back. He was smiling from ear to ear as he descended the ladder and disappeared from sight.
TBC...
Behr's Bitch
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
Hello everyone. Here's my monthly post!
Actually, it's only been 2 weeks since my last update. I must be on a roll!
A Special Kind of Love
Part 19
Max entered the Crashdown early the next morning before the height of the Sunday breakfast crowd. They had just opened and only a few customers were present. Liz pushed her way through the swinging door into the café and Max felt his heart skip a beat, the way it always did every time he saw her. Her eyes met his immediately and the smile that she gave him made him glow inside. She walked over and leaned against him, her eyes staring into his.
“Morning,” she said.
“Good morning to you,” he answered back and brushed his fingers against her cheek.
“I see you’re fully dressed today,” she teased and pointed to his feet. “Both boots on.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t in such a rush this morning. I even had time to put on my underwear.”
“Max . . .” she laughed softly and felt her cheeks turning red. “So, um . . . what color are they?” she said shyly.
“What color are they?” Max asked in confusion and then it dawned on him what she meant. “You mean my underwear?” He tried not to laugh at the idea of them standing in the middle of the Crashdown having an in depth conversation about his underwear.
“Charcoal gray,” he answered and lifted the edge of his dark green t-shirt. His jeans were hanging loosely from his hips and several inches of his Calvins could be seen.
“Stop that!” she whispered and tugged his shirt down. Max started to laugh as her cheeks turned even redder. “What am I going to do with you!”
“Well first of all, you could take me up to your room, and then you could-”
“Max, stop it!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to his favorite booth.
“Well you asked,” Max said teasingly. He sat down, and as Liz filled his cup with coffee, he leaned close and whispered into her ear. “And what color are you wearing today?”
“Can’t you tell with your x-ray eyes?” Liz asked.
“Sadly, I don’t have x-ray eyes,” Max lamented.
“Oh. Too bad.” Liz leaned close and Max could feel her breath against his ear. “Silver. Shimmering, see-through, sexy, silver.” Liz smiled innocently and Max had to swallow hard at the image she gave him.
“So, what do you want for breakfast?” Liz asked changing the subject.
“You,” he answered as he pulled her onto his lap. His eyes were burning into hers and she knew exactly what he meant.
“Max . . .” Liz dropped her eyes shyly. He noticed she was also smiling from ear to ear.
“Ok, the usual then,” Max answered without bothering to look at the menu.
“Carlos,” Liz called out toward the kitchen. “One Riker Special.”
“Carlos? Who’s Carlos?” Max asked curiously.
“A new cook,” Liz replied easily. “Dad hired him last Thursday. He came looking for a job and Dad wanted someone in place before they left for Dallas, so I guess timing is everything.”
Max looked toward the kitchen with narrowed eyes. He was always suspicious of new people.
“Max . . .” Liz began and he could see her face turning serious.
“What?” he said with concern.
“Oh, nothing. I’ll go get your juice,” she said with a shake of her head and started to stand.
“Liz,” Max said grabbing her arm. “No secrets, remember? No hiding things from each other. You were going to say something. What was it?”
“It’s probably nothing at all,” Liz said and sighed. “It’s just this feeling I got, that I can’t shake. I don’t have any proof or anything.”
“Proof of what?” he asked, tightening his hand around hers.
“Friday night,” she began hesitantly. “When you got . . . Max, I don’t think it was a robbery.”
“What do you mean?” he asked quietly.
“I mean, I don’t think that guy was here to steal money from the register.” Her eyes met his and he saw the conviction in her. “We never keep money in there at night. The day’s receipts always go in the safe at the end of the day. And we always leave the till drawer open so we can see that the money has been put away. Max, I think someone knew where that gun was, and was waiting for us to come home.”
“Why do you think that?” Max said trying to sound calm, but feeling anything but. He was starting to think that Liz’s instincts were something that needed to be listened to, and if she felt something was wrong, he was going to believe her.
“I don’t know. Like I said, I have no proof, just a feeling.” The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. She had wanted to talk to him about it before, but so much had happened in the last 36 hours, there hadn’t been time.
“We better be careful, and take this seriously,” Max squeezed Liz’s hand as he spoke. It might mean nothing at all, but they couldn’t risk thinking that way. “Maybe we should get everyone together. There’s so much everyone needs to know. About what happened to me, and what you did. Everyone needs to know what’s going on.”
“Tomorrow after school. Let’s meet at Michael’s tomorrow and we’ll let everyone know what happened.” Liz squeezed Max’s hand back and then left the booth to serve the customers that continued to trickle in.
Max watched her move around the room and felt a chill go up his spine. What if he hadn’t been the target after all? What if the bullet had been meant for Liz?
* * * * *
Liz and Maria finished their shifts and trudged up the stairs to Liz’s room. It had been a busy day and both girls were tired and hungry. Maria tossed her tote bag onto Liz’s bed and pulled out a change of clothes. With one swift movement, she tore open the snaps on her uniform and dropped it on the bed. She wiggled into her jeans and then pulled a t-shirt over her head.
“So Liz, you still haven’t told me about you and Max,” Maria said as she sat on the edge of the bed and watched her friend. She noticed how Liz’s cheeks took on a rosy glow.
“What do you mean, Maria?” Liz asked feigning ignorance. She carefully unsnapped her uniform and folded it neatly before placing it in her clothes hamper. Liz removed a pair of leggins and an oversized sweater from her dresser and avoided Maria’s intense gaze.
“You know exactly what I mean Liz. Don’t play coy with me!” Maria was determined to hear all the details.
“Maria . . .” Liz’s voice trailed off.
“Look girlfriend, we’ve hardly spoken to each other since Friday, and I want to hear everything! You already told me Max spent the night. Now . . . give me details!” Maria was bubbling over with excitement. She had been praying that Max and Liz would come to their senses and admit they couldn’t bear to be apart.
“Maria, I can’t-” Liz began to object.
“Of course you can,” Maria barreled on. “This is me, babe. You have to tell me. It’s the law of best friends. Besides, I’m going to die an old maid pining away over Michael so I have to live vicariously through you.” Maria watched Liz turn in her direction and immediately noticed the discolored skin above her bra and on her stomach and her thighs. “Look at you!”
“What?” Liz said worriedly.
“You’re glowing! You have glowing hickeys all over you! Oh God! He kissed you everywhere, didn’t he!” Maria reached into her tote bag to retrieve her cedar oil and took a deep whiff to calm down. Liz pulled her change of clothes on quickly to cover the marks Max had left on her skin.
“Maria, get a hold of yourself.” Liz sat down on the bed next to her and smiled as she remembered how Max’s lips felt on her body.
“See! See,” Maria squealed when she saw the look on Liz’s face. “He was good, wasn’t he? I mean, really good! I can tell by the look on your face.”
“You know,” Liz started and looked shyly up at Maria. “Remember how I told you Madam Vivian said I would marry my true love and . . .” her voice dropped low and continued “. . . and I wouldn’t be left wanting?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Maria said hanging on every word.
“Well,” Liz paused and gave a little laugh. “She wasn’t lying!”
“I can’t believe you guys actually did it!” The wheels were turning in Maria’s head with all the questions she wanted to ask. “Did you do it more than once?” she asked leaning close and keeping her voice low.
Liz nodded her head slowly.
“Did you do it more than twice?”
Liz’s face broke out in a huge grin and she nodded her head again.
“Is it true what they say about a man’s, um, you know, being as big as the distance between his thumb and his index finger?” Maria held her hand up in front of her with her fingers in the shape of an L. She burst out laughing at the shocked look on Liz’s face.
“Maria!” Liz admonished.
“Well you’ve heard that one before, haven’t you?” Maria laughed as her friend’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “So is it true?”
“Well, you tell me Maria! I’ve seen the size of Michael’s hands.” Liz felt the heat explode in her cheeks, amazed that she had said that.
“Unlike you, my spaceboy hasn’t shown me any of his gear,” Maria retorted and Liz broke out laughing. “You still didn’t answer me. When they made Max, did they pay attention to the good parts?”
“Are you girls hungry?” Nancy Parker asked from the doorway. “We’re having sandwiches for dinner. Subs.”
With her heart racing, Liz snapped her head in the direction of the door and wondered how long her mother had been standing there, and just how much she had overheard, if anything. She seemed oblivious to what they had been talking about so Liz relaxed.
“What kind?” Maria asked. She was starving and a sub would taste good right now.
“Turkey, ham, bacon, piled with the works,” Nancy answered with a smile. She was used to Maria eating dinner with them.
“Sure, that sounds great Mrs. Parker,” Maria replied.
“Yeah, I’ll have one too,” Liz said and watched her mom walk away.
“Okay, you didn’t answer me,” Maria said not letting the subject go. “Are we talking Mini Max here or Maxi Max?”
“6 inch or foot long?” Nancy said poking her head back into the room.
Liz was horrified to see her mother standing in her doorway again. What had she just said? Was she talking about Max? Had she heard Maria? Liz felt her cheeks burning and Maria had her hand over her mouth like she was trying to take the words back.
Nancy stood in the doorway wondering why the girls were looking at her that way. “Well, do you girls want 6” subs or footlongs?”
“Oh,” Maria sighed in relief and then had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She turned to Liz and saw that she was also struggling not to laugh.
“I don’t have all night, girls,” Nancy said impatiently.
Maria and Liz stared at each other and then blurted out together “Footlongs!” They both exploded in laughter and Nancy stood in the doorway shaking her head. Who could understand teenage girls? She turned away with a puzzled look on her face and left to make the sandwiches.
Maria rolled onto her back on the bed, laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. Liz had turned an even deeper shade of crimson if that was possible and she gave Maria’s shoulder a shove.
“You’re terrible Maria! You’re going to get me in so much trouble.” Liz wiped at the tears in her eyes and another wave of laughter hit her. “Max would kill me if he knew we were talking about him like this!”
“Well then you’ll just have to stroke his “ego”,” Maria said and burst out laughing again. “His footlong ego!”
“Oh God!” Liz said and covered her face with her hands. Her cheeks were ready to burst into flame. “I didn’t say he was that big!”
“But you didn’t say he wasn’t!” She’d never seen Liz so flustered before and it was cracking her up.
“I’m not going to say another word. Let’s go help my Mom make the sandwiches.” Liz was still trying to stop laughing as she got up from the bed and Maria followed behind her.
“Did he rock your world? Did he do alien like things with his hands? What about his tongue? Did he do stuff with his tongue? Was everything the normal color? Oh! Oh! Did anything on Max, you know, glow? Or did you guy’s glow when you were “together”? Did you . . .”
Maria kept firing questions at Liz as they walked out of her room. Liz covered her ears with her hands and shook her head, refusing to answer. Liz sighed, resigned to the fact that her best friend was going to drive her absolutely nuts until Maria got some answers of her own.
* * * * *
Max pulled up in front of the Crashdown the next morning and smiled as Liz burst through the doors. She was wearing the red sweater with the tiny white buttons that he liked so much and a snug fitting black skirt. She slipped her arms into her black leather jacket as she hurried across the sidewalk to the jeep and Max leaned over to open her door for her to climb inside.
“Morning,” Max said with a grin.
“Hi,” Liz replied and leaned into him, planting a soft kiss on his waiting lips. His hand cupped her delicate cheek and when they broke apart their foreheads touched as they enjoyed this moment of closeness.
“Are you sure you want to go to school today?” Max asked with a devilish grin. “I can think of things I’d rather be doing with you today than sitting in a classroom.”
“I can’t imagine what you might be thinking about Max,” Liz smiled back and then her cheeks began to blush.
“Well,” he said as he began to nuzzle her ear. “I could take you out into the desert . . .” as his tongue tasted her earlobe “. . . where we could be all alone . . .” and he circled the outer rim of her ear “. . . and then I could touch you like this . . .”
“Max . . .” Liz sighed as his hand slid from her cheek to her neck and then her shoulder blade. The thought of skipping school and spending the day in his arms was enticing. As his lips slowly moved down her neck she suddenly felt eyes watching. She looked in the direction of the Crashdown and saw her father staring back. “Oh God Max, my Dad’s watching!”
Max pulled away from Liz quickly and looked toward the café. His eyes met Jeff Parker’s stern gaze and he felt his own blush rising. “Well that puts a damper on things, doesn’t it?” Max said as he put the jeep in gear and Liz laughed softly. “School it is, then.”
Within minutes they arrived at school and Max hastened Liz out of the jeep and into the main entrance. His hand was firmly holding hers and she had to nearly run to keep up with his long strides as he hurried down the hallway.
“Where are we going, and why are you in such a hurry to get there?” she asked as he pulled her along.
“You’ll see,” he answered and gave her that devilish grin once more. She felt the fluttering in her stomach again, that feeling that only Max could give her. A smile came over her lips as his destination came into view. The eraser room.
He opened the door quickly and pulled her inside, glancing up and down the nearly empty hallway to see if they had been noticed. He closed the door and sealed the lock quickly and then he took her in his arms.
“It’s not the desert, but at least we’re alone, and your Dad can’t see us anymore.” His mouth captured hers, kissing her long and hard. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close, feeling her soft body fitting against his so perfectly.
She kissed him back with equal intensity, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her and his hard chest pressing against her. His lips moved down to her throat and a soft moan escaped from her.
“Shhhhhh,” Max whispered. “You are a noisy one, aren’t you?” he said teasingly.
“Max . . .” she chided and felt her cheeks blushing again.
“I like it,” he said softly in her ear. “I like knowing that I can make you feel good.” He found her lips again and kissed her deeply. He pressed her body against the wall next to the door wanting to get as close to her as possible. Her lips met his eagerly and then she started to laugh.
“What?” Max asked as he tore his lips away from hers. Her eyes were sparkling and he couldn’t help but grin back at her.
“I never thought I’d see it,” Liz laughed lightly. “Max Evans – normal teenage boy with only one thing on his mind. Sex!”
“I don’t have sex on my mind,” Max answered and then kissed her softly.
“No?” she asked with arched eyebrows.
“No,” he said shaking his head. His hand caressed her back and he slowly moved it down along her curves. His eyes were twinkling in the low light of the room and he pulled her body up against the bulge that was suddenly making his pants uncomfortably tight. “All I can think about is making love to Liz Parker . . . woman of my dreams . . . love of my life . . . the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“You can sweet talk me all you want to,” Liz said with conviction but melting on the inside over what he had just said. “But it’s not going to happen, Max. Not here, not in the eraser room.”
“No?” he said with a hint of challenge. His finger rubbed the skin under her chin and then trailed down her throat. The buttons on her red sweater popped open one by one and his finger moved past her throat, down her chest and along the edge of her bra.
“No,” she said firmly.
“Not even if I do this?” Max said as his lips brushed a sensitive spot behind her ear.
“No!” Liz said again.
“Or this?” Max mumbled and his tongue made contact with the skin behind her ear while his hand dropped down to cover her breast. She shook her head but she felt herself losing the ability for coherent speech.
“Or this?” he asked as his finger gently stroked her hard nipple. She felt her knees getting weak.
“Max . . .” she said in a strangled voice. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
“Cosmo . . .”
“You mean the cosmos? As in space?” Shivers of delight were running up her spine. His tongue was doing marvelous things to her throat and his hand had found its way under her bra, cupping her breast and rolling her nipple between his fingers.
“No, Cosmo. As in the magazine.” His lips were brushing against her throat now, driving her crazy. “I stole it from Isabel. She’s been looking for it for days. I hid it under my bed.”
“Thief,” Liz said huskily and felt her hips involuntarily rubbing against the huge bulge in his pants.
“Just trying to stay informed,” he said dropping his head down to kiss the pale skin of her breast. “I want to keep my girl satisfied.” His mouth seized her hard nipple and she let out a loud sigh. He smiled as her back arched into him and her hand pressed his head tightly against her. The hallway filled with noise as students arrived to begin a new week but Max and Liz could only hear each other. Her moans filled his ears and his heavy breathing drowned out all other sounds. They both jumped when the bell rang shrilly above them, signaling the start of classes.
“I guess we better go before the late bell rings,” Max said resting his forehead against hers. Liz adjusted her clothes and Max helped her fasten the buttons on her sweater. “Do you want to meet back here at lunchtime for round two?” Max asked trying to get his breathing under control. His eyes were twinkling and his smile lit up his face.
“Before or after we eat?” Liz smiled back. Her heart was racing in her chest and it had been a good thing the bell had rung. She wasn’t sure if she had the willpower to keep saying no.
“Who needs to eat food when I can have you,” Max whispered in her ear. He gave her one last deep kiss before unsealing the door and stepping into the hallway. Their smiles froze on their lips and Max felt Liz’s body fill with tension. He felt her hand pulling away from his and he squeezed it harder, unwilling to let her go, praying that she wouldn’t let this come between them.
Liz looked at the sight before her and felt her breath catch in her throat. “Tess . . .”
TBC ...
Actually, it's only been 2 weeks since my last update. I must be on a roll!
A Special Kind of Love
Part 19
Max entered the Crashdown early the next morning before the height of the Sunday breakfast crowd. They had just opened and only a few customers were present. Liz pushed her way through the swinging door into the café and Max felt his heart skip a beat, the way it always did every time he saw her. Her eyes met his immediately and the smile that she gave him made him glow inside. She walked over and leaned against him, her eyes staring into his.
“Morning,” she said.
“Good morning to you,” he answered back and brushed his fingers against her cheek.
“I see you’re fully dressed today,” she teased and pointed to his feet. “Both boots on.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t in such a rush this morning. I even had time to put on my underwear.”
“Max . . .” she laughed softly and felt her cheeks turning red. “So, um . . . what color are they?” she said shyly.
“What color are they?” Max asked in confusion and then it dawned on him what she meant. “You mean my underwear?” He tried not to laugh at the idea of them standing in the middle of the Crashdown having an in depth conversation about his underwear.
“Charcoal gray,” he answered and lifted the edge of his dark green t-shirt. His jeans were hanging loosely from his hips and several inches of his Calvins could be seen.
“Stop that!” she whispered and tugged his shirt down. Max started to laugh as her cheeks turned even redder. “What am I going to do with you!”
“Well first of all, you could take me up to your room, and then you could-”
“Max, stop it!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to his favorite booth.
“Well you asked,” Max said teasingly. He sat down, and as Liz filled his cup with coffee, he leaned close and whispered into her ear. “And what color are you wearing today?”
“Can’t you tell with your x-ray eyes?” Liz asked.
“Sadly, I don’t have x-ray eyes,” Max lamented.
“Oh. Too bad.” Liz leaned close and Max could feel her breath against his ear. “Silver. Shimmering, see-through, sexy, silver.” Liz smiled innocently and Max had to swallow hard at the image she gave him.
“So, what do you want for breakfast?” Liz asked changing the subject.
“You,” he answered as he pulled her onto his lap. His eyes were burning into hers and she knew exactly what he meant.
“Max . . .” Liz dropped her eyes shyly. He noticed she was also smiling from ear to ear.
“Ok, the usual then,” Max answered without bothering to look at the menu.
“Carlos,” Liz called out toward the kitchen. “One Riker Special.”
“Carlos? Who’s Carlos?” Max asked curiously.
“A new cook,” Liz replied easily. “Dad hired him last Thursday. He came looking for a job and Dad wanted someone in place before they left for Dallas, so I guess timing is everything.”
Max looked toward the kitchen with narrowed eyes. He was always suspicious of new people.
“Max . . .” Liz began and he could see her face turning serious.
“What?” he said with concern.
“Oh, nothing. I’ll go get your juice,” she said with a shake of her head and started to stand.
“Liz,” Max said grabbing her arm. “No secrets, remember? No hiding things from each other. You were going to say something. What was it?”
“It’s probably nothing at all,” Liz said and sighed. “It’s just this feeling I got, that I can’t shake. I don’t have any proof or anything.”
“Proof of what?” he asked, tightening his hand around hers.
“Friday night,” she began hesitantly. “When you got . . . Max, I don’t think it was a robbery.”
“What do you mean?” he asked quietly.
“I mean, I don’t think that guy was here to steal money from the register.” Her eyes met his and he saw the conviction in her. “We never keep money in there at night. The day’s receipts always go in the safe at the end of the day. And we always leave the till drawer open so we can see that the money has been put away. Max, I think someone knew where that gun was, and was waiting for us to come home.”
“Why do you think that?” Max said trying to sound calm, but feeling anything but. He was starting to think that Liz’s instincts were something that needed to be listened to, and if she felt something was wrong, he was going to believe her.
“I don’t know. Like I said, I have no proof, just a feeling.” The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. She had wanted to talk to him about it before, but so much had happened in the last 36 hours, there hadn’t been time.
“We better be careful, and take this seriously,” Max squeezed Liz’s hand as he spoke. It might mean nothing at all, but they couldn’t risk thinking that way. “Maybe we should get everyone together. There’s so much everyone needs to know. About what happened to me, and what you did. Everyone needs to know what’s going on.”
“Tomorrow after school. Let’s meet at Michael’s tomorrow and we’ll let everyone know what happened.” Liz squeezed Max’s hand back and then left the booth to serve the customers that continued to trickle in.
Max watched her move around the room and felt a chill go up his spine. What if he hadn’t been the target after all? What if the bullet had been meant for Liz?
* * * * *
Liz and Maria finished their shifts and trudged up the stairs to Liz’s room. It had been a busy day and both girls were tired and hungry. Maria tossed her tote bag onto Liz’s bed and pulled out a change of clothes. With one swift movement, she tore open the snaps on her uniform and dropped it on the bed. She wiggled into her jeans and then pulled a t-shirt over her head.
“So Liz, you still haven’t told me about you and Max,” Maria said as she sat on the edge of the bed and watched her friend. She noticed how Liz’s cheeks took on a rosy glow.
“What do you mean, Maria?” Liz asked feigning ignorance. She carefully unsnapped her uniform and folded it neatly before placing it in her clothes hamper. Liz removed a pair of leggins and an oversized sweater from her dresser and avoided Maria’s intense gaze.
“You know exactly what I mean Liz. Don’t play coy with me!” Maria was determined to hear all the details.
“Maria . . .” Liz’s voice trailed off.
“Look girlfriend, we’ve hardly spoken to each other since Friday, and I want to hear everything! You already told me Max spent the night. Now . . . give me details!” Maria was bubbling over with excitement. She had been praying that Max and Liz would come to their senses and admit they couldn’t bear to be apart.
“Maria, I can’t-” Liz began to object.
“Of course you can,” Maria barreled on. “This is me, babe. You have to tell me. It’s the law of best friends. Besides, I’m going to die an old maid pining away over Michael so I have to live vicariously through you.” Maria watched Liz turn in her direction and immediately noticed the discolored skin above her bra and on her stomach and her thighs. “Look at you!”
“What?” Liz said worriedly.
“You’re glowing! You have glowing hickeys all over you! Oh God! He kissed you everywhere, didn’t he!” Maria reached into her tote bag to retrieve her cedar oil and took a deep whiff to calm down. Liz pulled her change of clothes on quickly to cover the marks Max had left on her skin.
“Maria, get a hold of yourself.” Liz sat down on the bed next to her and smiled as she remembered how Max’s lips felt on her body.
“See! See,” Maria squealed when she saw the look on Liz’s face. “He was good, wasn’t he? I mean, really good! I can tell by the look on your face.”
“You know,” Liz started and looked shyly up at Maria. “Remember how I told you Madam Vivian said I would marry my true love and . . .” her voice dropped low and continued “. . . and I wouldn’t be left wanting?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Maria said hanging on every word.
“Well,” Liz paused and gave a little laugh. “She wasn’t lying!”
“I can’t believe you guys actually did it!” The wheels were turning in Maria’s head with all the questions she wanted to ask. “Did you do it more than once?” she asked leaning close and keeping her voice low.
Liz nodded her head slowly.
“Did you do it more than twice?”
Liz’s face broke out in a huge grin and she nodded her head again.
“Is it true what they say about a man’s, um, you know, being as big as the distance between his thumb and his index finger?” Maria held her hand up in front of her with her fingers in the shape of an L. She burst out laughing at the shocked look on Liz’s face.
“Maria!” Liz admonished.
“Well you’ve heard that one before, haven’t you?” Maria laughed as her friend’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “So is it true?”
“Well, you tell me Maria! I’ve seen the size of Michael’s hands.” Liz felt the heat explode in her cheeks, amazed that she had said that.
“Unlike you, my spaceboy hasn’t shown me any of his gear,” Maria retorted and Liz broke out laughing. “You still didn’t answer me. When they made Max, did they pay attention to the good parts?”
“Are you girls hungry?” Nancy Parker asked from the doorway. “We’re having sandwiches for dinner. Subs.”
With her heart racing, Liz snapped her head in the direction of the door and wondered how long her mother had been standing there, and just how much she had overheard, if anything. She seemed oblivious to what they had been talking about so Liz relaxed.
“What kind?” Maria asked. She was starving and a sub would taste good right now.
“Turkey, ham, bacon, piled with the works,” Nancy answered with a smile. She was used to Maria eating dinner with them.
“Sure, that sounds great Mrs. Parker,” Maria replied.
“Yeah, I’ll have one too,” Liz said and watched her mom walk away.
“Okay, you didn’t answer me,” Maria said not letting the subject go. “Are we talking Mini Max here or Maxi Max?”
“6 inch or foot long?” Nancy said poking her head back into the room.
Liz was horrified to see her mother standing in her doorway again. What had she just said? Was she talking about Max? Had she heard Maria? Liz felt her cheeks burning and Maria had her hand over her mouth like she was trying to take the words back.
Nancy stood in the doorway wondering why the girls were looking at her that way. “Well, do you girls want 6” subs or footlongs?”
“Oh,” Maria sighed in relief and then had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She turned to Liz and saw that she was also struggling not to laugh.
“I don’t have all night, girls,” Nancy said impatiently.
Maria and Liz stared at each other and then blurted out together “Footlongs!” They both exploded in laughter and Nancy stood in the doorway shaking her head. Who could understand teenage girls? She turned away with a puzzled look on her face and left to make the sandwiches.
Maria rolled onto her back on the bed, laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. Liz had turned an even deeper shade of crimson if that was possible and she gave Maria’s shoulder a shove.
“You’re terrible Maria! You’re going to get me in so much trouble.” Liz wiped at the tears in her eyes and another wave of laughter hit her. “Max would kill me if he knew we were talking about him like this!”
“Well then you’ll just have to stroke his “ego”,” Maria said and burst out laughing again. “His footlong ego!”
“Oh God!” Liz said and covered her face with her hands. Her cheeks were ready to burst into flame. “I didn’t say he was that big!”
“But you didn’t say he wasn’t!” She’d never seen Liz so flustered before and it was cracking her up.
“I’m not going to say another word. Let’s go help my Mom make the sandwiches.” Liz was still trying to stop laughing as she got up from the bed and Maria followed behind her.
“Did he rock your world? Did he do alien like things with his hands? What about his tongue? Did he do stuff with his tongue? Was everything the normal color? Oh! Oh! Did anything on Max, you know, glow? Or did you guy’s glow when you were “together”? Did you . . .”
Maria kept firing questions at Liz as they walked out of her room. Liz covered her ears with her hands and shook her head, refusing to answer. Liz sighed, resigned to the fact that her best friend was going to drive her absolutely nuts until Maria got some answers of her own.
* * * * *
Max pulled up in front of the Crashdown the next morning and smiled as Liz burst through the doors. She was wearing the red sweater with the tiny white buttons that he liked so much and a snug fitting black skirt. She slipped her arms into her black leather jacket as she hurried across the sidewalk to the jeep and Max leaned over to open her door for her to climb inside.
“Morning,” Max said with a grin.
“Hi,” Liz replied and leaned into him, planting a soft kiss on his waiting lips. His hand cupped her delicate cheek and when they broke apart their foreheads touched as they enjoyed this moment of closeness.
“Are you sure you want to go to school today?” Max asked with a devilish grin. “I can think of things I’d rather be doing with you today than sitting in a classroom.”
“I can’t imagine what you might be thinking about Max,” Liz smiled back and then her cheeks began to blush.
“Well,” he said as he began to nuzzle her ear. “I could take you out into the desert . . .” as his tongue tasted her earlobe “. . . where we could be all alone . . .” and he circled the outer rim of her ear “. . . and then I could touch you like this . . .”
“Max . . .” Liz sighed as his hand slid from her cheek to her neck and then her shoulder blade. The thought of skipping school and spending the day in his arms was enticing. As his lips slowly moved down her neck she suddenly felt eyes watching. She looked in the direction of the Crashdown and saw her father staring back. “Oh God Max, my Dad’s watching!”
Max pulled away from Liz quickly and looked toward the café. His eyes met Jeff Parker’s stern gaze and he felt his own blush rising. “Well that puts a damper on things, doesn’t it?” Max said as he put the jeep in gear and Liz laughed softly. “School it is, then.”
Within minutes they arrived at school and Max hastened Liz out of the jeep and into the main entrance. His hand was firmly holding hers and she had to nearly run to keep up with his long strides as he hurried down the hallway.
“Where are we going, and why are you in such a hurry to get there?” she asked as he pulled her along.
“You’ll see,” he answered and gave her that devilish grin once more. She felt the fluttering in her stomach again, that feeling that only Max could give her. A smile came over her lips as his destination came into view. The eraser room.
He opened the door quickly and pulled her inside, glancing up and down the nearly empty hallway to see if they had been noticed. He closed the door and sealed the lock quickly and then he took her in his arms.
“It’s not the desert, but at least we’re alone, and your Dad can’t see us anymore.” His mouth captured hers, kissing her long and hard. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close, feeling her soft body fitting against his so perfectly.
She kissed him back with equal intensity, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her and his hard chest pressing against her. His lips moved down to her throat and a soft moan escaped from her.
“Shhhhhh,” Max whispered. “You are a noisy one, aren’t you?” he said teasingly.
“Max . . .” she chided and felt her cheeks blushing again.
“I like it,” he said softly in her ear. “I like knowing that I can make you feel good.” He found her lips again and kissed her deeply. He pressed her body against the wall next to the door wanting to get as close to her as possible. Her lips met his eagerly and then she started to laugh.
“What?” Max asked as he tore his lips away from hers. Her eyes were sparkling and he couldn’t help but grin back at her.
“I never thought I’d see it,” Liz laughed lightly. “Max Evans – normal teenage boy with only one thing on his mind. Sex!”
“I don’t have sex on my mind,” Max answered and then kissed her softly.
“No?” she asked with arched eyebrows.
“No,” he said shaking his head. His hand caressed her back and he slowly moved it down along her curves. His eyes were twinkling in the low light of the room and he pulled her body up against the bulge that was suddenly making his pants uncomfortably tight. “All I can think about is making love to Liz Parker . . . woman of my dreams . . . love of my life . . . the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“You can sweet talk me all you want to,” Liz said with conviction but melting on the inside over what he had just said. “But it’s not going to happen, Max. Not here, not in the eraser room.”
“No?” he said with a hint of challenge. His finger rubbed the skin under her chin and then trailed down her throat. The buttons on her red sweater popped open one by one and his finger moved past her throat, down her chest and along the edge of her bra.
“No,” she said firmly.
“Not even if I do this?” Max said as his lips brushed a sensitive spot behind her ear.
“No!” Liz said again.
“Or this?” Max mumbled and his tongue made contact with the skin behind her ear while his hand dropped down to cover her breast. She shook her head but she felt herself losing the ability for coherent speech.
“Or this?” he asked as his finger gently stroked her hard nipple. She felt her knees getting weak.
“Max . . .” she said in a strangled voice. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
“Cosmo . . .”
“You mean the cosmos? As in space?” Shivers of delight were running up her spine. His tongue was doing marvelous things to her throat and his hand had found its way under her bra, cupping her breast and rolling her nipple between his fingers.
“No, Cosmo. As in the magazine.” His lips were brushing against her throat now, driving her crazy. “I stole it from Isabel. She’s been looking for it for days. I hid it under my bed.”
“Thief,” Liz said huskily and felt her hips involuntarily rubbing against the huge bulge in his pants.
“Just trying to stay informed,” he said dropping his head down to kiss the pale skin of her breast. “I want to keep my girl satisfied.” His mouth seized her hard nipple and she let out a loud sigh. He smiled as her back arched into him and her hand pressed his head tightly against her. The hallway filled with noise as students arrived to begin a new week but Max and Liz could only hear each other. Her moans filled his ears and his heavy breathing drowned out all other sounds. They both jumped when the bell rang shrilly above them, signaling the start of classes.
“I guess we better go before the late bell rings,” Max said resting his forehead against hers. Liz adjusted her clothes and Max helped her fasten the buttons on her sweater. “Do you want to meet back here at lunchtime for round two?” Max asked trying to get his breathing under control. His eyes were twinkling and his smile lit up his face.
“Before or after we eat?” Liz smiled back. Her heart was racing in her chest and it had been a good thing the bell had rung. She wasn’t sure if she had the willpower to keep saying no.
“Who needs to eat food when I can have you,” Max whispered in her ear. He gave her one last deep kiss before unsealing the door and stepping into the hallway. Their smiles froze on their lips and Max felt Liz’s body fill with tension. He felt her hand pulling away from his and he squeezed it harder, unwilling to let her go, praying that she wouldn’t let this come between them.
Liz looked at the sight before her and felt her breath catch in her throat. “Tess . . .”
TBC ...
Behr's Bitch
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Breathless
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Yes, I'm back with the next installment. Don't anyone die of a heart attack!
When last we met, Max and Liz had just come out of the eraser room, and a little 'friend' was waiting for them...
A Special Kind of Love
Part 20
“Hi Max,” Tess said cheerily. Her eyes bore into his, noting his uncomfortable look. After a suitable time she turned her eyes toward her foe. “Hi Liz,” she said, but this time the cheery tone had a forced sound to it.
“When did you get back in town Tess?” Max asked trying to sound friendly. Liz was still trying to pull her hand away from him but he held on tightly. It was important to him that Liz understand that Tess would never come between them again. He understood the importance of this moment. Tess overcoming the past, and accepting the way things were and moving forward from here might well mean the difference between life and death in the future. “I’m so glad you’re back Tess. We’ve been worried about you.”
“You have?” Tess said uncertainly and then her eyes clouded over again. She noticed how Max was holding Liz’s hand so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. No, he wasn’t happy to see her, she reminded herself. She was something that he neither wanted nor needed in his life, or so he thought. She’d prove how wrong he was. She’d show him that Liz Parker was nothing, a mere human who couldn’t dream of holding his attention for more than a short time. These humans were inconsequential. They meant nothing when it came to the higher plan, the reason they had all been sent to the godforsaken world.
“TESS!”
Her name echoed down the empty hallway and the three all turned to see Kyle running toward them. Well, not exactly toward THEM, Max thought.
Kyle only had eyes for Tess. He came to a halt several feet away from her, realizing that his voice had let too much of what he was feeling show through. He suddenly felt awkward when he saw all three of them staring at him.
“Hi Kyle,” Tess said and again her voice sounded uncertain. She had wanted Max to say her name like that. She had wanted Max to run down the hall toward her with that smile breaking over his face. But, what was this that she was feeling? A minute ago she was feeling anxious and on edge, but looking at Kyle she felt her heart start to race. She hadn’t seen him in a week. She hadn’t even said goodbye when she left. And now, looking at him, she realized that he was the only one she had missed while she had been gone.
When she left, she had been angry at Max for once again rejecting her for that mousy Liz Parker. And she hated Liz for coming between what she thought rightly belonged to her. But now, looking at Kyle, she realized she had been pissed at Max while she was away, but she didn’t miss him. Not the way she missed Kyle.
“Hey Liz,” Kyle said acknowledging Liz, then nodded to Max. “Your Royalness.” He turned back to Tess and his eyes softened. “When did you get back in town?” he said trying to sound casual. He didn’t want give away what he was really feeling.
“Just last night . . .” her voice trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes.
“Where did you stay last night?” Kyle asked with concern. She hadn’t come back to his house, and now he was worried that she wouldn’t.
“I just . . . I slept in my car,” Tess replied and immediately knew she said the wrong thing.
“You slept in the car? Why didn’t you come home?” Kyle asked and suddenly only Kyle and Tess existed in their little world. They turned and headed down the hall, not even bothering to say goodbye to Max or Liz.
Liz looked up at Max and Max looked down at Liz. “What was that all about?” they said at the same time.
* * * * *
Michael saw Max standing in front of his locker and hurried over to him. He hadn’t had a chance to speak to Max alone all weekend, and this was the first time today that he had seen him without Liz hanging all over him. He didn’t know what Max wanted to talk to everyone about at this “big meeting” at his apartment after school, but Michael had a feeling it was all about Max and Liz “getting back together” or something stupid like that.
“Hey,” Michael said as he leaned against the locker next to Max’s.
“Hey,” Max answered glancing up quickly. He grabbed the books he would need for his afternoon classes and stuffed them in his backpack. He was meeting Liz in a minute for lunch and he didn’t want to have to come back here before his next class started. “What’s up?”
“Are you going to lunch now?” Michael asked.
“Yeah. I’m meeting Liz in the commons and we thought we might go off campus for lunch. You want to come?” Max slung his backpack over his shoulder and they headed down the hallway.
“Nah, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of Romeo and Juliet.” Michael said sarcastically.
“Michael-” Max began but was cut off.
“What’s the matter with you Max?” Michael came to a sudden stop feeling Max glaring at him. “This thing you’ve got going on with Liz is just going to get us all hurt, maybe even killed! Don’t you understand that?”
“Michael, stop it,” Max said in a tightly controlled voice.
“Stop what? Stop telling you things you don’t want to hear, even if they are the truth? Somebody has to lay it out for you.” Michael watched the angry set of Max’s jaw. His eyes were turning dark with rage but Michael wasn’t going to back down. “We don’t belong with them Max. It’s just us, you and me and Isabel, now that you saw to it that Tess left. We can’t afford for any of us to get distracted by letting our emotions get carried away. While you’re banging away at Liz-”
Max slammed Michael into the lockers. His eyes burned furiously and his hands clutched Michael’s upper arms in a vice like grip. “Don’t ever talk about Liz like that again,” Max raged. He pushed Michael back into the locker again and then let go of him, looking around to see if they were being watched. The hall was nearly empty, but there were a few kids looking in their direction. He lowered his voice and continued, speaking harshly. “You’re the one who has a problem Michael. And you know what it is? You have yet to understand that we’d be nothing without these humans you try to dismiss as nothing. I’d be dead, hell you’d be dead, if Valenti hadn’t risked his own life to get me out of Pierce’s hands. Liz and Maria and Alex have put themselves on the line for us more times than I can count in the last year and a half. Alex donated his blood to cover for me when I wrecked the jeep, just because Liz asked for his help. My Dad got you away from Hank. Liz got you a job at the Crashdown so you could support yourself. Liz saved my LIFE when I was in New York, yet you treat her like she’s nothing but a waste of space. And let’s not even talk about the way you treat Maria.”
“You heard the message last year,” Michael interrupted angrily. “You know why we’re here. You know damn well what’s at stake.”
“Yeah, I heard that message,” Max snarled. “It said you and my sister are supposed to be together, but I don’t see you and Isabel getting all cozy. If you believe in all this destiny crap so much, why aren’t you hooking up with her? You keep blaming me for Tess leaving, well she’s back. Liz and I talked to her this morning.”
“She’s back?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, and right now I don’t trust her. The less she knows the better.”
“Max, you have to focus.” Michael said in exasperation. Why couldn’t Max understand they couldn’t count on anyone but the four of them?
“I am focused Michael,” Max said clearly and calmly. “I want to find all the answers too, just like you do. I want to be ready for what ever we have to face in the future. And at the same time I want to live my life. I’m not giving up everything for some cause I don’t remember and don’t understand.”
“Max . . .” Michael called out as Max backed away from him.
“I’ll talk to you after school at your place.” Max turned away from Michael and headed down the hall. He could feel Michael’s eyes staring at his back. Things had been tense between them for months, and Max was certain things were coming to a head. He’d had it with Michael’s attitude, always second guessing everything he did, questioning everything he said, scrutinizing how he chose to live his life.
* * * * *
Liz glanced at her watch once more and wondered what was taking Max so long. Had he gotten delayed in class? Had she misunderstood where she was supposed to meet him? Was he somewhere with Tess? She tried to tell herself she didn’t have to worry about Tess, that she couldn’t come between her and Max ever again, but did she really believe it? Last year Max hadn’t been able to help his attraction toward Tess. What if that happened again? What if Tess made him see things? What if he started to remember the kind of life he and Tess had before?
She scanned the hallway and felt her anxiety growing. Tess’s return had left her shaken and feeling inadequate. After all, Max was the king of an entire race of people, and what was she? Nothing but a small town girl living in Hickville, USA, Planet Earth. Someday, Max was going to be asked to go home and assume his rightful place. Where would she be then?
“Sorry I’m late,” Max said as he came up behind her. Liz whirled around and she could immediately tell that something was bothering him.
“What’s wrong?” All of her fears intensified when she saw the look on his face.
“Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand and led her out of the school. He was quiet as they climbed into the jeep and Liz felt the worry gnawing at her stomach. He sat staring out the window for a moment and then his hand slammed into the steering wheel. She jumped and Max turned to her, immediately regretting his sudden outburst.
“I’m sorry. It’s not you Liz.” He tried to look at her reassuringly but he couldn’t help noticing how stiff she had become. She smiled awkwardly at him and nodded her head and then looked down at her hands in her lap. He touched her gently on the cheek and her eyes slowly looked up to meet his. He was stunned when her emotions flashed over him. His actions were causing her to question her right to be with him. Her insecurities disturbed him and he felt an overpowering need to make her understand just how much she meant to him.
He jammed the jeep into gear and tore out of the school parking lot. Would she ever be able to trust him completely, he wondered? Would the callous way he treated her after the incident with Kyle forever cloud things between them? He knew she loved him, but would there always be that doubt in her, wondering if someday he might turn away from her again? Did she really think he could ever walk away from her?
Liz grabbed the door handle and held on for dear life. She’d never seen Max drive so carelessly before. He sped through one yellow light and then floored the jeep to get through the next. He rounded a corner too fast and had to jam on the breaks to regain control.
“Max, where are we going?” she said with alarm. She had thought they were going to The Burger Palace for lunch, but Max was headed in the opposite direction. He glanced over at her and his eyes looked at her with an intensity that almost frightened her. He took another turn and it dawned on her exactly where they were going.
Max whipped the jeep into his driveway and slammed the gears into park. Liz sat stunned as she watched him wrench his keys out of the ignition and jump down onto the cement. His long strides carried him swiftly around to her side of the jeep and he picked her up as if she weighted nothing. He set her feet down without saying a word and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the front door.
He jabbed his keys into the lock, pulled her into the house and then slammed the door closed. She looked up into his face and then his lips were on hers, hungrily covering her mouth with his. He pressed her back against the door and his arms held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
He suddenly broke off the kiss and his hands seized her shoulders. “I don’t want you to ever think I could walk away from you. You’re my life, Liz. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“But Max, someday they will ask-”
“No,” he said firmly. “I won’t go, not if it means leaving you behind.” She sighed plaintively and his hands rose up to caress her face. “I was so stupid not to trust you before, and . . . and I caused you so much pain. And now I’ve left you with all these doubts. Do you know how much it tears me up inside to know how much I hurt you?”
“Max, it was me-”
“No, it was me. I made you do those things. I’ve asked so much of you and you’ve been there for me every time. I don’t deserve the love you’ve given me. Do you know that I’m scared everyday that someday you’re going to wake up and realize this isn’t the life you want? That by being with me you might have to sacrifice everything that matters to you the most? I . . .” he faltered and his eyes dropped away from hers. “ . . . I might never be able to give you the children you want or the little white house on that quiet little street you’ve always dreamed of.”
“Max.” Liz lifted his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes again.
“I should have given you up a long time ago,” Max said darkly. “So that you could have a normal life, but I can’t let you go. You’re a part of me.” He watched her eyes soften and he felt electrified when her fingers stroked over his cheek.
“I don’t want a normal life Max, I just want you.”
He stared down at her, still in awe that she could love him so much. His mouth attacked hers and his arms crushed her to him. She eagerly responded and their heart rates began to soar. His lips moved down to her throat and she arched her body into him.
“Make love to me Max,” she whispered into his ear and as he pulled away to look at her she could see how desperately he wanted her. He took a step back from her and then they turned, running in the direction of his room. He slammed the door closed and locked it even though they were alone and swept her back into his arms. His lips assaulted hers and then her tongue was in his mouth, sliding past his lips and into the moist depths of his mouth. He shuddered as her tongue made love to his mouth, filling him and then pulling free before sliding into his mouth again.
Their hands tore at their clothing, eager to rid themselves of the constricting garments. She had to break off the kiss in order to pull his shirt over his head and then he watched spellbound as she pulled her red sweater over her head. His hands covered her breasts and he stroked her nipples through the lacy fabric of her red bra. His finger touched the front clasp and it popped open easily, allowing his hands to roam freely over her hot skin.
He leaned his head down and took one hard nipple into his mouth. She moaned loudly and the sound nearly drove him wild. His erection was rock hard and he gasped out loud when her small hand closed over him. She rubbed him through the heavy material of his jeans and he thought he would explode before he ever had a chance to take them off. They crashed onto the bed and Liz tore at his zipper trying to free him.
Max heard the sound of his zipper opening and then her hot hand was on him. She stroked him, first on the outside of his boxers and then she reached inside and grasped him. His breath rushed out of his lungs as her fingers closed around him and he groaned out loud. Her tongue left wet trails on his chest and he could feel her hard nipples brushing against his arm and his chest as she moved. She stroked her hand up and down the length of him and he thought if she didn’t stop soon he would come right in her hand.
He struggled to get his pants off and then realized he had to take his shoes off first or he’d never get his pants off. He kicked at his shoes in frustration and they finally slid off his feet. He pushed and pulled at his pants, turning them inside out as he struggled to free himself from their tight restraint. One leg pulled free and then the other, all the while Liz kept her hand caressing him and squeezing him and circling her finger through the moisture that was seeping from him.
Finally free of his pants he fell onto Liz, hungrily sucking first one nipple and then the other into his mouth. Her hands were is his hair now, pulling at him, arching her back up to his mouth, moaning loudly as his tongue made her shudder with pleasure.
Her legs were covered by black tights and his hand moved under her skirt and up the inside of her thigh. Even through the tights he could feel how wet she was. His fingers rubbed over her and her hips moved with him. He could hear her heavy breathing, or was it his own? He wasn’t sure. His hand went to her waist and tugged at her tights. She raised her hips and he yanked down one side and then the other. His mouth abandoned her breasts long enough to tug her tights off all the way and then his hand slid back up the inside of her bare leg. His fingers touched her moist center, parting her precious folds, gently stroking the places he knew she liked him to touch. She continued to sigh and moan, reminding him that earlier today he had teased her about the noises she made. He loved the sounds she made. He loved knowing that he was the only one who had ever made her make those sounds.
He found the special place he was seeking and his finger slid into her. Her hips rose up, eager to hold a part of him inside of her. He’d never felt her so wet and his thumb stroked her on the outside while his finger penetrated her deeply. Her legs quivered and his own hips moved slowly, rubbing his aroused state on her thigh. His mouth covered her nipple again and her moans were almost sobs now. He moved his thumb faster and her hips arched into the air as her intense climax hit.
“Max . . .” she sighed and her eyes closed. Her muscles trembled and throbbed and when she came down she looked up into his hungry eyes. She cupped his face with her hands and then she greedily covered his mouth with hers. He fumbled with the zipper on her shirt and then tugged it off. She lay naked with him now in a place he’d only dreamed of before, right here in his room, on his bed.
He rolled on top of her and her legs parted, opening herself to him. His shaft lightly rubbed her where his thumb had been a moment ago, feeling how hot and wet she was. He moved his hips, rubbing against her, sliding toward her moist heat. Their mouths continued their assault on each other and their tongues dueled, tasting and touching. Her hands grabbed at him, urging him to make them one. Her body was so hot and slick and without thinking he slid into her.
“Oh, God,” he moaned, entering her heat. He pulled back and then slid in deeper . . . so hot . . . so wet. His mouth moved to her throat and he could feel her pulse throbbing below the skin. He plunged into her again, burying himself inside her and then he realized what he had done. He lifted his lips from her throat and pulled quickly out of her.
“No . . .” he said in a strangled voice and looked guiltily down into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Max?” she whimpered. She looked up at him questioningly and then he was reaching across his bed, opening his nightstand drawer. His hand fumbled inside and then he was lifting off of her and scrambling across the bed.
“No . . . no . . . I can’t have used them all . . .” He lifted the box out of the drawer and it was empty. He opened the drawer all the way, pushing everything aside, desperately trying to find a condom. “There’s got to be one in here . . .”
“Max . . .” Liz said softly, watching him ransack his drawer.
“When I bought them I never thought I’d actually get to use them . . .” He pulled the drawer completely out and dumped the contents on the floor. “Nothing,” he sighed in frustration.
“Max . . .” Liz had a small smile on her lips.
He scanned the room and his eyes settled on his desk. He scrambled off the bed and tore open one drawer and then another. He knew there wasn’t one in there, but he had to look anyway.
“Max . . .”
“What?” he finally answered turning to look at her.
“Do you know you have the cutest butt I’ve ever seen?” she said and tried to keep from giggling.
“And how many butts have you seen?” Max asked, staring at her rosy cheeks, wondering how she could smile at a time like this.
“Just one.” She did start laughing then and she pointed at the floor. “Give me my purse, Max.”
Her laughter eased his tension a little and he smiled back at the beautiful naked young woman lying on his bed. His eyes roamed over her perfect body and he sighed with longing. Finally, he looked where she was pointing and he lifted her purse off the floor. She opened it, reached into one of the zippered pockets, and came out with a familiar small package.
“How long have you had that?” Max asked in surprise and dumped her purse back onto the floor. He climbed back onto the bed and slid one thigh between her legs.
“A few days,” she answered and she rubbed her hand along his hip. “I thought it might come in handy if I ever found myself all alone with a really incredibly sexy alien.”
“Just any sexy alien?” he asked teasingly and his finger traced the outline of her smiling lips.
“Oh definitely of the dark haired variety.” Her eyes held his for a moment and then dropped to focus on the part of his anatomy she really wanted right now. Just the look on her face made him instantly hard again. Her hand covered him once more, sliding slowly up and down and he couldn’t hold back a groan of pure pleasure.
She pushed him onto his back and her hand continued to stroke his velvety skin. Her tongue touched his chest, circling around one nipple and then making a wet trail over to the other side. Her hair draped over his chest and he buried his fingers in the soft strands.
“Liz . . .” he said huskily. She was driving him crazy with the way she was touching him. His breathing was getting raspier and then suddenly her hand was gone. He groaned in protest and lifted his head to see her hands tearing open the condom package. She positioned it over him and then slowly rolled it down his length. Her hand caressed him as she rolled it into place and then her eyes looked into his. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing had become as raspy as his own. It was intoxicating to him to know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He rolled onto her again and brushed her hair away from her face. Their eyes concentrated on each other and his fingers touched her temples. Their connection opened easily and Max was nearly overwhelmed with how strong her desire was for him. All those lonely years of wanting her were gone now, replaced by the joy of knowing, and feeling and living with the love she felt for him. She opened herself to him and he plunged deeply inside her. She gasped as he filled her and then withdrew and filled her again. Her moans spurred him on and he drove hard into her. The smell of her sex filled his senses and she wrapped her legs around him, allowing him to penetrate her even deeper.
His mouth covered hers ravenously and his hands roamed over her body. He toyed with her rock hard nipples and the muffled sounds from deep in her throat made his blood boil. She ran her fingers through his disheveled hair, holding the back of his head firmly as she attacked his mouth with her penetrating tongue. She arched her body into him, feeling the heat rising between them as their bodies moved in an escalating rhythm. His sweat mingled with hers, trickling between her breasts and running down her sides. She ran her fingers through the damp hair at the nape of his neck and then her hands moved over his back, massaging his skin and then clawing at his lower back as her passion increased.
His arm snaked beneath her hips and he lifted her lower body up from the bed. He held her securely and his face hovered above hers, watching the rapturous look on her face. He thrust into her hard, grinding his body against her, feeling how close she was to completion. He thrust into her fast and deep and then he felt her let go. Her muscles tightened around him, squeezing him and he lost all control. He slammed into her and a strangled groan tore from his throat as he released into her. Her answering cry rang in his ears giving him a sense of euphoria. Her body trembled in his arms and then they fell, exhausted, back onto the bed. He stayed buried deep inside her, feeling his climax spread throughout his body, warming even his fingers and his toes.
She lay beneath him, feeling his weight pressing down on her and welcoming every sensation she was receiving from him. She was awed by the way he made her feel, both physically and mentally. His mind opened completely when he made love to her, exposing himself thoroughly. There were no secrets between them when they were joined. The depth of their love flowed between them, filling their hearts with joy. Her body felt relaxed, totally satisfied by him, still tingling with the sensations he made her feel.
They lay in each other’s arms, holding the harsh realities of the world at bay for a few minutes longer. Soon, they would need to face their responsibilities and the people that relied on them. But for now, there was time for just the two of them, and the love that they shared.
TBC ...
Check out my latest - Afterburn, sequel to Aftermath - on the Alien Abyss board.
When last we met, Max and Liz had just come out of the eraser room, and a little 'friend' was waiting for them...
A Special Kind of Love
Part 20
“Hi Max,” Tess said cheerily. Her eyes bore into his, noting his uncomfortable look. After a suitable time she turned her eyes toward her foe. “Hi Liz,” she said, but this time the cheery tone had a forced sound to it.
“When did you get back in town Tess?” Max asked trying to sound friendly. Liz was still trying to pull her hand away from him but he held on tightly. It was important to him that Liz understand that Tess would never come between them again. He understood the importance of this moment. Tess overcoming the past, and accepting the way things were and moving forward from here might well mean the difference between life and death in the future. “I’m so glad you’re back Tess. We’ve been worried about you.”
“You have?” Tess said uncertainly and then her eyes clouded over again. She noticed how Max was holding Liz’s hand so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. No, he wasn’t happy to see her, she reminded herself. She was something that he neither wanted nor needed in his life, or so he thought. She’d prove how wrong he was. She’d show him that Liz Parker was nothing, a mere human who couldn’t dream of holding his attention for more than a short time. These humans were inconsequential. They meant nothing when it came to the higher plan, the reason they had all been sent to the godforsaken world.
“TESS!”
Her name echoed down the empty hallway and the three all turned to see Kyle running toward them. Well, not exactly toward THEM, Max thought.
Kyle only had eyes for Tess. He came to a halt several feet away from her, realizing that his voice had let too much of what he was feeling show through. He suddenly felt awkward when he saw all three of them staring at him.
“Hi Kyle,” Tess said and again her voice sounded uncertain. She had wanted Max to say her name like that. She had wanted Max to run down the hall toward her with that smile breaking over his face. But, what was this that she was feeling? A minute ago she was feeling anxious and on edge, but looking at Kyle she felt her heart start to race. She hadn’t seen him in a week. She hadn’t even said goodbye when she left. And now, looking at him, she realized that he was the only one she had missed while she had been gone.
When she left, she had been angry at Max for once again rejecting her for that mousy Liz Parker. And she hated Liz for coming between what she thought rightly belonged to her. But now, looking at Kyle, she realized she had been pissed at Max while she was away, but she didn’t miss him. Not the way she missed Kyle.
“Hey Liz,” Kyle said acknowledging Liz, then nodded to Max. “Your Royalness.” He turned back to Tess and his eyes softened. “When did you get back in town?” he said trying to sound casual. He didn’t want give away what he was really feeling.
“Just last night . . .” her voice trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes.
“Where did you stay last night?” Kyle asked with concern. She hadn’t come back to his house, and now he was worried that she wouldn’t.
“I just . . . I slept in my car,” Tess replied and immediately knew she said the wrong thing.
“You slept in the car? Why didn’t you come home?” Kyle asked and suddenly only Kyle and Tess existed in their little world. They turned and headed down the hall, not even bothering to say goodbye to Max or Liz.
Liz looked up at Max and Max looked down at Liz. “What was that all about?” they said at the same time.
* * * * *
Michael saw Max standing in front of his locker and hurried over to him. He hadn’t had a chance to speak to Max alone all weekend, and this was the first time today that he had seen him without Liz hanging all over him. He didn’t know what Max wanted to talk to everyone about at this “big meeting” at his apartment after school, but Michael had a feeling it was all about Max and Liz “getting back together” or something stupid like that.
“Hey,” Michael said as he leaned against the locker next to Max’s.
“Hey,” Max answered glancing up quickly. He grabbed the books he would need for his afternoon classes and stuffed them in his backpack. He was meeting Liz in a minute for lunch and he didn’t want to have to come back here before his next class started. “What’s up?”
“Are you going to lunch now?” Michael asked.
“Yeah. I’m meeting Liz in the commons and we thought we might go off campus for lunch. You want to come?” Max slung his backpack over his shoulder and they headed down the hallway.
“Nah, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of Romeo and Juliet.” Michael said sarcastically.
“Michael-” Max began but was cut off.
“What’s the matter with you Max?” Michael came to a sudden stop feeling Max glaring at him. “This thing you’ve got going on with Liz is just going to get us all hurt, maybe even killed! Don’t you understand that?”
“Michael, stop it,” Max said in a tightly controlled voice.
“Stop what? Stop telling you things you don’t want to hear, even if they are the truth? Somebody has to lay it out for you.” Michael watched the angry set of Max’s jaw. His eyes were turning dark with rage but Michael wasn’t going to back down. “We don’t belong with them Max. It’s just us, you and me and Isabel, now that you saw to it that Tess left. We can’t afford for any of us to get distracted by letting our emotions get carried away. While you’re banging away at Liz-”
Max slammed Michael into the lockers. His eyes burned furiously and his hands clutched Michael’s upper arms in a vice like grip. “Don’t ever talk about Liz like that again,” Max raged. He pushed Michael back into the locker again and then let go of him, looking around to see if they were being watched. The hall was nearly empty, but there were a few kids looking in their direction. He lowered his voice and continued, speaking harshly. “You’re the one who has a problem Michael. And you know what it is? You have yet to understand that we’d be nothing without these humans you try to dismiss as nothing. I’d be dead, hell you’d be dead, if Valenti hadn’t risked his own life to get me out of Pierce’s hands. Liz and Maria and Alex have put themselves on the line for us more times than I can count in the last year and a half. Alex donated his blood to cover for me when I wrecked the jeep, just because Liz asked for his help. My Dad got you away from Hank. Liz got you a job at the Crashdown so you could support yourself. Liz saved my LIFE when I was in New York, yet you treat her like she’s nothing but a waste of space. And let’s not even talk about the way you treat Maria.”
“You heard the message last year,” Michael interrupted angrily. “You know why we’re here. You know damn well what’s at stake.”
“Yeah, I heard that message,” Max snarled. “It said you and my sister are supposed to be together, but I don’t see you and Isabel getting all cozy. If you believe in all this destiny crap so much, why aren’t you hooking up with her? You keep blaming me for Tess leaving, well she’s back. Liz and I talked to her this morning.”
“She’s back?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, and right now I don’t trust her. The less she knows the better.”
“Max, you have to focus.” Michael said in exasperation. Why couldn’t Max understand they couldn’t count on anyone but the four of them?
“I am focused Michael,” Max said clearly and calmly. “I want to find all the answers too, just like you do. I want to be ready for what ever we have to face in the future. And at the same time I want to live my life. I’m not giving up everything for some cause I don’t remember and don’t understand.”
“Max . . .” Michael called out as Max backed away from him.
“I’ll talk to you after school at your place.” Max turned away from Michael and headed down the hall. He could feel Michael’s eyes staring at his back. Things had been tense between them for months, and Max was certain things were coming to a head. He’d had it with Michael’s attitude, always second guessing everything he did, questioning everything he said, scrutinizing how he chose to live his life.
* * * * *
Liz glanced at her watch once more and wondered what was taking Max so long. Had he gotten delayed in class? Had she misunderstood where she was supposed to meet him? Was he somewhere with Tess? She tried to tell herself she didn’t have to worry about Tess, that she couldn’t come between her and Max ever again, but did she really believe it? Last year Max hadn’t been able to help his attraction toward Tess. What if that happened again? What if Tess made him see things? What if he started to remember the kind of life he and Tess had before?
She scanned the hallway and felt her anxiety growing. Tess’s return had left her shaken and feeling inadequate. After all, Max was the king of an entire race of people, and what was she? Nothing but a small town girl living in Hickville, USA, Planet Earth. Someday, Max was going to be asked to go home and assume his rightful place. Where would she be then?
“Sorry I’m late,” Max said as he came up behind her. Liz whirled around and she could immediately tell that something was bothering him.
“What’s wrong?” All of her fears intensified when she saw the look on his face.
“Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand and led her out of the school. He was quiet as they climbed into the jeep and Liz felt the worry gnawing at her stomach. He sat staring out the window for a moment and then his hand slammed into the steering wheel. She jumped and Max turned to her, immediately regretting his sudden outburst.
“I’m sorry. It’s not you Liz.” He tried to look at her reassuringly but he couldn’t help noticing how stiff she had become. She smiled awkwardly at him and nodded her head and then looked down at her hands in her lap. He touched her gently on the cheek and her eyes slowly looked up to meet his. He was stunned when her emotions flashed over him. His actions were causing her to question her right to be with him. Her insecurities disturbed him and he felt an overpowering need to make her understand just how much she meant to him.
He jammed the jeep into gear and tore out of the school parking lot. Would she ever be able to trust him completely, he wondered? Would the callous way he treated her after the incident with Kyle forever cloud things between them? He knew she loved him, but would there always be that doubt in her, wondering if someday he might turn away from her again? Did she really think he could ever walk away from her?
Liz grabbed the door handle and held on for dear life. She’d never seen Max drive so carelessly before. He sped through one yellow light and then floored the jeep to get through the next. He rounded a corner too fast and had to jam on the breaks to regain control.
“Max, where are we going?” she said with alarm. She had thought they were going to The Burger Palace for lunch, but Max was headed in the opposite direction. He glanced over at her and his eyes looked at her with an intensity that almost frightened her. He took another turn and it dawned on her exactly where they were going.
Max whipped the jeep into his driveway and slammed the gears into park. Liz sat stunned as she watched him wrench his keys out of the ignition and jump down onto the cement. His long strides carried him swiftly around to her side of the jeep and he picked her up as if she weighted nothing. He set her feet down without saying a word and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the front door.
He jabbed his keys into the lock, pulled her into the house and then slammed the door closed. She looked up into his face and then his lips were on hers, hungrily covering her mouth with his. He pressed her back against the door and his arms held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
He suddenly broke off the kiss and his hands seized her shoulders. “I don’t want you to ever think I could walk away from you. You’re my life, Liz. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“But Max, someday they will ask-”
“No,” he said firmly. “I won’t go, not if it means leaving you behind.” She sighed plaintively and his hands rose up to caress her face. “I was so stupid not to trust you before, and . . . and I caused you so much pain. And now I’ve left you with all these doubts. Do you know how much it tears me up inside to know how much I hurt you?”
“Max, it was me-”
“No, it was me. I made you do those things. I’ve asked so much of you and you’ve been there for me every time. I don’t deserve the love you’ve given me. Do you know that I’m scared everyday that someday you’re going to wake up and realize this isn’t the life you want? That by being with me you might have to sacrifice everything that matters to you the most? I . . .” he faltered and his eyes dropped away from hers. “ . . . I might never be able to give you the children you want or the little white house on that quiet little street you’ve always dreamed of.”
“Max.” Liz lifted his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes again.
“I should have given you up a long time ago,” Max said darkly. “So that you could have a normal life, but I can’t let you go. You’re a part of me.” He watched her eyes soften and he felt electrified when her fingers stroked over his cheek.
“I don’t want a normal life Max, I just want you.”
He stared down at her, still in awe that she could love him so much. His mouth attacked hers and his arms crushed her to him. She eagerly responded and their heart rates began to soar. His lips moved down to her throat and she arched her body into him.
“Make love to me Max,” she whispered into his ear and as he pulled away to look at her she could see how desperately he wanted her. He took a step back from her and then they turned, running in the direction of his room. He slammed the door closed and locked it even though they were alone and swept her back into his arms. His lips assaulted hers and then her tongue was in his mouth, sliding past his lips and into the moist depths of his mouth. He shuddered as her tongue made love to his mouth, filling him and then pulling free before sliding into his mouth again.
Their hands tore at their clothing, eager to rid themselves of the constricting garments. She had to break off the kiss in order to pull his shirt over his head and then he watched spellbound as she pulled her red sweater over her head. His hands covered her breasts and he stroked her nipples through the lacy fabric of her red bra. His finger touched the front clasp and it popped open easily, allowing his hands to roam freely over her hot skin.
He leaned his head down and took one hard nipple into his mouth. She moaned loudly and the sound nearly drove him wild. His erection was rock hard and he gasped out loud when her small hand closed over him. She rubbed him through the heavy material of his jeans and he thought he would explode before he ever had a chance to take them off. They crashed onto the bed and Liz tore at his zipper trying to free him.
Max heard the sound of his zipper opening and then her hot hand was on him. She stroked him, first on the outside of his boxers and then she reached inside and grasped him. His breath rushed out of his lungs as her fingers closed around him and he groaned out loud. Her tongue left wet trails on his chest and he could feel her hard nipples brushing against his arm and his chest as she moved. She stroked her hand up and down the length of him and he thought if she didn’t stop soon he would come right in her hand.
He struggled to get his pants off and then realized he had to take his shoes off first or he’d never get his pants off. He kicked at his shoes in frustration and they finally slid off his feet. He pushed and pulled at his pants, turning them inside out as he struggled to free himself from their tight restraint. One leg pulled free and then the other, all the while Liz kept her hand caressing him and squeezing him and circling her finger through the moisture that was seeping from him.
Finally free of his pants he fell onto Liz, hungrily sucking first one nipple and then the other into his mouth. Her hands were is his hair now, pulling at him, arching her back up to his mouth, moaning loudly as his tongue made her shudder with pleasure.
Her legs were covered by black tights and his hand moved under her skirt and up the inside of her thigh. Even through the tights he could feel how wet she was. His fingers rubbed over her and her hips moved with him. He could hear her heavy breathing, or was it his own? He wasn’t sure. His hand went to her waist and tugged at her tights. She raised her hips and he yanked down one side and then the other. His mouth abandoned her breasts long enough to tug her tights off all the way and then his hand slid back up the inside of her bare leg. His fingers touched her moist center, parting her precious folds, gently stroking the places he knew she liked him to touch. She continued to sigh and moan, reminding him that earlier today he had teased her about the noises she made. He loved the sounds she made. He loved knowing that he was the only one who had ever made her make those sounds.
He found the special place he was seeking and his finger slid into her. Her hips rose up, eager to hold a part of him inside of her. He’d never felt her so wet and his thumb stroked her on the outside while his finger penetrated her deeply. Her legs quivered and his own hips moved slowly, rubbing his aroused state on her thigh. His mouth covered her nipple again and her moans were almost sobs now. He moved his thumb faster and her hips arched into the air as her intense climax hit.
“Max . . .” she sighed and her eyes closed. Her muscles trembled and throbbed and when she came down she looked up into his hungry eyes. She cupped his face with her hands and then she greedily covered his mouth with hers. He fumbled with the zipper on her shirt and then tugged it off. She lay naked with him now in a place he’d only dreamed of before, right here in his room, on his bed.
He rolled on top of her and her legs parted, opening herself to him. His shaft lightly rubbed her where his thumb had been a moment ago, feeling how hot and wet she was. He moved his hips, rubbing against her, sliding toward her moist heat. Their mouths continued their assault on each other and their tongues dueled, tasting and touching. Her hands grabbed at him, urging him to make them one. Her body was so hot and slick and without thinking he slid into her.
“Oh, God,” he moaned, entering her heat. He pulled back and then slid in deeper . . . so hot . . . so wet. His mouth moved to her throat and he could feel her pulse throbbing below the skin. He plunged into her again, burying himself inside her and then he realized what he had done. He lifted his lips from her throat and pulled quickly out of her.
“No . . .” he said in a strangled voice and looked guiltily down into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Max?” she whimpered. She looked up at him questioningly and then he was reaching across his bed, opening his nightstand drawer. His hand fumbled inside and then he was lifting off of her and scrambling across the bed.
“No . . . no . . . I can’t have used them all . . .” He lifted the box out of the drawer and it was empty. He opened the drawer all the way, pushing everything aside, desperately trying to find a condom. “There’s got to be one in here . . .”
“Max . . .” Liz said softly, watching him ransack his drawer.
“When I bought them I never thought I’d actually get to use them . . .” He pulled the drawer completely out and dumped the contents on the floor. “Nothing,” he sighed in frustration.
“Max . . .” Liz had a small smile on her lips.
He scanned the room and his eyes settled on his desk. He scrambled off the bed and tore open one drawer and then another. He knew there wasn’t one in there, but he had to look anyway.
“Max . . .”
“What?” he finally answered turning to look at her.
“Do you know you have the cutest butt I’ve ever seen?” she said and tried to keep from giggling.
“And how many butts have you seen?” Max asked, staring at her rosy cheeks, wondering how she could smile at a time like this.
“Just one.” She did start laughing then and she pointed at the floor. “Give me my purse, Max.”
Her laughter eased his tension a little and he smiled back at the beautiful naked young woman lying on his bed. His eyes roamed over her perfect body and he sighed with longing. Finally, he looked where she was pointing and he lifted her purse off the floor. She opened it, reached into one of the zippered pockets, and came out with a familiar small package.
“How long have you had that?” Max asked in surprise and dumped her purse back onto the floor. He climbed back onto the bed and slid one thigh between her legs.
“A few days,” she answered and she rubbed her hand along his hip. “I thought it might come in handy if I ever found myself all alone with a really incredibly sexy alien.”
“Just any sexy alien?” he asked teasingly and his finger traced the outline of her smiling lips.
“Oh definitely of the dark haired variety.” Her eyes held his for a moment and then dropped to focus on the part of his anatomy she really wanted right now. Just the look on her face made him instantly hard again. Her hand covered him once more, sliding slowly up and down and he couldn’t hold back a groan of pure pleasure.
She pushed him onto his back and her hand continued to stroke his velvety skin. Her tongue touched his chest, circling around one nipple and then making a wet trail over to the other side. Her hair draped over his chest and he buried his fingers in the soft strands.
“Liz . . .” he said huskily. She was driving him crazy with the way she was touching him. His breathing was getting raspier and then suddenly her hand was gone. He groaned in protest and lifted his head to see her hands tearing open the condom package. She positioned it over him and then slowly rolled it down his length. Her hand caressed him as she rolled it into place and then her eyes looked into his. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing had become as raspy as his own. It was intoxicating to him to know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He rolled onto her again and brushed her hair away from her face. Their eyes concentrated on each other and his fingers touched her temples. Their connection opened easily and Max was nearly overwhelmed with how strong her desire was for him. All those lonely years of wanting her were gone now, replaced by the joy of knowing, and feeling and living with the love she felt for him. She opened herself to him and he plunged deeply inside her. She gasped as he filled her and then withdrew and filled her again. Her moans spurred him on and he drove hard into her. The smell of her sex filled his senses and she wrapped her legs around him, allowing him to penetrate her even deeper.
His mouth covered hers ravenously and his hands roamed over her body. He toyed with her rock hard nipples and the muffled sounds from deep in her throat made his blood boil. She ran her fingers through his disheveled hair, holding the back of his head firmly as she attacked his mouth with her penetrating tongue. She arched her body into him, feeling the heat rising between them as their bodies moved in an escalating rhythm. His sweat mingled with hers, trickling between her breasts and running down her sides. She ran her fingers through the damp hair at the nape of his neck and then her hands moved over his back, massaging his skin and then clawing at his lower back as her passion increased.
His arm snaked beneath her hips and he lifted her lower body up from the bed. He held her securely and his face hovered above hers, watching the rapturous look on her face. He thrust into her hard, grinding his body against her, feeling how close she was to completion. He thrust into her fast and deep and then he felt her let go. Her muscles tightened around him, squeezing him and he lost all control. He slammed into her and a strangled groan tore from his throat as he released into her. Her answering cry rang in his ears giving him a sense of euphoria. Her body trembled in his arms and then they fell, exhausted, back onto the bed. He stayed buried deep inside her, feeling his climax spread throughout his body, warming even his fingers and his toes.
She lay beneath him, feeling his weight pressing down on her and welcoming every sensation she was receiving from him. She was awed by the way he made her feel, both physically and mentally. His mind opened completely when he made love to her, exposing himself thoroughly. There were no secrets between them when they were joined. The depth of their love flowed between them, filling their hearts with joy. Her body felt relaxed, totally satisfied by him, still tingling with the sensations he made her feel.
They lay in each other’s arms, holding the harsh realities of the world at bay for a few minutes longer. Soon, they would need to face their responsibilities and the people that relied on them. But for now, there was time for just the two of them, and the love that they shared.
TBC ...
Check out my latest - Afterburn, sequel to Aftermath - on the Alien Abyss board.
Behr's Bitch