PART 2
Saskia finally got control over herself and left the downstairs bathroom with the rapidly warming sodas still clutched in her hands. She arrived at the door of Belle’s room and waved her hand over the cans, cooling them down enough so that her friends won’t wonder what she had done with them. The tail end of the conversation between Belle and Mia caught her attention when she went in.
“…is really annoying poor Matt! How can a girl be that desperate?”
“It’s sad really,” Mia answered. She also had a little crush on Matt. Which girl apart from his sister didn’t?
“I think I will have to tell her in less polite terms than Matt that she should move on. He has tried, but she keeps coming back.” Belle looked at Saskia and continued. “I think it is time for me and Saskia to go sort out that girl!”
“No!” Saskia cried loudly. “Uhm, no,” she amended more quietly when both Belle and Mia looked at her in alarm. “I don’t think Matt would appreciate us interfering in his life.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Belle asked. “This is the same Matt that threatened Billy Sweany with death if he bothered you again last year! He interferes in our lives all the time!”
But Sas had only heard the first part. Matt had threatened Billy? She hadn’t even known that! Billy had tried a few times to grope her and she had told him to back off and he suddenly had. Now it made sense. A warmth that she was afraid to identify too closely rushed through her.
“Sas!” Belle yelled. “We are still talking to you, you know!”
“Sorry,” she smiled at Matt’s beautiful sister. “But I still don’t think it’s a good idea…”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz’s motherly instincts had kicked in immediately after that statement by Matthew. How could any girl in their right mind not want to be with her wonderful son? Then she homed in on the other thing he had said. “What do you mean you screwed up?”
Matt was kicking himself by now. He didn’t want to tell his mother that he had practically mauled poor Sas one night. No way did he want to see the disappointment in his mom’s eyes. “I just… I did something stupid,” he ended lamely.
Waiting for him to expand, Liz gave up after a few silent minutes. “You know, your father also thought we shouldn’t be together for a long time,” she told him.
“He did?” Matt was incredulous. Was this the same father that still couldn’t keep his hands off his mom after so many years of marriage? He very distinctly remembered coming home with some friends one night a couple of years ago after the movie they had wanted to see was sold out, to find his parents making out heavily on the couch in the TV room. He still blushed about where he thought his father’s hands had been, but his mom and dad had been unapologetic. They always have been about their displays of affection. They loved each other, they were married and they made love. To them, it was as simple as that. But to him, trying to explain the whole thing to his friends, some of whose parents barely talk to each other, had been highly embarrassing.
“Yes. He thought it would be safer for me if he stayed away.” Liz smiled a secret smile. “But I didn’t give up. I stayed friends with him and helped him. He finally gave in.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” Matt muttered under his breath, missing his mom’s grin. “I don’t think it’s that easy with me and…”
“It’s never easy, honey. Just don’t give up until you tried.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Liz peeked at the clock next to the TV. It was really late and Max was not back yet. The house was quiet, but she wanted to stay awake to see Max, knowing he would need some pampering after the day he had probably had. She had been watching some lame comedy on television, but the plastic jokes and emotions had just gone right over her head.
“Hey beautiful.” Said suddenly in her ear by a warm voice. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Max! You scared the crap out of me!” She was wide-awake immediately. “Were you blocking me?” She was referring to the fact that she had not sensed him coming closer through their connection.
“Yeah,” he sounded tired as he joined her on the couch. “I didn’t want you to go through all my irritation with me.”
Putting her arms around him, she pulled him tightly against her. “Well, I’ll just have to help you unwind then.”
“Hmmm,” the vibration of his voice tingled against her neck. “That sounds promising.”
“You know the rules, though,” she whispered in his ear.
He nodded before lifting his head and giving her a sweet, soft kiss. “Hi, my gorgeous wife,” he told her against her lips, making her smile.
“You’re bending the rules again.”
“No, just showing some initiative. The rules just say we always have to kiss each other hello properly. They don’t say I’m not allowed to add some comments of my own to the hello.”
She chuckled and hugged him closer again. “You’re right. So maybe we should add an addendum to the “proper kiss hello” rule.” She kissed his tired eyes.
“What is that?”
“That you should always find a new compliment to give me with it.” Her voice was light and teasing as she rubbed her hand over his chest.
He was leaning against her. “I don’t think that rules you make while distracting me should count.” He caught her hand and got up. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Up in their room, Liz slipped into her sleepwear while Max had a quick shower. She sat waiting on their bed for him when he appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Hey, you’re wearing clothes,” he told her with a smile.
“The unwinding I’m planning does not need me naked, sorry!” She told him smugly and patted the bed. “On your stomach.”
Max lay down obediently and sighed when Liz straddled him to start massaging away at his shoulders and neck.
“So,” Liz said after a few minutes. “Your son is in love.”
“Hmmm,” Max sounded sleepy. “I know.”
That earned him a painful nip on his shoulder blade. “You knew and you didn’t tell me?”
“Sweetie, he didn’t even know or admit it himself! I just saw the way he was around her and I knew,” he said over his shoulder. “Did he tell you something?”
Rolling to the side so she was snuggled up beside him, Liz answered. “He sort of admitted he had feelings for her, but he said he did something to make her not want to date him. I don’t know what,” she added quickly when she saw Max’s questioning frown.
He watched her. He knew her so well. She was drawing little patterns on his shoulder and her eyes were rooted on what she was doing. But he could hear her mind race a-mile-a-minute. “You have to let him sort it out himself, love.” He spoke gently and Liz’s guilty look confirmed that he had guessed correctly. Being her son’s biggest champion, Liz had wanted to ride in and save him from this painful period in his life.
“Can’t I just… I don’t know, talk to her and find out how she feels?”
She looked at him with her big doe eyes and Max nearly caved. She knew exactly how to push his buttons. He rolled onto his side and pulled her against his chest, smoothing her hair with his hand. “I think Matthew has the best mom in the universe. But I also think that Matt is 18 now and needs to do this himself.” He kissed the top of her head to soothe her like he has a million times before. “We found each other, didn’t we? In spite of everything.”
She nodded against his warm skin. “But Max we had so much heartbreak to deal with before everything was sorted out and… and I don’t want my baby to suffer like that.”
Max hid his smile in her hair. “I’m not sure Matthew would appreciate hearing you still think of him as your baby!” Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back until he could look in her eyes. “We’ll watch him, I promise,” he told her huskily. “And if things start looking like he can’t handle it we can help him, okay?”
“Okay.” Staring up at him, Liz lifted her hand and traced the outline of his lips with her finger. “I love you.”
“Show me,” he said.
And she did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slamming his locker closed just before lunch, Matt sighed. He just had to turn down another invitation by Becky and to top it all, Saskia is showing some new guy around school. Some new hot guy if the rumor mills are anything to go by. He hadn’t seen either of them all morning and his mind was starting to make up all sorts of horrible scenarios. All of which included Saskia falling madly in love with some other guy at first sight.
Walking to the cafeteria, he pondered his situation. His mom had a point. He couldn’t just give up. Maybe if he talked to Sas about what happened between them that night they could sort it out. He could tell her how sorry he was. They had never mentioned the incident again and he never knew if she managed to forgive him for it. They had just been very awkward with each other for a while until one day they had played basketball in the yard and they started being friends again. Friends that talked about a lot of stuff, but not about what went on in their hearts.
He guessed she told his sister whenever she was interested in some guy and to some extent he was relieved. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she told him she had a crush on another guy.
His gaze found her immediately. She was sitting at a table in the corner laughing with a blonde jock type. Must be the new guy. She caught his stare and gave him a small smile before returning her attention to the jock.
He hated the guy already.
Matt was unlike his dad in some ways, he played basketball for the school. He wasn’t exactly part of the jock crowd, he was not into parties and cheerleaders enough for that, but they knew him and liked him. Growing up in a small community of people that knew who and what he was, made him less afraid of not blending in. His parents and Saskia’s parents made home life interesting and normal, while the frequent visits of Maria and Michael, who lived close by, added to his security.
The only part of their extended family that lived far away was Isabel and Alex. They lived near Silicon Valley where Alex worked. They had finally gotten married and now had a small daughter that Matt saw a few times a year.
He grabbed something to eat and found a few of his friends congregated at a table near Sas’. Great.
“Hey Evans!” It was Tom. “Where is your sister?”
“Don’t make me hurt you, Tom,” he threw back. Tom had a huge crush on Belle and was constantly trying to get past Matt to date her. Matt liked Tom as a friend, but not as a date for his little sister. He suspected that he would have trouble liking any guy as a date for Belle.
“Yeah, Matt, where are all the lovely ladies that you normally bring to our humble table?” His other friend Irwin was a quiet guy, but with a wicked sense of humor.
“I don’t know where my sister and her friends are and Sas is…” He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. He really didn’t want to look over there right now.
“Gee, Sas looks like she really likes him.” Tom turned to Matt. “I didn’t know she liked jock types, you should have told me!”
He clenched his hands into fists under the table. Why was everyone torturing him about Saskia lately? “I didn’t know that either,” he finally said tersely. “But Sas is seventeen, I guess she can like whatever she wants to.”
Only then did he realize that both Tom and Irwin were staring over his shoulder.
His heart plummeted to his feet as he slowly turned around to find Saskia standing right behind him. Her vivid green eyes were filled with hurt as she stared at him.
“Sas,” he croaked past the lump in his throat.
“I wanted to…” she seemed unable to finish the sentence. Giving him one last look that pierced his heart, she whirled away and walked off with the jock beside her. Matt suddenly understood what his father meant when he said that Liz could sometimes bring him to his knees with just one look.
He jumped up, torn between running after her to explain why he had sounded like he had about her and running away to go kick himself for being the stupidest man in the world.
His urge changed to a completely different one a few seconds later. As Sas and the jock left the cafeteria, the guy put his arm around her shoulders. A flood of such emotion filled him that he had to sit down again.
Either that or go rip the man off her and fry his brains out.
PART 3
Saskia wanted to cry her eyes out. Matt is many things, but he has never been mean. She didn’t even notice Gordon putting his arm around her as she hurried away. Things between her and Matt were starting to spiral downwards rapidly and she felt faint with the gaping hole he was leaving in her life.
“Are you okay?” Gordon, the new guy, asked concernedly.
“I just… I need to be alone for a few minutes if you don’t mind?” She didn’t even look at him, just walked away without waiting for an answer. Her mind was whirling. What should she do now? Should she just pretend that she didn’t care that he had been so harsh about her?
As she sat down in an empty stall of the girls’ bathroom, she shook her head. She has never backed down with Matt and she wasn’t going to do it now. He should never see how much he hurt her, so she will just show him how angry he made her. Alien prince or not, she was going to kick his butt!
After she has finished crying…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt was completely miserable the rest of the afternoon. And so you should be, a little voice inside his head told him. He knew which classes Saskia had, but she was a year behind him and there was no way she would forgive him barging into one of her classrooms as well.
So when the bell rang for the end of the day, Matt fairly ran to his secondhand Cherokee, a present from his parents for his eighteenth birthday. He had to fight his way through throngs of people also rushing outside, eager to start their weekends.
Next to the Jeep was a very pissed of little sister, waiting for him with her foot tapping.
“What is wrong with you?” she laid into him as soon as he was within hearing distance. “Gloria told me what you said about Sas at lunch.” She was glaring at him in a manner eerily reminiscent of the way their mother looked when she was angry.
“I was just…” Well, what exactly could he say? I was just insanely jealous of some new guy? I’ve suddenly realized I want Saskia to be more than my friend and she hates me and it’s scaring me spitless that she might never be mine? Hmmm, yep, his sister would love to know that! “Did she say anything to you?”
Belle looked at her brother more closely. He looked… distraught. “No, she didn’t. I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Okay,” he seemed relieved.
“But you have a fine way of belittling your friends. I just want you to know that.” Belle slammed into the car.
His relief only lasted until the topic of their discussion came strolling out of the school towards the car, Mr. Blonde Jock in tow. Matt was mad again immediately. He watched their progress like a hawk, trying to see if there were any signs that Sas was interested in the guy.
“You’re going to make him burst into flames if you don’t watch out,” Belle informed him through the window. He hardly even heard her, let alone noticed the slight narrowing of her eyes as she looked between him and the focus of his stare.
Reaching the Jeep, Saskia introduced Gordon to Matt and Belle and was amazed that her voice didn’t tremble. She had been fully aware of Matt’s scrutiny of her and Gordon, but she had been unprepared for the fire in his eyes. He seemed angry with her.
She straightened her spine and threw him a withering glance. What was he angry for? He was the one being nasty about her! She waited until Gordon walked off before jumping into the Jeep and ignoring Matt.
The ride home was quiet. Normally they would talk and laugh, but today the atmosphere was tense. Matt kept looking at her in the rearview mirror and she kept ignoring him.
He was in hell.
Not waiting for Matt to open her door like he usually did, Saskia was out the car and on her way to her parents’ apartment before Matt could make a move. But he wasn’t going to take this any longer. He ran after her and yelled at his sister to lock the car.
Catching up to her as she exited the back of the house, Matt grabbed Sas’ arm and pulled her back. “Wait, please.”
She halted but did not look at him.
“Could you talk to me? Please?” Matt was desperate. Something had gone horribly wrong between them and he needed to fix it before it became irreparable.
“You acted like an ass today,” she informed him tersely. “I’m not sure I want to talk to you if this is who you’re turning into.”
The silence behind her told her he had not expected an attack. She felt mildly better. Just don’t look in his eyes, she told herself.
Still recovering from her statement, which he had no doubt were true, Matt cast around for something to say. “I—I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I just… I saw…” I saw you with him and I freaked. Be mine, please.
She waited for him to continue, but he seemed dumbstruck.
Then: “Could you look at me?” It was said very softly.
Biting her lip, she turned towards him while her mind yelled at her not to. Not to get too close to him and not to look into those mesmerizing eyes. For she will surely forget all the reasons this was wrong if she did.
He stepped closer to her when she finally stood facing him. His hand was warm as it slid from her elbow to grip hers tightly, but she still wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“I’m so sorry, Sas. I—I had a bad day,” he finally said, knowing it would sound like the lie it was.
She didn’t react.
“Do you like him?” He hated sounding so afraid. “The new guy, Gordon?”
Finally, some response. She was looking up at him in confusion. “I guess. Why?”
Something flickered in his eyes, something she couldn’t place.
He changed the subject. “I need to ask you something.” His voice had a tentative note in it.
Panic raced through her. She couldn’t have this discussion with him right now. Not after today and how vulnerable he had made her feel. Not after she truly realized what it would be like without him as the biggest part of her life. She tugged her hand from his grasp. Her voice was wary when she finally responded. “I’m not up to having any kind of serious discussion with you right now.” Hearing his intake of breath, she felt pain ripple through her heart. “I’m not sure why you said what you did today, but I can only guess it’s because—”
“I was jealous, okay!” he blurted out.
A shocked silence enveloped them.
Run! Saskia’s mind screamed at her. Run before it’s too late and you two get in too deep. But she was rooted to the spot. His words echoed through her, filling her heart until it felt like she would burst with happiness.
On the other hand, Matt was dying a thousand deaths after his unplanned confession. What had he been thinking? She basically told him she wasn’t interested that night so long ago and here he was telling her he was jealous of another guy. He watched her fearfully, wondering what her reaction was going to be. She was staring at the ground, the only movement was her hands slowly clenching into fists at her sides.
Finally he couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Have I screwed up so much that you will never give me a chance?”
The quiet words cut right through her heart. “We are friends, Matt,” she replied before slowly starting to walk away. She had to or she would crumble right before his eyes.
“Sas!” he called after her. “Don’t…”
His plea halted her and her heart finally won a round over her head. She spun around and ran to him, falling into his arms as she hugged him tightly.
He crushed her against him with such force she had trouble breathing.
“We will always be friends, but that is all,” she whispered, staying in his embrace a few seconds longer than she should before pulling away from him and running off.
Matt was floored. Floored and devastated.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max and Liz looked at each other over the dinner table. Belle was out with friends and Matt was locked in his room. He had been there since before they came home from work and had politely told his mom he didn’t want dinner.
Liz had gone into panic mode immediately and as usual, she looked to her husband to fix things. “Max, please!” Said for the hundredth time that night.
Giving her one of his you-know-what-my-answer-to-that-is looks, Max grabbed her hand and caressed it with his thumb. “It’ll be okay.”
Realizing that nagging wasn’t working, Liz decided to try another angle. She stood up from her chair and slid onto Max’s lap, nuzzling his face.
“It’s not going to work, witch,” he growled in her ear. “He will ask us if he needs help.” His hands had found her hips and pulled her closer to him.
“Did you ever ask your parents for help?” she countered, slowly licking the outside of his ear.
“Liz…” he groaned, jerking his head reflexively.
“Well? Did you?” she breathed against the moist trail her tongue had left, making him shiver.
“No,” he admitted. “But that was different. My parents…” he faltered when she started sucking his earlobe. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “My parents knew next to nothing about me…”
Kissing a trail from his ear to his chin, she pleaded again. “Just ask him, Max. I know he is upset.”
He cupped her face in his hands and held her away from him a little, seeing the concern for their son in her eyes. Damn, she was good. “Okay,” he gave in. “But I’m not pushing—”
Her lips covered his, giving him a breath-stealing kiss. Thank you, thank you, thank you! she told him silently.
~*~*~*~*~*~
He found Matt lying on his stomach on his bed, his face pressed into the bedspread and for a fleeting moment, Max feared his son was crying. In spite of all his protestations to his wife, he hated standing by and watching Matt suffer.
“Hey Matt. Can I sit?”
“Yeah.” A muffled sound from the bed.
Max sat down, but said nothing. Matt finally rolled over and put his hands beneath his head. “Mom sent you, right?”
It wasn’t a question.
Chuckling, Max ruefully thought that they should remember they had a clever son. “You know she has me right where she wants me.”
“Yeah,” Matt sounded defeated. He sat up suddenly, startling Max. “She confuses me, Dad!”
Max knew he wasn’t talking about his mother.
“She tells me we can only be friends, but… but sometimes she looks at me like…” He was rambling now. “And she never dates other guys! That I know of, at least. What is up with that? She couldn’t still be mad at me for kissing her! I know it was sort of… out of the blue, but…” He paused, losing steam. “She showed this new guy around school today and I just… I wanted to beat the crap out of him for touching her. Why won’t she give us a chance?”
“Have you told her any of this?” Max asked when Matt fell silent.
“Not really. I guess… I guess I sort of told her I was jealous today. She told me we would always be friends.” It obviously pained him to repeat this.
“That’s what I kept telling your mom for a long time.” He gained Matt’s immediate and undivided attention. “I never thought I’d ever be with her, so when she started loving me back, it scared me. I wanted her, but I wanted her safe more. Things were… bad for us then.” He met Matt’s gaze. “The point is, I had a reason for pushing her away. Maybe Sas has one too.”
Matt looked dubious and relieved at the same time. “But… what if she really just sees me as a friend?”
I highly doubt that, Max thought. “Either way, you need to find out. But you need to be sure of your own feelings before you start dissecting hers.”
“I am, Dad,” Matt stated seriously. “I—I’m in love with her,” he finally admitted aloud for the first time. He saw his Dad nod solemnly and a rush of love for his father washed over him. During all the times in his life when he had needed someone, his father had been there. Mending scraped knees, dishing out hugs when his hamster died, building tree houses in the backyard of their old house. He truly was lucky to have his parents. However strange their heritage was.
As he watched his dad’s departing back, he resolved that he was going to take Sas somewhere tomorrow and he was not going to let her leave until they have sorted out everything that is going on between them!
The decision made, he realized he was hungry and made his way to the kitchen. A soft sigh halted him in the door. His parents were kissing again. His dad had his mom pressed against the counter and she was holding her wet, soapy hands in the air, apparently trying not to get them both wet.
“Son in the kitchen,” he announced loudly and walked over to the fridge. Yep, in this house, even washing the dishes can turn into something else.
tbc
The Experiment Series (ML, CC / Mautre) (Complete)
Moderators: Itzstacie, Forum Moderators
4+5
PART 4
There had to be a rut in the floor by now, he was sure of it. Of all the mornings for his parents to be sleeping late or… whatever, it had to be this Saturday morning. He glanced at the firmly closed door again. He needed his mother’s help desperately.
Frustration made him spin around and he nearly tripped over Belle, who had been watching his panicky pacing for a while. “Belle!” His mind was racing, he had to get this show on the road before Saskia decides on something else to do with her Saturday morning.
“Yes, big brother?” she asked innocently. Matt had turned into a different person the last few weeks and his actions yesterday after school had finally convinced Belle that it had everything to do with the raven-haired girl that lived in the apartment attached to their house.
“I—I need your help.” He looked at her anxiously. “But… I really need you to not make a big deal of this, okay?”
“Sure,” Belle nodded. She would not make his life hell now, but she definitely will when he and Sas finally got together!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Earlier…
“Ma-ax.” A soft murmur in his ear followed by a lick.
He didn’t even stir.
“Oh, Maaa-aax.” Her hand trailed lower over his flat stomach.
“Barbara?” Her shocked gasp was all he wanted to hear and he started grinning.
“You big jerk!”
He waited for the slap or verbal abuse that normally followed one of his lame attempts to tease her, but none came. His eyes flew open, just in time to see Liz disappear into the bathroom in a huff. Damn, maybe she was hormonal. He blearily tried to remember what time of the month it was as he staggered into the bathroom after her. “Liz! Honey…”
Inside, she was nowhere to be seen. Only her clothes lay scattered from the door to the shower, providing a trail towards her. The spray in the shower came on, misting up the cubicle in no time. Max scratched his head, wondering if she was really mad.
“Liz?” he asked tentatively, flattening his hand against the glass door.
“Yeah?” It sounded muffled through the water and he couldn’t make out what her frame of mind was. And she was blocking him too. Damn.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yeah.”
This definitely did not sound good.
“What is it?”
“You are outside of the shower and not inside with me,” she replied, turning around and moving closer to the misty door. He could see her outline now. The outline of the body in which he had wrapped all his dreams for all these years. She was sensual and breathtaking. It was so easy to want her.
He slid open the shower door slowly, revealing her glistening body to his gaze. All thoughts of teasing left his mind… actually all thought left his mind, period.
Pulling him inside with her, Liz ran her hands up his arms and stepped closer, pressing every inch of herself against him. How could they still be this much in lust after so many years? It might be an alien thing, but she suspected it was because Max became more handsome and sexy to her with every passing day. He has matured well, but together with that, she had gotten to know every wonderful and annoying thing there is to know about him. And it made her love him more.
His arm around her waist lifted her to the tips of her toes, until her mouth was a mere breath from his. “You drive me insane, do you know that?”
It was a rhetorical question.
The mist swirled around them as they stared into each other’s eyes. Max’s hair was starting to cling to his forehead and little beads of moisture were making their way down their bodies where they weren’t plastered to each other.
They stood like that for long moments, almost kissing, as their bodies reacted, readied themselves for what was coming. Liz could hear her own breathing get heavier, could feel Max’s chest heave against her and the sensations were so overwhelming, her eyes fluttered closed and her neck arched.
Earlier, she had woken up after a wonderful dream about her and Max, needing him to make love to her. His silly joke had spoiled her mood momentarily, but she had quickly decided to get him back.
She wanted him and she would have him.
A soft gasp escaped her as his tongue traced a line from her chin to the hollow of her throat. His hand tangled in her wet hair as he held her immobile to continue the slow trace of his lips over her chest, staying carefully away from the swell of her breasts.
Another frustrated groan tumbled from her. Her hands found his face and pushed him back. Looking straight into his eyes, she gave an order. “Don’t be slow and gentle, Max.”
His sharp inhalation could be heard even above the sound of the water.
“Please…” The order had turned into a plea.
The next moment she was off her feet and he was kissing her breasts, his hands urging her legs around his hips. The fire that had always been present between them had sprung to roaring life, blazing away the preliminaries and urging them ever closer to the edge of oblivion.
Maxmaxmaxmaxmaxmaxmaxmax... It was a long ragged chant in her mind.
Cool tiles pressed against her back unexpectedly and resulted in a hitch in her breath. Max wanted to tell her he was sorry, but that would entail removing his mouth from her skin and he definitely couldn’t do that now.
“Oh please!”
That tone in her voice still speared him straight in the gut, kicking his desire for her into the stratosphere. It moved him from ‘I want her’ to ‘I want her now’ in no time flat.
Years of familiarity still didn’t dull the rush of entering her in one hard thrust. Neither did it diminish the satisfaction of hearing her soft moan of pleasure.
Liz attacked his lips with her own. She had trouble breathing and kissing him all at once, but right now, air was a secondary priority.
It was hungry and fast and desperate. Exactly what Liz had wanted. He filled her until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. And while his body was making love to hers, his mind made love to her too. He flooded her with his love and desire, his hunger and need.
And in return, she sent him all she felt for him. His body shuddered when her emotions entered his mind and heart. She sent him her soul…
Their release came quickly and washed over them in great wracking tremors. They kissed desperately throughout, catching each other’s involuntary sounds. Loudness was only not an issue when the kids weren’t at home.
They clung to each other until even the minute aftershocks died down. Max had his face buried in her neck, alternately sucking and kissing her soft skin, while Liz had her hands fisted in his hair, her head thrown back against the shower wall.
Max finally lifted his head after long moments. “Please do that to me more often!”
“I promise,” she grinned at him and then hugged him tightly. “I love you so much.” She wriggled against him, causing him to groan. “Every lovely inch of you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Apparently the kitchen had been turned into a war zone overnight. Liz came in to find her two children busily preparing all sorts of sandwiches and snacks and leaving devastation in their wake.
“What is going on here?” Ask first, get mad later.
Belle glanced at her. “Matt is putting Operation Saskia in place.”
A dark blush streaked over her son’s cheekbones, making Liz’s heart melt. He was the spitting image of the Max she had fallen in love with in high school.
“Let me help then,” she said firmly and grabbed the knife from Belle. She was already busy carving up some cold meat when she felt Matt hug her from behind. “I love you, Mom,” he whispered in her ear. “Almost as much as Dad does.”
Liz smiled at him over her shoulder. “I love you too.”
Half an hour later, the picnic basket was packed and Matt’s nervousness had increased to panic proportions. Now he had to get Sas to agree to go with him.
Kissing his cheek, Liz told him: “Go get her.”
Belle offered to go put the basket in the back of the Jeep while Matt went off in search of the object of the whole exercise. He saw her immediately as he walked over to her parents’ apartment. She was wearing white shorts and a white tank top and all the air just left his lungs.
He had never allowed himself to consciously think about her body during all those nights she slept so innocently in his bed. The only thing he had never been able to control was his dreams. In his dreams those shapely legs had been wrapped around him and her pouty lips had been crushed beneath his. And her wonderful clear green eyes had been staring at him filled with love.
Focus! he told himself sternly.
Saskia was shivering even before he reached her. She was watering some flowers for her mother just outside their front door and had immediately spied Matt coming towards her. The few minutes it took her to look away were enough to register the way his eyes had traveled over her body. She cursed herself for her weakness when it came to the heir to the Antar throne. His gaze did wicked things to her insides, especially when he looked at her like… Like he wants you, that pesky little inner voice informed her. She had a wild urge to run inside the house and go put on less revealing clothes.
She had lain awake for most of the night, his pleas echoing in her head and his distressed eyes haunting her. She was hurting them both and she knew it. Matt was clueless as to why she was acting so strangely, but she knew he would just ignore her position on him needing a mate of his own standing, so she had to do the thinking for both of them.
Turning towards him when he halted a few feet from her, she felt fear race across her nerve-endings. Thinking was something she didn’t do well when he looked at her with those eyes.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded husky and strained.
“Hey,” he answered, still staring at her as if he wanted to see inside her head.
After a small pause, Matt remembered that he was here for a reason. “Uhm… I thought we could go to the woods and… have a picnic.” He could see her starting to object and quickly continued. “Seeing as we’re friends and all.” She still looked dubious, so he lied blatantly. “There’s a whole group of us going.”
Spending a day close to Matt, even if they were part of a group sounded wonderful to Saskia. She was hopelessly afraid that her stubborn refusal to get involved with him would lose her his friendship altogether. Biting her lip, she weighed her options. She could stay home and make Matt even madder at her, or she could go and watch him from afar and pretend that they were friends. At least then Matt would not be any wiser and more hurt.
“Okay,” she nodded, not seeing the wild flare of joy cross his face. “I’ll just go get a bag and a sweater.”
“I’ll come with you,” he informed her determinedly. No way was he allowing her to change her mind.
Lounging against her doorframe while she organized her things, Matt had to force his eyes away from her to look at something else. He knew her room well. He was here often. So there was nothing that held any real mystery to him. Nothing but her underwear drawer, that is. He had to stifle a groan at the stray thought. He was gaining more understanding for his parents every second!
Saskia had a whole bunch of photos stuck to her mirror. And he was in the majority of them. They were pictures taken on holidays, camping trips, school events. Looking at them made it sink in just how much a part of his life she already was. He straightened, more determined than ever to win her over.
Because life without her seemed completely empty.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The drive to the woods outside the town was quiet and tense. Saskia felt like her whole body was as taut as a spring. Matt kept throwing glances at her like he was making sure she hadn’t disappeared when he wasn’t looking. A dark sense of foreboding was taking hold of her. She couldn’t decide whether his strange actions were the result of the strain between them following the events of Friday, or because he was up to something. She had a sinking feeling that it was the latter.
He was wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt that made her mouth go dry. She had often wondered what exactly it was that made Matt so irresistible for the opposite sex. There were many handsome guys around, but he had something that set him apart. She had finally decided that it was that air of mystery and a certain intensity.
And the longer the drive to the picnic spot took, the more he affected her. She feared that she was going to start hyperventilating soon and stretched forward to switch on the radio. The music only lightened the atmosphere temporarily. By the time Matt brought the Jeep to a halt in a deserted hollow in the woods, her heart was hammering in her chest.
There was not another soul in sight.
It took all of two seconds for Sas to put two and two together and she slammed out of the car to meet Matt who had rounded the hood to her side. “You lied to me!” she accused him hotly.
“Yes,” he admitted, not looking contrite. “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t have—”
“No! I wouldn’t have!” she stormed at him. Attack was her best defense now. “Take me back.”
“No.”
“What is happening to you? I asked you not to bug me about… about…” Tears were starting to fill her eyes.
“About us?” he asked softly.
She looked away from him, afraid to let him see the truth on her face. “There is no ‘us’.”
“And I want to know why!” He gripped her upper arms and lowered his voice. “Why are you pushing me away?”
“I told you we could just be friends, nothing more.” She tried to sound firm, but the words came out tremulously.
There was a long pause. “I don’t believe that’s how you really feel.” His hand found her chin and tugged until she faced him. “And I’m not letting you leave until we’ve sorted this out.”
PART 5
Meeting his gaze was a huge mistake. For in Matt’s eyes, she saw many things. She saw determination, hurt, hope, fear and… caring. Tearing herself from his grasp, she swung around to face away from him. This was too much for her. She felt faint with all the emotions crashing around inside her.
She wanted so much to just fall into his arms and never come out again. But loving him meant wanting the best for him, even if he was too blinded by his hormones to see it himself.
His body-heat behind her alerted her to the fact that he had moved closer. She could smell him around her and fresh tears sprang into her eyes as she reflected momentarily how familiar he smelled. Like Matt. Like no one else in the world.
“Sas…”
Oh lord, this was going to be hard! His voice carried so much emotion.
Matt lifted his hand to gently catch one of her black locks between his fingers. She was a little taller than his mother and she wore her hair shoulder-length with a cute little flip at the ends. If the sun caught it in a certain way, her hair had a bluish-black sheen to. He took a deep breath. Time to face the demons. “Is this about… Are you still mad because I—I forced… that night… that—that I kissed you?”
Forced her? Saskia stiffened when it finally hit her. He thought she didn’t want to date him because he had forced himself on her that night so long ago! It made her feel even more horrible.
“No Matt!” She had turned around to look imploringly into his eyes. “I wasn’t mad. I was just…”
“Just what?”
“Nothing. We just shouldn’t have kissed, that’s all.”
Eyes narrowing, Matt zoomed in on the one word that gave him a little more hope. ‘We’. ‘We just shouldn’t have kissed’. He had played that night over in his mind so many times and he still had trouble being clear on what exactly her response had been. All he remembered was how the taste of her had gone straight to his head, making him drunk with her essence. And how terrible he had felt afterwards. He had never really kissed a girl like that before, so he had no idea if she had enjoyed it or not. That is why he feared the worst when she bolted from his room and acted strange around him for weeks afterwards. “So you hated me kissing you?” He was setting her a trap.
One she walked right into.
“No! That’s not… I mean…” The triumph in his eyes made her panic. “Matt, don’t do this to me,” she pleaded. “We cannot…”
He was starting to feel sorry for her, she was obviously in a state about this. “Are you… Is there someone else?”
The ground seemed really interesting to Sas right now. She stared at it as if it might save her from the mess she was talking herself into. Maybe she could lie to him about it, she thought, but as she risked a peek at him through her eyelashes and saw the muted fear on his face, she knew she couldn’t do it to him. “No,” she whispered quietly.
A feather-soft caress on her bare upper-arm made her shiver.
“So, you didn’t mind me kissing you and… you’re not interested in anyone else… Why—”
But helpless tears had started flowing down her cheeks, unbalancing Matt completely. His Sas was not a whiny, crying girl, she was feisty and in control. With a muffled oath, he drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
She clung to him, curling her hands into the material of his shirt, feeling the warm and gentle strokes of his hands over her back and her hair.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered again, wondering what had her so upset. Was the thought of being with him so awful? Yet she was snuggling closer even while the thought crossed his mind. No, he definitely didn’t repulse her. Matt was more lost than ever as to why she was so determined that they not become more than friends.
They stood like that for endless moments, neither of them ready to be the first one to step away from the embrace.
It was paradise. Even more wonderful than she remembered. His chest was warm against her cheek and the rhythmic stroking of his hands was fast lulling her into blissful languor. The tears had stopped almost as quickly as they had begun and now the only thing occupying her mind was how amazing it felt being held by him. How his muscles bunched and loosened as he moved, the steady sound of his heartbeat in her ear.
A shiver ran the length of her body as recognition hit her of just how deeply in love she was with Matt. Jealousy ripped through her at the thought that anyone else could be in his arms like this and experience this feeling of supreme contentment overlaying a deeper more basic need for more intimate contact.
Desire was rapidly starting to blot out sympathy inside Matt. He was suddenly very aware of just how perfectly she fit against him. Of the softness of the skin he was caressing. Of her curves pressed against his. Her scent, something vaguely flowery, in his nose. The silky stroke of her hair against his neck. Of how temptingly close the bare skin of her shoulder was to his mouth. His body’s reaction was fast and automatic, causing Matt to step away from her hurriedly.
His hands still rested on her shoulders, as he ducked his head to try and see her downcast eyes. “Are you okay now?”
She flashed him an unexpected brilliant smile that he saw through immediately. “I’m fine. Sorry for the outburst. I’m just tired from studying for finals.”
More lies. Matt felt like exploding. She still hadn’t told him what was standing between them. He needed to know so that he could get rid of whatever the obstacle was. He had to, because these precious few moments with her so close to him had increased his craving for her. He wanted her in his arms forever.
But right now he needed to get himself under control and she needed time to recover. He moved to the back of the Jeep, lifting out the picnic basket and blanket.
Saskia helped him put the stuff out silently, relieved that he had let the issue drop for now. However, she was under no illusion that he was finished with her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The supermarket was bustling and Liz had to maneuver the shopping cart through throngs of people and running children. Shilla trailed behind her, but there was no sign of Max. She sighed. She always dragged him with her when buying groceries, but he always managed to get lost somewhere and come back with something expensive they didn't need. Throwing some boxes of cereal into the cart, she looked at Shilla who was busy ticking things off her own grocery list.
“How are things with Saskia?” Liz asked innocently.
Shilla smiled at her, again struck by how nice her Queen could be. “She had a rough time with finals, but other than that, she seems fine,” she told Liz quietly. Not after all the years Shilla has been with Max and Liz, did she stop treating them like they were her superiors and no amount of pleading from Liz's side had put an end to this.
“I see she and Matt spend a lot of time together,” Liz probed cautiously. She had no idea if Shilla and James were aware of what was starting to happen between their children. Matt and Sas spent most of their time in the Evans house, away from the eyes of her parents.
“I’m sorry!” Shilla cried in alarm, startling Liz. “I’ll tell her not to bother—”
Liz held up her hands. “No, no, Shilla. That's not what I meant! She is a wonderful girl and I'm so glad Matt has someone like her in his life.”
Relief etched Shilla’s features, but Liz couldn't help feeling she had made a blunder by alerting Shilla to the fact that the close relationship between Matthew and Sas have gained her and Max’s attention.
Luckily Max arrived just then, carrying a box and causing a whole lot of stares from the other women in the store. Liz sighed and gave him an exasperated look. He flashed her a killer smile and plunked the box into their cart.
“What is—”
But Max wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the rest of her question off her lips, causing a lot of amused looks and some gasps from the rest of the shoppers.
Needless to say, the box, with yet another fancy cappuccino machine, went home with them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was making patterns on the ground through the thick ceiling of leaves above their heads, and Sas lay with her eyes half-closed on the blanket, watching the dots of light. Matt had gone to put the leftovers and the basket in the Jeep and she was ready to fall asleep. It amazed her that after that intense beginning, they had managed to revert back to their comfortable friendship to eat and talk for close to an hour.
Actually, to be honest, an undercurrent of something had zinged between them the whole time. It resulted from her sometimes catching his gaze on her, dark and hungry. And speculating.
He dropped onto the blanket next to her, grunting. “Okay, I ate too much,” he admitted grumpily. “Why didn't you stop me? You know I turn into a pig around food.”
She smiled lazily, not even opening her eyes. “You are a big boy. You can look after yourself.” Feeling him move, she opened her eyes to slits and nearly had a heart attack.
He was leaning over her, his eyes solemn. “And what if I don't want to?” His voice was low and husky. “What if I want you to look after me?”
“Matt…” It was a warning.
“Tell me you feel nothing for me and I'll stop.” He waited for her answer with baited breath.
Her mouth opened. And closed again. And her eyes fluttered away from his. The joy that filled him nearly did him in.
“Sas,” he breathed her name, bending closer to lightly touch her lips with his own. A small helpless sound in her throat spurred him on. He pulled back slightly, his breath rushing in and out of his lungs. “Please…” he begged her softly and bent his head again. He kissed her tenderly as if he was trying to gentle her, not touching her anywhere intimate, just sliding his mouth over hers until he felt her open to him with a small sigh.
Oh lord this is heaven! He tasted her. Over and over his tongue swept over her moist lips, teasing the corners of her mouth and finally sliding deeper. It was like flipping a switch inside Sas, she came alive against him, reaching up to grab his hair and pull him down to her harder. Her tongue snaked out to tangle with his, causing him to groan in response.
His arm slid between her shoulders and the blanket, arching her closer to him. The kiss was rapidly turning urgent and hungry. They kissed deeply, not getting enough of each other, desperately trying to make up for years of wanting this and not experiencing it.
Matt had never felt so warm in his life. He vaguely wondered if getting an actual fever was some alien side effect of arousal. His dad never mentioned it. He just knew he shouldn’t scare Sas with the full effect of what she was doing to him now. He wanted her to stay in his arms, not run away.
She was drowning. Drowning beneath the waves of sensation he was creating in her. His lips and tongue were driving her wild and she felt like clawing him even closer still. She needed… she needed… she needed him as close as possible. Inside her if possible. His hands on her back felt right, like they should be shaping the indentation of her spine and in the process press her against his firm chest. Nothing had prepared her for the riot of desire the slow slide of their chests against each other caused in her body. For the piercing ache that was increasing in intensity low in her stomach with each passing minute.
Eventually the need for air forced them apart and they stared at each other in silence, panting for breath and hopelessly enthralled with the results of their shared passion on each other. Red and puffy lips, heated flushed cheeks, dark and hungry eyes… they had never seen such a look before.
“Wow,” Matt finally managed.
Regret and guilt were rapidly overtaking Saskia. What had she done? She struggled out of his hold, moving away from his distracting proximity. “We shouldn’t have done this.”
Matt reigned in his anger. Why did she keep on claiming that they were a mistake? “Why?” he tried to sound calm.
“Because…” She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.
He moved over until he was kneeling before her. “Because what?”
“Because I’m not—not good enough for you, okay!” she burst out. “Because this can only lead nowhere and—”
“Hold up!” he cried. “Not good enough? That is such crap, Sas! You are—”
She jumped up before he could grab her hands. “Well, it’s true and I’d like you to take me home now.”
Staring up at her, he noticed the stiff set of her shoulders and wondered what on earth he could say to make her see how ridiculous her statement was. He was at a complete loss.
“Please Matt?” her voice was small.
He gathered up the blanket and threw it in the back of the Jeep in silence. All the while on the way home, as he took in her determined stare out of the passenger window, he tried to come up with ways to change her mind. He was completely stunned by what she said. In all the years he had known her, he had never suspected she saw herself as inferior to him.
He grabbed her arm as he brought the Jeep to a halt in front of his house, he had noticed she was waiting to flee from the car as soon as the wheels had stopped turning.
She froze.
“Please look at me?” he begged quietly and waited for long moments until she finally met his eyes.
“You are the most perfect girl I know,” he told her firmly, emotion making his voice hoarse. “You are so beautiful and smart and amazing and-and I don’t deserve you.”
“Matt—” she started objecting.
“I don’t care what lie you believe about yourself.” Pausing, he squared his shoulders before continuing. “I’m telling you now… I’m not giving up until you give us a chance.” His hand dropped from her arm, allowing her her freedom.
She stared at him with wide eyes, before climbing out of the car and slowly making her way to her apartment.
Matt watched her leave with his heart in his throat. He prayed she would give in eventually.
tbc
There had to be a rut in the floor by now, he was sure of it. Of all the mornings for his parents to be sleeping late or… whatever, it had to be this Saturday morning. He glanced at the firmly closed door again. He needed his mother’s help desperately.
Frustration made him spin around and he nearly tripped over Belle, who had been watching his panicky pacing for a while. “Belle!” His mind was racing, he had to get this show on the road before Saskia decides on something else to do with her Saturday morning.
“Yes, big brother?” she asked innocently. Matt had turned into a different person the last few weeks and his actions yesterday after school had finally convinced Belle that it had everything to do with the raven-haired girl that lived in the apartment attached to their house.
“I—I need your help.” He looked at her anxiously. “But… I really need you to not make a big deal of this, okay?”
“Sure,” Belle nodded. She would not make his life hell now, but she definitely will when he and Sas finally got together!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Earlier…
“Ma-ax.” A soft murmur in his ear followed by a lick.
He didn’t even stir.
“Oh, Maaa-aax.” Her hand trailed lower over his flat stomach.
“Barbara?” Her shocked gasp was all he wanted to hear and he started grinning.
“You big jerk!”
He waited for the slap or verbal abuse that normally followed one of his lame attempts to tease her, but none came. His eyes flew open, just in time to see Liz disappear into the bathroom in a huff. Damn, maybe she was hormonal. He blearily tried to remember what time of the month it was as he staggered into the bathroom after her. “Liz! Honey…”
Inside, she was nowhere to be seen. Only her clothes lay scattered from the door to the shower, providing a trail towards her. The spray in the shower came on, misting up the cubicle in no time. Max scratched his head, wondering if she was really mad.
“Liz?” he asked tentatively, flattening his hand against the glass door.
“Yeah?” It sounded muffled through the water and he couldn’t make out what her frame of mind was. And she was blocking him too. Damn.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yeah.”
This definitely did not sound good.
“What is it?”
“You are outside of the shower and not inside with me,” she replied, turning around and moving closer to the misty door. He could see her outline now. The outline of the body in which he had wrapped all his dreams for all these years. She was sensual and breathtaking. It was so easy to want her.
He slid open the shower door slowly, revealing her glistening body to his gaze. All thoughts of teasing left his mind… actually all thought left his mind, period.
Pulling him inside with her, Liz ran her hands up his arms and stepped closer, pressing every inch of herself against him. How could they still be this much in lust after so many years? It might be an alien thing, but she suspected it was because Max became more handsome and sexy to her with every passing day. He has matured well, but together with that, she had gotten to know every wonderful and annoying thing there is to know about him. And it made her love him more.
His arm around her waist lifted her to the tips of her toes, until her mouth was a mere breath from his. “You drive me insane, do you know that?”
It was a rhetorical question.
The mist swirled around them as they stared into each other’s eyes. Max’s hair was starting to cling to his forehead and little beads of moisture were making their way down their bodies where they weren’t plastered to each other.
They stood like that for long moments, almost kissing, as their bodies reacted, readied themselves for what was coming. Liz could hear her own breathing get heavier, could feel Max’s chest heave against her and the sensations were so overwhelming, her eyes fluttered closed and her neck arched.
Earlier, she had woken up after a wonderful dream about her and Max, needing him to make love to her. His silly joke had spoiled her mood momentarily, but she had quickly decided to get him back.
She wanted him and she would have him.
A soft gasp escaped her as his tongue traced a line from her chin to the hollow of her throat. His hand tangled in her wet hair as he held her immobile to continue the slow trace of his lips over her chest, staying carefully away from the swell of her breasts.
Another frustrated groan tumbled from her. Her hands found his face and pushed him back. Looking straight into his eyes, she gave an order. “Don’t be slow and gentle, Max.”
His sharp inhalation could be heard even above the sound of the water.
“Please…” The order had turned into a plea.
The next moment she was off her feet and he was kissing her breasts, his hands urging her legs around his hips. The fire that had always been present between them had sprung to roaring life, blazing away the preliminaries and urging them ever closer to the edge of oblivion.
Maxmaxmaxmaxmaxmaxmaxmax... It was a long ragged chant in her mind.
Cool tiles pressed against her back unexpectedly and resulted in a hitch in her breath. Max wanted to tell her he was sorry, but that would entail removing his mouth from her skin and he definitely couldn’t do that now.
“Oh please!”
That tone in her voice still speared him straight in the gut, kicking his desire for her into the stratosphere. It moved him from ‘I want her’ to ‘I want her now’ in no time flat.
Years of familiarity still didn’t dull the rush of entering her in one hard thrust. Neither did it diminish the satisfaction of hearing her soft moan of pleasure.
Liz attacked his lips with her own. She had trouble breathing and kissing him all at once, but right now, air was a secondary priority.
It was hungry and fast and desperate. Exactly what Liz had wanted. He filled her until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. And while his body was making love to hers, his mind made love to her too. He flooded her with his love and desire, his hunger and need.
And in return, she sent him all she felt for him. His body shuddered when her emotions entered his mind and heart. She sent him her soul…
Their release came quickly and washed over them in great wracking tremors. They kissed desperately throughout, catching each other’s involuntary sounds. Loudness was only not an issue when the kids weren’t at home.
They clung to each other until even the minute aftershocks died down. Max had his face buried in her neck, alternately sucking and kissing her soft skin, while Liz had her hands fisted in his hair, her head thrown back against the shower wall.
Max finally lifted his head after long moments. “Please do that to me more often!”
“I promise,” she grinned at him and then hugged him tightly. “I love you so much.” She wriggled against him, causing him to groan. “Every lovely inch of you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Apparently the kitchen had been turned into a war zone overnight. Liz came in to find her two children busily preparing all sorts of sandwiches and snacks and leaving devastation in their wake.
“What is going on here?” Ask first, get mad later.
Belle glanced at her. “Matt is putting Operation Saskia in place.”
A dark blush streaked over her son’s cheekbones, making Liz’s heart melt. He was the spitting image of the Max she had fallen in love with in high school.
“Let me help then,” she said firmly and grabbed the knife from Belle. She was already busy carving up some cold meat when she felt Matt hug her from behind. “I love you, Mom,” he whispered in her ear. “Almost as much as Dad does.”
Liz smiled at him over her shoulder. “I love you too.”
Half an hour later, the picnic basket was packed and Matt’s nervousness had increased to panic proportions. Now he had to get Sas to agree to go with him.
Kissing his cheek, Liz told him: “Go get her.”
Belle offered to go put the basket in the back of the Jeep while Matt went off in search of the object of the whole exercise. He saw her immediately as he walked over to her parents’ apartment. She was wearing white shorts and a white tank top and all the air just left his lungs.
He had never allowed himself to consciously think about her body during all those nights she slept so innocently in his bed. The only thing he had never been able to control was his dreams. In his dreams those shapely legs had been wrapped around him and her pouty lips had been crushed beneath his. And her wonderful clear green eyes had been staring at him filled with love.
Focus! he told himself sternly.
Saskia was shivering even before he reached her. She was watering some flowers for her mother just outside their front door and had immediately spied Matt coming towards her. The few minutes it took her to look away were enough to register the way his eyes had traveled over her body. She cursed herself for her weakness when it came to the heir to the Antar throne. His gaze did wicked things to her insides, especially when he looked at her like… Like he wants you, that pesky little inner voice informed her. She had a wild urge to run inside the house and go put on less revealing clothes.
She had lain awake for most of the night, his pleas echoing in her head and his distressed eyes haunting her. She was hurting them both and she knew it. Matt was clueless as to why she was acting so strangely, but she knew he would just ignore her position on him needing a mate of his own standing, so she had to do the thinking for both of them.
Turning towards him when he halted a few feet from her, she felt fear race across her nerve-endings. Thinking was something she didn’t do well when he looked at her with those eyes.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded husky and strained.
“Hey,” he answered, still staring at her as if he wanted to see inside her head.
After a small pause, Matt remembered that he was here for a reason. “Uhm… I thought we could go to the woods and… have a picnic.” He could see her starting to object and quickly continued. “Seeing as we’re friends and all.” She still looked dubious, so he lied blatantly. “There’s a whole group of us going.”
Spending a day close to Matt, even if they were part of a group sounded wonderful to Saskia. She was hopelessly afraid that her stubborn refusal to get involved with him would lose her his friendship altogether. Biting her lip, she weighed her options. She could stay home and make Matt even madder at her, or she could go and watch him from afar and pretend that they were friends. At least then Matt would not be any wiser and more hurt.
“Okay,” she nodded, not seeing the wild flare of joy cross his face. “I’ll just go get a bag and a sweater.”
“I’ll come with you,” he informed her determinedly. No way was he allowing her to change her mind.
Lounging against her doorframe while she organized her things, Matt had to force his eyes away from her to look at something else. He knew her room well. He was here often. So there was nothing that held any real mystery to him. Nothing but her underwear drawer, that is. He had to stifle a groan at the stray thought. He was gaining more understanding for his parents every second!
Saskia had a whole bunch of photos stuck to her mirror. And he was in the majority of them. They were pictures taken on holidays, camping trips, school events. Looking at them made it sink in just how much a part of his life she already was. He straightened, more determined than ever to win her over.
Because life without her seemed completely empty.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The drive to the woods outside the town was quiet and tense. Saskia felt like her whole body was as taut as a spring. Matt kept throwing glances at her like he was making sure she hadn’t disappeared when he wasn’t looking. A dark sense of foreboding was taking hold of her. She couldn’t decide whether his strange actions were the result of the strain between them following the events of Friday, or because he was up to something. She had a sinking feeling that it was the latter.
He was wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt that made her mouth go dry. She had often wondered what exactly it was that made Matt so irresistible for the opposite sex. There were many handsome guys around, but he had something that set him apart. She had finally decided that it was that air of mystery and a certain intensity.
And the longer the drive to the picnic spot took, the more he affected her. She feared that she was going to start hyperventilating soon and stretched forward to switch on the radio. The music only lightened the atmosphere temporarily. By the time Matt brought the Jeep to a halt in a deserted hollow in the woods, her heart was hammering in her chest.
There was not another soul in sight.
It took all of two seconds for Sas to put two and two together and she slammed out of the car to meet Matt who had rounded the hood to her side. “You lied to me!” she accused him hotly.
“Yes,” he admitted, not looking contrite. “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t have—”
“No! I wouldn’t have!” she stormed at him. Attack was her best defense now. “Take me back.”
“No.”
“What is happening to you? I asked you not to bug me about… about…” Tears were starting to fill her eyes.
“About us?” he asked softly.
She looked away from him, afraid to let him see the truth on her face. “There is no ‘us’.”
“And I want to know why!” He gripped her upper arms and lowered his voice. “Why are you pushing me away?”
“I told you we could just be friends, nothing more.” She tried to sound firm, but the words came out tremulously.
There was a long pause. “I don’t believe that’s how you really feel.” His hand found her chin and tugged until she faced him. “And I’m not letting you leave until we’ve sorted this out.”
PART 5
Meeting his gaze was a huge mistake. For in Matt’s eyes, she saw many things. She saw determination, hurt, hope, fear and… caring. Tearing herself from his grasp, she swung around to face away from him. This was too much for her. She felt faint with all the emotions crashing around inside her.
She wanted so much to just fall into his arms and never come out again. But loving him meant wanting the best for him, even if he was too blinded by his hormones to see it himself.
His body-heat behind her alerted her to the fact that he had moved closer. She could smell him around her and fresh tears sprang into her eyes as she reflected momentarily how familiar he smelled. Like Matt. Like no one else in the world.
“Sas…”
Oh lord, this was going to be hard! His voice carried so much emotion.
Matt lifted his hand to gently catch one of her black locks between his fingers. She was a little taller than his mother and she wore her hair shoulder-length with a cute little flip at the ends. If the sun caught it in a certain way, her hair had a bluish-black sheen to. He took a deep breath. Time to face the demons. “Is this about… Are you still mad because I—I forced… that night… that—that I kissed you?”
Forced her? Saskia stiffened when it finally hit her. He thought she didn’t want to date him because he had forced himself on her that night so long ago! It made her feel even more horrible.
“No Matt!” She had turned around to look imploringly into his eyes. “I wasn’t mad. I was just…”
“Just what?”
“Nothing. We just shouldn’t have kissed, that’s all.”
Eyes narrowing, Matt zoomed in on the one word that gave him a little more hope. ‘We’. ‘We just shouldn’t have kissed’. He had played that night over in his mind so many times and he still had trouble being clear on what exactly her response had been. All he remembered was how the taste of her had gone straight to his head, making him drunk with her essence. And how terrible he had felt afterwards. He had never really kissed a girl like that before, so he had no idea if she had enjoyed it or not. That is why he feared the worst when she bolted from his room and acted strange around him for weeks afterwards. “So you hated me kissing you?” He was setting her a trap.
One she walked right into.
“No! That’s not… I mean…” The triumph in his eyes made her panic. “Matt, don’t do this to me,” she pleaded. “We cannot…”
He was starting to feel sorry for her, she was obviously in a state about this. “Are you… Is there someone else?”
The ground seemed really interesting to Sas right now. She stared at it as if it might save her from the mess she was talking herself into. Maybe she could lie to him about it, she thought, but as she risked a peek at him through her eyelashes and saw the muted fear on his face, she knew she couldn’t do it to him. “No,” she whispered quietly.
A feather-soft caress on her bare upper-arm made her shiver.
“So, you didn’t mind me kissing you and… you’re not interested in anyone else… Why—”
But helpless tears had started flowing down her cheeks, unbalancing Matt completely. His Sas was not a whiny, crying girl, she was feisty and in control. With a muffled oath, he drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
She clung to him, curling her hands into the material of his shirt, feeling the warm and gentle strokes of his hands over her back and her hair.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered again, wondering what had her so upset. Was the thought of being with him so awful? Yet she was snuggling closer even while the thought crossed his mind. No, he definitely didn’t repulse her. Matt was more lost than ever as to why she was so determined that they not become more than friends.
They stood like that for endless moments, neither of them ready to be the first one to step away from the embrace.
It was paradise. Even more wonderful than she remembered. His chest was warm against her cheek and the rhythmic stroking of his hands was fast lulling her into blissful languor. The tears had stopped almost as quickly as they had begun and now the only thing occupying her mind was how amazing it felt being held by him. How his muscles bunched and loosened as he moved, the steady sound of his heartbeat in her ear.
A shiver ran the length of her body as recognition hit her of just how deeply in love she was with Matt. Jealousy ripped through her at the thought that anyone else could be in his arms like this and experience this feeling of supreme contentment overlaying a deeper more basic need for more intimate contact.
Desire was rapidly starting to blot out sympathy inside Matt. He was suddenly very aware of just how perfectly she fit against him. Of the softness of the skin he was caressing. Of her curves pressed against his. Her scent, something vaguely flowery, in his nose. The silky stroke of her hair against his neck. Of how temptingly close the bare skin of her shoulder was to his mouth. His body’s reaction was fast and automatic, causing Matt to step away from her hurriedly.
His hands still rested on her shoulders, as he ducked his head to try and see her downcast eyes. “Are you okay now?”
She flashed him an unexpected brilliant smile that he saw through immediately. “I’m fine. Sorry for the outburst. I’m just tired from studying for finals.”
More lies. Matt felt like exploding. She still hadn’t told him what was standing between them. He needed to know so that he could get rid of whatever the obstacle was. He had to, because these precious few moments with her so close to him had increased his craving for her. He wanted her in his arms forever.
But right now he needed to get himself under control and she needed time to recover. He moved to the back of the Jeep, lifting out the picnic basket and blanket.
Saskia helped him put the stuff out silently, relieved that he had let the issue drop for now. However, she was under no illusion that he was finished with her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The supermarket was bustling and Liz had to maneuver the shopping cart through throngs of people and running children. Shilla trailed behind her, but there was no sign of Max. She sighed. She always dragged him with her when buying groceries, but he always managed to get lost somewhere and come back with something expensive they didn't need. Throwing some boxes of cereal into the cart, she looked at Shilla who was busy ticking things off her own grocery list.
“How are things with Saskia?” Liz asked innocently.
Shilla smiled at her, again struck by how nice her Queen could be. “She had a rough time with finals, but other than that, she seems fine,” she told Liz quietly. Not after all the years Shilla has been with Max and Liz, did she stop treating them like they were her superiors and no amount of pleading from Liz's side had put an end to this.
“I see she and Matt spend a lot of time together,” Liz probed cautiously. She had no idea if Shilla and James were aware of what was starting to happen between their children. Matt and Sas spent most of their time in the Evans house, away from the eyes of her parents.
“I’m sorry!” Shilla cried in alarm, startling Liz. “I’ll tell her not to bother—”
Liz held up her hands. “No, no, Shilla. That's not what I meant! She is a wonderful girl and I'm so glad Matt has someone like her in his life.”
Relief etched Shilla’s features, but Liz couldn't help feeling she had made a blunder by alerting Shilla to the fact that the close relationship between Matthew and Sas have gained her and Max’s attention.
Luckily Max arrived just then, carrying a box and causing a whole lot of stares from the other women in the store. Liz sighed and gave him an exasperated look. He flashed her a killer smile and plunked the box into their cart.
“What is—”
But Max wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the rest of her question off her lips, causing a lot of amused looks and some gasps from the rest of the shoppers.
Needless to say, the box, with yet another fancy cappuccino machine, went home with them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was making patterns on the ground through the thick ceiling of leaves above their heads, and Sas lay with her eyes half-closed on the blanket, watching the dots of light. Matt had gone to put the leftovers and the basket in the Jeep and she was ready to fall asleep. It amazed her that after that intense beginning, they had managed to revert back to their comfortable friendship to eat and talk for close to an hour.
Actually, to be honest, an undercurrent of something had zinged between them the whole time. It resulted from her sometimes catching his gaze on her, dark and hungry. And speculating.
He dropped onto the blanket next to her, grunting. “Okay, I ate too much,” he admitted grumpily. “Why didn't you stop me? You know I turn into a pig around food.”
She smiled lazily, not even opening her eyes. “You are a big boy. You can look after yourself.” Feeling him move, she opened her eyes to slits and nearly had a heart attack.
He was leaning over her, his eyes solemn. “And what if I don't want to?” His voice was low and husky. “What if I want you to look after me?”
“Matt…” It was a warning.
“Tell me you feel nothing for me and I'll stop.” He waited for her answer with baited breath.
Her mouth opened. And closed again. And her eyes fluttered away from his. The joy that filled him nearly did him in.
“Sas,” he breathed her name, bending closer to lightly touch her lips with his own. A small helpless sound in her throat spurred him on. He pulled back slightly, his breath rushing in and out of his lungs. “Please…” he begged her softly and bent his head again. He kissed her tenderly as if he was trying to gentle her, not touching her anywhere intimate, just sliding his mouth over hers until he felt her open to him with a small sigh.
Oh lord this is heaven! He tasted her. Over and over his tongue swept over her moist lips, teasing the corners of her mouth and finally sliding deeper. It was like flipping a switch inside Sas, she came alive against him, reaching up to grab his hair and pull him down to her harder. Her tongue snaked out to tangle with his, causing him to groan in response.
His arm slid between her shoulders and the blanket, arching her closer to him. The kiss was rapidly turning urgent and hungry. They kissed deeply, not getting enough of each other, desperately trying to make up for years of wanting this and not experiencing it.
Matt had never felt so warm in his life. He vaguely wondered if getting an actual fever was some alien side effect of arousal. His dad never mentioned it. He just knew he shouldn’t scare Sas with the full effect of what she was doing to him now. He wanted her to stay in his arms, not run away.
She was drowning. Drowning beneath the waves of sensation he was creating in her. His lips and tongue were driving her wild and she felt like clawing him even closer still. She needed… she needed… she needed him as close as possible. Inside her if possible. His hands on her back felt right, like they should be shaping the indentation of her spine and in the process press her against his firm chest. Nothing had prepared her for the riot of desire the slow slide of their chests against each other caused in her body. For the piercing ache that was increasing in intensity low in her stomach with each passing minute.
Eventually the need for air forced them apart and they stared at each other in silence, panting for breath and hopelessly enthralled with the results of their shared passion on each other. Red and puffy lips, heated flushed cheeks, dark and hungry eyes… they had never seen such a look before.
“Wow,” Matt finally managed.
Regret and guilt were rapidly overtaking Saskia. What had she done? She struggled out of his hold, moving away from his distracting proximity. “We shouldn’t have done this.”
Matt reigned in his anger. Why did she keep on claiming that they were a mistake? “Why?” he tried to sound calm.
“Because…” She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.
He moved over until he was kneeling before her. “Because what?”
“Because I’m not—not good enough for you, okay!” she burst out. “Because this can only lead nowhere and—”
“Hold up!” he cried. “Not good enough? That is such crap, Sas! You are—”
She jumped up before he could grab her hands. “Well, it’s true and I’d like you to take me home now.”
Staring up at her, he noticed the stiff set of her shoulders and wondered what on earth he could say to make her see how ridiculous her statement was. He was at a complete loss.
“Please Matt?” her voice was small.
He gathered up the blanket and threw it in the back of the Jeep in silence. All the while on the way home, as he took in her determined stare out of the passenger window, he tried to come up with ways to change her mind. He was completely stunned by what she said. In all the years he had known her, he had never suspected she saw herself as inferior to him.
He grabbed her arm as he brought the Jeep to a halt in front of his house, he had noticed she was waiting to flee from the car as soon as the wheels had stopped turning.
She froze.
“Please look at me?” he begged quietly and waited for long moments until she finally met his eyes.
“You are the most perfect girl I know,” he told her firmly, emotion making his voice hoarse. “You are so beautiful and smart and amazing and-and I don’t deserve you.”
“Matt—” she started objecting.
“I don’t care what lie you believe about yourself.” Pausing, he squared his shoulders before continuing. “I’m telling you now… I’m not giving up until you give us a chance.” His hand dropped from her arm, allowing her her freedom.
She stared at him with wide eyes, before climbing out of the car and slowly making her way to her apartment.
Matt watched her leave with his heart in his throat. He prayed she would give in eventually.
tbc
6+7
PART 6
Lying on her bed on Saturday afternoon, Saskia mulled the morning’s events over in her mind. That kiss had been… explosive. It had made her feel things she didn’t recognize. But most of all she remembered the pleading on Matthew’s face as he spoke to her. Pleading and determination.
Why won’t he just give up on her? He might be infatuated with her now, but surely he must see all the other gorgeous girls falling all over themselves to be with him? Biting her lip, she rolled over to stare at a picture of the two of them that had been taken last summer stuck into her mirror. She was smiling at the camera, but he had been smiling at her. The merciless tickling had started as soon as the picture had been taken. He had kept it up until she couldn’t breathe from all the screaming and giggling.
Matt could be a real clown when he felt like it.
She had totally caved this morning and it told her one thing. She was not going to be able to withstand Matt’s determined efforts to get them together. He had an uncanny way of homing in on her weaknesses and turning her into putty. School was nearly over for the semester and she wondered if maybe she shouldn’t go away for the summer. Perhaps that will give Matt time to get over his obsession with her and find someone new.
Her heart constricted painfully at the thought.
A splash from outside drew her attention. Desperately trying to escape from her morbid and depressing thoughts, she wandered over to her window. Outside, the Evans’ pool sparkled in the sun and she could see Mr. Evans swimming laps, while Matt’s mom (how did she stay so tiny?) sat on the edge with her legs dangling in the water watching her husband.
Sometimes when Sas watched the two of them, her heart ached in her chest. They radiated such an intense love that everyone else’s paled by comparison. Her parents were in love, but they were no match for Max and Liz Evans.
“Max!” she heard Mrs. Evans cry out, reclaiming her attention. He was standing in front of Liz, busy lifting her into the pool with him. “Did I say I wanted to be in the pool?” She heard the laughter in Mrs. Evans’ voice.
Kissing his wife’s forehead, Mr. Evans waded deeper into the pool until the water touched his shoulders. She could see Liz clinging to his neck, still scolding him, but the contented smiles on their faces were all Sas took note of.
What did it feel like to love and be loved so completely?
She knew from her parents that Max and Liz had gone through so much to finally be together. Maybe continual life-threatening situations made an already special love affair even more intense. It was as if they knew that each moment counted and they were thankful for them all. And they lived them all.
Even though there had been no threats against them in the past years, Mr. Evans remained fiercely protective of his wife and children. Apart from her father, who had strict instructions to be with Liz whenever Max wasn’t around, the kids all had people looking out for them. Max had relented about his kids having bodyguards all the time after many years of peace, but for some reason, James had never been asked to stop guarding Liz. Sas wasn’t sure if it was the result of just not bothering to change an existing situation. But then again, she had seen Max in full flight one night when he got home and no one knew where Liz was, and the complete panic that induced in the household. The raw emotion that had poured off him as soon as she appeared made Sas suspect that he had decided to keep a guard for Liz deliberately. People thought the rich Evans’ were eccentric for always having their servants with them and there once was a rumor around school that Mrs. Evans was having an affair with Sas’ father. Sas had panicked and had told Matt about it worriedly. Matt had laughed until there were tears in his eyes. He had thought it was the funniest thing he had ever heard and had promptly told her to invite the gossips to come visit his home. “I bet they would walk in on my parents in a clinch!” he had quipped at Sas with twinkling eyes.
Her eyes returned to the couple in the pool. They were talking to each other softly, the conversation interspersed with smiles and closer hugs. The ache in her chest grew sharper. Oh, to be held like that and listened to like that!
You could be. If you would only allow Matt in, a traitorous little voice reminded her. One she tried valiantly to squelch.
Her attention was still on the affectionate and playful couple in the pool when Matt came out to join his parents. He wore red swimming trunks and the sight of all that naked skin caused a rush of heat inside Saskia.
It’s not like she hasn’t seen him in swimming trunks before, but knowing how that chest feels pressed against hers and how warm his skin was, added potency to the mere acknowledgement of his beauty.
“Mom, Aunt Maria is on the phone.” He waved a cordless phone in the air and waited for his father to bring Liz closer to the edge so she could get out. They shared a few quick hard kisses before Matt pulled his mom out of the pool by her hand and she went off with the phone while Matt joined his father in the cool water.
She couldn’t tear herself away. She stared at them until they eventually got out and sat side-by-side at the side of the pool. What were they talking about, she wondered? They looked serious. Two identical dark heads were bent together and she could see that Max was listening to something his son was telling him.
It was about her. She knew it.
A deep sigh next to him had prompted Max to ask Matt about his morning. They all knew he had taken Sas on a picnic to try and talk things out, but he hadn’t said anything when he got back, so they had all assumed the worst.
“She is stubborn, but I’m not giving up, Dad,” were the first words out of his mouth, making Max smile.
A shy glance at his father revealed that his Dad was listening as if he was the only person in the world and it gave him courage to continue. “She… I think she likes me,” he said hesitantly. “There is no one else and she’s not mad at me for… you know…” he waved his hand vaguely.
As Max watched his son, he thanked providence that allowed him to be there for him. While Max had grown up, he had had to face so many things alone, guarding his secret, keeping his sister and friend safe, loving Liz and not knowing how to handle it. It hadn’t been his parents’ fault, he had kept so much from them in fear of what they would do if they knew they were raising aliens. He had promised himself the day Matt was born that his son would be able to talk to him about anything.
A worried note had crept into Matt’s voice. “But… she still doesn’t believe we could be together.”
“So, what now?”
“I don’t know. I need to make her see she is wrong, but… I’m not sure how.” He locked gazes with his father. “What do I do?”
Taking a deep breath, Max wondered what advise to give to his son. “Well, be yourself, for one. And…” a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth, “follow your heart.”
Matt sighed. “I will. But I need a battle plan.” He met Max’s eyes. “Spill, Dad. What do you do to get Mom to do what you want her to?”
A hearty chuckle broke from Max’s lips. “Are you trying to get me killed?”
“No,” Matt laughed too. “I just know you two play one another like pros and I’d like to know if there is a secret I should know. About women, I mean.”
“No, they’re all different,” Max informed him. “I just know what your Mom’s weaknesses are. I use them.”
“Like chocolate?”
Max laughed outright at this. “Sort of, but not quite!”
“Like what then?”
Casting a wary glance at Matt, Max wondered how much of this he could reveal without scarring his son for life. “Sci-fi novels, I can always bribe her with that. And,” a small pause, “and being kissed in this one spot in her neck…”
That shut Matt up and he made a production of staring at his feet, still hanging in the water.
“Sorry, did I embarrass you?”
“Uh… a little. She’s my mom, you know!”
“I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to think of her as anything but my perfect partner sometimes,” Max admitted.
The sun was still beating down on them harshly from the New Mexican sky.
“We kissed.” The statement hung in the still air.
Max kept quiet, waiting for Matt to go on.
“Lord, Dad, it was… awesome! I’ve never felt like that before. Like she belonged with me.” He looked at Max to see if he understood. Matt mentally kicked himself. Of course his Dad understood! He was one half of a very famous intergalactic soul mate team.
“So, how did she feel about the kiss?”
“I think it freaked her out afterwards. But…” he cast around for the right words. “She liked it.” Another pause. “A lot,” he ended softly.
Looking down on his son’s bent head, Max suddenly knew how to help his son. It had taken him a while, but he had eventually learned what exactly made Liz melt in a puddle. Not in the normal romance and making love kind of way, but in the she-is-so-dazed-she-would-do-anything kind of way. Among other things, it was from kissing her. They kissed a lot and all the kisses were unique, but Liz was a sucker for his desperate kisses. The ones that said he couldn’t live another minute without kissing her.
A secret smile curved his lips. “So kiss her more.” As Matt’s head snapped up, he continued. “I’m not saying force her, I’m just saying keep reminding her what she is missing… And above all, keep telling her how you feel. Make sure you are a big part of her life. Help her with stuff. Drive her places. Talk to her.” Max chuckled again. “And if the opportunity arises, kiss her.”
More kissing with Sas? Hell yeah, he could do that! “That sounds like a good idea…”
“Just… Matt, you be careful with her, okay? Knowing someone’s weakness does not give you the right to abuse that person with the knowledge. Use it cautiously. Treat her like you would want someone to treat Belle.”
Matt grimaced. “I don’t know Dad. I don’t want anyone’s hands on my sister!”
Slapping him on the shoulder affectionately, Max reminded him. “Just remember that Saskia’s father is a bodyguard whenever you think about putting your hands on his daughter then! He probably feels the same way about her.”
Matt paled visibly. James was huge. He didn’t think he wanted the man ticked off at him. He glared at his father. Great, now he will live with the image of a vengeful James in his head every time he gets near Sas. “Thanks Dad,” he said sarcastically. And then more sincerely, “Thanks Dad.”
“Sure,” Max told him. “Now excuse me, your Mom has been waving at me frantically from the window for a few minutes and I have a suspicion it might be a Guerin emergency.”
“Good luck,” he called after his father before looking over at Sas’ window. She was in there, he knew it. Hiding from him.
He had no idea what made her doubt herself like that, but he was going to prove to her that she was the one for him. He would woo her and kiss her and she would be left in no uncertainty as to exactly how much power she held over him.
Speaking of which, he slid into the cool water of the pool again. Damn, he was definitely experiencing some weaknesses himself!
Tonight he will do some planning, and tomorrow he will start breaking down Sas’ resolve.
He had to. He needed her.
PART 7
A lovely aroma woke Saskia up the next morning. Her eyes opened lazily to see a bunch of flowers lying on her nightstand. Hastily sitting up, she noticed the drapes from her window fluttering slightly in the early morning breeze. Only two people ever climbed through her window at odd hours of the night and somehow she didn’t think Belle had left her the flowers.
Three yellow daffodils and three white tulips. Her favorites. Damn the man.
Much to the annoyance of his sister, who was still trying to sleep, Matt was practically hanging out of her second story window so he could see what was going on in Sas’ room. Belle’s was the only room with a view over the pool and the apartment. Just a section of her room was visible, but he still hoped he could maybe see what her reaction to the flowers was. He could see them lying on the edge of her nightstand. Was she awake yet, he wondered?
“You owe me coffee in bed for this intrusion, big brother,” Belle mumbled sleepily from underneath her covers. “Can you even see anything?”
“Not yet. And you’re right, I owe you big for now and for yesterday,” he said over his shoulder. Right now, he was prepared to owe things to a lot of people if only it would help him win Sas over.
Then… a slim hand reached for the flowers, picking them up and lifting them from his line of vision. He craned his neck, but to no avail. Just as he was cursing under his breath, she appeared in front of the window, the flowers pressed to her face. Matt nearly fell on his butt as he scrambled to get out of sight before she looked up. He ignored the small giggle coming from his sister’s bed and cautiously edged closer to the window again.
It looked like she had been given the best gift of her life. She was handling the flowers reverently, her fingers lightly touching the petals on each one. But most of all, he noticed the wistful smile on her face. Like she knew something precious was never going to be hers.
He wanted to run downstairs to surround her with his embrace and hold her until that smile turned into a happy one full of hope for the future.
Climbing through her window earlier, he had been struck again by her beauty. Her face had looked so sweet with its flushed cheeks and gently parted lips. It was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her awake. Her one thigh had been flung over the covers and he had allowed himself a minute to memorize every sleek line. But touching her would make her even more wary of him, so he had settled for whispering softly: “You are so beautiful,” before scrambling out of the window again.
After she had disappeared from the window, he sat quietly for a few minutes, wondering how it had happened that she had taken over his heart so completely. He hadn’t really noticed it at first. She had just always been there, part of his life. It was only after he kissed her so long ago and she started withdrawing from him, that he realized he didn’t want her to be gone from his life. He wanted her to be his life.
“Coffee, Matt Evans,” Belle grumbled from the bed. “The peep show is over.”
He kissed Belle on the top of her head before going downstairs to make coffee. Yet another fancy new machine graced the counter top, making Matt grin widely. His parents could be so funny sometimes!
A little later, he went back upstairs with four cups of coffee. Depositing one on Belle’s nightstand, he hovered uncertainly beside her bed. “Belle, you won’t…”
“Tell Saskia you are plotting against her?” a sleepy voice came from beneath her pillow. “No, you’re secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks, sis.” She got another kiss, this time on her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too, but you are trying my patience with the incessant waking me up thing…”
“I’m gone,” he chuckled, walking off to his parents’ room.
The door was open for a change.
Inside, his mom was reading the paper in bed, leaning against the headboard, while his dad slept on his stomach, his arm thrown over his mom’s hips.
“Mom?” he called softly.
She looked up at him and held her finger to her mouth, mouthing ‘shhh’. “Dad was up late talking with Nick. There was some problem with one of our flights to Dendar.”
Nodding, Matt put their coffees next to their bed. He looked at his mother hesitantly. “Could I ask you a favor?”
Liz nodded, her hand finding Max’s and their fingers entwined automatically as Max pulled her closer to him in his sleep. In spite of the fact that his parents were obviously enjoying a great physical relationship, this is what Matt admired about them the most. The way they were always the uppermost in each other’s minds. It was evident in little things. Like finding his mom asleep on his dad’s lap in the TV room late at night, or the fact that his mom would sit and read in his dad’s study if he was there working late. The fact that his dad still gets upset if his mom is ill or that his mom kept making this weird pie thing for dessert that nobody but his dad liked. That they still held hands whenever they walked together and that his dad knew exactly what to do when his mom cried. And that his mom was the only person who could calm down his dad when things got intense. That they talked to each other and listened to each other.
They loved each other to distraction and they showed it.
And he wanted it too. With Sas.
“Well, uhm, I was wondering if we could… if you could invite Sas and her parents for lunch today?” he practically whispered. Both from fear that he would wake his father and from feeling vulnerable for asking.
“Of course!” Liz smiled at him, then glanced ruefully at Max. “Luckily I managed to actually buy some food yesterday, in spite of your father.”
Matt grinned. He had asked her once why she kept on taking his dad to the store with her if he was actually mostly in the way, and she had told him that she would rather have him in her way, than not see him. Their work kept them very busy and mostly apart, so they were jealous about the time they got to spend together.
He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek too. “Thank you.”
Max waited until Matt had left the room before pressing his lips to the bare skin where Liz’s drawstring pants had ridden low on her hips. Her startled gasp amused him.
“Sorry, honey, did we wake you?”
Nuzzling her hip, he smiled against her skin. “Not really, I was just being lazy.”
“Matt brought coffee.”
Sitting up to take the coffee from her, Max kissed her softly. “I can see he’s in love. He’s even getting up early!” He pulled Liz between his thighs so that she could lean back against his chest. “But then, we slept in the desert just to be alone!”
This caused a chuckle from Liz. “Yeah, we did.” She rubbed her hand over his thigh. “Are you feeling better about the ship thing?”
“Not really.” He was suddenly tense against her. “People died so needlessly.” His hand flattened over her stomach, thinking of that time 19 years ago when he and Liz had also been on a Dendarian ship and she had been pregnant with Matt. “I’m going to have to talk with the Dendarians, though. Before this turns into a diplomatic mess.”
She twisted around in his hold so she could meet his gaze. “Tell me what to do.”
Taking her coffee cup from her hand and placing it carefully next to the bed, he pulled her higher against his chest. “You can help me talk to the partners of those that died later today.” He kissed her nose lightly. “But let’s not talk about this anymore.” His mouth feathered over hers, teasing and tantalizing it.
“The door, Max,” Liz managed to whisper against his lips. He held out his hand towards it without breaking the kiss and it slammed shut resoundingly. His tongue-tip probed her lips, silently asking her to open her mouth, but she teased him a little by keeping it closed. Changing tactics, he stroked his tongue over her lips, tracing their soft curves, over and over again, until Liz could hear herself moan softly. But still she kept her lips pressed together.
His mouth moved tantalizingly over her throat and then her jaw, covering every inch of her face but her lips, and Liz found herself moaning again, this time with longing. Unable to endure any more of his delicious torment, she put her hand against his face and turned his mouth to hers, exhaling in a soft swoon of relief as she finally tasted the hard warmth she had been aching for.
“Max…” She could hear herself whispering his name as she slid her fingers into his hair and clasped his head, probing the hard outline of his lips with small, darting thrusts of her tongue.
A shudder of pleasure went through both of them as they finally parted their lips and deepened the kiss. They poured their love into each other, sharing their deepest feelings and making each other complete.
Nothing could compare to this.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt was a mess by the time they all sat down to lunch around the huge table on the patio. He had insisted on helping his mother with the preparations and it had helped keep him busy, but now he had to woo Sas with her father just across the table from him. He was afraid he would have a nervous breakdown.
Saskia was in just as much of a state. She had freaked over what to wear and had finally managed to calm down somewhat, but the first thing she saw when she arrived at the table was the bunch of tulips and daffodils sitting as a centerpiece. Her eyes had flown to Matt and he had given her a small smile in acknowledgement. A bright blush over her cheeks had given her pleasure away, even after she looked away from him hastily.
Max and James were busy talking about the fire on board of the ship that killed some of their people, while Liz and Shilla talked about planning a party for all the kids after school got out for the summer. Belle and Sas were discussing a movie, but Matt merely watched Sas with dark eyes.
“What are your plans for summer, Saskia?” Liz asked later.
Not for all the money in the world could Sas stop her glance at Matt before she answered. “I—I thought I would go to camp in Canada…” She refused to look at Matt again, even though she could feel the weight of his stare.
“C—Canada?” Matt sounded shocked. Did she want to get away from him that badly?
Liz had seen her son pale and she also saw the worried glances Shilla kept aiming and Sas and Matt.
“I’m still deciding,” Sas muttered while continuing to stare at her plate.
“When would you have to leave?” It was like everyone but Matt and Sas had disappeared from the table.
“I don’t know, maybe two weeks,” she said softly.
His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He only had two weeks! “Sas, please—”
“We might be going to Tresar,” Liz interrupted him, causing his head to swing towards her. She made big eyes at him and looked pointedly at Shilla. Shilla, who had her whole attention on the interchange between Matt and Sas.
“We want you to come along if you can,” Liz spoke to James now.
“Of course we will come along!” he assured her immediately. “Just tell us when.”
Liz laughed. “Well, Sas has to get Matt through graduation first! I don’t know what we would’ve done if he didn’t have her to help him.” This caused a happy glow on Shilla’s face. “You all are great friends to us,” Liz said and squeezed Shilla’s hand, praying that she was helping her son.
Matt was miserable. Again. He had had it all planned out. He was going to be charming and flirt with Sas subtly all through lunch, but she’s managed to cut him off at the knees with one sentence. This was becoming a test of determination. His to be with her, and hers to get away from him. And now he has managed to make her mother suspicious too. Great.
“Why don’t you three go get the dessert?” Liz asked Belle.
Belle bounded out of her seat immediately. “Come on you two!” She breezed into the house, a reluctant Sas and a muted Matt following. Just out of sight of the parents, she turned around. “Could you guys go along? I need to go get some aspirin in my room.” And she bailed, leaving Matt and Sass alone.
Keep walking, Sas told herself and managed to make it to the kitchen.
“Would you stop this, please?” Matt said urgently as soon as they halted.
“What?”
“This… running away from me. From us.” His voice was firm now. She inhaled sharply as he stepped closer to her, taking her hand.
“Don’t, Matt…” she sounded weak, even to herself. “We can’t…”
He was even closer now. “No, you won’t let us,” he countered quietly.
She backed away, bumping into the counter. He followed her. “Please give me a chance,” he urged her. “I won’t ever hurt you, I promise.” He touched her face tenderly, skimming his fingertips lightly over her cheekbone, watching as her eyes fluttered closed.
“Please don’t go to Canada. I will… miss you too much.” His breath feathered over her lips, making her shudder. She couldn’t think when he was so near. His warm scent overwhelmed her, making her crave to be in his arms. She remembered how it felt to be kissed by him and felt light-headed with desire to experience it again.
Then she was.
He touched his mouth to hers gently, giving her time to pull away, but she stood frozen, allowing him to continue. It was a heartbreakingly gentle kiss. His arms wrapped around her, bringing her tightly against him as his mouth moved over hers tenderly.
A small sound in her throat signaled her surrender just before she started kissing him back. The kiss got deeper, but stayed gentle. A long, slow mating of their mouths.
It was Matt that finally broke away, breathing heavily as he stared down at her. “Please don’t leave,” he said again.
Belle arrived amid much noise, allowing them to step away from each other. Sas didn’t even notice that Belle didn’t seem surprised that nothing had been done about the dessert yet, she was too busy reeling from that kiss.
She could have handled passion and lust. But she was powerless against tenderness and caring.
Love, her little voice whispered again. He kissed you as if he loved you.
Shut up!
tbc
Lying on her bed on Saturday afternoon, Saskia mulled the morning’s events over in her mind. That kiss had been… explosive. It had made her feel things she didn’t recognize. But most of all she remembered the pleading on Matthew’s face as he spoke to her. Pleading and determination.
Why won’t he just give up on her? He might be infatuated with her now, but surely he must see all the other gorgeous girls falling all over themselves to be with him? Biting her lip, she rolled over to stare at a picture of the two of them that had been taken last summer stuck into her mirror. She was smiling at the camera, but he had been smiling at her. The merciless tickling had started as soon as the picture had been taken. He had kept it up until she couldn’t breathe from all the screaming and giggling.
Matt could be a real clown when he felt like it.
She had totally caved this morning and it told her one thing. She was not going to be able to withstand Matt’s determined efforts to get them together. He had an uncanny way of homing in on her weaknesses and turning her into putty. School was nearly over for the semester and she wondered if maybe she shouldn’t go away for the summer. Perhaps that will give Matt time to get over his obsession with her and find someone new.
Her heart constricted painfully at the thought.
A splash from outside drew her attention. Desperately trying to escape from her morbid and depressing thoughts, she wandered over to her window. Outside, the Evans’ pool sparkled in the sun and she could see Mr. Evans swimming laps, while Matt’s mom (how did she stay so tiny?) sat on the edge with her legs dangling in the water watching her husband.
Sometimes when Sas watched the two of them, her heart ached in her chest. They radiated such an intense love that everyone else’s paled by comparison. Her parents were in love, but they were no match for Max and Liz Evans.
“Max!” she heard Mrs. Evans cry out, reclaiming her attention. He was standing in front of Liz, busy lifting her into the pool with him. “Did I say I wanted to be in the pool?” She heard the laughter in Mrs. Evans’ voice.
Kissing his wife’s forehead, Mr. Evans waded deeper into the pool until the water touched his shoulders. She could see Liz clinging to his neck, still scolding him, but the contented smiles on their faces were all Sas took note of.
What did it feel like to love and be loved so completely?
She knew from her parents that Max and Liz had gone through so much to finally be together. Maybe continual life-threatening situations made an already special love affair even more intense. It was as if they knew that each moment counted and they were thankful for them all. And they lived them all.
Even though there had been no threats against them in the past years, Mr. Evans remained fiercely protective of his wife and children. Apart from her father, who had strict instructions to be with Liz whenever Max wasn’t around, the kids all had people looking out for them. Max had relented about his kids having bodyguards all the time after many years of peace, but for some reason, James had never been asked to stop guarding Liz. Sas wasn’t sure if it was the result of just not bothering to change an existing situation. But then again, she had seen Max in full flight one night when he got home and no one knew where Liz was, and the complete panic that induced in the household. The raw emotion that had poured off him as soon as she appeared made Sas suspect that he had decided to keep a guard for Liz deliberately. People thought the rich Evans’ were eccentric for always having their servants with them and there once was a rumor around school that Mrs. Evans was having an affair with Sas’ father. Sas had panicked and had told Matt about it worriedly. Matt had laughed until there were tears in his eyes. He had thought it was the funniest thing he had ever heard and had promptly told her to invite the gossips to come visit his home. “I bet they would walk in on my parents in a clinch!” he had quipped at Sas with twinkling eyes.
Her eyes returned to the couple in the pool. They were talking to each other softly, the conversation interspersed with smiles and closer hugs. The ache in her chest grew sharper. Oh, to be held like that and listened to like that!
You could be. If you would only allow Matt in, a traitorous little voice reminded her. One she tried valiantly to squelch.
Her attention was still on the affectionate and playful couple in the pool when Matt came out to join his parents. He wore red swimming trunks and the sight of all that naked skin caused a rush of heat inside Saskia.
It’s not like she hasn’t seen him in swimming trunks before, but knowing how that chest feels pressed against hers and how warm his skin was, added potency to the mere acknowledgement of his beauty.
“Mom, Aunt Maria is on the phone.” He waved a cordless phone in the air and waited for his father to bring Liz closer to the edge so she could get out. They shared a few quick hard kisses before Matt pulled his mom out of the pool by her hand and she went off with the phone while Matt joined his father in the cool water.
She couldn’t tear herself away. She stared at them until they eventually got out and sat side-by-side at the side of the pool. What were they talking about, she wondered? They looked serious. Two identical dark heads were bent together and she could see that Max was listening to something his son was telling him.
It was about her. She knew it.
A deep sigh next to him had prompted Max to ask Matt about his morning. They all knew he had taken Sas on a picnic to try and talk things out, but he hadn’t said anything when he got back, so they had all assumed the worst.
“She is stubborn, but I’m not giving up, Dad,” were the first words out of his mouth, making Max smile.
A shy glance at his father revealed that his Dad was listening as if he was the only person in the world and it gave him courage to continue. “She… I think she likes me,” he said hesitantly. “There is no one else and she’s not mad at me for… you know…” he waved his hand vaguely.
As Max watched his son, he thanked providence that allowed him to be there for him. While Max had grown up, he had had to face so many things alone, guarding his secret, keeping his sister and friend safe, loving Liz and not knowing how to handle it. It hadn’t been his parents’ fault, he had kept so much from them in fear of what they would do if they knew they were raising aliens. He had promised himself the day Matt was born that his son would be able to talk to him about anything.
A worried note had crept into Matt’s voice. “But… she still doesn’t believe we could be together.”
“So, what now?”
“I don’t know. I need to make her see she is wrong, but… I’m not sure how.” He locked gazes with his father. “What do I do?”
Taking a deep breath, Max wondered what advise to give to his son. “Well, be yourself, for one. And…” a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth, “follow your heart.”
Matt sighed. “I will. But I need a battle plan.” He met Max’s eyes. “Spill, Dad. What do you do to get Mom to do what you want her to?”
A hearty chuckle broke from Max’s lips. “Are you trying to get me killed?”
“No,” Matt laughed too. “I just know you two play one another like pros and I’d like to know if there is a secret I should know. About women, I mean.”
“No, they’re all different,” Max informed him. “I just know what your Mom’s weaknesses are. I use them.”
“Like chocolate?”
Max laughed outright at this. “Sort of, but not quite!”
“Like what then?”
Casting a wary glance at Matt, Max wondered how much of this he could reveal without scarring his son for life. “Sci-fi novels, I can always bribe her with that. And,” a small pause, “and being kissed in this one spot in her neck…”
That shut Matt up and he made a production of staring at his feet, still hanging in the water.
“Sorry, did I embarrass you?”
“Uh… a little. She’s my mom, you know!”
“I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to think of her as anything but my perfect partner sometimes,” Max admitted.
The sun was still beating down on them harshly from the New Mexican sky.
“We kissed.” The statement hung in the still air.
Max kept quiet, waiting for Matt to go on.
“Lord, Dad, it was… awesome! I’ve never felt like that before. Like she belonged with me.” He looked at Max to see if he understood. Matt mentally kicked himself. Of course his Dad understood! He was one half of a very famous intergalactic soul mate team.
“So, how did she feel about the kiss?”
“I think it freaked her out afterwards. But…” he cast around for the right words. “She liked it.” Another pause. “A lot,” he ended softly.
Looking down on his son’s bent head, Max suddenly knew how to help his son. It had taken him a while, but he had eventually learned what exactly made Liz melt in a puddle. Not in the normal romance and making love kind of way, but in the she-is-so-dazed-she-would-do-anything kind of way. Among other things, it was from kissing her. They kissed a lot and all the kisses were unique, but Liz was a sucker for his desperate kisses. The ones that said he couldn’t live another minute without kissing her.
A secret smile curved his lips. “So kiss her more.” As Matt’s head snapped up, he continued. “I’m not saying force her, I’m just saying keep reminding her what she is missing… And above all, keep telling her how you feel. Make sure you are a big part of her life. Help her with stuff. Drive her places. Talk to her.” Max chuckled again. “And if the opportunity arises, kiss her.”
More kissing with Sas? Hell yeah, he could do that! “That sounds like a good idea…”
“Just… Matt, you be careful with her, okay? Knowing someone’s weakness does not give you the right to abuse that person with the knowledge. Use it cautiously. Treat her like you would want someone to treat Belle.”
Matt grimaced. “I don’t know Dad. I don’t want anyone’s hands on my sister!”
Slapping him on the shoulder affectionately, Max reminded him. “Just remember that Saskia’s father is a bodyguard whenever you think about putting your hands on his daughter then! He probably feels the same way about her.”
Matt paled visibly. James was huge. He didn’t think he wanted the man ticked off at him. He glared at his father. Great, now he will live with the image of a vengeful James in his head every time he gets near Sas. “Thanks Dad,” he said sarcastically. And then more sincerely, “Thanks Dad.”
“Sure,” Max told him. “Now excuse me, your Mom has been waving at me frantically from the window for a few minutes and I have a suspicion it might be a Guerin emergency.”
“Good luck,” he called after his father before looking over at Sas’ window. She was in there, he knew it. Hiding from him.
He had no idea what made her doubt herself like that, but he was going to prove to her that she was the one for him. He would woo her and kiss her and she would be left in no uncertainty as to exactly how much power she held over him.
Speaking of which, he slid into the cool water of the pool again. Damn, he was definitely experiencing some weaknesses himself!
Tonight he will do some planning, and tomorrow he will start breaking down Sas’ resolve.
He had to. He needed her.
PART 7
A lovely aroma woke Saskia up the next morning. Her eyes opened lazily to see a bunch of flowers lying on her nightstand. Hastily sitting up, she noticed the drapes from her window fluttering slightly in the early morning breeze. Only two people ever climbed through her window at odd hours of the night and somehow she didn’t think Belle had left her the flowers.
Three yellow daffodils and three white tulips. Her favorites. Damn the man.
Much to the annoyance of his sister, who was still trying to sleep, Matt was practically hanging out of her second story window so he could see what was going on in Sas’ room. Belle’s was the only room with a view over the pool and the apartment. Just a section of her room was visible, but he still hoped he could maybe see what her reaction to the flowers was. He could see them lying on the edge of her nightstand. Was she awake yet, he wondered?
“You owe me coffee in bed for this intrusion, big brother,” Belle mumbled sleepily from underneath her covers. “Can you even see anything?”
“Not yet. And you’re right, I owe you big for now and for yesterday,” he said over his shoulder. Right now, he was prepared to owe things to a lot of people if only it would help him win Sas over.
Then… a slim hand reached for the flowers, picking them up and lifting them from his line of vision. He craned his neck, but to no avail. Just as he was cursing under his breath, she appeared in front of the window, the flowers pressed to her face. Matt nearly fell on his butt as he scrambled to get out of sight before she looked up. He ignored the small giggle coming from his sister’s bed and cautiously edged closer to the window again.
It looked like she had been given the best gift of her life. She was handling the flowers reverently, her fingers lightly touching the petals on each one. But most of all, he noticed the wistful smile on her face. Like she knew something precious was never going to be hers.
He wanted to run downstairs to surround her with his embrace and hold her until that smile turned into a happy one full of hope for the future.
Climbing through her window earlier, he had been struck again by her beauty. Her face had looked so sweet with its flushed cheeks and gently parted lips. It was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her awake. Her one thigh had been flung over the covers and he had allowed himself a minute to memorize every sleek line. But touching her would make her even more wary of him, so he had settled for whispering softly: “You are so beautiful,” before scrambling out of the window again.
After she had disappeared from the window, he sat quietly for a few minutes, wondering how it had happened that she had taken over his heart so completely. He hadn’t really noticed it at first. She had just always been there, part of his life. It was only after he kissed her so long ago and she started withdrawing from him, that he realized he didn’t want her to be gone from his life. He wanted her to be his life.
“Coffee, Matt Evans,” Belle grumbled from the bed. “The peep show is over.”
He kissed Belle on the top of her head before going downstairs to make coffee. Yet another fancy new machine graced the counter top, making Matt grin widely. His parents could be so funny sometimes!
A little later, he went back upstairs with four cups of coffee. Depositing one on Belle’s nightstand, he hovered uncertainly beside her bed. “Belle, you won’t…”
“Tell Saskia you are plotting against her?” a sleepy voice came from beneath her pillow. “No, you’re secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks, sis.” She got another kiss, this time on her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too, but you are trying my patience with the incessant waking me up thing…”
“I’m gone,” he chuckled, walking off to his parents’ room.
The door was open for a change.
Inside, his mom was reading the paper in bed, leaning against the headboard, while his dad slept on his stomach, his arm thrown over his mom’s hips.
“Mom?” he called softly.
She looked up at him and held her finger to her mouth, mouthing ‘shhh’. “Dad was up late talking with Nick. There was some problem with one of our flights to Dendar.”
Nodding, Matt put their coffees next to their bed. He looked at his mother hesitantly. “Could I ask you a favor?”
Liz nodded, her hand finding Max’s and their fingers entwined automatically as Max pulled her closer to him in his sleep. In spite of the fact that his parents were obviously enjoying a great physical relationship, this is what Matt admired about them the most. The way they were always the uppermost in each other’s minds. It was evident in little things. Like finding his mom asleep on his dad’s lap in the TV room late at night, or the fact that his mom would sit and read in his dad’s study if he was there working late. The fact that his dad still gets upset if his mom is ill or that his mom kept making this weird pie thing for dessert that nobody but his dad liked. That they still held hands whenever they walked together and that his dad knew exactly what to do when his mom cried. And that his mom was the only person who could calm down his dad when things got intense. That they talked to each other and listened to each other.
They loved each other to distraction and they showed it.
And he wanted it too. With Sas.
“Well, uhm, I was wondering if we could… if you could invite Sas and her parents for lunch today?” he practically whispered. Both from fear that he would wake his father and from feeling vulnerable for asking.
“Of course!” Liz smiled at him, then glanced ruefully at Max. “Luckily I managed to actually buy some food yesterday, in spite of your father.”
Matt grinned. He had asked her once why she kept on taking his dad to the store with her if he was actually mostly in the way, and she had told him that she would rather have him in her way, than not see him. Their work kept them very busy and mostly apart, so they were jealous about the time they got to spend together.
He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek too. “Thank you.”
Max waited until Matt had left the room before pressing his lips to the bare skin where Liz’s drawstring pants had ridden low on her hips. Her startled gasp amused him.
“Sorry, honey, did we wake you?”
Nuzzling her hip, he smiled against her skin. “Not really, I was just being lazy.”
“Matt brought coffee.”
Sitting up to take the coffee from her, Max kissed her softly. “I can see he’s in love. He’s even getting up early!” He pulled Liz between his thighs so that she could lean back against his chest. “But then, we slept in the desert just to be alone!”
This caused a chuckle from Liz. “Yeah, we did.” She rubbed her hand over his thigh. “Are you feeling better about the ship thing?”
“Not really.” He was suddenly tense against her. “People died so needlessly.” His hand flattened over her stomach, thinking of that time 19 years ago when he and Liz had also been on a Dendarian ship and she had been pregnant with Matt. “I’m going to have to talk with the Dendarians, though. Before this turns into a diplomatic mess.”
She twisted around in his hold so she could meet his gaze. “Tell me what to do.”
Taking her coffee cup from her hand and placing it carefully next to the bed, he pulled her higher against his chest. “You can help me talk to the partners of those that died later today.” He kissed her nose lightly. “But let’s not talk about this anymore.” His mouth feathered over hers, teasing and tantalizing it.
“The door, Max,” Liz managed to whisper against his lips. He held out his hand towards it without breaking the kiss and it slammed shut resoundingly. His tongue-tip probed her lips, silently asking her to open her mouth, but she teased him a little by keeping it closed. Changing tactics, he stroked his tongue over her lips, tracing their soft curves, over and over again, until Liz could hear herself moan softly. But still she kept her lips pressed together.
His mouth moved tantalizingly over her throat and then her jaw, covering every inch of her face but her lips, and Liz found herself moaning again, this time with longing. Unable to endure any more of his delicious torment, she put her hand against his face and turned his mouth to hers, exhaling in a soft swoon of relief as she finally tasted the hard warmth she had been aching for.
“Max…” She could hear herself whispering his name as she slid her fingers into his hair and clasped his head, probing the hard outline of his lips with small, darting thrusts of her tongue.
A shudder of pleasure went through both of them as they finally parted their lips and deepened the kiss. They poured their love into each other, sharing their deepest feelings and making each other complete.
Nothing could compare to this.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt was a mess by the time they all sat down to lunch around the huge table on the patio. He had insisted on helping his mother with the preparations and it had helped keep him busy, but now he had to woo Sas with her father just across the table from him. He was afraid he would have a nervous breakdown.
Saskia was in just as much of a state. She had freaked over what to wear and had finally managed to calm down somewhat, but the first thing she saw when she arrived at the table was the bunch of tulips and daffodils sitting as a centerpiece. Her eyes had flown to Matt and he had given her a small smile in acknowledgement. A bright blush over her cheeks had given her pleasure away, even after she looked away from him hastily.
Max and James were busy talking about the fire on board of the ship that killed some of their people, while Liz and Shilla talked about planning a party for all the kids after school got out for the summer. Belle and Sas were discussing a movie, but Matt merely watched Sas with dark eyes.
“What are your plans for summer, Saskia?” Liz asked later.
Not for all the money in the world could Sas stop her glance at Matt before she answered. “I—I thought I would go to camp in Canada…” She refused to look at Matt again, even though she could feel the weight of his stare.
“C—Canada?” Matt sounded shocked. Did she want to get away from him that badly?
Liz had seen her son pale and she also saw the worried glances Shilla kept aiming and Sas and Matt.
“I’m still deciding,” Sas muttered while continuing to stare at her plate.
“When would you have to leave?” It was like everyone but Matt and Sas had disappeared from the table.
“I don’t know, maybe two weeks,” she said softly.
His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He only had two weeks! “Sas, please—”
“We might be going to Tresar,” Liz interrupted him, causing his head to swing towards her. She made big eyes at him and looked pointedly at Shilla. Shilla, who had her whole attention on the interchange between Matt and Sas.
“We want you to come along if you can,” Liz spoke to James now.
“Of course we will come along!” he assured her immediately. “Just tell us when.”
Liz laughed. “Well, Sas has to get Matt through graduation first! I don’t know what we would’ve done if he didn’t have her to help him.” This caused a happy glow on Shilla’s face. “You all are great friends to us,” Liz said and squeezed Shilla’s hand, praying that she was helping her son.
Matt was miserable. Again. He had had it all planned out. He was going to be charming and flirt with Sas subtly all through lunch, but she’s managed to cut him off at the knees with one sentence. This was becoming a test of determination. His to be with her, and hers to get away from him. And now he has managed to make her mother suspicious too. Great.
“Why don’t you three go get the dessert?” Liz asked Belle.
Belle bounded out of her seat immediately. “Come on you two!” She breezed into the house, a reluctant Sas and a muted Matt following. Just out of sight of the parents, she turned around. “Could you guys go along? I need to go get some aspirin in my room.” And she bailed, leaving Matt and Sass alone.
Keep walking, Sas told herself and managed to make it to the kitchen.
“Would you stop this, please?” Matt said urgently as soon as they halted.
“What?”
“This… running away from me. From us.” His voice was firm now. She inhaled sharply as he stepped closer to her, taking her hand.
“Don’t, Matt…” she sounded weak, even to herself. “We can’t…”
He was even closer now. “No, you won’t let us,” he countered quietly.
She backed away, bumping into the counter. He followed her. “Please give me a chance,” he urged her. “I won’t ever hurt you, I promise.” He touched her face tenderly, skimming his fingertips lightly over her cheekbone, watching as her eyes fluttered closed.
“Please don’t go to Canada. I will… miss you too much.” His breath feathered over her lips, making her shudder. She couldn’t think when he was so near. His warm scent overwhelmed her, making her crave to be in his arms. She remembered how it felt to be kissed by him and felt light-headed with desire to experience it again.
Then she was.
He touched his mouth to hers gently, giving her time to pull away, but she stood frozen, allowing him to continue. It was a heartbreakingly gentle kiss. His arms wrapped around her, bringing her tightly against him as his mouth moved over hers tenderly.
A small sound in her throat signaled her surrender just before she started kissing him back. The kiss got deeper, but stayed gentle. A long, slow mating of their mouths.
It was Matt that finally broke away, breathing heavily as he stared down at her. “Please don’t leave,” he said again.
Belle arrived amid much noise, allowing them to step away from each other. Sas didn’t even notice that Belle didn’t seem surprised that nothing had been done about the dessert yet, she was too busy reeling from that kiss.
She could have handled passion and lust. But she was powerless against tenderness and caring.
Love, her little voice whispered again. He kissed you as if he loved you.
Shut up!
tbc
8+9
PART 8
“I—I think we need to talk.” Hovering in her daughter’s doorway, Shilla wondered how to approach this. The room spoke of the closeness between Saskia and Matthew. Between Saskia and all the Evans’. Living on earth had been a real revelation to Shilla, but she was still confused as to how to handle her status with Max and Liz. And how to let her daughter handle it…
She knew what was coming. Sas sat on her bed, waiting breathlessly for her mother to start speaking. She could hear her own heart beat loudly in her chest. She was trying to stay away from Matt, couldn’t they see that? And couldn’t they see how hard it was for her?
Her mother was from the old school. She was nice and sweet, but she believed in staying in her place. Even though a lot of things have changed while they lived on earth and in America, she remained at heart, a servant girl from Dendar.
“What is going on between you and Matthew?” Shilla eventually asked after she had settled herself next to Sas on the bed.
“I…” She had no idea what to say to her mother. “We…”
Shilla rubbed her daughter’s leg comfortingly. “I don’t want you to get hurt later, sweetie. He is a very important young man.”
“I’m in love with him.” It just tumbled out. She was too afraid to look at her mother, fearing her reaction.
Sighing heavily, Shilla fought the panic of having her worst fear confirmed. “I can understand that, but… One day, he…” She fell silent. One day he will what? He will be the King of a planet that doesn’t exist anymore? He is going to have to marry someone from one of the other planets in a political match? Somehow she didn’t see Matthew’s parents asking that of him. All she knew was she had to protect her daughter from a situation that could only end badly for her.
“I’m trying not to get involved with him, Mom, but he won’t leave me alone. He has decided that he wants to be with me and… and I don’t know how to make him stop.” And I don’t want him to stop.
“Is that why you want to go to Canada for camp?”
A defeated nod. “I don’t know what else to do,” Sas murmured.
“Then I will help you to go. We can’t do this, Saskia. Matthew needs to be free to get involved with someone… who is right for him.”
“Yeah.” Sas was starting to shiver now, but that small spark of rebellion inside that wanted Matt and didn’t want to just give up on a chance with him, wouldn’t be silenced so easily. “But I don’t understand!” she blurted out. “Mrs. Evans was not someone important before she married Mr. Evans?”
“It’s complicated, Sas. This planet does not have a real servant class like we do. Not one into which you are born and for which you are marked for life,” she ended, showing Saskia the faded tattoo on her right wrist. “I’m so sorry for being… who I am,” she told her daughter fervently. “I’m sorry for causing you this heartache.”
“It’s not you, Mom. I don’t blame you.” Sas hugged her mother. “This situation is just horrible for a lot of people…” Pulling away, she looked met her mother’s gaze. “I’m hurting him, and… and it’s horrible for me to do that.”
Shilla’s eyes had widened at that comment. She wasn’t sure what was worse, the daughter of a servant getting involved with the Crown Prince, or the daughter of a servant upsetting the Crown Prince and, by implication, the whole royal family.
“We’ll make a plan, sweetheart, don’t worry,” she assured Sas, hugging her again. But inside, Shilla was quaking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Moonlight shimmered silver on the water of the pool as Liz sat quietly in one of the deck chairs, writing in her journal. She still kept one, but now she wrote in it only once in a while. Most of what would usually have made it into the pages of this book, now made it to the ears of her ever patient husband.
Tonight though, she needed to get some of the heartache of the afternoon out of her system without adding to that of Max. She could feel him struggling to cope with the deaths of his people. There was only a small group of Antarians left and he cared about them all. The malfunction on the ship to Dendar was a stupid way to die for members of a group of people that survived a planetary holocaust.
Wiping away a tear, she heard soft footsteps and raised her head to see Sas walking towards the pool. She was wearing a demure one-piece and carried a towel in her hand, obviously unaware of anyone else’s presence.
“Hi Saskia,” Liz called softly, not wanting to frighten the girl.
Sas jerked around with a soft gasp. “Oh! Mrs. Evans! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’ll go, I don’t want to—”
“Don’t be silly! Stay.” Liz waved her hand at the pool.
Instead Saskia walked over to Liz. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m just… sad because of the accident.” She indicated a chair next to her and Sas sat down cautiously. “It makes you think, you know?” Liz continued. “Life is so precious. And it can be taken away so quickly.” Her gaze pinned Sas. “You have to make the most of every opportunity, grasp what life offers you.”
Sas nodded mutely. Liz obviously knew about Matt’s thing for her too.
Liz took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Don’t let fear keep you from being happy. I nearly did that a long time ago and,” a shadow flitted across her face, “I wouldn’t have had the love of the most wonderful person I have ever known.”
Bending her head, Sas spoke tremulously. “I know I’m hurting Matt…”
“Yes, you are,” Liz confirmed. “But you are hurting yourself too.” She waited until Sas looked up, meeting her gaze. “Are you sure you have a valid reason for doing it?”
“The best reason,” Sas answered immediately. “I’m doing it for Matt.”
This silenced Liz momentarily. She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the stars. “Did you know I left Max once?”
Sas could not even fathom either of the Evans’ without each other. They were like a unit and she had just assumed it had always been like that. “No.”
“I thought I was the worst thing he could have in his life. There… was someone else that I thought he should rather be with. I made both of us really miserable.” She threaded her fingers through her dark hair. “But you know what? It turned out she would have been terrible for him.” Looking over, she noticed that Sas was listening with rapt attention. “The point I’m trying to make is, sometimes you don’t know what is best and you can only follow your heart and let the future take care of itself. Max and I did, and I haven’t been sorry for one second of my life.”
Not knowing what to say, Saskia stared at the reflections of the stars on the water until Max came out of the house. He looked tired as he walked over to where Liz and Sas sat. She saw the way the two of them looked at each other and, not for the first time, she felt like throwing away all her wonderful plans for Matt and allow herself to love him fully.
“Hi Saskia,” Max greeted her kindly, bending over to scoop Liz up in his arms. “Sorry, I’m abducting Liz.” He stopped to allow Liz to pick up her journal, before pressing his lips against her temple. “I need you,” he whispered into his wife’s hair as he carried her away, causing tears to well into Sas’ eyes.
Such a simple statement. ‘I need you.’ But coming from such a strong man, it carried a powerful message. How she longed to be needed like that! How she longed to be able to tell someone she needed them.
Slipping into the water silently, she contemplated all that Liz had said to her. She was even more confused now. She would have to be a special kind of dense not to see that none of the Evans’ would mind her having a relationship with Matt. In fact, they all seemed to be upset with her for not giving in to him. Her mind whirled with contradicting thoughts as she swam from one end of the pool to the other. Over and over again, as if trying to outswim her demons.
Finally giving up, she floated lazily on her back, looking up at the same stars that Liz had stared up to a few minutes ago. And as she watched them, they started tumbling down towards her, floating softly on the night breeze, creating shimmering little paths against the dark night sky…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt had waited until his Dad took his Mom away before moving closer to the pool. He had planned to go see Sas in her room, but instead, he had found her sitting at the poolside with his mom. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he had decided to give them some privacy.
Her swimming had eventually stopped and Matt knew he needed to make his move.
It took Sas a while to realize she was not hallucinating and she struggled upright in the water, her frantic gaze finally settling on Matt. He was standing on the edge of the pool, his hand held out over the water, causing a rain of sparkles over her. Her own private magic show.
He was not playing fair.
Letting his hand drop, he joined Sas in the water, swimming closer until he stood in front of her. The sparkles were glistening over the bare skin of her shoulders and chest, twinkling over the swell of her breasts.
She was struck dumb. Her breath had lodged in her throat and her heart was beating crazily in her chest. He was everything she ever dreamed of and more. And when he looked at her like he did now, she couldn’t even remember her own name.
“You take my breath away,” he told her softly, running a wet finger over her cheek and making her shiver.
“Matt…” She sounded so weak.
“Have you decided to give me a chance yet?” The intense look in his eyes belied the light tone of his voice.
“You’re not making it easy to fight you,” she admitted.
“That’s the idea,” he smiled at her crookedly. He stepped closer, until their bodies nearly brushed against each other. “I need you too much to just let you leave.”
‘I need you.’ With three words, he made a little more of the wall around her heart crumble. She watched his face through spiky-wet eyelashes, silently begging herself to grasp the chance at paradise he was holding out to her.
He was waiting for her to make a move. To step away… or to step closer. It was up to her.
Many voices in her head cried for her attention all at once. Her mother’s: ‘we can’t do this, Sas’. Liz’s: ‘follow your heart and let the future take care of itself’. Her own: ‘I’m in love with him’. But loudest of all was Matt’s: ‘I need you’.
His breath hitched in his throat when she raised her head and met his gaze full on. He looked like he was steeling himself for another rejection.
Her hand trembled violently when she lifted it to touch his face. A soft helpless sound escaped him when her fingertips caressed the straight line of his jaw hesitantly. A shudder racked his body and she marveled that she had such an effect on him. He was standing rigidly, holding himself in check and allowing her the freedom to do whatever she wanted.
What did she want, she wondered. What was she doing? This was not at all what she had planned to do, but it felt like her mind had detached itself from her body and her heart was ruling all her actions.
She flattened her palm against his face, cupping the side and rubbing her thumb over his skin. His eyes fluttered closed until those ridiculously long eyelashes rested against his cheeks.
“Sas…” he sighed her name.
Lifting her other hand, she splayed her fingers over his chest, feeling her body clench as his heat invaded her skin. She moved her hand experimentally, trailing it over him, amazed at his reaction. His breath rushed out of him, and he started to tremble.
“What do you want, Sas?” His eyes had opened and she hadn’t even noticed. But now they burned into hers, filled with hopes and fears and questions.
“Kiss me, please.” It was out and now she couldn’t recall it.
His eyes darkened even more. “And after I kissed you?”
“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.
He leaned closer, until his mouth was a breath away from hers. Until she could feel his heat envelop her. “You need to make up your mind then.” He pulled back a little, and she sighed in disappointment.
“Please Matt…” An edge crept into her voice. Desperation. Need. Want.
“You can kiss me too, you know.” His eyes were warm. He knew what he was asking of her. To take a huge leap of faith.
“My parents don’t want…”
“But what do you want?” It was so silent that it seemed as if the whole world was holding its breath for her answer. The whole world… and Matt.
Closing her eyes, she admitted it. Finally. “You. I want you.”
PART 9
For a moment, Matt feared that his heart would leap out of his chest. Her words nearly made his knees give out. You. I want you. There were no sweeter words in any language. He took a long, deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes in an effort to stem the avalanche of emotion those few words had caused inside him.
When his eyes opened again, they were black with hunger and need and love. They blazed into hers until she whimpered softly in response.
It didn’t matter who initiated the kiss. Only that they were in each other’s arms. Sas molded herself to Matt, clinging to his shoulders as he kissed her breathless.
This is where she belonged.
Every brush of their lips confirmed it. His sure hands on her back, arching her closer to him, the perfect fit of his body against hers, they all sang one resounding message to her already overloaded senses. You cannot live without this man.
Matt was dizzy with relief and joy. She wanted him! She wanted to be with him! No matter what happened to them in future, he would always have this moment in his heart. He tried to tell her with his kiss how wonderful she was to him. How incredibly lucky he felt that she was in his arms like this.
Throwing her whole heart into the kiss, Sas lifted herself to tiptoes so she could get closer to him, deepening the kiss even more. Her tongue tangled with his, dancing in time with his. She has never kissed anyone like this before, but it just came naturally.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gently lying Liz down on their bed, Max followed her, cradling her against him almost urgently. He felt like he wanted to lose himself inside her, to forget all the sadness that he’s seen today. But he was afraid that he would hurt her, his control was very tenuous tonight.
“I love you so much, Max Evans,” Liz told him softly. His anguish was making itself felt through their connection and Liz knew he needed to hear something positive. Something life-giving. “More every day.” She caressed his face and kissed his closed eyelids tenderly.
“Thank you.” His voice was strained. He was trying to hold everything back again.
Pushing him until he was sprawled on his back, Liz crawled over him until she was stretched out over his entire length. His hands came up to grip her hips tightly, but other than that, he lay still. She kissed him everywhere she could reach, running the tip of her tongue over his tense jaw-line, pressing soft kisses over his cheeks and chin. All the while murmuring sweet words of love to him. To the man that had saved her life when she was 16 and had saved it so many times since. To the man that had stayed by her side through so many ups and downs. The man that had loved her with all that he was through two lifetimes. The father of her children. Her only lover for endless years.
He held her to him tightly, but he was not making any moves to make love to her and Liz knew he was holding a tight reign over himself. It would be up to her to get him to release all that pent-up emotion.
His eyes popped open as she wriggled from his hold and she stood next to the bed, lifting her hands to the fastening of her dress, letting it pool to the floor.
Max’s heart pounded in his chest and his blood rushed through his veins like liquid fire. The fragile grip over his desire to lose himself in her body slipped a little more. Breathing became impossible.
“Liz?” Her name escaped on a tight croak. Did she know what she was about to unleash?
“I know. You need this. You need me.” She joined him on the bed again.
All doubts fled the minute her hands landed on his chest and smoothed aside the open vee of his shirt until it tightened around his biceps. He attempted to reach for her and heard the rip of material as he stretched his arms.
He caught the gleam of satisfaction in her eyes before she leaned into him, nuzzling her mouth against his neck. He groaned, his body trembling as her tongue tasted and her teeth scraped along his throat. Her palms were cool against his heated flesh, shaping his chest and then skimming along the taut flesh of his belly. The buttons on his shirt hindered her exploration, and she let out a frustrated sound. Then, to his dazed amazement, she grabbed the sides of his shirt and yanked, sending the buttons flying across the room.
“Liz, Shani…” He was unable to force more coherent words.
She gently pushed him backward, until his shoulders pressed against the headboard. Before he could say anything, her mouth covered his and she gave him an incredible, searing kiss. Denying his need for her became a distant thought.
Shrugging out of his shirt, he pulled her body tight against his and ran his hands over whatever bare, warm flesh he could find. He came up against the barrier of her panties and growled impatiently, sliding his fingers under the elastic band.
Liz broke their kiss and pushed away his hands, her breathing ragged. “Not yet, love. I’m not through with you.”
“Not through?” The question was choked.
She shook her head and smiled. “I want you to think of nothing but me for a while… Let me love you.”
She placed lingering kisses along his shoulder and lower, her tongue tracing patterns over his chest.
His breath left him in a rush when she shimmied lower on the bed, pressing her mouth to the taut muscles rippling in his belly. Tossing her head back, she held his gaze while she worked his belt loose and proceeded to undress him completely.
Her hands skimmed up his tense thighs and over his hips, then she proceeded to drive him crazy with her touch and her mouth.
Closing his eyes, he tangled his fingers in her silky hair, groaning at the pleasure consuming him. Until he had to pull her back up the length of him or lose it completely. Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her while he rolled her underneath him. It took only a few moments to remove her last garment.
Settling himself over her, he locked their hands at the side of her head. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said feelingly, his body quaking with need.
She curled her legs around the back of his thighs and urged him forward, to where she was hot and wet and ready for him. “Love me, Max,” she whispered.
His body shuddered in relief. Staring into her dark, chocolate eyes, he slowly entered her. They shared a mutual groan of pleasure, and she arched with a sharp gasp and raised her knees around his waist, taking him deeper.
Despite of how many times he has made love with her, he suddenly couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t get deep enough inside. They were alive and together and the universe has gifted them with more time to glory in their one-of-a-kind love.
The knots inside him unraveled and were replaced with feelings of awe and love so powerful his body trembled. He moved faster, triggering a breathless cry from Liz as they both reached the peak and tumbled over the edge together.
When he regained a normal breathing pattern he moved off Liz and pulled her close to his side, cradling her in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and let out a long, content sigh.
“I love you,” he murmured.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The cold had finally forced them from the water and Matt had wrapped a big towel around both him and Sas, after sitting down on one of the loungers next to the pool and easing her onto his lap. They couldn’t stop kissing. And Sas was clinging to him as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let him go.
Eventually, they needed oxygen and he eased back slightly, warmed by her disappointed little whimper. Pressing his cheek against hers, he heard himself breathing hard, like he had run a marathon. In a lot of respects, chasing this girl had been one. One that he hoped was over now.
“No more running from now on, okay? Promise me.” He felt her shiver against him as his words feathered over her ear. A small smile curved his mouth. “Unless it’s towards me.”
“I—I promise…”
It made his heart soar, even if it sounded hesitant. Pulling back he searched her worried eyes. “What?”
“My parents… They don’t think…” Seeing the concern in his gaze made it easier somehow. This was Matt. He wouldn’t dump her at some future date for someone else because of who she was… would he? It all tumbled out of her in one long rush of words. Her parents were servants, both here and on Dendar and they felt she was not meant for him. That he was meant for higher things that would one day exclude her. That she’s seen all the rich girls going to school with them trip all over themselves to impress him.
It stunned him into a shocked silence and, while he loved her parents like family, he couldn’t help being angry with them for doing this to Sas. Matt took his alien heritage seriously and he would always be ready to do his duty for his people. But one more thing that elevated his father to hero status in his own eyes, was the fact that Max had openly defied a pre-determined path towards a mate. Instead, he had chosen with his heart and the consequences of that were visible all around him. Max’s people loved Liz. And she had turned a stranger on this planet into the human being he was today, as well as the alien king he needed to be. She challenged him and complimented him and loved him until he was free to reach his full potential.
“I’ll talk to them,” he finally said firmly.
“No!” Sas sounded panicked. “I… I feel like I am going against them, Matt. For the first time in my life. And I don’t like it. I—”
“You’re not going to…” He was too afraid to even say it.
She touched his face. “I just need time to think of a way to handle this.” Looking at him pleadingly, her hand tightened in the towel. “Please, I just need a little time.”
“Time away from me too?” he asked worriedly.
“No…” she blushed and bent her head. How could she tell him that being more than two steps away from him from now on was going to kill her? “Just… time while my parents don’t know about us.”
His frown cleared up. “You want us to keep this a secret?” He smoothed his hand over her wet hair, drying it in the process. “I have to tell you, I would rather just tell your parents and face the consequences. And besides, my family has an incredible knack of weaseling secrets out of each other.”
She was quiet, obviously thinking about what he said.
“I could always just… order your parents to let us be together.” But as soon as he said it, he cringed. It would just make it look like he was lording it over servants anyway. “No wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Sighing, he hugged her tighter. “Could you maybe talk to my mom? She might be able to help us.”
The cold night air was making her shiver again. “Okay. But Matt, please let me deal with this in my own way. All I ask is that we wait a little before telling the whole world.”
Standing up, he pulled her into his body. “As long as you understand that I don’t intend allowing you to stay away from me. And that I can’t let this secrecy thing go on too long.” He kissed her forehead gently.
“Okay.” She nestled against him, feeling protected and cared for on a level she has never experienced before.
“Besides, how can you deck Becky for harassing me if she doesn’t know I belong to you?” he teased.
“Matt!” she chuckled, but the glow in her heart got brighter at his words.
Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back. “Do you think… you could stay with me tonight?” Her eyes widened and he hastened to add. “No, I don’t mean… I’ve missed you sleeping in my room. In my bed.” He kissed her nose. “And I don’t want this night to end.”
“Me either.” Her voice was husky.
They went up to his room silently, holding hands until he had closed the door behind them. He scrounged up one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants for her that she put on in his bathroom and he pulled on sweats as well while he waited for her. No need to tempt themselves with too much bared skin.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling her into his lap again. “Did I scare you, that night, when I…?”
Smiling at him, she shook her head. “No. My own reactions scared me.”
He seemed awed by that. “Really?”
Sliding a hand around to cup his jaw, she urged his mouth up to hers. Her lips were warm and soft upon first contact, her mouth sweet when it opened to meet the glide of his tongue. The kiss was slow and lazy, but before long the tenor changed, growing more hungry and urgent.
The kiss went on and on, lifting them both to new heights of desire and longing. Mouths still fused, she twisted and turned in his lap, and he helped her, guiding her with his hands until she faced him and her legs straddled his hips. By then, they were both breathing hard.
Tumbling back onto the bed, Matt fought to keep himself from going too fast. He had dreamed of her, wanted her for so long, that this was pure torture. She kept frustrating his efforts to keep her lower body away from his arousal by squirming closer. Finally, he gave up and crushed her into him, from mouth to calf, hearing her make a purring sound in her throat.
Frantically, he tore his mouth from hers, trying to catch his breath and speak at the same time. “Please… we have to stop.” She seemed a little dazed, so he caught her roving hands in his own. “Please,” he begged.
Eventually, she nodded, her eyes moving shyly away from his. Kissing the tip of her nose again, he strove to reassure her. “I’m trying not to lose my head here, sweetheart. But you are one hell of a temptation.” He smiled crookedly. “You don’t know what it means to me to know you feel this way about me.” Catching her chin, he forced her to meet his eyes. “That you want me too.”
She gasped in embarrassment, streaks of heat creeping over her cheeks.
He groaned. “Let me get the sleeping bag—”
Grabbing his hand, she kept him from getting up. “Could you… stay with me?”
He hesitated only a second. “Yes.” Lying back down, he spooned their bodies together, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly. “I’ll make sure we wake up in time.” He pressed a kiss against her shoulder. “Sweet dreams, Sas.”
She entwined her fingers with his on her stomach. “Goodnight.” My Prince.
tbc
“I—I think we need to talk.” Hovering in her daughter’s doorway, Shilla wondered how to approach this. The room spoke of the closeness between Saskia and Matthew. Between Saskia and all the Evans’. Living on earth had been a real revelation to Shilla, but she was still confused as to how to handle her status with Max and Liz. And how to let her daughter handle it…
She knew what was coming. Sas sat on her bed, waiting breathlessly for her mother to start speaking. She could hear her own heart beat loudly in her chest. She was trying to stay away from Matt, couldn’t they see that? And couldn’t they see how hard it was for her?
Her mother was from the old school. She was nice and sweet, but she believed in staying in her place. Even though a lot of things have changed while they lived on earth and in America, she remained at heart, a servant girl from Dendar.
“What is going on between you and Matthew?” Shilla eventually asked after she had settled herself next to Sas on the bed.
“I…” She had no idea what to say to her mother. “We…”
Shilla rubbed her daughter’s leg comfortingly. “I don’t want you to get hurt later, sweetie. He is a very important young man.”
“I’m in love with him.” It just tumbled out. She was too afraid to look at her mother, fearing her reaction.
Sighing heavily, Shilla fought the panic of having her worst fear confirmed. “I can understand that, but… One day, he…” She fell silent. One day he will what? He will be the King of a planet that doesn’t exist anymore? He is going to have to marry someone from one of the other planets in a political match? Somehow she didn’t see Matthew’s parents asking that of him. All she knew was she had to protect her daughter from a situation that could only end badly for her.
“I’m trying not to get involved with him, Mom, but he won’t leave me alone. He has decided that he wants to be with me and… and I don’t know how to make him stop.” And I don’t want him to stop.
“Is that why you want to go to Canada for camp?”
A defeated nod. “I don’t know what else to do,” Sas murmured.
“Then I will help you to go. We can’t do this, Saskia. Matthew needs to be free to get involved with someone… who is right for him.”
“Yeah.” Sas was starting to shiver now, but that small spark of rebellion inside that wanted Matt and didn’t want to just give up on a chance with him, wouldn’t be silenced so easily. “But I don’t understand!” she blurted out. “Mrs. Evans was not someone important before she married Mr. Evans?”
“It’s complicated, Sas. This planet does not have a real servant class like we do. Not one into which you are born and for which you are marked for life,” she ended, showing Saskia the faded tattoo on her right wrist. “I’m so sorry for being… who I am,” she told her daughter fervently. “I’m sorry for causing you this heartache.”
“It’s not you, Mom. I don’t blame you.” Sas hugged her mother. “This situation is just horrible for a lot of people…” Pulling away, she looked met her mother’s gaze. “I’m hurting him, and… and it’s horrible for me to do that.”
Shilla’s eyes had widened at that comment. She wasn’t sure what was worse, the daughter of a servant getting involved with the Crown Prince, or the daughter of a servant upsetting the Crown Prince and, by implication, the whole royal family.
“We’ll make a plan, sweetheart, don’t worry,” she assured Sas, hugging her again. But inside, Shilla was quaking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Moonlight shimmered silver on the water of the pool as Liz sat quietly in one of the deck chairs, writing in her journal. She still kept one, but now she wrote in it only once in a while. Most of what would usually have made it into the pages of this book, now made it to the ears of her ever patient husband.
Tonight though, she needed to get some of the heartache of the afternoon out of her system without adding to that of Max. She could feel him struggling to cope with the deaths of his people. There was only a small group of Antarians left and he cared about them all. The malfunction on the ship to Dendar was a stupid way to die for members of a group of people that survived a planetary holocaust.
Wiping away a tear, she heard soft footsteps and raised her head to see Sas walking towards the pool. She was wearing a demure one-piece and carried a towel in her hand, obviously unaware of anyone else’s presence.
“Hi Saskia,” Liz called softly, not wanting to frighten the girl.
Sas jerked around with a soft gasp. “Oh! Mrs. Evans! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’ll go, I don’t want to—”
“Don’t be silly! Stay.” Liz waved her hand at the pool.
Instead Saskia walked over to Liz. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m just… sad because of the accident.” She indicated a chair next to her and Sas sat down cautiously. “It makes you think, you know?” Liz continued. “Life is so precious. And it can be taken away so quickly.” Her gaze pinned Sas. “You have to make the most of every opportunity, grasp what life offers you.”
Sas nodded mutely. Liz obviously knew about Matt’s thing for her too.
Liz took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Don’t let fear keep you from being happy. I nearly did that a long time ago and,” a shadow flitted across her face, “I wouldn’t have had the love of the most wonderful person I have ever known.”
Bending her head, Sas spoke tremulously. “I know I’m hurting Matt…”
“Yes, you are,” Liz confirmed. “But you are hurting yourself too.” She waited until Sas looked up, meeting her gaze. “Are you sure you have a valid reason for doing it?”
“The best reason,” Sas answered immediately. “I’m doing it for Matt.”
This silenced Liz momentarily. She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the stars. “Did you know I left Max once?”
Sas could not even fathom either of the Evans’ without each other. They were like a unit and she had just assumed it had always been like that. “No.”
“I thought I was the worst thing he could have in his life. There… was someone else that I thought he should rather be with. I made both of us really miserable.” She threaded her fingers through her dark hair. “But you know what? It turned out she would have been terrible for him.” Looking over, she noticed that Sas was listening with rapt attention. “The point I’m trying to make is, sometimes you don’t know what is best and you can only follow your heart and let the future take care of itself. Max and I did, and I haven’t been sorry for one second of my life.”
Not knowing what to say, Saskia stared at the reflections of the stars on the water until Max came out of the house. He looked tired as he walked over to where Liz and Sas sat. She saw the way the two of them looked at each other and, not for the first time, she felt like throwing away all her wonderful plans for Matt and allow herself to love him fully.
“Hi Saskia,” Max greeted her kindly, bending over to scoop Liz up in his arms. “Sorry, I’m abducting Liz.” He stopped to allow Liz to pick up her journal, before pressing his lips against her temple. “I need you,” he whispered into his wife’s hair as he carried her away, causing tears to well into Sas’ eyes.
Such a simple statement. ‘I need you.’ But coming from such a strong man, it carried a powerful message. How she longed to be needed like that! How she longed to be able to tell someone she needed them.
Slipping into the water silently, she contemplated all that Liz had said to her. She was even more confused now. She would have to be a special kind of dense not to see that none of the Evans’ would mind her having a relationship with Matt. In fact, they all seemed to be upset with her for not giving in to him. Her mind whirled with contradicting thoughts as she swam from one end of the pool to the other. Over and over again, as if trying to outswim her demons.
Finally giving up, she floated lazily on her back, looking up at the same stars that Liz had stared up to a few minutes ago. And as she watched them, they started tumbling down towards her, floating softly on the night breeze, creating shimmering little paths against the dark night sky…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt had waited until his Dad took his Mom away before moving closer to the pool. He had planned to go see Sas in her room, but instead, he had found her sitting at the poolside with his mom. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but he had decided to give them some privacy.
Her swimming had eventually stopped and Matt knew he needed to make his move.
It took Sas a while to realize she was not hallucinating and she struggled upright in the water, her frantic gaze finally settling on Matt. He was standing on the edge of the pool, his hand held out over the water, causing a rain of sparkles over her. Her own private magic show.
He was not playing fair.
Letting his hand drop, he joined Sas in the water, swimming closer until he stood in front of her. The sparkles were glistening over the bare skin of her shoulders and chest, twinkling over the swell of her breasts.
She was struck dumb. Her breath had lodged in her throat and her heart was beating crazily in her chest. He was everything she ever dreamed of and more. And when he looked at her like he did now, she couldn’t even remember her own name.
“You take my breath away,” he told her softly, running a wet finger over her cheek and making her shiver.
“Matt…” She sounded so weak.
“Have you decided to give me a chance yet?” The intense look in his eyes belied the light tone of his voice.
“You’re not making it easy to fight you,” she admitted.
“That’s the idea,” he smiled at her crookedly. He stepped closer, until their bodies nearly brushed against each other. “I need you too much to just let you leave.”
‘I need you.’ With three words, he made a little more of the wall around her heart crumble. She watched his face through spiky-wet eyelashes, silently begging herself to grasp the chance at paradise he was holding out to her.
He was waiting for her to make a move. To step away… or to step closer. It was up to her.
Many voices in her head cried for her attention all at once. Her mother’s: ‘we can’t do this, Sas’. Liz’s: ‘follow your heart and let the future take care of itself’. Her own: ‘I’m in love with him’. But loudest of all was Matt’s: ‘I need you’.
His breath hitched in his throat when she raised her head and met his gaze full on. He looked like he was steeling himself for another rejection.
Her hand trembled violently when she lifted it to touch his face. A soft helpless sound escaped him when her fingertips caressed the straight line of his jaw hesitantly. A shudder racked his body and she marveled that she had such an effect on him. He was standing rigidly, holding himself in check and allowing her the freedom to do whatever she wanted.
What did she want, she wondered. What was she doing? This was not at all what she had planned to do, but it felt like her mind had detached itself from her body and her heart was ruling all her actions.
She flattened her palm against his face, cupping the side and rubbing her thumb over his skin. His eyes fluttered closed until those ridiculously long eyelashes rested against his cheeks.
“Sas…” he sighed her name.
Lifting her other hand, she splayed her fingers over his chest, feeling her body clench as his heat invaded her skin. She moved her hand experimentally, trailing it over him, amazed at his reaction. His breath rushed out of him, and he started to tremble.
“What do you want, Sas?” His eyes had opened and she hadn’t even noticed. But now they burned into hers, filled with hopes and fears and questions.
“Kiss me, please.” It was out and now she couldn’t recall it.
His eyes darkened even more. “And after I kissed you?”
“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.
He leaned closer, until his mouth was a breath away from hers. Until she could feel his heat envelop her. “You need to make up your mind then.” He pulled back a little, and she sighed in disappointment.
“Please Matt…” An edge crept into her voice. Desperation. Need. Want.
“You can kiss me too, you know.” His eyes were warm. He knew what he was asking of her. To take a huge leap of faith.
“My parents don’t want…”
“But what do you want?” It was so silent that it seemed as if the whole world was holding its breath for her answer. The whole world… and Matt.
Closing her eyes, she admitted it. Finally. “You. I want you.”
PART 9
For a moment, Matt feared that his heart would leap out of his chest. Her words nearly made his knees give out. You. I want you. There were no sweeter words in any language. He took a long, deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes in an effort to stem the avalanche of emotion those few words had caused inside him.
When his eyes opened again, they were black with hunger and need and love. They blazed into hers until she whimpered softly in response.
It didn’t matter who initiated the kiss. Only that they were in each other’s arms. Sas molded herself to Matt, clinging to his shoulders as he kissed her breathless.
This is where she belonged.
Every brush of their lips confirmed it. His sure hands on her back, arching her closer to him, the perfect fit of his body against hers, they all sang one resounding message to her already overloaded senses. You cannot live without this man.
Matt was dizzy with relief and joy. She wanted him! She wanted to be with him! No matter what happened to them in future, he would always have this moment in his heart. He tried to tell her with his kiss how wonderful she was to him. How incredibly lucky he felt that she was in his arms like this.
Throwing her whole heart into the kiss, Sas lifted herself to tiptoes so she could get closer to him, deepening the kiss even more. Her tongue tangled with his, dancing in time with his. She has never kissed anyone like this before, but it just came naturally.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gently lying Liz down on their bed, Max followed her, cradling her against him almost urgently. He felt like he wanted to lose himself inside her, to forget all the sadness that he’s seen today. But he was afraid that he would hurt her, his control was very tenuous tonight.
“I love you so much, Max Evans,” Liz told him softly. His anguish was making itself felt through their connection and Liz knew he needed to hear something positive. Something life-giving. “More every day.” She caressed his face and kissed his closed eyelids tenderly.
“Thank you.” His voice was strained. He was trying to hold everything back again.
Pushing him until he was sprawled on his back, Liz crawled over him until she was stretched out over his entire length. His hands came up to grip her hips tightly, but other than that, he lay still. She kissed him everywhere she could reach, running the tip of her tongue over his tense jaw-line, pressing soft kisses over his cheeks and chin. All the while murmuring sweet words of love to him. To the man that had saved her life when she was 16 and had saved it so many times since. To the man that had stayed by her side through so many ups and downs. The man that had loved her with all that he was through two lifetimes. The father of her children. Her only lover for endless years.
He held her to him tightly, but he was not making any moves to make love to her and Liz knew he was holding a tight reign over himself. It would be up to her to get him to release all that pent-up emotion.
His eyes popped open as she wriggled from his hold and she stood next to the bed, lifting her hands to the fastening of her dress, letting it pool to the floor.
Max’s heart pounded in his chest and his blood rushed through his veins like liquid fire. The fragile grip over his desire to lose himself in her body slipped a little more. Breathing became impossible.
“Liz?” Her name escaped on a tight croak. Did she know what she was about to unleash?
“I know. You need this. You need me.” She joined him on the bed again.
All doubts fled the minute her hands landed on his chest and smoothed aside the open vee of his shirt until it tightened around his biceps. He attempted to reach for her and heard the rip of material as he stretched his arms.
He caught the gleam of satisfaction in her eyes before she leaned into him, nuzzling her mouth against his neck. He groaned, his body trembling as her tongue tasted and her teeth scraped along his throat. Her palms were cool against his heated flesh, shaping his chest and then skimming along the taut flesh of his belly. The buttons on his shirt hindered her exploration, and she let out a frustrated sound. Then, to his dazed amazement, she grabbed the sides of his shirt and yanked, sending the buttons flying across the room.
“Liz, Shani…” He was unable to force more coherent words.
She gently pushed him backward, until his shoulders pressed against the headboard. Before he could say anything, her mouth covered his and she gave him an incredible, searing kiss. Denying his need for her became a distant thought.
Shrugging out of his shirt, he pulled her body tight against his and ran his hands over whatever bare, warm flesh he could find. He came up against the barrier of her panties and growled impatiently, sliding his fingers under the elastic band.
Liz broke their kiss and pushed away his hands, her breathing ragged. “Not yet, love. I’m not through with you.”
“Not through?” The question was choked.
She shook her head and smiled. “I want you to think of nothing but me for a while… Let me love you.”
She placed lingering kisses along his shoulder and lower, her tongue tracing patterns over his chest.
His breath left him in a rush when she shimmied lower on the bed, pressing her mouth to the taut muscles rippling in his belly. Tossing her head back, she held his gaze while she worked his belt loose and proceeded to undress him completely.
Her hands skimmed up his tense thighs and over his hips, then she proceeded to drive him crazy with her touch and her mouth.
Closing his eyes, he tangled his fingers in her silky hair, groaning at the pleasure consuming him. Until he had to pull her back up the length of him or lose it completely. Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her while he rolled her underneath him. It took only a few moments to remove her last garment.
Settling himself over her, he locked their hands at the side of her head. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said feelingly, his body quaking with need.
She curled her legs around the back of his thighs and urged him forward, to where she was hot and wet and ready for him. “Love me, Max,” she whispered.
His body shuddered in relief. Staring into her dark, chocolate eyes, he slowly entered her. They shared a mutual groan of pleasure, and she arched with a sharp gasp and raised her knees around his waist, taking him deeper.
Despite of how many times he has made love with her, he suddenly couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t get deep enough inside. They were alive and together and the universe has gifted them with more time to glory in their one-of-a-kind love.
The knots inside him unraveled and were replaced with feelings of awe and love so powerful his body trembled. He moved faster, triggering a breathless cry from Liz as they both reached the peak and tumbled over the edge together.
When he regained a normal breathing pattern he moved off Liz and pulled her close to his side, cradling her in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and let out a long, content sigh.
“I love you,” he murmured.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The cold had finally forced them from the water and Matt had wrapped a big towel around both him and Sas, after sitting down on one of the loungers next to the pool and easing her onto his lap. They couldn’t stop kissing. And Sas was clinging to him as if she was afraid he would disappear if she let him go.
Eventually, they needed oxygen and he eased back slightly, warmed by her disappointed little whimper. Pressing his cheek against hers, he heard himself breathing hard, like he had run a marathon. In a lot of respects, chasing this girl had been one. One that he hoped was over now.
“No more running from now on, okay? Promise me.” He felt her shiver against him as his words feathered over her ear. A small smile curved his mouth. “Unless it’s towards me.”
“I—I promise…”
It made his heart soar, even if it sounded hesitant. Pulling back he searched her worried eyes. “What?”
“My parents… They don’t think…” Seeing the concern in his gaze made it easier somehow. This was Matt. He wouldn’t dump her at some future date for someone else because of who she was… would he? It all tumbled out of her in one long rush of words. Her parents were servants, both here and on Dendar and they felt she was not meant for him. That he was meant for higher things that would one day exclude her. That she’s seen all the rich girls going to school with them trip all over themselves to impress him.
It stunned him into a shocked silence and, while he loved her parents like family, he couldn’t help being angry with them for doing this to Sas. Matt took his alien heritage seriously and he would always be ready to do his duty for his people. But one more thing that elevated his father to hero status in his own eyes, was the fact that Max had openly defied a pre-determined path towards a mate. Instead, he had chosen with his heart and the consequences of that were visible all around him. Max’s people loved Liz. And she had turned a stranger on this planet into the human being he was today, as well as the alien king he needed to be. She challenged him and complimented him and loved him until he was free to reach his full potential.
“I’ll talk to them,” he finally said firmly.
“No!” Sas sounded panicked. “I… I feel like I am going against them, Matt. For the first time in my life. And I don’t like it. I—”
“You’re not going to…” He was too afraid to even say it.
She touched his face. “I just need time to think of a way to handle this.” Looking at him pleadingly, her hand tightened in the towel. “Please, I just need a little time.”
“Time away from me too?” he asked worriedly.
“No…” she blushed and bent her head. How could she tell him that being more than two steps away from him from now on was going to kill her? “Just… time while my parents don’t know about us.”
His frown cleared up. “You want us to keep this a secret?” He smoothed his hand over her wet hair, drying it in the process. “I have to tell you, I would rather just tell your parents and face the consequences. And besides, my family has an incredible knack of weaseling secrets out of each other.”
She was quiet, obviously thinking about what he said.
“I could always just… order your parents to let us be together.” But as soon as he said it, he cringed. It would just make it look like he was lording it over servants anyway. “No wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Sighing, he hugged her tighter. “Could you maybe talk to my mom? She might be able to help us.”
The cold night air was making her shiver again. “Okay. But Matt, please let me deal with this in my own way. All I ask is that we wait a little before telling the whole world.”
Standing up, he pulled her into his body. “As long as you understand that I don’t intend allowing you to stay away from me. And that I can’t let this secrecy thing go on too long.” He kissed her forehead gently.
“Okay.” She nestled against him, feeling protected and cared for on a level she has never experienced before.
“Besides, how can you deck Becky for harassing me if she doesn’t know I belong to you?” he teased.
“Matt!” she chuckled, but the glow in her heart got brighter at his words.
Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back. “Do you think… you could stay with me tonight?” Her eyes widened and he hastened to add. “No, I don’t mean… I’ve missed you sleeping in my room. In my bed.” He kissed her nose. “And I don’t want this night to end.”
“Me either.” Her voice was husky.
They went up to his room silently, holding hands until he had closed the door behind them. He scrounged up one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants for her that she put on in his bathroom and he pulled on sweats as well while he waited for her. No need to tempt themselves with too much bared skin.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, pulling her into his lap again. “Did I scare you, that night, when I…?”
Smiling at him, she shook her head. “No. My own reactions scared me.”
He seemed awed by that. “Really?”
Sliding a hand around to cup his jaw, she urged his mouth up to hers. Her lips were warm and soft upon first contact, her mouth sweet when it opened to meet the glide of his tongue. The kiss was slow and lazy, but before long the tenor changed, growing more hungry and urgent.
The kiss went on and on, lifting them both to new heights of desire and longing. Mouths still fused, she twisted and turned in his lap, and he helped her, guiding her with his hands until she faced him and her legs straddled his hips. By then, they were both breathing hard.
Tumbling back onto the bed, Matt fought to keep himself from going too fast. He had dreamed of her, wanted her for so long, that this was pure torture. She kept frustrating his efforts to keep her lower body away from his arousal by squirming closer. Finally, he gave up and crushed her into him, from mouth to calf, hearing her make a purring sound in her throat.
Frantically, he tore his mouth from hers, trying to catch his breath and speak at the same time. “Please… we have to stop.” She seemed a little dazed, so he caught her roving hands in his own. “Please,” he begged.
Eventually, she nodded, her eyes moving shyly away from his. Kissing the tip of her nose again, he strove to reassure her. “I’m trying not to lose my head here, sweetheart. But you are one hell of a temptation.” He smiled crookedly. “You don’t know what it means to me to know you feel this way about me.” Catching her chin, he forced her to meet his eyes. “That you want me too.”
She gasped in embarrassment, streaks of heat creeping over her cheeks.
He groaned. “Let me get the sleeping bag—”
Grabbing his hand, she kept him from getting up. “Could you… stay with me?”
He hesitated only a second. “Yes.” Lying back down, he spooned their bodies together, slipping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly. “I’ll make sure we wake up in time.” He pressed a kiss against her shoulder. “Sweet dreams, Sas.”
She entwined her fingers with his on her stomach. “Goodnight.” My Prince.
tbc
10+11
PART 10
“Wake up, big brother!”
Belle’s cheery greeting was met with a groan. Matt was lying sideways on his bed, the way he had fallen into it after walking Sas home before sunrise. He had woken up with her still curled into his body and he had allowed himself a few moments to bask in how wonderful that felt. She had seemed so peaceful that he had hated waking her. Instead, he had opted for pressing light kisses all over the side of her face until she rolled over and threw her arms around his neck. Lord, how he loved kissing her!
The memory of those dawn kisses was threatening to have a severe effect on his body and he sat up abruptly, rubbing his hands through his hair while squinting at his sister.
She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“What?” he asked her, but he had a suspicion playing innocent was futile.
“You do know I have a perfect view of the pool area, don’t you?” She was laughing at him now. “My brother the Romeo!”
“Belle,” he said threateningly.
Scooting closer, she hugged him. “I’m glad you two worked it out.”
He hugged her back, loving his little sister for being so nice. She didn’t just look like their mother, she was like her too. Kind and lively. And an incurable romantic.
“Okay,” Belle said, pulling away, “now that you two are together, I can start making your lives miserable!” She rubbed her hands together gleefully, her dark eyes sparkling with mirth.
Matt groaned again. “Not yet, please!” He caught Belle’s hands in his. “Listen to me…” He told her about the mess with Sas’ parents and that they wanted to keep their relationship secret for a while.
It was actually comical to see Belle’s face fall with disappointment. “That is so weird,” she said. “How can they think that?”
Matt sighed. “I don’t know. But keep this to yourself for now, we have to give her space, okay?”
Her twinkling eyes warned him she was up to something as she bounced off his bed and went to the door. “I don’t think space is going to be my problem with her! You were the one trying to inhale her last night!” She fled just as Matt’s pillow hit the wall next to her, her tinkling laugh echoing through the house.
Later, at the breakfast table, the whole family seemed in good spirits. Belle was chattering about a movie she’d seen and Matt couldn’t get the grin off his face. His mother had given him a few questioning looks, but hadn’t said anything. It didn’t bother him too much, there was no way he would manage to keep his joy and the reason for it secret from her for long anyway.
His Dad seemed more tired than before he had gone to bed. Matt wondered briefly what that was all about, until he noticed the looks his parents were giving each other. Ohh-kay! Scrap that! He did not want to know why his Dad looked worn out this Monday morning!
Another horrible thought crossed his mind. What if Sas had started panicking again after he left her this morning? What if she had suddenly decided that she needed space from him too so she could sort out stuff with her parents? He jumped up, startling his family into silence. “We need to go, Belle! We’ll, uh… we’ll be late for school.”
His sister frowned at him, but got up dutifully, grabbing her backpack. They kissed their parents on their cheeks and Matt fairly raced out the door towards his Jeep.
Max and Liz looked at each other and Max sighed. “So, should I talk to him about sleepovers now?”
Smiling, Liz patted his hand. “Yes, you should.”
Outside, Sas was nowhere in sight, increasing Matt’s agitation. He didn’t even notice Belle climbing into the backseat, silently giving up her place of honor next to Matt in the Jeep.
When Sas finally came around the corner of the house, Matt had to curb his wild urge to run over to her to make sure she hadn’t had a change of heart. He watched her progress towards him, and his heart lifted with happiness when she met his gaze and gave him a small, shy smile. He felt his body relax, and the icy fingers that had gripped his chest slide away. He waited so he could open her door for her, something his Dad was still doing for his Mom after all these years, and rubbed his hand down her back as she moved past him into the car.
That’s when he noticed that the seating arrangement had changed and jerked his gaze towards his smiling sister. Impulsively, he leaned into the back window, giving Belle a smacking kiss on her cheek.
Belle waited until Matt was rounding the hood of the Jeep, before leaning forward and hugging her friend from behind. “I’m so happy for you,” she told Sas softly.
Shocked at first, Sas wondered if she should scold Matt for blabbing to his sister, but then she decided that Belle had probably found out by herself. Her cheeks started to flame. Had Belle seen them, or even worse, heard them out by the pool last night?
“I saw you two last night,” Belle answered her unspoken question. “And only threats of death from my brother are keeping me from making a big public fuss about it.” Sas had to stifle a giggle at this.
Matt was getting into the driver seat and he noticed that he had missed something. “What is going on?” he glared at his sister. He was sure she had something to do with whatever was going on.
“Nothing!” Both girls said at the same time, increasing his trepidation. What was he in for between Belle and Sas now that they both know what his weakness was?
They were early for school.
Luckily, Belle was an overachiever who immediately rushed off to find one of her study partners to discuss something. This left Matt and Sas standing awkwardly next to the Jeep.
“I’m not sure how to act around you suddenly,” Sas admitted with a slight blush. Good grief, she had spent the best part of last night in this man’s arms, either making out or sleeping!
“Well,” Matt reached for her hand only to check himself and shove it in his pocket, “follow me and I’ll show you.” He began walking off and Sas hastened to keep up with his long strides. She was even more confused when he led her into the gym and held his hand over the lock before turning to her and taking her hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked incredulously as he pulled her after him towards one end of the basketball court. He brought them to a halt underneath the basket and slid his arm around her, curving her closer to his body. “I remember last year, we were goofing off before practice one afternoon and you body checked me right here, making me fall on my butt before half of my teammates.”
She remembered it alright. It had been the first time she noticed Matt being careful about not hurting her while they played basketball.
He touched a forefinger to her nose. “I wanted to kiss you so badly that day.”
Her breath lodged in her throat.
“So I thought I could make that fantasy come true right now.” He bent closer to her, his eyes on her lips. “Do you mind?” he breathed.
Was he insane? “No.”
She slipped her arms around his neck as he finally claimed her mouth, kissing her tenderly while gathering her even closer to him. His lips were warm and his tongue made little trails inside her mouth, exploring every inch of her. Where did he learn to kiss that way? She sighed blissfully, teasing him back with her tongue until he groaned and deepened the kiss. A small thrill of feminine power surged through her at his immediate reaction, his hungry response to such a tiny action from her.
The insistent ringing of the first bell brought them out of their passionate little world. Matt gave her a final kiss before unlocking the door and pushing her out first. This was going to be a long day…
It was. Matt hardly saw Sas and the one time he did, some girl that he hardly knew was trying to give him her phone number. Needless to say, sparks flew from Sas’ eyes when she saw that!
Oh, and the new guy Gordon? He was still hanging around Sas. Matt resolved again that this secret would not be allowed to stay one for long. He wanted the right to be obnoxious to guys that are interested in Sas.
The drive home, after the interminable day, was quiet. Matt had just been reminded by Irwin and Tom that they had made plans weeks ago to go out to shoot some pool that night. He couldn’t very well ditch his friends just because it felt weird to spend the night without Sas. They were clueless about his new relationship and Sas would probably not appreciate him hanging out in her room all night while she was still thinking about how to approach things with her parents. He sighed deeply. Not exactly the night he had hoped for.
His parents weren’t home yet by the time he had showered and dressed, so he was a bit surprised when there was a soft knock at his door. Opening it, he found Sas standing nervously on the other side. “I just came to say good night,” she admitted. “You will probably be home late…”
He pulled her into his room and kicked the door shut. “Sas, I’m sorry, I organized this a long time ago…”
“I know. It’s not a problem. You should enjoy yourself!” She gave him a hug. He looked utterly delectable in a dark sweater.
“Are you upset about something?” he asked. She seemed out of sorts.
Perching on the edge of his bed, she bit her lip. “No, my mother just said that we should talk to my Dad about me going to Canada tonight…”
A momentary panic flooded him and he sat down beside her. “What will you do?”
“I don’t know!” She grabbed his hand, clinging to it. “I… I guess I’ll have to tell them I changed my mind.”
“Do you want me to stay? So I can be here after you talked to them?”
She took a deep breath. “No, I’ll be fine.” She got up reluctantly. “You have to go or you’ll be late.”
“Yeah.” But he felt like staying.
They kissed a little desperately before Matt opened his door for her, still holding her hand tightly.
And came face-to-face with his mother.
Liz took it all in with one sweeping glance. The hurried way in which Matt dropped Sas’ hand, the puffiness of Sas’ mouth, Matt’s mussed hair. She hid a smile. “Hi Sas, are you guys going out tonight?”
An innocent question, the two of them went out all the time as friends, but this time they froze like deer in headlights.
“Uhm, no,” Matt eventually stuttered. “I’m going out with the guys.”
“Oh, okay, well enjoy it!” Liz breezed down the hallway, leaving two shaken teens in her wake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Staring at her hand lying on the table, the same one that Matt had held so tightly only a couple of hours ago, Sas wondered if the earth might not just swallow her whole and save her from this uncomfortable discussion. Her mother had explained to her father that she wanted to go to Canada, but didn’t mention the Matt angle at first.
Her father had been stunned. “But we are going to Tresar with the Evans’!” He looked over at his darling daughter. “Would you really want to be away from us for so long?” He sounded a little hurt.
“No, Daddy!” Now was as good a time as any. “Maybe I was a bit… hasty… I could go to camp another time.”
Her mother had looked first confused, then aghast, then suspicious. “You really wanted to go last night,” she reminded Saskia.
“I—I know.” Sas didn’t know what to say to her mother.
“Well, Shill, if she’s changed her mind, let her come with us,” James said with a relieved note in his voice. He would feel weird letting his daughter out of his sight for so long. Many years spent guarding Liz Evans had taught him a lot about all the craziness that existed in this universe.
That was when Shilla spilled everything about the Matt angle. James was quiet as he listened to the story. A long silence stretched between all of them as they waited for his reaction.
“So, Matthew is interested in you?” he finally asked.
“Yes, Daddy.”
He paused, his brows furrowed in thought. “And you?”
Sas clenched her hands into fists. “I’m in love with him too.” She held her breath after her brazen declaration.
The pregnant pauses were becoming disconcerting.
“Why don’t you let me and your mother talk about it?” James said eventually.
“Please, Daddy! Would it really be so wrong for us to be—”
James patted her hands. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
It had left her no other option but to walk slowly outside. She sank down on the same chair where Matt had kissed her so passionately last night. What a place to wait for a decision that might break your heart. The same stars were twinkling in the sky… And yet everything was different…
PART 11
It was eleven by the time Matt got home. He had annoyed his friends the whole time they were playing pool because he was worrying about what Sas’ parents were going to say to her and wasn’t concentrating on their game. So he ended up coming home earlier. Running into the house, he found his sister, curled up on a couch in front of the TV, fast asleep.
Sighing, he picked her up and carried her up to her room.
“Matt?” Belle’s sleepy voice halted him when he was on his way out her door.
“Yeah?”
She sat up suddenly, looking at him with concern. “You better go see, Sas.”
A hand of fear clutched at his heart. “Why?”
“I found her by the pool earlier, she seemed upset, something about her Dad wanting to talk to Dad.”
He had to force himself not to run from the room. “Okay. Thanks, sis.”
Outside, he bumped into Max, coming back from the kitchen with some tea. An idea popped into his head. “Dad, could I talk to you?”
Max looked a little surprised. “Uhm, yeah sure. Just let me get this to your mom.” They walked into the master bedroom together, finding Liz asleep, sprawled on her stomach over some papers. Max chuckled and put the tea down on the bedside table before gently extracting the papers from underneath her. He brushed her hair from her face and bent down to kiss her temple. “Goodnight, sleeping beauty.”
Turning around, he looked at Matt. “Let’s go sit in the kitchen.”
Downstairs, they faced each other across the kitchen table, each with some Tabasco laced hot chocolate that Matt had prepared quickly.
“It’s about Sas,” Matt stated. “Actually, it’s about me and Sas.”
“Okay,” was all Max said. His Dad was the calmest person around. How, Matt never knew, since the weirdest things keep happening to their family.
“So,” Matt looked away from his father’s penetrating gaze, “we’ve kind of worked out our problems and we’re… together now. Sort of.” Well, that sounded lame.
Again, the only reaction from Max was a nod and Matt wondered if he would ever be able to surprise his parents.
“But she… Her parents believe they are our servants and she’s not good enough for me or something. Can you believe that?” Okay, so he had managed to surprise his Dad with something.
“Her father will probably want to talk to you…” From Max’s surprise, Matt surmised that James had not been over yet. This was the best time to be pro-active about warning his father what was coming. “Could you please tell him he is wrong?”
Max rubbed his face, a sure sign that he was thinking things over. Then he pinned Matt with his gaze again. “Let’s talk about something else first.”
Shifting uneasily on his chair, Matt decided that this sounded ominous.
“Are you sure about you and Sas?” Max asked, holding up his hand when Matt wanted to interrupt. “You know how much we love you and we want you to be happy. Sas means a lot to your Mom and I too and we don’t want either of you to get hurt. So if this is just hormones or a crush or something, I want you to think twice about getting her into trouble with her parents.”
Matt took a deep breath. “Dad, I want to marry her some day.”
“Okay then.” Max accepted his word for it immediately, sitting back in his chair. “You have to understand that the class system on Dendar is still very much present,” he explained, “however weird it might be for us that grew up on earth. And you have to respect how hard it is going to be, especially for Shilla, to get used to you and Sas being together.”
“I know that, Dad, but could you at least assure them that it’s not a problem for us… for you and Mom.”
“I can do that, but I’m guessing Shilla isn’t as worried about us as she is about what the reaction on Dendar is going to be when the heir to the Antar throne pitches up with someone they deem a servant on his arm. She might just be trying to spare her daughter all the gossip.”
This silenced Matt, he had never thought of it that way. “But what was so different about you and Mom?”
“Again, it might be an artificial difference to us, but to the people on Dendar, your mother did not come from a group of servants according to their class system. There is a difference for them.”
“But Sas is half-Antarian, won’t that make a difference?”
“It might. We won’t know until we see the reaction on Dendar.” Max was still watching his son carefully. “So, let’s talk about how you are going to handle this relationship.”
This brought Matt’s head up with a jerk, his eyes widening. “Uhm, you [i[have[/i] given me the talk already, Dad,” he reminded.
“I know I told you what sex was, now I’m going to tell you how a relationship should work. Or,” he paused, “at least how I think it should work.”
Oh, crap, Matt thought. “I haven’t had sex with her if that’s what’s bothering you.”
Max actually grinned. “No, it wasn’t bothering me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “In the light of the very unusual circumstances between your mother and I when we were your age, I’m not really sure how to handle this,” he admitted. “I know you and Sas have known each other your whole lives, so it doesn’t seem like you are starting a new relationship now, but trust me, you are. Being friends with someone and dating them are two different things altogether.”
Matt just nodded, at a loss as to how to respond to this.
“So, what I’m trying to say is, don’t rush into sex. There are a lot of things you two can explore before you take that step. You also need to respect her decision and timing on this too, it’s not just up to you and your, uhm, hormones. I just… It should to be special.”
“It will be,” Matt assured him.
“You need to make sure she knows you have made a real commitment to her. Don’t let her feel like this is just—”
“She’ll know, trust me!”
“Okay, then, the last thing I’ll ask is that you respect her parents in this issue. She’s not eighteen yet and however technical that point might be to you, this is their only daughter we are talking about.”
Matt had a brief flash of a livid James and swallowed, causing Max to grin. “Yeah, I know how you feel. Your mom’s parents scared the crap out of me in the beginning! They viewed me with serious mistrust. Never mind their reaction when they found out I wasn’t exactly human.” Max turned serious and a look of remorse flashed in his eyes. “At least you won’t be willfully putting Sas in danger like I did your mother. I couldn’t really blame your grandparents for getting upset with me.”
Looking at his father, Matt realized for the first time that his parents had had an even rougher ride than he knew about. Of course he and Belle had heard the wonderful tale of his father living two lives and loving his mother in both. And that they had been in mortal danger a number of times when they were younger. But he had never really considered the intense heartache that must have been part of that earlier period of their relationship. Observing them now, you wouldn’t think they could ever bear to be apart and yet it had happened a few times in their lives.
In a world where most people went through romantic partners like paper towels, his parents stood out like sore thumbs. His Dad had never dated anyone else and he seems to think that he didn’t miss out on anything. And the way his mom wilted whenever his Dad was away for too long made it clear that there would be no one else for her ever again either. In a world of cheap love and even cheaper sex, they were an enigma.
Blinking, Max came out of his reverie to see his son staring at him speculatively. “Okay, so I don’t think sleepovers is a good idea for now,” he diverted the conversation back to Matt.
“We’re not doing anything—”
“Yeah well, let me just say that I know about sleepovers and what they can lead to, and until you and Sas have the full blessing of her parents for whatever you are doing, I can’t let you flout their rules in our house. Okay?” Matt’s disappointed face made him temper his statement a little. “I had to lie to a lot of people my entire life, I don’t want you to make a habit out of it too. So, sort out things with Sas’ parents and then we’ll talk about sleeping arrangements.”
Max got up from the table. “I’m going to bed, your mother is nagging in my ears because I’m missing.”
Matt just shook his head. His parents’ freaky connection still amazed him sometimes.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She was lying on her side, facing away from him when he crept up to her window. Indecisive, Matt faltered outside. He didn’t want to wake her up, but he also desperately wanted to know if she was okay. Maybe he could just sneak inside and look at her for a few moments…
When he rounded the bed, he saw that she was awake, staring off into space. Her eyes widened in shock when he appeared next to her suddenly.
“Mat!”
“Hey, sweetheart.” The endearment slipped out unplanned, catching them both unawares. Covering his embarrassment about the term, Matt sat down on the side of her bed, rubbing a hand down her arm. “How are you? What did your parents say?”
Sighing, Sas pushed herself upright and leaned her head against Matt’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to think. All my Dad said was that he wanted to talk to your father too before making a decision about us. This is so unfair!” she whispered fiercely. “I don’t like them all discussing us like we don’t have a say in this.”
Matt smiled and kissed the top of her head. Good, she was showing some spunk. “I spoke to my Dad just now, so he is prepared for your parents. I don’t think we have to worry anymore.”
She looked up at him hopefully. “You think? I couldn’t read my parents, but…”
He touched his forefinger to her nose in a gesture that was becoming so familiar to her. “Don’t worry, okay? It’ll work out.”
“I hope so. My Dad looked sort of forbidding when he said he will talk to your Dad…” Sas still looked doubtful.
Thinking to divert her attention, Matt nuzzled her hair. “What? I’m out all night and I don’t even get a kiss?”
This earned him a small smile and Sas leaned forward with a blush creeping over her cheeks. The kiss was feather-soft, barely touching his lips and only succeeded in making him want more.
Twisting around, Matt pulled her closer to him and covered her mouth with his. Kissing Sas was fast becoming an addiction to him. She tasted sweet and warm and like all his tomorrows wrapped up in one incredible package.
They ended up lying on the bed again, with Matt on his side next to Sas, his right hand fisted in her hair holding her still for the invasion of his tongue. He gloried in each soft sound he wrung from her, in every little sigh of pleasure and in each restless movement of her hands on his body.
So many emotions overwhelmed her when he was holding her like this. Need and desire were among them, but most of all she felt such love that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She pulled away from Matt’s drugging kiss and looked up into his eyes. “Matt, I…” I love you. But she couldn’t say that. Not yet. “Thank you. For choosing me.”
He seemed humbled by her words. “You are so special, how could I not?” he returned. Looking deep into her eyes, he bit his lip and then spoke. “Sas, I—”
“Hello, Matt.”
It was James. Standing in his daughter’s doorway with folded arms.
Crap.
tbc
“Wake up, big brother!”
Belle’s cheery greeting was met with a groan. Matt was lying sideways on his bed, the way he had fallen into it after walking Sas home before sunrise. He had woken up with her still curled into his body and he had allowed himself a few moments to bask in how wonderful that felt. She had seemed so peaceful that he had hated waking her. Instead, he had opted for pressing light kisses all over the side of her face until she rolled over and threw her arms around his neck. Lord, how he loved kissing her!
The memory of those dawn kisses was threatening to have a severe effect on his body and he sat up abruptly, rubbing his hands through his hair while squinting at his sister.
She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“What?” he asked her, but he had a suspicion playing innocent was futile.
“You do know I have a perfect view of the pool area, don’t you?” She was laughing at him now. “My brother the Romeo!”
“Belle,” he said threateningly.
Scooting closer, she hugged him. “I’m glad you two worked it out.”
He hugged her back, loving his little sister for being so nice. She didn’t just look like their mother, she was like her too. Kind and lively. And an incurable romantic.
“Okay,” Belle said, pulling away, “now that you two are together, I can start making your lives miserable!” She rubbed her hands together gleefully, her dark eyes sparkling with mirth.
Matt groaned again. “Not yet, please!” He caught Belle’s hands in his. “Listen to me…” He told her about the mess with Sas’ parents and that they wanted to keep their relationship secret for a while.
It was actually comical to see Belle’s face fall with disappointment. “That is so weird,” she said. “How can they think that?”
Matt sighed. “I don’t know. But keep this to yourself for now, we have to give her space, okay?”
Her twinkling eyes warned him she was up to something as she bounced off his bed and went to the door. “I don’t think space is going to be my problem with her! You were the one trying to inhale her last night!” She fled just as Matt’s pillow hit the wall next to her, her tinkling laugh echoing through the house.
Later, at the breakfast table, the whole family seemed in good spirits. Belle was chattering about a movie she’d seen and Matt couldn’t get the grin off his face. His mother had given him a few questioning looks, but hadn’t said anything. It didn’t bother him too much, there was no way he would manage to keep his joy and the reason for it secret from her for long anyway.
His Dad seemed more tired than before he had gone to bed. Matt wondered briefly what that was all about, until he noticed the looks his parents were giving each other. Ohh-kay! Scrap that! He did not want to know why his Dad looked worn out this Monday morning!
Another horrible thought crossed his mind. What if Sas had started panicking again after he left her this morning? What if she had suddenly decided that she needed space from him too so she could sort out stuff with her parents? He jumped up, startling his family into silence. “We need to go, Belle! We’ll, uh… we’ll be late for school.”
His sister frowned at him, but got up dutifully, grabbing her backpack. They kissed their parents on their cheeks and Matt fairly raced out the door towards his Jeep.
Max and Liz looked at each other and Max sighed. “So, should I talk to him about sleepovers now?”
Smiling, Liz patted his hand. “Yes, you should.”
Outside, Sas was nowhere in sight, increasing Matt’s agitation. He didn’t even notice Belle climbing into the backseat, silently giving up her place of honor next to Matt in the Jeep.
When Sas finally came around the corner of the house, Matt had to curb his wild urge to run over to her to make sure she hadn’t had a change of heart. He watched her progress towards him, and his heart lifted with happiness when she met his gaze and gave him a small, shy smile. He felt his body relax, and the icy fingers that had gripped his chest slide away. He waited so he could open her door for her, something his Dad was still doing for his Mom after all these years, and rubbed his hand down her back as she moved past him into the car.
That’s when he noticed that the seating arrangement had changed and jerked his gaze towards his smiling sister. Impulsively, he leaned into the back window, giving Belle a smacking kiss on her cheek.
Belle waited until Matt was rounding the hood of the Jeep, before leaning forward and hugging her friend from behind. “I’m so happy for you,” she told Sas softly.
Shocked at first, Sas wondered if she should scold Matt for blabbing to his sister, but then she decided that Belle had probably found out by herself. Her cheeks started to flame. Had Belle seen them, or even worse, heard them out by the pool last night?
“I saw you two last night,” Belle answered her unspoken question. “And only threats of death from my brother are keeping me from making a big public fuss about it.” Sas had to stifle a giggle at this.
Matt was getting into the driver seat and he noticed that he had missed something. “What is going on?” he glared at his sister. He was sure she had something to do with whatever was going on.
“Nothing!” Both girls said at the same time, increasing his trepidation. What was he in for between Belle and Sas now that they both know what his weakness was?
They were early for school.
Luckily, Belle was an overachiever who immediately rushed off to find one of her study partners to discuss something. This left Matt and Sas standing awkwardly next to the Jeep.
“I’m not sure how to act around you suddenly,” Sas admitted with a slight blush. Good grief, she had spent the best part of last night in this man’s arms, either making out or sleeping!
“Well,” Matt reached for her hand only to check himself and shove it in his pocket, “follow me and I’ll show you.” He began walking off and Sas hastened to keep up with his long strides. She was even more confused when he led her into the gym and held his hand over the lock before turning to her and taking her hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked incredulously as he pulled her after him towards one end of the basketball court. He brought them to a halt underneath the basket and slid his arm around her, curving her closer to his body. “I remember last year, we were goofing off before practice one afternoon and you body checked me right here, making me fall on my butt before half of my teammates.”
She remembered it alright. It had been the first time she noticed Matt being careful about not hurting her while they played basketball.
He touched a forefinger to her nose. “I wanted to kiss you so badly that day.”
Her breath lodged in her throat.
“So I thought I could make that fantasy come true right now.” He bent closer to her, his eyes on her lips. “Do you mind?” he breathed.
Was he insane? “No.”
She slipped her arms around his neck as he finally claimed her mouth, kissing her tenderly while gathering her even closer to him. His lips were warm and his tongue made little trails inside her mouth, exploring every inch of her. Where did he learn to kiss that way? She sighed blissfully, teasing him back with her tongue until he groaned and deepened the kiss. A small thrill of feminine power surged through her at his immediate reaction, his hungry response to such a tiny action from her.
The insistent ringing of the first bell brought them out of their passionate little world. Matt gave her a final kiss before unlocking the door and pushing her out first. This was going to be a long day…
It was. Matt hardly saw Sas and the one time he did, some girl that he hardly knew was trying to give him her phone number. Needless to say, sparks flew from Sas’ eyes when she saw that!
Oh, and the new guy Gordon? He was still hanging around Sas. Matt resolved again that this secret would not be allowed to stay one for long. He wanted the right to be obnoxious to guys that are interested in Sas.
The drive home, after the interminable day, was quiet. Matt had just been reminded by Irwin and Tom that they had made plans weeks ago to go out to shoot some pool that night. He couldn’t very well ditch his friends just because it felt weird to spend the night without Sas. They were clueless about his new relationship and Sas would probably not appreciate him hanging out in her room all night while she was still thinking about how to approach things with her parents. He sighed deeply. Not exactly the night he had hoped for.
His parents weren’t home yet by the time he had showered and dressed, so he was a bit surprised when there was a soft knock at his door. Opening it, he found Sas standing nervously on the other side. “I just came to say good night,” she admitted. “You will probably be home late…”
He pulled her into his room and kicked the door shut. “Sas, I’m sorry, I organized this a long time ago…”
“I know. It’s not a problem. You should enjoy yourself!” She gave him a hug. He looked utterly delectable in a dark sweater.
“Are you upset about something?” he asked. She seemed out of sorts.
Perching on the edge of his bed, she bit her lip. “No, my mother just said that we should talk to my Dad about me going to Canada tonight…”
A momentary panic flooded him and he sat down beside her. “What will you do?”
“I don’t know!” She grabbed his hand, clinging to it. “I… I guess I’ll have to tell them I changed my mind.”
“Do you want me to stay? So I can be here after you talked to them?”
She took a deep breath. “No, I’ll be fine.” She got up reluctantly. “You have to go or you’ll be late.”
“Yeah.” But he felt like staying.
They kissed a little desperately before Matt opened his door for her, still holding her hand tightly.
And came face-to-face with his mother.
Liz took it all in with one sweeping glance. The hurried way in which Matt dropped Sas’ hand, the puffiness of Sas’ mouth, Matt’s mussed hair. She hid a smile. “Hi Sas, are you guys going out tonight?”
An innocent question, the two of them went out all the time as friends, but this time they froze like deer in headlights.
“Uhm, no,” Matt eventually stuttered. “I’m going out with the guys.”
“Oh, okay, well enjoy it!” Liz breezed down the hallway, leaving two shaken teens in her wake.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Staring at her hand lying on the table, the same one that Matt had held so tightly only a couple of hours ago, Sas wondered if the earth might not just swallow her whole and save her from this uncomfortable discussion. Her mother had explained to her father that she wanted to go to Canada, but didn’t mention the Matt angle at first.
Her father had been stunned. “But we are going to Tresar with the Evans’!” He looked over at his darling daughter. “Would you really want to be away from us for so long?” He sounded a little hurt.
“No, Daddy!” Now was as good a time as any. “Maybe I was a bit… hasty… I could go to camp another time.”
Her mother had looked first confused, then aghast, then suspicious. “You really wanted to go last night,” she reminded Saskia.
“I—I know.” Sas didn’t know what to say to her mother.
“Well, Shill, if she’s changed her mind, let her come with us,” James said with a relieved note in his voice. He would feel weird letting his daughter out of his sight for so long. Many years spent guarding Liz Evans had taught him a lot about all the craziness that existed in this universe.
That was when Shilla spilled everything about the Matt angle. James was quiet as he listened to the story. A long silence stretched between all of them as they waited for his reaction.
“So, Matthew is interested in you?” he finally asked.
“Yes, Daddy.”
He paused, his brows furrowed in thought. “And you?”
Sas clenched her hands into fists. “I’m in love with him too.” She held her breath after her brazen declaration.
The pregnant pauses were becoming disconcerting.
“Why don’t you let me and your mother talk about it?” James said eventually.
“Please, Daddy! Would it really be so wrong for us to be—”
James patted her hands. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
It had left her no other option but to walk slowly outside. She sank down on the same chair where Matt had kissed her so passionately last night. What a place to wait for a decision that might break your heart. The same stars were twinkling in the sky… And yet everything was different…
PART 11
It was eleven by the time Matt got home. He had annoyed his friends the whole time they were playing pool because he was worrying about what Sas’ parents were going to say to her and wasn’t concentrating on their game. So he ended up coming home earlier. Running into the house, he found his sister, curled up on a couch in front of the TV, fast asleep.
Sighing, he picked her up and carried her up to her room.
“Matt?” Belle’s sleepy voice halted him when he was on his way out her door.
“Yeah?”
She sat up suddenly, looking at him with concern. “You better go see, Sas.”
A hand of fear clutched at his heart. “Why?”
“I found her by the pool earlier, she seemed upset, something about her Dad wanting to talk to Dad.”
He had to force himself not to run from the room. “Okay. Thanks, sis.”
Outside, he bumped into Max, coming back from the kitchen with some tea. An idea popped into his head. “Dad, could I talk to you?”
Max looked a little surprised. “Uhm, yeah sure. Just let me get this to your mom.” They walked into the master bedroom together, finding Liz asleep, sprawled on her stomach over some papers. Max chuckled and put the tea down on the bedside table before gently extracting the papers from underneath her. He brushed her hair from her face and bent down to kiss her temple. “Goodnight, sleeping beauty.”
Turning around, he looked at Matt. “Let’s go sit in the kitchen.”
Downstairs, they faced each other across the kitchen table, each with some Tabasco laced hot chocolate that Matt had prepared quickly.
“It’s about Sas,” Matt stated. “Actually, it’s about me and Sas.”
“Okay,” was all Max said. His Dad was the calmest person around. How, Matt never knew, since the weirdest things keep happening to their family.
“So,” Matt looked away from his father’s penetrating gaze, “we’ve kind of worked out our problems and we’re… together now. Sort of.” Well, that sounded lame.
Again, the only reaction from Max was a nod and Matt wondered if he would ever be able to surprise his parents.
“But she… Her parents believe they are our servants and she’s not good enough for me or something. Can you believe that?” Okay, so he had managed to surprise his Dad with something.
“Her father will probably want to talk to you…” From Max’s surprise, Matt surmised that James had not been over yet. This was the best time to be pro-active about warning his father what was coming. “Could you please tell him he is wrong?”
Max rubbed his face, a sure sign that he was thinking things over. Then he pinned Matt with his gaze again. “Let’s talk about something else first.”
Shifting uneasily on his chair, Matt decided that this sounded ominous.
“Are you sure about you and Sas?” Max asked, holding up his hand when Matt wanted to interrupt. “You know how much we love you and we want you to be happy. Sas means a lot to your Mom and I too and we don’t want either of you to get hurt. So if this is just hormones or a crush or something, I want you to think twice about getting her into trouble with her parents.”
Matt took a deep breath. “Dad, I want to marry her some day.”
“Okay then.” Max accepted his word for it immediately, sitting back in his chair. “You have to understand that the class system on Dendar is still very much present,” he explained, “however weird it might be for us that grew up on earth. And you have to respect how hard it is going to be, especially for Shilla, to get used to you and Sas being together.”
“I know that, Dad, but could you at least assure them that it’s not a problem for us… for you and Mom.”
“I can do that, but I’m guessing Shilla isn’t as worried about us as she is about what the reaction on Dendar is going to be when the heir to the Antar throne pitches up with someone they deem a servant on his arm. She might just be trying to spare her daughter all the gossip.”
This silenced Matt, he had never thought of it that way. “But what was so different about you and Mom?”
“Again, it might be an artificial difference to us, but to the people on Dendar, your mother did not come from a group of servants according to their class system. There is a difference for them.”
“But Sas is half-Antarian, won’t that make a difference?”
“It might. We won’t know until we see the reaction on Dendar.” Max was still watching his son carefully. “So, let’s talk about how you are going to handle this relationship.”
This brought Matt’s head up with a jerk, his eyes widening. “Uhm, you [i[have[/i] given me the talk already, Dad,” he reminded.
“I know I told you what sex was, now I’m going to tell you how a relationship should work. Or,” he paused, “at least how I think it should work.”
Oh, crap, Matt thought. “I haven’t had sex with her if that’s what’s bothering you.”
Max actually grinned. “No, it wasn’t bothering me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “In the light of the very unusual circumstances between your mother and I when we were your age, I’m not really sure how to handle this,” he admitted. “I know you and Sas have known each other your whole lives, so it doesn’t seem like you are starting a new relationship now, but trust me, you are. Being friends with someone and dating them are two different things altogether.”
Matt just nodded, at a loss as to how to respond to this.
“So, what I’m trying to say is, don’t rush into sex. There are a lot of things you two can explore before you take that step. You also need to respect her decision and timing on this too, it’s not just up to you and your, uhm, hormones. I just… It should to be special.”
“It will be,” Matt assured him.
“You need to make sure she knows you have made a real commitment to her. Don’t let her feel like this is just—”
“She’ll know, trust me!”
“Okay, then, the last thing I’ll ask is that you respect her parents in this issue. She’s not eighteen yet and however technical that point might be to you, this is their only daughter we are talking about.”
Matt had a brief flash of a livid James and swallowed, causing Max to grin. “Yeah, I know how you feel. Your mom’s parents scared the crap out of me in the beginning! They viewed me with serious mistrust. Never mind their reaction when they found out I wasn’t exactly human.” Max turned serious and a look of remorse flashed in his eyes. “At least you won’t be willfully putting Sas in danger like I did your mother. I couldn’t really blame your grandparents for getting upset with me.”
Looking at his father, Matt realized for the first time that his parents had had an even rougher ride than he knew about. Of course he and Belle had heard the wonderful tale of his father living two lives and loving his mother in both. And that they had been in mortal danger a number of times when they were younger. But he had never really considered the intense heartache that must have been part of that earlier period of their relationship. Observing them now, you wouldn’t think they could ever bear to be apart and yet it had happened a few times in their lives.
In a world where most people went through romantic partners like paper towels, his parents stood out like sore thumbs. His Dad had never dated anyone else and he seems to think that he didn’t miss out on anything. And the way his mom wilted whenever his Dad was away for too long made it clear that there would be no one else for her ever again either. In a world of cheap love and even cheaper sex, they were an enigma.
Blinking, Max came out of his reverie to see his son staring at him speculatively. “Okay, so I don’t think sleepovers is a good idea for now,” he diverted the conversation back to Matt.
“We’re not doing anything—”
“Yeah well, let me just say that I know about sleepovers and what they can lead to, and until you and Sas have the full blessing of her parents for whatever you are doing, I can’t let you flout their rules in our house. Okay?” Matt’s disappointed face made him temper his statement a little. “I had to lie to a lot of people my entire life, I don’t want you to make a habit out of it too. So, sort out things with Sas’ parents and then we’ll talk about sleeping arrangements.”
Max got up from the table. “I’m going to bed, your mother is nagging in my ears because I’m missing.”
Matt just shook his head. His parents’ freaky connection still amazed him sometimes.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She was lying on her side, facing away from him when he crept up to her window. Indecisive, Matt faltered outside. He didn’t want to wake her up, but he also desperately wanted to know if she was okay. Maybe he could just sneak inside and look at her for a few moments…
When he rounded the bed, he saw that she was awake, staring off into space. Her eyes widened in shock when he appeared next to her suddenly.
“Mat!”
“Hey, sweetheart.” The endearment slipped out unplanned, catching them both unawares. Covering his embarrassment about the term, Matt sat down on the side of her bed, rubbing a hand down her arm. “How are you? What did your parents say?”
Sighing, Sas pushed herself upright and leaned her head against Matt’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to think. All my Dad said was that he wanted to talk to your father too before making a decision about us. This is so unfair!” she whispered fiercely. “I don’t like them all discussing us like we don’t have a say in this.”
Matt smiled and kissed the top of her head. Good, she was showing some spunk. “I spoke to my Dad just now, so he is prepared for your parents. I don’t think we have to worry anymore.”
She looked up at him hopefully. “You think? I couldn’t read my parents, but…”
He touched his forefinger to her nose in a gesture that was becoming so familiar to her. “Don’t worry, okay? It’ll work out.”
“I hope so. My Dad looked sort of forbidding when he said he will talk to your Dad…” Sas still looked doubtful.
Thinking to divert her attention, Matt nuzzled her hair. “What? I’m out all night and I don’t even get a kiss?”
This earned him a small smile and Sas leaned forward with a blush creeping over her cheeks. The kiss was feather-soft, barely touching his lips and only succeeded in making him want more.
Twisting around, Matt pulled her closer to him and covered her mouth with his. Kissing Sas was fast becoming an addiction to him. She tasted sweet and warm and like all his tomorrows wrapped up in one incredible package.
They ended up lying on the bed again, with Matt on his side next to Sas, his right hand fisted in her hair holding her still for the invasion of his tongue. He gloried in each soft sound he wrung from her, in every little sigh of pleasure and in each restless movement of her hands on his body.
So many emotions overwhelmed her when he was holding her like this. Need and desire were among them, but most of all she felt such love that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She pulled away from Matt’s drugging kiss and looked up into his eyes. “Matt, I…” I love you. But she couldn’t say that. Not yet. “Thank you. For choosing me.”
He seemed humbled by her words. “You are so special, how could I not?” he returned. Looking deep into her eyes, he bit his lip and then spoke. “Sas, I—”
“Hello, Matt.”
It was James. Standing in his daughter’s doorway with folded arms.
Crap.
tbc
12+13
PART 12
Kicking himself mentally, Matt sat up slowly, trying to look like he wasn’t embarrassed as hell being caught making out with Sas on her bed. At least his hands hadn’t been any place indecent. But it still wasn’t how he wanted to face her father about dating her for the first time.
“Hi James,” he finally managed. He couldn’t make out a thing from James’ unreadable expression and he was getting more nervous by the minute.
“Isn’t it a bit late for visits to my daughter’s room?” James asked, his eyes boring into Matt.
“Daddy!” Sas was scrabbling to get into a less embarrassing position.
Feeling at a distinct disadvantage, Matt got up, smoothing his hands down the legs of his pants. “Yeah, I’m really sorry, but I just wanted to see if Sas was okay…”
James’ eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
Shut up, Matt cautioned himself. All his words were achieving was digging him into an ever-deepening hole. He felt Sas slipping her hand into his as she got off the bed to stand next to him. Matt had a vivid flash of the tank top she was wearing and he swallowed nervously. Not a good idea to let her father see how little she had been wearing when he was all but ravishing her just now. But he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze anyway.
“Daddy, Matt was just saying good night,” Sas tried to help the situation.
“At one in the morning?” James asked dryly. “Why don’t you go home, Matt. I’ll come over tomorrow morning to speak to you and your father.”
Crap. Again.
His father was going to kick his ass for this. Immediately after he promised his Dad that he would respect Sas’ parents, her father finds him practically on top of her on her bed. Nice going, Matt Evans!
What could he do? He nodded, before turning to Sas and running a gentle finger down the slope of her nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“’Night,” she answered softly, clinging to his hand for a few seconds before letting him go.
He walked to the front door with James quietly, stopping only when James had swung it open. “I apologize for handling this badly,” he told the big man. “I really care for Sas and I wasn’t trying to… I just needed to know that she was okay.”
James nodded. He knew Matt long enough to at least know he wasn’t a playboy or something. “I know. But we still need to talk about a few things before I let you near my daughter again.”
Matt stared at him. That had sounded promising. Not like he intended to tell them they could never see each other again. “Okay. I’ll do anything to be with her,” he vowed to James.
“We’ll see,” was all James replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Of course he overslept totally. Matt awoke with a start, complete panic overtaking him as he bounded out of bed, desperately hoping that he hasn’t missed his Dad’s talk with James. He yanked on a pair of pants and rushed downstairs, skidding to a halt in the door of the kitchen.
His father and James looked up at him, half-filled cups of coffee in front of them. The frown on Max’s face didn’t bode well. Matt glanced at James, he really was screwing up in front of Sas’ father all over the place. He mumbled good morning and moved towards a chair.
“We’re glad you’re up,” Max said. “We’re just waiting for Sas and then we can all talk.”
His father’s voice was quiet, but Matt could very clearly see that Max was upset with him. That was bad enough, but it also meant that he couldn’t get an indication from Max about how the talk with James had gone.
Sas arrived minutes later, and Matt jumped up to pull out her chair. He took her hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. She threw him a questioning look, but he was unable to provide her with answers. So they sat close together and looked at their respective fathers with some trepidation.
Max nodded at James, telling him silently to do the talking.
“Right, we have agreed that you two can see each other—”
“Thank you, Daddy!” Sas cried immediately.
“But...” James continued, “we want you two to take it slow. I know it seems strange to you two, but this relationship is about more than just the two of you. Eyes are going to be on you from various planets and… None of us parents want either of you to get hurt. We also want you to have time to make sure of this relationship.”
Putting his arm around Sas, Matt felt euphoric. He would do whatever it took to convince Sas’ father he wanted only her.
“So, I… we, want you to date like a normal couple,” James continued. “No more late night visits to each other’s rooms. Sas will stick to her curfew. And… and I would appreciate it if you, uhm… abstain from having sex for a while.” James was staring at his coffee now, not wanting to look at his daughter while talking about sex.
Blushing furiously, Sas murmured a soft agreement after looking at Matt and seeing his approval.
James turned his gaze to Matt, who also nodded eagerly. Whatever they asked, he would do.
“Right, you two should get ready for school then,” James announced, pushing his chair back from the table.
Matt gave Sas’ hand a final squeeze, smiling into her eyes. Relief was making him giddy and he had to forcibly keep himself from swinging her up into his arms and twirling her around.
Reading all the emotions flashing through Matt’s eyes, Sas couldn’t believe how wonderful things were turning out. She had been so sure that her parents would never allow her to date the Crown Prince of Antar. It had seemed like a far-off dream to her. But here she was, ready to embark on a journey with a guy that seemed too good to be true.
This thought gave her pause. Maybe taking things slow was a good idea. What if Matt decided at some stage that she wasn’t what he really wanted. Taking things slow would give them a chance to figure that out… Before she got in too deep with him.
They rushed around to get ready for school. Matt mostly because he didn’t want to face his father right now, and also because school was the only place he could be alone with Sas for the moment.
Belle was already waiting in the Jeep when he arrived. He bounced around on his feet next to the car, too wired to get in and sit down. When Sas appeared around the house, Matt ran over, embracing her tightly for a few seconds and then lifting her up, twirling her around like he had wanted to do all morning. He was so incredibly happy and the rich sound of her laughter made him even more ecstatic.
“Put me down, you big lug!” Sas cried.
Still grinning, he let her slide down his body and covered her smiling mouth with his. It was a long, sweet, gentle kiss.
That was broken by Belle yelling from the car. “I would like to get to school sometime today if you two don’t mind!”
Matt grimaced as he pulled away from Sas. Now that things were in the open, Belle was going to give them hell.
Driving to school, both Matt and Sas were hatching plans. Unbeknownst to each other, these plans took on more or less the same theme. Today, I’m showing the world we are together!
He parked the Jeep in the school’s parking lot and everyone got out. Belle threw her backpack over her shoulder and gave Matt a look. “You won’t forget that I should also be in the car when you drive home this afternoon, would you? I can see you are very distracted and all…” She giggled when Matt glared at her. “Just checking,” she yelled over her shoulder and danced off towards the entrance of the school.
Sas was nervous. She had been plotting a way to get Matt to hold her hand while they entered the school, but she still wasn’t sure how to accomplish that. Matt had rounded the front of the Jeep by now and was standing in front of her, looking at her carefully. Her breath caught in her throat as he touched her hair tenderly.
“Can I walk you inside?”
The tentative question made her feel infinitely better. They were both nervous about how to handle things now. As she looked up into his bright amber eyes, she gave him a sunny smile. Somehow, knowing the wonderful and important Matt Evans was as unsure as her lifted her spirits. “Yes, please,” she told him flirtingly.
Wasting no time, Matt grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. Finally, his mind sighed in satisfaction. He had been in the process of telling her he loved her last night when her father had interrupted them. Risking a glance in her direction, he found her staring back at him and blushing when he caught her at it. He was still dying to tell her, but he wanted to make it special, not just blurt it out in the middle of the school hallway.
A hush fell over the students loitering around their lockers as the new couple passed them. Sas wasn’t sure what she wanted to do more, laugh at the envious expressions on the faces of a lot of the girls, or get mad about the speculative way a few of the other girls were looking at Matt and her, probably wondering what it would take to break them up.
Matt was oblivious. All he could register was the way Sas’ hand fit into his and the natural way she moved with him. Stopping at her locker, he waited while she pulled out some books that still needed to be handed in. Behind them, a rush of whispers had started up.
“So, I’ll see you at lunch?” Matt asked.
Swallowing, Sas just nodded. When he looked at her like that, she just melted. She vaguely wondered if she looked as star-struck as she felt.
“Good,” he told her. “I’ll meet you in the quad.”
“Okay,” she finally managed, giving him a last longing look before turning away. She had only gone a few steps when a hand on her arm halted her.
“Wait, please.” It was Matt, sounding hesitant again.
She held her breath as he stared down at her.
“Would—would you go out with me? Tonight? On a date?” The words were rushed, as if he was afraid he would lose his nerve.
Joy speared through her, touching every part of her body and she could feel the resulting blinding smile creep over her face. “Yes!” This was not a time to play hard to get or any other kind of game.
“Great!” Matt was beaming. He caught her hands in his and pulled her forward, kissing her in full view of half the students of Albuquerque North High School. “I’ll pick you up at six,” he mumbled against her mouth, still kissing her lightly.
“Six?” she teased him. “Isn’t that a bit early?”
“Not if we want to have enough time together before your curfew,” he shot back, not in the least worried about her knowing how desperately he wanted to spend time with her.
He kissed her again, a hard possessive kiss that left her lips tingling. “I’ll see you later,” he promised before giving her a little push in the direction of her first class.
Now he only had to think up a suitably romantic thing to do with her tonight!
PART 13
On the way home, Sas reflected on the incredible day she had. First, being asked on a date by Matt. Then being kissed by him in front of the entire school, and then having Matt act all possessive when he found Gordon with her at lunch time, kissing her again, just before glaring at poor Gordon. It was really silly of her, but his slight jealousy gave her a secret thrill. Of course, she had to stare down some girls who were following Matt around too.
By the end of the day, there had been no one left that didn’t know she was dating Matt Evans.
Belle was complaining from the back seat. “I’m just warning you, if one more person asks me anything about your relationship, I’m telling them you got Sas pregnant by just looking at her, being an alien and all, and—”
“Belle!” Matt cried in exasperation. “Give it a rest, won’t you?”
A small silence ensued from the back. “No.” This was said with a giggle. “You two owe me big, so I can rag on you as much as I like!”
Matt sighed. “Whatever.” But he gave Sas a cocky smile. “Just know, what goes around, comes around.”
Leaning forward between the seats, Belle’s words were halted momentarily when she saw Matt and Sas were holding hands. She had to stop herself from going ‘aaaaw’. “Well, you better hope Dad isn’t home, dear brother, you are in big trouble!”
“Don’t remind me!” he threw over his shoulder as he turned the Jeep into their driveway.
Luckily, the only person home was his mother, who was running around the house frantically.
“What’s up, Mom?” Belle asked.
“You are sleeping over at Maria and Michael’s tonight, aren’t you?” Liz wanted to know.
“Yep, girls night with Mia. Why?”
“And Matt, what are you doing tonight?”
He blushed. “Uhm, going on a date with Sas.”
“Great,” Liz announced and took off towards the back of the house.
Looking at each other in confusion, Matt and Belle followed her. “Mom!” Belle yelled. “What is going on?”
“Oh, sorry!” Liz stopped and wiped her hands on her trousers. “It’s our 25th anniversary tomorrow and I’m surprising your Dad tonight.”
“Ohh!” Matt and Belle said. Well, this explains everything. Every year it was a race about who gets to make this date the most magical. Their parents were such dopes. Sweet, lovable and still-in-love-after-so-many-years dopes.
“What time are you coming home, Matt?” Liz was in full planning mode, making her kids smile. She was still Mrs. Liz-gotta-have-a-plan Evans.
“Uh… I guess, around 11? Sas has a curfew.” That I intend to keep, he told himself.
“Well, James and Shilla had to go to Roswell for the night. Nick needed them there for something.” Liz caught the speculative look on Matt’s face. “But I would still tread lightly if I were you. Your father is not impressed with what you did last night. And neither am I. So, bring her back on time like you promised her father.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Matt muttered.
“Right, now get going so I can finish all this before your Dad gets home.” Liz waved them off. “Oh, and take warm clothes, it looks like rain.”
Sas had been surprised when she got home and found the note from her parents saying they would be back tomorrow. But she also took careful note of the double underlining of the words Be good!
Now it was half-past-five and she was a nervous wreck. What was she going to wear? She hunted through her clothes and finally made a panicked decision. She phoned Belle.
It took only five minutes for Matt’s sister to arrive in Saskia’s room.
“I don’t know what to wear!” Sas cried as soon as she saw Belle.
This made Belle’s eyes widen in shock. How weird was it that her brother drove a normally levelheaded girl to such a state! On the other hand, Matt has been pacing in his room for 10 minutes now. This was actually hilarious, but she bit her lip not to laugh out loud, sure that Sas wouldn’t appreciate it.
Watching as Belle sifted through her closet, Sas wrung her hands. Should she wear her hair up or down? She went over to the mirror, trying all sorts of styles.
“Trust me, wear it down,” Belle said over her shoulder. “He’s just going to ruin any fancy style anyway.”
This caused a rush of heat on Sas’ cheeks, but she said nothing and let her hair down again.
“Here,” Belle announced, holding out a short black skirt and a soft cream-colored see-through blouse. “He loves this shirt.”
Taking the items from the other girl, Sas looked amazed. “He does?”
“Yeah, he nearly fell into the pool last time you came out of the apartment with this shirt on,” Belle informed her with an impish grin.
They heard Liz yell for Belle outside and she gave Sas a quick hug. “Have fun! Erm, but not too much…”
“Bye!” Sas waved as Belle sprinted off. “Thanks!”
She wore a tight cream-colored tank top under the blouse and she blew Matt away. He had gone to the apartment door and knocked like a normal date. “Wow,” was all he managed to say after she opened the door. What a heady feeling to know she had dressed up for him!
Sas was fighting a case of hyperventilation herself. He was wearing black pants and a black button-down shirt. “Yeah,” was all she could get out in return.
Leaning forward, Matt kissed her softly. “Hi,” he finally said, smiling down into her dazed eyes.
“Hi yourself.”
They stood staring at each other before Matt remembered he brought her something. “Uhm, here.” He brought the tulip from behind his back, touching her nose with it.
Clutching the flower to her chest, Sas stood on tiptoe and kissed him again. This time, the kiss got heated and the poor tulip nearly got squished between their bodies.
Drawing back endless moments later, Matt cleared his throat. “Maybe we should go…”
They walked to the Jeep, waving to Liz who was standing in the kitchen and Matt couldn’t help being relieved that he had missed his father yet again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt took her to dinner at a little restaurant in the park. Because of the weather, the tables had been moved into a large gazebo that had glass walls all around, allowing them to still see the gardens. Lights were strung up in trees around the place, making it seem like a magical island among the stars.
“It’s only the beginning,” he told her softly as he held out her chair for her.
Yep, he intended for the night to get even more magical…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max eventually got home at seven, finding the house quiet and only a few lights on. It wasn’t completely dark out yet, but the dusk was creeping over the city.
“Liz?” he called. He could feel her nearby and he wondered what she was up to. Throwing his keys down on the table in the kitchen, he found a note.
Go to our room, it read.
Smiling, he took the stairs two at a time, feeling Liz’s happiness seeping through their connection, even while she was trying to block him.
In the room, he found a pair of beige chinos and a white shirt lying on the bed. He donned the clothes after a quick shower, sending her the message that he was ready for whatever she was planning. She had left him barefoot.
Come downstairs, her voice whispered in his mind. He followed her instructions, finally reaching the back of the house and seeing her silhouette through the glass doors next to the pool.
The side of the pool closest to the house was more or less sheltered from the worst of the threatening storm. She turned around when he came outside, her wispy white dress fluttering in the faint breeze. Standing next to a table that was set with fine silverware, she seemed to float.
“Happy Anniversary, Max,” she whispered to him and stared at him as he came closer. He was still all her dreams wrapped up in one person. The man that had made her his so very long ago with a touch to her stomach. A healing touch that had turned into a mark of possession.
He touched her hair, like he has done so many times through the past few years. “You are amazing,” he told her huskily.
“I love you,” was all she said back.
They ate the food that Liz had prepared and drank wine until it got too dark to really see. Liz got up then, turning on a stereo, letting soft music flow over them. She moved back to the table noiselessly on her bare feet and pulled Max up from his chair. “Could you light some candles for us?”
Nodding, he snapped his fingers and the whole pool seemed to light up. Candles were floating over most of the surface of the water and Max looked at it in amazement before turning back to Liz.
She looked ethereal in the candlelight. More beautiful than the day they got married. Taking her into his arms, he marveled again at how tiny she was. In bare feet, her head fitted under his chin.
They swayed together like that until the storm finally broke, rain falling lightly from the sky and whipping at them.
“Let’s go inside,” Max told her, but she shook her head, holding him more tightly.
It wasn’t really cold, so Max relented, pulling her closer into his body and knowing that soon, he would make love to his wife. Maybe even out here in the rain…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, Matt had taken her to the planetarium. Sas had been amused at first, until he hugged her close to his body as they looked up at the infinite number of stars depicted in the show.
There weren’t a lot of people there, so they could sit fairly privately away from everyone else. They could make out the galaxy where their parents came from at one stage, and Matt tightened his hold on her.
“Sas?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
It shocked her into immobility and it took a while before she could tear her eyes away from the spectacle above them to meet his gaze. He was staring at her with such intensity it nearly took her breath away.
“Those stars up there? They are important to me, but… but not as important as having you with me,” he told her seriously, the underlying message not going unnoticed. He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you,” he whispered again, touching his lips to hers and opening a connection with her.
The stars she saw then, were very much real.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“No one’s here, Max,” she had told him quietly a few minutes ago and they had undressed each other unhurriedly. Their skins were damp from the rain and their hands glided over each other’s bodies easily.
Max faced her towards the warm summer rain and stood behind her, his arms wrapped lovingly around her tummy and his strong thighs pressed against hers. His head dipped down and he licked the rainwater from her shoulder.
Liz closed her eyes and leaned back into his chest. His warmth surrounded her at the same time his love enveloped her through their connection.
Lightening flashed, but Liz only saw the glow against the insides of her eyelids. The sensation of rain pelting against her naked skin from the front and Max nestling against her with his heat from behind was too wonderful to stop. In moments, his hands wandered, one to the swell of her breasts, one to the juncture of her thighs. Soon she was gasping for breath in the same wild rhythm as the storm.
“Max…” she sighed in satisfaction.
He twirled her around and pressed his full hard length against her. They kissed deeply, drinking from each other’s mouths as their tongues dueled and danced. Max lifted her up and walked a few steps to a chair, sinking down on it and pulling her onto his lap.
Liz threw her head back so the rain bathed her face and breasts. Exhilaration poured through her together with unadulterated desire for Max. Her mate.
Max combed her hair back then braced his hands on her shoulder blades, balancing her position so he could lap rivulets of water from her skin.
Not looking down, Liz didn’t move for what seemed like forever. She held herself still and enjoyed each sensation from his warm mouth and his hardness pressing into her.
He nuzzled her neck, growling his need to her before leaning back and looking at her with eyes dark with passion.
She drew herself up and ravaged his mouth as she positioned herself over him. She couldn’t wait any longer. Her need to have him inside her was more powerful than the storm raging above them. “Be inside me, Max. Please.”
He agreed with a kiss, joining them slowly, allowing her to set the pace. She moaned again, this time with an air of surrender, causing Max to groan in answer.
He grasped her hips, noting again how perfectly his hands fit on her body, how perfectly he fit inside her.
She cried out his name.
“Let me see your eyes, love.”
They were moving together in a gentle rhythm, and Liz locked her arms around his neck, drawing herself up so their noses touched.
They didn’t kiss. They hardly breathed. They just moved. Together. In sync. Eyes locked. The sensations building and building, reducing her breath to short pants, unleashing helpless sounds from her throat that urged Max on.
He kept his eyes open, but the normally brilliant amber of his irises was completely swallowed up by black desire.
Liz couldn’t speak, certain she would scream if she opened her mouth for anything but to breathe. Or to kiss him. So she did, hard and demanding, grasping his cheeks as if he were her lifeline. Her anchor in a surge of crashing pleasure.
With one last move, Max held her tight as their bodies quaked with the ultimate release. Their kiss froze them in time, locking them together completely as sensations hot and intense poured from him to her and back again. Slowly, their mouths melted into a soothing play of tongues that brought them back to earth amid the dying storm.
“I love you.”
“For the next 25 years too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I love you.”
It was whispered between kisses in the Jeep. Matt had parked the Jeep at a lookout point after they had emerged from the planetarium. Although she had told him she loved him too when he had broken their connection earlier, he still glowed from hearing it again.
By this time, he practically had her in his lap, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow. Sas had smiled secretly at Matt threading his hands through her hair all the time when they took a break, looking outside at the lightening playing across the horizon. Belle was right, a fancy style would just have been ruined.
“It’s my parents’ 25th anniversary tomorrow,” Matt said, sounding slightly awed.
“Wow!”
“Yeah.” He lifted her chin. “So, do you think you would be able to be with me for that long?” There was a serious tone in his voice even as he teased her with a smile.
Finding his hand, she gripped it tightly, giving him her answer in a vow. “Yes, Matt Evans, I do.”
tbc
Kicking himself mentally, Matt sat up slowly, trying to look like he wasn’t embarrassed as hell being caught making out with Sas on her bed. At least his hands hadn’t been any place indecent. But it still wasn’t how he wanted to face her father about dating her for the first time.
“Hi James,” he finally managed. He couldn’t make out a thing from James’ unreadable expression and he was getting more nervous by the minute.
“Isn’t it a bit late for visits to my daughter’s room?” James asked, his eyes boring into Matt.
“Daddy!” Sas was scrabbling to get into a less embarrassing position.
Feeling at a distinct disadvantage, Matt got up, smoothing his hands down the legs of his pants. “Yeah, I’m really sorry, but I just wanted to see if Sas was okay…”
James’ eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
Shut up, Matt cautioned himself. All his words were achieving was digging him into an ever-deepening hole. He felt Sas slipping her hand into his as she got off the bed to stand next to him. Matt had a vivid flash of the tank top she was wearing and he swallowed nervously. Not a good idea to let her father see how little she had been wearing when he was all but ravishing her just now. But he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze anyway.
“Daddy, Matt was just saying good night,” Sas tried to help the situation.
“At one in the morning?” James asked dryly. “Why don’t you go home, Matt. I’ll come over tomorrow morning to speak to you and your father.”
Crap. Again.
His father was going to kick his ass for this. Immediately after he promised his Dad that he would respect Sas’ parents, her father finds him practically on top of her on her bed. Nice going, Matt Evans!
What could he do? He nodded, before turning to Sas and running a gentle finger down the slope of her nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“’Night,” she answered softly, clinging to his hand for a few seconds before letting him go.
He walked to the front door with James quietly, stopping only when James had swung it open. “I apologize for handling this badly,” he told the big man. “I really care for Sas and I wasn’t trying to… I just needed to know that she was okay.”
James nodded. He knew Matt long enough to at least know he wasn’t a playboy or something. “I know. But we still need to talk about a few things before I let you near my daughter again.”
Matt stared at him. That had sounded promising. Not like he intended to tell them they could never see each other again. “Okay. I’ll do anything to be with her,” he vowed to James.
“We’ll see,” was all James replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Of course he overslept totally. Matt awoke with a start, complete panic overtaking him as he bounded out of bed, desperately hoping that he hasn’t missed his Dad’s talk with James. He yanked on a pair of pants and rushed downstairs, skidding to a halt in the door of the kitchen.
His father and James looked up at him, half-filled cups of coffee in front of them. The frown on Max’s face didn’t bode well. Matt glanced at James, he really was screwing up in front of Sas’ father all over the place. He mumbled good morning and moved towards a chair.
“We’re glad you’re up,” Max said. “We’re just waiting for Sas and then we can all talk.”
His father’s voice was quiet, but Matt could very clearly see that Max was upset with him. That was bad enough, but it also meant that he couldn’t get an indication from Max about how the talk with James had gone.
Sas arrived minutes later, and Matt jumped up to pull out her chair. He took her hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. She threw him a questioning look, but he was unable to provide her with answers. So they sat close together and looked at their respective fathers with some trepidation.
Max nodded at James, telling him silently to do the talking.
“Right, we have agreed that you two can see each other—”
“Thank you, Daddy!” Sas cried immediately.
“But...” James continued, “we want you two to take it slow. I know it seems strange to you two, but this relationship is about more than just the two of you. Eyes are going to be on you from various planets and… None of us parents want either of you to get hurt. We also want you to have time to make sure of this relationship.”
Putting his arm around Sas, Matt felt euphoric. He would do whatever it took to convince Sas’ father he wanted only her.
“So, I… we, want you to date like a normal couple,” James continued. “No more late night visits to each other’s rooms. Sas will stick to her curfew. And… and I would appreciate it if you, uhm… abstain from having sex for a while.” James was staring at his coffee now, not wanting to look at his daughter while talking about sex.
Blushing furiously, Sas murmured a soft agreement after looking at Matt and seeing his approval.
James turned his gaze to Matt, who also nodded eagerly. Whatever they asked, he would do.
“Right, you two should get ready for school then,” James announced, pushing his chair back from the table.
Matt gave Sas’ hand a final squeeze, smiling into her eyes. Relief was making him giddy and he had to forcibly keep himself from swinging her up into his arms and twirling her around.
Reading all the emotions flashing through Matt’s eyes, Sas couldn’t believe how wonderful things were turning out. She had been so sure that her parents would never allow her to date the Crown Prince of Antar. It had seemed like a far-off dream to her. But here she was, ready to embark on a journey with a guy that seemed too good to be true.
This thought gave her pause. Maybe taking things slow was a good idea. What if Matt decided at some stage that she wasn’t what he really wanted. Taking things slow would give them a chance to figure that out… Before she got in too deep with him.
They rushed around to get ready for school. Matt mostly because he didn’t want to face his father right now, and also because school was the only place he could be alone with Sas for the moment.
Belle was already waiting in the Jeep when he arrived. He bounced around on his feet next to the car, too wired to get in and sit down. When Sas appeared around the house, Matt ran over, embracing her tightly for a few seconds and then lifting her up, twirling her around like he had wanted to do all morning. He was so incredibly happy and the rich sound of her laughter made him even more ecstatic.
“Put me down, you big lug!” Sas cried.
Still grinning, he let her slide down his body and covered her smiling mouth with his. It was a long, sweet, gentle kiss.
That was broken by Belle yelling from the car. “I would like to get to school sometime today if you two don’t mind!”
Matt grimaced as he pulled away from Sas. Now that things were in the open, Belle was going to give them hell.
Driving to school, both Matt and Sas were hatching plans. Unbeknownst to each other, these plans took on more or less the same theme. Today, I’m showing the world we are together!
He parked the Jeep in the school’s parking lot and everyone got out. Belle threw her backpack over her shoulder and gave Matt a look. “You won’t forget that I should also be in the car when you drive home this afternoon, would you? I can see you are very distracted and all…” She giggled when Matt glared at her. “Just checking,” she yelled over her shoulder and danced off towards the entrance of the school.
Sas was nervous. She had been plotting a way to get Matt to hold her hand while they entered the school, but she still wasn’t sure how to accomplish that. Matt had rounded the front of the Jeep by now and was standing in front of her, looking at her carefully. Her breath caught in her throat as he touched her hair tenderly.
“Can I walk you inside?”
The tentative question made her feel infinitely better. They were both nervous about how to handle things now. As she looked up into his bright amber eyes, she gave him a sunny smile. Somehow, knowing the wonderful and important Matt Evans was as unsure as her lifted her spirits. “Yes, please,” she told him flirtingly.
Wasting no time, Matt grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. Finally, his mind sighed in satisfaction. He had been in the process of telling her he loved her last night when her father had interrupted them. Risking a glance in her direction, he found her staring back at him and blushing when he caught her at it. He was still dying to tell her, but he wanted to make it special, not just blurt it out in the middle of the school hallway.
A hush fell over the students loitering around their lockers as the new couple passed them. Sas wasn’t sure what she wanted to do more, laugh at the envious expressions on the faces of a lot of the girls, or get mad about the speculative way a few of the other girls were looking at Matt and her, probably wondering what it would take to break them up.
Matt was oblivious. All he could register was the way Sas’ hand fit into his and the natural way she moved with him. Stopping at her locker, he waited while she pulled out some books that still needed to be handed in. Behind them, a rush of whispers had started up.
“So, I’ll see you at lunch?” Matt asked.
Swallowing, Sas just nodded. When he looked at her like that, she just melted. She vaguely wondered if she looked as star-struck as she felt.
“Good,” he told her. “I’ll meet you in the quad.”
“Okay,” she finally managed, giving him a last longing look before turning away. She had only gone a few steps when a hand on her arm halted her.
“Wait, please.” It was Matt, sounding hesitant again.
She held her breath as he stared down at her.
“Would—would you go out with me? Tonight? On a date?” The words were rushed, as if he was afraid he would lose his nerve.
Joy speared through her, touching every part of her body and she could feel the resulting blinding smile creep over her face. “Yes!” This was not a time to play hard to get or any other kind of game.
“Great!” Matt was beaming. He caught her hands in his and pulled her forward, kissing her in full view of half the students of Albuquerque North High School. “I’ll pick you up at six,” he mumbled against her mouth, still kissing her lightly.
“Six?” she teased him. “Isn’t that a bit early?”
“Not if we want to have enough time together before your curfew,” he shot back, not in the least worried about her knowing how desperately he wanted to spend time with her.
He kissed her again, a hard possessive kiss that left her lips tingling. “I’ll see you later,” he promised before giving her a little push in the direction of her first class.
Now he only had to think up a suitably romantic thing to do with her tonight!
PART 13
On the way home, Sas reflected on the incredible day she had. First, being asked on a date by Matt. Then being kissed by him in front of the entire school, and then having Matt act all possessive when he found Gordon with her at lunch time, kissing her again, just before glaring at poor Gordon. It was really silly of her, but his slight jealousy gave her a secret thrill. Of course, she had to stare down some girls who were following Matt around too.
By the end of the day, there had been no one left that didn’t know she was dating Matt Evans.
Belle was complaining from the back seat. “I’m just warning you, if one more person asks me anything about your relationship, I’m telling them you got Sas pregnant by just looking at her, being an alien and all, and—”
“Belle!” Matt cried in exasperation. “Give it a rest, won’t you?”
A small silence ensued from the back. “No.” This was said with a giggle. “You two owe me big, so I can rag on you as much as I like!”
Matt sighed. “Whatever.” But he gave Sas a cocky smile. “Just know, what goes around, comes around.”
Leaning forward between the seats, Belle’s words were halted momentarily when she saw Matt and Sas were holding hands. She had to stop herself from going ‘aaaaw’. “Well, you better hope Dad isn’t home, dear brother, you are in big trouble!”
“Don’t remind me!” he threw over his shoulder as he turned the Jeep into their driveway.
Luckily, the only person home was his mother, who was running around the house frantically.
“What’s up, Mom?” Belle asked.
“You are sleeping over at Maria and Michael’s tonight, aren’t you?” Liz wanted to know.
“Yep, girls night with Mia. Why?”
“And Matt, what are you doing tonight?”
He blushed. “Uhm, going on a date with Sas.”
“Great,” Liz announced and took off towards the back of the house.
Looking at each other in confusion, Matt and Belle followed her. “Mom!” Belle yelled. “What is going on?”
“Oh, sorry!” Liz stopped and wiped her hands on her trousers. “It’s our 25th anniversary tomorrow and I’m surprising your Dad tonight.”
“Ohh!” Matt and Belle said. Well, this explains everything. Every year it was a race about who gets to make this date the most magical. Their parents were such dopes. Sweet, lovable and still-in-love-after-so-many-years dopes.
“What time are you coming home, Matt?” Liz was in full planning mode, making her kids smile. She was still Mrs. Liz-gotta-have-a-plan Evans.
“Uh… I guess, around 11? Sas has a curfew.” That I intend to keep, he told himself.
“Well, James and Shilla had to go to Roswell for the night. Nick needed them there for something.” Liz caught the speculative look on Matt’s face. “But I would still tread lightly if I were you. Your father is not impressed with what you did last night. And neither am I. So, bring her back on time like you promised her father.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Matt muttered.
“Right, now get going so I can finish all this before your Dad gets home.” Liz waved them off. “Oh, and take warm clothes, it looks like rain.”
Sas had been surprised when she got home and found the note from her parents saying they would be back tomorrow. But she also took careful note of the double underlining of the words Be good!
Now it was half-past-five and she was a nervous wreck. What was she going to wear? She hunted through her clothes and finally made a panicked decision. She phoned Belle.
It took only five minutes for Matt’s sister to arrive in Saskia’s room.
“I don’t know what to wear!” Sas cried as soon as she saw Belle.
This made Belle’s eyes widen in shock. How weird was it that her brother drove a normally levelheaded girl to such a state! On the other hand, Matt has been pacing in his room for 10 minutes now. This was actually hilarious, but she bit her lip not to laugh out loud, sure that Sas wouldn’t appreciate it.
Watching as Belle sifted through her closet, Sas wrung her hands. Should she wear her hair up or down? She went over to the mirror, trying all sorts of styles.
“Trust me, wear it down,” Belle said over her shoulder. “He’s just going to ruin any fancy style anyway.”
This caused a rush of heat on Sas’ cheeks, but she said nothing and let her hair down again.
“Here,” Belle announced, holding out a short black skirt and a soft cream-colored see-through blouse. “He loves this shirt.”
Taking the items from the other girl, Sas looked amazed. “He does?”
“Yeah, he nearly fell into the pool last time you came out of the apartment with this shirt on,” Belle informed her with an impish grin.
They heard Liz yell for Belle outside and she gave Sas a quick hug. “Have fun! Erm, but not too much…”
“Bye!” Sas waved as Belle sprinted off. “Thanks!”
She wore a tight cream-colored tank top under the blouse and she blew Matt away. He had gone to the apartment door and knocked like a normal date. “Wow,” was all he managed to say after she opened the door. What a heady feeling to know she had dressed up for him!
Sas was fighting a case of hyperventilation herself. He was wearing black pants and a black button-down shirt. “Yeah,” was all she could get out in return.
Leaning forward, Matt kissed her softly. “Hi,” he finally said, smiling down into her dazed eyes.
“Hi yourself.”
They stood staring at each other before Matt remembered he brought her something. “Uhm, here.” He brought the tulip from behind his back, touching her nose with it.
Clutching the flower to her chest, Sas stood on tiptoe and kissed him again. This time, the kiss got heated and the poor tulip nearly got squished between their bodies.
Drawing back endless moments later, Matt cleared his throat. “Maybe we should go…”
They walked to the Jeep, waving to Liz who was standing in the kitchen and Matt couldn’t help being relieved that he had missed his father yet again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt took her to dinner at a little restaurant in the park. Because of the weather, the tables had been moved into a large gazebo that had glass walls all around, allowing them to still see the gardens. Lights were strung up in trees around the place, making it seem like a magical island among the stars.
“It’s only the beginning,” he told her softly as he held out her chair for her.
Yep, he intended for the night to get even more magical…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Max eventually got home at seven, finding the house quiet and only a few lights on. It wasn’t completely dark out yet, but the dusk was creeping over the city.
“Liz?” he called. He could feel her nearby and he wondered what she was up to. Throwing his keys down on the table in the kitchen, he found a note.
Go to our room, it read.
Smiling, he took the stairs two at a time, feeling Liz’s happiness seeping through their connection, even while she was trying to block him.
In the room, he found a pair of beige chinos and a white shirt lying on the bed. He donned the clothes after a quick shower, sending her the message that he was ready for whatever she was planning. She had left him barefoot.
Come downstairs, her voice whispered in his mind. He followed her instructions, finally reaching the back of the house and seeing her silhouette through the glass doors next to the pool.
The side of the pool closest to the house was more or less sheltered from the worst of the threatening storm. She turned around when he came outside, her wispy white dress fluttering in the faint breeze. Standing next to a table that was set with fine silverware, she seemed to float.
“Happy Anniversary, Max,” she whispered to him and stared at him as he came closer. He was still all her dreams wrapped up in one person. The man that had made her his so very long ago with a touch to her stomach. A healing touch that had turned into a mark of possession.
He touched her hair, like he has done so many times through the past few years. “You are amazing,” he told her huskily.
“I love you,” was all she said back.
They ate the food that Liz had prepared and drank wine until it got too dark to really see. Liz got up then, turning on a stereo, letting soft music flow over them. She moved back to the table noiselessly on her bare feet and pulled Max up from his chair. “Could you light some candles for us?”
Nodding, he snapped his fingers and the whole pool seemed to light up. Candles were floating over most of the surface of the water and Max looked at it in amazement before turning back to Liz.
She looked ethereal in the candlelight. More beautiful than the day they got married. Taking her into his arms, he marveled again at how tiny she was. In bare feet, her head fitted under his chin.
They swayed together like that until the storm finally broke, rain falling lightly from the sky and whipping at them.
“Let’s go inside,” Max told her, but she shook her head, holding him more tightly.
It wasn’t really cold, so Max relented, pulling her closer into his body and knowing that soon, he would make love to his wife. Maybe even out here in the rain…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, Matt had taken her to the planetarium. Sas had been amused at first, until he hugged her close to his body as they looked up at the infinite number of stars depicted in the show.
There weren’t a lot of people there, so they could sit fairly privately away from everyone else. They could make out the galaxy where their parents came from at one stage, and Matt tightened his hold on her.
“Sas?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
It shocked her into immobility and it took a while before she could tear her eyes away from the spectacle above them to meet his gaze. He was staring at her with such intensity it nearly took her breath away.
“Those stars up there? They are important to me, but… but not as important as having you with me,” he told her seriously, the underlying message not going unnoticed. He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you,” he whispered again, touching his lips to hers and opening a connection with her.
The stars she saw then, were very much real.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“No one’s here, Max,” she had told him quietly a few minutes ago and they had undressed each other unhurriedly. Their skins were damp from the rain and their hands glided over each other’s bodies easily.
Max faced her towards the warm summer rain and stood behind her, his arms wrapped lovingly around her tummy and his strong thighs pressed against hers. His head dipped down and he licked the rainwater from her shoulder.
Liz closed her eyes and leaned back into his chest. His warmth surrounded her at the same time his love enveloped her through their connection.
Lightening flashed, but Liz only saw the glow against the insides of her eyelids. The sensation of rain pelting against her naked skin from the front and Max nestling against her with his heat from behind was too wonderful to stop. In moments, his hands wandered, one to the swell of her breasts, one to the juncture of her thighs. Soon she was gasping for breath in the same wild rhythm as the storm.
“Max…” she sighed in satisfaction.
He twirled her around and pressed his full hard length against her. They kissed deeply, drinking from each other’s mouths as their tongues dueled and danced. Max lifted her up and walked a few steps to a chair, sinking down on it and pulling her onto his lap.
Liz threw her head back so the rain bathed her face and breasts. Exhilaration poured through her together with unadulterated desire for Max. Her mate.
Max combed her hair back then braced his hands on her shoulder blades, balancing her position so he could lap rivulets of water from her skin.
Not looking down, Liz didn’t move for what seemed like forever. She held herself still and enjoyed each sensation from his warm mouth and his hardness pressing into her.
He nuzzled her neck, growling his need to her before leaning back and looking at her with eyes dark with passion.
She drew herself up and ravaged his mouth as she positioned herself over him. She couldn’t wait any longer. Her need to have him inside her was more powerful than the storm raging above them. “Be inside me, Max. Please.”
He agreed with a kiss, joining them slowly, allowing her to set the pace. She moaned again, this time with an air of surrender, causing Max to groan in answer.
He grasped her hips, noting again how perfectly his hands fit on her body, how perfectly he fit inside her.
She cried out his name.
“Let me see your eyes, love.”
They were moving together in a gentle rhythm, and Liz locked her arms around his neck, drawing herself up so their noses touched.
They didn’t kiss. They hardly breathed. They just moved. Together. In sync. Eyes locked. The sensations building and building, reducing her breath to short pants, unleashing helpless sounds from her throat that urged Max on.
He kept his eyes open, but the normally brilliant amber of his irises was completely swallowed up by black desire.
Liz couldn’t speak, certain she would scream if she opened her mouth for anything but to breathe. Or to kiss him. So she did, hard and demanding, grasping his cheeks as if he were her lifeline. Her anchor in a surge of crashing pleasure.
With one last move, Max held her tight as their bodies quaked with the ultimate release. Their kiss froze them in time, locking them together completely as sensations hot and intense poured from him to her and back again. Slowly, their mouths melted into a soothing play of tongues that brought them back to earth amid the dying storm.
“I love you.”
“For the next 25 years too.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I love you.”
It was whispered between kisses in the Jeep. Matt had parked the Jeep at a lookout point after they had emerged from the planetarium. Although she had told him she loved him too when he had broken their connection earlier, he still glowed from hearing it again.
By this time, he practically had her in his lap, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow. Sas had smiled secretly at Matt threading his hands through her hair all the time when they took a break, looking outside at the lightening playing across the horizon. Belle was right, a fancy style would just have been ruined.
“It’s my parents’ 25th anniversary tomorrow,” Matt said, sounding slightly awed.
“Wow!”
“Yeah.” He lifted her chin. “So, do you think you would be able to be with me for that long?” There was a serious tone in his voice even as he teased her with a smile.
Finding his hand, she gripped it tightly, giving him her answer in a vow. “Yes, Matt Evans, I do.”
tbc
14+15
PART 14
Many kisses later, Matt walked Sas to her door a few minutes before eleven. The storm was over and in its wake, everything sparkled with tiny raindrops, looking clean and fresh. Glancing around the pool, he could see the table where his parents must have had dinner still outside, the tablecloth sodden from the rain, and dozens of unlit candles drifted in the pool. A small smile curved his lips, no wonder he freaked out about making his first date with Sas special, he had his parents to blame for being a hopeless romantic.
Sas opened the door and turned to him, smiling up at him sweetly. “This was an amazing evening. Thank you.”
Stepping closer, he pulled her against him. “Well, I was hoping—”
The insistent ring of the telephone halted his words.
They grinned at each other, already knowing who was calling.
Sas picked up the phone, sticking her tongue out at Matt. “Hey Dad… Yes, I’m home… We went to dinner and the planetarium… He was just saying good-bye now… Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow… Bye.”
Sas stood with a bent head after putting the phone down softly.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Matt was behind her immediately, folding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
“My mom isn’t taking this… us, very well. She’s crying all the time and we… haven’t really spoken…”
Nuzzling her hair, he tried to reassure her. “She’s worried about what being with me will mean for you, sweetheart. That her people might be awful to you. I don’t think she means for you to be unhappy.”
“I know,” she sighed, snuggling closer to him.
“When you come with me to Tresar, we will probably stop over on Dendar and we will end all this uncertainty. I promise.” He kissed her temple tenderly, inhaling her wonderful scent and glorying in her nearness fleetingly. Stepping away, he took her hand. “Come outside with me for a few seconds.”
She looked at him curiously, but followed him out the door to the pool.
“Close your eyes,” he instructed her, waiting until she obliged before snapping his fingers. “Okay, open them.” Holding her tightly, he pressed their cheeks together, both of their faces turned towards the pool.
A soft gasp was her only reaction. He had lighted all the candles that the rain had doused earlier, bathing the pool in a rich amber light.
“I love you,” she pre-empted him, feeling the slight tremble that went through his body at her words.
“We can, and will, do this,” he told her, turning his head so he could press open-mouthed little kisses over her cheek and jaw-line. By the time he reached the sensitive skin under her ear, both of them were shaking with a need to be closer.
“Go home, please,” he groaned in her ear. “Before I break every last promise I made to our parents.”
Kissing him quickly on the lips, Sas backed away, watching him watch her. She faltered halfway until his soft, ‘go, Sas’ spurred her on again.
He waited until she had disappeared into her apartment, before turning around and waving his hand over the candles in the pool. Darkness enveloped him almost immediately.
He missed her already.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tracing patterns on Max’s chest, Liz sighed deeply in contentment. They had come in from the rain earlier, carrying their wet clothes in their hands, and shared a shower to get warm again.
Now she was basking in Max’s embrace as she lay next to him in bed, her head resting on his shoulder in the hollow that was created just for her. They weren’t talking or sleeping, they were just being together. Listening to each other breathe, feeling the slide of their skins against each other, enjoying leisurely caresses, touching and tasting… just being Max and Liz.
Even though Matt closed his door softly, the click still signaled to his parents that he was home. Liz peeked at the clock, it was 11:05.
Max sighed as he trailed his hand over Liz’s hip and thigh. He really should get up and talk to Matt about last night, but right now, he felt more like staying here forever with Liz’s essence all around him.
“At least he stuck to his promise tonight,” Liz said softly.
“I know. But I still have to…”
Liz moved higher on the bed, until she could kiss the side of his face. “I know you hate this. But, if you get it over with, I’ll be waiting…”
The promise hidden in her words and eyes had him rolling over until they lay side-by-side. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” She gave him one of her blinding smiles, making his heart soar as always.
He practically leapt off the bed, making Liz laugh. “I’ll be right back!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt was just coming out of the shower when his father knocked on his door. Squaring his shoulders, he prepared to face the music.
“Hi Dad.”
“Hey Matt.” Max shoved his fingers through his hair, sinking down on a chair next to Matt’s bed.
“Dad, before you say anything, I know I shouldn’t have gone over to Sas’ last night. I was just so worried about—”
Max held up his hand, silencing his son immediately.
“I understand why you did it, but I still need to remind you of the promises you made to me just the night before. You can imagine my surprise when James arrived here this morning, telling me that my son was making out with his daughter in her room at one in the morning.”
This was more horrible than he had imagined. Matt bent his head to get away from his father’s penetrating eyes. “It was a mistake, I’m sorry.”
A few moments of silence reverberated through the room. “You know Matt, I’ve thought a lot about mistakes, since I’ve made quite a few in own my life. And here’s what I think, the kind of mistakes a person makes, says a lot about who that person really is. I know this sounds harsh, but you asked me to help you and Sas, and in return, you promised me you would not do anything that would jeopardize your future relationship.”
“I know,” Matt said quietly. Wow, how was that for going from the heights of ecstasy to the depths of depression in a few short minutes!
“And needless to say, James was very worried about how intimate you and Sas were being, seeing that he was clueless you two were getting involved until shortly before and the next thing, he finds you on his daughter’s bed.”
By now, Matt didn’t know what to say anymore.
“But, saying all that, I’m really glad and proud that you stuck to your promises tonight.” Max paused. “So, let’s put this behind us, okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry Dad,” Matt mumbled.
They sat in silence, Max trying to recover from scolding his son and Matt wondering if it would be bad form to ask his dad about the talk with James now.
“Uhm, Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“So, uhm… did you have to convince James about Sas and I?”
“Not really,” Max replied. “He told me Shilla was very worried about what her people would say about you two, but that he felt it was something you had to work out yourselves. However, he is very worried that you will corrupt his daughter,” Max added a smile. “I think he fears you are too much like me. Unfortunately, James has been with your Mom and I long enough to know that I’ve had trouble keeping my hands off her since forever.”
“Yeah, but you two had a thing in like two life-times. Sas and I are just starting now.”
This made Max smile. “But you are still a teenage guy, with hormones. That would scare any father!”
“But I respect Sas!” Matt cried worriedly.
“You have to show her father that you respect her. While I would venture to guess that he would cut you more slack because he knows you better than any other guy, finding you the way he did last night have probably brought your stakes down a few notches.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Just promise me you will show her parents that you are serious about Sas and that you will respect whatever rules they lay down for you. You two are in love, of course you will be kissing and… whatever else. But at least keep the heavy stuff away from the eyes of the older people around here.”
This caused a grin from Matt. “What? Like you and Mom keep that away from us? Sheesh!”
“Hey, I married your mother three times and got through many life and death situations to be with her. I love her and I love showing her I love her. Deal with it.” This reminded Max of Liz waiting for him in their room. He got up. “I have to go. Sleep well.”
“You too, Dad.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz was up making breakfast when Matt stumbled downstairs the next morning. “Hey Mom.”
“Sooo, how was the date last night?” she teased him.
“Great!” he said immediately. “We had dinner in the park and then I took her to the planetarium.”
“Smooth move.” More teasing. “I’m sure that earned you a kiss?”
“Mom!” Matt cried, flushing. “It earned me an ‘I love you’,” he admitted after a short pause.
“Matt! That’s wonderful.” Liz hugged him tightly. “Erm, you did admit that you loved her too, right?”
“Yes, Mother.” He sounded exasperated. “How did you and Dad’s celebration go last night? I saw the candles in the pool, nice touch.”
Liz had her back to him, so he couldn’t see the secret smile that crept over her face. “It went wonderfully, thank you very much,” was all she said.
“Yes, it did,” Max concurred from the doorway, walking in to wrap his arms around Liz. “Happy anniversary… Shani,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her temple before twirling Liz around in his arms and kissing her properly.
This led to some loud groaning from Matt and a deep sigh from Belle who had just wandered into the kitchen.
Max pulled away from Liz, shooting his children a glare. “So, Liz, you have the day off,” he informed her.
“I do?”
“Yes.” He brought her closer again. “We are going for a long drive.”
Liz eyed him suspiciously. “What are you up to, Max Evans?”
“You’ll see.” He looked over at Matt and Belle. “We will either be very late tonight or will return tomorrow. Don’t wreck the house, the neighborhood or the planet while we’re gone.”
“Uh, sure Dad.”
“Right then, we’ll see you when we see you,” he said as he marched Liz out of the kitchen, her back pressed against his chest and their steps moving in sync.
One unforgettable 25th anniversary coming up!
PART 15
Threading his fingers through Liz’s hair, Max smiled. She was sleeping with her head on his thigh as she had done so many times before on their long drives to wherever. He had asked her once if it wasn’t uncomfortable and she had told him that it would be even worse to sleep without touching him.
Earlier, Liz had been surprised when he had turned into a gas station after a couple of hours. “This is not the way to Roswell!”
He had just grinned at her secretively. No, this road trip was to someplace else.
Of course Liz had turned on all her feminine charm to try and pry their destination out of him, but he had held fast. Barely. He also had had to keep blocking her from his mind, knowing she would totally use their connection if all her other avenues failed.
She had teased him mercilessly, trailing her fingers over his thigh, rubbing herself against his shoulder, until he had finally just pulled off the road and pulled her face to his. He had kissed her more roughly than he had planned, plunging his tongue into her mouth while he lifted her closer to his body.
Flashes had bombarded him. Flashes of him with an injured shoulder, of him staggering back with a pale face, calling her “Shani” for the first time. Lying with his ear pressed against Liz’s pregnant stomach. Of him walking around in the garden with a child on each arm. Staring at Liz with a hungry look in his eyes.
Liz saw the Max version of their lives. Flashes of her, dancing around the Crashdown with her antennae bobbing on her head. Looking up at him, all flushed and sated from the floor of the pod chamber, riding in the Jeep with her hair flying around her face. “I’m pregnant, Max.” Sitting in the shade of a tree, her hands on her protruding belly, talking to their unborn baby. Sharing an ice cream cone with a three-year old Matt. Lying asleep naked among tousled sheets, her hair in wild abandon over the pillow. “I love you, Max.” Laughing crazily at something, her eyes big and sparkling. In the throes of an orgasm, her head thrown back as his name tumbled from her lips.
Max had softened the kiss, reigning in his passion as he smoothed gentle hands over her body. When he had finally broken away from her, he had rested his forehead against hers. “I can’t believe you still make me act like a horny teenager after all these years,” he had stated ruefully.
She had slapped his arm playfully. “Well, I fell in love with that horny teenager, so it’s nice to have him back every now and again.”
“What? You mean all my efforts to be romantic were for nothing? You saw right through me?”
Kissing his ear, she had whispered conspiratorially. “Oh, I saw the real you that day in the back of the Crashdown. Did you know my Dad found one of the strawberries still lying on the floor of the kitchen later that night? He didn’t know why I nearly overheated when he picked it up!”
Years ago, this would have made him embarrassed. “So, you got ‘overheated’ thinking about me even then?” he had teased. Good thing, he hadn’t known the extent of Liz’s reaction to him then, they would’ve been in bigger trouble even sooner!
And now she was sleeping with her head on his thigh, looking for all the world like an innocent angel, not the woman that had tried to seduce him a couple of hours ago. They were getting close to the destination he had in mind, and he was driving carefully over the desert terrain after having turned off the road that eventually led to Las Cruces a long while ago. Luckily he was driving a much better Jeep this time around, and Liz barely stirred with the rocking motion of the car.
He touched her hair again, reflecting for a moment on how differently his life could have turned out. And on how thankful he was that it hadn’t. Being here today, in this car, with this woman, with his two beautiful children at home, this is what he had dreamed of so many nights alone in his room back in Roswell. Back when he had watched Liz from afar.
A small moan escaped her mouth. “Max…” He was caressing her clothes off her body almost reverently, his fingers tracing heated trails over her skin, finding all the places that he knew would drive her insane with desire.
Max had jerked his eyes towards Liz as soon as he heard his name. She was still blissfully asleep, but her fingers were starting to dig into the muscles of his thigh as she moved restlessly, trying to get closer to him.
“Max!” This time her voice had that little hitch in it, the one that told him she was getting desperately aroused.
Good lord, she was having an erotic dream about him! It took all he had not to stomp on the breaks and start making her dream a reality.
It was pure torture. He tried to keep an eye on the little trail he was following with the Jeep, while at the same time trying to watch Liz. She arched her body suddenly with another small gasp, nearly sending him over the edge.
That was it.
He brought the car to a stop, but didn’t touch her. He stopped breathing as he focused all of his attention on her. This was almost as exiting as actually making love to her. Almost.
Gently laying his hand on her hip, he opened their connection.
And fell headlong into her dream.
It was like watching a video of them making love.
She was panting his name, over and over, while he watched himself moving inside her. They were both very obviously near the end. Tremors ran through their bodies, starting out lightly and increasing in intensity until they spiraled out of control and into a climax.
Max forced his eyes open, wanting to see and touch the real Liz. He grabbed her closer, holding her as her release pulsed through her body. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her head was thrown back over his arm, her hands were clutching his shirt convulsively, her face painted with ecstasy while she kept gasping his name.
He felt like a king.
A very aroused, very frustrated king.
Her eyes opened suddenly and she looked confused for a moment.
And then she blushed.
A deep, very embarrassed blush just before she hid her face in his shoulder. “Oh my god!”
Wanting to tease her, but not make her feel stupid, Max dragged her against his arousal. “I see you started without me.”
She was mumbling something into his shirt that he couldn’t make out, so he just rubbed his hand down her back soothingly. “You are not making things easy for me today!” He had to pry her away from him so he could meet her gaze. “See, I have this elaborate plan for today. And there are one or two things that should happen first before we get to the making love part.” He breathed deeply, willing his body back under control. “But right now, I feel like chucking all that out of the window…”
“Sorry…” she muttered, still looking mortified.
He brushed her hair behind her ear. “Don’t be. That was one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced in my life.” He gave her a short hug and a kiss on her forehead before lifting her back into her seat and gunning the engine. This show better get on the road quickly, or he was going to spontaneously combust today…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It took her a while to figure out where they were. But when she did, tears pooled in her eyes.
She didn’t get out when the Jeep was finally parked and Max rounded the front to open her door. She was staring at the spot in the desert right in front of them, biting her lip.
“Liz?” He was getting worried.
“This is the most wonderful thing you have ever done,” she told him tearfully, turning to him and flinging her arms around his neck, nearly choking him with the strength of her embrace.
It was the place of their first bonding, deep in the New Mexican desert. The place where they had gotten “married” for the first time. When they had only been 17 years old.
Holding her hands, he tugged her out of the Jeep, walking the few steps with her until they stood on what was to them, hallowed ground.
“Max—”
“Shhh,” he put a finger on her lips. Sliding his hands into her hair, he held her face tenderly. “Look into my eyes…”
The connection was instantaneous. And with it came a reaffirmation of Max’s commitment to her. His love and his renewed vows.
And she answered each one of them.
It was like another bonding…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After sharing endless emotional kisses, Max had helped her back into the Jeep, again refusing to tell her what he was up to now. This time, she stayed awake, keeping an eye on the passing scenery.
And it didn’t take her long to figure out where they were going.
It was like being seventeen all over again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The little motel in Carlsbad was still there. Max had checked before coming out here. As he led her into the room where they had made love for the first time, he felt just as emotional as she did.
The room looked different and the same. The décor had changed, but the lay-out was the same. And the air in the room was thick with memories…
“Liz?” Asking her silently if this was still what she wanted.
“Yes, Max… yes.”
She undid him with three small words. Increasing his desire for her until it felt as if he’d die if he didn’t have her. But he kept himself in check. This was Liz. This was her first time too. He needed to be gentle.
Holding her gaze with his, Max completed his possession of Liz with a smooth and careful stroke. She cried out and he held her until she grew accustomed to his body. He was trembling with the effort of keeping still, but he waited until she looked into his eyes and moved against him experimentally.
Max gave in then, moving inside her until they shared in the wild, mysterious, shattering joy of each other’s bodies. Liz clung to him afterwards, thankful for his weight pressing her into the mattress. She was afraid that her body was going to scatter into little bits following the explosion of pleasure she had just experienced. This was where she belonged. In Max’s arms. She knew she would never be able to live without this feeling again.
Max finally lifted his head from her shoulder. His breathing still ragged. “Are you okay? Did I… did I hurt you?”
He saw her answer in her dazzling smile. Cupping her cheek, he kissed her again. “Liz Parker, will you marry me?”
They smiled at each other, gripping their hands more tightly. What a long way they’ve come!
“Yes.” Soft and definite.
Max’s eyes widened for a moment and then filled with tears. Happy tears. Relieved tears. Tears that showed Liz how much he had wanted that to be her answer. And confirmed once again that she would never find anyone to take Max’s place in her heart, in this galaxy or any other.
Max crushed her against him, his face pressed in her neck. His aching lungs were reminding him to breathe, but he could care less about air now. How does that compare with Liz Parker saying she’ll marry him? He felt like he was floating on a cloud. Giddy and dizzy and indescribably happy.
Liz ran her hands over his back, trying to comfort him. He seemed really overcome with emotion and she marveled at the fact that she had such power over him. It was an ego-boosting realization, but one she must never misuse. Besides, he had the same power over her…
Max rolled to his side, pulling Liz with him. He caressed her face as they lay staring at each other with their faces inches apart on the same pillow. “Wow. We just… wow!”
Liz grinned against his fingers that were now tracing her lips. “It took you long enough to notice that I am now officially ruined, Mr. Evans!”
Max’s half-smile had a devastating effect on her as always. “Hey, if that means nobody but me gets to do this with you for the rest of your life, that’s fine by me!” He became serious again. “Are you okay? Nothing… uhm weird going on?”
Liz shook her head, still smiling. Max would never change! She suddenly yawned.
Max tucked her hair behind her ear. “Go to sleep, love.”
“What about you? Aren’t you tired too?” Her eyes were already closing. Max was safely back in her arms and all was well in her little world.
“Yeah. But not too tired to watch you sleep for a little while.” He kissed her forehead and whispered. “I have dreamt of this moment for as long as I can remember… I love you, Liz Parker.”
“Love you too… Thank you for making this so special…” Her words were mumbled against his chest. She fell asleep with Max’s heartbeat in her ear.
“Happy anniversary, Liz,” Max whispered, still slightly emotional at the vivid memories.
“Oh Max! I loved you then, but I love you even more today. And I will still love you when forever is over.” She carried that promise on her lips to his and Max’s heart seemed to pump liquid fire through him as they kissed, and kissed, and kissed, hungry for the giving of each other, the knowing, the certainty of a once in a million love…
He was so beautiful. So intoxicatingly beautiful. The feel of him, the smell of him, the sight of him. Liz felt as though her whole body was effervescing with happiness, her skin tingling like champagne.
Her man. Her mate in every sense there was. And when they moved to the bed it was together. Together in all the ways that mattered, the giving and taking so excitingly, blissfully mutual, the sheer ecstasy of loving and feeling herself loved, but also of knowing how deeply it went, the wonderful, awesome flow of becoming one again, one in heart and mind and soul.
It was so incredibly special, this way that they completely filled each other’s empty spaces, that they answered each other’s needs and desires and hopes and dreams.
And when he entered her, slowly, both of them treasuring the sensation of ultimate intimacy, his face hovering above hers, their eyes mirroring the rapture they shared… that was heaven too. She heard it in his voice as he murmured, “My Shani, always…” and tasted it in his mouth as he kissed her, making the melding complete, and in her mind and through their connection beat one beautiful word: Max… Max… Max.
It was goodness and light and joy and it moved into a rhythm that celebrated the life they’ve had together. Liz wrapped her legs around him in exultant possession and lifted herself to him, urging the feast of sharing that would always be theirs. The feast of love.
Then there was no thought, only feeling. Powerful waves of feeling, obliterating everything but the sense of their oneness, peaking into a sublime climax, a pulsating flow that lingered on and on.
“Thank you,” Max whispered, his voice furred with deep emotion. “Thank you for being you and loving me.”
“It was meant to be,” she murmured, affirming the deep, unalterable truth. “We are only half alive without each other.”
He kissed her, long and lovingly, wondering where they would be in another 25 years. He didn’t know that now, but he did know one thing.
They would be together.
tbc
Many kisses later, Matt walked Sas to her door a few minutes before eleven. The storm was over and in its wake, everything sparkled with tiny raindrops, looking clean and fresh. Glancing around the pool, he could see the table where his parents must have had dinner still outside, the tablecloth sodden from the rain, and dozens of unlit candles drifted in the pool. A small smile curved his lips, no wonder he freaked out about making his first date with Sas special, he had his parents to blame for being a hopeless romantic.
Sas opened the door and turned to him, smiling up at him sweetly. “This was an amazing evening. Thank you.”
Stepping closer, he pulled her against him. “Well, I was hoping—”
The insistent ring of the telephone halted his words.
They grinned at each other, already knowing who was calling.
Sas picked up the phone, sticking her tongue out at Matt. “Hey Dad… Yes, I’m home… We went to dinner and the planetarium… He was just saying good-bye now… Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow… Bye.”
Sas stood with a bent head after putting the phone down softly.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Matt was behind her immediately, folding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
“My mom isn’t taking this… us, very well. She’s crying all the time and we… haven’t really spoken…”
Nuzzling her hair, he tried to reassure her. “She’s worried about what being with me will mean for you, sweetheart. That her people might be awful to you. I don’t think she means for you to be unhappy.”
“I know,” she sighed, snuggling closer to him.
“When you come with me to Tresar, we will probably stop over on Dendar and we will end all this uncertainty. I promise.” He kissed her temple tenderly, inhaling her wonderful scent and glorying in her nearness fleetingly. Stepping away, he took her hand. “Come outside with me for a few seconds.”
She looked at him curiously, but followed him out the door to the pool.
“Close your eyes,” he instructed her, waiting until she obliged before snapping his fingers. “Okay, open them.” Holding her tightly, he pressed their cheeks together, both of their faces turned towards the pool.
A soft gasp was her only reaction. He had lighted all the candles that the rain had doused earlier, bathing the pool in a rich amber light.
“I love you,” she pre-empted him, feeling the slight tremble that went through his body at her words.
“We can, and will, do this,” he told her, turning his head so he could press open-mouthed little kisses over her cheek and jaw-line. By the time he reached the sensitive skin under her ear, both of them were shaking with a need to be closer.
“Go home, please,” he groaned in her ear. “Before I break every last promise I made to our parents.”
Kissing him quickly on the lips, Sas backed away, watching him watch her. She faltered halfway until his soft, ‘go, Sas’ spurred her on again.
He waited until she had disappeared into her apartment, before turning around and waving his hand over the candles in the pool. Darkness enveloped him almost immediately.
He missed her already.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tracing patterns on Max’s chest, Liz sighed deeply in contentment. They had come in from the rain earlier, carrying their wet clothes in their hands, and shared a shower to get warm again.
Now she was basking in Max’s embrace as she lay next to him in bed, her head resting on his shoulder in the hollow that was created just for her. They weren’t talking or sleeping, they were just being together. Listening to each other breathe, feeling the slide of their skins against each other, enjoying leisurely caresses, touching and tasting… just being Max and Liz.
Even though Matt closed his door softly, the click still signaled to his parents that he was home. Liz peeked at the clock, it was 11:05.
Max sighed as he trailed his hand over Liz’s hip and thigh. He really should get up and talk to Matt about last night, but right now, he felt more like staying here forever with Liz’s essence all around him.
“At least he stuck to his promise tonight,” Liz said softly.
“I know. But I still have to…”
Liz moved higher on the bed, until she could kiss the side of his face. “I know you hate this. But, if you get it over with, I’ll be waiting…”
The promise hidden in her words and eyes had him rolling over until they lay side-by-side. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” She gave him one of her blinding smiles, making his heart soar as always.
He practically leapt off the bed, making Liz laugh. “I’ll be right back!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt was just coming out of the shower when his father knocked on his door. Squaring his shoulders, he prepared to face the music.
“Hi Dad.”
“Hey Matt.” Max shoved his fingers through his hair, sinking down on a chair next to Matt’s bed.
“Dad, before you say anything, I know I shouldn’t have gone over to Sas’ last night. I was just so worried about—”
Max held up his hand, silencing his son immediately.
“I understand why you did it, but I still need to remind you of the promises you made to me just the night before. You can imagine my surprise when James arrived here this morning, telling me that my son was making out with his daughter in her room at one in the morning.”
This was more horrible than he had imagined. Matt bent his head to get away from his father’s penetrating eyes. “It was a mistake, I’m sorry.”
A few moments of silence reverberated through the room. “You know Matt, I’ve thought a lot about mistakes, since I’ve made quite a few in own my life. And here’s what I think, the kind of mistakes a person makes, says a lot about who that person really is. I know this sounds harsh, but you asked me to help you and Sas, and in return, you promised me you would not do anything that would jeopardize your future relationship.”
“I know,” Matt said quietly. Wow, how was that for going from the heights of ecstasy to the depths of depression in a few short minutes!
“And needless to say, James was very worried about how intimate you and Sas were being, seeing that he was clueless you two were getting involved until shortly before and the next thing, he finds you on his daughter’s bed.”
By now, Matt didn’t know what to say anymore.
“But, saying all that, I’m really glad and proud that you stuck to your promises tonight.” Max paused. “So, let’s put this behind us, okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry Dad,” Matt mumbled.
They sat in silence, Max trying to recover from scolding his son and Matt wondering if it would be bad form to ask his dad about the talk with James now.
“Uhm, Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“So, uhm… did you have to convince James about Sas and I?”
“Not really,” Max replied. “He told me Shilla was very worried about what her people would say about you two, but that he felt it was something you had to work out yourselves. However, he is very worried that you will corrupt his daughter,” Max added a smile. “I think he fears you are too much like me. Unfortunately, James has been with your Mom and I long enough to know that I’ve had trouble keeping my hands off her since forever.”
“Yeah, but you two had a thing in like two life-times. Sas and I are just starting now.”
This made Max smile. “But you are still a teenage guy, with hormones. That would scare any father!”
“But I respect Sas!” Matt cried worriedly.
“You have to show her father that you respect her. While I would venture to guess that he would cut you more slack because he knows you better than any other guy, finding you the way he did last night have probably brought your stakes down a few notches.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Just promise me you will show her parents that you are serious about Sas and that you will respect whatever rules they lay down for you. You two are in love, of course you will be kissing and… whatever else. But at least keep the heavy stuff away from the eyes of the older people around here.”
This caused a grin from Matt. “What? Like you and Mom keep that away from us? Sheesh!”
“Hey, I married your mother three times and got through many life and death situations to be with her. I love her and I love showing her I love her. Deal with it.” This reminded Max of Liz waiting for him in their room. He got up. “I have to go. Sleep well.”
“You too, Dad.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Liz was up making breakfast when Matt stumbled downstairs the next morning. “Hey Mom.”
“Sooo, how was the date last night?” she teased him.
“Great!” he said immediately. “We had dinner in the park and then I took her to the planetarium.”
“Smooth move.” More teasing. “I’m sure that earned you a kiss?”
“Mom!” Matt cried, flushing. “It earned me an ‘I love you’,” he admitted after a short pause.
“Matt! That’s wonderful.” Liz hugged him tightly. “Erm, you did admit that you loved her too, right?”
“Yes, Mother.” He sounded exasperated. “How did you and Dad’s celebration go last night? I saw the candles in the pool, nice touch.”
Liz had her back to him, so he couldn’t see the secret smile that crept over her face. “It went wonderfully, thank you very much,” was all she said.
“Yes, it did,” Max concurred from the doorway, walking in to wrap his arms around Liz. “Happy anniversary… Shani,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her temple before twirling Liz around in his arms and kissing her properly.
This led to some loud groaning from Matt and a deep sigh from Belle who had just wandered into the kitchen.
Max pulled away from Liz, shooting his children a glare. “So, Liz, you have the day off,” he informed her.
“I do?”
“Yes.” He brought her closer again. “We are going for a long drive.”
Liz eyed him suspiciously. “What are you up to, Max Evans?”
“You’ll see.” He looked over at Matt and Belle. “We will either be very late tonight or will return tomorrow. Don’t wreck the house, the neighborhood or the planet while we’re gone.”
“Uh, sure Dad.”
“Right then, we’ll see you when we see you,” he said as he marched Liz out of the kitchen, her back pressed against his chest and their steps moving in sync.
One unforgettable 25th anniversary coming up!
PART 15
Threading his fingers through Liz’s hair, Max smiled. She was sleeping with her head on his thigh as she had done so many times before on their long drives to wherever. He had asked her once if it wasn’t uncomfortable and she had told him that it would be even worse to sleep without touching him.
Earlier, Liz had been surprised when he had turned into a gas station after a couple of hours. “This is not the way to Roswell!”
He had just grinned at her secretively. No, this road trip was to someplace else.
Of course Liz had turned on all her feminine charm to try and pry their destination out of him, but he had held fast. Barely. He also had had to keep blocking her from his mind, knowing she would totally use their connection if all her other avenues failed.
She had teased him mercilessly, trailing her fingers over his thigh, rubbing herself against his shoulder, until he had finally just pulled off the road and pulled her face to his. He had kissed her more roughly than he had planned, plunging his tongue into her mouth while he lifted her closer to his body.
Flashes had bombarded him. Flashes of him with an injured shoulder, of him staggering back with a pale face, calling her “Shani” for the first time. Lying with his ear pressed against Liz’s pregnant stomach. Of him walking around in the garden with a child on each arm. Staring at Liz with a hungry look in his eyes.
Liz saw the Max version of their lives. Flashes of her, dancing around the Crashdown with her antennae bobbing on her head. Looking up at him, all flushed and sated from the floor of the pod chamber, riding in the Jeep with her hair flying around her face. “I’m pregnant, Max.” Sitting in the shade of a tree, her hands on her protruding belly, talking to their unborn baby. Sharing an ice cream cone with a three-year old Matt. Lying asleep naked among tousled sheets, her hair in wild abandon over the pillow. “I love you, Max.” Laughing crazily at something, her eyes big and sparkling. In the throes of an orgasm, her head thrown back as his name tumbled from her lips.
Max had softened the kiss, reigning in his passion as he smoothed gentle hands over her body. When he had finally broken away from her, he had rested his forehead against hers. “I can’t believe you still make me act like a horny teenager after all these years,” he had stated ruefully.
She had slapped his arm playfully. “Well, I fell in love with that horny teenager, so it’s nice to have him back every now and again.”
“What? You mean all my efforts to be romantic were for nothing? You saw right through me?”
Kissing his ear, she had whispered conspiratorially. “Oh, I saw the real you that day in the back of the Crashdown. Did you know my Dad found one of the strawberries still lying on the floor of the kitchen later that night? He didn’t know why I nearly overheated when he picked it up!”
Years ago, this would have made him embarrassed. “So, you got ‘overheated’ thinking about me even then?” he had teased. Good thing, he hadn’t known the extent of Liz’s reaction to him then, they would’ve been in bigger trouble even sooner!
And now she was sleeping with her head on his thigh, looking for all the world like an innocent angel, not the woman that had tried to seduce him a couple of hours ago. They were getting close to the destination he had in mind, and he was driving carefully over the desert terrain after having turned off the road that eventually led to Las Cruces a long while ago. Luckily he was driving a much better Jeep this time around, and Liz barely stirred with the rocking motion of the car.
He touched her hair again, reflecting for a moment on how differently his life could have turned out. And on how thankful he was that it hadn’t. Being here today, in this car, with this woman, with his two beautiful children at home, this is what he had dreamed of so many nights alone in his room back in Roswell. Back when he had watched Liz from afar.
A small moan escaped her mouth. “Max…” He was caressing her clothes off her body almost reverently, his fingers tracing heated trails over her skin, finding all the places that he knew would drive her insane with desire.
Max had jerked his eyes towards Liz as soon as he heard his name. She was still blissfully asleep, but her fingers were starting to dig into the muscles of his thigh as she moved restlessly, trying to get closer to him.
“Max!” This time her voice had that little hitch in it, the one that told him she was getting desperately aroused.
Good lord, she was having an erotic dream about him! It took all he had not to stomp on the breaks and start making her dream a reality.
It was pure torture. He tried to keep an eye on the little trail he was following with the Jeep, while at the same time trying to watch Liz. She arched her body suddenly with another small gasp, nearly sending him over the edge.
That was it.
He brought the car to a stop, but didn’t touch her. He stopped breathing as he focused all of his attention on her. This was almost as exiting as actually making love to her. Almost.
Gently laying his hand on her hip, he opened their connection.
And fell headlong into her dream.
It was like watching a video of them making love.
She was panting his name, over and over, while he watched himself moving inside her. They were both very obviously near the end. Tremors ran through their bodies, starting out lightly and increasing in intensity until they spiraled out of control and into a climax.
Max forced his eyes open, wanting to see and touch the real Liz. He grabbed her closer, holding her as her release pulsed through her body. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her head was thrown back over his arm, her hands were clutching his shirt convulsively, her face painted with ecstasy while she kept gasping his name.
He felt like a king.
A very aroused, very frustrated king.
Her eyes opened suddenly and she looked confused for a moment.
And then she blushed.
A deep, very embarrassed blush just before she hid her face in his shoulder. “Oh my god!”
Wanting to tease her, but not make her feel stupid, Max dragged her against his arousal. “I see you started without me.”
She was mumbling something into his shirt that he couldn’t make out, so he just rubbed his hand down her back soothingly. “You are not making things easy for me today!” He had to pry her away from him so he could meet her gaze. “See, I have this elaborate plan for today. And there are one or two things that should happen first before we get to the making love part.” He breathed deeply, willing his body back under control. “But right now, I feel like chucking all that out of the window…”
“Sorry…” she muttered, still looking mortified.
He brushed her hair behind her ear. “Don’t be. That was one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced in my life.” He gave her a short hug and a kiss on her forehead before lifting her back into her seat and gunning the engine. This show better get on the road quickly, or he was going to spontaneously combust today…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It took her a while to figure out where they were. But when she did, tears pooled in her eyes.
She didn’t get out when the Jeep was finally parked and Max rounded the front to open her door. She was staring at the spot in the desert right in front of them, biting her lip.
“Liz?” He was getting worried.
“This is the most wonderful thing you have ever done,” she told him tearfully, turning to him and flinging her arms around his neck, nearly choking him with the strength of her embrace.
It was the place of their first bonding, deep in the New Mexican desert. The place where they had gotten “married” for the first time. When they had only been 17 years old.
Holding her hands, he tugged her out of the Jeep, walking the few steps with her until they stood on what was to them, hallowed ground.
“Max—”
“Shhh,” he put a finger on her lips. Sliding his hands into her hair, he held her face tenderly. “Look into my eyes…”
The connection was instantaneous. And with it came a reaffirmation of Max’s commitment to her. His love and his renewed vows.
And she answered each one of them.
It was like another bonding…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After sharing endless emotional kisses, Max had helped her back into the Jeep, again refusing to tell her what he was up to now. This time, she stayed awake, keeping an eye on the passing scenery.
And it didn’t take her long to figure out where they were going.
It was like being seventeen all over again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The little motel in Carlsbad was still there. Max had checked before coming out here. As he led her into the room where they had made love for the first time, he felt just as emotional as she did.
The room looked different and the same. The décor had changed, but the lay-out was the same. And the air in the room was thick with memories…
“Liz?” Asking her silently if this was still what she wanted.
“Yes, Max… yes.”
She undid him with three small words. Increasing his desire for her until it felt as if he’d die if he didn’t have her. But he kept himself in check. This was Liz. This was her first time too. He needed to be gentle.
Holding her gaze with his, Max completed his possession of Liz with a smooth and careful stroke. She cried out and he held her until she grew accustomed to his body. He was trembling with the effort of keeping still, but he waited until she looked into his eyes and moved against him experimentally.
Max gave in then, moving inside her until they shared in the wild, mysterious, shattering joy of each other’s bodies. Liz clung to him afterwards, thankful for his weight pressing her into the mattress. She was afraid that her body was going to scatter into little bits following the explosion of pleasure she had just experienced. This was where she belonged. In Max’s arms. She knew she would never be able to live without this feeling again.
Max finally lifted his head from her shoulder. His breathing still ragged. “Are you okay? Did I… did I hurt you?”
He saw her answer in her dazzling smile. Cupping her cheek, he kissed her again. “Liz Parker, will you marry me?”
They smiled at each other, gripping their hands more tightly. What a long way they’ve come!
“Yes.” Soft and definite.
Max’s eyes widened for a moment and then filled with tears. Happy tears. Relieved tears. Tears that showed Liz how much he had wanted that to be her answer. And confirmed once again that she would never find anyone to take Max’s place in her heart, in this galaxy or any other.
Max crushed her against him, his face pressed in her neck. His aching lungs were reminding him to breathe, but he could care less about air now. How does that compare with Liz Parker saying she’ll marry him? He felt like he was floating on a cloud. Giddy and dizzy and indescribably happy.
Liz ran her hands over his back, trying to comfort him. He seemed really overcome with emotion and she marveled at the fact that she had such power over him. It was an ego-boosting realization, but one she must never misuse. Besides, he had the same power over her…
Max rolled to his side, pulling Liz with him. He caressed her face as they lay staring at each other with their faces inches apart on the same pillow. “Wow. We just… wow!”
Liz grinned against his fingers that were now tracing her lips. “It took you long enough to notice that I am now officially ruined, Mr. Evans!”
Max’s half-smile had a devastating effect on her as always. “Hey, if that means nobody but me gets to do this with you for the rest of your life, that’s fine by me!” He became serious again. “Are you okay? Nothing… uhm weird going on?”
Liz shook her head, still smiling. Max would never change! She suddenly yawned.
Max tucked her hair behind her ear. “Go to sleep, love.”
“What about you? Aren’t you tired too?” Her eyes were already closing. Max was safely back in her arms and all was well in her little world.
“Yeah. But not too tired to watch you sleep for a little while.” He kissed her forehead and whispered. “I have dreamt of this moment for as long as I can remember… I love you, Liz Parker.”
“Love you too… Thank you for making this so special…” Her words were mumbled against his chest. She fell asleep with Max’s heartbeat in her ear.
“Happy anniversary, Liz,” Max whispered, still slightly emotional at the vivid memories.
“Oh Max! I loved you then, but I love you even more today. And I will still love you when forever is over.” She carried that promise on her lips to his and Max’s heart seemed to pump liquid fire through him as they kissed, and kissed, and kissed, hungry for the giving of each other, the knowing, the certainty of a once in a million love…
He was so beautiful. So intoxicatingly beautiful. The feel of him, the smell of him, the sight of him. Liz felt as though her whole body was effervescing with happiness, her skin tingling like champagne.
Her man. Her mate in every sense there was. And when they moved to the bed it was together. Together in all the ways that mattered, the giving and taking so excitingly, blissfully mutual, the sheer ecstasy of loving and feeling herself loved, but also of knowing how deeply it went, the wonderful, awesome flow of becoming one again, one in heart and mind and soul.
It was so incredibly special, this way that they completely filled each other’s empty spaces, that they answered each other’s needs and desires and hopes and dreams.
And when he entered her, slowly, both of them treasuring the sensation of ultimate intimacy, his face hovering above hers, their eyes mirroring the rapture they shared… that was heaven too. She heard it in his voice as he murmured, “My Shani, always…” and tasted it in his mouth as he kissed her, making the melding complete, and in her mind and through their connection beat one beautiful word: Max… Max… Max.
It was goodness and light and joy and it moved into a rhythm that celebrated the life they’ve had together. Liz wrapped her legs around him in exultant possession and lifted herself to him, urging the feast of sharing that would always be theirs. The feast of love.
Then there was no thought, only feeling. Powerful waves of feeling, obliterating everything but the sense of their oneness, peaking into a sublime climax, a pulsating flow that lingered on and on.
“Thank you,” Max whispered, his voice furred with deep emotion. “Thank you for being you and loving me.”
“It was meant to be,” she murmured, affirming the deep, unalterable truth. “We are only half alive without each other.”
He kissed her, long and lovingly, wondering where they would be in another 25 years. He didn’t know that now, but he did know one thing.
They would be together.
tbc
16+17
PART 16
Matt was in big trouble. With every passing day it was getting harder to keep his hands to himself around Sas. They have only been an official couple for a week-and-a-half and he had taken her on normal dates, like to the movies, but through it all, he wanted her so much he ached.
Several things kept him from taking things with her further than kissing and some innocuous over the clothes petting. She was such an innocent in many respects and he didn’t want to cheat her out of experiencing everything that goes with dating for the first time. And, then there was the fact that he had promised both their fathers to take it slow for now…
But none of that took into account that Sas was getting bolder with him by the day. She teased him mercilessly and his inability to hide his response from her just seemed to spur her on.
It helped that they were very rarely alone, though. When they had gotten home from school on his parents’ anniversary, James and Shilla had already returned from Roswell. The approval on James’ face, the result of the fact that Matt had kept his promise about Sas’ curfew, made Matt feel like a heel. For he had very definitely been planning some serious making out with Sas if none of the parents had been home yet. But that face, the I-trust-you-with-my-only-daughter face, had stayed with Matt ever since.
It was killing him, though. He watched his parents with new eyes, seeing an intimacy in their touches that he had never noticed before. Suddenly he envied his father the freedom he had to touch and love the woman of his heart. Because Matt didn’t have the same freedom yet…
Coming back to him being in big trouble, the senior prom was taking place in a couple of days. He had made a whole production of asking Sas to go with him, all the while having a moment of slight panic about whether he will still be in her life next year when her own senior prom arrived. She had said yes, and now all the women in their group were in full swing.
He had never seen such a fuss in his life. His mother and Maria were taking Sas and Shilla shopping for a prom dress. It was his mother’s idea and he loved her for it, but he wondered if he hadn’t thrown Saskia to the wolves.
Just before they left, Maria had pinched his cheeks and told him how adorable he was. Probably because he had clung to Sas’ hand and told his mom to be careful with her. And to make sure that Sas buys something she wants, not something she can afford.
“He is just like Max!” he had heard Maria exclaim while she clambered into the Jeep where Max was already waiting. Liz didn’t want James tagging along and making Shilla and Sas nervous, and Max didn’t want Liz off on her own, so he was going with them. Maria had mumbled something about Max being in overprotective mode again and proceeded to tell Max and Liz loudly that she would leave at the first sign that they were making out in changing rooms.
For her part, Sas was overwhelmed. Firstly, because it was Max and Liz taking her shopping for a dress for a prom date with their son and secondly because it was clear they intended to pay for everything. Her mother seemed just as amazed by the whole thing.
Shopping for the dress was a weird and wonderful experience to Sas. She decided that Max must be the most patient man in the world. He held his wife’s hand while being dragged all over the shopping mall by Liz and Maria. He gave his opinion on dresses when asked and made sure that Sas and Shilla didn’t get left behind by the two shopping whirlwinds they were following.
It gave Sas a tantalizing glimpse of what life with Matt might be like. She observed Max and Liz intently, seeing not only the normal things like how much they loved each other, but also new things. Like how Liz’s breath would catch when Max rubbed his hand low over her stomach, and how Max’s eyes would darken when Liz licked her bottom-lip.
She kept sneaking glances at her mother, wondering if Shilla saw all this too. And if maybe this might make her a bit more susceptible about Sas’ relationship with Matt. Her parents loved each other too, but there was something mystical about whatever was between Max and Liz. Sas enjoyed hearing Max’s voice go soft when he talked to Liz. They called it his ‘Liz voice’ among their little group. And she loved seeing Liz look at Max like he was just this side of a deity.
As she followed the group around various stores and dutifully tried on everything Maria waved at her, she became more and more nervous. Matt was in love with her right now, that much she knew, but what if this all changed in the future? What if—
“Stop whatever you’re thinking,” Liz said suddenly from right next to her. Sas had been staring at her reflection in one of the shop mirrors with a frown on her face.
Frantically looking around to see if the ever-present Max was near, and silently breathing in relief when she saw him over on the other side of the shop with Maria, she wondered what to say to Matt’s all too perceptive mom. “I wasn’t…”
“You are good enough for him,” Liz told her quietly. “All you need to do is allow yourself to love him back as much as you possibly can.”
A bubble of hysteria rose up in her throat. “But what if he finds some other girl next year when he goes to college and I’m still in school? What if—” She hated sounding so whiny and pathetic.
“What if Matt worries about the same thing?” Liz countered. She took Sas’ hand gently and led her over to a changing room, casting a look over her shoulder at a concerned Max that stopped him in his tracks and sent him to intercept Maria who was coming over with another dress.
Inside the stall, Liz pulled Sas in front of a mirror and stood next to her. “I used to look at myself and wonder what on earth Max saw in me. All I saw was a smart but mousy girl with long brown hair and brown eyes.” She grinned crookedly. “Not to mention, no real cleavage to speak of.”
“Mrs. Evans!” Sas cried in shock, but Liz waved a hand to silence her.
“He used to tell me how beautiful I was to him, but I thought that one day he would wake up and see the truth after the initial rush of being in love passed…” Liz smoothed her hand over her hair as Sas looked on in stunned silence. “All I could see was this glorious man, who had girls falling all over themselves around him, who could heal with a touch, was the King of another planet, had a beautiful wife already picked out for him and who couldn’t possible remain blind to my ordinariness for too long.” Her gaze met Sas’ in the mirror. “And on our wedding night, I finally realized that what I saw in the mirror, was less important than what he sees when he looks at me.”
Catching sight of Max hovering in the door of the stall from the corner of her eye, Sas at first missed the telltale little silence from Liz, indicating that she too knew Max was near. However, she did notice their eyes meeting in the mirror. The way they were looking at each other brought tears to Sas’ eyes. “What does he see?” she asked in a hushed voice.
The answer came from Max. “How much she loves me.” He came closer, running a hand down Liz’s hair and back up again, tunneling under the silken tresses. Liz looked like a cat being stroked.
“But more than that, I saw how his love made me look…” Liz didn’t have to add anything, because Sas could see the way she started glowing as soon as Max touched her. It was awe-inspiring.
Finding her voice again, Liz tried to explain more to Sas. “Love is what people bring out in each other.” She snuggled closer to Max. “Matt loves you, but it is up to you as to what you allow that love to bring out in you. And what you allow yourself to give back to him.”
The interlude had made Sas think hard about the way she had been around Matt. Seeing how amazing his parents were together made her long to throw herself into loving him heart and soul. And she resolved to start with the prom.
The next dress she tried on made Max’s eyebrows rise. Maria thought this was a good sign while Liz and Max, who pitied their son already, shook their heads. Shilla had just compressed her lips and turned away, her displeasure obvious.
“Come on!” Maria whined. “Allow the boy some excitement!”
Everyone turned to Sas. She looked at herself in the mirror and asked one question: would Liz wear this in public? The answer was a resounding no, so she shook her head too. Wearing this dress might get Matt’s motor running, but it would not make him proud to have her as his prom date.
It was late by the time they went into one of Liz’s favorite boutiques. And found the perfect dress. One that made Liz clap her hands together in glee and made Maria grin widely. Even Shilla looked happy.
“You look beautiful, Sas,” Max told her seriously.
And that clinched it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a tired little group that finally got home that afternoon. Armed with all sorts of packages, Sas managed to make it to her room without running into Matt. She was under strict instructions from Maria to keep her prom clothes a surprise for her date, and also to make sure that the normal stuff that happens after proms, happens to her and Matt too. At Sas’ shocked gasp, she cried that she was just kidding and busted up laughing.
This made Sas wonder, though. What was Matt expecting from their prom night? And what was she ready to give? She had been shamelessly leading him on lately, knowing that he wouldn’t really take things further. It was fun to test her feminine wiles on him and to see him react so satisfactorily. But all her teasing had led to were a few occasions of wild and passionate kissing. As for the rest, Matt had been acting like a real gentleman.
And Sas wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
Was it that easy to resist her? She wasn’t blind to the fact she excited Matt, but why did he not look like he had more trouble not doing anything about it? She wanted the unbridled passion she saw between Max and Liz. She wanted Matt to want her so much he couldn’t see straight.
Well, maybe prom night was the time to do something about this…
PART 17
Incredibly handsome. That was the only thought Liz had as she watched Matthew try on his tux for the prom. Max had taken him shopping the previous day and now he wanted his mother’s approval for their choice too.
Looking at him now, the spitting image of his father at that age, Liz felt emotional tears forming in her eyes, causing her to miss the anxious look on her son’s face. “Mom?”
But Liz was seeing Max at 18, waiting for her in her parents’ lounge, looking so amazing in his dark tuxedo. They had laughed at their own efforts to hide what they would be wearing from each other, because they had been living together for so long by the time their senior prom had rolled around. Max had dressed in their little apartment, and Liz had used her old bedroom in the apartment above the Crashdown for one last time. The night had been magical for her, Max had held her close during the function and had afterwards made sweet, slow love to her the whole night.
“Mama?”
Matt’s worried voice made her snap back to the present and she jumped up from his bed and hugged him tightly, hoping that his prom would also lead to wonderful memories he could cherish for the rest of his life. “You look so wonderful,” she told him as he embraced her back.
“Err, thank you,” he replied as he held her, wondering about the tears he had seen. “Are you okay?”
Sniffling, Liz stepped back and smiled up at him crookedly. “Yeah, just… I remembered my own senior prom. And… I can’t believe how much you look like Max did that night…”
“Oh please tell me I’m not wearing the same tux he was! That was like… 25 years ago!” But he was grinning as he teased her.
Liz smacked his arm. “Well, you have the same lame sense of humor as your father, that’s for sure!” She sat down on the edge of his bed again, sighing blissfully. “It was such a magical night for me.”
Matt grimaced as he joined Liz on the bed. Damn, his father was such a hard act to follow. “So, tell me about it?”
Watching his mother glow as she talked animatedly about her prom night, Matt was again struck with wonder about his parents’ unique love story. His father dreaming of a girl he had never met while still living on Antar, loving her even then, only to die and finally meet her in this life here on earth. A human girl, born to love him for all that he was.
“…it was so late by the time we got home! We weren’t really tired…” Liz trailed off, suddenly realizing that what happened next was not necessarily something her son would be comfortable hearing. And it also made her worry about Matt’s expectations for the part after his own prom.
Meeting her son’s knowing gaze, she knew he wasn’t fooled about what she and Max had been up to that night. Wow, this was weird!
“You and Dad were bonded for a long time before that, right?” Matt asked. “Didn’t it take some of the excitement away? I mean, you were married for all intents and purposes by then.”
Tilting her head to the side, Liz contemplated this for a moment. “You know, I think we were more excited because we were doing something normal together for a change. By then, Max had been tortured by the FBI, we’d been hunted and kidnapped by crazy people from Tresar, bonded twice and moved in together in plain sight of our parents and the whole world! For one night, we could just be teenagers, going to a school thing.” They smiled at each other with understanding. Then Liz took a deep breath. “Honey…” she twisted around so she could meet his gaze while she talked, “what are you… I mean, after the prom…”
A heated flush crept over his face. Matt knew exactly what she was asking. “I’m not sure, Mom,” he told her honestly. “I’m not planning anything… specific, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Taking his hand, Liz enfolded it in both of hers. “It’s just… you have to plan, Matt. Be careful…”
“I know, but this is all too…” He rubbed his face. “I don’t like feeling that I [i[have[/i] to do anything with Sas after the prom. It’s so… I want… I want whatever happens between us to be special one day, not the result of it being the ‘done thing’ for the night of the prom.”
How much more proud could she be of this son of hers? “You should do whatever your heart tells you to do. And in this case, your heart and your head… I mean, your mind!” Liz ended in a fluster before blushing profusely.
They burst out laughing together.
Only when they calmed down, did Matt blurt out the truth. “I want to wait, Mom. To give us time to get used to being a couple first.”
Liz patted his hand. “Well then, that’s what you should do.”
“But…” Getting up, he started pacing the room. “But what if that’s not what Sas wants? And what if I can’t keep my hands off her tomorrow night? I really want—” he cut himself off, realizing he was going too far. “She’s really beautiful, Mom, and I—I have trouble sometimes…” He was beet-red by now.
“Matt, you and Sas need to talk about this. How will you ever know what she wants and expects if you don’t ask her?” Liz smiled at him, one of her brilliant, lighting up a room smiles. “As for, uhm, the rest, you will have to ask your Dad. He used to drive me insane with his control.”
A shadow had passed over her face at that last part and Matt frowned. “He did? Why?”
Liz was biting her lip when she answered. “Well, we… had a few things to deal with in those days. First we thought your Dad was, uhm, kind of… married to someone else…”
“Yeah, I remember,” he said quickly, not wanting to upset his mom further.
“And then we were trying to avoid getting flashes of his past life. He thought he was helping me by making sure I didn’t see anything distressing about his first marriage.”
“Wow, that must’ve been…”
“Yes, it was.” Liz got up and moved to the door. “Talk to your father, okay?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The prom was being held at a local hotel and since the school catered for the affluent community in Albuquerque, it promised to be a swanky affair. Matt had been dressed for a long time and now he pestered his family because he was so nervous.
Max, Liz and Belle-Mari were all congregated in the TV room, waiting to take pictures of the happy couple. And Belle was taking the chance to irritate her already panicking brother.
“And don’t step on her toes when you dance with her, girls hate that! Also, the punch is usually spiked, do you have enough money to rather buy stuff to drink?”
“Belle!” Matt moaned, “Are you trying to give me a heart-attack?”
“Yes,” she replied promptly. “And another thing, don’t look at any other girls while you’re with her, that’s really bad taste.”
“Well, at least there’s one thing I don’t have to worry about,” he mumbled as he jumped up from the couch for the umpteenth time. Geesh, how long could a half-an-hour be?
“Belle, would you give your brother a break?” Liz scolded her daughter.
“Heck no! He owes me big!”
Matt whirled towards her. “Can I not just owe you some more so you can leave me alone right now?” he begged. His feverish thoughts were driving him crazy. What if she hated the corsage he got her? What if the car breaks down? (Not that it would, it was his parents’ expensive Mercedes that he was borrowing for the night.)
Relief poured through him when a commotion at the door took the attention away from him. That lasted only a few minutes, though, because the whole Guerin family had arrived, clearly there to enjoy this moment with the oldest Evans.
“Sorry pal,” Michael muttered, “I was outvoted by the women.”
Mia and Maria were already ooh’ing and ah’ing about Matt’s tux, making him throw up his hands in despair.
“Oh sweetie, I’m so proud,” Maria hugged him. “It feels like yesterday when I was baby-sitting you, and now look!” She leaned in closer and dropped her voice. “Have you got condoms? Cause I can—”
“Aunt Maria!” he cried, flushing hotly.
“What?” she asked innocently. “It’s just, I know what your date is wearing, and let me just say—”
“Whoa!” Max said in a loud voice. “Enough already, everyone!”
If he weren’t eighteen, he would have kissed his father. Matt shoved his hands in his pockets after checking the time. Again. Crap, only five minutes have passed since he checked last.
Maria was unperturbed, she never quite understood why everyone lived in perpetual fear of Max. According to her, he was a lamb. “Come on, Lizzie, let’s go see the date’s dress!”
They left with Belle and Mia in tow, leaving blessed silence in their wake.
And giving Michael the time to give Matt the ‘mud’ speech he had given Max so long ago…
~*~*~*~*~*~
Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Sas smoothed them over the silk of her dress one more time, hoping to calm down a little. Her mother was fussing with her hair, trying to get it perfect. And all Sas wanted to do was to go over to Matt’s room, take his hand, look into his eyes and know that everything will be fine.
“Oh wow!” Maria’s cry from her doorway had both Sas and her mom turning around. “Matt’s going to die!” she stated, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Get up, let us look at you.”
Sas felt awkward as she got up and moved away from the chair at her vanity table.
“You look stunning,” Belle told her in awe. “Matt better not spill something on that dress. You know what a pig he is around food.”
This broke the intensity of the moment as they all chuckled. And Sas silently thanked her friend for making Matt seem a little less daunting.
“Are you ready?” Liz asked her. “Because Matt is wearing a groove in our floor with anticipation.”
“He is?” Joy speared her heart at hearing this.
“Ohhh, yeah!” Belle confirmed. “I have to thank you for tying my brother into knots like this, it really is fun to watch.”
“Belle!” Liz scolded again. “Okay, we’re going back to our house now. Please come over before you leave so we can embarrass you by taking a whole bunch of pictures.” She took hold of Maria’s arm, propelling her friend out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The moment was finally here. Matt tugged his tux in place and knocked on the apartment’s door. He felt like he was twelve, hyperventilating because he was going to kiss a girl for the first time!
James opened the door, smiling at Matt’s obvious anxiety. “Come in, she’ll be right out.”
“Okay.” Matt took another deep breath, noticing James was observing him with amusement. He grinned at him crookedly. “Uhm, what time should we be home?”
A short silence greeted this question as James’ regard turned serious. “Whenever you are through having fun is fine. We’re… not going to wait up for you.”
Matt’s mouth dropped open in surprise. If the Easter bunny suddenly came through the door he would be less shocked. “Thank you. I’ll… look after her well…” was all he could manage to stammer in response.
“I know you will,” James replied, hammering another nail into Matt’s coffin of responsibility. Like he would be able to do anything remotely intimate to Sas after all this trust her father put into him. He closed his eyes in an effort to stem the renewed panic that flooded through him. This was either going to be the best night of his life, or the worst…
It will probably be the worst.
As his eyes opened, they fell on the vision that had stepped into the room, looking at him shyly through her eyelashes. The power of speech left him completely as he could only stare at her, the girl he had known all his life, but hadn’t really known at all. This night was going to kill him.
Her dress was the color of mature red wine, a long sheath with a high neckline that skimmed over her curves from breast to ankle. What made the dress so alluring was the single slit ending above her knee that allowed glimpses of her right leg when she moved and the low-cut that bared her back. The dress was made of mandarin silk, that shimmered only slightly, and the color offset Saskia’s raven hair perfectly.
“I…” He swallowed and tried again. “You look…” But there were no words to say how beautiful she was to him right then. Nothing that wouldn’t sound silly. “Perfect.”
Barely breathing, Sas stared into his eyes, seeing all the things that he didn’t know how to say right. “Thank you,” she whispered. Her love for this alien prince grew another degree.
After that, things got blurry, he put her corsage on and kissed her on the cheek before her parents took pictures and they managed to escape.
Only to run into the lion’s den at the Evans’. More pictures were taken and gushing done about how cute they looked and after a while, Matt was longing for a cosmic miracle to save him and Sas from his parents and the Guerin’s.
Once again, his father ended his ordeal, ordering an end to the photos and telling Matt and Sas to enjoy themselves. “We’ll see you when we see you.”
Matt breathed a sigh in relief when he had delivered Sas into the passenger seat of the Mercedes and slid into the driver’s seat himself. He looked over at her and chuckled. “If we lived through that, we could live through anything this prom might throw at us!”
Her smile warmed his heart.
When he didn’t start the car immediately, she looked at him enquiringly.
“Do you have make-up in that ridiculously small handbag of yours?” he asked her.
“Yes, why?”
Leaning closer, he brushed the back of his hand over her cheek tenderly. “Because I’ve been dying to kiss you and show you how amazing you look tonight and… how that makes me feel.” He paused. “Can I do that? Please?”
Nodding at him speechless, Sas watched him get closer as if in a dream. His hands cupped her face gently just before he kissed her. Softly, sweetly as he opened a connection between them.
His feelings slammed into her like an avalanche, forcing a choked little gasp from her. She felt his love and his awe, his desire and his amazement.
Matt felt her pride and love and her shy need of him, and it knocked more air from his lungs. They stared at each other in a daze when he pulled back.
This was going to be a night they would always remember. One way or another.
tbc
Matt was in big trouble. With every passing day it was getting harder to keep his hands to himself around Sas. They have only been an official couple for a week-and-a-half and he had taken her on normal dates, like to the movies, but through it all, he wanted her so much he ached.
Several things kept him from taking things with her further than kissing and some innocuous over the clothes petting. She was such an innocent in many respects and he didn’t want to cheat her out of experiencing everything that goes with dating for the first time. And, then there was the fact that he had promised both their fathers to take it slow for now…
But none of that took into account that Sas was getting bolder with him by the day. She teased him mercilessly and his inability to hide his response from her just seemed to spur her on.
It helped that they were very rarely alone, though. When they had gotten home from school on his parents’ anniversary, James and Shilla had already returned from Roswell. The approval on James’ face, the result of the fact that Matt had kept his promise about Sas’ curfew, made Matt feel like a heel. For he had very definitely been planning some serious making out with Sas if none of the parents had been home yet. But that face, the I-trust-you-with-my-only-daughter face, had stayed with Matt ever since.
It was killing him, though. He watched his parents with new eyes, seeing an intimacy in their touches that he had never noticed before. Suddenly he envied his father the freedom he had to touch and love the woman of his heart. Because Matt didn’t have the same freedom yet…
Coming back to him being in big trouble, the senior prom was taking place in a couple of days. He had made a whole production of asking Sas to go with him, all the while having a moment of slight panic about whether he will still be in her life next year when her own senior prom arrived. She had said yes, and now all the women in their group were in full swing.
He had never seen such a fuss in his life. His mother and Maria were taking Sas and Shilla shopping for a prom dress. It was his mother’s idea and he loved her for it, but he wondered if he hadn’t thrown Saskia to the wolves.
Just before they left, Maria had pinched his cheeks and told him how adorable he was. Probably because he had clung to Sas’ hand and told his mom to be careful with her. And to make sure that Sas buys something she wants, not something she can afford.
“He is just like Max!” he had heard Maria exclaim while she clambered into the Jeep where Max was already waiting. Liz didn’t want James tagging along and making Shilla and Sas nervous, and Max didn’t want Liz off on her own, so he was going with them. Maria had mumbled something about Max being in overprotective mode again and proceeded to tell Max and Liz loudly that she would leave at the first sign that they were making out in changing rooms.
For her part, Sas was overwhelmed. Firstly, because it was Max and Liz taking her shopping for a dress for a prom date with their son and secondly because it was clear they intended to pay for everything. Her mother seemed just as amazed by the whole thing.
Shopping for the dress was a weird and wonderful experience to Sas. She decided that Max must be the most patient man in the world. He held his wife’s hand while being dragged all over the shopping mall by Liz and Maria. He gave his opinion on dresses when asked and made sure that Sas and Shilla didn’t get left behind by the two shopping whirlwinds they were following.
It gave Sas a tantalizing glimpse of what life with Matt might be like. She observed Max and Liz intently, seeing not only the normal things like how much they loved each other, but also new things. Like how Liz’s breath would catch when Max rubbed his hand low over her stomach, and how Max’s eyes would darken when Liz licked her bottom-lip.
She kept sneaking glances at her mother, wondering if Shilla saw all this too. And if maybe this might make her a bit more susceptible about Sas’ relationship with Matt. Her parents loved each other too, but there was something mystical about whatever was between Max and Liz. Sas enjoyed hearing Max’s voice go soft when he talked to Liz. They called it his ‘Liz voice’ among their little group. And she loved seeing Liz look at Max like he was just this side of a deity.
As she followed the group around various stores and dutifully tried on everything Maria waved at her, she became more and more nervous. Matt was in love with her right now, that much she knew, but what if this all changed in the future? What if—
“Stop whatever you’re thinking,” Liz said suddenly from right next to her. Sas had been staring at her reflection in one of the shop mirrors with a frown on her face.
Frantically looking around to see if the ever-present Max was near, and silently breathing in relief when she saw him over on the other side of the shop with Maria, she wondered what to say to Matt’s all too perceptive mom. “I wasn’t…”
“You are good enough for him,” Liz told her quietly. “All you need to do is allow yourself to love him back as much as you possibly can.”
A bubble of hysteria rose up in her throat. “But what if he finds some other girl next year when he goes to college and I’m still in school? What if—” She hated sounding so whiny and pathetic.
“What if Matt worries about the same thing?” Liz countered. She took Sas’ hand gently and led her over to a changing room, casting a look over her shoulder at a concerned Max that stopped him in his tracks and sent him to intercept Maria who was coming over with another dress.
Inside the stall, Liz pulled Sas in front of a mirror and stood next to her. “I used to look at myself and wonder what on earth Max saw in me. All I saw was a smart but mousy girl with long brown hair and brown eyes.” She grinned crookedly. “Not to mention, no real cleavage to speak of.”
“Mrs. Evans!” Sas cried in shock, but Liz waved a hand to silence her.
“He used to tell me how beautiful I was to him, but I thought that one day he would wake up and see the truth after the initial rush of being in love passed…” Liz smoothed her hand over her hair as Sas looked on in stunned silence. “All I could see was this glorious man, who had girls falling all over themselves around him, who could heal with a touch, was the King of another planet, had a beautiful wife already picked out for him and who couldn’t possible remain blind to my ordinariness for too long.” Her gaze met Sas’ in the mirror. “And on our wedding night, I finally realized that what I saw in the mirror, was less important than what he sees when he looks at me.”
Catching sight of Max hovering in the door of the stall from the corner of her eye, Sas at first missed the telltale little silence from Liz, indicating that she too knew Max was near. However, she did notice their eyes meeting in the mirror. The way they were looking at each other brought tears to Sas’ eyes. “What does he see?” she asked in a hushed voice.
The answer came from Max. “How much she loves me.” He came closer, running a hand down Liz’s hair and back up again, tunneling under the silken tresses. Liz looked like a cat being stroked.
“But more than that, I saw how his love made me look…” Liz didn’t have to add anything, because Sas could see the way she started glowing as soon as Max touched her. It was awe-inspiring.
Finding her voice again, Liz tried to explain more to Sas. “Love is what people bring out in each other.” She snuggled closer to Max. “Matt loves you, but it is up to you as to what you allow that love to bring out in you. And what you allow yourself to give back to him.”
The interlude had made Sas think hard about the way she had been around Matt. Seeing how amazing his parents were together made her long to throw herself into loving him heart and soul. And she resolved to start with the prom.
The next dress she tried on made Max’s eyebrows rise. Maria thought this was a good sign while Liz and Max, who pitied their son already, shook their heads. Shilla had just compressed her lips and turned away, her displeasure obvious.
“Come on!” Maria whined. “Allow the boy some excitement!”
Everyone turned to Sas. She looked at herself in the mirror and asked one question: would Liz wear this in public? The answer was a resounding no, so she shook her head too. Wearing this dress might get Matt’s motor running, but it would not make him proud to have her as his prom date.
It was late by the time they went into one of Liz’s favorite boutiques. And found the perfect dress. One that made Liz clap her hands together in glee and made Maria grin widely. Even Shilla looked happy.
“You look beautiful, Sas,” Max told her seriously.
And that clinched it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a tired little group that finally got home that afternoon. Armed with all sorts of packages, Sas managed to make it to her room without running into Matt. She was under strict instructions from Maria to keep her prom clothes a surprise for her date, and also to make sure that the normal stuff that happens after proms, happens to her and Matt too. At Sas’ shocked gasp, she cried that she was just kidding and busted up laughing.
This made Sas wonder, though. What was Matt expecting from their prom night? And what was she ready to give? She had been shamelessly leading him on lately, knowing that he wouldn’t really take things further. It was fun to test her feminine wiles on him and to see him react so satisfactorily. But all her teasing had led to were a few occasions of wild and passionate kissing. As for the rest, Matt had been acting like a real gentleman.
And Sas wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
Was it that easy to resist her? She wasn’t blind to the fact she excited Matt, but why did he not look like he had more trouble not doing anything about it? She wanted the unbridled passion she saw between Max and Liz. She wanted Matt to want her so much he couldn’t see straight.
Well, maybe prom night was the time to do something about this…
PART 17
Incredibly handsome. That was the only thought Liz had as she watched Matthew try on his tux for the prom. Max had taken him shopping the previous day and now he wanted his mother’s approval for their choice too.
Looking at him now, the spitting image of his father at that age, Liz felt emotional tears forming in her eyes, causing her to miss the anxious look on her son’s face. “Mom?”
But Liz was seeing Max at 18, waiting for her in her parents’ lounge, looking so amazing in his dark tuxedo. They had laughed at their own efforts to hide what they would be wearing from each other, because they had been living together for so long by the time their senior prom had rolled around. Max had dressed in their little apartment, and Liz had used her old bedroom in the apartment above the Crashdown for one last time. The night had been magical for her, Max had held her close during the function and had afterwards made sweet, slow love to her the whole night.
“Mama?”
Matt’s worried voice made her snap back to the present and she jumped up from his bed and hugged him tightly, hoping that his prom would also lead to wonderful memories he could cherish for the rest of his life. “You look so wonderful,” she told him as he embraced her back.
“Err, thank you,” he replied as he held her, wondering about the tears he had seen. “Are you okay?”
Sniffling, Liz stepped back and smiled up at him crookedly. “Yeah, just… I remembered my own senior prom. And… I can’t believe how much you look like Max did that night…”
“Oh please tell me I’m not wearing the same tux he was! That was like… 25 years ago!” But he was grinning as he teased her.
Liz smacked his arm. “Well, you have the same lame sense of humor as your father, that’s for sure!” She sat down on the edge of his bed again, sighing blissfully. “It was such a magical night for me.”
Matt grimaced as he joined Liz on the bed. Damn, his father was such a hard act to follow. “So, tell me about it?”
Watching his mother glow as she talked animatedly about her prom night, Matt was again struck with wonder about his parents’ unique love story. His father dreaming of a girl he had never met while still living on Antar, loving her even then, only to die and finally meet her in this life here on earth. A human girl, born to love him for all that he was.
“…it was so late by the time we got home! We weren’t really tired…” Liz trailed off, suddenly realizing that what happened next was not necessarily something her son would be comfortable hearing. And it also made her worry about Matt’s expectations for the part after his own prom.
Meeting her son’s knowing gaze, she knew he wasn’t fooled about what she and Max had been up to that night. Wow, this was weird!
“You and Dad were bonded for a long time before that, right?” Matt asked. “Didn’t it take some of the excitement away? I mean, you were married for all intents and purposes by then.”
Tilting her head to the side, Liz contemplated this for a moment. “You know, I think we were more excited because we were doing something normal together for a change. By then, Max had been tortured by the FBI, we’d been hunted and kidnapped by crazy people from Tresar, bonded twice and moved in together in plain sight of our parents and the whole world! For one night, we could just be teenagers, going to a school thing.” They smiled at each other with understanding. Then Liz took a deep breath. “Honey…” she twisted around so she could meet his gaze while she talked, “what are you… I mean, after the prom…”
A heated flush crept over his face. Matt knew exactly what she was asking. “I’m not sure, Mom,” he told her honestly. “I’m not planning anything… specific, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Taking his hand, Liz enfolded it in both of hers. “It’s just… you have to plan, Matt. Be careful…”
“I know, but this is all too…” He rubbed his face. “I don’t like feeling that I [i[have[/i] to do anything with Sas after the prom. It’s so… I want… I want whatever happens between us to be special one day, not the result of it being the ‘done thing’ for the night of the prom.”
How much more proud could she be of this son of hers? “You should do whatever your heart tells you to do. And in this case, your heart and your head… I mean, your mind!” Liz ended in a fluster before blushing profusely.
They burst out laughing together.
Only when they calmed down, did Matt blurt out the truth. “I want to wait, Mom. To give us time to get used to being a couple first.”
Liz patted his hand. “Well then, that’s what you should do.”
“But…” Getting up, he started pacing the room. “But what if that’s not what Sas wants? And what if I can’t keep my hands off her tomorrow night? I really want—” he cut himself off, realizing he was going too far. “She’s really beautiful, Mom, and I—I have trouble sometimes…” He was beet-red by now.
“Matt, you and Sas need to talk about this. How will you ever know what she wants and expects if you don’t ask her?” Liz smiled at him, one of her brilliant, lighting up a room smiles. “As for, uhm, the rest, you will have to ask your Dad. He used to drive me insane with his control.”
A shadow had passed over her face at that last part and Matt frowned. “He did? Why?”
Liz was biting her lip when she answered. “Well, we… had a few things to deal with in those days. First we thought your Dad was, uhm, kind of… married to someone else…”
“Yeah, I remember,” he said quickly, not wanting to upset his mom further.
“And then we were trying to avoid getting flashes of his past life. He thought he was helping me by making sure I didn’t see anything distressing about his first marriage.”
“Wow, that must’ve been…”
“Yes, it was.” Liz got up and moved to the door. “Talk to your father, okay?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The prom was being held at a local hotel and since the school catered for the affluent community in Albuquerque, it promised to be a swanky affair. Matt had been dressed for a long time and now he pestered his family because he was so nervous.
Max, Liz and Belle-Mari were all congregated in the TV room, waiting to take pictures of the happy couple. And Belle was taking the chance to irritate her already panicking brother.
“And don’t step on her toes when you dance with her, girls hate that! Also, the punch is usually spiked, do you have enough money to rather buy stuff to drink?”
“Belle!” Matt moaned, “Are you trying to give me a heart-attack?”
“Yes,” she replied promptly. “And another thing, don’t look at any other girls while you’re with her, that’s really bad taste.”
“Well, at least there’s one thing I don’t have to worry about,” he mumbled as he jumped up from the couch for the umpteenth time. Geesh, how long could a half-an-hour be?
“Belle, would you give your brother a break?” Liz scolded her daughter.
“Heck no! He owes me big!”
Matt whirled towards her. “Can I not just owe you some more so you can leave me alone right now?” he begged. His feverish thoughts were driving him crazy. What if she hated the corsage he got her? What if the car breaks down? (Not that it would, it was his parents’ expensive Mercedes that he was borrowing for the night.)
Relief poured through him when a commotion at the door took the attention away from him. That lasted only a few minutes, though, because the whole Guerin family had arrived, clearly there to enjoy this moment with the oldest Evans.
“Sorry pal,” Michael muttered, “I was outvoted by the women.”
Mia and Maria were already ooh’ing and ah’ing about Matt’s tux, making him throw up his hands in despair.
“Oh sweetie, I’m so proud,” Maria hugged him. “It feels like yesterday when I was baby-sitting you, and now look!” She leaned in closer and dropped her voice. “Have you got condoms? Cause I can—”
“Aunt Maria!” he cried, flushing hotly.
“What?” she asked innocently. “It’s just, I know what your date is wearing, and let me just say—”
“Whoa!” Max said in a loud voice. “Enough already, everyone!”
If he weren’t eighteen, he would have kissed his father. Matt shoved his hands in his pockets after checking the time. Again. Crap, only five minutes have passed since he checked last.
Maria was unperturbed, she never quite understood why everyone lived in perpetual fear of Max. According to her, he was a lamb. “Come on, Lizzie, let’s go see the date’s dress!”
They left with Belle and Mia in tow, leaving blessed silence in their wake.
And giving Michael the time to give Matt the ‘mud’ speech he had given Max so long ago…
~*~*~*~*~*~
Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Sas smoothed them over the silk of her dress one more time, hoping to calm down a little. Her mother was fussing with her hair, trying to get it perfect. And all Sas wanted to do was to go over to Matt’s room, take his hand, look into his eyes and know that everything will be fine.
“Oh wow!” Maria’s cry from her doorway had both Sas and her mom turning around. “Matt’s going to die!” she stated, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Get up, let us look at you.”
Sas felt awkward as she got up and moved away from the chair at her vanity table.
“You look stunning,” Belle told her in awe. “Matt better not spill something on that dress. You know what a pig he is around food.”
This broke the intensity of the moment as they all chuckled. And Sas silently thanked her friend for making Matt seem a little less daunting.
“Are you ready?” Liz asked her. “Because Matt is wearing a groove in our floor with anticipation.”
“He is?” Joy speared her heart at hearing this.
“Ohhh, yeah!” Belle confirmed. “I have to thank you for tying my brother into knots like this, it really is fun to watch.”
“Belle!” Liz scolded again. “Okay, we’re going back to our house now. Please come over before you leave so we can embarrass you by taking a whole bunch of pictures.” She took hold of Maria’s arm, propelling her friend out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The moment was finally here. Matt tugged his tux in place and knocked on the apartment’s door. He felt like he was twelve, hyperventilating because he was going to kiss a girl for the first time!
James opened the door, smiling at Matt’s obvious anxiety. “Come in, she’ll be right out.”
“Okay.” Matt took another deep breath, noticing James was observing him with amusement. He grinned at him crookedly. “Uhm, what time should we be home?”
A short silence greeted this question as James’ regard turned serious. “Whenever you are through having fun is fine. We’re… not going to wait up for you.”
Matt’s mouth dropped open in surprise. If the Easter bunny suddenly came through the door he would be less shocked. “Thank you. I’ll… look after her well…” was all he could manage to stammer in response.
“I know you will,” James replied, hammering another nail into Matt’s coffin of responsibility. Like he would be able to do anything remotely intimate to Sas after all this trust her father put into him. He closed his eyes in an effort to stem the renewed panic that flooded through him. This was either going to be the best night of his life, or the worst…
It will probably be the worst.
As his eyes opened, they fell on the vision that had stepped into the room, looking at him shyly through her eyelashes. The power of speech left him completely as he could only stare at her, the girl he had known all his life, but hadn’t really known at all. This night was going to kill him.
Her dress was the color of mature red wine, a long sheath with a high neckline that skimmed over her curves from breast to ankle. What made the dress so alluring was the single slit ending above her knee that allowed glimpses of her right leg when she moved and the low-cut that bared her back. The dress was made of mandarin silk, that shimmered only slightly, and the color offset Saskia’s raven hair perfectly.
“I…” He swallowed and tried again. “You look…” But there were no words to say how beautiful she was to him right then. Nothing that wouldn’t sound silly. “Perfect.”
Barely breathing, Sas stared into his eyes, seeing all the things that he didn’t know how to say right. “Thank you,” she whispered. Her love for this alien prince grew another degree.
After that, things got blurry, he put her corsage on and kissed her on the cheek before her parents took pictures and they managed to escape.
Only to run into the lion’s den at the Evans’. More pictures were taken and gushing done about how cute they looked and after a while, Matt was longing for a cosmic miracle to save him and Sas from his parents and the Guerin’s.
Once again, his father ended his ordeal, ordering an end to the photos and telling Matt and Sas to enjoy themselves. “We’ll see you when we see you.”
Matt breathed a sigh in relief when he had delivered Sas into the passenger seat of the Mercedes and slid into the driver’s seat himself. He looked over at her and chuckled. “If we lived through that, we could live through anything this prom might throw at us!”
Her smile warmed his heart.
When he didn’t start the car immediately, she looked at him enquiringly.
“Do you have make-up in that ridiculously small handbag of yours?” he asked her.
“Yes, why?”
Leaning closer, he brushed the back of his hand over her cheek tenderly. “Because I’ve been dying to kiss you and show you how amazing you look tonight and… how that makes me feel.” He paused. “Can I do that? Please?”
Nodding at him speechless, Sas watched him get closer as if in a dream. His hands cupped her face gently just before he kissed her. Softly, sweetly as he opened a connection between them.
His feelings slammed into her like an avalanche, forcing a choked little gasp from her. She felt his love and his awe, his desire and his amazement.
Matt felt her pride and love and her shy need of him, and it knocked more air from his lungs. They stared at each other in a daze when he pulled back.
This was going to be a night they would always remember. One way or another.
tbc
18+19
PART 18
The hotel was decked out in lights, causing the place to look magical and playful at once. Matt had opted to park the car in the hotel’s parking garage, so he and Sas went up with the lift that took them to the lobby. He held her hand tightly, not realizing how he was beaming with happiness about being with her. He also couldn’t stop looking at her. She looked incredible and he just knew she was going to knock everyone’s socks off tonight.
Sas stood as close to Matt as she could without actually being in his arms. Her heart was hammering in a crazy beat with anticipation and nerves. Most of the people here will be a year her senior, but at least she knew Matt’s friends, Tom and Irwin, very well by now.
The lobby was filled with chattering students standing around in little groups. The girls were checking out each other’s dresses enviously and the guys could mostly care less about what the other guys were wearing.
Leading her out into the crowd, Matt couldn’t help noticing that Sas drew some interested looks from around the room. He pulled her closer to him unconsciously, making sure there was no mistake who she was with tonight.
“Hey Evans!” It was Tom, pulling his date towards them. “Hey Saskia, looking good!”
Grinning at him, Sas felt more comfortable already. Matt’s friends had taken his deeper relationship with his life-long friend very well. Tom had told her he was relieved to find out that there had been a reason for Matt’s weird actions lately, while Irwin had just said that it was about time the two of them “came out of the closet”.
A few minutes later they were joined by Irwin and his date, Chrissie. Chrissie and Tina, Tom’s date, were two fun girls and Sas liked them both. In spite of the fact that Tina sometimes cast longing glances in Matt’s direction.
Dinner was served inside the hotel’s huge ballroom by uniformed waiters. The group at Matt and Sas’ table joked around and in general enjoyed themselves since the food was superb.
“Let’s take a wager that this hotel’s rooms are all booked for later tonight,” Tom said with a glint in his eyes. “I mean look over there, table six is already empty!”
This made Sas glance at Matt shyly, but he just smiled at her and kissed her cheek. What did that mean, she wondered?
“So, what are you guys planning for summer break?” Irwin asked. Sas really liked him. He was soft-spoken and polite.
“We’re… going away with my parents to Africa again,” Matt answered easily. That had always been their standard answer to hide the fact that they disappeared off the planet sometimes. Africa was far enough away and had places where no one could find you.
“You should really tell your parents to cut out the lovey-dovey stuff in public,” Tom teased Matt. “My mom saw them in the supermarket the other day and they made all the frustrated house-wives envious.”
“They should be glad they don’t live in my house then,” Matt mumbled, lacing his fingers with Sas’.
“What on earth are you lot doing in Africa every time?” This from Tina.
“My parents feel that to get away, they really need to get away. So they have this little place in Kenya in the middle of nowhere. We just watch game and relax.”
“Isn’t it strange, being so cut off from everything?” Tina was looking at Sas now. “And what about bugs and weird animals?”
“No, it’s very beautiful. And peaceful.”
“It’s family time for us. Getting back to our roots,” Matt added, giving Sas a secret smile that made her heart trip over itself.
Speeches ensued after the dinner was over, and the principal had almost everyone asleep by the time he ended his long-winded oration. Then it was time to announce the winners to Prom King and Queen and all the other categories. The whole thing bored Matt to tears, so he started playing with Sas’ hair that were piled in curls on top of her head, watching them spring back as he tugged at them.
“Matt!” Sas hissed. This was very distracting. His long fingers kept brushing the sensitive skin of her neck and she couldn’t decide if it was deliberate or not.
When she leaned forward to get away from his wandering hands, it gave him a tantalizing view of her bare back. This was just too much of a temptation and he rested his elbow on the back of her seat, leaving all that soft skin in easy reach of his fingers.
A shiver racked her at the first tentative caress on her shoulder blade. A low hum started deep in her body, keeping her transfixed even as her brain tried to get her to move away from the danger zone. He traced little patterns on her back, moving closer towards her spine and inexorably lower all the time. The others at the table had turned towards the stage to watch the festivities so they were quite oblivious to what was happening between Matt and Sas.
He was torturing himself and he knew it, but for the life of him, Matt couldn’t stop touching Sas. She was leaning over the table, her chin resting on her upturned palm, staring to the front as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. But he could see the agitated rise and fall of her breasts and the involuntary licks at her bottom-lip. She was loving this too.
And it was turning her on.
Just like him.
Lord, was the dancing never going to start?
He finally had to remove his elbow from the back of her chair to be able to slide his hand down to her lower back. All pretense that he was doing this absently had been thrown away by now. His eyes followed the path of his hand hungrily, his mind painting pictures of his lips following the same route.
Feeling him flatten his hand over the small of her back, just above the edge of her dress, Sas trembled beneath the heat of his touch. She could feel the weight of his stare, but the thundering of her heartbeat drowned out all sound. She had no idea who won which category. Nor did she care. All she cared about was that he wouldn’t stop those maddeningly arousing caresses over her skin.
His fingers traced the edge of her dress and she held her breath, wondering… fearing, that he would move them even lower. She heard him shift in his seat before he trailed his hand up her spine slowly.
She nearly lost the fight to stop herself from arching her back at that possessive touch. The rhythm of his breathing had changed by now, becoming faster and it gave her a little thrill.
So intent was Matt on his seduction of Sas, that he entirely missed hearing them call his name.
“Evans!” Tom’s cry snapped him out of his trance. “You won ‘Guy Every Girl Wanted to Date’ category. Go get your cheesy trophy.”
Everyone was smiling at him brightly, but they all looked fuzzy to him. Only Sas was in sharp focus.
“Go Matt,” she told him, looking flushed and gorgeous… and so sexy.
Taking deep breaths as he made his way to the stage, Matt willed his body back under control. What a time to have to get up in front of the whole senior class!
The trophy was handed to him by a giggling girl who wore a crown; he supposed she was the Prom Queen. She insisted on giving him a kiss and Matt smiled vaguely in her direction and turned to leave.
“Wait!” she shrieked. “You have to say something!”
He turned back reluctantly. “Uhm, thank you?”
“Not so fast! Please tell all those girls that voted for you: are you available for dating now?”
Looking at her like she’s lost her mind, he said very clearly: “No.”
“Already taken, huh?”
“Very much so,” he replied and found Sas’ gaze in the crowd to smile at her before finally escaping back to the table. He felt weird about the stupid award and was afraid that it would scare Sas. Reaching his seat, he hauled her against him, holding her tightly and kissing her temple. “I love you.”
She snuggled against him. “I’m so proud of you,” she said in a gushing voice.
“Hey, cut it out!” he told her sternly.
“Nice going, Evans!” Tom couldn’t let this one pass without a comment. “I guess you could’ve won ‘Most Likely to Repeat Senior Year’ or something.”
Irwin just shook his head. “Women are vultures,” he mused with a grin.
Just then, he was announced as ‘Most Likely to Succeed in Business’ causing his friends to turn their teasing to him. Irwin just shrugged. “You all are going to beg me for work one day!”
After this, the dancing finally started. Matt pulled Sas to the floor gratefully, wanting nothing more than to have her in his arms right then. She smelled wonderful and she fit against him just right. Sighing with satisfaction, he kissed her forehead.
Sas rested her cheek against his chest, feeling the movement of his muscles beneath his clothes. She had so many contradicting sensations in his embrace. Peace and restlessness. Safety and anticipation. Desire and tenderness. Belonging. She inhaled deeply, relishing the scent that was so uniquely Matt.
Interspersed with some controlled kissing, they ended up dancing the night away. Other people wanted to dance with the two of them too, but Matt firmly refused any such offer. There was no way he would allow any other hands than his own on Sas’ bare back tonight! Or anyone else to experience the way her hips moved. Or to see how her eyes sparkled.
He was such a goner.
“Do you want to go?” he asked her much later. It was after midnight and the crowd had dwindled somewhat. Not really sure what to expect, he looked at her closely to see her reaction to his question. She stiffened momentarily and then smiled up at him.
“Sure.”
Taking her hand, he laced their fingers together and they collected their stuff before silently making their way down to the garage. He had no idea where to take her now. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to be alone with her for a little while longer. And maybe kiss her for a whole hour as well.
She snuggled against him as soon as he was in his seat. “Where are we going?”
Clenching his hands on the steering wheel, he took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I haven’t…” Deciding to tell her the truth, he turned so he could meet her eyes. “I haven’t made any plans for… now. I thought we should talk about—about what you want first.”
“I want to be with you,” she answered immediately.
Swallowing, he tried to sound calm. “Be with me or… be with me?”
Sas was blushing profusely by now. “I… What do you want?”
“I want us to just be with each other some more. Not to—”
“Okay, I understand.” She looked away from him quickly, trying to hide her disappointment. He was not even going to try to make love to her tonight!
“No, you don’t,” he said after a small silence. “We really need to talk… Is it okay if I drive us somewhere?”
“Sure.” She had no idea what was going on.
He took them to the lookout point where they went on their first date. The place was quiet at that late hour of the night. Getting out, Matt rounded the hood and opened Sas’ door to help her alight. She was avoiding his gaze as she leaned against the side of the car. He hoped the moonlight was enough for him to see her eyes while they talked.
“You still don’t believe how much I love you, do you?” he questioned softly.
“Yes, I—”
“I mean, love you in the sense of loving all of you,” he interrupted her. “Including wanting you so much it hurts.” This earned him a startled look. “Because I do.”
Touching his finger to her nose, he continued. “But I wanted us to be a real couple first, before we… make love. I want that to happen when everything is right for us, not because it’s prom night and we can go home for breakfast if we want to.” His voice dropped a few octaves, turning tentative. “Do you understand? This is not about me not wanting to be with you, it’s about me wanting that to be special more.”
He was so sweet, Sas decided. And she really did understand. But a small part of her still felt slightly cheated that he was able to be such a gentleman around her.
“How do you feel about this?” He was sounding more worried by the second, alerting Sas to the fact that she hadn’t really given him a response earlier. “Do you want to… I mean what do you want from me right now?”
To rip my clothes off and make mad passionate love to me? She bit her lip. “I… I’m not sure I’m ready for making love yet.”
“Okay,” he sounded relieved, “but I have to admit that I could’ve forced myself if you really wanted to tonight…”
Their chuckles lifted the tension somewhat. Matt hugged her close. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too,” she murmured against his neck. “But Matt?”
“Hmmm?”
She created havoc with six short words.
“I need more than kissing tonight…”
PART 19
I need more than kissing tonight…
The words seem to echo in the silence.
It felt like everything inside him had been kicked into overdrive. With one whispered sentence, she brought his world to a grinding halt. “More?” his voice sounded as strained as another part of him was suddenly feeling.
Her head stayed buried in his neck. “I don’t mean… I just really want you to—to touch me… more.”
Suddenly, the skin of her back burned his hands and the fire spread quickly throughout the rest of his body.
“Please…”
She sounded so nervous, that a rush of love joined the lust that was already humming in his veins. How strange that she could make him want to make love to her right here on the ground and want to protect her even from himself at the same time.
“Let’s just start with kissing,” he told her quietly.
His lips touched her, and in that instant, Sas was even more certain that she wanted more tonight. Maybe not making love, but something in between.
Her velvet lips welcomed him so completely that he drew back, his heart racing. Damn, this was going to kill him. He had already decided how far this was going to go tonight, but now he realized how hard it was going to be for him in the process.
“Matt?” she whispered. “Is something—”
With a groan he returned to her full mouth, committing himself to the kiss, to what would follow the kiss. To hell with what it might cost him.
Her mouth was a perfect fit to his. He didn’t have to think about kissing Sas, it happened as effortlessly as breathing. She opened to him as she’d been doing ever since they started dating and his body pounded with excitement. Her invitation to pleasure seemed natural, almost expected, and he accepted without hesitation, tasting her richness, probing her heat, shifting the angle so he could deepen the kiss.
Joy surged within him as she responded, pressing closer, moaning softly as he made love to her mouth. He thought of all the wasted years when she’d been there, only a touch away. But she was here now, so alive and warm in his arms, so ready.
Very ready. As she molded herself to him, he could feel her breasts, tight and aroused, pressing against his chest. His own hardness answered this. If he didn’t slow down, he’d violate the limits they had put on themselves and make love to her here in the car. That couldn’t happen, first of all because he believed what he’d said about not rushing their relationship, and secondly because he had no birth control with him.
With great regret, he drew back, breathing hard. The starlight didn’t allow him to see her expression very well. He wished he could, but maybe it was for the best. Tonight promised to be intense enough without being able to see the desire written all over her face.
“Let’s go,” he told her roughly.
“Where?” Her breathing was as ragged as his.
“Somewhere more private.” He helped her back into her seat and practically ran to get behind the wheel. Just don’t look at her, he instructed himself. He was close to the edge as it is.
They ended up in the woods at the spot Matt had first kissed her. Only the sounds of the night disturbed the silence when he switched off the engine and got out. He found a blanket in the back and opened it on the ground, while Sas stood watching him.
She sat down cross-legged, tugging up her dress to allow her more freedom to move and waited for Matt to join her. The night was still very warm, but she felt shivery with delight. Something was going to happen to her tonight. Something wonderful. Maybe it was partly the blanket, reminding her of the tents she and Matt used to make from blankets in the garden of the Evans’ house. They’d hauled comic books and snacks into their hide-away, and there had been nothing sexual about the cozy intimacy of being stretched out beside him in that tent.
Or maybe there had been, and she’d been too innocent to realize it.
“Let’s lie on our backs and look at the stars, like we used to.” His voice was hoarse, choked, belying the casualness of his words.
“Okay.” She was so hungry for him.
She pulled the skirt of her dress down underneath her as she settled back on the blanket and looked upward.
Matt took off the jacket of his tux, throwing it on the hood of the car, before lying down beside her, his arm touching hers, his thigh against hers.
Sas could almost imagine they’d gone back in time… until Matt reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Memories of childhood faded. They definitely weren’t kids anymore, and the emotions coursing through her at the barest touch of his hand weren’t the least bit childish.
But the basis of those feelings had been there all along, she thought. What was happening between them now had been simmering within her for years, waiting for a touch, a word, a gesture, to make passion flare to life. Waiting for her to allow herself to feel all that passion. He rubbed his thumb along hers, and although it might have been an unconscious movement, she didn’t think so. He had to realize that what they’d taken for childhood play had been more sensual than they’d ever admitted to each other, or themselves.
“I’ve dreamed about this so many times.” His quiet voice made her shiver. He clutched her hand a little more tightly and cleared his throat. “About being allowed to… really touch you.”
Sas wasn’t sure who was holding on tighter, her or Matt, but they both had a death grip. “Me too.”
“Will you trust me tonight? I want to touch you… all of you.” He stressed the last words, still not looking at her.
She wonder what he’d think if he knew how her body was throbbing this very minute. She loosened her grip when she realized she might already be digging her nails into his hand. “Yes.”
He released her hand and turned on his side to face her. “I don’t want you to be scared.”
She turned on her side too, pillowing her head on her arm. “I’m not. Just… nervous that you… will be disappointed.”
He sucked in his breath. “That’s impossible. I want you just this side of madness already, and I think it’s just going to get worse.”
She gasped. “It is?”
He lifted a hand to her cheek, and as he caressed her, his hand trembled. “I want to rip that beautiful dress away and take you now, right now. But I won’t. We need more time.”
“We do?”
His laugh sounded strained. “Yes, we do.”
The edgy tone in his voice was more exciting than the tenderest of murmurs. She almost wished he would be that reckless, but of course, he wouldn’t, which was why she loved him so much. She trusted him.
“I love you.” He slid his hand to the nape of her neck, massaging gently. “And I hope I can do this right,” he murmured. His lips found hers and his kiss soon brought her to a fever pitch.
She didn’t realize he’d begun pushing the dress from her shoulders until the material loosened over her breasts and he drew back slightly, ending the kiss. She opened her eyes. His face was in shadow, but she could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he eased the dress lower.
“Stop me whenever you want,” he said in a husky voice.
“I don’t want to stop you.” Her heart pounded as the dress dropped from her shoulder.
“Just know that you can.” He carefully brought the bodice of the dress down, gradually exposing her breast. His breath caught. “Oh Sas.” He eased her to her back and drew the dress down to her waist. Then he groaned.
“What are you thinking?” she asked apprehensively.
“That you’re even more beautiful than I’d dreamed. And that you’ve been right there, all along…”
Her mouth moistened with desire. “Aren’t you going to… touch me?”
“I’m still looking.” But at last he traced the tip of a breast, causing it to tighten even more. Then he cupped her so tenderly, so carefully, that she felt like precious china. She loved being cherished, but she wanted more. So she showed him, arching her back, she pressed forward, filling his cupped palm.
“Ah, Sas.” Taking a shaky breath, he dipped his head and brought her tight aching breast into his mouth.
Yes. She cupped the back of his head and lifted into his caress. This was the touch she’d been waiting for – the swirl of his tongue, the nip of his teeth, the sweet pressure as he sucked, nursing the flames that licked at the tender spot between her thighs.
As she twisted on the soft blanket, her skirt rode up. Or maybe he pushed it up. He slipped his hand between her thighs, pressing against the damp silk of her panties with a groan of raw need. The heel of his hand found the spot that ached, and pushed down. She trembled.
He kissed his way back to her mouth, then lifted a fraction away from her lips. “Do you want to stop?”
“No,” she said, panting. “But I don’t… I’ve never…”
He paused, breathing heavily too. “You’ve never…” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Not even… on your own?”
“No, I… read about it.”
“Not the same.”
“I know but… I didn’t want to be alone when it happened.”
“Oh god, Sas!” This had rocked him to his core.
He tenderly kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and finally her lips. “You’re not alone now,” he whispered between kisses.
And sometime in the midst of those bewitching kisses, he eased his hand beneath the waistband of her panties. When she felt his fingers slip into her warm heat, she gasped.
His hand stilled and he lifted his mouth away from hers. “Should I stop?”
She began to quiver and fought the urge to press her thighs together. His hand resting there felt wonderful, but frightening too. “No…”
He eased his hand down and began a slow massage.
Breathing became more difficult as her body responded to that rhythmic stroke. She felt as if he was transforming her into a liquid, flowing state. She gasped again as his finger found the center of her sensations.
“Oh Matt!”
She felt like she was slowly becoming more and more tense, like something was looming, waiting to push her over an unknown edge.
He leaned down and feathered a kiss against her lips. “Let go, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know how.”
He pressed down a little harder.
She moaned as the pressure became unbearable and her body arched and quivered beneath him.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear as he deepened the caress. “One day, I’m going to love you with more than my fingers…”
She cried out as the convulsions swept through her, wave upon wave of glorious release. And all through it, she held onto Matt, the man that loved her so well and made this magic happen to her. And he held on to her equally tight, covering her face with kisses and whispering his love.
Matt held Sas and listened with pride to her sighs of satisfaction as she nestled in his arms. He was tense with unfulfilled need, but he ignored his body’s insistent demands.
“So, was it…” He had never touched someone like that before either.
“I love you. Thank you.” Her voice was lazy and sweet, an after-the-loving voice that he now heard for the first time. It speared him in the gut.
Even while he knew she was a virgin, he had never dreamed that she’d never experienced what he’d just given her. Knowing that he’d introduced her to her first orgasm made him feel like a king. Of all the accomplishments in his life, this might be the one he was most proud of.
On the downside, he was in real agony. His body was strummed excruciatingly tight and he was very close to being in real trouble.
“Uh… so, you’ve… er, done this on your own?” She wasn’t looking at him, but was drawing patterns on his shirt-covered chest.
Luckily, because he flushed darkly at her words. “Yeah…” He cleared his throat.
She didn’t say anything and he started wondering if he’d frightened her off now.
This time, it was another six short words that nearly caused him heart failure.
“Can I… do it for you?”
tbc
The hotel was decked out in lights, causing the place to look magical and playful at once. Matt had opted to park the car in the hotel’s parking garage, so he and Sas went up with the lift that took them to the lobby. He held her hand tightly, not realizing how he was beaming with happiness about being with her. He also couldn’t stop looking at her. She looked incredible and he just knew she was going to knock everyone’s socks off tonight.
Sas stood as close to Matt as she could without actually being in his arms. Her heart was hammering in a crazy beat with anticipation and nerves. Most of the people here will be a year her senior, but at least she knew Matt’s friends, Tom and Irwin, very well by now.
The lobby was filled with chattering students standing around in little groups. The girls were checking out each other’s dresses enviously and the guys could mostly care less about what the other guys were wearing.
Leading her out into the crowd, Matt couldn’t help noticing that Sas drew some interested looks from around the room. He pulled her closer to him unconsciously, making sure there was no mistake who she was with tonight.
“Hey Evans!” It was Tom, pulling his date towards them. “Hey Saskia, looking good!”
Grinning at him, Sas felt more comfortable already. Matt’s friends had taken his deeper relationship with his life-long friend very well. Tom had told her he was relieved to find out that there had been a reason for Matt’s weird actions lately, while Irwin had just said that it was about time the two of them “came out of the closet”.
A few minutes later they were joined by Irwin and his date, Chrissie. Chrissie and Tina, Tom’s date, were two fun girls and Sas liked them both. In spite of the fact that Tina sometimes cast longing glances in Matt’s direction.
Dinner was served inside the hotel’s huge ballroom by uniformed waiters. The group at Matt and Sas’ table joked around and in general enjoyed themselves since the food was superb.
“Let’s take a wager that this hotel’s rooms are all booked for later tonight,” Tom said with a glint in his eyes. “I mean look over there, table six is already empty!”
This made Sas glance at Matt shyly, but he just smiled at her and kissed her cheek. What did that mean, she wondered?
“So, what are you guys planning for summer break?” Irwin asked. Sas really liked him. He was soft-spoken and polite.
“We’re… going away with my parents to Africa again,” Matt answered easily. That had always been their standard answer to hide the fact that they disappeared off the planet sometimes. Africa was far enough away and had places where no one could find you.
“You should really tell your parents to cut out the lovey-dovey stuff in public,” Tom teased Matt. “My mom saw them in the supermarket the other day and they made all the frustrated house-wives envious.”
“They should be glad they don’t live in my house then,” Matt mumbled, lacing his fingers with Sas’.
“What on earth are you lot doing in Africa every time?” This from Tina.
“My parents feel that to get away, they really need to get away. So they have this little place in Kenya in the middle of nowhere. We just watch game and relax.”
“Isn’t it strange, being so cut off from everything?” Tina was looking at Sas now. “And what about bugs and weird animals?”
“No, it’s very beautiful. And peaceful.”
“It’s family time for us. Getting back to our roots,” Matt added, giving Sas a secret smile that made her heart trip over itself.
Speeches ensued after the dinner was over, and the principal had almost everyone asleep by the time he ended his long-winded oration. Then it was time to announce the winners to Prom King and Queen and all the other categories. The whole thing bored Matt to tears, so he started playing with Sas’ hair that were piled in curls on top of her head, watching them spring back as he tugged at them.
“Matt!” Sas hissed. This was very distracting. His long fingers kept brushing the sensitive skin of her neck and she couldn’t decide if it was deliberate or not.
When she leaned forward to get away from his wandering hands, it gave him a tantalizing view of her bare back. This was just too much of a temptation and he rested his elbow on the back of her seat, leaving all that soft skin in easy reach of his fingers.
A shiver racked her at the first tentative caress on her shoulder blade. A low hum started deep in her body, keeping her transfixed even as her brain tried to get her to move away from the danger zone. He traced little patterns on her back, moving closer towards her spine and inexorably lower all the time. The others at the table had turned towards the stage to watch the festivities so they were quite oblivious to what was happening between Matt and Sas.
He was torturing himself and he knew it, but for the life of him, Matt couldn’t stop touching Sas. She was leaning over the table, her chin resting on her upturned palm, staring to the front as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. But he could see the agitated rise and fall of her breasts and the involuntary licks at her bottom-lip. She was loving this too.
And it was turning her on.
Just like him.
Lord, was the dancing never going to start?
He finally had to remove his elbow from the back of her chair to be able to slide his hand down to her lower back. All pretense that he was doing this absently had been thrown away by now. His eyes followed the path of his hand hungrily, his mind painting pictures of his lips following the same route.
Feeling him flatten his hand over the small of her back, just above the edge of her dress, Sas trembled beneath the heat of his touch. She could feel the weight of his stare, but the thundering of her heartbeat drowned out all sound. She had no idea who won which category. Nor did she care. All she cared about was that he wouldn’t stop those maddeningly arousing caresses over her skin.
His fingers traced the edge of her dress and she held her breath, wondering… fearing, that he would move them even lower. She heard him shift in his seat before he trailed his hand up her spine slowly.
She nearly lost the fight to stop herself from arching her back at that possessive touch. The rhythm of his breathing had changed by now, becoming faster and it gave her a little thrill.
So intent was Matt on his seduction of Sas, that he entirely missed hearing them call his name.
“Evans!” Tom’s cry snapped him out of his trance. “You won ‘Guy Every Girl Wanted to Date’ category. Go get your cheesy trophy.”
Everyone was smiling at him brightly, but they all looked fuzzy to him. Only Sas was in sharp focus.
“Go Matt,” she told him, looking flushed and gorgeous… and so sexy.
Taking deep breaths as he made his way to the stage, Matt willed his body back under control. What a time to have to get up in front of the whole senior class!
The trophy was handed to him by a giggling girl who wore a crown; he supposed she was the Prom Queen. She insisted on giving him a kiss and Matt smiled vaguely in her direction and turned to leave.
“Wait!” she shrieked. “You have to say something!”
He turned back reluctantly. “Uhm, thank you?”
“Not so fast! Please tell all those girls that voted for you: are you available for dating now?”
Looking at her like she’s lost her mind, he said very clearly: “No.”
“Already taken, huh?”
“Very much so,” he replied and found Sas’ gaze in the crowd to smile at her before finally escaping back to the table. He felt weird about the stupid award and was afraid that it would scare Sas. Reaching his seat, he hauled her against him, holding her tightly and kissing her temple. “I love you.”
She snuggled against him. “I’m so proud of you,” she said in a gushing voice.
“Hey, cut it out!” he told her sternly.
“Nice going, Evans!” Tom couldn’t let this one pass without a comment. “I guess you could’ve won ‘Most Likely to Repeat Senior Year’ or something.”
Irwin just shook his head. “Women are vultures,” he mused with a grin.
Just then, he was announced as ‘Most Likely to Succeed in Business’ causing his friends to turn their teasing to him. Irwin just shrugged. “You all are going to beg me for work one day!”
After this, the dancing finally started. Matt pulled Sas to the floor gratefully, wanting nothing more than to have her in his arms right then. She smelled wonderful and she fit against him just right. Sighing with satisfaction, he kissed her forehead.
Sas rested her cheek against his chest, feeling the movement of his muscles beneath his clothes. She had so many contradicting sensations in his embrace. Peace and restlessness. Safety and anticipation. Desire and tenderness. Belonging. She inhaled deeply, relishing the scent that was so uniquely Matt.
Interspersed with some controlled kissing, they ended up dancing the night away. Other people wanted to dance with the two of them too, but Matt firmly refused any such offer. There was no way he would allow any other hands than his own on Sas’ bare back tonight! Or anyone else to experience the way her hips moved. Or to see how her eyes sparkled.
He was such a goner.
“Do you want to go?” he asked her much later. It was after midnight and the crowd had dwindled somewhat. Not really sure what to expect, he looked at her closely to see her reaction to his question. She stiffened momentarily and then smiled up at him.
“Sure.”
Taking her hand, he laced their fingers together and they collected their stuff before silently making their way down to the garage. He had no idea where to take her now. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to be alone with her for a little while longer. And maybe kiss her for a whole hour as well.
She snuggled against him as soon as he was in his seat. “Where are we going?”
Clenching his hands on the steering wheel, he took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I haven’t…” Deciding to tell her the truth, he turned so he could meet her eyes. “I haven’t made any plans for… now. I thought we should talk about—about what you want first.”
“I want to be with you,” she answered immediately.
Swallowing, he tried to sound calm. “Be with me or… be with me?”
Sas was blushing profusely by now. “I… What do you want?”
“I want us to just be with each other some more. Not to—”
“Okay, I understand.” She looked away from him quickly, trying to hide her disappointment. He was not even going to try to make love to her tonight!
“No, you don’t,” he said after a small silence. “We really need to talk… Is it okay if I drive us somewhere?”
“Sure.” She had no idea what was going on.
He took them to the lookout point where they went on their first date. The place was quiet at that late hour of the night. Getting out, Matt rounded the hood and opened Sas’ door to help her alight. She was avoiding his gaze as she leaned against the side of the car. He hoped the moonlight was enough for him to see her eyes while they talked.
“You still don’t believe how much I love you, do you?” he questioned softly.
“Yes, I—”
“I mean, love you in the sense of loving all of you,” he interrupted her. “Including wanting you so much it hurts.” This earned him a startled look. “Because I do.”
Touching his finger to her nose, he continued. “But I wanted us to be a real couple first, before we… make love. I want that to happen when everything is right for us, not because it’s prom night and we can go home for breakfast if we want to.” His voice dropped a few octaves, turning tentative. “Do you understand? This is not about me not wanting to be with you, it’s about me wanting that to be special more.”
He was so sweet, Sas decided. And she really did understand. But a small part of her still felt slightly cheated that he was able to be such a gentleman around her.
“How do you feel about this?” He was sounding more worried by the second, alerting Sas to the fact that she hadn’t really given him a response earlier. “Do you want to… I mean what do you want from me right now?”
To rip my clothes off and make mad passionate love to me? She bit her lip. “I… I’m not sure I’m ready for making love yet.”
“Okay,” he sounded relieved, “but I have to admit that I could’ve forced myself if you really wanted to tonight…”
Their chuckles lifted the tension somewhat. Matt hugged her close. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too,” she murmured against his neck. “But Matt?”
“Hmmm?”
She created havoc with six short words.
“I need more than kissing tonight…”
PART 19
I need more than kissing tonight…
The words seem to echo in the silence.
It felt like everything inside him had been kicked into overdrive. With one whispered sentence, she brought his world to a grinding halt. “More?” his voice sounded as strained as another part of him was suddenly feeling.
Her head stayed buried in his neck. “I don’t mean… I just really want you to—to touch me… more.”
Suddenly, the skin of her back burned his hands and the fire spread quickly throughout the rest of his body.
“Please…”
She sounded so nervous, that a rush of love joined the lust that was already humming in his veins. How strange that she could make him want to make love to her right here on the ground and want to protect her even from himself at the same time.
“Let’s just start with kissing,” he told her quietly.
His lips touched her, and in that instant, Sas was even more certain that she wanted more tonight. Maybe not making love, but something in between.
Her velvet lips welcomed him so completely that he drew back, his heart racing. Damn, this was going to kill him. He had already decided how far this was going to go tonight, but now he realized how hard it was going to be for him in the process.
“Matt?” she whispered. “Is something—”
With a groan he returned to her full mouth, committing himself to the kiss, to what would follow the kiss. To hell with what it might cost him.
Her mouth was a perfect fit to his. He didn’t have to think about kissing Sas, it happened as effortlessly as breathing. She opened to him as she’d been doing ever since they started dating and his body pounded with excitement. Her invitation to pleasure seemed natural, almost expected, and he accepted without hesitation, tasting her richness, probing her heat, shifting the angle so he could deepen the kiss.
Joy surged within him as she responded, pressing closer, moaning softly as he made love to her mouth. He thought of all the wasted years when she’d been there, only a touch away. But she was here now, so alive and warm in his arms, so ready.
Very ready. As she molded herself to him, he could feel her breasts, tight and aroused, pressing against his chest. His own hardness answered this. If he didn’t slow down, he’d violate the limits they had put on themselves and make love to her here in the car. That couldn’t happen, first of all because he believed what he’d said about not rushing their relationship, and secondly because he had no birth control with him.
With great regret, he drew back, breathing hard. The starlight didn’t allow him to see her expression very well. He wished he could, but maybe it was for the best. Tonight promised to be intense enough without being able to see the desire written all over her face.
“Let’s go,” he told her roughly.
“Where?” Her breathing was as ragged as his.
“Somewhere more private.” He helped her back into her seat and practically ran to get behind the wheel. Just don’t look at her, he instructed himself. He was close to the edge as it is.
They ended up in the woods at the spot Matt had first kissed her. Only the sounds of the night disturbed the silence when he switched off the engine and got out. He found a blanket in the back and opened it on the ground, while Sas stood watching him.
She sat down cross-legged, tugging up her dress to allow her more freedom to move and waited for Matt to join her. The night was still very warm, but she felt shivery with delight. Something was going to happen to her tonight. Something wonderful. Maybe it was partly the blanket, reminding her of the tents she and Matt used to make from blankets in the garden of the Evans’ house. They’d hauled comic books and snacks into their hide-away, and there had been nothing sexual about the cozy intimacy of being stretched out beside him in that tent.
Or maybe there had been, and she’d been too innocent to realize it.
“Let’s lie on our backs and look at the stars, like we used to.” His voice was hoarse, choked, belying the casualness of his words.
“Okay.” She was so hungry for him.
She pulled the skirt of her dress down underneath her as she settled back on the blanket and looked upward.
Matt took off the jacket of his tux, throwing it on the hood of the car, before lying down beside her, his arm touching hers, his thigh against hers.
Sas could almost imagine they’d gone back in time… until Matt reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Memories of childhood faded. They definitely weren’t kids anymore, and the emotions coursing through her at the barest touch of his hand weren’t the least bit childish.
But the basis of those feelings had been there all along, she thought. What was happening between them now had been simmering within her for years, waiting for a touch, a word, a gesture, to make passion flare to life. Waiting for her to allow herself to feel all that passion. He rubbed his thumb along hers, and although it might have been an unconscious movement, she didn’t think so. He had to realize that what they’d taken for childhood play had been more sensual than they’d ever admitted to each other, or themselves.
“I’ve dreamed about this so many times.” His quiet voice made her shiver. He clutched her hand a little more tightly and cleared his throat. “About being allowed to… really touch you.”
Sas wasn’t sure who was holding on tighter, her or Matt, but they both had a death grip. “Me too.”
“Will you trust me tonight? I want to touch you… all of you.” He stressed the last words, still not looking at her.
She wonder what he’d think if he knew how her body was throbbing this very minute. She loosened her grip when she realized she might already be digging her nails into his hand. “Yes.”
He released her hand and turned on his side to face her. “I don’t want you to be scared.”
She turned on her side too, pillowing her head on her arm. “I’m not. Just… nervous that you… will be disappointed.”
He sucked in his breath. “That’s impossible. I want you just this side of madness already, and I think it’s just going to get worse.”
She gasped. “It is?”
He lifted a hand to her cheek, and as he caressed her, his hand trembled. “I want to rip that beautiful dress away and take you now, right now. But I won’t. We need more time.”
“We do?”
His laugh sounded strained. “Yes, we do.”
The edgy tone in his voice was more exciting than the tenderest of murmurs. She almost wished he would be that reckless, but of course, he wouldn’t, which was why she loved him so much. She trusted him.
“I love you.” He slid his hand to the nape of her neck, massaging gently. “And I hope I can do this right,” he murmured. His lips found hers and his kiss soon brought her to a fever pitch.
She didn’t realize he’d begun pushing the dress from her shoulders until the material loosened over her breasts and he drew back slightly, ending the kiss. She opened her eyes. His face was in shadow, but she could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he eased the dress lower.
“Stop me whenever you want,” he said in a husky voice.
“I don’t want to stop you.” Her heart pounded as the dress dropped from her shoulder.
“Just know that you can.” He carefully brought the bodice of the dress down, gradually exposing her breast. His breath caught. “Oh Sas.” He eased her to her back and drew the dress down to her waist. Then he groaned.
“What are you thinking?” she asked apprehensively.
“That you’re even more beautiful than I’d dreamed. And that you’ve been right there, all along…”
Her mouth moistened with desire. “Aren’t you going to… touch me?”
“I’m still looking.” But at last he traced the tip of a breast, causing it to tighten even more. Then he cupped her so tenderly, so carefully, that she felt like precious china. She loved being cherished, but she wanted more. So she showed him, arching her back, she pressed forward, filling his cupped palm.
“Ah, Sas.” Taking a shaky breath, he dipped his head and brought her tight aching breast into his mouth.
Yes. She cupped the back of his head and lifted into his caress. This was the touch she’d been waiting for – the swirl of his tongue, the nip of his teeth, the sweet pressure as he sucked, nursing the flames that licked at the tender spot between her thighs.
As she twisted on the soft blanket, her skirt rode up. Or maybe he pushed it up. He slipped his hand between her thighs, pressing against the damp silk of her panties with a groan of raw need. The heel of his hand found the spot that ached, and pushed down. She trembled.
He kissed his way back to her mouth, then lifted a fraction away from her lips. “Do you want to stop?”
“No,” she said, panting. “But I don’t… I’ve never…”
He paused, breathing heavily too. “You’ve never…” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Not even… on your own?”
“No, I… read about it.”
“Not the same.”
“I know but… I didn’t want to be alone when it happened.”
“Oh god, Sas!” This had rocked him to his core.
He tenderly kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and finally her lips. “You’re not alone now,” he whispered between kisses.
And sometime in the midst of those bewitching kisses, he eased his hand beneath the waistband of her panties. When she felt his fingers slip into her warm heat, she gasped.
His hand stilled and he lifted his mouth away from hers. “Should I stop?”
She began to quiver and fought the urge to press her thighs together. His hand resting there felt wonderful, but frightening too. “No…”
He eased his hand down and began a slow massage.
Breathing became more difficult as her body responded to that rhythmic stroke. She felt as if he was transforming her into a liquid, flowing state. She gasped again as his finger found the center of her sensations.
“Oh Matt!”
She felt like she was slowly becoming more and more tense, like something was looming, waiting to push her over an unknown edge.
He leaned down and feathered a kiss against her lips. “Let go, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know how.”
He pressed down a little harder.
She moaned as the pressure became unbearable and her body arched and quivered beneath him.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear as he deepened the caress. “One day, I’m going to love you with more than my fingers…”
She cried out as the convulsions swept through her, wave upon wave of glorious release. And all through it, she held onto Matt, the man that loved her so well and made this magic happen to her. And he held on to her equally tight, covering her face with kisses and whispering his love.
Matt held Sas and listened with pride to her sighs of satisfaction as she nestled in his arms. He was tense with unfulfilled need, but he ignored his body’s insistent demands.
“So, was it…” He had never touched someone like that before either.
“I love you. Thank you.” Her voice was lazy and sweet, an after-the-loving voice that he now heard for the first time. It speared him in the gut.
Even while he knew she was a virgin, he had never dreamed that she’d never experienced what he’d just given her. Knowing that he’d introduced her to her first orgasm made him feel like a king. Of all the accomplishments in his life, this might be the one he was most proud of.
On the downside, he was in real agony. His body was strummed excruciatingly tight and he was very close to being in real trouble.
“Uh… so, you’ve… er, done this on your own?” She wasn’t looking at him, but was drawing patterns on his shirt-covered chest.
Luckily, because he flushed darkly at her words. “Yeah…” He cleared his throat.
She didn’t say anything and he started wondering if he’d frightened her off now.
This time, it was another six short words that nearly caused him heart failure.
“Can I… do it for you?”
tbc
20+21
PART 20
Can I do it for you? Was she kidding? Right now, she probably won’t even need her hands! “Uhm…”
But he couldn’t expect her to do that for him, considering her lack of experience. Could he?
Then he felt her fingers working at his belt buckle.
“Sas? What are you doing?”
She fumbled her way through the fastenings of his tuxedo pants, obviously unfamiliar with what she was doing.
Suddenly he felt very protective of her. “Please don’t think I expect you to—”
“Do you want me to stop?” She sounded vulnerable. “It’s just that in the dark, I feel… braver. And I want to, Matt. I really want to.”
She’d nearly released him from the confines of the pants, which left only the cotton of his boxers between him and paradise. Consideration warred with urgent need. “Uh…”
“I’ve… read what to do.” Even with the uncertainty in it, her tone was sexy as hell.
The combination of sex and innocence was mind-blowing. He hardened even more, thinking of her untutored hands on him, practicing.
She rubbed him through the cotton, wringing a helpless groan from him. “Please?”
“Uhm… okay…” What the hell was he bringing over himself?
“Help me get your clothes out of the way then.”
He was in such a daze that he just followed her instructions, lifting his hips so she could shove his boxers and suit pants down.
“Oh my…” She sounded intimidated. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or explode.
“Do you still—”
“Yes! Just… lie back and give me some time.” She was biting her lip in a very endearing way, and he was just contemplating kissing her again, when she finally circled him with one warm hand. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. He would not explode this very minute. He would not. But just the thought of Sas holding on to him like that was enough to nearly make him climax. The reality was so stimulating that he wondered how long he’d survive her attentions.
Before he realized what she was up to, she’d leaned down and started using her tongue.
“Sas!” His breath was burning his lungs as he tried to maintain control, lifting her mouth away from him. “Don’t do that! Not now, I’ll not make it…”
He groaned as she settled her hands into a rhythm that was uncannily good for someone who had never engaged in this activity. She must have read some good books.
“Why can’t I?”
He clenched his jaw and fought the urge to erupt as she explored his tip with fluttering fingers. “Because I’ve wanted you for so long—”
Ignoring him, she leaned down and flicked her tongue back and forth against the spot she’d been caressing with her fingers.
He worked so hard to hold back his climax that he thought he might pass out. “Where… did you learn that?”
“A book.” She blew on the damp spot.
He gripped the blanket in both fists and stared blindly up at the canopy of trees. He’d never experienced anything like this.
She shifted her hands and he moaned softly. She held him snugly at the base with one hand, pushing down slightly, and took the tip in her mouth.
The effect was unbelievable. Intense pleasure poured through him from the action of her mouth, but her firm grip kept his release at bay. He groaned.
Then she released her grip, took him completely in her mouth and his control shattered. He tried to pull away from her, sure this wasn’t what she meant to do, but she wouldn’t let him. His world came apart as he surrendered to the most cataclysmic orgasm of his life.
As his spinning universe slowly came back into focus, he drew her up and gathered her close to kiss her, tasting himself on her lips.
“Wow.” He felt as if he’d been pole-axed.
Sas had never seen Matt so still. He was usually brimming with energy, yet he lay slumped against her like an unconscious person, his eyes closed.
“I… didn’t hurt you, did I?”
His mouth curved in a crooked smile. “Nope.”
She stroked his hair back from his forehead. “You’re very quiet.”
“I think I’ve blown a fuse,” he mumbled against her.
“Was it that good?” She blushed as she asked this. She hardly recognized this new Sas.
“Yes.”
She smiled in relief. “I was wondering if I did everything right.”
“Extremely right.”
“Good.” She was grinning by now. They haven’t exactly made love, but they had very definitely moved their relationship up a gear. And she was very pleased that she had managed to contribute to this night. “Is it okay if I kiss you again?”
His eyes drifted open. “Where?”
“On your mouth. Where did you think?”
“I wasn’t sure. For a virgin, you have some amazing ideas.”
She brushed her lips against his with a smile. “Thank you for letting me do that.”
She settled her mouth over his, coaxing his tongue into a slow love-play with hers. At first his response was lazy, but gradually the tempo of his breathing picked up. As the temperature of his kiss changed from warm to sizzling, he cupped her breast, kneading it with sure fingers. Her body throbbed with new knowledge, and she whimpered and moved closer to his heat.
He moved his mouth back a little. “Oh Sas, we have to stop. I don’t trust myself if we get started again.”
Her body tightened in anticipation.
He reached for her dress. “Let’s put this back on.”
He was right, she knew it, but she still felt… frustrated as he started pulling the bodice back up over her dress. “What now?”
He trembled and bunched the material in his fist. “Now I take you back home, to your own bed.” He got control of himself and helped her re-arrange the dress. “Even if it kills me.”
Thanking providence that it was dark, he yanked his own clothes back in place before turning back to her. She was standing stiffly next to the car, not meeting his eyes. Apprehension slammed through him and he went over to take her hands. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just… I can’t believe what I just did to you!” she blurted out suddenly. “How am I going to look you in the eyes tomorrow?”
How am I going to look your father in the eyes tomorrow, he added silently. “Would it help to know that I love you even more after tonight? After everything you let me share with you?”
Moving into his embrace, she mumbled: “A little.”
He chuckled at that. “Well, how about this, I’m probably going to be just as embarrassed as you when I see you tomorrow morning!”
“You will?”
“Oh yeah. And then I’m going to wonder when I can get you alone again.” He could feel her smile against his chest.
Love for this sweet man overwhelmed her. “I really love you, Matt. So much.” She pressed closer. “And this night was even better than I dreamed it would be.”
“I know,” was all he said.
Both their houses were quiet when they got home. Matt walked Sas to her door, wondering how on earth he was going to live through saying goodnight now.
Turning towards him in front of her apartment, Sas could feel the tension in the air. “Would you let me take you out to breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Sure,” he smiled at her, but his hand was still gripping hers tightly, his eyes burning into hers. “I better go.”
“Yeah.”
But neither of them moved. It felt so wrong to just go their separate ways after all they had shared tonight.
“Thank you for coming to my prom with me. And for being the most beautiful girl there,” he finally whispered.
Personally, Sas thought the prom itself sort of paled in comparison to what happened afterwards. Matt had made her fly, made her see the stars from up close and made her feel more loved than she had ever dreamed she would feel.
He was pulling her closer, sliding his hands over the bare skin of her back to arch her into his body. “I wish…” his voice was so soft that she barely heard him.
He wished so many things. He wished he didn’t have to let her go now. He wished she were his already in all the ways there is. He wished…
All she answered was, “Me too.”
Their kiss was long and deep… and so not enough. Matt had to fight to keep his hands on her back and in her hair. They seemed to have a will of their own now, and their will was to find those glorious curves they had shaped earlier again.
He was making her drown in sensation again. Kissing her like she was an extension of himself, like she was part of him… already part of him even if they hadn’t made love yet.
It felt like hours before she would see him again.
And both of them understood Matt’s parents’ loathing to be away from each other for too long just a little better.
“I have to go,” he muttered against her lips. And again he didn’t let her go.
“Matt…” she sighed into the still night air. Wishing she could tell him to come inside to her room. To stay and hold her for the rest of this already magical night.
Tracing her bottom-lip with his tongue, he pulled back, realizing just how puffy her mouth was. He had been abusing these beautiful lips all night! Gently rubbing his thumb over her mouth, he tried sending healing through his finger.
The next moment, Sas’ head tipped back and she moaned softly, causing Matt to jerk his hand away from her face. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to…”
Surprising him, she slid her hands under his tux jacket, pressing closer to him and trailing her lips over his throat. He was in big trouble from now on, Sas now has a few new weapons in her armory to use against him. Not least of which was his complete lust for her…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hauling Liz back against him, Max kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her stomach. She had been rolling around for hours, listening for when Matt would get home. They both had been.
Only now that they’ve heard the car enter the garage and the sound of the garage doors closing, did Liz become less stiff against him.
“He’s home now, sweetness, and he’s okay,” he whispered into her ear. “We’d have known if he wasn’t.”
Nothing horrible had ever happened to their children, but no number of years of good things could erase from Liz’s memory Max being tortured for who he was, or the extremes some of his enemies had gone to try and get rid of him. And sometimes, like tonight, those demons would come back to haunt her.
The clock on their bedside table read 02:37.
It was quiet in the house for a long time. Liz lay sheltered in the arms of her husband, feeling him tenderly caress the skin of her stomach with his fingers, the only movement that gave away that he was awake with her.
She remembered a time when Matt was about five when she found Max teaching him to shave. Not really of course, but he had let Matt watch him do it, and had lifted him up on the bathroom counter afterwards, letting Matt lather himself with shaving cream before giving him a razor without a blade so he could emulate his dad’s example. She still has that moment on video somewhere. The two most important males in her life, one a miniature version of the other, two identical dark heads both peering into the mirror with equal seriousness, it was a memory she would treasure for the rest of her life.
And now that little boy, her son, was downstairs saying goodbye to the girl he was probably going to marry. He was eighteen and all grown up. Soon, she will have to let him go completely.
“He’ll always be our son.” Max was hearing her thoughts through their connection again. But she could feel his own emotion too. Matt was the apple of his mother’s eye, but he had a link to his father that only the two of them understood.
Matt’s door closed on a soft click and Liz glanced at the clock again. 03:06. In spite of her moment of motherly emotion, she still had to grin that it had taken him that long to say goodnight to Sas. “He is just like you,” she told Max quietly. “I could never get you off that balcony…”
“Hey, I remember some clinging from your side too,” his voice had a smile in it.
“You don’t think they’ve…” They have been out very late, Liz thought.
“I have no idea,” Max whispered ruefully. “We can just hope that whatever happened, he was responsible about it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt plopped onto his bed, not even bothering to undress. Sas was wearing his jacket anyway, it had gotten cold outside while he was having trouble unplastering himself from her.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to remember Sas in the throes of her first orgasm. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight and for hearing her moan his name in that final moment of unguarded sensation. It was a powerful experience.
One he could get addicted to.
Oh, who was he kidding?
He was addicted already.
PART 21
Sas’ father was in their kitchen!
Matt had stumbled downstairs at 09:00 after a short shower, having finally woken up from dreams filled with Sas, Sas and more Sas. With how Sas had looked underneath him last night. How she had sighed and moaned his name. How she had so trustingly let him touch her. How she had made him reach the stars with her uninhibited response.
He was even more in love than ever.
But seeing her father a scant few hours after giving Sas her first orgasm was not exactly what he had in mind. Just breathe, he told himself. Try not to look like you’ve seen his daughter nearly naked not very long ago. But he was close to a panic attack. He just hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
James was sitting at the kitchen table with Liz and Max, chatting about their upcoming trip to Tresar. Liz was the first to notice Matt, pausing in the doorway and looking warily at James. Her heart lurched, what had Matt done to warrant that look he aimed at Sas’ father?
“Morning, everyone.” Matt’s voice was surprisingly normal as he entered the room.
After a chorus of greetings, James jumped in first. “So, how was the prom? Sas was still sleeping when I came here so I couldn’t grill her.”
His voice was light, so Matt relaxed somewhat. “It was great. We had fun. We danced ‘till late.” A glance at his mother convinced him she wasn’t fooled, she was watching him intensely, as if trying to see inside his head to his memories of last night. He fled to the fridge, opening the door and staring at its contents in an effort to escape her regard.
“By the way, there are no new dents in the car,” Matt added. Trying to keep the banter away from his very late night with Sas. She’s still a virgin… she’s still a virgin… he kept repeating in his head, hoping the mantra would keep him from looking like he had stolen the innocence of the daughter of the very big man sitting across the table from his parents.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Max said amusedly. “Seeing that you denting the car was our biggest fear.”
Still keeping his head in the fridge, Matt ignored his father’s comment. He really didn’t want to talk about paternal fears for prom night.
“Don’t mind these men, honey,” Liz said. “While they are pretending to be disappointed that you didn’t get trashed and create a public scandal, I for one, am glad you got home safe.”
Finally emerging from the relative cover of the fridge door, Matt smiled at his mom. “Yeah well, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Just dinner, dancing, stupid awards, more dancing and talking.” And some serious making out…
“Well, there goes the Evans reputation,” Max aimed this at his wife with a smirk.
“At least this Evans also had the most beautiful girl at the prom on his arm,” Matt gave his mom a hug from behind. “So I did continue one tradition.”
“Son,” Max said jokingly, “I am so proud.”
Matt joined the group at the table with a glass of orange juice.
“Isn’t it a bit early for all of you to be this goofy?” Liz asked. “I have not heard this much nonsense in a long time.” She turned to James. “So are we all set for Dendar and Tresar?”
“Yes,” he had finally torn his eyes away from Matt, who breathed in silent relief. “The group that will go along is ready and we can leave the day after school lets out for summer.”
“Right, so that gives us until next Thursday. I have so much packing to do,” Liz lamented. She looked back at Matt. “Aren’t you having breakfast?”
“No, I… Sas and I are going out for breakfast.” He smiled ruefully. “If she wakes up before dinner, that is...” Great, he told himself, remind her father that you only brought her home in the early hours of the morning.
But, apart from a slight narrowing of his eyes, James said nothing.
James left a few minutes later and Liz focussed her attention on Matt after a short glance at Max. “So, how was the prom really?”
Matt stared at his glass. He knew exactly where this was going. “It really was great. Food was good, music was good, the awards were silly, but we had fun.”
“Uhm…” Liz toyed with her fork until Max caught her hand in his. “And—and after?”
No matter how hard he tried to stop it, a blush tinged his cheeks, causing his parents’ eyes to widen.
“Matt…” Liz sounded worried.
“Mom!” he cried, mortified. How do you tell your mother you didn’t technically have sex, but that what you did was intimate enough? That technically your girlfriend was still a virgin, but…
Liz was as mortified as her son, but she couldn’t let this go. “Just—”
“Liz,” Max interrupted her, squeezing her hand to shut her up.
“I’m going to go find Sas so we can leave,” Matt announced and jumped up. His mother was getting pissed at his dad for one, and secondly, he really didn’t want to stick around for the third degree.
“We’ll see you later,” Max spoke over Liz’s attempt to call him back.
Her eyes were sparkling with anger when Matt had disappeared from the room. “Why did you do that?”
“Liz, sweetheart, you were going to interrogate our eighteen-year old son about his sexual activities,” Max answered mildly.
“What is your point?” Liz was mad and showing it. “I need to know if something happened that we should worry about.”
Belle had arrived in the kitchen just in time to hear her mother’s last words. Darting a glance between her parents, she backtracked out of the room. Hearing her parents argue was not a regular occurrence, but she and Matt had learned to just disappear when it happened. Finding the phone, she called one of her friends to meet her for breakfast at a little coffee shop close to their school. Spotting Matt going out to his Jeep, she ran after him to beg a lift.
“Honey, he’s a big boy by now—”
“Who may have slept with a girl,” Liz retorted. “Someone’s daughter.”
Max sighed. “He knows all he should about this, what would you do with this knowledge?” Wow, she looked glorious when she was angry! he noticed absently. In addition to her sparkling eyes, her face was flushed and her breathing was getting shorter. It reminded him a little of what she looked like when she was aroused…
“I want to know if he was careful! I want to tell him how to handle things from now on!” Liz cried. “I don’t know!” She suddenly noticed that Max was staring at her mouth with dark eyes. “How can you be so blasé about this?”
“I just am.” His gaze had dropped to the swell of her breasts now.
Liz wasn’t sure if she should be aroused or even angrier. Her line of arguing was clearly losing his interest. “Well, how about this? Belle asked me not to tell you, but I found her with a guy the other night. His hands were up her shirt—”
“What!” This got his attention back, big time. Max was on his feet in a rage. “Who was this guy? When did this happen?”
Folding her arms, Liz leaned back in her chair and just looked at him. “So, how did that feel?”
It took him a while to realize she had played him. There had been no guy. No one with his paws all over his beautiful little girl. He stared at her in shock.
“Exactly! I just feel that Matt’s sex life is as much my business as Belle’s is going to be.” She got up too. “You apparently are more worried about your daughter.”
“Liz…” He was pissed because she tricked him, he felt guilty for having a double standard… but mostly he was abruptly on fire for his wife.
Tilting her chin, she gave him a look that rocked him to his toes. A look filled with angry lust.
And then she walked away…
He was momentarily rooted to the spot as he watched her leave, hearing a roaring in his ears that got louder and louder. It was a mix of anger at himself, anger at Liz, out-of-control desire for her and possessiveness.
She was walking away from him! He didn’t think so!
With a growl, he set off after her, catching up with her halfway down the hallway. Circling her waist with his arm, he yanked her against him, lifting her off her feet and into his body, her back aligned to his front.
She flung her head back against his shoulder with a gasp, arching in his fierce hold. Max was panting in her ear as he carried her into the TV room with long strides. Excitement was thrilling through her veins, making her heart race in her chest.
Through their connection she heard his thoughts clearly. You walked away from me! You’re mine. Don’t ever walk away from me…
Disorientated for a moment, she struggled to reconcile what she was hearing with the argument they’d just had. He was spinning her around in his arms, still not letting her feet slide to the floor. The emotions crashing around inside him were overwhelming her. He was sorry for his reaction to her reaction to Matt. He was mad at her for the tactics she had used to get her point across. He wanted her just this side of violence. He hated seeing her walk away from him in anger…
There was something she needed to figure out here, but it was very difficult when he looked at her like he did just before kissing her.
His kiss was a brand. He was trying to mark her as his. She fought him back, her tongue dueling with his as she gripped fistfuls of his hair, increasing the pressure of the kiss. She ripped his shirt from his pants, raking her nails across the bare skin of his back, reveling in his resulting shudder and moan.
“God, Liz!” It was said against her throat as his hands gripped her bottom tighter, dragging her even closer to him.
Don’t ever walk away from me.
There it was again. Dizzily, Liz wondered what made him fixate on the fact that she had walked out.
Finally letting her drop to the floor, he grabbed hold of the bottom of her shirt, yanking it off her in a swift move. He practically ripped her shorts and underwear off her too, leaving her naked in front of him. His mouth crashed back onto hers immediately in another hard, passionate kiss.
Adrenaline was rushing through Liz, making her light-headed. Max was as out of control as she had only seen him a few rare times in her life. It was arousing her beyond belief, causing a rush of moistness between her thighs. She didn’t want him to slow down. She wanted him to take her like this.
His mouth was trailing fire over her skin, branding her wherever it touched. She dimly heard the sounds she was making, urgent little whimpers that did nothing to abate the storm.
They tumbled onto the carpet together, Liz scrabbling to get him out of his clothes too. When they were gone, her fingers dug into his upper arms as she writhed beneath him.
“Max!” Take me! It tumbled into his mind, urging him on.
He lifted her knees, opening her up to him… and then he was inside her. In one powerful movement, he made them one. He stilled for just a moment as realization hit him that he hadn’t even tried to make sure she was ready. But then she wrapped her legs around his hips, allowing a deeper penetration, and the haze overtook his mind again.
The flash was fleeting, but shocking. Max watching her walk away from him at the pod chamber the day he had learned of his destiny, feeling like someone was ripping his chest open and crushing his heart with a huge iron fist.
It was lost almost immediately among other flashes, ones she could remember and those that clearly came from Max’s imagination and dreams. Of happy times and sexy times. Flashes filled with passion and desire and lust.
She was the main topic in all of them.
“Liz…” Her name spilled from his lips as he increased the rhythm, driving into her almost desperately. She met him thrust for thrust, her heels digging into the carpet.
I love you. It was a shared thought.
He started climaxing before she did and Liz forced her eyes, drugged with pleasure, open so she could watch him. As she felt him start to shake violently underneath her hands, he threw his head back, gasping.
“Ah… god… Liz!”
It was enough to push her over the edge too. The tremors originating at the place where they were joined spiraled outwards until they encompassed her whole body. She shuddered helplessly, her movements falling into the rhythm that he had wrung from her. The friction between their bodies lengthened her release and it was only after she started coming down to earth that she realized Max had gathered her in closely, holding her almost convulsively against him as he watched her.
“Seeing you like this is enough to make me come again…” His voice was thick and hoarse, alerting already sensitive nerve-endings.
Brushing her hair from her face, he leaned forward and gave her a heart-stoppingly tender kiss. “I’m sorry.” For everything.
“Me too.” She stared up into his eyes. Eyes that still held the embers of the fire she had just experienced. Lifting up her hands was a mammoth task, but she brought them up to cup his face. “About that flash—”
“Liz—”
“Never again… remember?” she reminded him fervently, silencing him.
He could have told her that he knew she wouldn’t. That she had spent the last 27 years proving she wouldn’t and he really believed it. That he had no idea why he had the panicked urge just now to prove to them both that the times of walking away was behind them.
But he didn’t.
He just nodded, knowing that she would understand.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered. “I still need more of you.”
“Only…” she groaned as he got up, managing to do it without breaking their connection.
“Only?” he arched his brow at her.
“Only if you stay inside me all the way,” she sighed, her eyes closing in bliss as he did just that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I cannot believe we just did that!” Liz told Max as he pulled her against him. He had just returned from going downstairs to pick up their clothes since neither of them knew when their children would be returning from their outings. It was only after they had made love a second time that they realized they had acted as if no one else lived in the house with them. And breathed a sigh of relief that their kids had gone missing before they lost it like they had.
Max just smiled against her hair. He could feel that she still had a lot of things weighing heavily on her mind. For that matter, so did he.
“Max?”
“Yeah?”
It was silent for a long time before Liz pushed herself upright, sitting next to him cross-legged. Their hands reached for each other instinctively, their fingers lacing together as if they knew they would need the contact for this discussion. Max pushed himself higher until his back rested against the headboard.
Her eyes were huge, staring into his with so much emotion he caught his breath.
“I would never leave you… You do know that, don’t you?” Her grip on his hand tightened.
“Yes, I do,” he answered immediately.
“Then why—”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted ruefully. “I knew you weren’t leaving me, but seeing you walk away from me while things were… bad between us, just suddenly brought back that day.” He paused, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “It made me remember that I let you walk away once without… without trying to fix things. I guess I… I completely overreacted.” His free hand trailed a gentle caress down her soft cheek. “I know you’re here to stay.”
“Max…” She wasn’t sure what to say to him. She had left him in two lifetimes. First, when he had bonded to Ava in his previous life and she had stopped coming to him in his dreams, and then that day at the cliffs, when she had thought she was doing the right thing, leaving him free to follow his destiny. She had told him over and over again after his painful memories of his Shani disappearing returned that she would never leave him again, but she still felt like she hadn’t apologized enough. “I’m so sorry that you will always remember that.”
“No, sweetie! What I will always remember is that I let you go. I let you walk away without trying to make sure you knew we belonged together no matter what.”
They stared at each other with tears in their eyes.
“We both made mistakes,” Max said quietly.
“I love you. I cannot breathe without you. I am never leaving,” Liz reiterated.
Another quiet moment later, Liz bent her head. “Can I tell you why I got so angry?”
“Because I didn’t mind our son having sex, but would mind our daughter doing the same?”
A small smile touched her lips. “No, that’s just a small part of it.”
A frown creased Max’s forehead. “Then why?”
“Because you just overruled me wanting to talk to my son about the consequences of whatever happened without giving my opinion one thought.” She held up her hand when he tried to speak. “I admit that I am not really comfortable with Matt having sex yet and that it was part of the reason I got upset. But I was more worried about how he was handling the ‘after’ part. And whether he was responsible and will keep being responsible in the future. You didn’t give me a chance to worry about that.” She finally met his eyes. “And I’m his mother! Of course I’m going to worry about that!”
Max was speechless.
“You didn’t have to agree with me… or my methods, but you made me feel like my worries were not important.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Though I did overreact and I’m sorry about that.”
“Liz, I’m sorry too. I felt that Matt having sex was his own decision and I still do. But I guess I could have listened to what you were trying to say first.” He tugged her back into his arms. “You have done such a great job in raising him, now you have to trust him to do the right thing.”
“I know,” Liz mumbled against his chest. “But can I at least ask him if he remembered to use protection?”
“No!” Max chuckled.
“Are you going to be this reasonable when Belle starts having sex?”
“No,” he said more seriously.
“Max Evans!”
“I’m sorry, but she’s staying my little girl for the rest of our lives.”
Liz pushed herself up until she could meet his eyes. “So we still disagree about how to handle the sex lives of our children?”
“I guess so…”
“But we’ll give each other room to be wrong about it?”
“Yeah.” Max threaded his fingers through her hair lovingly.
“Okay.” It was a resigned sigh. “That just means I’ll have to find another reason for you to get angry enough at me to make love on the TV room floor!”
He sighed. “Maybe we should encourage our kids to get hitched as young as we did. Then we’ll have the whole house to make love in again like we used to before they came along…”
“You, my husband, are a clever man.”
tbc
Can I do it for you? Was she kidding? Right now, she probably won’t even need her hands! “Uhm…”
But he couldn’t expect her to do that for him, considering her lack of experience. Could he?
Then he felt her fingers working at his belt buckle.
“Sas? What are you doing?”
She fumbled her way through the fastenings of his tuxedo pants, obviously unfamiliar with what she was doing.
Suddenly he felt very protective of her. “Please don’t think I expect you to—”
“Do you want me to stop?” She sounded vulnerable. “It’s just that in the dark, I feel… braver. And I want to, Matt. I really want to.”
She’d nearly released him from the confines of the pants, which left only the cotton of his boxers between him and paradise. Consideration warred with urgent need. “Uh…”
“I’ve… read what to do.” Even with the uncertainty in it, her tone was sexy as hell.
The combination of sex and innocence was mind-blowing. He hardened even more, thinking of her untutored hands on him, practicing.
She rubbed him through the cotton, wringing a helpless groan from him. “Please?”
“Uhm… okay…” What the hell was he bringing over himself?
“Help me get your clothes out of the way then.”
He was in such a daze that he just followed her instructions, lifting his hips so she could shove his boxers and suit pants down.
“Oh my…” She sounded intimidated. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or explode.
“Do you still—”
“Yes! Just… lie back and give me some time.” She was biting her lip in a very endearing way, and he was just contemplating kissing her again, when she finally circled him with one warm hand. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. He would not explode this very minute. He would not. But just the thought of Sas holding on to him like that was enough to nearly make him climax. The reality was so stimulating that he wondered how long he’d survive her attentions.
Before he realized what she was up to, she’d leaned down and started using her tongue.
“Sas!” His breath was burning his lungs as he tried to maintain control, lifting her mouth away from him. “Don’t do that! Not now, I’ll not make it…”
He groaned as she settled her hands into a rhythm that was uncannily good for someone who had never engaged in this activity. She must have read some good books.
“Why can’t I?”
He clenched his jaw and fought the urge to erupt as she explored his tip with fluttering fingers. “Because I’ve wanted you for so long—”
Ignoring him, she leaned down and flicked her tongue back and forth against the spot she’d been caressing with her fingers.
He worked so hard to hold back his climax that he thought he might pass out. “Where… did you learn that?”
“A book.” She blew on the damp spot.
He gripped the blanket in both fists and stared blindly up at the canopy of trees. He’d never experienced anything like this.
She shifted her hands and he moaned softly. She held him snugly at the base with one hand, pushing down slightly, and took the tip in her mouth.
The effect was unbelievable. Intense pleasure poured through him from the action of her mouth, but her firm grip kept his release at bay. He groaned.
Then she released her grip, took him completely in her mouth and his control shattered. He tried to pull away from her, sure this wasn’t what she meant to do, but she wouldn’t let him. His world came apart as he surrendered to the most cataclysmic orgasm of his life.
As his spinning universe slowly came back into focus, he drew her up and gathered her close to kiss her, tasting himself on her lips.
“Wow.” He felt as if he’d been pole-axed.
Sas had never seen Matt so still. He was usually brimming with energy, yet he lay slumped against her like an unconscious person, his eyes closed.
“I… didn’t hurt you, did I?”
His mouth curved in a crooked smile. “Nope.”
She stroked his hair back from his forehead. “You’re very quiet.”
“I think I’ve blown a fuse,” he mumbled against her.
“Was it that good?” She blushed as she asked this. She hardly recognized this new Sas.
“Yes.”
She smiled in relief. “I was wondering if I did everything right.”
“Extremely right.”
“Good.” She was grinning by now. They haven’t exactly made love, but they had very definitely moved their relationship up a gear. And she was very pleased that she had managed to contribute to this night. “Is it okay if I kiss you again?”
His eyes drifted open. “Where?”
“On your mouth. Where did you think?”
“I wasn’t sure. For a virgin, you have some amazing ideas.”
She brushed her lips against his with a smile. “Thank you for letting me do that.”
She settled her mouth over his, coaxing his tongue into a slow love-play with hers. At first his response was lazy, but gradually the tempo of his breathing picked up. As the temperature of his kiss changed from warm to sizzling, he cupped her breast, kneading it with sure fingers. Her body throbbed with new knowledge, and she whimpered and moved closer to his heat.
He moved his mouth back a little. “Oh Sas, we have to stop. I don’t trust myself if we get started again.”
Her body tightened in anticipation.
He reached for her dress. “Let’s put this back on.”
He was right, she knew it, but she still felt… frustrated as he started pulling the bodice back up over her dress. “What now?”
He trembled and bunched the material in his fist. “Now I take you back home, to your own bed.” He got control of himself and helped her re-arrange the dress. “Even if it kills me.”
Thanking providence that it was dark, he yanked his own clothes back in place before turning back to her. She was standing stiffly next to the car, not meeting his eyes. Apprehension slammed through him and he went over to take her hands. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just… I can’t believe what I just did to you!” she blurted out suddenly. “How am I going to look you in the eyes tomorrow?”
How am I going to look your father in the eyes tomorrow, he added silently. “Would it help to know that I love you even more after tonight? After everything you let me share with you?”
Moving into his embrace, she mumbled: “A little.”
He chuckled at that. “Well, how about this, I’m probably going to be just as embarrassed as you when I see you tomorrow morning!”
“You will?”
“Oh yeah. And then I’m going to wonder when I can get you alone again.” He could feel her smile against his chest.
Love for this sweet man overwhelmed her. “I really love you, Matt. So much.” She pressed closer. “And this night was even better than I dreamed it would be.”
“I know,” was all he said.
Both their houses were quiet when they got home. Matt walked Sas to her door, wondering how on earth he was going to live through saying goodnight now.
Turning towards him in front of her apartment, Sas could feel the tension in the air. “Would you let me take you out to breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Sure,” he smiled at her, but his hand was still gripping hers tightly, his eyes burning into hers. “I better go.”
“Yeah.”
But neither of them moved. It felt so wrong to just go their separate ways after all they had shared tonight.
“Thank you for coming to my prom with me. And for being the most beautiful girl there,” he finally whispered.
Personally, Sas thought the prom itself sort of paled in comparison to what happened afterwards. Matt had made her fly, made her see the stars from up close and made her feel more loved than she had ever dreamed she would feel.
He was pulling her closer, sliding his hands over the bare skin of her back to arch her into his body. “I wish…” his voice was so soft that she barely heard him.
He wished so many things. He wished he didn’t have to let her go now. He wished she were his already in all the ways there is. He wished…
All she answered was, “Me too.”
Their kiss was long and deep… and so not enough. Matt had to fight to keep his hands on her back and in her hair. They seemed to have a will of their own now, and their will was to find those glorious curves they had shaped earlier again.
He was making her drown in sensation again. Kissing her like she was an extension of himself, like she was part of him… already part of him even if they hadn’t made love yet.
It felt like hours before she would see him again.
And both of them understood Matt’s parents’ loathing to be away from each other for too long just a little better.
“I have to go,” he muttered against her lips. And again he didn’t let her go.
“Matt…” she sighed into the still night air. Wishing she could tell him to come inside to her room. To stay and hold her for the rest of this already magical night.
Tracing her bottom-lip with his tongue, he pulled back, realizing just how puffy her mouth was. He had been abusing these beautiful lips all night! Gently rubbing his thumb over her mouth, he tried sending healing through his finger.
The next moment, Sas’ head tipped back and she moaned softly, causing Matt to jerk his hand away from her face. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to…”
Surprising him, she slid her hands under his tux jacket, pressing closer to him and trailing her lips over his throat. He was in big trouble from now on, Sas now has a few new weapons in her armory to use against him. Not least of which was his complete lust for her…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hauling Liz back against him, Max kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her stomach. She had been rolling around for hours, listening for when Matt would get home. They both had been.
Only now that they’ve heard the car enter the garage and the sound of the garage doors closing, did Liz become less stiff against him.
“He’s home now, sweetness, and he’s okay,” he whispered into her ear. “We’d have known if he wasn’t.”
Nothing horrible had ever happened to their children, but no number of years of good things could erase from Liz’s memory Max being tortured for who he was, or the extremes some of his enemies had gone to try and get rid of him. And sometimes, like tonight, those demons would come back to haunt her.
The clock on their bedside table read 02:37.
It was quiet in the house for a long time. Liz lay sheltered in the arms of her husband, feeling him tenderly caress the skin of her stomach with his fingers, the only movement that gave away that he was awake with her.
She remembered a time when Matt was about five when she found Max teaching him to shave. Not really of course, but he had let Matt watch him do it, and had lifted him up on the bathroom counter afterwards, letting Matt lather himself with shaving cream before giving him a razor without a blade so he could emulate his dad’s example. She still has that moment on video somewhere. The two most important males in her life, one a miniature version of the other, two identical dark heads both peering into the mirror with equal seriousness, it was a memory she would treasure for the rest of her life.
And now that little boy, her son, was downstairs saying goodbye to the girl he was probably going to marry. He was eighteen and all grown up. Soon, she will have to let him go completely.
“He’ll always be our son.” Max was hearing her thoughts through their connection again. But she could feel his own emotion too. Matt was the apple of his mother’s eye, but he had a link to his father that only the two of them understood.
Matt’s door closed on a soft click and Liz glanced at the clock again. 03:06. In spite of her moment of motherly emotion, she still had to grin that it had taken him that long to say goodnight to Sas. “He is just like you,” she told Max quietly. “I could never get you off that balcony…”
“Hey, I remember some clinging from your side too,” his voice had a smile in it.
“You don’t think they’ve…” They have been out very late, Liz thought.
“I have no idea,” Max whispered ruefully. “We can just hope that whatever happened, he was responsible about it.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Matt plopped onto his bed, not even bothering to undress. Sas was wearing his jacket anyway, it had gotten cold outside while he was having trouble unplastering himself from her.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to remember Sas in the throes of her first orgasm. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight and for hearing her moan his name in that final moment of unguarded sensation. It was a powerful experience.
One he could get addicted to.
Oh, who was he kidding?
He was addicted already.
PART 21
Sas’ father was in their kitchen!
Matt had stumbled downstairs at 09:00 after a short shower, having finally woken up from dreams filled with Sas, Sas and more Sas. With how Sas had looked underneath him last night. How she had sighed and moaned his name. How she had so trustingly let him touch her. How she had made him reach the stars with her uninhibited response.
He was even more in love than ever.
But seeing her father a scant few hours after giving Sas her first orgasm was not exactly what he had in mind. Just breathe, he told himself. Try not to look like you’ve seen his daughter nearly naked not very long ago. But he was close to a panic attack. He just hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
James was sitting at the kitchen table with Liz and Max, chatting about their upcoming trip to Tresar. Liz was the first to notice Matt, pausing in the doorway and looking warily at James. Her heart lurched, what had Matt done to warrant that look he aimed at Sas’ father?
“Morning, everyone.” Matt’s voice was surprisingly normal as he entered the room.
After a chorus of greetings, James jumped in first. “So, how was the prom? Sas was still sleeping when I came here so I couldn’t grill her.”
His voice was light, so Matt relaxed somewhat. “It was great. We had fun. We danced ‘till late.” A glance at his mother convinced him she wasn’t fooled, she was watching him intensely, as if trying to see inside his head to his memories of last night. He fled to the fridge, opening the door and staring at its contents in an effort to escape her regard.
“By the way, there are no new dents in the car,” Matt added. Trying to keep the banter away from his very late night with Sas. She’s still a virgin… she’s still a virgin… he kept repeating in his head, hoping the mantra would keep him from looking like he had stolen the innocence of the daughter of the very big man sitting across the table from his parents.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Max said amusedly. “Seeing that you denting the car was our biggest fear.”
Still keeping his head in the fridge, Matt ignored his father’s comment. He really didn’t want to talk about paternal fears for prom night.
“Don’t mind these men, honey,” Liz said. “While they are pretending to be disappointed that you didn’t get trashed and create a public scandal, I for one, am glad you got home safe.”
Finally emerging from the relative cover of the fridge door, Matt smiled at his mom. “Yeah well, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Just dinner, dancing, stupid awards, more dancing and talking.” And some serious making out…
“Well, there goes the Evans reputation,” Max aimed this at his wife with a smirk.
“At least this Evans also had the most beautiful girl at the prom on his arm,” Matt gave his mom a hug from behind. “So I did continue one tradition.”
“Son,” Max said jokingly, “I am so proud.”
Matt joined the group at the table with a glass of orange juice.
“Isn’t it a bit early for all of you to be this goofy?” Liz asked. “I have not heard this much nonsense in a long time.” She turned to James. “So are we all set for Dendar and Tresar?”
“Yes,” he had finally torn his eyes away from Matt, who breathed in silent relief. “The group that will go along is ready and we can leave the day after school lets out for summer.”
“Right, so that gives us until next Thursday. I have so much packing to do,” Liz lamented. She looked back at Matt. “Aren’t you having breakfast?”
“No, I… Sas and I are going out for breakfast.” He smiled ruefully. “If she wakes up before dinner, that is...” Great, he told himself, remind her father that you only brought her home in the early hours of the morning.
But, apart from a slight narrowing of his eyes, James said nothing.
James left a few minutes later and Liz focussed her attention on Matt after a short glance at Max. “So, how was the prom really?”
Matt stared at his glass. He knew exactly where this was going. “It really was great. Food was good, music was good, the awards were silly, but we had fun.”
“Uhm…” Liz toyed with her fork until Max caught her hand in his. “And—and after?”
No matter how hard he tried to stop it, a blush tinged his cheeks, causing his parents’ eyes to widen.
“Matt…” Liz sounded worried.
“Mom!” he cried, mortified. How do you tell your mother you didn’t technically have sex, but that what you did was intimate enough? That technically your girlfriend was still a virgin, but…
Liz was as mortified as her son, but she couldn’t let this go. “Just—”
“Liz,” Max interrupted her, squeezing her hand to shut her up.
“I’m going to go find Sas so we can leave,” Matt announced and jumped up. His mother was getting pissed at his dad for one, and secondly, he really didn’t want to stick around for the third degree.
“We’ll see you later,” Max spoke over Liz’s attempt to call him back.
Her eyes were sparkling with anger when Matt had disappeared from the room. “Why did you do that?”
“Liz, sweetheart, you were going to interrogate our eighteen-year old son about his sexual activities,” Max answered mildly.
“What is your point?” Liz was mad and showing it. “I need to know if something happened that we should worry about.”
Belle had arrived in the kitchen just in time to hear her mother’s last words. Darting a glance between her parents, she backtracked out of the room. Hearing her parents argue was not a regular occurrence, but she and Matt had learned to just disappear when it happened. Finding the phone, she called one of her friends to meet her for breakfast at a little coffee shop close to their school. Spotting Matt going out to his Jeep, she ran after him to beg a lift.
“Honey, he’s a big boy by now—”
“Who may have slept with a girl,” Liz retorted. “Someone’s daughter.”
Max sighed. “He knows all he should about this, what would you do with this knowledge?” Wow, she looked glorious when she was angry! he noticed absently. In addition to her sparkling eyes, her face was flushed and her breathing was getting shorter. It reminded him a little of what she looked like when she was aroused…
“I want to know if he was careful! I want to tell him how to handle things from now on!” Liz cried. “I don’t know!” She suddenly noticed that Max was staring at her mouth with dark eyes. “How can you be so blasé about this?”
“I just am.” His gaze had dropped to the swell of her breasts now.
Liz wasn’t sure if she should be aroused or even angrier. Her line of arguing was clearly losing his interest. “Well, how about this? Belle asked me not to tell you, but I found her with a guy the other night. His hands were up her shirt—”
“What!” This got his attention back, big time. Max was on his feet in a rage. “Who was this guy? When did this happen?”
Folding her arms, Liz leaned back in her chair and just looked at him. “So, how did that feel?”
It took him a while to realize she had played him. There had been no guy. No one with his paws all over his beautiful little girl. He stared at her in shock.
“Exactly! I just feel that Matt’s sex life is as much my business as Belle’s is going to be.” She got up too. “You apparently are more worried about your daughter.”
“Liz…” He was pissed because she tricked him, he felt guilty for having a double standard… but mostly he was abruptly on fire for his wife.
Tilting her chin, she gave him a look that rocked him to his toes. A look filled with angry lust.
And then she walked away…
He was momentarily rooted to the spot as he watched her leave, hearing a roaring in his ears that got louder and louder. It was a mix of anger at himself, anger at Liz, out-of-control desire for her and possessiveness.
She was walking away from him! He didn’t think so!
With a growl, he set off after her, catching up with her halfway down the hallway. Circling her waist with his arm, he yanked her against him, lifting her off her feet and into his body, her back aligned to his front.
She flung her head back against his shoulder with a gasp, arching in his fierce hold. Max was panting in her ear as he carried her into the TV room with long strides. Excitement was thrilling through her veins, making her heart race in her chest.
Through their connection she heard his thoughts clearly. You walked away from me! You’re mine. Don’t ever walk away from me…
Disorientated for a moment, she struggled to reconcile what she was hearing with the argument they’d just had. He was spinning her around in his arms, still not letting her feet slide to the floor. The emotions crashing around inside him were overwhelming her. He was sorry for his reaction to her reaction to Matt. He was mad at her for the tactics she had used to get her point across. He wanted her just this side of violence. He hated seeing her walk away from him in anger…
There was something she needed to figure out here, but it was very difficult when he looked at her like he did just before kissing her.
His kiss was a brand. He was trying to mark her as his. She fought him back, her tongue dueling with his as she gripped fistfuls of his hair, increasing the pressure of the kiss. She ripped his shirt from his pants, raking her nails across the bare skin of his back, reveling in his resulting shudder and moan.
“God, Liz!” It was said against her throat as his hands gripped her bottom tighter, dragging her even closer to him.
Don’t ever walk away from me.
There it was again. Dizzily, Liz wondered what made him fixate on the fact that she had walked out.
Finally letting her drop to the floor, he grabbed hold of the bottom of her shirt, yanking it off her in a swift move. He practically ripped her shorts and underwear off her too, leaving her naked in front of him. His mouth crashed back onto hers immediately in another hard, passionate kiss.
Adrenaline was rushing through Liz, making her light-headed. Max was as out of control as she had only seen him a few rare times in her life. It was arousing her beyond belief, causing a rush of moistness between her thighs. She didn’t want him to slow down. She wanted him to take her like this.
His mouth was trailing fire over her skin, branding her wherever it touched. She dimly heard the sounds she was making, urgent little whimpers that did nothing to abate the storm.
They tumbled onto the carpet together, Liz scrabbling to get him out of his clothes too. When they were gone, her fingers dug into his upper arms as she writhed beneath him.
“Max!” Take me! It tumbled into his mind, urging him on.
He lifted her knees, opening her up to him… and then he was inside her. In one powerful movement, he made them one. He stilled for just a moment as realization hit him that he hadn’t even tried to make sure she was ready. But then she wrapped her legs around his hips, allowing a deeper penetration, and the haze overtook his mind again.
The flash was fleeting, but shocking. Max watching her walk away from him at the pod chamber the day he had learned of his destiny, feeling like someone was ripping his chest open and crushing his heart with a huge iron fist.
It was lost almost immediately among other flashes, ones she could remember and those that clearly came from Max’s imagination and dreams. Of happy times and sexy times. Flashes filled with passion and desire and lust.
She was the main topic in all of them.
“Liz…” Her name spilled from his lips as he increased the rhythm, driving into her almost desperately. She met him thrust for thrust, her heels digging into the carpet.
I love you. It was a shared thought.
He started climaxing before she did and Liz forced her eyes, drugged with pleasure, open so she could watch him. As she felt him start to shake violently underneath her hands, he threw his head back, gasping.
“Ah… god… Liz!”
It was enough to push her over the edge too. The tremors originating at the place where they were joined spiraled outwards until they encompassed her whole body. She shuddered helplessly, her movements falling into the rhythm that he had wrung from her. The friction between their bodies lengthened her release and it was only after she started coming down to earth that she realized Max had gathered her in closely, holding her almost convulsively against him as he watched her.
“Seeing you like this is enough to make me come again…” His voice was thick and hoarse, alerting already sensitive nerve-endings.
Brushing her hair from her face, he leaned forward and gave her a heart-stoppingly tender kiss. “I’m sorry.” For everything.
“Me too.” She stared up into his eyes. Eyes that still held the embers of the fire she had just experienced. Lifting up her hands was a mammoth task, but she brought them up to cup his face. “About that flash—”
“Liz—”
“Never again… remember?” she reminded him fervently, silencing him.
He could have told her that he knew she wouldn’t. That she had spent the last 27 years proving she wouldn’t and he really believed it. That he had no idea why he had the panicked urge just now to prove to them both that the times of walking away was behind them.
But he didn’t.
He just nodded, knowing that she would understand.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered. “I still need more of you.”
“Only…” she groaned as he got up, managing to do it without breaking their connection.
“Only?” he arched his brow at her.
“Only if you stay inside me all the way,” she sighed, her eyes closing in bliss as he did just that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I cannot believe we just did that!” Liz told Max as he pulled her against him. He had just returned from going downstairs to pick up their clothes since neither of them knew when their children would be returning from their outings. It was only after they had made love a second time that they realized they had acted as if no one else lived in the house with them. And breathed a sigh of relief that their kids had gone missing before they lost it like they had.
Max just smiled against her hair. He could feel that she still had a lot of things weighing heavily on her mind. For that matter, so did he.
“Max?”
“Yeah?”
It was silent for a long time before Liz pushed herself upright, sitting next to him cross-legged. Their hands reached for each other instinctively, their fingers lacing together as if they knew they would need the contact for this discussion. Max pushed himself higher until his back rested against the headboard.
Her eyes were huge, staring into his with so much emotion he caught his breath.
“I would never leave you… You do know that, don’t you?” Her grip on his hand tightened.
“Yes, I do,” he answered immediately.
“Then why—”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted ruefully. “I knew you weren’t leaving me, but seeing you walk away from me while things were… bad between us, just suddenly brought back that day.” He paused, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “It made me remember that I let you walk away once without… without trying to fix things. I guess I… I completely overreacted.” His free hand trailed a gentle caress down her soft cheek. “I know you’re here to stay.”
“Max…” She wasn’t sure what to say to him. She had left him in two lifetimes. First, when he had bonded to Ava in his previous life and she had stopped coming to him in his dreams, and then that day at the cliffs, when she had thought she was doing the right thing, leaving him free to follow his destiny. She had told him over and over again after his painful memories of his Shani disappearing returned that she would never leave him again, but she still felt like she hadn’t apologized enough. “I’m so sorry that you will always remember that.”
“No, sweetie! What I will always remember is that I let you go. I let you walk away without trying to make sure you knew we belonged together no matter what.”
They stared at each other with tears in their eyes.
“We both made mistakes,” Max said quietly.
“I love you. I cannot breathe without you. I am never leaving,” Liz reiterated.
Another quiet moment later, Liz bent her head. “Can I tell you why I got so angry?”
“Because I didn’t mind our son having sex, but would mind our daughter doing the same?”
A small smile touched her lips. “No, that’s just a small part of it.”
A frown creased Max’s forehead. “Then why?”
“Because you just overruled me wanting to talk to my son about the consequences of whatever happened without giving my opinion one thought.” She held up her hand when he tried to speak. “I admit that I am not really comfortable with Matt having sex yet and that it was part of the reason I got upset. But I was more worried about how he was handling the ‘after’ part. And whether he was responsible and will keep being responsible in the future. You didn’t give me a chance to worry about that.” She finally met his eyes. “And I’m his mother! Of course I’m going to worry about that!”
Max was speechless.
“You didn’t have to agree with me… or my methods, but you made me feel like my worries were not important.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Though I did overreact and I’m sorry about that.”
“Liz, I’m sorry too. I felt that Matt having sex was his own decision and I still do. But I guess I could have listened to what you were trying to say first.” He tugged her back into his arms. “You have done such a great job in raising him, now you have to trust him to do the right thing.”
“I know,” Liz mumbled against his chest. “But can I at least ask him if he remembered to use protection?”
“No!” Max chuckled.
“Are you going to be this reasonable when Belle starts having sex?”
“No,” he said more seriously.
“Max Evans!”
“I’m sorry, but she’s staying my little girl for the rest of our lives.”
Liz pushed herself up until she could meet his eyes. “So we still disagree about how to handle the sex lives of our children?”
“I guess so…”
“But we’ll give each other room to be wrong about it?”
“Yeah.” Max threaded his fingers through her hair lovingly.
“Okay.” It was a resigned sigh. “That just means I’ll have to find another reason for you to get angry enough at me to make love on the TV room floor!”
He sighed. “Maybe we should encourage our kids to get hitched as young as we did. Then we’ll have the whole house to make love in again like we used to before they came along…”
“You, my husband, are a clever man.”
tbc