Date: May 04, 2003
Rating: M/L ADULT
Summary: Max Evans is perfect, the star of every girl's nightly dreams. He is handsome, sweet, kind, and everything a girl could want. Life is perfect until the day his old friend asks him for a favor, turning his life... and heart... upside down.
Liz Parker is that girl you always prayed you'd never be. She wears ugly clothes, has no friends, and is too smart for her own good. No guy has ever looked at her twice, scarring her worse than anything else could.
So when God-like Max starts hanging around her, his entire attention devoted towards her, her brain tells her something is up, but her heart.. well her heart thinks differently. With every look, every touch, Liz finds herself losing her heart to the one guy guaranteed to break it. But she can't help it.
Now, one question comes into play: does Max feel the same way or is he not in love?
Disclaimer: Roswell is the property of Jason Katims. These words are property of me.
THIS IS FOR EVERYONE WHO REQUESTED A REPOST
PROLOGUE
Thirteen-year-old Liz Parker peeked slowly around the glass deck doors, her ugly glasses traitorously reflecting the sunlight. Holding her breath, Liz scanned the area, her heart picking up a thousand beats as her gaze landed on him.
Fifteen-year-old Max Evans had been Liz’s neighbor since the day she was born and Max and her older brother, twenty-three-year-old Alex, had grown up together. With his perfect brown hair and chocolate eyes, Max stole Liz’s breath away.
Liz watched with starry eyes as Max approached Tess, a fifteen-year-old blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty, who was also at the Parker’s Annual Neighborhood Barbeque. With cheeks tinted red from embarrassment, Max tapped on Tess’ shoulder, getting her attention. The teenager turned around, a smile lighting up her perfect face. Liz watched as the two talked and what Liz saw next sent a thousand knives flying straight into her heart. Max leaned closer to Tess and grabbed her hand, a goofy smile lighting his face.
Liz couldn’t watch any longer. Sharply, she turned around and ran straight into a large body. With tears pricking her eyes, Liz managed to rasp out a, “excuse me” before she attempted to flee to the safety of her room where she could cry her not-blue eyes out.
“Liz!” a familiar concerned voice called, grabbing her around the arms. “What’s wrong, Honeyeyes?”
The girl just shook her head, not wanting her older brother to see how upset she was. “I, I have to go!”
“But Liz, you’ve been hiding in your room for hours now! Mom and Dad are going to be really upset if you don’t go. Come on.”
“No, I don’t want to, Alex.”
“But -“
“Oh, leave her alone, Alex.”
Relieved to hear the voice of Isabel, Alex’s high school sweetheart, Liz looked up and turned around, throwing herself into Izzy’s arms.
“Whoa, sweetie, what’s wrong?” the older woman asked, sensing Liz’s pain. When she realized that Liz wouldn’t answer in front of Alex, Isabel took them upstairs to Liz’s room. Gently, she sat the crying girl onto the king-sized bed. Reaching out, Isabel tucked a strand of silky, brown hair behind Liz’s ear. Staring into Liz’s dark eyes which were speckled with sparks of honey, Isabel could see that something had genuinely upset the girl.
“Izzy?”
“Hmm?”
“Am I ugly?”
Isabel froze, not expecting to be asked that question, especially from such a beautiful person. Didn’t Liz see that behind her hideous glasses and out-of-style clothes was a gorgeous woman with a great personality? Only few people got to see the real Liz and Isabel knew she was blessed to be of those few.
Isabel shook her head, cupping Liz’s chin and tilting it up. “You are not ugly. You’re beautiful!” she paused as she saw the doubt in the young girl’s eyes. “I envy your thick, brown hair and sweet brown eyes!”
Liz shook her head, “I know you’re trying to be nice, Izzy, but honestly, I can handle the truth. I am not pretty and my hair and eyes are plain, plain, plain.” She turned away and whispered quietly, “I wish I had blond hair and blue eyes.”
Instantly, Isabel knew why. There was only one blond-haired, blue-eyed girl in the neighborhood: Tess Harding. But why would Liz want to be like ditzy, I-am-only-good-for-twirling-my-hair Tess? “Why do you want blond hair and blue eyes? Your hair and eyes are exotic.”
Liz felt her cheeks warming, even though she knew it was a lie; there was nothing about her that was exotic; she was just plain. “I, well, I just…”
“Hey, come on, Liz. This is me you’re talking to.”
Liz knew who she was talking to: Izzy, the only person she could ever really talk to since she had no friends because she was too ugly and shy and smart. But Izzy didn’t care that Liz was those things and when Liz was around her, well, Liz didn’t care about those things either.
“I, well, I want to be like Tess.” Mortified, Liz duck her head, her shiny brown hair blocking her bright face.
“But why, Honeyeyes? You’re so much prettier and sweeter and-“
“-Max likes her,” Liz blurted out, her eyes pleading with Izzy to understand.
“Oh!” Isabel had not been expecting that. It was odd that Liz had a crush on Max, odd to think of Max with anyone other than Tess because everyone thought that the two would end up together; that was just the way things were. But now that she thought about it, Max and Liz would make an adorable couple, their similar brown hair and brown eyes would fit so nicely together and their different personalities balanced one another out. It was a wonder that no one had thought of that before.
“Oh, Izzy,” Liz pleaded, “Please don’t tell anyone that I like Max! I know that everyone thinks that he and Tess are perfect, but I just can’t help it! He’s so cute and sweet and kind and-“
“Don’t worry, Liz, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even Alex? Oh, if Alex found out, he’d never stop teasing me!”
Isabel shook her head. “This is just between us; no one will ever know how you feel.”
PART ONE
“What?!” Max shouted, his eyes wide and unbelieving, “You have got to be out of your mind, Alex!”
“Oh, come on, Max,” Max’s long-time friend pleaded, his face serious.
“No!” Max shook his head, “No!”
“But, Max!”
“No, Alex! I can’t! She’s your goddamn little sister! Not to mention that I’ve know her since she was in diapers and-“
“She’s not in diapers now…”
An image of shy, mousy Liz popped into Max’s mind. No, she certainly wasn’t wearing diapers anymore and she was certainly not Max’s type. Max usually went for long-legged blondes with blue eyes, not plain brown-haired girls with ugly glasses and even uglier clothes. Not that Liz didn’t have a nice personality because she did… or at least Max thought so; he hadn’t ever really talked to her much, despite being such great friends with Alex. Alex, who, at this moment, was definitely losing his mind.
An hour ago, Alex had called Max and asked to meet him for lunch at Alex’s law firm. Ten minutes after Max arrived, Alex hit in with the biggie.
“Max, I need for you to do me a favor,” Alex had said.
“What is it?” Max hadn’t had a single idea what was in store for him next.
“I need for you to date Liz.” As Max remained speechless, Alex rushed on, “It’s her senior year and her prom’s coming up and you know Liz, she’s never had a boyfriend, never been on a date. Guys don’t like her because they think she’s too smart and not the most stylish person ever and girls hate her for the same reason. She’s lonely and I know how important the prom is, and well, I couldn’t think of anyone better to take her than you. I mean, you’ve known since she was born and I know you and Liz will get along perfectly because you guys have so much in common and-“
That was when Max had shouted, knowing Alex must have been drunk or high or something.
“Max?” Alex broke into Max’s thoughts. “Please, man, I really need you to do me this favor!”
Max took in a deep breath. “You want me,” he started, “to start hanging around your little sister, make her think I like her, date her, take her to prom, and then ditch her?!”
“Basically, but-“
“Alex, man, you are really something, you know. This will hurt her more than not going to prom. If she finds out, she’ll hate you forever and will probably kill me with one of her huge books!”
“I know, but Izzy and I are worried about her. And besides, Liz has had this huge crush on you since-“
“What?” Max made a mental note to get his hearing tested later because he was definitely having hearing problems.
“Oh, come on; don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. Liz has liked you since she first laid eyes on you and it’s so obvious,” Alex rolled his eyes, a childish gesture for a big-time, successful, twenty-eight-year-old lawyer.
Max hadn’t been expecting that. Liz, Elizabeth Parker, had a crush on him? They had barely ever seen one another, much less talked! This could get interesting… Wait! What the hell was he thinking? No, he shook his head, he would not go along with Alex’s crazy plan. No way.
Alex sighed, “I didn’t want to use this, but I guess I have no choice.”
Max shot the man across from him a suspicious frown. “Use what?”
“Do you remember,” Alex said, “four years ago when you and that older woman were caught at Make-Out Point and you both were almost arrested? Who came to your rescue and presented you? Hell, if it wasn’t for me, you’d probably still be in prison now and-“
Damn. “Fine!” Max shouted. “Fine. I’ll be part of your damn plan, but I’m telling you now, I don’t like it!” And with that, Max stormed out of Alex’s law firm, fuming, his fists itching to bury themselves in Alex’s face.
When Max was gone, Alex smiled and laughed out loud. “You may not like it now, Max, but you will, oh yeah, you most definitely will.”
PART TWO
“Oh, Liz! You look absolutely glamorous!” Isabel exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Liz, on the other hand, wasn’t as enthusiastic. “Are you sure about this, Izzy? I don’t know…. The shirt’s kind of low cut and the pants are really tight and-“
Izzy shook her head, knowing that this was the perfect outfit for Liz to be wearing when Max came to ask her out. Not that Liz knew this.
Izzy smiled as she watched Liz consciously try to tug the deep red halter top higher. The top accented her light skin and silky hair, not to mention that it also finally showed off some of her womanly curves. Giving up on the top, Liz squirmed around in the hip-hugging Abercrombie jeans, uncomfortable with the second skin.
“It looks beautiful on you, Liz! I’m so glad you finally agreed to let me pick out a new wardrobe for you! Your senior year is almost over and it’s about time you changed.”
“It’s not like you gave me much choice,” Liz muttered, her eyes once again resting on her reflection. She wasn’t used to these kind of clothes, but she had to admit that she liked the way they looked. Never before had she worn such revealing and stylish clothes. Maybe Max would be at Alex’s tonight for dinner; Liz wondered what he’d think, if he would even notice her.
Izzy ignored Liz’s sarcastic comment and beamed down at the young girl as she shoved another outfit in Liz’s arms. “Go,” she commanded, itching with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see how the white dress made of silk would look like on Liz’s perfect body. The minute Isabel had seen the dress, she had known that that dress would have to be the one Liz wore on her first date with Max. Isabel was so glad that Alex had gone along with her plan and that Max still owed her husband a huge favor for saving his ass those years ago.
Liz stalked into the dressing room, a frown on her face. But once she was behind closed doors, a smile lit up her face. Liz fingered the soft lace-covered silk, dying to try it on. But of course, Liz would never admit that; she didn’t want Isabel to know that she was actually enjoying this shopping spree and change. Liz knew no one liked her and she knew that she was ugly and that even with her new clothes, nothing would really change in her life, but Liz was grateful to Isabel for trying.
Liz gasped as she saw herself in the mirror through her glasses. She looked like an entirely different person! The dress was gorgeous! The straps, made of sheer pink ribbon were long, connected to the dress an inch above her cleavage. And the bottom of her bust was wrapped with a single strip of more ribbon. The dress reached just below her knees, ending in curved lace.
“Are you done, Liz?” Isabel yelled, slicing through Liz’s awed “moment.”
Gulping, Liz opened the dressing room door and stepped out into the light.
“Oh, migod, Liz!” Isabel shouted, jumping up and down as much as a six-month-pregnant woman could. “The dress is perfect, absolutely perfect! You look fabulous! Oh, I can’t wait!”
Liz frowned, confusion in her eyes. “You can’t wait for what?”
A guilty expression formed on Isabel’s face but a second later, it was gone. “I can’t wait until everyone sees the new you!”
“Well, maybe we could wait another week…”
“No! You are going to wear that outfit that you just tried on to dinner tonight! And on Monday, you are going to wear your other new clothes and knock everyone off of their feet. And, oh! We’ve got to hurry now because we have to stop by the optometrist and pick up your new contacts. You go in and change into that outfit and I’ll go pay.”
“What? Izzy, you never mentioned contacts! I don’t want to stick things into my eyes!”
“Oh, Liz, how can you have a complete transformation if you keep wearing those hideous glasses? You need contacts so that everyone can see your beautiful brown eyes.”
“No,” Liz shook her head, not believing that she had actually said “no” this many times. “I am not going to get contacts; the glasses stay.”
“Oh, Honeyeyes-“
“Don’t ‘Honeyeyes’ me! That will not work this time and-“
“Are you sure? The baby would like it so much when he or she opens his or her eyes for the first time and can look into their auntie’s pretty eyes and-“
“Oh, fine!” Liz nearly shouted, surprised at her outburst. It seemed as if the clothes were already changing her.
“Great!” Isabel screeched, clapping her hands. Before going to pay, she shoved Liz into the dressing room.
When she reached the register, the cashier asked politely, “Is your sister going for a big change?”
Isabel nodded, positively beaming with content. “Yes, she is. How did she look?”
“Oh, she’s beautiful! But honestly, I never would have guessed that underneath her glasses and baggy clothes was such a stunning girl!”
Isabel’s twinkling laughter echoed in the air, “It’s for a guy she likes.”
The cashier’s eyes sparkled as she said, “Isn’t it always?”
PART THREE
Holy shit. That was the only thing Max could think of when he saw Liz that night. Holy shit. No one had warned him that expecting the same, plain Liz was a very, very large error. Holy shit.
“Oh, hi, Max!” she beamed, her eyes twinkling in the dark moonlight.
Max just stood there like an idiot. He tried to make his gaping mouth work, he really did, but it just wasn’t obeying.
“Is everything all right?” Liz asked after a few seconds. Self-consciously, she tugged at her clothes, a blush tinting her cheeks. Did she really look that different? Was her glasses-free-and-ugly-clothes-gone, new look that outrageous?
“You... clothes… glasses…. Wow.”
Liz’s blush deepened. Thank God Max couldn’t see it in the dark. Liz squirmed, her eyes falling to the floor. Hearing the appreciation and wonder in Max’s voice was something new for her. She wanted to hide behind a tree or a bush, but at the same time, she wanted to hear him say it again.
“Ummm, I, I brought new clothes today and umm, I got contacts, too.”
“Wow,” his voice was husky and rough, sending shivers coursing through Liz’s body.
“I know it’s quite different from what I used to wear,” Liz rambled, “but Izzy insisted that it was finally time for me to, well, change and well, I kind of agreed with her, and well, yeah…” she trailed off. Her face felt like it was on fire as Max just stood there and stared at her, his eyes nearly falling out of the sockets and his mouth nearly touching the ground. It felt kind of nice, actually, to have Max Evans, the Max Evans, speechless before her.
“Max! Liz!” Alex called, coming out onto the deck. His face was full of worry and Liz immediately knew something was wrong.
“What’s wrong? Is it Izzy? Is she ok?” Liz asked, anxiously beginning to walk into the house. But before she even reached Alex, a strong, warm male hand reached out and grabbed her bare arm. She tugged in an attempt to free her arm from Max, but it wasn’t working. It must have been because of Max’s strength or the fact that Liz’s body suddenly melted and she found herself unable to do anything but inhale Max’s wonderfully-masculine scent.
“What’s wrong, Alex?” Max finally got his mouth to work, his body hardening as Liz’s floral scent teased at his senses.
“It’s Izzy. She’s not feeling well; she must have eaten something that upset her stomach during dinner.” Alex turned to Liz, “Liz, we won’t be able to drive you home tonight, but maybe,” he turned back to Max, “maybe Max will be able to.”
It took Max several long moments for his mind to empty itself of all the erotic possibilities of what could occur when he drove this sweet temptress home. When his mind finally accomplished that agonizing task, Max nodded, “Of course. Come on, Liz, how about we start heading out? It looks as if Alex would like to get back to Izzy now.”
Liz nodded, nervous at the thought of spending time alone with Max. In his car. In the dark. Right next to him.
“I’ll tell Izzy you guys said ‘good-bye,’” Alex informed them, giving Liz a brotherly hug, forcing Max to release his hold on her. “She’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Ok. Good-night.”
“Sweet dreams, Honeyeyes.”
And with that, Max led Liz out of the backyard to his sleek, silver Mercedes convertible in the driveway. Liz didn’t know how she got her legs to function with Max’s warm hand burning a sensual hole through the back of her shirt where it rested. He opened the door for her and helped her in. Unable to resist the opportunity, he leaned over her and buckled her in, too, going slowly in order to feel the softness of her body and smell her intoxicating scent. When he heard her quick intake of breath, he turned, finding his mouth millimeters from his. Fuck. Her lips parted like an invitation and before he knew it, his lips were on hers, hungrily delving.
Fireworks exploded. Lightening shot through their bodies. It seemed as if they had been waiting their whole lives for this moment.
Liz was in heaven, fireworks exploded between her and Max. She had never been kissed before, yet the moment Max’s lips touched hers, she instinctively knew what to do. Opening her mouth wider, she threw her arms around Max’s neck, her fingers losing themselves in his silky hair. Since as long as she could remember, Liz had had a fascination with Max’s hair. She had never thought she would get within feet of it, let alone have her hands tangled in it! She groaned, an unfamiliar, but wonderful feeling seeping into her body, an ache to get closer.
Shit. Max knew he shouldn’t be doing this, knew he had to go slowly, but well, tell his dick that. Reluctantly, Max yanked himself away, hastily closing the door and walking to the other side of it. He got into the car, started it, and they were off.
Liz could feel herself trembling with need, the delicious taste of Max still lingering in her mouth. Max hadn’t said a word to her since that earth-shattering kiss ten minutes ago; Liz was getting worried. What if he regretted it? What if he was disgusted? What if he thought she was inexperienced? Liz wrung her hands together, gnawing at her lower lip. Should she say something? Should she apologize?
No, she decided. She had never lied to Max before and she didn’t intend to start now.
Finally, they reached her house. The porch light was still on which meant that her parents had already gone to sleep.
Liz took Max’s hand when he offered it to her after opening the door. Still holding her hand, they walked silently towards the door, the cool night brushing against their skin.
“Liz?”
Liz turned around, the key still in the lock. “Yes?” Her pulse picked up about, oh, a thousand beats.
“I was wondering, if you’re not busy tomorrow night, maybe we could go out for a movie and dinner. How about Italian? I know how much you like pasta.”
He did? Liz was too astonished to answer. Did Max Evans just ask her out? For a real date? She was about to say “yes” when suspicion kicked in. Why, now, after 18 years, was Max suddenly so interested in her? Was he really interested in her… or the Liz dressed in these clothes?
“Umm, I don’t think so, Max. That wouldn’t be a good idea; I’ve got exams to study for and well, maybe some other time.”
Liz wished she had a camera. The shock on Max’s face at being rejected was priceless. But he quickly regained his composure.
“Right,” he nodded briskly. “Sure, some other time. Night.”
“Night,” Liz whispered sadly as she watched Max Evans walk out of her life.
PART FOUR
It wasn’t supposed to be that good… not with Liz at least. Max wasn’t supposed to have felt like he was clinging onto the back of a rocket soaring through space when his lips had touched Liz’s. He wasn’t supposed to have wanted her so badly, his body wasn’t still supposed to be craving for hers.
No one had told him. And damnit, they should have.
It was less than 24 hours later and Max couldn’t wait to see her again. He was obsessed with her and he knew it. He couldn’t get her out of his mind; she was driving him crazy!
He got it! What better way to stop thinking about seeing her than actually seeing her? Why, he wasn’t doing anything at that moment, why not stop by her house and ask her for a casual lunch? Yup, that was exactly what he’d do.
Grinning like a fool, Max slammed the door to his dorm quickly behind him and jogged to his parking spot. Max was just seated into his Mercedes when he saw Tess walking towards him. He groaned and closed his eyes. Not now; he didn’t want to deal with her now.
“Hey, Max!”
Oh, God, she wasn’t going to go away, was she?
Max opened his eyes and smiled at her, not wanting to hurt her anymore than he already had when he had broke up with her. Despite her ditziness and lack of actual personality, she had a good heart and Max hated knowing that he had broken it. “Hey, Tess. How are you?”
She grinned at him, her white teeth dazzling. That smile used to steal Max’s breath away, but now, all it did was make him think of Liz’s heart-stopping smile, the one she had given him the night before on Alex’s deck. “I’m fine, Max! Just great!”
She wasn’t and Max knew it, but didn’t know what to do about it. “That’s ummm, great, great.” He looked at the key, almost in the ignition, and his hand itched to start the car and race off to Liz’s.
“Max,” Tess said softly, her eyes pleading. “I was wondering, well, the crew and I are going clubbing at that new club that just opened, you know, the Crashdown, and well, I was wondering if you’d like to join us… you know…”
Oh, God. Not again. How many times had Max told her that they were through? “I can’t, Tess, you know that. I just can’t.”
“Oh,” her sky-blue eyes turned dark with pain. “Well, why not?”
Max said the first thing that came into his mind…. It wasn’t the right thing. “Liz! I, umm, I have a date with Liz.”
“Liz?!” Tess’s eyes widened in surprise. “Liz Parker?”
Max nodded, suddenly more than a little uncomfortable with the change in Tess’s eyes; they went from pained to surprised to seething with jealousy.
Tess just stared at him for a few moments, her hands clenched together in fists at her sides. “Why don’t you bring her along?” she asked, her words edged with anger, “I’m sure everyone will just love to see how you two are together.”
Max was sure that the exact opposite was true. “Sure,” he said before he could think better of it. “Well, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight then. What time?”
“Nine,” Tess muttered through clenched teeth.
“Great. See you there.”
As Max drove off, he knew the trouble he was in. First of all, he didn’t want everyone seeing him with Liz because it was all a bet and, well, yeah, it was all a bet. And second of all, there was still the little problem of having her agree to go out; she definitely hadn’t sounded like she wanted to. What was it that she said she had to do tonight? Study for exams? Damn. What self-respecting girl would spend a Saturday night studying? Liz, apparently, his mind answered him.
Before he knew it, Max was parked in front of Liz’s large mansion on a house, almost identical to his parents’s house down the street. Max walked up to the door and knocked, gulping continuously.
“Hey, Izzy! You’re early; I wasn’t expecting you for another…” Liz’s voice and smile quickly died off, her eyes widening in astonishment. “Umm, Max. Hi! What are you, ummm, doing here?” She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“Hey, Liz,” Max answered, his eyes greedily taking her in. She looked so delectable there, standing in her baby-pink Capri’s and matching halter top and flip flops. Max just wanted to spread whip cream all over her and lick it up, inch by inch.
“Max, you really shouldn’t be here. Izzy will be here any second now and-“
“-Will you go clubbing with me tonight?” Max blurted out, running a hand through his hair.
“Oh, Max, you know I can’t. I told you, I have to, I have to study tonight and-“
“With Izzy? Last time I checked, Izzy had graduated a long time ago.”
Liz chewed her lower lip, her eyes downcast.
Max suddenly knew she didn’t really have to study and that for some reason, despite wanting to go with him, she was holding back. He stepped closer and cupped her chin in his hand, tipping it up. He waited until her eyes met his. “Liz, why won’t you go out with me tonight?” He saw that she was about to answer, another lie, no doubt. “No, Liz, not another lie. I want the truth. Why won’t you go out with me, Liz?”
Liz wanted to tell him, once again, that she had to study, but staring into his eyes, Liz knew she couldn’t do it. “Max, why are you really asking me out? Why now? I mean,” she paused, “you know I’ve had this like, huge crush on you for like ever, but why now? Why not last year or next year or-“
“-Because I was a fool. I didn’t see what was right in front of me the whole time. Please forgive me for my stupidity, but what can I say? I’m a guy,” he smiled sheepishly.
Liz knew she was lost. If Max asked her to jump off a cliff, she would do it. “Ok,” she whispered, “I’ll go with you tonight.”
The corners of Max’s mouth turned upwards, his eyes shining. “Great! We’re going to the Crashdown and we’re going to meet Tess and Kyle and them there and then-“
“What?! Oh, no, Max, no. Not Tess; I just couldn’t. Everyone knows that she still loves you and-“
“Please, Liz. For me,” he added with a small smile. “Tess knows that it’s over between me and her and that you’re my girl now.”
His girl. Liz melted, literally.
Everything turned black as Liz crumpled onto the floor.
PART FIVE
“I told you to ask her out for a date,” Alex said through gritted teeth, “not kill her!”
Max just shook his head, sensing his friend’s anger. “I didn’t kill her, Alex. She just fainted. She’s fine; I mean, she woke up a minute later.”
“I don’t think this was a good idea,” Alex sighed, burying his face into his hands.
Oh, no. Max had a feeling Alex was going to pull back his favor and there was no way in Hell Max would let that happen, not when he was so close to being close to Liz.
“No, Alex. Whatever you’re going to say, keep it to yourself. Liz and I are going out tonight and we are going to have a great time.” Max would make sure of it, even if it killed him.
Alex raised his head, shaking it from side to side. “Max, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I mean, no matter how much Izzy and I care about Liz, we had no right interfering this way and-“
“-You just wanted what was best for her…. And so do I. You were right, Liz is a wonderful woman and she’d make any man the happiest in the world and-“
“Whoa, whoa!” Alex’s eyes glittered with amusement. “If I didn’t know better, Max, I’d say you were, well, falling for my little sister!”
Max’s eyes widened as he shook his head furiously. “No, no, not me, I-“
“-You did just say that she’d make any man the happiest in the world. That man could be you, huh?”
Max’s head continued shaking like a dog, “No. When I said any man, that didn’t mean me, because I’m never, ever going to fall for any woman, not again, not after that whole thing with Tess. I’m not in love and I’ll never be again.”
“Max, I’ve said it a thousands times before and I’m going to say it a thousand times again: you were never in love with Tess. You just thought you were because she was the first thing that came along and everyone thought you two should be in love. You never loved her and she never loved you.” Alex waited a few moments for that to sink in before continuing, “Liz, on the other hand, has loved you for the longest time and-“
“-That wasn’t love; that was infatuation. You can’t love someone at such a young age.”
“You obviously don’t know Liz very well. She defies all logic and-“
“Alex? Max?” Isabel called, knocking briefly before entering into her living room.
Alex’s eyes lit up as his pregnant wife dawdled into the room, situating herself comfortably onto the couch next to him. They both sighed contentedly as she snuggled into his side.
“Is Liz ready yet?” Max asked eagerly, though still bothered by Alex’s comments. But he shook them off, like rain off a coat; he wasn’t going to fall in love with Liz because he was never going to love again. So, he had no problem, right? Besides, just because he was obsessed with the scent of her and the feel of her soft skin didn’t mean he was in love. Obsession and love were two very different things.
Isabel nodded slowly, weary from running around trying to help an overly-excited Liz dress for her first date. “But you can’t pick her up yet. She made me promise to keep you here for another hour or so.”
“Why?” Max nearly shouted. So what if they didn’t have to meet the crew at the Crashdown for another 3 hours? And so what if his reservations for Romilio’s, the Italian restaurant Liz supposedly loved, wasn’t for another hour and a half?
“Max,” Isabel scolded while laughing inside, “Liz knows the reservations aren’t for another hour and a half and so she’s taking her time now. Besides, she was humiliated beyond belief, fainting in front of you like that for a reason you really don’t need to know about. When I left, she was getting ready for a bubble bath.”
Oh, God. Erotic images of Liz’s naked body barely concealed by transparent bubbles fluttered through Max’s mind. And then even more flooded into his head as he pictured himself in there with her, caressing her silky skin and kissing her wet body.
Isabel, apparently unaware of the turmoil Max was in, announced, “That sounds so nice; I want to go take a bubble bath, too. Alex, will you help me?”
Alex jumped eagerly at her request, “Of course. Bye, Max,” he pushed Max out of the living room and out the front door. He ignored Max’s protests that he had nowhere to go and smiling, Alex slammed the door in Max’s face.
“Honey? I need help getting my clothes off,” Isabel called, no hint of desire in her tone.
Alex could easily change that, he thought, smiling to himself. As he climbed up the steps, he couldn’t help thinking that even though his wife was rounded with six months of pregnancy, she was still the most delectable thing around.
PART SIX
Max’s eyes hungrily devoured the sexy-as-sin sight before him. Holy shit. His cock hardened painfully in his suddenly-too-tight pants.
Liz was a goddess; Max was sure of that now. She was sent down to Earth to lure unsuspecting men like himself to death due to hard dicks. Yes, that was most definitely it; it had to be. Look at her, damnit. That was the only realistic reason.
Liz stood in front of him, dazzling hot in her hot-pink tube dress. God, that dress was so low and so short, Max was sure she must have found it in the little girls’ section. No, make it the infants’ section.
“Hi, Max,” Liz greeted, her smile wide and as sultry as ever, though still innocently shy.
Max couldn’t seem to make his dumb mouth work; it just worked up and down, not a single word coming out. Liz’s siren-like dress clashed so greatly with her pureness that it nearly knocked Max over.
“So, where are we going to eat?” Liz asked timidly, biting on her lower lip as she closed the door behind them and grabbed onto Max’s strong arm.
Max’s gaze flew to her lips. He nearly groaned aloud when her pink tongue peeked out and licked at her dry lips. Max wanted to be the one licking her lips and before he knew it, he was.
Liz’s gasp of surprise was muffled by Max’s lips crashing onto hers. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands playing with hair. Liz pressed closer to Max, her breasts pressed flush up against Max’s hard chest. Her whole body tingled as she wondered if this was the way it always was when people kissed. Something told her that it wasn’t; that it was only this good because it was Max kissing her.
Max pulled Liz closer, if that was even possible. His hands tangled themselves into her silky hair. His body was so taut with desire that when Liz’s stomach brushed against his erection, Max seriously thought he was going to explode (talk about premature ejaculation).
“Liz! Don’t forget your cardigan! It’s very cold out…. Oh.”
Liz pulled away from Max’s embrace as if he was on fire. “Mom!” her voice was hoarse with desire.
Mrs. Parker stood there, blinking in surprise. It wasn’t every day that she found her sweet little girl profusely making out with a boy, no matter how sweet and kind, whose reputation of being of a playboy preceded him.
Blushing furiously, Liz grabbed the silk cardigan from her mother, and after a quick “good-bye,” dragged Max to his convertible.
“Bye, Mrs. Parker!” Max shouted, knowing he was in deep shit. His mother and Liz’s mother were best friends and there was no way in Hell that Mrs. Parker would not tell his mom about what she saw.
“Max,” Liz started, “about earlier… I’m really sorry; I don’t know what got into me. I guess I was just really surprised at you calling me, well, what you called me and-“
“Hey, it’s ok. As long as you’re ok, we’ll just forget about it.”
Liz nodded, feeling as if a boulder had been lifted off of her shoulders. “So, where are we going?” Liz asked once they had set off.
“Romilio’s,” Max answered, throwing a quick glance her way.
“Romilio’s?! Oh, I love that place!” Liz declared excitedly, her eyes twinkling with delight.
“I know,” Max smiled, suddenly feeling Liz’s excitement, “That’s why we’re going there…. Just for you, Honeyeyes, just for you.”
Liz gasped. Honeyeyes. That was the first time that Max had ever called her by her childhood nickname. It sent a shiver of excitement coursing through her body. She prayed that she wouldn’t faint again. She couldn’t just keep on fainting every time Max called her something sweet; it couldn’t possibly be healthy.
“You know, Honeyeyes,” Max winked, “your eyes really do have specks of honey in them. Just like you, they’re sweet and, just in case you wanted to know, I love honey.”
It was enough to make a girl faint….
But this time, Liz managed to hold on to her consciousness.
The rest of the ride passed in easy conversation. Max learned that Liz’s favorite color was pink, she loved roses, and was a teeny-bopper at heart. Liz learned that Max’s new favorite color was honey, he hated flowers because they gave him allergies, and even more than flowers, he hated teeny-boppers. But, he added, teeny-boppers with honey-colored specks in their eyes were ok. Before they knew it, they had reached Romilio’s.
Max and Liz ate quickly and in comfortable chatter. Several times, Liz wanted to ask Max about his former relationship with Tess, but it just didn’t seem like the right time. Instead, Liz focused on how attentive and sweet Max was. He knew the right things to say to get her to relax and he always sent those unexpected hot looks her way.
After dinner came the Crashdown.
Liz’s eyes widened in awe as she took in the bright neon green lights and flashing strobes. She let Max lead her inside; his hand on the small of her back was the only thing reminding her that she had not stepped into some alternate universe.
“Max! Over here!” a very feminine voice called over the loud music.
Max’s head shot towards the voice. He let out a groan as he saw Tess there with everyone: Kyle, Michael, Maria, Alexis, Isabella… everyone. He had wanted to let Liz slowly absorb his crew, but thanks to Tess, that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, the poor girl was going to meet them all head-on.
Liz watched Max greet everyone and then, before she was ready, he turned and introduced her. Liz tried to remember everyone’s names, but that didn’t work very well; there was just too many of them. A blush crept onto her cheeks as one of the guys (Kyle?) winked suggestively at her, earning a not-so-gentle punch from Max. When Tess came over to greet Liz, Liz’s eyes widened even more as she saw what Tess was wearing. When Isabel had insisted that Liz wear this hot pink tube dress, Liz was doubtful; she thought it might have been too scandalous. It turned out that it wasn’t at all; actually, compared to Tess’s five-inch-wide strap of fabric across her breasts and separate ten-inch-wide strap of fabric across her lower regions, Liz was very much covered. Liz could feel herself growing green with jealousy. Tess was obviously very used to having everyone’s attention focused on her, especially Max’s. But, if Max noticed Tess’s indecent attire, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he slung an arm around Liz’s shoulder and hauled her off to the dance floor before Kyle could ask her.
“Wait, Max!” Liz shouted over the music, halting and tugging on Max’s hand.
Max turned around and took Liz’s petite body into his arms, sighing with content. This was the way things were meant to be.
“Max, please!” Liz’s eyes were downcast, “I don’t know how to dance.”
Max just smiled and helped her find the rhythm.
Several hours and many grinding dances later, Liz sat in Max’s lap, sipping an alcoholic beverage Max had ordered for them. Liz had never drunken alcohol before and she found that she didn’t really like its taste, but if Tess was drinking, then Liz was, too.
“Hey, Liz? Are you sure you should be drinking so much? It’s a little strong,” Max warned, noting her unfocused eyes and hiccups.
“I’m fine, Maxie,” she cooed flirtatiously, not able to really grasp reality. Max’s concerned face swam before her eyes, making her dizzy.
“No,” Max shook his head, a feeling of dread washing over him, “You are not fine. Come on, Honeyeyes, I think it’s time that I took you home.”
Liz shook her head, immediately regretting it as her stomach lurched in protest. “I want to stay and dance more,” she hiccupped.
Taking her hand, Max quickly said their good-byes. When Liz resisted, Max gallantly swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the booming nightclub. When he tucked her into his Mercedes and got in, Liz giggled.
“Liz, I think you’re drunk.”
She just giggled some more.
“Yeah, you are definitely drunk.” He started the car and muttered under his breath, “They’re going to kill me.”
One minute, he was about to back the car out and the next, Liz was on top of him and his lips were dueling hotly with hers. He moaned, his hands tangling themselves into her hair. The kiss grew steamier and steamier, fogging up the car windows until Liz started grinding against Max’s harder-than-stone erection. Max couldn’t help himself; he thrust back, mimicking a very different sort of dance, a dance that was usually done in the bedroom, for hours upon sweaty hours, a dance he would be more than happy to teach Liz.
“Take me home with you, Maxie,” Liz pleaded, her tongue tracing Max’s upper lip.
Liz’s plea for him to take her to bed snapped Max back into reality. This was moving far too quickly for her and, if he was honest with himself, for him, too. He needed time to deal with the intense things she made him feel; he needed time to guard himself against feeling anything but lust and desire for this sexy bundle in his arms. Groaning, Max removed Liz from his arms and placed her back in the passenger seat. She resisted, throwing her arms around his neck and nipping at the sensitive area behind his ear he hadn’t known existed until now.
“I don’t have to go home tonight; Mom and Dad think you’re dropping me off at Izzy’s. She said she’d cover for us.”
Oh, God. How was he supposed to not take her to bed now and not make love to her until they both died from exhaustion?
“If you take me to Izzy’s, she’ll know that I failed and I can’t be a failure again, I just can’t,” Liz cried, sudden tears flowing down her cheeks and tearing at Max’s heart.
“Alright, alright. Come on, then Honeyeyes. Let’s go to my dorm.”
Liz’s sparkling grin told him that he had just probably made the second biggest mistake of his life. The first was agreeing to Alex’s stupid favor.