Underneath the Stars (UC, Mi/L, Teen) 3/3 complete 8/23
Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:36 am
Title: Underneath the Stars
Disclaimer: The concepts and characters of Roswell belong to Jason Katims, Century 21 Fox, Melinda Metz and Pocket Books. I own nothing.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Polar, Mi/L
Category: Romance/Comedy
Summary: While avoiding their exes on Valentine's Day, Michael and Liz discover that love has an unexpected way of showing up when you're not looking. Entry for the Spring Challenge at Roswell Heaven.
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Liz trudged up to her room, her bobbing antenna headband hanging from limp fingers as she ran a hand over her mussed hair and wrinkled her nose at the smell of fried food clinging to her uniform. She really hated working on holidays, but it had been better than the alternative – spending the entire night running from an alien king who couldn’t quite understand what the word “no” meant. At least if she was in the diner she was safe, as her father still hadn’t lifted Max’s exile from the café.
But God, did she ever hate this particular holiday with its cheap paper hearts, cloying flowers and floating plump cherubs reminding her all too well what a disaster her own love life had become this year. Especially in a town that took any opportunity to decorate the town square with the bright, garish trappings of that particular holiday.
“Valentine’s Day sucks,” she grumbled under her breath as she threw her bedroom door open, slipping into the cool, dark room with relief and closed it soundly, leaning against the wood wearily. “I swear, if I see more person dressed as cupid, I’m going to take their bow and arrow, break it in half and shove it up…”
“Awww, cheer up, Parker, the worst is yet to come,” a low masculine voice quipped out of the darkness, the slightest hint of amusement tingeing its rich tones, startling her out of her diatribe and setting her already frayed nerves on edge.
“Jesus Michael, you scared the hell out of me!” she yelped, jumping as she swung her head to the quiet man perched on the padded bench by her window, his feet drawn up to his chest and arms clasped around them loosely, shoulder-length waves shining in the moonlight. Flipping on her light, she glared at him as he shielded his eyes from the unexpected brightness and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to quell her thundering heart. “I’m almost afraid to ask the obvious, but what the hell are you doing in my room?”
“Hiding,” he replied as if it made all the sense in the world, looking at her stoically before turning to stare out her window once more. Liz cocked a brow at that comment and shrugged her shoulders. Guess there were some things that even aliens were afraid of, like small towns that took their holidays way too seriously. “I figure it’s the last place Maria will think of looking for me.”
“Uh, yeah, right, whatever,” she muttered, trying to figure out the best way to get the irritating alien out of her room. His company was the last thing she needed tonight. At the same time, she felt kind of heartless sending him out into what had become Cupid’s Corner in the matter of twenty-four hours. It was almost like when the skins had done their little human disappearing trick, except this time they’d all been zapped into an alternate dimension that looked suspiciously like a Valentine-themed madhouse. “Thank God that’s over. Finally some freaking peace.”
“Cranky, cranky, Parker, who shoved a candy heart up your ass?” Michael snorted, chuckling under his breath as the brunette sent him an irritated moue, flipping him off as she flopped on her bed and yanked her sneakers off, sighing in relief as she stretched out her overworked muscles. It seemed like every teenager in Roswell decided to make time at the diner tonight since the other restaurants were packed with their parents celebrating this pointless, over-commercialized hell they had the nerve to deem a day for lovers.
“I wouldn’t get too cozy if I were you,” Michael commented, sliding an appreciative whiskey gaze over her bared legs and licked his lips unconsciously. He did love those uniforms. Ripping his gaze from the shapely, muscular calves propped so temptingly before him, he met suspicious chocolate eyes and smirked. “Heed my warning and get out while you can.”
“What? Wait what did you mean the worst is yet to come?” She asked with trepidation, cocking a brow at his amused expression and feeling a niggling trickle of dread snake its way down her spine. All she wanted to do was climb into the tub and soak for an hour, then curl up with a good book and forget this nightmare of a day. “What could be worse than spending the last three hours watching the mindless, simpering prattle between Isabel and Alex?”
“Max walking towards the door with a dozen white roses, a box of chocolates and cheesy grin?” Michael snickered, grinning as the brunette dropped her head into her hands and growled under her breath. “Last I heard he was heading to the flower shop to pick up his order and on his way here.”
“Dear God, not again,” she groaned, pressing her fingers to her eyes in exhausted exasperation. It was bad enough that she had to hide in the girl’s locker room all day to avoid Max’s exuberant attempts to change her mind, but now she couldn’t even find comfort in her own home. “Someone shoot me now.”
“Isn’t that what got you into this predicament in the first place?” Michael cracked, unable to resist harassing the pretty girl across from him just so he could watch her cheeks flush with temper, one of his favorite past times. It wasn’t his fault that she was far too cute when flustered.
“Fine, then stab me,” Liz retorted, glaring the obnoxious alien and envisioning the different ways she could hurt him without expending too much energy. Sighing, she tried to quell her rising irritation as it wasn’t his fault that his king couldn’t catch a clue even if it were handed to him on a silver platter.
“I can do one better than that,” he smirked as he shifted on the bench seat, planting his feet on the floor shoulder-width apart and leaning over with his elbows propped on his knees as he stared at his ruffled friend.
“You’ll stab him?” she asked hopefully, eliciting a peal of unrestrained laughter from her friend as she ducked her head sheepishly, sending him a small smile while watching his face light up through her lashes. Huh, why hadn’t she noticed how pretty his eyes were before?
“Come on, your shift’s up,” he commanded softly, standing and reaching out a hand to her, pulling her to her feet when she slid a cool, soft hand into his. His breath hitched slightly when she lost her balance and fell against his chest. Staring down into wide, coffee-tinted eyes, he wrapped his hands around her hips to steady her and murmured huskily. “Get dressed and let’s go.”
“Michael, what…” she whispered, eyes flaring slightly at the unexpected rush of warmth that flowed over her as their bodies collided, the heat of his hands branding her skin. Swallowing thickly, she pulled away self-consciously, watching him from the corner of her eye as she put a little distance between them.
“Dressed Parker, now,” he demanded, eyes widening at the curious light dancing behind her deep, chocolate irises as he tried to quell the little jump in his heart. Unsettled, he pulled away and smirked, drawing on their previous biting commentary to distance himself from the heat simmering in his gut. “Before Ditzy and Dopey, the Delusional Wonder Duo manages to track us down.”
“You know, I should be offended that you just insulted my best friend…” she returned, biting back a smile at his unflattering yet all too accurate description of their exes. Breathing easier, she pulled her hair out of its bun and started brushing it, needing something to occupy her hands to keep them from finding out if his chest was as firm and defined as it had felt.
“Yeah, but you’re too scared I’ll leave you to face their overenthusiastic mercies,” he lofted, grinning slyly, his caramel eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth and he walked over to her closet, throwing it open to study its contents. “I swear, it’s like cupid came along and bit them on the ass and sent them into La-la land. They’ve been like two ADHD five-year-olds hopped on too much candy all day.”
“Touché,” she grimaced, turning around to watch him strangely as he sifted through her clothing, occasionally holding something up before putting it back. What on Earth was he doing? “Where are we going?”
“First you’re getting dressed and then we’re heading to the last place they’d look for us,” he replied, throwing a pair of indigo hipster jeans on the bed with a burgundy lace camisole and black v-neck sweater. Turning back to her, he caught her bewildered look and shrugged as he went to sit back on the bench. “What, you’re getting on the back of my bike, Parker. Safety precautions. Wear those knee-high boots of yours, the ones with the silver buckle.”
“I don’t know what’s more terrifying, Michael. The fact that you just managed to pick out a perfectly coordinated outfit,” she joked, cocking a brow as she moved over to her bed and picked up the selected clothing, fixing him with amused ebony eyes. “Or that you know my shoe collection well enough to dictate what I should wear.”
“Five minutes, Parker, and then I’m leaving with or without you,” he grunted, flushing slightly at her words and clawing at his eyebrow as he shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea what had possessed him to pick out her clothing, other than the fact that he had always liked her in red and that particular tank top dipped enticingly in the front. Not that he'd noticed. Much.
“All right, jeez, no sense of humor,” she snickered, walking into her bathroom and setting the clothing down as she began to unsnap the button of her uniforms, asking once again. “So seriously, where are we going?”
“Vicky Delaney’s Kissing Couples party,” Michael responded, wincing when he heard her strangled gasp as she popped back out of the bathroom, the first three snaps of her uniform undone and showing the slightest hint of black lace as she rested her hands on her hips. His gaze latched onto that taunting scrap of material and he shifted as he tried to ignore the tightening of his jeans. Jesus, she was going to kill him.
“What? Are you out of your mind?” she demanded incredulously, completely unaware of the impact she had made on the flushing man in front of her. “Who the hell are you and what have you done with Michael Guerin?”
“You have any better ideas?” he retorted, finally jarred from his hypnotized reverie when she cleared her throat pointedly. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back and propped himself against the wall, staring at an unseen spot opposite her direction and desperately fought to rebuild his nonchalant stonewall.
“Point taken,” she conceded, nodding her head as she nibbled on her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair, speculative brown orbs staring off into space as she considered his explanation. “You’re right, it is the last place they’d look for us.”
“Glad you see it my way, Parker,” he grunted, turning back to her with his mask in place and breathing an inaudible sigh of relief when she drifted back into the bathroom, out of his line of sight and temptations reach. Not that the slight rustle of her clothing being removed didn’t send a spike of heat flowing through his blood and imprint an all too alluring visual in his fantasy file. “Now get dressed and let’s get the hell out of here before they find us.”
“You do realize that if we’re seen there, it’s going to get all over town in the matter of hours right?” she pointed out, stepping into her jeans and pulling them up under her skirt, fastening them swiftly and slipping on her tank before pulling off her uniform. Throwing on her sweater, she ran a hand through her hair, pulling it from her neckline and tucking it behind her ear. “There is only one reason anyone goes to that party. It’s one big make-out fest.”
“Which is why we’re safe,” he snorted, quickly wondering if he was doing the right thing. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea given the way she’d been affecting him tonight, but by the same token, they’d avoid Max and Maria. He could resist her pull. “We’ll slip in undetected and hide in one of those little private alcoves she has set up everywhere. No one will disturb us and it’s the last place the Cupid Chorusline will think to look. Now stop stalling. Tick tock, Parker.”
“I’m coming, jeez, hold your horses,” she griped, exasperation lacing her voice as she gathered up her dirty uniform and threw it into the laundry basket before exiting the bathroom. Sitting on the bed, she pulled on a pair of black socks and put on her boots, zipping them up quickly as she noticed him waiting by her door restlessly. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re impatient?”
“All the time,” he stated brusquely, determined to get out of that room before he gave in and found out just how soft the sliver of golden flesh, flashing every time her shirt shifted, really was and if it tasted as sweet as he imagined. “Here, wear your leather jacket, it’ll get cold on the bike and the leather will protect you.”
“Yes, Master,” she snickered, rolling her eyes at his demands and sliding her arms into the jacket he held up, zipping it up part way. Striding to her door, she smirked when he gave a choked cough and cleared his throat, looking slightly taken aback before returning to his typical stoic, unruffled demeanor. Nice to know he could be thrown on occasion.
“Master? Kinky, Parker. I like it,” he leered, cocking his brow as he gave her a playful once over before striding over and trapping her against the door, invading her space. Warm brandy eyes held startled chocolate as he leaned over, dipping his head near her ear and whispering suggestively, his warm, damp breath feathering over the tender skin. “You should address me that way all the time.”
“Shut up,” she choked breathlessly, panting as he continued to hover over her, and he smirked knowingly as he watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest. Shaking her head to clear the mental fugue he induced with his closeness, Liz pushed him away lightly and opened the door, panicking when she finally registered the soft murmur of familiar voices in the other room.
“Let me see if she’s here Max. I thought I heard her go up a few minutes ago,” Maria chirped as she opened the front door and started towards her room. Liz closed the door softly and locked it, pushing Michael toward her balcony.
“Crap, they’re here! Out the Window! Hurry!” she whispered frantically, tossing her worried gaze over to her door as she heard the knob rattle softly and the soft hum of voices beyond.
Throwing open her window, she and Michael scrambled out and shut it behind them, walking swiftly to her fire escape. Michael slid down first and waited for her at the bottom, wrapping his hands around her waist and helping her down the rest of the way.
“Lets go,” he said softly, climbing onto his bike and steadying it so she could climb on behind him. Handing her his helmet, he waited until she put it on and helped her with the strap. Turning back to the front, he grabbed her knees and pulled her close, suppressing a groan as she wrapped her arms around him, inadvertently caressing the firm skin of his stomach. “Uh, a little higher Liz. It will…uh…be easier for me to…um...maneuver.”
“Oh, um, sorry,” she murmured and lifted her hands, this time pressing them to his chest, lightly skimming his nipples and he hissed softly, giving up and resigning himself to the fact this was going to be a long, difficult ride no matter where she rested her hands.
“No problem,” he responded breathlessly, shifting slightly as he kicked the motor on and lifted the kickstand. “Hold on Parker. We need to get out of here before they catch up."
Disclaimer: The concepts and characters of Roswell belong to Jason Katims, Century 21 Fox, Melinda Metz and Pocket Books. I own nothing.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Polar, Mi/L
Category: Romance/Comedy
Summary: While avoiding their exes on Valentine's Day, Michael and Liz discover that love has an unexpected way of showing up when you're not looking. Entry for the Spring Challenge at Roswell Heaven.
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Misery Loves Company
Liz trudged up to her room, her bobbing antenna headband hanging from limp fingers as she ran a hand over her mussed hair and wrinkled her nose at the smell of fried food clinging to her uniform. She really hated working on holidays, but it had been better than the alternative – spending the entire night running from an alien king who couldn’t quite understand what the word “no” meant. At least if she was in the diner she was safe, as her father still hadn’t lifted Max’s exile from the café.
But God, did she ever hate this particular holiday with its cheap paper hearts, cloying flowers and floating plump cherubs reminding her all too well what a disaster her own love life had become this year. Especially in a town that took any opportunity to decorate the town square with the bright, garish trappings of that particular holiday.
“Valentine’s Day sucks,” she grumbled under her breath as she threw her bedroom door open, slipping into the cool, dark room with relief and closed it soundly, leaning against the wood wearily. “I swear, if I see more person dressed as cupid, I’m going to take their bow and arrow, break it in half and shove it up…”
“Awww, cheer up, Parker, the worst is yet to come,” a low masculine voice quipped out of the darkness, the slightest hint of amusement tingeing its rich tones, startling her out of her diatribe and setting her already frayed nerves on edge.
“Jesus Michael, you scared the hell out of me!” she yelped, jumping as she swung her head to the quiet man perched on the padded bench by her window, his feet drawn up to his chest and arms clasped around them loosely, shoulder-length waves shining in the moonlight. Flipping on her light, she glared at him as he shielded his eyes from the unexpected brightness and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to quell her thundering heart. “I’m almost afraid to ask the obvious, but what the hell are you doing in my room?”
“Hiding,” he replied as if it made all the sense in the world, looking at her stoically before turning to stare out her window once more. Liz cocked a brow at that comment and shrugged her shoulders. Guess there were some things that even aliens were afraid of, like small towns that took their holidays way too seriously. “I figure it’s the last place Maria will think of looking for me.”
“Uh, yeah, right, whatever,” she muttered, trying to figure out the best way to get the irritating alien out of her room. His company was the last thing she needed tonight. At the same time, she felt kind of heartless sending him out into what had become Cupid’s Corner in the matter of twenty-four hours. It was almost like when the skins had done their little human disappearing trick, except this time they’d all been zapped into an alternate dimension that looked suspiciously like a Valentine-themed madhouse. “Thank God that’s over. Finally some freaking peace.”
“Cranky, cranky, Parker, who shoved a candy heart up your ass?” Michael snorted, chuckling under his breath as the brunette sent him an irritated moue, flipping him off as she flopped on her bed and yanked her sneakers off, sighing in relief as she stretched out her overworked muscles. It seemed like every teenager in Roswell decided to make time at the diner tonight since the other restaurants were packed with their parents celebrating this pointless, over-commercialized hell they had the nerve to deem a day for lovers.
“I wouldn’t get too cozy if I were you,” Michael commented, sliding an appreciative whiskey gaze over her bared legs and licked his lips unconsciously. He did love those uniforms. Ripping his gaze from the shapely, muscular calves propped so temptingly before him, he met suspicious chocolate eyes and smirked. “Heed my warning and get out while you can.”
“What? Wait what did you mean the worst is yet to come?” She asked with trepidation, cocking a brow at his amused expression and feeling a niggling trickle of dread snake its way down her spine. All she wanted to do was climb into the tub and soak for an hour, then curl up with a good book and forget this nightmare of a day. “What could be worse than spending the last three hours watching the mindless, simpering prattle between Isabel and Alex?”
“Max walking towards the door with a dozen white roses, a box of chocolates and cheesy grin?” Michael snickered, grinning as the brunette dropped her head into her hands and growled under her breath. “Last I heard he was heading to the flower shop to pick up his order and on his way here.”
“Dear God, not again,” she groaned, pressing her fingers to her eyes in exhausted exasperation. It was bad enough that she had to hide in the girl’s locker room all day to avoid Max’s exuberant attempts to change her mind, but now she couldn’t even find comfort in her own home. “Someone shoot me now.”
“Isn’t that what got you into this predicament in the first place?” Michael cracked, unable to resist harassing the pretty girl across from him just so he could watch her cheeks flush with temper, one of his favorite past times. It wasn’t his fault that she was far too cute when flustered.
“Fine, then stab me,” Liz retorted, glaring the obnoxious alien and envisioning the different ways she could hurt him without expending too much energy. Sighing, she tried to quell her rising irritation as it wasn’t his fault that his king couldn’t catch a clue even if it were handed to him on a silver platter.
“I can do one better than that,” he smirked as he shifted on the bench seat, planting his feet on the floor shoulder-width apart and leaning over with his elbows propped on his knees as he stared at his ruffled friend.
“You’ll stab him?” she asked hopefully, eliciting a peal of unrestrained laughter from her friend as she ducked her head sheepishly, sending him a small smile while watching his face light up through her lashes. Huh, why hadn’t she noticed how pretty his eyes were before?
“Come on, your shift’s up,” he commanded softly, standing and reaching out a hand to her, pulling her to her feet when she slid a cool, soft hand into his. His breath hitched slightly when she lost her balance and fell against his chest. Staring down into wide, coffee-tinted eyes, he wrapped his hands around her hips to steady her and murmured huskily. “Get dressed and let’s go.”
“Michael, what…” she whispered, eyes flaring slightly at the unexpected rush of warmth that flowed over her as their bodies collided, the heat of his hands branding her skin. Swallowing thickly, she pulled away self-consciously, watching him from the corner of her eye as she put a little distance between them.
“Dressed Parker, now,” he demanded, eyes widening at the curious light dancing behind her deep, chocolate irises as he tried to quell the little jump in his heart. Unsettled, he pulled away and smirked, drawing on their previous biting commentary to distance himself from the heat simmering in his gut. “Before Ditzy and Dopey, the Delusional Wonder Duo manages to track us down.”
“You know, I should be offended that you just insulted my best friend…” she returned, biting back a smile at his unflattering yet all too accurate description of their exes. Breathing easier, she pulled her hair out of its bun and started brushing it, needing something to occupy her hands to keep them from finding out if his chest was as firm and defined as it had felt.
“Yeah, but you’re too scared I’ll leave you to face their overenthusiastic mercies,” he lofted, grinning slyly, his caramel eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth and he walked over to her closet, throwing it open to study its contents. “I swear, it’s like cupid came along and bit them on the ass and sent them into La-la land. They’ve been like two ADHD five-year-olds hopped on too much candy all day.”
“Touché,” she grimaced, turning around to watch him strangely as he sifted through her clothing, occasionally holding something up before putting it back. What on Earth was he doing? “Where are we going?”
“First you’re getting dressed and then we’re heading to the last place they’d look for us,” he replied, throwing a pair of indigo hipster jeans on the bed with a burgundy lace camisole and black v-neck sweater. Turning back to her, he caught her bewildered look and shrugged as he went to sit back on the bench. “What, you’re getting on the back of my bike, Parker. Safety precautions. Wear those knee-high boots of yours, the ones with the silver buckle.”
“I don’t know what’s more terrifying, Michael. The fact that you just managed to pick out a perfectly coordinated outfit,” she joked, cocking a brow as she moved over to her bed and picked up the selected clothing, fixing him with amused ebony eyes. “Or that you know my shoe collection well enough to dictate what I should wear.”
“Five minutes, Parker, and then I’m leaving with or without you,” he grunted, flushing slightly at her words and clawing at his eyebrow as he shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea what had possessed him to pick out her clothing, other than the fact that he had always liked her in red and that particular tank top dipped enticingly in the front. Not that he'd noticed. Much.
“All right, jeez, no sense of humor,” she snickered, walking into her bathroom and setting the clothing down as she began to unsnap the button of her uniforms, asking once again. “So seriously, where are we going?”
“Vicky Delaney’s Kissing Couples party,” Michael responded, wincing when he heard her strangled gasp as she popped back out of the bathroom, the first three snaps of her uniform undone and showing the slightest hint of black lace as she rested her hands on her hips. His gaze latched onto that taunting scrap of material and he shifted as he tried to ignore the tightening of his jeans. Jesus, she was going to kill him.
“What? Are you out of your mind?” she demanded incredulously, completely unaware of the impact she had made on the flushing man in front of her. “Who the hell are you and what have you done with Michael Guerin?”
“You have any better ideas?” he retorted, finally jarred from his hypnotized reverie when she cleared her throat pointedly. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back and propped himself against the wall, staring at an unseen spot opposite her direction and desperately fought to rebuild his nonchalant stonewall.
“Point taken,” she conceded, nodding her head as she nibbled on her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair, speculative brown orbs staring off into space as she considered his explanation. “You’re right, it is the last place they’d look for us.”
“Glad you see it my way, Parker,” he grunted, turning back to her with his mask in place and breathing an inaudible sigh of relief when she drifted back into the bathroom, out of his line of sight and temptations reach. Not that the slight rustle of her clothing being removed didn’t send a spike of heat flowing through his blood and imprint an all too alluring visual in his fantasy file. “Now get dressed and let’s get the hell out of here before they find us.”
“You do realize that if we’re seen there, it’s going to get all over town in the matter of hours right?” she pointed out, stepping into her jeans and pulling them up under her skirt, fastening them swiftly and slipping on her tank before pulling off her uniform. Throwing on her sweater, she ran a hand through her hair, pulling it from her neckline and tucking it behind her ear. “There is only one reason anyone goes to that party. It’s one big make-out fest.”
“Which is why we’re safe,” he snorted, quickly wondering if he was doing the right thing. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea given the way she’d been affecting him tonight, but by the same token, they’d avoid Max and Maria. He could resist her pull. “We’ll slip in undetected and hide in one of those little private alcoves she has set up everywhere. No one will disturb us and it’s the last place the Cupid Chorusline will think to look. Now stop stalling. Tick tock, Parker.”
“I’m coming, jeez, hold your horses,” she griped, exasperation lacing her voice as she gathered up her dirty uniform and threw it into the laundry basket before exiting the bathroom. Sitting on the bed, she pulled on a pair of black socks and put on her boots, zipping them up quickly as she noticed him waiting by her door restlessly. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re impatient?”
“All the time,” he stated brusquely, determined to get out of that room before he gave in and found out just how soft the sliver of golden flesh, flashing every time her shirt shifted, really was and if it tasted as sweet as he imagined. “Here, wear your leather jacket, it’ll get cold on the bike and the leather will protect you.”
“Yes, Master,” she snickered, rolling her eyes at his demands and sliding her arms into the jacket he held up, zipping it up part way. Striding to her door, she smirked when he gave a choked cough and cleared his throat, looking slightly taken aback before returning to his typical stoic, unruffled demeanor. Nice to know he could be thrown on occasion.
“Master? Kinky, Parker. I like it,” he leered, cocking his brow as he gave her a playful once over before striding over and trapping her against the door, invading her space. Warm brandy eyes held startled chocolate as he leaned over, dipping his head near her ear and whispering suggestively, his warm, damp breath feathering over the tender skin. “You should address me that way all the time.”
“Shut up,” she choked breathlessly, panting as he continued to hover over her, and he smirked knowingly as he watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest. Shaking her head to clear the mental fugue he induced with his closeness, Liz pushed him away lightly and opened the door, panicking when she finally registered the soft murmur of familiar voices in the other room.
“Let me see if she’s here Max. I thought I heard her go up a few minutes ago,” Maria chirped as she opened the front door and started towards her room. Liz closed the door softly and locked it, pushing Michael toward her balcony.
“Crap, they’re here! Out the Window! Hurry!” she whispered frantically, tossing her worried gaze over to her door as she heard the knob rattle softly and the soft hum of voices beyond.
Throwing open her window, she and Michael scrambled out and shut it behind them, walking swiftly to her fire escape. Michael slid down first and waited for her at the bottom, wrapping his hands around her waist and helping her down the rest of the way.
“Lets go,” he said softly, climbing onto his bike and steadying it so she could climb on behind him. Handing her his helmet, he waited until she put it on and helped her with the strap. Turning back to the front, he grabbed her knees and pulled her close, suppressing a groan as she wrapped her arms around him, inadvertently caressing the firm skin of his stomach. “Uh, a little higher Liz. It will…uh…be easier for me to…um...maneuver.”
“Oh, um, sorry,” she murmured and lifted her hands, this time pressing them to his chest, lightly skimming his nipples and he hissed softly, giving up and resigning himself to the fact this was going to be a long, difficult ride no matter where she rested her hands.
“No problem,” he responded breathlessly, shifting slightly as he kicked the motor on and lifted the kickstand. “Hold on Parker. We need to get out of here before they catch up."