| Part 36 *************** Liz straightened out her cardigan as she waited for someone to answer the door. It was still really early, but Max had insisted that she come early, and she could deny him nothing when he gave her that smile that made her toes curl. She let herself rock back and forth on her heels as she waited. The longer she waited, the more anxious she got. What if his parents didn�t like her? What if they didn�t think she was good enough for Max, or Noah? She decided to ring the bell again to keep herself from going insane, when the door opened. Diane Evans opened the door with a smile on her face. �Oh, Liz, you�re early.� Liz found herself stumbling over her words. �Uh, Max said, well if it�s- Diane cut her off and pulled her inside the house. �This is even better. It gives us more time to get to know one another.� Diane led Liz to the kitchen where she had started chopping up some vegetables. �Phillip won�t be home for another hour, so why don�t you go out back. Max and Izzy are outside playing with Noah.� �Do you need any help in here? Cos, I could- Diane waved off Liz�s offer. �Nonsense. You�re a guest. Go on out there. I think Max is expecting you.� When Liz still seemed a little unsure, Diane gave her a friendly push towards the back door. Liz stopped for a second and smiled at Diane. �Thank you Mrs. Evans, for having me over.� Diane just smiled in return as she watched Liz make her way outside. As if he had some sort of sixth sense or Liz radar, Max looked up and smiled as he saw Liz making her way over. He wiped the grass off of his jeans and walked halfway to meet her. They stood in front of each other, just grinning. �Hey.� �I�m glad you got here early.� Max let his eyes wander over her body. �Wow, you look, you look great.� Liz flushed at Max�s obvious delight in seeing her. �Well, you don�t look so bad yourself.� Liz leaned in and gave him a soft peck on his lips. �Liz! Liz!� Liz looked behind Max to see Isabel pushing Noah on a swing. As he was pushed up into the air, he would wave at her and call out her name. Liz took Max�s hand in hers and made their way over to them. �Hi, Noah!� Liz gave him a little wave, as the swing swung back and forth. Liz turned to Isabel and gave her a smile. �Hey, Isabel.� �Hey, Liz.� Isabel let the swing run out of steam and grabbed a hold of it so that it would stop completely. �Da da.� Noah reached out his arms for Max. Max lifted Noah from the swing and carried him closer to Liz. �Having fun, little man?� He threw him up in the air, catching him on his way down. The laughter of father and son carried through the yard, causing the rest of the spectators to join the laughter. Isabel placed her hand on Liz�s arm. �I�ll leave you guys to it. I�m gonna go in and see if mom needs some help.� �Do you guys need some help?� Isabel just shook her head. �Thanks, but I think we�ve got it covered. I�m just basically making sure mom doesn�t try out any of her knew recipes.� With a wave of her hand, Isabel was back inside the house, leaving Max, Liz, and Noah alone. Max stopped, playing with Noah and turned to Liz. �Thank you.� Liz walked closer to him, running her hand down his arm. �For what?� Max took a quick glance towards the kitchen to where he could see his mom, preparing dinner. �For coming tonight.� He looked into Liz�s eyes. �It means a lot to me.� Max gave her a kiss on her forehead, and pulled her close to wrap her in his arms. ******************* Diane was at the kitchen sink, under the guise of rinsing out the vegetables. She looked out the window, watching Max and Liz with Noah. �So, Izzy, you work with Liz. What�s she like?� Diane turned to Isabel who was chomping on some carrots. Isabel looked thoughtful for a moment. �Well, she�s really sweet, very friendly. I guess you could say she�s the typical girl next door. But then again that�s not really the best way to describe her.� Isabel turned to her mom. �I guess you�ll just half to talk to her. I mean I could sit here and sing her praises all day, but in order for you to find out what she�s really like, you�ll just have to talk to her and spend some time with her.� Diane just nodded her head and looked out the window again. She watched as her son gave Liz a kiss on the forehead, and pulled her into his arms for an embrace. Diane suddenly found herself looking away because she somehow felt like she was intruding. Seeing the way her son was so gentle about Liz, made her proud that she had brought up a son that had so much love to give. *************** Max returned to the house with Liz following closely behind. He walked to his mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. �Hey, mom.� Diane wrinkled her nose and took Noah from Max�s arms. �I don�t know how you do it, Max.� Max�s eyebrows knotted in confusion. �Do what?� �I don�t know how you manage to smell like you�ve been playing out in the sun all day, while Noah still smells so sweet.� Diane tweaked Noah�s little nose. �Is daddy stinky?� Noah just giggled, at his grandmother, while his father blushed with embarrassment. Diane looked to Max, then Isabel. �Why don�t you two go on ahead and get freshened up for dinner.� Max glanced to where Liz was standing in the corner. Diane, watched and just smiled. �Besides, it will give Liz and I some time to get to know each other.� She looked towards Liz. �Isn�t that right Liz?� Liz just nodded, and gave Max a reassuring smile. Max walked to the stairs slowly, not taking his eyes away from Liz. Once he was out of the room, Liz walked closer to Diane. �Is there anything I can help you with Mrs. Evans?� Diane looked at Noah and her arms then at Liz. �Well, if you wouldn�t mind. Do you think you can take Noah for a little bit? That way I can get everything ready for dinner.� Liz gladly came forth and took Noah into her own arms. She gave him a little kiss on his temple and gently bounced him against her hip. Diane just watched with great interest how Liz and Noah interacted. She had already seen how fond Noah seemed of Liz at the Crashdown last weekend, but it still amazed her that the two of them seemed so comfortable in each other�s presence. Like they had always known each other. She continued to chop some more vegetables and began to make small talk with Liz. �So, Liz. I hear you�re the manager at the Crashdown.� Liz quickly looked up at Diane and gave a little shake of her head. �That�s a little bit of a stretch.� She gave Diane a sheepish grin. �I act as manager when my folks are out of town.� �And does that happen a lot?� �Not really. Usually they�re only out of town because of something related to the Crashdown.� �Has your family always owned the Crashdown?� Liz hiked Noah higher up against her hip. �More or less. We�ve had the Crashdown for as long as I can remember.� Liz walked towards one of the stools and sat down with Noah in her lap. �Are you sure that I can�t help you with anything, Mrs. Evans? Help with the salad, set the table, anything?� Diane stopped chopping vegetables long enough to look at Liz. She had to smile at Liz�s obvious desire to help out. She wiped her hands against her apron and pointed to the cabinets that held the plates and silverware. �Well if you insist. You wouldn�t mind setting the table, would you?� Liz placed Noah in his booster seat and gladly walked to the cabinets. She was relived that she could finally do something instead of just sitting. �Thank you, Liz.� �Really, it�s not a problem. I�m glad to help. I just hope I�m not putting you out with being over here for dinner.� �That�s ridiculous. You�re not putting us out. It�s a pleasure to have you over.� Liz flushed a little as she continued setting the table. Diane hated the way she sounded asking all of these questions. It reminded her of when she and Phillip had just started dating and he had brought her home to meet his parents. Phillip�s mother was continually asking her questions, making her feel uncomfortable. She was sure that Liz was feeling ill at ease with her little interrogation, but she couldn�t help herself. Maybe it was something that all mothers went through, when their sons got involved in romantic relationships. When Max and Tess had started dating in junior high, she had thought it was cute. They had hung out together since they were kids considering Tess and Isabel were practically glued to the hip. She didn�t think it would last longer than a month at most. But she had been wrong. The one month turned into a year, and then into another year. She didn�t think that it was healthy that the two of them were so exclusive at such a young age. She and Phillip had given Max the talk when he had entered high school. They knew that the kids had participated in the sex ed classes that they gave during health science class, but they wanted to talk to him anyway. It wasn�t that they didn�t trust Max, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. So when the news broke out that Max and Tess had conceived a child at such a young age, it boggled her mind. Hadn�t they been listening when they were told about abstinence and safe sex during class? Hadn�t they listened to a word their parents had said? Apparently not. She looked to where Liz had kneeled down in front of Noah�s booster seat, playing with him. If she thought long and hard about why she was so adamant about Max not getting serious with Liz right now, it probably didn�t have a lot to do with her fear of Liz leaving Max and hurting him. From what she had witnessed, it seemed like they had a solid bond that would last a really long time. What she was most frightened of was Max making the same mistake again. She knew that Max had learned his lesson and was making up for having made bad decisions in the past. But if he and Liz were as close as they appeared to be, then a physical relationship might be just around the corner. Diane knew that it was none of her business if Max and Liz were to become intimate. She just hoped that they would wait. Another thing that was plaguing her was Liz�s parents. She had no idea if they knew about Max already. And if they did, she certainly couldn�t see them welcoming him as their daughter�s boyfriend. The truth of it was, they would see Max as a man with a past. They would probably think that he was no good and was only out to corrupt their daughter. Her thoughts were interrupted by Max bounding into the kitchen, freshly showered and a smile on his lips. It was plain to see that he was eager to get back to Liz. He quickly joined her beside Noah and the two of them exchanged sweet smiles before turning their attention to Noah. Diane grabbed the bread and the salad and placed it at the center of the table. �What smells, so good?� Phillip loosened his tie and poked his head into the kitchen. �Honey, you�re right on time. Dinner�s ready.� Diane walked to her husband and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Liz stood up and straightened out her skirt. Max walked to his dad and gave him a hug. �Hey, dad.� Phillip gave Max an extra squeeze before letting go. When Max moved to the side, Phillip�s eyes landed on Liz. He walked up to her and extended his hand. �Liz. I�m so glad you could join us for dinner tonight.� �Thank you for having me.� Liz gave Phillip a firm handshake and gave him a smile. Just then, Isabel came down the stairs. �Dinner ready, yet?� �Yes, so c�mon everybody, let�s start eating.� Diane ushered everyone to the table to take their seats. The salad was passed around, and small talk began. �How was work today, dad?� Isabel looked from her plateful of salad. Phillip took the bowl from Max and answered her question. �Ok, nothing to exciting. I got a new case to work on, but nothing all that interesting. Anything interesting happen to anyone this week?� He returned the salad bowl to the center of the table and looked expectantly around the table. When no one seemed to want to volunteer an answer, he turned to Liz, hoping to break the ice. �How about you, Liz? Anything worth sharing?� Liz looked up at Phillip who was giving her an encouraging smile. �Nothing really. I�m usually so busy with school and work that nothing interesting has really popped up.� That wasn�t entirely true. The truth was she had so many interesting things that had happened to her this past week. She and Max were progressing really well in their relationship, and the seven of them were beginning to form a bond that was bound to last a lifetime. But she didn�t feel like it was something she wanted to really share with Max�s parents considering this was the first time they were really meeting her. Phillip gave a little chuckle. �All work and no play, huh? I would�ve thought that most seniors would take easy classes and just coast through the rest of the year.� Max turned his eyes to his dad. �Not if they want to be valedictorian.� Phillip and Diane exchanged glances before turning their eyes to Liz. �Valedictorian? Wow, that�s really impressive Liz. I bet the colleges are throwing scholarships at you from left to right.� Liz found herself blushing. �I think Max is exaggerating a little. I just want to keep my gpa up.� Isabel joined in the discussion. �Don�t believe a word she says. Liz is just being modest. She�s a shoe in for valedictorian. And personally, I don�t think anyone deserves it more than she does.� Diane noticed the way Liz was getting embarrassed with all of the compliments, so she decided to steer the subject away. �Well, it�s very nice to hear that you�re so dedicated to your education. It�s refreshing to see when young people have their priorities intact.� Liz gave Diane a grateful smile, to which Diane returned with a wink. Max caught the exchange between Liz and his mom. His lips quirked up at the sides, seeing that his mother and Liz were getting along. ************* Dinner was pretty much a success. Diane hadn�t tried out any of her new recipes and just stuck with what her family enjoyed eating. After the dinner plates were cleared, Diane and Isabel returned to the table with coffee and coconut creme pie. Everyone devoured the slice they had been given and they all sat back with contented smiles on their faces. �Mrs. Evans. Dinner was absolutely delicious.� Liz smiled her gratitude to Diane who merely blushed at Liz�s sincere, comment. �Why, thank you, Liz. I�m glad you enjoyed dinner. We� d love for you to join us more often.� Diane stood up to gather the used utensils and plates to bring them to the sink. Liz stood up and began helping. Phillip stood up and stopped Liz. �That�s alright, Liz. Mrs. Evans and I have it covered. Why don�t you kids, go into the living room and watch some tv, or something. Mom and I have everything under control.� Liz looked to Max and Isabel who quickly placed their napkins on the table. They didn�t need to be asked twice to retire to the living room and not help clear up dishes. The two of them made a bee line to the living room. When Liz looked reluctant to leave the dishes to just the older Evans�, Max grabbed Liz�s arm with his right hand, while holding Noah in his left. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. �Let�s go before they change their minds and make us wash all of the dishes.� He pulled back and laughed at the look Liz was giving him. Ultimately the three of them made their way to the living room where Isabel was slumped back against the couch, holding her stomach. Concerned, Liz sat next to Isabel. �Everything ok?� Isabel looked at Liz, smiling and nodding her head. �Oh, don�t mind me. I just ate too much. Mom hasn�t cooked like that in a long time, so I figured I might as well take advantage of the good cooking before she returns to trying out new recipes.� Max placed Noah on the carpet and joined him. �You and me both. I was worried that she was going to try something funky from that Martha Stewart magazine that she gets.� Max gave his sister a mock glare. �I warned you about getting her a subscription to that magazine.� Isabel laughed and held up her hand to her brother. The phone rang and Isabel reached over to answer it. �Hello?� A smile formed on her lips and she stood up to go up to her room. �Oh, hey Alex....................� Max shook his head and scooted closer to Liz and he began to gently run his fingertips across her bare calves. She had the smoothest skin, almost like that of a baby�s. He continued his gentl caress until he heard Noah crying. Max pulled his son into his lap and tried to soothe him. �What�s the matter, little man? Huh? Why are you so upset?� Noah just started crying more, banging his little fists against Max�s chest. Max rubbed his little back and tried cooing in Noah�s ear. That usually worked, but for some reason, it just wasn�t working now. Max finally stood up and carried Noah around the room, bouncing him up and down. �C�mon, buddy. Tell daddy what�s wrong.� He tried to make eye contact with Noah, but Noah just buried his face against his neck. Liz stood up from her spot on the couch and walked to Max and Noah. She gently ran her hand through his soft curls. �What�s the matter, hun?� Noah turned his little face towards Liz. He twisted his body so that his arms could reach out to her. Liz gave Max a look. �Do you mind?� Max shook his head, and offered Noah to Liz. He watched as she took Noah into her arms and gently sing a soft song into his ear. She bounced him against her small frame, gently placing soft kisses on his cheeks. After what seemed like a few short minutes, Noah had stopped crying, only hiccupping once and a while. To say that Max was astonished was an understatement. It used to be that when Noah was upset, that Max was the only one to calm him down. He watched as Noah�s little fists curled around Liz�s sweater. He snuggled up closer to her as if he couldn't get close enough. Now it seemed as if Liz was becoming an important part of both of their lives. Like somehow, now that they knew what it was like to be in Liz�s arms, nothing else could compare. ************************ Diane rinsed the dirty dishes and handed them to Phillip to place in the dish washer. �So, what do you think of Liz?� Phillip watched his wife�s reaction to his question. Diane looked up from the pile of dirty dishes and gave her husband a faint smile. �I think I�m beginning to like her more by the second. She�s a young woman who has a good head on her shoulders. I think she�s a good influence on Max and Izzy.� Phillip gave his wife a skeptical glance. �What made you change your mind?� Diane pulled the big yellow gloves from her hands and hung them over the sink. �Did you see Max and Izzy tonight?� Diane gave him a bright smile. �I haven�t seen the two of them smile like that in a long time. They were so happy, Phillip.� �What does that have anything to do with Liz?� �Everything. She�s given them something they�ve been missing. Liz has breathed new life into our kids. I have her to thank for that.� Phillip placed his arm around Diane and led her to the living room. But the two of them stopped short of entering. What they saw stunned both of them. They both observed the scene between Max, Liz, and Noah. And judging from the looks of things, Max was pretty surprised himself. Liz had merely taken Noah into her arms, singing him a soft tune that caused him to settle down in no time. Liz was something else. Someone who was completely incredible. She was definitely an asset to the Evans family. Part 37 ************** Phillip and Diane bid the children goodnight and retired to their bedroom for the night. Noah had yet to vacate Liz�s arms, but it was quite obvious that he had fallen asleep a little while ago. Max gently ran his finger across Liz�s chin. �You�re amazing, you know that?� His fingers, continued to caress her face, eventually cupping it. Liz leaned into his hand, enjoying the way his hand felt, caressing her skin. �Amazing? How am I amazing?� Max grinned as his thumb, rubbed her cheekbone. �You were absolutely great tonight. My parents were really impressed.� He leaned forward to give her a kiss on her temple. �And me too.� Liz leaned back a little to study Max�s face. �What does that mean?� His hands flanked both sides of her face. �It means that I thought that it wouldn�t be possible for me to be any more amazed by you, but you make it possible. You make it possible for me to admire you more and more, each second of the day.� He leaned in then and placed his lips against hers. His lips applied a little pressure to hers, but not enough to sate both of their needs. He pulled back and leaned in a little closer. This time, his lips sought hers out, with a passion that he had never shown before. His tongue snaked out, tracing her lips, as a form of permission to allow him to deepen the kiss. Liz gladly opened her mouth to let Max in. His velvety tongue sought hers out, gently massaging it. His tongue made sweeping motions in her mouth, trying to reach the deepest recesses of her mouth. He angled her head back to taste her better, but stopped short when Noah shifted in Liz�s arms. He pulled back, his lips swollen and his eyes dazed. His vision took a little while to focus and his breathing was erratic. His eyes landed on Liz, who looked about as dazed as he felt. Her breathing was heavy, and her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes focused on his, and she gave him a big smile. They had gotten so carried away that they almost forgot that Noah was still in her arms. Max gently extricated Noah from Liz�s arms. Noah whimpered a little but he continued to sleep. �Do you want to help me put him to bed?� Max whispered so as not to wake Noah. Liz just nodded and followed Max up the stairs. When they were inside, Max placed Noah on his bed and reached into a drawer to grab his jammies. He gently changed Noah�s clothes and then placed him in his crib. Max stood back up, with Liz at his side, holding his hand. �I can�t believe how fast he�s growing. It seemed just like yesterday that I was cradling him in my arms, and now he�s talking, and walking......� Sighing, Max pulled Liz to stand in front of him and placed his arms around her waist. He took a sniff of her strawberry scented hair, then placed his chin a top her head. Liz rubbed his arm, running her hand along it till it was wrapped around his neck. �It was bound to happen sooner or later. You should just count your lucky stars that you�ve been there for his every first.� Max looked down into Liz�s eyes, his amber eyes sparkling. �I have, haven�t I?� Liz just nodded, then brushed her lips against his nose. �As much as I�d love to stay longer, it�s getting late. I should get going.� Max nodded, his cheek rubbing against her silky hair, but he had yet to pull back. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and nuzzled her neck. Liz chuckled a little, then pulled out of his reach. �I�m serious, Max. I really should go. I promise, we�ll do something together. I don�t have to work, and I know you don�t either. You, Noah, and I should do something together.� �Sure, what did you have in mind?� Max watched as Liz�s eyes danced with mischief. �It�s a surprise!� Max scrunched up his nose, crossing his arms across his chest. �I don�t know, Liz. I�m not real big on surprises.� Liz smiled like a Cheshire cat. �I promise, Max. You�ll love it. I�ll pick you and Noah up at 11:30 so be ready.� Liz reached out her hand to Max. �Walk me to my car?� Max reached out and let their fingers entwine. Liz stopped to reach into Noah�s crib to give him a kiss. �Goodnight, Noah. I�ll see you tomorrow, sweetie.� Max and Liz walked hand in hand to her car. Liz leaned back against the car, with Max facing her. �So, I�ll just see you and Noah tomorrow.� �Right, tomorrow.� Max watched as Liz leaned in closer to him. Her lips softly brushed against his, before her tongue found it�s way into his mouth. His hands cupped her face, trying to bring her as close as possible to his lips. Liz found herself standing on her toes, her hands on Max�s shoulders, trying to get as close to him as possible. His lips felt so soft against her own, she couldn�t control the moan that escaped past her lips. Max groaned at the sound of her moan. With much effort, Max pulled away, letting his lips, tug gently on her bottom lip. He leaned his forehead against hers, trying to catch his breath. �Sweet dreams, Liz. I�ll see you tomorrow.� Liz had yet to open her eyes, and just nodded her head. A smile formed on her lips as Max�s bangs tickled her forehead. �Yeah, tomorrow.� She finally opened her eyes and slightly pulled away from Max so that she could look into his eyes. �Sweet dreams to you as well.� She leaned forward, planting a lingering kiss on Max�s lips. �Goodnight, Max.� Liz pulled free from his touch and got inside the car. She backed out of the driveway and waved as she drove away. Max stood in the cold night air, hoping to cool his over heated body, down. After that kiss, there was no way he was getting any sleep tonight. He walked to the front porch and sat on the front steps. A smile crossed his lips. Life was just getting better and better. Part 38 ************** Max ran around the room, putting stuff together in a bag, for himself and Noah. He had talked to Liz earlier this morning and she had told him to pack some swim trunks and sun block. He had once again tried to ask her where they were headed, but she had refused, saying that it was a surprise. He grabbed Noah�s little baseball cap and placed it on his little head. Max picked him up in one arm and grabbed his back pack in another, finally heading down the stairs. Diane looked up from the morning paper and chuckled at the sight of her son and her grandson. They made an adorable pair, both wearing matching baseball hats. She put her paper down and grabbed Max�s attention. "Well, you two look like you�re headed off somewhere fun. Where are you guys headed?" Max sat down with Noah in his lap. He gently scratched his head, behind his ear, giving his mom a sheepish grin. "I�m not really sure, actually. Liz said it was a surprise. I kept trying to get it out of her and she just won�t budge." Diane laughed softly and stood up to stand in front of Max. "Well, I guess Liz really is a woman of her word." The door bell rang and Max�s eyes darted to the front door. Diane pulled onto the bill of his cap, straightening it slightly. "All of you have fun. Tell Liz I said hi." Diane gave Noah a kiss and headed out to the backyard where Phillip was tending to their garden. Max stood up with Noah and his back pack in tow. He opened the door, his lips forming a smile. Liz stood there in a fisherman�s hat, sunglasses, a tank top, and cut offs. Max couldn�t help the way his eyes lingered on certain parts of her body longer than others. He blushed a crimson red when he heard her voice. "You guys ready to go?" Max just pulled his hat so that it covered the guilty look in his eyes. "Sure. Uh, do you mind taking Noah? I still have to get his car seat out of the jeep." Liz happily took Noah into her arms and led him towards her car. She placed a sweet kiss on his cheeks. "Hey, Noah. I�ve missed you little guy." She leaned in again to kiss him, unable to keep herself from touching his soft skin. Max looked up from strapping the car seat into Liz�s car, a teasing smile on his lips. "Hey, that�s not fair. How come the little guy gets all the kisses?" He stood a little closer to Liz, wrapping his arms around her. He gave her a little pout, batting his long eyelashes. "Didn�t you miss me?" Liz pulled the sunglasses away from her eyes, and placed them on top of her head. She gave and exaggerated role of her eyes. "Well, I guess I missed you too." Max�s eyebrows raised. He looked at her, his head cocked to the side. "You guess?" Liz refused to meet his eyes, knowing the minute that she looked into them, she would crumble. So instead, she busied herself with strapping Noah securely in his seat. "Yeah, that�s what I said." She closed the passenger door and made like she was walking to the driver�s side, but Max grabbed her by the wrist, efficiently twirling her into his waiting arms. He gave her a devilish grin and leaned in close to her face like he was going to kiss her. His warm breath, made her skin tingle. Her lips parted, letting her tongue sneak out so she could wet her suddenly very dry lips. His eyes roamed her face, a smile lighting them. He kissed her nose, pulling back with a full blown grin on his lips. "Ok, just making sure I heard you right." He let go of her and opened the door and sat inside. He tugged on the seat belt and snapped it into place. Liz stood there dumbfounded, her mouth agape. What had just happened here? Max bit the inside of his cheek, trying his best not to laugh. He could see Liz from the corner of his eye, standing outside the car, looking absolutely shocked. He had completely turned the tables on her and he felt pretty proud of himself. While he was mentally congratulating himself, Liz pulled the car door open and situated herself in his lap. She pulled his face towards her and placed a mind blowing kiss on his lips. Max�s eyes grew wide. To say that he was shocked, would definitely be an understatement. Just as he was about to respond to the kiss, Liz pulled back and jumped out of his lap. She closed his door and made her way to her side. She strapped on her seat belt, acting like nothing had happened. She could hear the harsh sounds of his breathing. She looked at him. His hands were curled up into fists, and his eyes were shut tightly. Liz felt a pang in her heart, suddenly feeling very guilty. She stroked his cheek, and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. She pulled his chin so that he was facing her. This time, she placed her lips against his slowly. She took her time in getting reacquainted with his soft lips. After a few seconds, they pulled away from each other. Liz had a small smile on her lips. "Was that better?" Max gripped her hand in his. He gave her one of his patented half smiles, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah. Much." He squeezed her hand one more time before he let it go. "Ok, miss Parker. Let�s hurry up and do this surprise." Liz pulled out onto the road. She gave Max a side ways glance, a smile tinting her lips. "I thought you said you didn�t like surprises?" "I don�t. I�m just curious about where you�re taking us." Liz laughed a little. "I�ll keep that in mind." ******************* An hour and twenty minutes later. "Are we there, yet?" Max asked the question for the umpteenth time that hour. Normally, he would have been calm, but he was just getting anxious. It was driving him nuts that Liz refused to divulge anything pertaining to her surprise. Liz laughed as she made a turn. "We�re here." Max looked around to the beautiful scenery around him. "And where is here, exactly." He couldn�t quite keep the awe out of his voice. Liz put the car into park, and unlatched her seat belt. She turned to Max. "Sitting Bulls Falls." She gave him a grin. "Come on. Let�s go." She threw a towel over her shoulder and grabbed the picnic basket that she had packed. Max grabbed Noah and his back pack, and struggled to keep in stride with Liz. "Why don�t you let me help you with that." Liz gave Max a little giggle. "I know that I look fragile, but looks are very deceiving." She gave him a wink and ran the rest of the way. By the time Max had caught up to her, she had spread out a blanket and set out lunch. They were right beside a clear pool of water. The sun was bright, and there was a slight breeze. Liz sat with her legs crossed. "Aren�t you going to sit down?" Max just kicked off his sandals and sat beside Liz. "I can�t believe you did all of this." He looked around to the beauty that surrounded him. Liz shyly looked down at his comment. "It�s nothing, really. I just made a few sandwiches and drove out to this beautiful place. It�s nothing special." Max tilted her chin, making her look into his eyes. "But it is. This is special. No one has ever done anything like this for me before." He kissed her lightly on the cheek. He stroked her jaw, smiling lovingly at her. "Thank you, Liz." She returned his smile and took Noah from his arms. "You�re welcome. Now let�s dig in. I�m starving." ************ After lunch, Max and Liz decided to take a dip in the inviting water. Liz pulled off her tank top, revealing her golden skin. She stripped off her shorts, and kicked them to the side. Max sat there with his mouth hanging open. His heart had stopped beating the moment Liz had pulled her tank over her head. She had the smoothest looking skin. He couldn�t help the way his eyes were bugging out of his head at the sight of Liz in her bikini. Liz bent down to place the floaties around Noah�s little arms. She picked him up and headed towards the water. As soon as they entered the water, Noah started flapping his arms like a bird, splashing water all over the place. Liz laughed and shook her hair away from her face. Max watched as Liz�s long dark hair, swung from side to side. He almost had a heart attack when she turned back to him and called out. "You, getting in?" Noah looked at his dad and waved. "Da da! Da da!" Max had to swallow a few times before nodding his head. He grabbed his t-shirt from the neck, and pulled it up and over his head, without turning the t-shirt inside, out. He walked to the water, and slowly sank towards Noah and Liz. Liz felt her knees wobble at the sight of Max pulling off his shirt. There was just something about the way he took it off that made her smile. She felt like fainting when she saw his beautifully sculpted chest. Shouldn�t it be a crime to be that gorgeous? She would have never have guessed that he was that cut. Sure, she had caught glimpses of his bulging biceps, bursting the seams of some of his shirts, but she was still caught off guard. She felt her face flame up when he moved closer to them. She was sure, he had caught her oogling his goodies. Max took Noah from Liz, and sat him up on his shoulders. His eyes took on a devilish glint as he walked closer to Liz. Liz backed away, her hands held out in front of her. "Don�t even think about it, Max. What ever you�re thinking, stop it!" Max smiled, revealing all of his perfect white teeth. "Oh, c�mon Liz. I�m not going to hurt you." He looked up at his son. "Isn�t that right Noah?" Noah clapped his hands together, kicking his little legs against Max�s chest. "Liz!" Liz smiled up at Noah, temporarily forgetting that she was trying to keep as much distance as possible between her and Max. She was about to say something, when a splash of water hit her face. She pushed the hair out of her eyes, and listened to the sound of Max�s laughter. He thought this was funny, huh? Well two could play this game. A smile graced her lips as she moved closer to Max. Max found himself walking backwards, as he saw the twinkle in her eyes. Maybe it wasn�t such a good idea to splash her? When she got closer, he turned around and broke out into a run. He had thought it was a good idea to run, but now he was rethinking that decision. Running in water was hard enough, but with the added weight of Noah on his shoulders, he was a lost cause. Liz caught up to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and walked around till she was facing him. "Where do you think you�re going?" Max gave her an embarrassed grin. "Nowhere." "Uh huh." Liz reached up and took Noah in her arms. She held him against her waist, and gave Max an innocent smile. Max paled a little. "Liz, you know that was only a joke. You know, hee hee, something to laugh about?" He walked back a few steps as Liz walked closer. "I�ll give you something to laugh about." Liz used her free hand and splashed water in Max�s direction. "C�mon, Noah. Splash, daddy." Noah splashed his floatie covered arms, splashing water in every direction. His little laughs floated in the air, causing Max and Liz to join him. The day was only half over and the fun was still going strong. ************** Having had enough of playing in the water, the three of them trudged back to the blanket where they dried off. Liz held a bundled up Noah in her arms, as his eyes started to drift close. She rocked him in her arms and sang him a lullaby. Max ran the towel through his hair, but stopped to watch Liz sing to Noah. It warmed his heart to see that Liz really got along with Noah, and that she enjoyed being in his company as much as Noah seemed to enjoy being in hers. He had never thought that it would have been possible for him to fall for someone else, but to have that someone else fall for him too, and for them to accept him and his son. Max thanked whatever Gods that allowed him a second chance. He never thought he was worthy of it, but he was certainly glad that he was given one. Liz had stopped singing and placed Noah on the blanket. She sat down and looked at Max, who was just watching her. She began feeling a little self-conscious. "What?" Max dropped the towel, and plopped down beside her. He ran his fingers through her wet hair, running the wet tendrils across the pads of his fingers. "Nothing. I just think you�re beautiful." Heat flooded Liz�s face, all the way to her neck. No one had ever really called her beautiful before. Sure, her family and friends had called her beautiful numerous times, but there was just something different when the person you cared about so much said it to you. She kept her eyes down. She was never really good at taking compliments. Contrary to popular belief, Liz Parker was a pretty shy girl. She had no idea how to react to what Max had just said. Was she supposed to say thank you? Liz felt Max scoot closer to her. She felt the warmth of his body. Droplets of water made its way on her arm. She felt him stroke her arm gently, urging her to look at him. "What�s wrong, Liz? Was it something I said, or did?" Max was getting a little worried. Liz refused to meet his eyes. Had he done something to upset her? Liz heard the plea in his voice, causing her to look into his warm amber eyes that were etched with concern. She shook her head slowly, still not able to bring herself to speak. "Then what is it? Liz, please? Talk to me. I can�t.........please Liz. I want to know if I did something wrong." Max�s voice cracked a little. Liz�s heart constricted a little at the crack of Max�s voice. She took his hand in between hers. She looked into his eyes again, and showed him a smile. "It�s nothing, Max. You did nothing wrong." She squeezed his hand a little to make him see that she meant it. He watched her every move. "Then what is it?" When Liz still looked reluctant to say anything, he lifted her chin. "I thought we had a deal. That we wouldn�t keep things from each other." Liz swallowed hard, forcing herself to smile. "I know, but you�re going to think it�s stupid." Max shook his head, his fingers running down the side of her face. "Nothing that you say could ever sound stupid to me." Liz tilted her head to the side, carefully gauging Max�s reaction. "I don�t know about that, but well........ the reason why........" Liz pulled her hands away from Max�s. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, and heaved a heavy sigh. "Noone�s ever called me beautiful before." She mumbled the words past her lips. She kept her head down, afraid to look at how Max would react to what she just said. Liz felt Max�s strong arms wrap around her body, gathering her closer to him. He placed a kiss on top of her head, before whispering in her ear. "I have a hard time believing that." Liz pulled away a little, so she could look into his eyes. "Well, no one special has said that me before." (No one I�ve loved.) She said the last part in her mind, wanting so much to say it out loud, but scared to do so. Max leaned his forehead against hers, his finger tucking her hair behind her ears. "You should be told that you�re beautiful and intelligent everyday........." His lips brushed against hers softly, lightly, before she opened her mouth on a breath. His tongue gingerly met up with hers, causing a fire to build up between, so hot it would have burned their skins on contact. Max reached out and cupped her face in both hands, trying to bring her as close to him as possible. A moan escaped his lips at the feel of her delicate fingers, running across the expanse of his naked back. He found himself leaning forward. Liz leaned back, lying down on the blanket. She grabbed Max by the shoulders, wanting to touch his skin everywhere. Max shifted his hips so that his upper body was laying against Liz. He rest most of his weight against his forearms, not wanting to crush Liz. He dragged his lips down her chin, to her long delicate neck. He moved to the other side, gently nibbling on her earlobe. He only stopped kissing her, when his name passed her lips, sounding like a moan. He gave her collar bone a chaste kiss before laying down beside her. He gathered her close to his side, her head lying on his chest. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to tell her that he loved her, but he didn�t want her to think it was a ploy to get into her pants. That wasn�t his intention at all. In fact, he wasn�t even sure if he was ready to be in a sexual relationship at this stage in his life. Right now, he was just content to be in a loving relationship. He would gladly wait for Liz, forever. Being around her was enough. He didn�t need anymore than that. ***************** It was nearing five o�clock, so Max and Liz had packed up their stuff to head back home. As Liz was pulling out onto the road, Max stopped her. He gave her a sweet kiss. "I know I already thanked you, but I just wanted to say it again. Liz Parker, you�re making everyday of my life worth living, and I want to thank you for making Noah and my life a little brighter each day." He kissed her on the tip of her nose. ********** As they drove back into town, they never noticed the car that followed them. In fact, they never noticed that the same car had followed them to Sitting Bulls Falls. They never knew that had been watched all day, by prying eyes. ********** Pam Troy, floored the gas pedal of her car, back to Roswell. She had hit pay dirt by following Liz Parker and Max Evans to Sitting Bulls Falls. A sinister smile plastered itself on her collagen infested lips. "Little Liz Parker won�t know what hit her, when I�m done with her." She laughed like a mad woman. Nothing was going to get in her way of having Max Evans to herself. Not even that little brat son of his. Back Next |
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