| Part 80 *********** It had been a few hours since Max and Liz had returned home from Grandma Claudia�s. Max�s parents had yet to come home from their weekend alone, leaving a message on the machine saying not to wait up. Isabel had left a note saying that she was spending the day with the gang all of them hanging out at the mall, then going to a movie afterwards. Noah had fallen asleep during the second hour of their drive, only waking up when they had returned home. They had played with him for a little bit, but the after effects of spending so much time in the car caught up to him, managing to knock him out for another nap. So Max and Liz lay sprawled on the carpet, both of them idly stroking each other�s skin as they lay quietly together. �Everything ok? You�ve been awfully quiet since we�ve gotten home.� Max let Liz�s chocolate colored tresses slip through his fingers, as he stared up at the ceiling. Liz breathed a heavy sigh, snuggling closer to his side. �Nothing. Just thinking.� �Thinking about what?� Liz sat up, leaning her chin on Max�s chest, her hair fanning around her. �Have you thought about college, Max? I know you said that you planned on going to JC and then transferring out. But have you thought about it some more?� Max sat up, folding his hands behind his head, his amber eyes piercing into Liz�s eyes. �I have, and I still plan on doing that.� Max sat up some more, as realization dawned on him. �Liz, if this is about you going away to school, you don�t have to worry. I�m not expecting to you to stay. You had this whole other life before me, I can�t expect you to just forget about that.� A tear pooled in Liz�s eye, causing Max to reach for it before it fell down her cheek. �Hey....don�t cry. I�d wait forever for you, you know that.� When Liz didn�t answer, Max got a sick feeling in his stomach. �Unless.....unless that�s not what you want.� It pained him to even say the words, but he did have to consider the possibility. If Liz was going away to school, he couldn�t just ask her to wait for him. If she had had enough of them, then he would walk away. If that�s what she really wanted. Even if it killed him, he would do whatever it was that would make her happy. Max fell back as Liz placed a bruising kiss on his lips, her hands threading through his hair, demanding that he give himself to her. He did so willingly, allowing her to stake her claim, to claim him as hers. With heavy pants, Liz whispered against his lips. �Don�t you ever say that, Max Evans. Don�t even think it.� Her hot tears cascaded down his cheeks, mixing with his own tears. �I would never want that. You�re, it for me too, Max. I couldn�t want anyone but you.� She peppered his face with kisses, her hands cupping his face. He smiled at her, placing his large hands over hers. �Good.� He kissed her lips with a gentleness that sent tingles down Liz�s spine. The way he was touching her, it was as if he were afraid she would break if he wasn�t careful. He traced her eyebrow, his amber eyes glowing. �I�m sorry for having these doubts. It�s just, every time I look at you, I wonder what I ever did to deserve you, because lord knows I�ve made my share of mistakes. I always wonder if I�m going to wake up and find that this was all some cruel dream, to show me all of these wonderful things, then to rip it away from me.� A sob escaped his lips, as he leaned his forehead against hers. �I�m real, Max. I�m never going away......Ever.� Liz lay back down on the carpet, pulling Max�s head to rest on her bosom. She ran her fingers through his hair, calming him down. They lay like that for a few minutes before Max looked up at her. �Why have you brought this up, all of a sudden?� Liz shifted uncomfortably under Max�s gaze. �I just think that it�s something we should talk about. I mean, it�s already April. Before you know it, we�ll be graduating soon. I just wanna know where we stand.� Max gave her a melancholy smile. �I meant what I said before. Wherever you go, I�ll be here waiting for you.� Liz refused to meet his eyes, her hands shaking. With a small voice, she spoke. �What if I told you that you didn�t have to wait?� Max sat up, confusion evident in his eyes. �I don�t....I don�t understand.� Liz gathered up all of her courage, finally looking up to meet Max�s gaze. �I received a letter from the admission�s office at the University of New Mexico. As of next fall, I will be a new student there.� Max felt his jaw working, but no words were coming from his mouth. Did he just hear her right? She was staying in New Mexico? A part of him wanted to jump for joy, knowing that she wasn�t going to be far from him, but another part of him, the part that was winning out felt guilty. Extremely guilty. He knew without a doubt that she had changed her plans for him. He wasn�t naive enough to think otherwise. As much as he wanted to be selfish and agree to let her stay in New Mexico, he would never be able to live with himself. For the rest of his life, he would have this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was selfish enough to keep Liz from realizing her dreams. No. He couldn�t, and wouldn�t do that to her. He stood up, pacing the length of the carpet. �You can�t do that.� Liz stood up, a hurt look on her face. �I can and I will. You can�t tell me what to do, Max.� Max stopped pacing, walking up to Liz. He cupped her face in his hands, the tears welling up in his eyes once again. �Please, Liz. I could....I would never be able to live with myself if I hold you back.....� He reached down, entwining their fingers. �Don�t hold back on account of me.� Liz shook her head, her hair flying around her shoulders. �Maybe this isn�t all about you.� Max�s head snapped up at her comment, but Liz had pulled away from him, walking to the window seat. She hugged herself, her body shaking with her sobs. Her small voice carried through the room as she started speaking, not looking at him. �My decision about going to UNM, has a lot to do with you, but it�s not the only reason. My family lost everything we owned in that fire. We simply don�t have the money for me to go away.� She wiped at her nose, looking up to see Max sitting by her feet. �I could have lost my parents in that fire, Max. I can�t take for granted that they�re always going to be there.� Max placed a hand on her knee, a sorrowful look in his eyes. �I�m sorry, Liz.....I, I didn�t even think, about it.� Liz shook her head, fighting to find the composure to finish her speech before she totally broke down. �The main reason I�m not going away, is because of Noah.� Max looked at her a little confused, but let her continue. �I know that he�s your son, but....but in a way, I feel like he�s a part of me too. I know it�s stupid to think that, but I love him so much, Max. I don�t think I could love him anymore if I had given birth to him.� More tears escaped her eyes, her sobs consuming her. �Don�t hate me for wanting to be a part of him, Max.� Max closed the gap between them, crushing Liz in his embrace. �I could never hate you, for that Liz. Never.� He placed a kiss to her temple, his iron like grip around her tightening. �You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you love Noah so much.� Max pulled back enough so that he could look at Liz�s face. �I don�t care that you didn�t give birth to him, because in my heart, you�re already his mother.� They shared a soft kiss, reaffirming their love for each other. �If UNM is what�s going to make you happy, then I won�t try to stop you.� He smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. Liz buried her face in Max�s neck, breathing a sigh of relief as the two of them crossed another hurdle in their relationship. �Thank you.� Part 81 *************** Max sat at their usual table in the quad, his eyes glued to the piece of paper that was filled with chicken scratches. He felt a hand clapping his shoulder as his friends joined him. "Hey, Max. What you got there?" Max looked up to see Kyle sitting across from him with Courtney. He smiled at them, holding up the sorry excuse for a piece of paper. "Party list. Noah�s birthday is in a week." Maria made her way to the table with Michael. "Who�s birthday is in a week?" Isabel called out behind her, with Alex practically glued to her hip. "Noah�s." Maria�s mouth opened in an O shape as her eyes grew wide with excitement. "Ooo, how exciting!" She smiled at Max. "Can I help?" Max scratched the side of his head, breathing a sigh of relief. "I would love that. I�ve been working on this for weeks and this is all I�ve come up with." Maria shook her head in mock disgust at the crumpled piece of paper in Max�s hand. She reached for it, reading what he had on it. |
| Own Me |
| Noah�s Birthday. Theme: Blue�s Clues or Pooh Bear. Guests: LIZ, Maria, Michael, Kyle, Alex, Courtney, Parkers, Valentis, and Grandma Claudia. Food: MUST HAVE CAKE! |
| Maria couldn�t help the grin from forming. She couldn�t help but smile at the way he had put Liz�s name in bold, or the way he put little hearts around it. But what made her laugh was the way he had capitalized the words, �must have cake� under the food category. What made it even funnier, was that it was the only thing listed under food. Liz sure wasn�t kidding when she said that these two were big on cake, she thought amusedly. Maria looked down at the paper, then at Max. "This is all you�ve got?" Max blushed. "I�ve been, I�ve been kinda busy." Michael shook his head, laughing with the others. "Speaking of, where is the person that�s been keeping you busy?" As if on queue, Liz made her way through the quad, half running, half walking to the table. "Sorry, I�m late, but my government class just kept going and going." She sat down beside Max, giving him a kiss. "So, did I miss anything?" Max shook his head, pulling Liz closer to his side. "Nothing much. Maria�s just trying to help with Noah�s birthday party." Liz smiled, pulling out her lunch. "Did you decide what theme you were having?" Max shrugged his shoulders. "I don�t know." He looked to the rest of his friends, asking for their opinions. "Well, I�ve narrowed it down to two. It�s either gonna be Blue�s Clues, or Pooh Bear. What do you guys think?" Alex called out from the other end of the table. "Oh, without a doubt. You gotta go with Winnie the Pooh. He�s like.......he�s a classic. You can�t go wrong with Pooh and the gang." Max laughed a little, asking for the approval of everyone else. "You guys think that�d be ok?" Kyle�s voice piped up. "What about the power puff girls?" Everyone gave him a weird look, bursting out into fits of laughter. "What? What�s wrong with the power puff girls?" Maria shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "You really need to stop watching the cartoon network, Kyle." "I don�t know, I kinda think Bubbles is pretty cute." Alex finished with a grin. "You would. I�m a little more into, Buttercup. She�s a feisty one." Maria looked at her boyfriend as if he had grown another head. "Can you guys even hear yourselves? You�re talking about cartoon characters." Alex puffed out his chest, feigning hurt. "For your information, the Power Puff Girls are an elite crime fighting team." More laughter came from the group, all of them enjoying one another�s presence. "Ok, enough of that. Back to the party. How about we split up the chores so we can get this done faster?" Max spoke up, feeling bad that everyone was doing work for the party. They were the guests, and he didn�t want them doing any work. "No, you guys don�t have to do that. I�ve got it under control. You guys are the guests. You�re not supposed to be doing any of the work." "Max, please. You gotta let us help." Maria batted her eyelashes at him, giving him a sad puppy face. "Pretty please?" Liz whispered in Max�s ear, her voice filled with laughter. "You might as well give in, now Max. Maria�s really into the whole party planning thing. She really wants to do it." Max looked at Liz, then to Maria. "Well, if you really want to..." Maria clapped her hands together her excitement getting the best of her. "Alright, here goes. Who wants to be in charge of decorations?" "Me, me, me!" Isabel raised her hand, wanting to be picked. Alex gave her a half smile with a questioning look. "So, I like to decorate." Maria turned serious, turning into General Deluca mode. She tore a piece of paper from her notebook to write down everyone�s tasks. "Ok, Isabel�s in charge of decorations." She looked up at Alex. "Alex, you think you could be in charge of music?" Alex gave her a wide grin, showing his pearly whites. "My pleasure." "Ok, Kyle and Courtney. Do you guys think you could pick up a few kid�s games? You know cute ones, like pin the tail on the donkey. That kind of stuff." Courtney smiled at Kyle glad that they would be working together. "I think we could handle that." Maria scribbled on the paper, talking at the same time. "Ok, Michael and I will be in charge of food- Before Maria could finish, Liz blurted out, "I�m in charge of cake!" She and Max exchanged a secret smile, but everyone saw it anyway. Maria just chuckled. "Ok, chica. I�ve got you down for cake." Max reached over, pointing next to Liz�s name. "Put me down for that too." Maria gave Max a teasing grin. "I don�t know, Max. I don�t know how much work you and Liz will get done together. Especially working with cake and all." Max and Liz blushed furiously as their friends tried to hold back their laughter with no success. Maria touched Max�s arm, trying to talk through her laughter. "I�m just kidding." She wrote on the piece of paper again, writing Max�s name next to Liz�s. "Ok, Max and Liz will be in charge of cake." As the bell rang signaling the end of lunch, everyone began gathering their things together. Before Maria walked away with Michael, she whispered to Max and Liz. "Just make sure that you guys leave some cake for the rest of us." Maria laughed some more at the couple, loving how easily she could make them blush. Max shook his head as Liz buried her face in his chest. "I cannot believe her." Liz said with a chuckle. "And all I told her was that you liked cake." Max grabbed Liz�s hand, laughing as they walked to Chemistry. As they neared the door, Max tugged on Liz�s hand stopping her from walking into the classroom. "Liz?" "Yeah?" "Do you think we could talk, after school? There�s a few things I�ve been meaning to ask you, and well, I wanted to do it in private." Liz smiled at him, stroking Max�s cheek. "Sure, Max. How about we meet by the flag pole after last period?" Max kissed her forehead, pulling her towards the door. "Thanks." Part 82 *********** Liz was sitting by the flagpole, waiting for Max to arrive. "Hey. You been waiting long?" Liz shook her head, standing up to gather her things. "I just got here a few minutes ago." "Come on." Max grabbed her hand, leading her towards the jeep in the parking lot. "Brody�s out of town and he wants me to clean out some of his old files while he�s gone. We can talk at the UFO Center." Liz only nodded, letting Max lead her. ************ Max unlocked the employee door, holding it open for Liz. He tugged on her hand, pulling her to the back office. He moved some of the boxes around, making room for Liz to sit down. "Have a seat." Liz sat down, clasping her hands in her lap. "So. What�s with all of the secrecy? I�m dying of anticipation, here." Max sat down in front of her, covering her hands with his. "Don�t worry. It isn�t anything bad, I just.....I just didn�t want to have an audience when I ask you what I�m about to ask you." Liz gave him her most encouraging smile, letting her thumbs brush his hands softly. "Well, seeing as we don�t have an audience now, you can go ahead and ask me anything." Max bobbed his head, taking several deep breaths. "Well, prom is coming up next month, and well, I wanted to ask you if you would go with me." Liz shook her head, smiling. "Of course, I�d go to the prom with you, Max." She pulled on his chin, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Was there ever any doubt?" Max gave her his special half smile, chuckling a little. "Well, no. Not really. I just, you know, wanted to ask." He caressed her cheek, his eyes focused on hers. "Our relationship hasn�t really been, I don�t know....traditional?....I just, wanted to ask. For tradition�s sake." "Max." Liz threw her arms around him, loving how thoughtful and caring he really was. "Could you get any sweeter?" Max laughed against her shoulder, placing a light kiss there before pulling back. "Well, I don�t really know about that." "I do, and I think you�re the sweetest guy in the whole world. And I love you for it." Liz gently rest her arms on Max�s shoulders, her fingers tickling the hair on his nape. "Was that all you were gonna ask me?" Max�s Adams apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. "Actually, that was the easy part. There�s.....there was something else I wanted to ask you, and I don�t want you to feel like you have to say yes, or anything. You can say no and I�d be completely ok with that- Liz placed her finger on Max�s lips, stopping their movement. "Max, if you don�t ask me what it is, I�ll never have a chance to say yes or no." Liz grinned when she elicited a small smile from Max from her comment. She stroked his neck, leaning into his embrace a little more. "Besides, I doubt I could ever say no to you." Max looked down for a second, his eyes filled with inner turmoil as he tried to figure out how to ask his question. He didn�t really know what he was expecting. The only thing he knew was he wanted to share this with Liz, and ask her for a little of her help. As close as he had become with all of their friends, Liz was still his best friend above all else. She was his other half. The person who completed him. If there was anyone he could talk about this with, it would be her. "You know that Noah�s birthday is coming up." Liz nodded, staying silent until Max finished talking. "Well, it�s also...." his voice caught in his throat as he continued speaking. The tears blurred his vision all of a sudden, making it hard to continue, but he did anyway. He could do this. "It�s also the anniversary of Tess� death." Liz put a hand to her mouth, her eyes darkening with sadness. "Oh, Max. I�m so sorry. I can�t believe I forgot.." Max waved away her apologies, with a shake of his head. "Don�t be sorry, Liz." He pulled her hand to his lips, giving it a kiss. "The reason why I�m bringing this up, was because I wanted to ask you a favor." He gave her a sad smile before continuing. "This is the part where you could decide whether you�re gonna do this or not." "Ask away, Max." "I...well, last year, on Noah�s birthday, Isabel and I took Noah down to see her, you know so she could see him. See how big he had gotten since he was born." Max had to choke the words past his lips as he remembered. "We couldn�t really stay long, because Noah wasn�t feeling too good that day. And well, this year, we won�t be able to go and visit her at all." The tears pooled in his eyes, eventually falling down his slightly flushed cheeks. "I know this is a really stupid idea, but....I thought that Isabel might like it.....I was thinking we could buy some flowers and plant them in our yard, kinda like in remembrance of her. That way, every time we see it, we�ll remember." Liz placed her hands on the sides of Max�s face. "I think that�s a great idea." In a timid voice, Max spoke. "You think so?" "I do. I think wherever Tess is right now, she�s looking down at you, loving you even more for being who you are. You�ve done such a great job raising Noah....She�d be proud of you Max." Liz�s own tears had fallen down her cheeks, wetting her shirt as they continued to fall. Max wiped away Liz�s tears, letting her do the same for him. "Isabel still has a hard time talking about her, as do I, but I was hoping you could go with me to pick out some flowers so Isabel and I could plant them together." Liz smiled despite the film of tears building in her eyes. "I�d be honored to, Max." Part 83 *********** Liz stood on the front porch step, her arms wrapped around Max. "Are you sure you don�t want to come in?" Max leaned forward, his bangs tickling Liz�s forehead. Liz shook her head, standing up on her tip toes as she placed a kiss on the tip of Max�s nose. "That�s ok. I�ve gotta get the rest of my government paper done." Her hand caressed the back of his head, as she let her nose nuzzle his. "And besides. I think this is something that you and Isabel should do together. Alone." Max placed his hands on the small of Liz�s back, pulling her closer to his body. "You know, you don�t have to leave. I want you to be a part of this, too." Liz smiled at him. "I know that, and you have no idea how much it means to me that you want to share this with me, but I think this is something that you need to do on your own." She brushed the hair off of his forehead, placing light kisses on his face. "In time, we can do this together, but for right now....." Liz flanked the sides of Max�s face bringing his face mere inches from hers. "We have the rest of our lives to do this together." She chuckled a little as she continued. "I think Tess might appreciate if it were just the two of you for right now." Max nodded, brushing his lips softly against Liz�s. "Ok. I�ll see you tomorrow. We can start on that cake." He gave her a wink, earning him a playful slap on the chest. Liz squeezed his hand, making her way down the steps and to her car. Before she could make it onto the last step, Max pulled her back, kissing her with a certainty that they would definitely be doing this together for the rest of their lives. "Thank you, Liz. For coming with me to the store today, for understanding, and most of all, for accepting things the way they are and being ok with it." "Max, you don�t need to thank me. I have the rest of my life to spend, thanking you for bringing me such joy and happiness. I can only hope that I can do the same for you." Max opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of Isabel�s voice from inside the house stopped him. Liz smiled at him, pushing him towards the front door. "Go. You can save the sweet talk for when you try to weasel a piece of cake from me tomorrow." Max waved as Liz drove away, taking a deep breath as he turned towards the house. He picked up the box of flowers that he had just bought, making his way into the house. "Iz?" Isabel bounded down the steps, smiling at Max. "Hey, Max. Was that Liz?" Max shut the door behind him, nodding his head in answer to her question. "Yeah." "Why didn�t you ask her to stay? She could�ve stayed for dinner." Max balanced the box in his hands, as he walked forward. "She was kinda busy." "Oh." Isabel placed her hands behind her back, almost skipping towards Max. "So, whatcha got there? It wouldn�t by any chance be for me would it?" She gave him a grin, the light reflecting off of her brown eyes, making them sparkle. Max�s lip twitched, as he spoke. "Sorta." He walked to the sliding door in the back, walking into the yard. "You think you could give me a hand?" Isabel closed the glass door behind her, walking cautiously down the steps. "You didn�t get a puppy, did you Max? Cause I don�t think mom and dad are gonna really let us have a pet right now." Max chuckled as he kneeled on the grass, opening up the box. "I didn�t get a puppy." Isabel gasped when she saw Max pulling out the flowers from the box, watching as he reached for some gardening tools. She walked slowly, coming to kneel down beside him. "Max, these are gorgeous." She held the pot of flowers to her nose to get a whiff of their scent. "What are these called?" Max started digging a hole, pausing long enough so he could smile in Isabel�s direction. "They�re called Forget Me Nots. I asked Liz to go with me to the flower shop off of Sierra. Liz and I kinda thought that the name was fitting. Besides, I think they�re kinda pretty." Max picked up the pot of flowers, handing them to Isabel. "I know that Noah�s birthday is in a few days, and I know that we�re gonna be celebrating his birth and all that.....but we�re also mourning the loss of Tess." Isabel found herself speechless as she continued to listen to Max talk. "I know that you and I promised each other that we would Noah down to visit her on his birthday.....but, it kinda....it�s getting more unlikely that we�re gonna be able to do that." Max fingered the soft petals of the flower a dismal smile on his lips. "I know that this is a poor replacement of that tradition. The truth is, we should be back in California, and we should be their to pay our respects and be there to tell Tess that we love her, but it�s virtually impossible for us to do that right now." Max paused, to wipe the tear from his eye with the back of his sleeve. "So I was thinking that we could plant these flowers in remembrance of her. That even though we�re miles and miles apart, we can remember every time we see these." Max could feel his chest tighten as he continued to speak, but he persevered. "I know it doesn�t make up for anything, but I thought it was something you and I could do together." The tears began to course down Isabel�s cheeks, making her skin glisten in the setting sun. "I know that you and I don�t talk too much about what happened, or even Tess herself. And I just wanted to take the opportunity now to apologize to you. I know that she was your best friend and that you loved her like a sister. When she....when she passed away, I acted as if I was the only one who lost her. I was too selfish to see that you were hurting too." Isabel shook her head, trying to get Max to stop apologizing, but he wouldn�t stop. "I�m so sorry, Iz. I know sorry will never be enough, but maybe it�s a start." Isabel threw her arms around Max, crying onto his shoulder. "You don�t have to apologize, Max. I know how difficult that was for you. I never expected you to just forget about what you were feeling just so you could help me through my problems." Max pulled away, shaking his head. "No. I should�ve been there for you." Isabel smiled, despite her tears. "It doesn�t matter now, Max. That�s all in the past. All we can do is move on and do this together. Tess� death was tragic. No one deserves what happened to her, but we can�t change that. As much as I wish it didn�t happen, a part of me knows that if those events didn�t happen, we never would have moved here. I never would�ve met Alex, and you would have missed out on finding Liz." Isabel watched as the color drained from Max�s face, but she reached a hand out to him, trying to reassure him. "I know you feel guilty about that, because I do to. When I have thoughts like that, I wonder what kind of person that makes me. And I realize that I�m just human, Max. Just like you are. We can�t help but have these thoughts or feelings. Just like we can�t help change the past." Isabel squeezed Max�s hand, trying to offer him some strength. "Things happen for a reason, and while we may never fully understand why they happen, there is something more to it. I believe that Tess is out there somewhere looking out for us." Isabel took the flowers from the pot, placing it into the hole that Max had dug. She reached for the dirt around it, covering it back up. She stood up, walking to get the watering can. After making sure that there was water in it, she handed it to Max. Max took a second before taking the can into his hands and watering the flowers. When he was done, he stood up beside Isabel, watching as the warm hues from the sunset lit the flowers in an iridescent glow. Isabel�s words echoed in Max�s head as he stood admiring their work. The sound of the sliding door caught his attention, a smile lighting his face as he watched Noah running down the porch steps with Diane hot on his heels. "Daddy!" Max kneeled down, catching Noah in his arms as he pummeled forward. He placed a kiss on his rosy cheeks, looking up into the sky with a happy smile. If Tess was up there somewhere, he hoped that she could see them now. Part 84 Rated: R *********** Isabel grabbed her purse from the kitchen table, keys in hand. �Ok, I�m gonna be gone for most of the morning. I still have a few more decorations I need to get before the party.� Max looked around the kitchen that was filled with boxes of party decorations. �Uh...Iz? Don�t you think that you have enough decorations?� He picked up a bag of Winnie the Pooh party hats, wondering who was going to wear them considering there were only a few kids coming to the party. Diane had invited the young couple from next door who had a little boy the same age as Noah, and a baby girl. And only the handful of kids from Noah�s play group were gonna show up. Isabel raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her brother, daring him to argue with her. When he just stood there, she walked backwards to the door. �I won�t be long.� Max nodded, putting the hats back down. When Isabel left, he grabbed the decorations, moving them into the living room. Liz was going to be over soon to bake the cake and they needed room to move. His lips curled at the corners as he thought about baking a cake with Liz, alone. His parents went to pick up their gift, taking Noah with them so Max and everyone could set up for the party. It wasn�t so much a surprise party, more like giving Max a reprieve while setting everything up. ************* Liz cut the engine of her car, taking care to bring everything inside the house. Reaching out a shaky hand to ring the doorbell, Liz was startled out of her skin when the door flew open. �Hey.� Max stepped forward, taking on a majority of Liz�s load as he moved aside to let her in. �Thanks.� She gave Max a peck on the cheek as she looked around the living room. �Ok, where do the presents go?� Max looked thoughtful for a moment before making a face. �Might as well just put it anywhere for now. Izzie will just rearrange everything a million times when she gets back.� He looked to the grocery bags in his hands, lifting them up in the air. �Where to?� �Kitchen. I�ll be there in a sec. I�ll just put this stuff down.� Max nodded, walking into the kitchen. He took out the contents of the plastic bags, laughing when he saw three boxes of cake mix. �What�s so funny?� Max held up the three boxes of cake mix, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. �Why, Liz? What�s with all of the cake mix?� Liz could feel the heat rising from her neck, but she decided to play it cool. �Get your mind out of the gutter, Max. The party is gonna start in a few hours, and we certainly don�t have time- Liz found herself unable to finish her sentence as Max pulled her up against his chest, a wolfish grin on his lips. �Don�t have time for what?� Liz tried to look away from his amber gaze, knowing that she was gonna be a lost cause if she did. She placed her palms on his chest, a small smile playing on her lips as she felt his pecs flex under her touch. Her eyes followed the path of her fingers, finally looking up to stare in the depthless amber pools of his eyes. The way he was looking at her made her body feel like putty in his hands, which of course was nothing but the truth. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt Max lean forward, his breath mingling with hers, making her anticipate his next move. Boy was she glad that she bought the cake mix. It would give them more time to ah....what was the word? All thought fled her mind as Max began placing light kisses on her face, starting at her forehead, then her closed eyelids, between her eyes, the tip of her nose, and then the corners of her lips, never touching his lips to hers. A smile broke out on her face at his tenderness, the way he always made her feel loved, feel delicate, like she was the most precious thing in the world. Before she could mull over those thoughts, his lips captured hers in a delicate kiss, lightly tasting, and nipping. Liz could feel all of her nerve endings stand to attention as he stepped forward, placing his hands on the small of her back. A small whimper escaped her lips when he reached for her tush, pulling her body flush against his, making it hard for her to determine where she began and where he ended. But at this point in time, she could hardly care. The way they were pressed up against each other, she could feel every movement of his body, and she meant everything. His delicate kisses changed their tune when her hands ran the expanse of his back, her hands cupping his butt. The moan that floated from his lips caused a vibrating sensation to pass over his lips to hers, making her open her mouth to release a groan. Max took advantage, his hands flanking the sides of her face, pulling her up to stand on her tip toes. His velvety tongue sought hers out, a simultaneous sound of pleasure erupting from both of them at the first touch of their tongues. Max brought her face closer, wanting to taste every part of her mouth, not wanting anything to be over looked. Liz loved his thoroughness as he seeked to give her pleasure with his mouth. Her hands gripped his tush tight in her palms, pushing his arousal towards her as she arched forward. The animalistic groan that came from his lips excited her, making her repeat the process, her hips beginning a rhythm against his. With what sounded like a growl, Liz felt herself being pulled up, as Max wrapped her legs around his waist, his legs walking forward blindly. Liz�s gasp made Max open his eyes, a small laugh bubbling from his throat. Liz untangled her legs from around Max�s waist, sitting up to pull her skirt to cover her behind. �Shut up. It�s not funny.� Liz poked him in the chest, as she spoke. �You try sitting on a cold tile surface with no pants on.� Max gave her a sly look, moving up against the kitchen counter. He spread Liz�s legs apart, coming to stand between them. Without looking down, his hands began massaging her legs, slowly creeping up until they disappeared under her skirt. His fingers danced around the lace of her panties, his hands cupping her butt, pulling her until she was directly in line with his body. Max licked his lips as his hand flittered across the crotch of her panties, causing Liz to throw her head back in abandon, leaving her neck exposed for his taking. His lips began a wet trail down her neck, his arousal throbbing painfully in his pants when he heard Liz�s broken pants, his name a mantra on her lips. �Max....Max......Max...� ************ �Max?....Max!� Max jumped back at the sound of Liz�s voice. His eyes took a second to focus, taking in his surroundings. From the looks of things, he was still in the kitchen the box of cake mix in his hands. �What?� Liz came up to stand in front of him, her arms running over his shoulders in a light massage. �I don�t know. I was hoping you could tell me. I came into the kitchen and you were holding the cake mix in your hands. You had this dazed expression on your face.� Max smiled, shaking his head. �I was? I�m sorry, I guess I was just day dreaming.� Liz linked her hands behind his head, her eyes dancing with a mischievous glint. �Must have been some day dream.� Max grinned at her, placing a kiss on her lips. �It was.� Liz�s curiosity piqued at the look of desire in Max�s eyes, exciting her beyond belief. �Care to share?� Max took a step forward, his hands automatically reaching for Liz�s tush. A devilish smile plastered itself on his lips as he intended to show her just exactly what he had been day dreaming about, when an obnoxious knocking sound came from the door. �Open up! We�ve got food and we�ve got plenty of it.� The sound of Maria�s unnaturally cheery voice seeped through the house, causing Max and Liz to both groan in sexual frustration. Back Next |