Settling deeper in the bucket seat, Laura's eyelids drooped with fatigue as she rested two fingers on the bottom of the steering wheel, leisurely guiding her Pontiac Sunfire as it rolled down the Stevenson Expressway.
'Rolling' at a snail's pace of 15mph, to be exact. She sighed heavily, riding the brakes as she had for the last 20 minutes, staring with frustration at the seemingly endless line of brake lights ahead of her. It was Friday afternoon rush hour, the traffic heading northeast into the city backed up bumper to bumper. The windows were closed and the air-conditioning going full blast, as was the radio, in an attempt to keep out the dust and the noise of the construction crews who were not-so-busily tearing apart the roadway off to her left. Three lanes of traffic narrowed down to two on the busy highway, as it had for months now. "Only six more months of this to look forward to," she muttered sarcastically to herself, trying to keep calm. Even though it was a relatively pleasant summer day outside, the sun beat down through the windshield, making her sweat slightly, in spite of the air-conditioning.
Then she sighed, muttering again, "I don't know what I'm in a hurry to get home for... Nothing special to look forward to *this* weekend, is there...?" She brushed away the wetness from the corners of her eyes, wishing she could somehow forget about the CrowesNest and all its inhabitants. Ordinarily, she'd be anxious to get home and get ready to head out for another wonderful weekend with Tina and Michelle and Peaches and all the Boyz... and Maximus...
But that wouldn't be happening ever again, would it?, she thought bitterly. She'd thrown it all away for some stupid fling with Sid 6.7, and now she could never go back. Sid seemed to think he owned her now, and wouldn't leave her alone, tormenting her whenever he had the chance. Worst of all, Sid was tormenting Max as well. It was no wonder he wouldn't even talk to her anymore. She'd made his life miserable too, and as long as Sid was around to constantly rub it in their faces, it would be impossible to salvage their relationship. Leaving was the only sensible thing to do. Even though it had felt like she'd torn her heart out to leave Maximus behind, she knew it was the best thing for everyone, especially the Spaniard. Maybe now, once things settled down, he could find happiness with someone else. All the other ladies in the CrowesNest were wonderful people, and even though it was hard to imagine Max with someone else, she truly wished him well. After all the terrible things he'd had to endure in 'Gladiator', the man deserved some happiness and peace at long last.
She sighed again, turning her attention back to the traffic, hoping it wouldn't take too much longer to reach her exit.
Ten minutes later, she came to the ramp, and held on tight to the wheel as the Pontiac bounced along on the rough pavement. After a few hundred feet, the orange construction cones and barricades disappeared, and she merged onto LaGrange Road. Letting out a sigh of relief, she tapped the accelerator, matching the speed of the other traffic, zooming southward towards her apartment building. At the last minute, she decided to make a little detour, heading for the strip mall a few blocks from home. She pulled up next to the China Garden restaurant, hopping out of the car to put in an order for her favorite fried rice and Mongolian Beef. After a short wait and a brief chat with the owner, she was back in the car, enjoying the smell coming from the large brown paper bag. She was in no mood to cook, and the wonderful Chinese food would last her for a couple days at least.
It was a short drive over to the apartment complex, and she pulled into the parking lot, smiling as she spotted an empty parking space right in front of her apartment windows.
Struggling with her bags and packages, Laura climbed out of the car, setting the Chinese carryout bag on top of the roof. As she shut the car door, she glanced briefly towards the main door to the apartment building, noticing that there was a tall, broad-shouldered white man with short dark hair and a beard, tan pants and a white short-sleeved polo shirt standing off the side, staring in her direction. For a moment she thought to herself that the man looked like Maximus...
Then she shook her head, blinking back a few tears. It seemed like *every* man with short dark hair and a beard reminded her of Max or Russell Crowe. She had gotten used to seeing Russell's face every time she turned around when she was in the CrowesNest, so now, she had come to expect to see him all the time.
Better get over that pretty quick, she scolded herself, knowing that she was going to have to learn to get over it. That was over and done with now; it was time to move on with her life. She would never see Maximus again...
As she gathered the bags into her arms and over her shoulder, she suddenly stopped.... The man's dark hair was cut *exactly* like Russell Crowe's in 'Gladiator'. She looked up slowly, and her heart leapt into her throat as her eyes locked with the man who was slowly walking towards her, with a gait she would know *anywhere*.
Maximus!
Her jaw dropped open as she stared in shock. "Oh my god..." she muttered. He had a slight smile on his face as he came nearer, bowing his head to her slightly for a moment in that very characteristic gesture of his. Her arms shook as she became lightheaded, dropping everything at her feet. He walked around the cars as she just stood there, thunderstruck, unable to believe her eyes. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes, but when she looked up again, he was still there, closer now.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said with a trace of a grin. God, that *voice*! The low baritone was unmistakable!
"I think I have..." He stopped a few feet in front of her, and she hesitantly reached out and touched his arm. "Oh, God, you're real!" she exclaimed. "I - I thought I was hallucinating."
"Of course I'm real," Maximus said with an amused smile.
"But -- But how!?" Laura stammered. "You -- You can't leave the CrowesNest... Unless..." She looked around the parking lot. "Unless... Are some of the girls here? Michelle, did she bring you?"
"No. Michelle helped me and allowed me to travel here. But I'm alone," he replied.
"But how did you find the place? Michelle has my address, but how did *you* manage to find this place all by yourself...?" She stood there, gawking at him, feeling very much like she had the day she'd first visited the CrowesNest. It couldn't be him -- it just *couldn't*, not standing here in front of her apartment...!
He paused. "How do you manage to find the CrowesNest?"
"Well... I don't know. I just... do..." She shrugged.
"It's much like that for me. I just... knew somehow where to find you. Just as you are drawn to us in the CrowesNest... I am drawn to you... I've been waiting here for you to come home, Laura," he said softly, staring into her eyes.
And her heart melted. "Oh, Max..." She stared back at him, but her broad smile faded as she began to remember why she'd left the CrowesNest in the first place. "But I -- I thought you weren't speaking to me anymore," she said, lowering her gaze to stare down at the pavement.
Maximus sighed heavily and replied, "That's what I came to see to you about. I wanted to speak to you at the hotel ... But they said you'd gone... for good."
"Yea," she said quietly. "Did you get my note?" He nodded, and she looked back into his eyes. "What did you want to talk about...?"
"I ---" He stopped, glancing over as a couple with a little girl in tow passed nearby, staring at them. "Must we discuss this out here...? May I come in?"
"Oh! Yes... yes of course!" She blinked a few times, snapping back to 'reality' as she realized they were standing in the middle of the parking lot with all her belongings lying at her feet. She knelt down, picking up her bags.
"Let me help you," Maximus said, taking most of the bags from her as she retrieved the large brown paper bag containing the Chinese carry-out from the roof of the car. "My things are over there," he said, gesturing towards the main door to the apartment building. He followed her there, waiting as she opened it with her key, and held it open for her, afterwards quickly retrieving his duffel bag.
"My place is just down the hall," she said, leading him through the lobby and past the elevator, then down the hall a few doors before she stopped in front of #106. She pulled out her key ring again, and unlocked the door, pushing it open. She paused there. "Go on in."
Maximus shook his head. "Ladies first."
Laura nodded and walked in the darkened hallway, Maximus close behind. She waited until he had passed by, then closed the steel door, locking the deadbolt while flipping on the hallway and adjoining kitchen lights. "Well, this is it," she said. "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." She looked around the living room, wincing. "Sorry about the mess -- I wasn't expecting company..."
He glanced around the room; it didn't seem like a mess to him. Most noticeable were the stacks of books and videotapes. "It looks fine to me," he said as he set down the bags.
Placing the carry-out bag on the kitchen counter, she said, "I picked up some Chinese food on the way home -- There's plenty to share; they always give me twice as much as I could possibly eat."
"I'm not hungry."
She stood there for a moment, silent, not knowing quite what to say to him. "I'd give you the grand tour, but there's not much to see. Just this," she said, indicating the open kitchen/dining room/living room, "and the computer room. Also known as my bedroom..." She pointed to the adjoining room.
He looked around, smiling softly at the large 'Gladiator' poster on the living room wall. "Very nice... You said you live alone? No roommate?"
"Nope, it's all mine... Can I get you something to drink?"
"Actually, yes. Just some water. I've been out there waiting for quite some time."
"Oh? How long?" she asked as she went to the refrigerator.
"I'm not sure. Two, maybe three hours..."
"Oh, my...! It's a good thing it's such a nice day. I wish I'd known you were coming, though. Maybe I could have left work early." She pulled out some bottled water. "I almost stopped to go shopping too on my way home; you'd have been waiting quite a while longer if I'd done that."
"I would have waited as long as it took," he said, staring at her as she poured the water into a glass. She smiled softly, blushing a little, and he excused himself, going into the bathroom and shutting the door.
When he came back out, she handed him the glass of water. "Thank you..." He gulped it down quickly, and as he finished it, she went back to the fridge and pulled out another bottle.
"Guess you were thirsty." Maximus nodded, setting down the glass. They stared at each other once more.
"You, uh... You said you wanted to talk..." Laura said awkwardly.
He nodded, moving towards the sofa. "Would you sit with me?" Laura hung back for a moment, fidgeting with the water bottle, then set it down on the counter before she walked slowly over to the sofa and sat down beside him. She could not look him in the eye, instead staring down at her hands which she kept folded in her lap. "When they told me you'd left the hotel for good, I didn't believe them. Until John told me you'd taken everything with you. Except my wolf's fur cloak..." He swallowed hard, and reached into his pocket and pulled out her letter, unfolding it. "And this." He stared at her face, but she still could not meet his eyes. "Why did you leave like that, without even saying goodbye...?"
There was a long pause before she answered. "I did leave you the note... It's my fault that Sid said those horrible things to you... about your family." She heard him sigh softly. "And it's my fault for falling for his lies... I didn't want you to get hurt any more than you already were, because of me. I thought that Sid might leave you alone if I left... Besides, I didn't see any point in staying, considering you'd told me you didn't want to have anything to do with me again..." She stopped briefly, blinking away the tears brimmed in her eyes. "I couldn't stand it that you wouldn't talk to me. The CrowesNest was so special to me... because *you* were special to me, Maximus." He sighed again but did not respond. "I knew I'd miss everyone else -- I'd made some great friends, both with the other Boyz, and the other women who come there too. But that wasn't enough to make me stay, especially not with Sid making my life miserable too... So I packed up and left... I thought the note said it all..."
"You should have come to me first; I would have listened."
"Would you, Max? I'd tried to talk to you a couple of times, but you kept shutting me down. I thought it was best just to make a clean break. Besides... Sid was scaring me, and I had to get away."
"I had no idea he was doing that to you; stalking you and harassing you like that and sneaking into your room. John told me you asked him not to tell me -- why?"
"Because I didn't want you to feel like you had to come to my rescue like some damsel in distress. I created the problem; it was my responsibility to deal with what I'd done. If we were going to be together again, I didn't want it to be because you felt sorry for me."
"I am not here because I feel sorry for you; I'm here because I want you to come back with me." He raised his hand, laying it gently on her shoulder, and her face began to brighten.
"Really? You want me back in the CrowesNest?" He nodded. "Does... does this mean you want to try to work things out...?" she asked hesitantly.
"I would not be here if I didn't."
"Oh, Max..." She moved towards him, hesitantly laying a hand on his shoulder. When he began to smile softly, she dissolved into tears of relief, and she let him pull her into his arms, wrapping her arms around his chest and hugging him tight. "I'm so sorry, so very sorry... I never meant to hurt you."
Maximus kissed the top of her forehead and stroked her hair. "... I know."
She gasped slightly, and pulled back to look into his eyes. "You do...?"
Nodding, he replied, "Sid is very skilled at manipulating people. He has a talent for twisting the truth to suit him. The CrowesNest can be disorienting at first -- Sid took advantage of that. And, as I've discovered recently, you are not the only one who finds Sid... attractive." He could not quite keep the distaste out of his voice when he said the word. "While I will never understand how that could be so, I can at least accept that it could be true. And, even though I do not like to admit it, we are brothers. Physically, we are nearly identical, and that was surely confusing to you."
She drew back, shaking her head. "No. As much as I'd like to rationalize and excuse what I did, and blame it on Sid, I can't do that. Truth is, I was just plain stupid. Sid got to me that day, and I... I let my glands do my thinking for me and..." She looked away, as did he. "Well, you know the rest. It's not a pleasant thing to think about, but it happened, and we have to deal with it."
Maximus nodded slowly. "You're right; we do." He cupped her face in his hand. "As a citizen of Rome, I was raised to believe certain things about the relationship between men and women. Those things are not easy for me to forget. I know it is a new world here, and I try to see things as all of you do... but it is not easy..." He lowered his head, dropping his hand to his side. "When I think of you, with him..." He stopped, breathing hard through his nose. "All I want to do is strangle him..."
"And me too...." She swallowed hard, trembling a bit when he nodded.
"Sometimes, yes..." he admitted. Eventually, he looked back up into her eyes. "I do not understand... But I want to understand."
She lowered her eyes. "I'm not sure I understand most of the time," she said quietly. "I know this is going to sound like I'm making excuses again, but I'm not... Thing is, when I first got here... It didn't seem real. None of it. You're all characters from movies, for god's sake. It was just like a crazy dream. I saw you and the rest of the guys as just some two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. Walking, talking fantasies. I didn't see you as real people, with emotions and feelings and minds of your own. I never realized just how much you meant to me, and just how much I could possibly hurt you... until I saw the look in your eyes when I told you about Sid..." She sniffled, choking back her emotions. "I'm so terribly sorry I hurt you. I know I can't change what happened in the past, but, please, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, just give me a second chance." She stared into his eyes. "I swear, I won't ever make the mistake of taking you for granted ever again...." She looked at him, holding her breath.
"You're right... We can't go back and pretend it never happened... But... I believe what you've told me," he said as he looked up into her eyes. "Perhaps... we can try to start over again." A corner of his mouth turned up into a small smile as he raised a hand to her face, caressing her cheek before pushing a few errant locks of hair back over her ear.
She brightened, but wasn't quite sure of what she was hearing. "You mean that? You'll take me back...?"
His smile widened, and he nodded, pulling her closer. "How could I not? I was drawn to you, just as you were drawn to the CrowesNest... and me."
She beamed, smiling with relief. "You have no idea how much you mean to me." She reached up to stroke his beard. "I'd have been heart-broken if I could never come back to the CrowesNest again."
"As would I," he said, smiling back, as he leaned forward until his lips hesitantly met hers. He pulled her closer, into a deepening kiss, and they molded against one another, wrapping themselves around each other in a loving embrace. "I've missed this," he whispered as he hugged her, holding her against his broad chest, lowering his head to nuzzle her neck.
"So have I." She sighed, stroking his back as he nibbled her ear.
"Mmmm." The sound rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating through to her, making her body tremble slightly. He pulled back a few moments later, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I should ask this before we get too involved... Did you have plans tonight? Can you stay with me now...?"
She smiled. "Even if I had plans -- which I don't -- I'd cancel them. Actually, I'm free tomorrow too. I had wanted to go shopping and take care of some things around the apartment... But they can wait." She kissed him softly on the lips.
"So I have you all to myself? No one will interrupt us?" His hands caressed her shoulders and back.
She nodded. "We're all alone -- I'll even unplug the phone." Her breath was already starting to quicken at the hungry look in his eyes. "But what about you? How long can you stay?"
"A few days; I cannot be away from the CrowesNest for long, even if you are here with me. But," he smiled as he stroked her hair. "There is plenty of time for us to be alone and become... reacquainted."
She smiled again. "I like the sound of that."
"I thought you might," he replied, eyes twinkling as he chuckled softly.
They stared into each other's eyes, smiling, and she laid her forehead against his, sighing. "Hold me..." He gathered her into his arms, hugging her against his chest, softly kissing the top of her head. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again... much less hold you like this..." She squeezed him tight.
"Neither did I, when I read that note..." He kissed her forehead. "Thank the gods Michelle was able to send me here..." He pulled back, gently putting his hands on both sides of her face. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
"I won't; I promise," she whispered.
He stared into her eyes, softly stroking her hair, then leaned towards her, tilting his head slightly as he moved to kiss her. Their lips met in a tender kiss, which quickly deepened as their mouths opened to one another, tongues seeking out the warmth of each other's mouths. They leaned back against the sofa, getting comfortable together. Slowly he pulled her closer, swinging her legs up onto the sofa until she was sitting across his lap. His forehead bumped against her glasses, and he smiled, gently taking them off her face and laying them aside on the end table. He pulled her against him more intimately now, mouth refusing to surrender hers as his tongue dove deep into her mouth. His hands caressed her shoulders and back, then moved underneath her shirt, pushing it up until he reached the clasp on the back of her bra.
He paused there, fumbling with the clasp, unable to undo the fastenings, still kissing her all the while. Eventually she smiled, chuckling softly as she broke away. "Let me do that, okay?" she said, reaching behind her to release the clasp. He scowled briefly at how quickly she had been able to do it, and she smiled again. "Years of practice, you know," she said, then moved back into his embrace, kissing him passionately. His hands moved under her shirt again, caressing the bare skin of her back before one moved forward, pushing her bra out of the way as it sought out her breast.
She moaned softly as he fondled her, his large warm hands kneading the soft flesh and his fingers teasing the nipples until they grew hardened and aroused. She was breathing hard, as was he, their passion quickly beginning to escalate. Although it had only been two and a half weeks since they'd been together like this, it seemed liked an eternity had passed, and both were eager to make love to one another again. He shifted, pulling her with him as he started to lie down on the sofa, laying her beside him as he slowly hitched up her shirt, fingers drawing abstract designs across her abdomen, moving ever higher as he kissed her deeply once more. Shifting again, he brought his legs up onto the sofa.
And managed to knock one of his heavy boots against the wooden arm of the sofa, making a rather loud noise, startling them both. Both paused and pulled back, smiling and then laughing quietly as they stared into each other's eyes. "Perhaps we should move elsewhere," he said, glancing towards the bedroom. "I think your bed will be more comfortable than here."
"I think so too," she said as they both sat up. He rose to his feet, pulling her with him, then bent down to slip his arm behind her knees, starting to sweep her up into his arms. But she resisted, saying, "Wait; no, not yet." His brow furrowed in confusion as he set her back down, and she quickly added, "Give me a couple minutes, okay?" She kissed him quickly, then slipped out of his arms, and he watched as she went to the stereo. Tuning the radio to a soft, easy-listening station, she smiled as she crossed over to the opposite wall, turning off the lights. "This will make things a little more romantic," she said, moving into the kitchen to put the Chinese food into the refrigerator. He watched with amusement as she went towards the bedroom. "I'm going to slip into something a bit more... 'comfortable'," she smiled, "so wait for me out here, okay? In the meantime, you can get more 'comfortable' too," she said, winking at him.
Chuckling softly, he replied, "Just don't take too long. I'm not a very patient man at the moment."
She just smiled and said, "I think it'll be worth the wait, General," then scurried into the bedroom. A few moments later, she came back out with something clutched in her hands, heading into the bathroom. He made a move to follow her, but she giggled as she shut the door. "Stay there!"
The door shut, and Maximus stared at it a few moments, shaking his head and smiling. Then he sat down, taking off his boots and socks. He stripped off his shirt, folding it neatly and laying it across the back of the sofa. Then he stood, starting to unbuckle his belt, when his gaze wandered over to the bookshelves nearby, and the word "Rome" in large letters on the spine of one book caught his eye. He walked over and pulled the thick volume off the shelf. 'A History of Rome' by Michael Grant. He looked closer at the rest of the books, noticing nearly a dozen more that were related to Roman history in some way. He scanned over the rest of the bookshelf, noting that the majority of them were history books. It hardly came as surprise, however; Laura had always told him she'd been a history buff, and particularly fascinated with the Romans. But it was interesting to see just exactly where her interests lay. He flipped open the book in his hand, always curious about how Roman history had flowed after the reign of Commodus. He had plenty of books on the subject himself, given to him by various people in the CrowesNest, but it was endlessly fascinating to him to read different perspectives on the subject.
He'd been flipping through the book for a couple minutes, lost in thought, when he heard the bathroom door open. He glanced up... and nearly dropped the book when Laura re-emerged from the bathroom.
She had taken her hair out of the ponytail, and her long brown hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back. She was now dressed in a black satin and lace teddy and matching panties... which left precious little to the imagination. He swallowed hard, setting the book back on the shelf, whispering, "You're beautiful..."
"You like it?" she said as she ran her hands down her hips provocatively. "It's the best I could do on such short notice."
"I love it," he said, smiling as he walked towards her. "Very sexy." He came up to her, gathering her in his arms, bending down to kiss her as she stood on tiptoe. They kissed slowly, but with an underlying passion, as his large hands settled on her buttocks, pulling her against him as they kissed.
"I thought you were going to get more comfortable too," she said in between kisses. "You left your pants on."
"Well," he said, grinning, his voice deep and husky, "I thought you might take care of those for me..." His hips pressed against hers, and she felt his growing arousal.
She kissed him again, then pulled back to whisper, "I think I can do that..." She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, caressing the lean, well-muscled biceps. He was such a deliciously well-built man overall, but particularly in the upper-body, with strong arms and a broad, firm chest. She nuzzled his neck below his ear, her fingers tracing lazy circles around his shoulder blades as his own hands entwined themselves in her silky hair. Then she began to slide down his body, leaving a trail of kisses down from his throat to his chest, stopping to focus her attention on his left nipple. Just above it lay the small birthmark that Maximus shared with all his brothers, and she kissed it lovingly, listening to his quiet noises of approval, before moving lower. Her lips skimmed across the washboard muscles of his abdomen, dropping ever lower until she was kneeling in front of him.
She ran her hand slowly over the growing hardness beneath the fabric of his pants, listening to him sigh and groan with pleasure. She unbuckled the belt slowly, teasingly, then unbuttoned and unzipped his fly with equal slowness. Maximus was breathing hard now, his hands resting on the top of her head as she pulled his pants down off his hips. Marveling once again at his huge, muscled thighs, she pressed her mouth against his navel, kissing it softly, her tongue darting out to tease its recesses as her hand began to stroke the length of him through the boxer shorts. She felt him shudder as he drew a sharp breath, his manhood stiffening further beneath her hand.
After a few more loving caresses, her hands went to the waistband of his boxers, sliding them down off his hips, all the way down to his ankles to join his pants. She helped him step out of them both, then moved him back a couple feet until he was leaning against the wall. She looked up at his face, smiling at the enraptured, hungry expression on his face as he gazed down at her, gently grasping her head and guiding it towards his erection as his hips thrust slightly forward. Her arms went around his hips, grasping his firm, lean ass, as she put her mouth on him. He gasped, whispering her name as his head tilted back, then muttered, "Oh, gods...."
She ran her lips and tongue down the length of him before wrapping her mouth around the semi-erect head. He made soft, unintelligible moans and grunts as she took him deep into her mouth, while one hand moved to cup his balls, stroking and caressing them. He quickly grew harder until the blood had fully engorged his throbbing maleness. He was panting as his heart pounded, nearly whimpering with pleasure as her mouth and tongue sucked and teased him unmercifully. He kept whispering her name, encouraging her to take him deeper, and she did, until he was nearly mindless with desire and longing. As her tongue teased his sensitive tip, she felt him shudder deeply, his hands tightening their grip on her shoulders as he whispered, "More... I'm nearly there..." Panting loudly, he thrust his hips in rhythm with her, and she squeezed his balls gently, firmly stroking the base of his shaft as she sucked harder until she knew he was about to come.
She took him deep, and held on tight as his hips bucked, and he came with a loud groan, spilling his seed within her hot mouth, and she swallowed his essence. She licked his manhood as it began to go limp again, and Maximus slumped against the wall, his knees nearly giving out beneath him. She let him come back to himself in his own time, softly caressing the tight curves of his buttocks. Eventually, he stirred again, opening his eyes, and she stood up, letting him fold her into his embrace. Sighing contentedly, he kissed the top of her head, caressing her face before bending down to kiss her. They kissed deeply, passionately, sensually rubbing their bodies against one another. Finally Maximus drew back and spoke, "That was wonderful... You've never done that before; not like that." He kissed her again. "I enjoyed that very much, my love."
She beamed at him. "I wanted to show you just how much I care about you, and how much you mean to me. By the time this weekend is over, I want there to be no doubt in your mind that you're the only one that matters to me."
"I think I already know that..." A slow smile spread across his face. "But I certainly will not object to further demonstrations like that."
"I didn't think you would," she said, giggling softly. He smiled down at her, his hands amorously caressing her hips and sides, moving to cup her breasts. His thumbs stroked the already hardened nipples through the satin of her teddy, and it was her turn to moan, shuddering slightly. As he lowered his head to nuzzle her ear, he kept teasing her nipples, muttering, "You like that, don't you...?"
"You know I do..." she moaned quietly, a wet heat already building between her legs, her panties dampening.
"Let's get you to bed then," he said, bending to slip his arm behind her knees, sweeping her up into his arms. She did not object this time, smiling and laughing giddily as he carried her into the bedroom. The bed had already been turned down, and he laid her down beside him as they slid between the cool sheets.
They kissed once more, his hand entwining itself in her long, silky hair as his other hand fondled her breasts. He made love to her with his lips, tongue probing deep into her willing mouth while his fingers played with her nipples just the way she liked, softly stroking the sensitive tips while occasionally squeezing them between his strong blunt fingers. She was moaning quietly, trembling with anticipation as he caressed her through the satin fabric. "I love this outfit," he said, "You look wonderful in black... but I want to see more... and I know what you want..." He slid the strap off one shoulder, sliding the teddy down until one large, firm breast was exposed. He rubbed the nipple with his fingers, and she sighed contentedly. Then he slid down her body, pausing as his mouth hovered a few millimeters from her breast. His tongue flicked out to brush across the nipple, and she moaned softly as he played with it with the tip of his tongue for a minute or two. Then he pulled her to him, covering the nipple with his lips, drawing it deep into his mouth, sucking gently.
She moaned again, her hands lovingly caressing his back and shoulders and flank, then his face and hair. She pressed herself against him, responding to his ministrations. She quivered in anticipation as one hand drifted down her side and across her leg to rest near her thighs, gently stroking with one finger. She spread her legs apart in anticipation, but his hand merely brushed across her inner thighs but went no higher. He was sucking hard on her breast now, nipping at it with his teeth from time to time, and as the heat between her legs grew more intense, the longing and desire become unbearable. "Max... I want you..." she muttered. "I need you..."
"Patience..." he whispered, "...patience..."
She smiled briefly. "I thought you were the one who was impatient..."
"That was before..." He put his mouth on her again, sucking hard, and she whimpered softly, rubbing her hips against him. He kept stroking her thighs, and her impatience grew.
"Touch me... please, Max," she breathed.
"Whatever you want, love," he whispered, and his hand trailed leisurely up her thigh until his fingers brushed across the damp fabric at the crotch of her panties. She moaned loudly, feeling the muscles flutter and contract at the contact with her most sensitive spots.
"More..." she muttered, starting to push her panties down. He let her pull away long enough to pull off the panties, and then the teddy, and then they were able to press against one another, completely naked now. She guided his hand back between her legs, sighing loudly when he brushed across her wet folds. She shuddered when his fingers found her clit, and she began to writhe against him. "More... Max, please... more..." He was being frustratingly slow and deliberate until she felt as though she was going to explode if she didn't come soon. She pushed against his hand, and finally he rubbed harder and quicker, his free hand finding the breast he wasn't already suckling, fondling the nipple. She trembled, feeling the tension build in her belly until she finally came with a load groan, crying out his name, curling her body around his. At long last, two of his thick fingers slid into her slick channel as her body spasmed wildly around them. She ground her hips against his hand, trying to deepen the penetration as he kept rubbing her clit. The orgasm kept coming, and she cried out again in ecstasy as she felt him roll her onto her back. He slid on top of her, covering her body with his, pushing her legs far apart with his knee until she felt his cock brush against her folds, and she gasped. "Max, I need you inside me," she pleaded, and in a moment, he had filled her completely, sliding in to the hilt in one quick thrust. They both groaned now as he pulled out part way, then thrust back in with deliberate slowness.
"I want this to last," he whispered as he buried his face against her neck, covering her throat with tiny kisses as his hips thrust against hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting his thrusts, trying to quicken his pace, but he took control, slowing the pace for them both. He pumped in and out of her warm, wet channel with a gentle rhythm, letting them both build to another orgasm together, with plenty of time to enjoy the pleasures they were giving one another.
Neither said much, their mutual groans and moans eventually coming in unison as they coupled, the sweet friction between them growing so intense it blocked all other thought from their minds. Occasionally he managed to fondle or suckle her breasts, which drove her ever further into a lust-induced haze, until she was writhing and groaning beneath him before another orgasm rippled through her body. Feeling her tighten around him spurred him to thrust ever faster until he was pounding into her, and smaller orgasms rumbled through her body like aftershocks, driving Maximus into a frenzy until he too finally came, crying out her name as his body pumping its essence deep into hers...
Sometime later, when both had settled back to earth, she cuddled up against his chest, thinking to herself how grateful she was that it wasn't necessary to worry about 'protection' with him. She could let herself go, and so could he, without worrying about a condom or other birth control. She knew it bothered Maximus that, like all his other brothers in the CrowesNest, he was sterile and could not father a child, so she never said anything out loud, but it was enormous comfort to her that there would be no 'surprises' in nine months.
"Was that what you wanted?" she heard him whisper, and she snuggled closer, moaning affirmatively, feeling warm and safe and happy in his strong arms again. He ran his hands along her back and through her hair, and she sighed contentedly. He kissed her face, then lay quietly with her for a time before sighing too, this time with a bit of regret. "I hate to do this, but I have to get up..." he said as he slowly disengaged from her. She moaned her disapproval, clutching at him briefly before opening her eyes and releasing him. He kissed her tenderly, then climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom.
She lay there for a few seconds, smiling blissfully as she looked around the room. Her gaze fell on her PC, and then the bulletin board next to it. It was covered with pictures of Russell Crowe from many of his movies... including pictures of Sid... And one of Commodus and Maximus from 'Gladiator'. "Oh, my..." she muttered, climbing out of bed and snatching her robe from the hook on the back of the closet door. She started to take the bulletin board down, but then stopped, not knowing what she would do with it once she took it down. Besides, the pictures weren't *that* bad; hopefully he wouldn't mind seeing them. She glanced towards the bathroom, then turned on the PC. She hadn't checked her personal email since she'd left for work in the morning, and she couldn't resist logging on for a minute.
She had just signed on and was downloading her email when Maximus returned. He stood in the doorway, staring at her with a confused and rather bemused look. "What are you doing...?"
She blushed slightly. "Uh... Just thought I'd check my email for a minute...." She looked at the subjects and senders of the emails, and smiled. "Looks like a lot of people want to know what's going on." She opened up an email from Michelle with a subject line that read "A package is on its way". She read the note, then laughed. "Seems like everyone wants to know if a certain 'package' arrived here safely." She looked over her shoulder at him. "I guess you could say that you're a 'special delivery'." She grinned. "They want to know how it's going..."
He scowled playfully. "Tell them it's none of their business," he grumbled. She chuckled and started to type a reply, but then he said, "No, wait. Tell them I arrived safely, and I will be here for a few days. And don't say *anything* else."
"But it's Michelle -- surely I can tell *her*."
He shook his head. "No. This is our time together. They'll all find out what happened when we get back." She saw him glance at the bulletin board, and do a double take... But he did not say a word, instead turning back to watch her type.
She typed what he had said, then asked, "Aw, come on; she'll kill me if I don't give her details."
"She'll live. Send it like it is," he insisted, and she nodded reluctantly, sighing as she hit the send button.
"Okay, fine.... But what about Tina? I have to tell HER!"
"No," he said firmly, leaning over her and putting his hands down the front of her robe. "Turn that damn thing off, and come back to bed," he insisted as he fondled her, kissing the back of her neck.
She moaned, arching back against him, and logged off the PC. "I won't argue with that," she said as he pulled her up off the chair, her robe falling to the floor as she slipped into his embrace. They walked backwards together, then fell onto the bed, laughing as they wrestled playfully together, rolling back and forth across the bed until they molded against one another in a more intimate embrace once more...
Much later, they lay cuddled up with one another, resting quietly beneath a light coverlet, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, kissing occasionally. "I should probably be tired," she said, grinning softly, "but I'm not; I'm wide awake. I feel so alive when I'm with you; every nerve in my body is tingling."
He smiled back, caressing her face tenderly. "So is mine. I could stay here in bed and make love to you forever... I've missed you," he whispered in her ear as his hips moved intimately against hers. "I've missed this..."
"I've missed you too," she whispered back, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, hardly knowing anymore where she ended and he began. She ran her tongue slowly across his lips, and they kissed tenderly. "It just keeps getting better and better between us. Even in the CrowesNest, it wasn't *this* good..."
"And the more we learn about each other, the better it will get," he replied, nuzzling her ear and breathing in it, smiling as she trembled slightly. "And I intend to learn as much as I can in the next few days," he said as she snuggled closer to him.
"I like the sound of that," she replied, eyes twinkling as she kissed the top of his shoulder, using it as a pillow as she laid against him. "I'm so happy to be here with you..." A moment later, her stomach rumbled, and she blushed, then started to chuckle, and he joined in. "And, as you may have noticed, I'm also hungry," she said.
"Guess it's time we fed you then," he said, smiling back, kissing her forehead. "Actually, I'm rather hungry myself. You said something earlier about having picked up some food for dinner...?"
"Yea, Chinese... Do you like that? It's fried rice and Mongolian Beef."
He shrugged. "I guess I'm about to find out..." He pushed back the covers, and sat up with her. "Come on; let's get some dinner..."
Twenty minutes later, they were seated around the small dining room table, helping themselves to the reheated fried rice and Mongolian beef. Maximus was enjoying the new cuisine, although he had admitted that he was so hungry now that just about anything would have tasted good.
They ate quietly for a while, then Laura glanced at him, catching him looking at her in an odd way. "...What? Something wrong...?"
"No. I was just wondering about something..." She gestured for him to continue, and he asked, "I know you said you live here alone, but I'm curious... Have you always lived here alone?"
She turned away, face paling slightly as she turned her head. "...No."
Maximus nodded. "I thought as much... He was someone you cared for. Who hurt you very much." She looked down, nodding. He reached out and took her hand. "The man must have been a fool."
"So was I, for thinking he would change..." There was great sadness in her voice, and he squeezed her hand.
"What happened?"
"I -- I don't want to talk about it, Max. Not tonight; maybe not ever..."
She was clearly shaken, and he sighed, cursing to himself for bringing it up. He got up and moved to her chair. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. That's the last thing I want to do tonight." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Finish your dinner, and we'll go back to bed..." He grinned as he stroked her hair. "We've got a lot of lost time to make up for."
"Yea, we do," she said, grinning back, her face brightening again as she banished the old memories. "You know, I hate fighting, but making up afterwards does have a few perks..." She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Make-up sex. It's been pretty fantastic so far, hasn't it?" she giggled.
"Yes, it has," he grinned back, his hand sliding inside her robe again. "So let's hurry up and finish dinner, so we can pick up where we left off." He nuzzled her neck before returning to his chair and shoveling down what was left on his plate.
"Sounds good to me," she laughed, and busied herself with finishing her portion. Once they were done, they put the leftovers away, and headed straight for the bedroom again. As Maximus slid the robe off her shoulders, pulling her down with him onto the bed, she said, "Tomorrow we should go out someplace special together; Chicago has a lot of things we can do. I have to at least take you out once while you're here."
"What did you have in mind?" he said as he kissed the hollow of her throat, covering her body with his as they wrapped around one another.
"... I don't know yet," she said, finding it hard to think as his hand slid down her hip. "I -- I'll have to check into a few things tomorrow..." She moaned as his fingers dipped between her legs, and they stopped talking again....
"When are you going to tell me where we're going?" Maximus complained from the passenger's seat of the Pontiac.
Laura just grinned. "Forget it, General; I'm not giving you *any* information until we reach our destination." She giggled at the frustrated look on his face. She turned her attention back to the road, focusing once again on the late Saturday afternoon traffic on the busy expressway. They were moving -- not terribly fast -- but they were moving, heading northeast up the Stevenson Expressway. "For the hundredth time, Max -- it's a surprise."
"Don't I get any hints?"
"I've already give you all the hints you're going to get." She smiled, reaching over to take his hand. "I told you before -- I want to do something really special for you. For *us*." She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it briefly. "We're going to dinner, but it's not your ordinary restaurant. We could have stayed around my house and done that." She paused, swearing under her breath as a cab darted into the lane ahead of her. "But Chicago is my home-town. I was born and raised here, and I want to show you how special it is to me. Oh, I complain about it a lot, I know; I hate the traffic and the congestion and the weather sucks, especially in the winter... But it's still *home*, and there are a lot of wonderful things to do around here." She squeezed his hand. "This is on me; it's my town, and you're my guest. I told you I wanted to make it all up to you, and make you forget about... well, you know." She gazed lovingly at him, squeezing his hand again.
"Let's not discuss all that tonight, shall we?" Maximus suggested. "We should put it out of our minds, and concentrate on having a good time." He brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it.
"Sounds good to me," she said, adding, "But I just want to make this night *very* special. To show you how very special you are to me, Max."
After a few minutes, she said, "All right; I'll give you one hint..." He raised an eyebrow. "That's where we're going." She pointed out the windshield, finger stretching out towards a large cluster of tall buildings in the distance.
He leaned forward in his seat. "What is that?"
"That's Chicago."
He looked puzzled. "I thought we were in Chicago already."
She shook her head. "No, this is just the Chicago metropolitan area. *THAT* is downtown Chicago -- the center of the city."
"We're going to one of those buildings?" he questioned.
"Not exactly. Someplace close by though... You'll see," she said with an enigmatic smile. He just sighed, shaking his head, and settled back in his seat.
Both were quiet for a while, Maximus staring out the windows with keen interest, watching all the cars and buildings as they passed them by. They both listened to the soft classical music coming from the tape deck; Laura would have preferred something more modern and upbeat, but Maximus had not yet acquired a taste for 20th century music, so they had compromised with some Mozart selections.
She could tell he was watching the buildings of downtown as they loomed ever larger, but as they neared the city, more and more buildings right along side the highway blocked his view, and she watched him constantly move his head to get a better view. As she noted the signs for I-94 starting to appear, she said to him, "Wait a little bit, and you'll be able to see things better," she said. He nodded, smiling as he squeezed her hand again.
He surprised her by leaning over quickly and kissing her cheek tenderly. "Whatever it is you have planned, thank you," he said quietly. "It means a great deal to me to be able to share part of your world like this, even for a brief time."
She smiled back, blinking the tears from her eyes. "You're welcome," she said in a choked voice. "I'm just grateful you're here with me. I hope you have a good time tonight, and that you like my little surprise."
"As long as you are with me, I know I will enjoy myself tonight," he smiled back.
She smiled happily, turning her attention back to the road as she eased the car over onto the ramp to the northbound Dan Ryan Expressway. The ramp passed under the huge bridge deck which held the highway, and they curved around and up along the ramps, until finally the large walls on their right dropped away, and they merged onto the 10-lane highway. Managing to watch Maximus at the same time as she watched out for merging cars, she smiled to herself again at the look of sheer awe on the Spaniard's face now as he leaned forward, staring out the front windshield.
They seemed to be nearly on top of the towering skyscrapers of downtown Chicago, the huge black form of the Sears Tower dominating the scene. But even though it was the tallest, there were so many other high-rises nearby that even the tallest building in North America was nearly lost amidst its neighbors.
The look on Maximus' face very much resembled his expression when he had first seen the Coliseum in 'Gladiator'. He shook his head, muttering, "I have seen pictures of large cities, but to see it personally is a truly different thing... It is hard to believe men can build such things..."
"It amazes even me sometimes. You see that building there, the tallest one with the white towers on top..." Maximus nodded. "That's used to be the tallest building in the world until just recently -- the Sears Tower. 110 stories. It's too bad we don't have time to go up to the top, because on a beautiful day like today, you could see 4 different states. Illinois, which we're in now, plus all the way north to Wisconsin, south-east to Indiana, and all the way east across the lake to Michigan."
"What lake?"
"Lake Michigan. Downtown Chicago is built right up against it."
"Will we see that?", he asked, and she had to force herself to keep a neutral expression.
"Yea, we'll see it at some point," she said nonchalantly, not wanting to give any of the secret away just yet, then turned her concentration back to the road as she neared the next turnoff. "Just keep watching out the windows, and you'll see some of those buildings up close." She turned off onto the eastbound Eisenhower Expressway, heading for Congress Parkway.
As she drove, and the highway ended, narrowing down to normal city streets. They passed right by the towering skyscrapers that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky, and Maximus continued to look like a typical tourist, gawking at the sights of the busy downtown as they began to inch their way through the heavy traffic.
"People live in these things?" he asked incredulously.
She shook her head. "No, most of them are office buildings. People work in them during the day, then go home at night."
"You work in a building like this?"
"Well, not around here, and not this big, but, yea, I sit in an office all day. That must seem pretty strange to you, being career military like you were."
He nodded. "Yes, it seems very odd. I cannot comprehend that people *choose* to live like this..."
She laughed. "People like me, you mean?"
He looked embarrassed, quickly saying, "No, of course not." She looked at him, still chuckling, and he smiled, "Well, yes. I don't understand it."
"That's okay; I don't understand it either sometimes." The light in front of her turned red, and she hit the brakes hard to avoid a bicycle messenger that zipped by out of nowhere. "I used to work down here years ago, and crazy as it seems, I actually miss it sometimes." He looked at her like she was indeed a bit crazy, and she laughed. "I'm a city girl; what can I say...?"
Both were quiet for while, and eventually they made their way past Dearborn and State Streets, traveling through to the east side of downtown, clearing the canyons of the towering buildings, emerging into daylight again as they crossed Michigan Avenue and turned towards the green open spaces of Grant Park. Maximus seemed to relax a little once he saw trees and grass again, and he smiled as they headed further east, finally turning onto Lake Shore Drive. Off to the right there was the broad blue expanse of Lake Michigan and the marina nearby, with hundreds of boats docked there, with many others visible sailing out on the lake itself.
"I assume that's the lake you've been talking about," he said, and she nodded. "But it doesn't look like a lake to me; it's almost like an ocean."
"It is huge, isn't it? But, no, it *is* a lake. One of largest fresh-water lakes in the world, to be exact."
"It's quite nice."
"Yes, it is. You couldn't ask for a better day to come down this way. It's beautiful and warm, and not much of a breeze. The lake looks calm as a pond today," she said happily, thinking to herself that she hoped it stayed that way for the rest of the evening.
He stared out at the lake as they drove northward, then asked, "Are we getting close?" She nodded but said nothing more. "Aren't you going to tell me *something*...?" She chuckled and shook her head. He growled in frustration, pretending to be upset with her. "I'm going to get you for this later, my dear. I'm not sure how, but I will punish you for this," he said with mock sincerity.
"Ooo, that sounds like fun," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him, and they both laughed. "Just hang in there a little while longer; we'll be there soon."
"I should hope so," he grumbled. "Seems like we've been driving forever." He continued to watch out the windows, marveling at the contrast between the massive buildings looming on the left, and the idyllic, serene lakefront on the right.
They turned off Lake Shore Drive, and after a series of turns and stops, pulled off into a huge parking lot. Reading the signs as they drove by, he turned to her and asked, "Navy Pier? Is this a military post?"
She smiled, chuckling. "No, not anymore. Originally it was built by the Navy, but they abandoned it ages ago. The place went to hell, and then the city decided to renovate it a few years ago. They did a great job, because now its one of the top tourist attractions in the city. There are shops and restaurants and theatres and all sorts of things down here now. I don't know if you noticed it as we were driving up, but there's even a Ferris wheel here."
He nodded. "So this is where you're taking me? Are we going to a restaurant in there?"
"Well... Yes and no," she hedged.
He groaned, slapping his hand lightly against the dashboard. "You're determined to torture me, aren't you?"
She laughed, but he didn't seem amused this time. "Look," she said, "just don't ask me any more questions about it, okay? We'll get there when we get there..."
"I *will* get you for this," he insisted, shaking a finger at her.
"Do us both a favor, and wait until you see where we're going before you say anything." After driving around a bit, she finally found an open parking spot, and pulled into it. "Thank god," she said, turning the engine off and opening the car door. Maximus got out first, closing his door and moving quickly to her side of the car before she got more than one foot out the door. He held it open for her, extending his hand to help her to her feet. It was not something she was used to seeing from modern men, and she smiled at him, pecking him on the cheek. "Thanks," she said, retrieving her purse from the back seat before standing and straightening her skirt.
While she had been getting dressed earlier this afternoon, she had debated whether to wear a skirt or not. Normally, she went everywhere in pants; a pair of dress pants would have been perfectly acceptable where they were going. But seeing as how it was such a special night for them, she decided to dress up just a bit, and had put on a white skirt with a yellow print blouse with a pair of low heeled white shoes.
She decided it was well worth the extra effort when she'd emerged from the bathroom and seen the look in Max's eyes. He'd showered her with compliments, so much so that they almost hadn't made it out of the apartment.
Luckily, Michelle had insisted that he bring a nice change of clothes with him when he'd left the CrowesNest, so Maximus was also dressed smartly, in beige dress pants with a crisp white button-down shirt.
He offered her his arm, and, after a quick kiss, they headed off towards Navy Pier.
After a long walk, they made it to the boardwalk along the south side of the pier, strolling leisurely through the crowds, taking in the sights. Along the edge of the pier many boats were docked, big and small, the majority of them for sightseeing. "This is lovely," he said, staring out at the sailboats on the horizon.
"It certainly is," she sighed, holding him close. They stood and stared for a while, then she glanced at her watch. "Well, we've still got some time to kill, so lets go look around..." They wandered into the shopping area, window shopping as they meandered from store to store.
At one point they came upon a video and movie memorabilia store, and they both stopped there, smiling to themselves at the large poster of 'Gladiator' that hung in the window. It was the American release poster, not the French version that hung in her living room. "I never liked that poster, you know," she commented of the rather drab brown and black and tan tones. "It's so dark and boring."
He turned away, a slight flush in his cheeks. "I don't think I will ever get used to seeing myself like that."
"I guess it would be pretty strange," she agreed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of young women standing a few yards away, staring at them. Staring at Maximus, to be exact, pointing at him and the poster. "Oh, god," she muttered, discreetly pulling him away and heading in the opposite direction from the women. "I forgot about one thing when I brought you out here."
"What?"
"That people might recognize you and think you're Russell."
"Do you think so?" She nodded, and he asked, "What can we do?"
"I don't know. I sure as hell am not leaving after coming all this way...." She looked around the mall, and smiled when she spotted something a few doors away. "I have an idea..."
A few minutes later, they emerged from the shop, with Maximus now wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. "Is this really necessary?" he complained, fidgeting with them. "It's too dark now."
"Well, inside it probably is, but when we go back out into the sun, it'll be okay. But, yes, it's necessary." She guided him back outside, and she stood blinking in the sunlight. "Maybe I should have brought mine too," she said, then glanced at her watch again, smiling. "Well, you'll be happy to know I can finally tell you what we're doing tonight."
He let out a huge relieved sigh. "At last. I thought you were never going to tell me. Now what is it?" he asked anxiously.
She hooked her arm around his, leading him down the boardwalk. "Come this way, General." They strolled down a short distance, and stopped in front of one of the large boats docked alongside the pier. 'The Spirit of Chicago' was painted across her bow. "Well, what do you think of her?"
His eyes brightened as he smiled. "We're going sailing?"
She nodded, beaming at him. "Actually, it's a dinner cruise. It'll be boarding in a few minutes, and in about a half-hour it leaves the dock. It lasts 3 hours, which includes a nice quiet dinner for two," she said, squeezing his hand, "and a long sightseeing tour of the city from the lake. We'll be sailing just a little before sunset, so we'll see the city from the lake while it's light out, then by the time dinner's over, it'll be dark out, and the city will be all lit up. It's really something to see. I haven't done this in years, so I'm really looking forward to it too. Especially when I have such a charming dinner companion," she grinned. "That's why I was so happy it's such a nice, calm day. We won't have to worry about our plates sliding across the table..." She paused, looking at him anxiously. "So...? What do you think...?"
"I think... it's wonderful," he said, smiling down at her. "I'm very pleased." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"I wanted to do something really special, and I thought of coming here while you were in the shower this morning. I was able to make the reservations online, so everything's all set. I just have to pick up the tickets over there," she said, pointing to a nearby booth.
Just after they left the booth with their tickets, 'The Spirit of Chicago' began to board, and Maximus and Laura got in the line with the other diners...
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