~ chapter 18 ~

Michael raised his head and prepared himself to face the DeLuca wrath with a smirk and a flippant response. "Care to watch home videos tonight, honey?"

Maria's hands firmly planted themselves on her hips as she turned on Michael with a glare. "Michael Thomas Guerin! You'd better not be telling me what I think you are!" Michael's silence confirmed Maria's fears. Then, she exploded. "Oh my God! You are! You actually set up a video camera…in Liz and Max's bedroom..."

Cole's chuckle was silenced by a sharp look from Maria. His cheeks blushed red as his gaze quickly dropped to the floor. Sensing the storm about to erupt, Cole quickly jumped up from his seat and cleared his throat. "I…uh…think I'll head to bed now…"

"Yeah. Good idea." Maria pushed out through gritted teeth while her furious gaze remained locked on Michael as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

Cole nodded once and mumbled a soft 'good night' before scooting out the door leaving the storm to meet the stone. Once Cole had closed the door softly behind him, silence engulfed the room except the staccato sound of Maria's foot tapping angrily against the hardwood floor. Michael maintained his awkward silence with an almost visible wince on his face, like he was just waiting for the tantrum to fly.

But the waiting continued. And the tantrum never came. Instead, Michael heard the tap of Maria's foot lighten. He heard the steady, even breathing of the woman he loved and risked a glance in her direction. That's when he saw it.

The eye. That deadly calm place in the center of the fiercest storm.

Michael instantly jumped from his seat and stuffed his hands in his pockets, gazing down at the floor. "I'll uh…I think I'm just going to…" Michael glanced up at Maria and let out a quick breath. One look and he knew his path for the rest of the evening had been chosen for him. "Right. I'll be back in a bit." He cleared his throat and headed toward the door.

Just as his hand hit the door knob, Maria's hard voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Michael."

Michael squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath. Damn. He'd almost made it. The one word that left his mouth was strangled. "Y-yes?"

"Make sure they don't see you."

"Right." One last nod and he was gone.

Maria waited till he was safely out of earshot before she dropped into the chair in a fit of giggles. Running her hand over her flat stomach she shook her head and let out a sigh. "And that, my little Czech-mix, is how you get Daddy to do what you want him to do…without saying a word…"

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Across town, another storm was brewing.

Flashes of lightning crackled through the dark pools of Max's intense, candid gaze. Need thundered through his veins, pounding out an irregular beat, rocking his usually steady, controlled world. A fierce gale of clashing emotions whipped through the room and Max's expression became the tangible proof of its obvious power.

And Liz Parker was mesmerized. Awed. Completely dazed. Immediately drawn into the dazzling center of Max Evans' raw emotions.

Every one of them were there for her to see. To take pleasure in. The gold flecks in his eyes glowed brightly as his jaw worked hard and his fingers unconsciously crushed the rough material of her towel against her skin sending a heated tingle from her hips where his hands were firmly planted to every aching part of her body.

The usually stoic expression that rarely gave anything away was now exposed to the amazed observation of Liz Parker. His desire for her was shooting through his eyes like bright flames of fire. The hunger rumbled through his erratic breathing. Liz could literally feel the heavy anticipation of unleashed passion hanging in the air just waiting for the storm to break loose and overpower her. She instinctively saw in the depths of Max’s eyes how much the dry parched soil of his heart needed this storm. Hell, Liz needed this storm. Only the torrential downpour of passion and desire could hope to soften two souls that had been alone for way too long.

The rumble from deep in his chest was low and husky and when he spoke, her name came out in a strangled whisper. "Liz." Max's fingers came to curl under Liz's jaw locking her in place before him. Holding onto the dream of his life with tender fierceness. Forcefully bringing Max face to face with the one impossibility in his life…an impossibility that suddenly, miraculously, wasn't all that impossible.

Liz Parker was his for the taking. And fantasies were just one touch away from becoming reality.

As his eyes roamed slowly over Liz’s face, his gaze scorched her skin with the intensity of it. A broken voice signaled the weakening of Max’s fragile grip on control. "God, do you…have any idea…" A flicker of fear suddenly raced through his eyes and Max's intense gaze dropped along with his hands as a shaky breath escaped his slightly parted lips. He leaned his weight on his muscular arms while his fingers fiercely dug into the counter top on either side of Liz.

Brows furrowed as Liz took his face gently in her hands, her soft voice coaxing him to expose himself to her even more than he already was. "Max. Talk to me." Liz tilted her head to get his attention, but only managed to see his jaw stiffen and his eyelashes flutter against his cheeks as his eyes closed in tight concentration. Her question blew softly against his fevered skin. "What are you afraid of?"

Max's head snapped up. "W-what makes you think…"

Liz didn't need to hear the end of his question to know her answer. "Because I see the fear haunting your eyes." Her fingers absently, gently grazed over his cheeks sending sparks of electricity darting across his skin as her eyes sought the depths of his, probing the innermost parts of his soul. "Max…what is it?"

Max gulped as his head lowered once more, his eyes boring holes into the towel draping loosely over Liz's bronzed thighs as his mouth suddenly went dry. Good question. What exactly are you afraid of, Evans? Losing control? Not being able to stop? Not being able to stop what? Touching her? Kissing her? Or…loving her. Completely. Heart and soul…just like you've always wanted to. The questions ran through Max's mind in rapid succession barely stopping to breathe before the next question was cast into the ring of doubt.

Things will never be the same. Once you touch her…once you get a taste of heaven….things will never be normal for you again. And once you leave normal, Max, you can never go back… That one instinctive thought shot through his mind. Suddenly, Max didn't want things to be the same. Suddenly, he didn't care that there may be no letting go. That after having tasted the magnificent essence of Liz Parker, normal would be a distant memory he'd have to fight to regain. That there would be no barriers…no control…

Max had never been this far before. No one had ever made him want so much all at once. The intensity of his need was frightening. The rapid loss of control was downright terrifying. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. Looking back up into Liz's dark, shining eyes, he knew he didn't want to. There was only one barrier stopping him now. He wanted…no, he needed to be sure she felt the same way. He had to know if her need was equal to his. If her wants matched his own in fervor…if her emotions were as raw and powerful as his own.

Before it was too late to stop…

"Look." Max valiantly tried to clear his throat and glanced up at Liz, his expression uncertain and vulnerable. "The only thing I'm…I'm afraid of…right here…right now…is not taking this chance. Of not…leaving my normal."

"But…" Max let out a shaky sigh as his eyes bored into hers, his voice becoming edged with a mixture of insecurity and barely restrained passion. "If you're…if you're going to stop me, Liz…you'd better…stop me now." The last three words were a whispered warning echoing the aching desire filling his eyes.

Liz's expression softened in understanding as her soul looked beyond the primal urges threatening to overwhelm him to recognize the unguarded little boy that was hidden beneath. Her heart melted as quickly to that sight as her body had to the awesome physical presence of the man standing before her. What a bundle of contradictions…and yet a seamless combination of the various sides all wrapped up in the gorgeous package of Max Evans. Vulnerable, yet strong. Reserved, yet passionate. Tenderness edged with brute masculinity. With one word, she could have them all.

Stop me now. In this game of control, with three words, Max Evans had surrendered. He'd handed her the wheel and told her to choose the next turn. Determine their next move. Decide their course of action. Take control of their combined futures.

And now, it was Liz Parker's turn…to give it back.

Liz’s hands slipped from Max’s face to take a slow, leisurely trip over his shoulders down his tight, taut arms to finally cover his hands resting on each side of her as they gripped the counter with a ferocity that brought a smug smile of knowledge to her lips. Eyes locked with his, Liz rubbed his hands lightly to relax his grip on the counter as her legs tightened their hold around his waist emphasizing in action what her turned up lips were saying in a heated whisper. "Do I look like I want to stop?"

A shadow of a knowing smile crossed Max's expression as relief danced in his eyes. "I just…I just want us both to…" Max swallowed hard and closed his eyes against the sensations her bare legs around his skin was sparking through his body…the fire that brushed across the palms of his hands as Liz leisurely pressed tiny kisses against his skin. "…you know, be clear about what we want…"

"Max." Still holding one hand in hers, Liz's finger shot to Max's lips stopping any further explanation. "I don’t think you could be any more clear about what you want if you tried."

The hunger in Liz's eyes pushed any last insecurities over the cliff of reckless abandon initiating the curl of a seductive smile around her finger as Max's eyes twinkled and his voice became suggestively charged. Kissing the tip of her finger, Max then pulled her hand away only to deliberately bring it up to curl around his neck. "And what is it you want?"

A secret smile danced across Liz’s lips in response. Her other arm joined its companion to wrap languidly around Max's neck, her voice as light and airy as the movement of her fingers alternately running over the hot flesh of his upper back and through his thick, damp hair. "My very own personal Secret Agent Man…and he can't read the pretty obvious clues I've been dropping him all night." She leaned into him with a teasing grin. "Some super sleuth you've turned out to be…"

Max smirked as his fingers moved to the hair next to her temples and slipped through the still damp strands dangling around her face. "Maybe I'm angling for a confession..."

A sigh escaped her before her dazed eyes cleared to nail him with a challenging look. "And maybe I'll only confess when you do."

"Oh really." A dark eyebrow raised as his voice lowered suggestively. "And uh…just what kind of confession are you looking for?"

"I want to know…." Liz's thumbs continued to stroke the hair around Max's ears as her eyes roamed his face. "…Max…tell me what you're thinking right now."

A pause, then a slow, sly grin. "I'm thinking about…" Max's eyes traveled every inch of her face, caressing the soft skin of her neck as his gaze drifted downward to focus on the gently rising material of her towel as her breathing made her chest move in an uneven rhythm. He swallowed at the sight of loose material, silky skin and droplets of water that slipped down an uncharted valley before his last whispered word. "…sundaes."

"Sundaes." Liz rolled her eyes a light chuckle escaped her. "You know, I've heard about guys appetites but this really takes the…"

Max's finger against her lips stopped the completion of her thought and Liz's eyes flicked to his with surprise. Then her mouth went dry and she gulped for air. The raw hunger she saw waiting for her in the depths of his eyes shot a current of desire straight to the pit of her stomach and Liz lost all power of speech at the feel of it.

Max’s eyes brightened with satisfaction when he saw hers cloud with desire as he began his slow seduction of an angel. "When I was a little boy…sundaes were my favorite dessert. I used to love to let the warm chocolate syrup run over my fingers before it dribbled onto the ice cream. Then sometimes I would try to make different patterns with it." Max's fingers traveled the length of Liz's hair till his fingers began to slowly wrap around the ends. "You know, by swirling it in circles with the tips of my fingers before I licked them clean."

A slight smile accompanied his demonstration as he focused on the twisted strands of chocolate-colored hair before gently loosening the trendils allowing them to fall lightly against Liz's creamy shoulders. "It always felt so silky." Max's fingers once more slipped through Liz's hair, soothingly… lingeringly. "I never could…get enough of that silky feeling…"

"Yeah…yeah, I uh…" Liz’s eyes darkened to midnight and she swallowed hard as her hand slipped from around his smooth neck over his flushed cheek before her fingers ran lightly over the satin skin of Max's chest. The tip of her pink tongue made an appearance to slowly, absently lick her suddenly parched lips. "…I know…what you mean…"

The action of Liz licking her lips captured Max's focus and he swallowed hard at the urges that raged inside of him. How he wanted to lean forward and just attack her with every last ounce of… Not yet, Evans. Don't go there just yet… Max dropped his eyes to avoid focusing on those luscious lips that caused his blood to simmer with desire only to have his gaze land on a sight that shot the temperature to boiling…Liz’s gently rising and falling chest. Uh-oh. From the frying pan into the fire. A brief smile shadowed Max’s lips. But, oh, what a fire…

Max drew a deep, cleansing breath as his forehead naturally found its resting place against hers. His warm fingers moved with a will of their own over the hills of her shoulders to caress the sides of her creamy neck before drawing small, insignificant patterns against the exposed skin above her towel. Liz closed her eyes against the sensations of his light, feathery touch as his breath mingled with hers to electrify the air between them.

His touch. God, where did he get such a sensual touch? She could spend the rest of her life being touched like this. Having these feelings course through her veins. Seeing stars behind her closed eyes as her nerves ending bent toward the tips of Max’s fingers no matter where they turned. It was as if Max was a master sculptor and Liz was his clay. To mold, to caress, to set on fire. As his fingers explored the surface of her outer shell, Max’s words began working their magic on the inner shell of her heart.

"Then of course, there was the ice cream itself. Two well-rounded scoops of vanilla ice cream." Max's eyes lowered to the two curves holding the top of Liz's towel in place. "Two mountains of pure sweetness sitting side by side with only the slightest hint of a valley separating them. I loved to uh…" The tip of Max's thumbs dipped under her towel into the valley between her breasts while his hands remained splayed across her chest, his fingertips lightly dancing across her collarbone. "…dip my spoon in to get a really…really good scoop…then…" Max's thumbs began an outward journey brushing lightly against the swell of Liz's breasts before moving inward. Max absently licked his lips while his eyes burned brightly at the new sensations thundering through his body. "…take my time…licking the spoon clean."

Liz swallowed hard and her breath left her in a heated rush. The hands that had rested gently against Max's waist, moved to wrap around his hard, toned biceps that flexed unconsciously at her touch as her heart began a fierce tap dance. Her head was swirling delightfully with overwhelming dizziness and Liz let out a helpless whimper from the back of her throat as her head fell back in bliss while Max's words conjured images in her mind she'd only ever dreamed before. But now…with Max's hands working their magic and his words bearing a subtle promise of things to come…

Max's eyes snapped to Liz's face and his heart did a triple somersault and landed with a thud before it began a thunderous game of racquetball against his chest. "Wow." The barely breathed word of awe expressed every last thought that raced through his head at that moment. He'd never seen a sight more beautiful than the woman before him. Eyes closed tightly and lips slightly parted, hair falling like a curtain down her back, she was a living, breathing goddess. Max watched Liz Parker open herself up to a simple, gentle seduction that had only just begun and couldn't help the smile of satisfaction that spread over his face at the feeling of empowerment that washed over him.

He, Max Evans, was putting that look on her face. He, Max Evans, had the power to make Liz feel…ecstasy. And he, Max Evans, was going to wield that power to the best of his ability…

Liz felt the absence of Max's low, comforting voice before her mind registered he was no longer speaking. Her eyes slowly opened to meet his and her breath instantly still in her chest at the sight. He couldn't mask the awe in his eyes. The adoration. The completely besotted look that spread over his face. Liz felt a secret thrill of delight run through her knowing instinctively that look belonged to her and her alone.

Then she saw his smirk. That faint light of smugness that endeared her to him even more. That adorable little curl at the corner of his lips that screamed confidence born of secret knowledge. That let her know he knew exactly what he was doing to her. That he was pleased with himself…for pleasing her. She didn’t begrudge him the knowledge or the feeling. After all, she’d instinctively known for as long as she could remember that Max Evans was the only man that would ever make her feel this way…

"This uh…" Liz's smile was slow as her hands ran over Max's shoulders her fingers beginning a delightful journey through the thick curves of his damp hair. "…dessert of yours." She bit her lower lip as her gaze moved to focus on Max's lips. "Sounds pretty sweet."

"It is." The low response rumbled between them as Max's arms wrapped around Liz's waist bringing their bodies within centimeters of each other.

"Oh." Disappointment blew against Max’s lips as Liz lowered her eyes and gave Max an adorable pout. "We might have a problem then."

"Oh?" The question was accompanied by an upraised eyebrow and twinkling eyes.

"Yeah. In case you haven't noticed yet…" Liz leaned into Max nuzzling her cheek against his till her lips were a breath away from his ear. "…I'm much too tart and sassy to be that sweet…" Emphasizing her point, teeth scraped lightly against Max's earlobe and Liz was rewarded with the feel of a sudden shudder running through both of them in reaction.

"Believe me…I’ve noticed." Once he caught his breath, Max whispered back into her ear breathlessly. The erratic rise and fall of his chest against hers made it difficult to concentrate on his own words as they flowed effortlessly to continue this verbal dance they’d begun. "Which makes you…" Max rained light kisses against Liz’s jaw line. "…even more…" His lips brushed lightly against her skin sending electric currents flowing through her with rapid speed. "…perfect."

Pulling back slightly Max’s eyes laughed down into hers as she gazed up at him through her long thick eyelashes slightly dazed and definitely curious to see where he was taking this line of thinking. "See, I never had that big of a sweet tooth. In fact, I always added Tabasco sauce to my sundaes. Always. Perfect combination…of sweet and spicy."

Capturing her face in his hands, Max nuzzled his nose against hers as their eyes maintained an intense contact while his whispered words ignited a blaze of fire in Liz’s dark eyes. "Just like you."

"Oh." A gentle, dreamy smile touched her lips as Liz’s focus moved to her hands as they began a journey from his neck downward over the curves of his chest, memorizing his impressive physique with her hands till her fingers rested lightly against the top of his towel. "Well, then. I guess there's only one problem left."

"What's that?"

Liz’s eyes raised to meet his with a suggestive challenge. "Sundaes don’t do it for me. I like banana splits." A coy smile curved her lips upward. "With nuts sprinkled on top."

Max swallowed hard before he took up her challenge with a sly smile touching his lips. "I’m sure I can come up with something you’ll like…"

Liz’s smile deepened and her eyes flickered with amused defeat…or victory, as the case were. "Well then." Liz’s eyes drifted closed as Max’s lips found their way to her jaw, grazing lightly downward to the creamy length of her neck. Her hands slipped around Max’s neck to anchor herself to something for when she fell completely under Max’s spell and lost herself in the heat and sensuality that wrapped itself around them. "It looks like the two of us…" Swallowing hard seemed to be the only thing Liz remembered how to do at that moment. That, and alternately feathering her fingers through Max’s hair and digging her nails into Max’s back. "…together…"

Letting out a deep sigh of satisfaction, Liz felt Max’s hands slip through her hair to support the back of her head as she tilted it to the side allowing him the access he silently requested. Liz tried to focus her thoughts on her words and not the amazing sensations that were pulsing through her everywhere Max’s warm, moist lips made contact. Her body was melting with each kiss. Becoming unstable with each caress. In contradiction with itself…aroused yet completely weak and at Max’s slow, merciless attack. God, how was she ever going to live through this glorious torture? "…have all the ingredients for a, um…" A shaky breath escaped her as Max began nibbling and licking along her collarbone. "…delicious dessert."

"Yeah." Max breathed against her skin. "Delicious…" His tongue snaked out and ran the column of her neck with rough gentleness before his lips found themselves hovering delightfully close to hers. His eyes remained focused on their luscious fullness and Max found himself grasping for air that wasn’t available. Eyes glazed over with desire, Max’s breath blew lightly against Liz’s skin as his fingers slowly massaged the back of her neck. "…is definitely…the word."

"I agree." Liz whispered as she unconsciously licked her lips causing a small helpless noise to escape from the back of Max’s throat. How could one action make him so hot…so aroused? So weak?

Max dropped his hands to the legs firmly encircling his waist. Palms flush against her thighs, Max’s eyes brightened at the way Liz sucked in her bottom lip to bite it as her eyes fluttered open to meet his. Running his hands down the silky smoothness of her legs, Max low, soft voice announced the beginning of the next stage of his seduction. "Given our…compatible ingredients…I’d say its time to…mix things up a bit..."

Flashing Liz a feral grin that made her break into a full-bodied fever, Max's voice echoed the rumbling of a distant thunder as the storm once again threatened to descend. "So what do you say?"

"I say…" A shiver ran through Liz prompting her to seek the volcanic heat radiating off Max. Slowly, purposefully draping herself over Max so they were once more flush against each other, Liz's lips curved into a coy smile as she took in the bob of his adam's apple and the unconscious lick of his lips as Max stared down into her eyes with increasing intensity. An intensity that deepened as white hot fire flashed through his eyes when Liz's lips hovered over his, her eyes challenging him to finish his turn. "…let's dig in."

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