~ chapter 19 ~

Winds of fire feathered across Liz's face and her midnight eyes burned as bright as the stars in the night sky when she heard Max's whispered response. "In that case, I guess it's time we get you out of that towel…"

And the tightrope act began.

Precariously suspended over a lake of fire, Liz was allowing Max to single-handedly carry her from fantasy to reality. From the hell of loneliness to the heaven of intimacy. Pent-up passion to undiscovered ecstasy. One slip and they would fall head-long into an blazing inferno of frenzied release. Instant gratification.

Which, for Max, made this journey very dangerous. Because a very large part of him just wanted to take a gigantic leap into the abyss of desire. To drown in a deep sea of sensations as the two lovers wrapped themselves around each other with reckless abandon. To be a pair of bright shooting stars that burn with blinding light in the inky darkness of night.

But leaps sometimes lead to broken hearts. Seas have been known to dry up. And shooting stars usually fall to their deaths. Brilliant in their display…short on their life span, Max wanted more for Liz. He wanted…forever.

Thus, the steps were risky. Throwing caution to the wind was out of the question. Yet. Because the tiniest loss of control could mean the difference between soaring to paradise and falling with a thud into disappointment. The balancing act of expectation and fulfillment was a difficult one. But it was a balance that Max was determined to maintain. All in the effort to give Liz Parker the most passion filled night of her life. To touch her in a way no one ever had…and no one ever would again. To set the standard that every other man in the universe would have to live up to. To brand her. To leave a legacy.

Two bright balls of fire locked on Liz's face and Liz instantly felt her body begin to melt under the intensity of Max's gaze. If one erotically charged look made her feel this way, what in Heaven's name would she feel when their mutual desire finally joined them? With the slow build up of anticipation threatening to split her in two, she hoped to God the actual fulfillment wouldn't kill her. Temperature spiking to unknown degrees and her insides already turning to mush, one thing Liz Parker did know…she was more than ready to find out. Every cell in her body screamed the whispered offering that rolled off her tongue. "I'm all yours, Max…"

Max gulped. Twice. Then he let out a shaky breath…and took his first step on their journey.

Languidly slipping his hands further down Liz's legs, Max puzzled Liz when he silently unhooked her ankles from around his waist and stepped back from her embrace. Her curiosity grew when Max turned his back and stepped away from her completely. Bewilderment ruled her when, reaching up and pulling Liz's underwear from her pile of clothes on a nearby hook, Max turning back to her slowly, letting the skimpy, lace-toped satin run through his fingers as he held them up to Liz with an uncharacteristically playful wiggle of his eyebrows.

A light grin danced on her lips in response as Liz eyed him warily. "Max? What are you doing?"

His voice was low and cryptically suggestive. "Now, it’s your turn." Max came to stand in the front of and to the left side of Liz. Making it impossible for her to wrap herself around him again before he slipped his hand up the inside of her leg and under her towel, Max found his destination and placed his hand on the inside of her left thigh. Alternating his pressure from firm to feather-light, he rubbed against her and expertly massaged the flesh that was setting his fingers on fire. Max's eyes snapped to Liz's face to catch her reaction.

He wasn't disappointed.

She was beginning to glow. Liz's eyes were tightly closed as tiny explosions were being set off in various parts of her body. An ache was building deep in the pit of her stomach and Liz was struggling to keep a moan of pleasure from escaping her. Instead, she only managed to dull its intensity with the biting of her lower lip as her fingers curled around the edge of the counter and dug in.

Smiling inwardly at the moan his touch was calling from deep inside her and the shaky, erratic breaths he could hear Liz beginning to make, Max dropped his gaze. Following his hand as it slowly began a trail down Liz's smooth leg, Max captured her petite foot and slipped it into one hole of her slim satin panties. Maintaining a firm but gentle grip on Liz's leg, Max dropped the material and deftly, swiftly moved to Liz's other side to repeat the process.

Max's cryptic answer of moments before finally made its way through the hazy fog of sensuality that had clouded Liz's brain. Wait. Did he just say it was my turn? My turn for what? To be tortured? Pleased? All of the above? God, please let it be all of the above… Just before his roaming fingers found their way under her towel to her other thigh, Liz’s voice stumbled as her eyes opened to watch Max's every move. "W-what…" She swallowed hard trying to bring moisture back to her suddenly parched mouth. "…um, what do…do you mean by my…my turn?"

Max's hands stilled and his gaze raised to meet hers when he heard the tremor in her voice. A knowing smile shadowed his lips. "To be taken care of." Max answered softly before his hands returned to their task of repeating his process of moments before by slipping her second foot through its corresponding hole and pulling the satin material to her calves while his eyes triumphantly registered every changing nuance of her expression.

Liz watched his movements intently swallowing hard when he'd completed his task after allowing his eyes to rake over her legs then flick to her face. An oppressive weight landed on her chest and crushed her ability to breathe as Max took his time allowing his hands, free of material, to drift where his eyes had blazed a trail from her dainty feet past her ankles and northward to the silky length of her legs. Then back down again. Over and over. Slow and purposeful. Max's hands were creating magic in her body that Liz never knew existed.

Watching her watch him, Max's chest rose and fell with satisfaction and his eyes blazed with pride. So far, so good. Now, for the next step. Max cocked an eyebrow as he delivered a sensational statement with complete nonchalance. "You see, I only thought it fair. You helped me undress…so now I’ll help you get dressed."

Liz blinked rapidly before her brows knit in confusion. Dressesd? What is he talking about? Didn't he just say he needed to get me out of my towel? Liz caught the veiled mischief mixed with predatory intensity in his eyes and instantly knew she was in for the seduction of her life. Ok. Deep breath. Swallow. Another deep breath. Prepared for anything, Liz couldn't resist one question…. "But…but won’t that defeat the purpose?"

"Depends on the purpose." A sly grin spread over his lips while Max's fathomless eyes were captured with a light of devilish merriment.

Deciding it was high time she became active once again in this ongoing seduction, Liz leaned forward and ran her hands down Max's chest slowly allowing her nails to scrap lightly over his nipples. Twinkling eyes gazed up at him with a coy smile when she heard his sharp intake of breath and the light hiss that followed from behind clenched teeth. "Well…what did you have in mind?"

In mind? Am I supposed to be thinking right now? Are thoughts actually supposed to be forming in my head while such amazing things are happing to my body? Max's eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as he tried to blink away the electric pulses that were shooting straight to the one member of his body that had risen to attention from the moment he'd stepped into this erotic game of seduction. His voice took on an unintended edge that echoed the hardness that was ruling his body at that moment. "I…I told you…I'd demand equal time…"

A secret smile slid over Liz's lips and her eyes brightened with victory as her voice lowered as suggestively as her hands, which were now hovering just above Max's hidden prize. "Tell me, Max. What exactly are your demands...? "

Max’s eyes snapped open and his fingers shot to her soft lips stopping her words. His lips ached to follow suit and press against the softness of hers. But there were things to do first. Like…driving her crazy. Make her shake with anticipation. Watch her come undone in his arms. She was way too much in control right now…but that was all a about to change. He allowed his fingers to gently brush against her lips memorizing every curve for when his time came as his eyes gleamed with purpose and desire. "We may be putting on a show, Agent Parker, but that doesn’t mean the audience has to be intimate with the cast."

Liz blinked at the sudden reminder of the catalyst for their current game. She swallowed back her disappointment that Max even still remembered the camera. She'd certainly forgotten long ago. "Right. The camera…for the assignment…"

Her gazed faltered uncomfortably and Max's eyes softened with understanding. She'd mistaken his comment. Raising her chin with his forefinger, Max smiled indulgently, his quiet confession bringing a shy smile to Liz's disappointed face. "I only remembered because you shimmer like a star. The ones in the sky…and the silver screen." Max's smile deepened as his fingers began to stroke the soft skin of Liz's face. "I hope you know you're much too distracting for your own good. I might have ravaged you in front of the world and not thought twice about it." His smile disappeared and an almost angry light flashed through his eyes as Kyle's face appeared in his mind. "You deserve better."

Liz eyes glowed with warmth and she bit her lower lip self-consciously at his words. "Thank you."

Max shrugged away her gratitude with a half-smile. "Don’t thank me." He leaned forward and began placing kisses along Liz's jaw line. "Purely selfish…motives are at…work here."

"Selfish?" With an arm wrapped loosely around Max’s neck, Liz’s fingers feathered the hair curving around his ear and her eyes drifted closed when Max’s lips began a journey from just below her ear to the top of her shoulder dropping tiny sparks of fire with each light kiss. "H-how?"

Raising his head from his mini-feast, Max brushed his cheek against hers to whisper in her ear. "I’d prefer to keep the role of your lover all to myself." Nuzzling her, cheek to cheek, as he pulled back to look in her eyes, Max’s voice lowered with seriousness. "No understudies allowed."

Liz pulled back slightly and locked eyes with Max. "No?"

The one-syllable question was heavy with meaning. And charged with promise. Layered with possessive intimacy. In that moment, they instinctively knew that Max's answer could conceivably change everything for them. It could define a relationship neither had believed they had a chance to experience…until tonight. Regardless of the amount of time they had together, an answer in the negative would ensure exclusivity. Stake a claim that went beyond pretending in public. And establish the security of belonging to someone--to each other--even if only for a while.

"No." Max didn't blink an eye. He didn't hesitate once the full implication claimed his mind. The answer came to him as easily as breathing. If there was one thing Max Evans knew…had always known, it was that he didn't want Liz Parker to belong to any one but him. And now, at least for the moment, Liz Parker knew it too.

Liz released an unsteady breath as a shiver ran through her with that one word. She felt…undone. And it had nothing to do with the effect Max's touch was having on her body. And everything to do with what his words were doing to her heart. A warning bell went off in her mind as her heart constricted in her chest. That's when she knew. That's when she realized with amazing clarity. That's when fear re-appeared with a vengeance.

This wasn't a night they could walk away from. This wasn't a one-time deal. Or even a sordid fling that would last for a moment in time. Her heart was on the line. It would be in danger if they moved forward. Max Evans had the power to break her…or make her whole. Did he know? Did he suspect the power of the love waiting for him? Or the destruction should he carelessly toss her heart away?

Liz's gaze faltered. "Max?"

"Yeah?"

"You know…this…" Liz took a deep breath and willed calmness into a voice that had been full of trembling. "…road we're going down…what's happening between us…it's potentially…"

"Risky?"

"Yeah. Risky." Liz nodded once as her eyes lift to meet his every fear of her heart pouring out her eyes in a silent plea to be calmed. "Dangerous even…"

Reading the vulnerability in her eyes as clearly as she had in his before, Max's fingers curled their way around her jaw. Never a voice more full of emotion…never words more sincere were uttered than Max's softly whispered reassurance. "I can handle it if you can." His eyes, so full of confidence, called her to match him in emotion, in depth of commitment. "So, can you?"

That's all it took. Liz wrapped her fingers around Max's wrists and beamed up at him before batting her eyes coyly, her answering banter bringing a smile of victory to Max's face. "Haven't you heard? My nickname at the bureau is 'Living-life-on-the-edge-Parker'."

Max's thumb absently stroked the sides of Liz's face as his voice lowered suggestively. "Hmm. How appropriate."

"Why?"

Max smirked as he leaned his forehead against hers and whispered against her lips. "Because they call me 'The Edge'."

Coquettish eyes twinkled in response as Liz moved her hands slowly over the flexed muscles of Max's strong arms. "One question…"

"Shoot."

"If I…you know…get too close to this edge of yours…" Liz paused as her eyes locked with Max's, her words predicting the outcome of their journey. "…maybe even if I fall a bit…"

"Will I catch you?" Guessing her question, Max interrupted with a tightening in his chest. What god did he have to thank for this amazing woman? What star granted his deepest wish? What one good thing in this life had he done to deserve this chance to make Liz Parker smile? To make her dreams come true.

To Max's surprise, Liz shook her head. She took a ragged breath as her voice lowered seriously. "Max…will you fall with me?"

Max pulled back from her, his eyes full of raw emotion confirming his positive answer despite the non-committal tone of his words. "I say we try…and find out…" Warm hands slid through Liz's hair and down her back before Max swiftly, effortlessly scooped Liz up off the counter and pulled her flush against him. One strong arm supported her weight against him as a gentle hand swept up to push the hair from her dazed eyes.

Liz's breath caught in her throat from Max's swift move and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck for support, her hands crossing at the back of his head before leaning her forehead against his. Her dark, liquid eyes spoke volumes of emotions that were suddenly being uncovered by Max's masterful spell. "I'm all yours, Max…"

Max's returned response was full of awed confidence and his voice was thick with aching desire. "I know."

Eyes locked in a heated stare, Liz's feet slowly inched their way to the floor as Max allowed her to slip downward, flesh rubbing against flesh and towels struggling to stay in place. Their ragged breathing mixed together creating a vortex of electrically charged currents as their hearts raced against one another's, their nerves beginning to tingle with anticipation. The blood in their veins was boiling with liquid fire and the task of standing steady and strong became difficult as Max's senses were filled with the heady scent of vanilla and spice, heat and pure passion, causing his knees to wobble. Liz's legs were no more steady than his as her feet landed securely on the floor.

Raw hunger. Primal urges. Predatory instincts.

An enchanting spell of sensuality and raw lust weaved between them as time silently ticked away. Gazing into each others' eyes, Max and Liz matched each other desire for desire. Hunger for hunger. And heart for heart. Max's fingers ached with need as they ran over Liz's smooth skin and Liz leaned into Max's touch as if it were no longer a choice. And it wasn't. It was a necessity. She had to feel Max. She had to feel him touching her, caressing her, leading her to paradise.

Wrapping her arms around Max's waist, Liz boldly pulled Max to her till she could feel his hardness, burning her skin through their towels. Her involuntary moan mixed with a groan from deep inside of Max to echo in the air around them as Liz plastered her hands to the fiery skin of Max's back, her fingers kneading tight muscles and taut skin.

As Max's head dropped in reaction, Liz's head fell back and her eyes drifted closed. A hot, hungry mouth began raking over the silky skin of Liz's neck as Max's hands slipped over her shoulders and down her arms. Quickly changing directions, his hands took a turn inward and his fingers once more dipped their way into the top of her loosening towel while his palms fell to rub against her sweet mounds of flesh through thin white material. Max's hot breath blew against her face in quick, erratic puffs when he moved his attack to the other side of her neck and she could feel her skin being scorched where his hands were deftly, expertly moving.

Arms linked under his, Liz grabbed hold of Max's shoulders as she instinctively arched into his hands, his name becoming a whispered prayer as she attempted to gulp what air she could find. She was going insane. She needed him. More than anything she'd needed in her life before. Max's soft voice easily broke through what little train of thought she had.

"Tell me…tell me what you feel, Liz. When I…touch you…" Max whispered raggedly against her lips as his eyes bored into hers, his fingers abandoning her tender flesh to slip up and weave through her hair, tilting her head backward and pulling her into him. "I need to know."

A light smile danced across her features when she opened her eyes to meet his. The need to know what he was doing to her--how his touch made her feel--was dancing fiercely in his eyes. Well, Liz had needs too. Ironically, they were exactly the same. A slight shake of her head dropped a momentary veil of disappointment in Max's bright eyes of anticipation until Liz whispered words of demand. "Even exchange…of information. You first."

A quick nod of understanding. A light brush of lips as he smiled his consent against hers.

"You're on."

Quickly changing tactics, Max grabbed her hands from behind him and placed one on each of his shoulders. "Hold on." Breaking his own rule, he planted a quick, solid kiss on her lips. His mind justified it by the quickness of its delivery and the absence of tangled tongues and he was able to proceed without guilt or defeat. "Don't fall without me…" One wink and he began his descent.

"Max..what are you…" Liz’s words caught in her throat when she felt Max’s hands move from her waist downward. Slowly. Seductively. Over the rise of her hips. Pausing to take in the swell of her bottom…the softness of her curves…the roughness of the thin material separating skin from skin. As his hands moved, so did Max. Downward. Inching his way to the floor. Dragging his lips down exposed skin from collarbone to chest. Pressing kisses here and there against her cloaked form as he continued downward.

The simmering desire that steadily boiled from deep within Max filled the air between them when he closed his eyes and exhaled a slow, shaky breath. Feeling his heat for her burning deep inside of him radiating out of every cell, Liz drew in a sharp breath herself. His need was burning…inside of her.

Max concentrated on slowly inching his way to the floor before he knelt in front of Liz, his gaze locked on her face seeking silent permission to proceed, giving her one last chance to stop his assault before it began. The look of tender vulnerability mixed with aching need began to dance back and forth in his eyes. Liz let out a shaky breath and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Then Max dropped his gaze…and he touched her.

Had Liz known she could feel the fires of hell and the ecstasy of heaven all in one moment, she would have given up the fight the second Max walked in the door. Never had seduction been so pure and so erotic at the same time. So demanding, yet respectful. So complete and yet unfulfilling.

Hot hands lightly wrapped around Liz's ankles and slowly began their climb up the back of her legs to her calves dragging cool satin material behind. "You're so soft." Max whispered, his voice like liquid velvet. "Smooth and warm. There's not a word in this world…that could describe…the way your skin feels against mine. How it molds to my hands…throbs under my fingers…I..I feel your…pulse…racing through your…whole body…"

"Fire." Liz's soft voice drifted down to Max's hearing. Her eyes closed and her head fell back the moment Max's fingers found their way her skin. Sensations began to overwhelm her and she felt her own fingers dig into Max's flesh. Her chest rose and fell with effort as her words haltingly progressed, thick with passion. "You make me…feel fire. Fire and ice…all at once. Where you…don't touch me…I…shiver from the cold. Where you do…I…I burn. I…explode." Her ragged breathing broke the stillness of the air around them. "I…burst into flames and…and melt…"

Max's hands rested firmly against the back of Liz's knees and he felt an involuntary shudder run through the length of Liz's body. Her knees begin to shake then buckle and her hands clung to his shoulders for support. A light kiss to each knee would have melted her to the floor had Max's strong arms not been there to stop her from falling as he wrapped them around her. She could feel his smile against her skin as his words reached up to wrap themselves around her heart. "I love making you tremble, Liz. I love knowing…I can make you…come undone…"

"…with a touch, Max. Only your touch…"

"And I'm weak…" Max swallowed hard. "…with a look. A smile…" Max's whisper nearly melted the material wrapped around her thighs as Max's hands slid under her towel to raise her underwear higher. "Just a word…" Max gasped for air as his hands rounded the swell of Liz's bottom. "…I'm all yours…Liz…" Her name came out as a strangled sound from the back of his throat.

Liz's towel molded to the flat, smooth skin of her mid-drift as a moist, scorching breath blew hot against the thin material with quick, deep puffs of fire. Liz dropped her head and opened her eyes when she felt the pressure of Max's forehead as it rested gently against her stomach, his lips even with her covered belly button, the top of his head nestling just under the curves of her breasts. His shoulders were heaving with the effort of calming his breathing as his arms tightened around her thighs to steady himself.

Liz's hands slipped from his bare shoulders up his neck trailing her fingernails from sensitive skin through his hair before her hands came to rest on the top of Max's damp head. She unconsciously began raking her fingers downward in a calming motion through the thick strands clinging to his skin as her eyes glowed with warmth at the sight of Max clinging to her for strength in the midst of overpowering desire. Over and over again her fingers moved in a steady rhythm that contradicted the radical beating of her heart. His name came from the back of her throat in a low, involuntary moan. "Max…"

"Dizzy…" The muffled word shook Liz to the core of her being followed by a shiver of knowledge when he gulped in air and pushed out a few more words of explanation. "God…Liz. Can't…breathe…"

A faint smile drifted over her lips and she closed her eyes once more. Her mind barely registered that as Max gulped for air, she exhaled. And when she sucked air into her burning lungs, Max's breath was hot against her. Pushing words past her closed throat, Liz's voice was breathless and strangled. "Don't fall…without me…"

Moist strands of ebony hung like a curtain on either side of Liz’s face and feathered against Max’s cheeks as she leaned over him. Feeling the pressure of her hands on his shoulders increase, Max shuddered before he took a deep calming breath and raised his eyes to meet Liz’s to see dazed wonder waiting for him there. Erotically charged gazes never broke contact as Liz straightened while Max stood slowly beginning to rake his index finger over her skin from the top of her towel up her neck to tilt her chin slightly upward till their eyes met. "Wow. I've…I've never felt…so…"

"Me either." Liz whispered reading his thoughts as clearly as her own.

Knowing no other words needed to be spoken to describe their tenuous grip on control, Max's eyes leisurely roamed her face before meeting her dazed gaze once more. Knowing the answer before he asked the question, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his darkening eyes. "Did I…do it right?"

Liz nodded her head mutely. With all of the sensations surging through her…the fire licking at her skin…the nerves in her body tingling unmercifully, she could barely form a coherent word let along speak one to save her life. Max grinned slightly and nuzzled his nose against hers in a teasing caress, his lips just milliseconds from touching hers. As he spoke his warm breath tickled her skin. "Good. Because I’ve only dressed one other girl before…and she was my sister’s Barbie doll." Max pulled back slightly to look in Liz’s eyes, his own beginning to twinkle with amusement. "Her underwear ended up backwards…on her head."

Liz met his gaze head-on as her arms lightly circled his waist. "Good thing I’m not a doll."

"No, you most certainly…are not." Max raked his fingers through Liz’s hair tangling them in the damp strands at the base of her neck. Gently arching her neck until her face was turned fully upward, Max let out a deep sigh. "You are a beautiful, wicked enchantress casting a spell I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to break."

"Does that bother you?"

Max reach for her satin, plum-colored, sleeveless nightshirt in silent response as a secret smile danced on his lips. "Turn around." The low command sent a thrill through Liz and she bit back a smile of anticipation as she slowly turned her back to him. Max closed his eyes and took a whiff of her hair before opening her shirt and holding one arm out for Liz to slip her arm through. Once she’d done that, he wrapped the satin around her back and held out the other arm.

Letting the material fall against her skin and encircling Liz with his arms, Max captured and stilled her hands as they raised to button her nightshirt. "Let me." Once he knew his whispered command would be obeyed, Max ran his hands back up Liz’s arms over her shoulders and under the thicket of hair that was trapped between her tanned skin and satin material. Gathering her hair in his hands, Max pulled it from it confines and took another whiff of the intoxicating scent before slowly dropping the waves against her back and gently pulling back on Liz's shoulders.

Reading Max's silent prompting, Liz leaned her head back against Max's shoulder, her back flushed against the full length of his solid chest. Letting out a sound that was a cross between a sigh and a whimper, Liz closed her eyes and let the feel of his body behind her and the sensations his hands were causing to wash over her as Max slowly ran aching hands from Liz's waist up her side.

She could feel his smile against her cheek and his breath tickling against her ear as he rested his cheek against hers and answered her question from moments before. "Does it look…" Slipping his hands under her arms, Max trailed them downward till his hands were equal with hers. "…like it bothers me?" Wordlessly, a dreamy smile slipped over her lips in response as Max and Liz's fingers instinctively intertwined and Max brought each one of her hands upward for a kiss before he curled them around the back of his neck.

Her knees began to shake once more as Max's fingers found their way to the top of her towel. Flesh burned against flesh as Max deftly found the opening and released the material allowing it to fall with a dull thud on the floor, his whisper sounding distant to her ears which were now filled with the thunderous sound of the blood running rampant through her veins. "God, I've wanted…to do that…all night…"

His hands slowly made their way back down her sides and then moved inward to curve around and rub against soft flesh as her arms tightened around his neck. As his fingers grazed the soft flesh of her breastbone, Max could hear Liz's sharp intake of breath and she absently let out a soft whimper as she arched into his hands when they moved effortlessly over her fevered skin. He wasn't just calling forth long lost desires within Liz…he was creating brand new ones. Desires that only he could fulfill. Desires that belonged to only him.

Liz was absolutely lost in all of the sensations shooting through her. Max's seduction was so thorough…his words and hands were equally matched. Both, touching parts of her in ways that had never been touched before. Both answering needs that had been denied for too long. Had she been able to form a coherent thought, the openness of her heart at that moment would have shocked her. She never believed she could feel so much, so intensely, ever again. Only with Max.

"Tell me what you feel, Liz." The raspy voice was low and strained in her ear. It was the first sign that Max was loosing just as much control, just as quickly.

"You. All around me." Liz's voice flickered with the fire raging in her. "God, Max. You…feel so good. So…hard and hot and…"

"…right." Max finished for her. "Nothing…has ever been this right…for me before."

"Max…I…I…can't…" Liz gulped back air as her body began to move instinctively against his. "I…I…want…"

A deep growl rumbled through Max's chest and in the next heartbeat he had spun Liz around to face him. Their ragged, erratic breathing was the only sound in the room as they stared into each others' eyes. They were both shocked to immobility by the intensity of their own hunger. By the raging of their passion. The explosiveness of their emotions.

The sound of distant thunder rippled through Max's low, husky voice and he couldn't keep the timbre of the upcoming storm from echoing through the room. "What, Liz? You want…what?"

Liz's gaze dropped to his lips and scorched them with her needy, air-born caress. Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips and Max felt himself harden even more than he thought was possible. Her eyes flicked back to his, bright with unleashed passion…dark with fathomless intensity and whispered the only truth she knew. "Max…time to fall."

And the bottom dropped out of their world.

The first flash of lightning hit. Thunder rolled through their bodies. Raindrops of fire fell down all around them. The storm descended with all of its brilliance and fury as Max crushed Liz to him, his lips capturing hers with frantic urgency. Liz moaned with pleasure into his kiss and it was the sweetest sound Max had ever heard. Completely open to him, lips and tongues began a fervent dual, plunging into the depths of each other. Tangling together in unbridled passion. Over and over. Exploring every crevice. Relentlessly pursuing the intimacy they both longed for.

Neither knew when it happened or how but in no time at all, Liz was hiked up into Max's strong arms, legs wrapped firmly around his waist anchoring the heat of their centers together provocatively as Liz's arms were fastened around Max's neck bringing flesh to rub against hot flesh. Liz threw her head back when Max's open mouth dropped to her chin then ran the length of her neck, nipping and sucking on the way. No longer cautious…no longer hesitant. Holding nothing back.

With a presence of mind that would have shocked them had they been able to form coherent thoughts, Max quickly found the handle on the door and moved them from the confines of the bathroom never once easing his assault. Liz shivered in his arms and Max instinctively pressed her closer to him as he stumbled forward into the relative chill of her bedroom. Max released Liz's lips long enough to take in his surroundings and quickly headed toward the bed just as Liz began a to run her tongue over the sensitive flesh at the base of his throat.

"Oh, God…." Max's fingers tangled helplessly in Liz's hair when his hand shot up to support her head as Liz's primal feast rendered him temporarily motionless. Blood had become molten lava in his veins and nothing had ever prepared him for the explosions that were taking place in his body. Pulling her lips back up to meet his, Max placed a knee on a soft mattress then took them both down till Liz was securely resting under him.

Her legs spread instinctively as Max settled himself over her, one hand supporting her neck as she arched toward him, the other bracing himself so as not to crush her. It was then he realized how far they'd gone. And how short of a way they had to go. Just once more…he needed to know…

Chest rising and falling against hers, Max pulled back and stared down into Liz's face. She was completely…undone. Ravaged. Her creamy skin was flushed with passion, her hair was in tangled wisps around her beautiful face and her lips…her lips were red and swollen from their arduous work-out. As his eyes met her dazed, dark pools of ebony, Max realized for the first time in his life what it was really like to be…home. To belong.

He swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to stop the stinging at the back of his eyes. Liz's soft hand came up to lay gently against his cheek and she smiled up at him with a whisper. "Tell me what you dream about, Max…"

Having seen the raw, powerful emotions swimming in Max's dark soulful eyes as he stared down at her, Liz's heart burst into a million tiny pieces of joy and contentment. Gone was the fear. Gone was the hesitancy. He was completely open to her and he probably didn't even know it. For the first time in her life, Liz saw what she'd always dreamed of seeing…the depths of Max Evans' soul. And it was…magnificent.

He needed her. He wanted her. And…most importantly, he could love her. She saw in the depths of his eyes that he really could. Heart, body and soul. Completely and without reservation. In her wildest dreams he always had…but this wasn't a dream. This was real. He was flesh and blood and the truth was shining out of his eyes, brilliant and undeniable.

Thus, her request.

Hence, his answer.

"You. Only you." It was whispered so softly that Liz barely heard it.

She didn't have to hear it clearly with her ears to know the truth of it with her heart. Her smile deepened as her eyes brightened with unshed tears. Brushing his lips lightly with her thumb, Liz's next request came out in a heated whisper. "Make it real, Max. I'm not a dream…any more…"

"Neither am I…" Max whispered back before his lips captured hers once more. Gently. Solidly. Expertly moving in a slow, steady rhythm building in strength and intensity with each new beat of their hearts.

Liz's arms snaked around Max's neck, her fingers feathering their way through his hair as she shifted under him teasingly as Max continued his gentle assault down the sweet column of her neck. Liz's head rolled to the side, her eyes closed in bliss. Preparing herself to be carried to the gates of heaven, Liz's eyes popped open in shock as a shudder of fear ran through her.

She felt it. A presence. Evil and dark. Full of hatred.

And it was coming from deep inside…of Max…