Chapter 4

"So now I get to tell people we spent the night together," Alec greeted her with a mischievous grin as he walked sleepily into his kitchen. He didn't look quite awake yet. Max had to admit, his messy hair and loose fitting sweats, not to mention that damn chest of his, was a nice sight to start the day. The previous night had been fairly difficult to get through. Max found her temptations getting harder to betray as her desire increased with their proximity.

She had to literally get away from him to avoid doing something she'd regret. And I would definitely regret it! she told herself. Alec would never let her live it down if he caught her in a moment of weakness. Not to mention that normally she wasn't even into him. It's just how close I have to be to him because of that stupid bet, she told herself. It was only natural that when in the presence of someone so attractive for so long and with no one else to remind you of your real life, emotions could become extreme. And in real life, Alec annoys the crap out of you! she reminded herself.

"Go ahead and milk this, Alec," Max responded with a rolling of her eyes. "Because a moment like this will never happen again."

Alec gave her a cocky grin. "You mean where you play housewife?"

He was clearly referring to the ridiculous sight of Max standing over the stove with an egg cooking in one pan and a few pancakes in the other. She wasn't exactly the type to cook. Max recalled the one time she'd attempted cooking before and how it had been a near disaster. But Alec doesn't need to know that! she told herself with a devilish grin as she anticipated his reaction to the breakfast she was cooking up for him.

Max resisted the urge to reach up and slap him for the comment. She knew that with this attitude, the next 3 days would be hell. She decided to suck it up and try and enjoy herself, even if it killed her.

"Now, Alec," she responded, much more chipper and in tune with how she'd been trying to act the night before. "I just wanted you to start off your morning with a great breakfast. That doesn't mean I'm going to go in there and make your bed."

"I think I'd prefer you in it actually. Wearing something a little more like what you were at the bar last night." He again flashed a grin.

A part of Max agreed with his choice of activities as she scolded herself for getting so carried away. It wasn't like he was irresistible or anything. Then what are you all worked up for?

"Keep picturing that, Alec, because that's the closest you'll ever get."

The grin remained on Alec's face. Oh, I will keep picturing that, he thought to himself with a solid smile. Max was, as ever, in denial over her draw to him. Alec also felt vulnerable around her but he wasn't hiding that. He'd come to accept the reactions and thoughts that she brought out in him. But that didn't make it any less entertaining to watch Max try and fight their mutual attraction.

Wonder why she is so quick to brush me off, he considered. Would it really be so bad for Max to admit that she wanted him?

Alec didn't bother wasting any more time in trying to figure out Max. He knew that would never result in any real answer. Instead, he was more than content to continue toying with her. And why the hell not make it difficult on the raven-haired beauty? It would only be more entertaining to see just how far she would go to keep playing this game that she didn't want him.

Alec came behind Max and reached his arms around her waist to place his own hand on top of hers as he guided hers.

Max felt herself tense at his sudden touch that sent a shiver through her. She couldn't help turning to stare him in the eyes, her own looking more vulnerable to his than she wanted to let on. Just what was he trying to do? His lips were so close, and since he still hadn't showered, his scent was again engulfing her as it had the night before as he slept beside her. Max swallowed, trying to shove her increasing desire down her throat along with her breath. She waited for him to say something or possibly make a move, unable to do anything else.

Alec grabbed Max's hand gently. "I like them once over easy," he told her as he guided her hand into flipping his egg.

Max couldn't help glaring at him as he moved his hand to turn off the burner.

"I didn't know I had one of those!" he said casually, referring to the pan, before moving away from the stove. He sat anxiously on a stool by the bar, clearly waiting to taste his breakfast.

Max could not believe his nerve. You ass! she said in her mind, but not out loud. She was getting extremely frustrated already and the day had barely begun. He was going to pay when this was all over. A thought came over her, something she'd already tried. But he was better at it, apparently. Maybe it would work anyway. She needed some satisfaction to get her through her day. Two can play at his game...

----------------------------------------------Sugary Sweet Christmas-induced ending below-------------------------------------------------

"Alec," she purred as she handed him his plate. "I made this especially for you. Sorry that I didn't know your taste. Hopefully, you'll still leave satisfied."

"Doesn't every man leave satisfied after a night with you, Max?" he asked her as he accepted his plate with a grin. I know that I would be, he added in his mind. He considered cutting Max a break as he noted her lack of an emotional outburst. He knew it must really be pissing her off. Which on one hand provided very good entertainment. But on the other, he had to admit, he didn't just want Max physically, although at the moment, she was making it difficult to think otherwise. Their close proximity was certainly adding to the reasons he had for smiling so much. The moment he shared with Max seemingly to just flip his egg allowed him to inhale the intoxicating scent that was uniquely Max's. He wanted that scent to surround him all night long and every night after...

"You tell me," she replied, waiting for him to taste his breakfast.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," he answered. "But maybe my satisfaction will start with these eggs and pancakes."

Max didn't appreciate Alec's flirtatious nature leaving her hanging. The least he could do while he tried to mess with her head was keep it complimentary. Max was sick of him having the upper hand. She hoped that as soon as he tasted his breakfast that things would start to work in her favor.

Max only smiled with pure delight as she watched Alec cut up his pancakes to take a bite. "Syrup?" she asked him as she opened the bottle before he responded.

"Oh, yea," he commented, setting down his fork as he waited for the extra flavor to come.

"Here you go!" she said in a sugary sweet voice as she poured some on. "Oops!" she stated as a bit ended up on her hand. She licked it right off, leaving him only to stare at the seductive action, his lips parted. "Well," she said to him anxiously. "How does it taste?"

Alec took a moment to regain his composure before tasting his breakfast. Damn. Is she doing that on purpose? He shook away his thoughts. Like he'd reasoned before, there was no point in trying to figure her out. But one thing he didn't need any help figuring out was that there was no way anyone on this earth could screw up a pancake. He stared at Max as he lifted the fork to his mouth. I can get double pleasure, he decided as he really took in the sight of her. What a great way to start the day, he realized as he enjoyed the beauty before him. She was staring at him as seductively as she possibly could, apart from her dark eyes which had a hint of vulnerability shining through. Taking in Max which was almost too much in spite of the fact that she was wearing nothing to add to her effect. It was all Max that was successfully turning him on. Calm down, boy! he told himself even though he continued to appreciate the sight of Max. The last thing he needed was to let his enjoyment take over him.

Once Alec felt settled enough to really enjoy all of his senses, he took the bite. Now his eyes were pleased with the sight of Max. His hearing was satisfied by the usual sounds of the morning, birds chirping and cheesy whatnot like a storybook wakeup. The scent of Max combined with a delicious-smelling meal before him was enough to satisfy that scent. And now it was time for taste.

Alec swallowed the food a little more quickly than he wanted to initially. He immediately added more syrup as soon as he'd tasted his first bite.

He looked up to see Max's anxious eyes staring down at him. "Uh, this is great, Max!" he said with a forced smile. Damn. How do you screw up a pancake?! Did she do that on purpose?

"Really? That is just wonderful, Alec!" she said as she leaned toward him offering a quick kiss on his cheek.

The feel of Max's lips brushing against his skin, even if so quick, was a moment he instinctively turned toward. When she pulled away, she remained staring face to face with him, as if studying him.

Does she want me to make a move? he wondered, finding the desire to do just that increasing with every millisecond that passed as her lips remained so close to his own.

"Max," he said in a deeper and more serious voice as he parted his lips ever so slightly in preparation for his next move.

"You're lying," she decided. She backed away from him, leaving him only to let out his anxiety and desire in a sigh. He quickly tried to stiffen it with another bite, even though the first one had successfully chased away any bit of hunger that usually came with the morning.

So that's why she was studying me, he realized. Once again he was reminded that he couldn't read Max at all.

"You don't like them, do you..." she trailed off and hid her face. In shame? The last thing Alec wanted to do was upset Max. He was completely shocked at her reaction, though. He didn't have a clue what to do. Max blubbering over her lacking skills at cooking was not something Alec could ever picture coming from her.

"Max!" he said, moving from the plate to comfort her. He put his arm around her and tried to calm her down. "That is not true."

"Yes it is!" she whined before starting to slowly shake with sobs. "I'm just trying to be nice! Why can't I be nice?" Her own frustration over their cat and mouse game allowed her to be very convincing in her performance.

Alec continued to try and ease some of her guilt. He felt like a complete jackass for making her feel so bad just over a not-so-delicious meal. "Maxie... come on! We all know that you're skilled in many areas, and well, cooking just isn't one of them! How about I make you some breakfast and you can start being nice to me at work?"

Max only increased her sobbing.

"Max!"

"I just..." She trailed off as she lost the ability to keep it up anymore. She turned to face him with eyes that clearly held no tears. "Haha!" she said as she laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alec! Did you really think I would cry over something that pointless?"

Alec held his mouth open in shock as he processed what had just taken place. "Wait, you were faking all of that? Did you purposely screw up those pancakes?" he asked her accusingly.

"You see, Alec, I really want to be nice to you. I do," she told him. "I started out actually trying to be nice to you. But you see, I just can't do it! Everytime I try, something gets in the way."

"And what's that?" he asked her.

"You do this whole thing where you try to get me all worked up," she accused him.

"And?"

"And...it works...maybe," she admitted.

Alec was finally grinning again. "Okay, so you're saying...you don't mind that my arm is around you right now."

Max tried not to blush to ruin the moment. "I'm saying..." she trailed. Oh my God! What am I saying? she asked herself.

"And so then, you won't mind...this..." he continued. He proceeded to finally do the one thing that he'd been wanting to do with increasing desire since he'd first seen her the night before. Alec took the moment of her own uncertainty and silence to capture her true feelings in a wordless action.

His lips moved against hers as the tension that had been building between them was unleased in a kiss. Neither was able to deny their passion for the other as they stopped fighting everything and let their actions speak for themselves.

Max found her hand stroking the muscles that had been calling for her touch and stuck in her mind for too long to be denied any longer. As her tongue felt his own slipping under it, she enjoyed his scent entangling her own.

Alec increased her pleasure with a quick line of gentle kisses from her jawline to her neck before heightening it as he sucked at her neck.

Max moaned with pleasure as she found herself grinning more than she had in quite some time.

Alec interrupted the moment by hoisting Max up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her, clearly to lead her somewhere.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a knowing smile as she nipped at his shoulder.

"To where we slept last night," he answered as he couldn't help grinning and continued to carry her toward his bedroom.

"But, Alec," she protested in words only as she continued to place light kisses on his chin. "Then I'll be making you late for work. That's not very nice, is it?" she taunted him.

Alec answered her by gently laying her atop his unmade bed. "I think I'll be able to find it in my heart to let that one slide," he replied as he crawled over her.

"What about this whole bet thing?" she asked him with increasing gasps. She was feeling especially satisfied as his head snuck underneath her shirt to place kisses on her abdomen.

"What about it?" he asked as his hands gently lifted her top over her head.

"Well," she continued, while giving him a real massage. "You made it seem like I wanted to lose. I just want us to be clear that I'm the winner here."

"Max!" Alec replied with a light laugh mixed with a low moan of pleasure that only her touch could elicit. Only she would be so determined to come out the winner even still at this point.

"Well?" she asked him before giving him a moment to think before speaking as she covered his mouth with her own.

"It was a tie almost to the very end," Alec offered in between his own foreplay.

"And...?" Max pressed him as she pulled him closer toward herself to close the space between them.

"And I won, hence my breakfast," he finally answered.

Her reply was a hard bite on his shoulder.

"Ow!" he complained with a laugh. "You know, that's not very nice, Max," he teased her as he gave her a nibbling of his own. His, however, was more gentle and aimed at her ears.

"I'm the winner here, Alec," she said, determined. "Say it!" She proceeded to encourage him as she interrupted her massage to untie the string holding his sweats up.

"You know, those pancakes were awful," he admitted. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Alec!" she replied angrily as she forcibly ripped his pants off.

"Okay! I'm sorry. They weren't the worst thing I've been subjected to tasting ever," he offered. "But they came close."

"Alec!" she repeated. He felt her tense even underneath the touch of his lips. He'd really hit a nerve this time.

"Who won?" she asked him again with a whisper in his ear before again sucking at his tongue with her own.

He felt his pleasure increase with the feel of her breath against his skin followed by her taste.

Alec had always wondered whether he enjoyed toying with Max more than winning. He was very competetive and losing was not something he could take easily. She was completely taking advantage of the situation in asking him to surrender to her like this, with her waiting underneath him to give him his heart's desire.

And yet, he enjoyed the moment all the more with her typical feisty inability to accept defeat. "You won, Max," he finally gave in as he found himself too ready to put it off any further.

It was true. He enjoyed Max more than winning.


a/n: So if you noticed the part in the middle where I said sugary sweet Christmas-induced ending... allow me to explain! I thought of a cute ending for this fic, so this chapter is an alternate sweet ending, so to speak. Buuuuuut

its not over. :D hehehee.. I can do that bc it is my fic! soooo next chapter will begin exactly where the break was in this one! Confused much? I hope not, if yes, let me know, even pm me if you want, & I'll try to explain it better. Basically I just wanted to make it all cute and "awwww" since that is the mood Christmastime puts me in! So I've subjected you all to that! hahaaa.

But like I said, it will continue next ch with more competition, cuz baby, this game ain't over yet!

-Doos