Author's Note- This chapter contains Adult Content

Part 12

She only had to wait a moment before he started toward her slowly.

Liz felt her heart beat ratchet up and her abdomen tighten in response to his nearness, the heated look in his eyes.

"Max…" she said lowly but he didn't respond, just let his left arm slide around her waist and dragged her closer to him. A shaft of arousal shot through her stomach and she licked her lips, trying to calm down. He hadn't even really touched her yet, not to mention that he'd just given three orgasms not 2 hours ago but you'd think she hadn't had any in over a year with the way she was reacting to him.

"Max…,"

"Turn around," he cut in and Instead of finishing her thought she did what he asked.

"Put your hands on the bar."

She did it without a second thought.

Let him push her forward until she hit the bar and it began biting into her stomach gently. The memory of her first kiss with Kyle drifted into her mind, then he let one of the hands resting on hips glide up toward her breast and she wasn't thinking about much of anything now except more.

And he gave it to her.

Slid his hand over her left breast and squeezed her gently, then harder and she gasped and arched her back to bring him closer. He brought his free hand up under her arm and grasped the opposite shoulder effectively chaining her to him and she felt a delicious shiver start to buckle her knees. She knew he'd let her go, all she had to do was give the word, but she trusted him implicitly and the thought that she couldn't away didn't scare her.

It turned her on even more.

They'd only been together twice but he was usually so gentle, all soft caresses and loving looks that she'd dreamed of during his absence, but this was different. He was rougher, more dominant and it was just as good as when he was all about sweetness.

She took one of her hands from the bar and blindly reached back, it landed on his side before she let it slip down and grasp the buckle of his belt.

He groaned lowly, the first sound he'd made since he told her to put her hands down and pushed forward, rubbing himself against her lower back. She bit her lip and met his thrust with one of her own, let her hand slither up and shimmy into the waistband of his jeans. Max was panting now and so was she even though he'd been still ever since she touched him. She pushed herself against him, to get it back to work, and it jerked back to life slowly. He let his hand fall down her body and up her skirt, following her lead.

She spread her legs then, as wide as the stools and her own ability to stay standing allowed, and he took her position for the invitation it was. Ran the tip of his fingernail along the stretch of skin on her inner thigh that connected her pelvis to her leg and made the muscle there jump in his wake. She moaned and reached deeper until she could grasp him fully and he jerked like he'd touched a live wire, stopped teasing and just cupped her fully in his hand, gave her a strong circular rub and she let the top half of her body lay flat on the cool granite.

He moved closed and bent to mimic her 90 degree angled position, put his hand over her own and held it tightly. Liz used his closeness to get a better grip on him, stroked him once before she used the sticky liquid at his tip to try and smooth the way.

"Ohhhh Liz…"

And his voice was low and strained and awed and rough and she smiled as she stroked him again, harder this time. Closer, probably, to the way he touched himself and just thinking about that made her wetter. He must have noticed because he let out an appreciative groan and moved his hand inside of her panties. Slipped his hand past her clit and gathered some moisture before moving back up and using his middle and ring finger to rub her in that spot.

She gasped, pushing herself down onto his hand shamelessly.

"Sometimes," he said as if his hand wasn't between her thighs, as if her own hand wasn't gripping him, "I think this all you want me for," and he punctuated the question by letting the tip of a finger penetrate her.

She wanted to disagree with him, turn around in his arms and tell him that he was the first person she ever cared about and that he would be the last as well but the hand that had been cradling hers this whole time had moved up to shoulder to pull down the side of her dress. He squeezed his hand in between the cool counter top and her skin to pinch her nipple slightly, then harder and then roll it and she realized he was right.

When his hands were on her that was all she wanted from him and right now she wanted more.

He pulled her up, so she would lean against him, and reached past her head into a cabinet, pulling out a small square package and tearing it open with his teeth. She wanted to laugh at the knowledge that he kept condoms in his kitchen but then she felt him pulling her panties down and only taking time to free one leg, heard the tell tale descent of a zipper and then he lifted her leg until it was resting over a nearby stool to give himself some room to maneuver.

"I…"

"It's okay," he breathed out as he pushed himself between her thighs, slicking himself up before he began to push inside her.

"I don't have a good job or money but I have this and, if it's all you want from me, I'll give it to you."

He leaned forward a little, pushing her along with him, trying to get some leverage as he pushed inside her slowly and, when she began to relax, he was able to push a little deeper and begin a steady stroke, hooked his chin over her shoulder and put his elbow on the counter top to help him keep his purchase.

He slipped his free hand back between her legs and she grabbed his wrist, not trying to stop him or change the pace or even keep him there. She did it just to feel him, know it was him there. She slid the other one up to his neck and let her head lull back onto his shoulder.

"I do love you."

When he didn't react, she turned his face towards her. Close enough to see herself in his eyes, close enough to kiss.

"I love you and I want you for more than this," he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside of her then and she had to stop to get her bearings before continuing. "I've always wanted to be with you."

And he looked so goofily ecstatic about her pronouncement that she felt bad. Decided in that moment she'd tell Max she loved every time she saw him so he'd never doubt again. Began to say just that when he rubbed her clit so hard she knew she'd be sore later but right now all she saw was stars and slid down over the counter top, unable to hold herself up at the moment.

He didn't seem to mind the new position. Grabbed her shoulders and pumped faster and harder and then he was shaking and groaning real low and pulling her up to cuddle her closer to him, "I love you," he said after a moment, breathless.

"I'm gonna leave him tonight," she said slowly, "I'm not waiting, then I'm coming back to be with you."

He hugged her tighter and nipped at her neck, trying to hide his happiness, "alright. But I'm coming with you."

"No," she said quickly, pulling out of his grasp gently and turning toward him, trying to put herself back together. "I did this to him. I'll finish it."

He looked like he wanted to argue but tamped down on it. "Okay, I'll see you when you get back?"

She nodded in the affirmative and pulled him to her for a kiss before backing away.

"Can I use your bathroom?"

-0-

"You're leaving me."

She shrieked in her throat and turned toward the voice quickly and there James was, sitting in the front room waiting for her, sitting in the chair that she and Max had…

Liz shut the thought down quickly, almost afraid that he would be able to hear it.

"James?"

"You're leaving me," he repeated quietly and he didn't sound distressed or angry or happy or anything.

She closed the door behind her and tried to still herself against this conversation and build up her bravery.

"Yes. I'm leaving."

He was sitting in the dark so she flipped the switch on the wall next to her.

"It's Max right?"

She started and stopped twice before answering honestly. "Yes, it's Max."

He shook his head slowly and chuckled without mirth, "I pushed you to him."

"No," she said sternly, moving towards him, "you didn't have anything to do with it."

"I pushed you at him," he said continued, as if she hadn't spoken at all. "You said you didn't want to see him but I…"

"You didn't do anything. I should have told you earlier."

He turned on her angrily and she stepped back. "How long has this been going on?"

"I don't want…"

"I didn't ask you what you want," he yelled.

She leaned against the door. He'd never screamed at her, never raised his voice in an argument, never really got angry at all. They talked everything out when they had disagreements and this sudden change in tactics scared her a little.

"Not long."

"How long's not long," he asked, composed again.

"Since my birthday."

His eyes widened in shock. "When you ran from the table and he went after you…"

She didn't answer, just looked away but that was an answer in and of itself.

"Oh my God Liz."

"Please believe me when I say I loved you James."

"Loved," he snorted, emphasizing the past tense she'd used. "We haven't even broken up yet and I'm already in your rear view mirror."

"No," she was starting to cry even though she'd sworn to herself on the cab ride over that she wouldn't.

"Did you ever even love me," he was strangely calm again, like they were talking about what to eat tonight and not the demise of their 2 year relationship. She flashed back to Dizzies café when she asked Max an eerily similar question before coming back to the present.

"Of course I did," she said emphatically, moving towards him, "I do still."

"But you're going to be with him now?"

"Yes."

There was a long stretch of quiet where all they could hear was each other's breathing. She wanted to go to him, tell him that she loved him and that she was sorry and forget all about everything that had occurred today. But she stood her ground. Going over there now would only hurt him more in the long run because there was no way she would be able to stay away from Max

He wouldn't let her.

She wouldn't want too.

He stood up and moved into the kitchen to sit at the table. She stayed by the door for a moment before following him and standing in the doorway. He pulled an apple out of the basket of fruit she sat there earlier in the day and took a bite.

"I knew when I came back for lunch," he said, "when I walked in…I just knew. I came in and our picture was face down and it was like…like someone walked over my grave you know?"

She nodded but he didn't look up and so he didn't notice.

"Have you brought him here?"

"No," she responded without thinking.

"Don't lie to me," he said under his breath.

"I'm not," she shrieked, "I've never brought him here!"

"You've slept with him?"

"No!"

He shook his head angrily. "You're lying."

"I don't want to hurt you!"

"This has nothing to do with me," he replied looking at her like she was someone he'd never seen before. "It's about you and how you never wanting to take responsibility!"

"That's not true," she replied, on the defensive.

"Yes it is. Your parents have dictated every move of your life. Where you went to college, where you worked, you've never made any decisions for yourself so, in case they failed, you'd be the victim and it's always easier to be the victim."

"Shut up James," she said and he complied, stared at her until she started to speak again.

"You don't want to tell me the truth because you don't want me to hate you but I already do so it doesn't matter. You can tell me.

She felt her heart clench at his words but accepted their truth anyway. She was afraid of him hating her, of anyone not liking her and that character flaw had affected every decision she'd ever made up to this point, just like he said.

Every decision, that is, except her choice to be with Max

That had set off arguments, fights, disappointments and heartache; but they had all been her own. It was time to stop running, and start taking on some accountability.

"You're right," she said slowly, moving toward him and sitting in the chair opposite his own. "I didn't want you to hate me but I need to learn that that's out of my hands. I can't control your feelings and I need to tell you the truth, even if it hurts you."

He looked up then, his red eyes surprised.

"I have brought him here," she said, breathing hard, "and I've slept with him too."

"You cheated on me."

It wasn't a question, which is just as well because she didn't have an answer. A lot of things went through her mind. She wanted to ask him for his forgiveness but didn't.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry," he asked unbelievably. "You're just sorry? I hope your heart's breaking. Is it?"

She tried to get her breathing under control and answer him truthfully. "Yes."

"Good," he replied after a moment as if he was asking a coworker about their day. As if they hadn't ever loved each other. As if he didn't know her at all.

"Now get out," he went on sharply, tipping his hand and showing his anger, "I'll have your stuff packed up by tomorrow. We'll talk to each other later about everything else."

"James…"

"Please leave," he requested quietly, getting up and turning away from her. She got up and went to their room to grab some clothes before making her way to the door, "I'm sorry," Liz said again softly, wiping her tear stained cheeks.

"I know that doesn't change anything but I really never wanted it to be this way."

"I don't believe you," he responded in a monotone.

She watched his down turned head, trying to think of something she could say to make this better, before exiting the apartment and saying nothing.

-0-

She almost dropped her clothes when she flew through the front doors of their apartment building, gasping for breath, trying not to cry and looking for a cab when someone placed a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly before rolling her eyes.

"I thought I told you I was going to do this on my own."

"You did," Max responded, pulling her into his arms and trying to not be angry that she was upset over breaking up with James. "I just came to make sure you were alright. Are you?"

"No."

He ran his hand through her hair and hugged her closer. "Come on," he said. "I'll hail us a cab and we'll go home."

"Home," she asked, smiling a little.

"Yeah," he responded. "It's your home too now."

He wiped away the remaining tears with his thumb and smiled. "Let's go."