Blah blah, Kiss kiss
by pari106
pari106@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: See chapter one; Rating: Okay, kiddos, this is where the story starts to swing between PG-13
and NC-17. So skip this part if you don't have the stomach for that sort of thing.
A/N: I know this story is taking up an awful lot of chapters, but I'll probably condense the whole thing
once its finished.
Blah blah, Kiss kiss, part 6
by pari106
When Zack's lips touched Max's it was like an explosion for both of them. So much wanting and wishing
and waiting had preceded that kiss. They'd both pined for one another for so long, that now they came
together with a passion they'd never experienced before.
As she'd known they would be, Zack's kisses were just like the man himself: confident, bold. If she were
to use militant terminology, Max would say it was a take-no-prisoners kind of kiss. But there wasn't
anything militant about Zack in that moment. His kisses were demanding, but they were also surprisingly
tender, as well. He was such a complex man, even at this. One moment, he was suddenly pushing her back
into the couch she was sitting on, his hands holding her face to his in an iron grip, his lips coming down
upon hers with a power that was numbing. And the next, those same hands were lightly caressing her skin,
those lips were barely even nipping at hers, making Max want to plead for more. And the whole time, their
bodies were pressed together so that there wasn't an inch between them. Zack's lean, muscular frame
completely covered Max's softer, though nonetheless equally fit physique.
Max had had a few lovers before, taken in a moment of heat. But right now, what she was feeling with
Zack surpassed all of her previous experiences. She wasn't going through one of her cycles, but she felt a
burning and a need within her that she'd never felt even when she had been through them before.
And, in the midst of all this, Max must have made a sound. They were both breathing heavily. Every now
and then, when Zack's lips met hers with particular force, or when her tongue met his in a particularly
provocative fashion, Zack would groan. But when Max made that sound, something somewhere between a
request and a prayer, Zack somehow managed to pull back. Just an inch. Just enough to let her go if she
were asking to be released.
What he didn't know was that Max was asking for the exact opposite. She didn't ever want Zack to let her
go.
Still, he somehow managed to remove his mouth from hers. He was lying on top of her on the couch, and
her face was still in his hands. During all this, Max had helped him out of his jacket and now her fists were
balled up beneath his sweater, resting against his chest. When he pulled back, she splayed her fingers out,
resting her palms against his skin.
Zack had to close his eyes and will himself to keep breathing and not simply force himself upon her again.
"What are we doing?" he managed to grind out from between his teeth.
Max wasn't about to let him go now. Even if she had misinterpreted the affection she'd seen shining in his
eyes for her earlier, Max knew there was no interpreting the desire he was feeling for her now. It was there
in his eyes, in his expression, in the roughness of his voice, and in the hardness of his body pressed next to
hers…
Max resisted the urge to whimper, and leaned upwards, planting kisses on the side of Zack's neck.
Zack's breath came out in a hiss.
"We're doing what I've wanted to do for way too long," she whispered.
Hearing Max's words, entertaining the thought that Max had wanted him just as badly as he'd wanted her,
effected Zack's body and soul. But he held back, even still.
"Are you sure? It's so soon. Maxie, you just left…"
"Shh." Max nipped at his ear, planted a kiss on the Adams apple of his throat. His hands fisted so tightly
in her hair that it stung. "I'm certain," she told him, trying to press herself closer to him if that were
possible.
She loved the feel of him, the taste of him. She loved the way he called her "Maxie. She loved him. She'd
never been certain of anything like she was of that.
Zack, however, wasn't so sure. He'd seen how distraught Max was earlier. She was leaving her home
behind, her friends and her job. And Logan.
"Max…"
Zack's hands traveled from her hair down to her shoulders. He'd meant to put some distance between
them, but instead he found himself caressing the expanse of skin now beneath his fingertips, running his
hands up and down her arms. Max's hands were travelling over his chest and his back.
"Zack…"
Max continued to kiss his throat, then she stretched upwards to capture his mouth with hers once again.
And Zack groaned.
Just like that his will to resist had left him. There was just so much temptation Zack could take, and he'd
wanted Max for so long. He couldn't just let her go now, could he?
There were so many reasons why he should. 'She's not herself,' he told himself. They were here, sipping
wine in front of a fireplace, she was feeling uprooted and lonely and they were staying the night in Cale's
fucking cabin, for crying out loud. Wouldn't he be taking advantage of Max if he made love to her now,
like she was? What if she regretted it in the morning? What if it wasn't really him she wanted, just the
comfort of being intimate with someone, anyone. She'd never seemed to have these kind of feelings for
Zack before. Had the circumstances of the situation made her own up to feelings she'd always had? Or
were they simply making her believe she felt that way? And how exactly did she feel? They hadn't talked
about that. Max had mentioned their "caring" for one another, then she'd kissed him. What did that mean?
There were a lot of reasons why Zack should stop, now. A lot of questions he didn't have the answers for.
But he didn't. He knew there was a good chance he'd hate himself for it, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
Even though it tore him up to think about the consequences, he just couldn't. What if he were taking
advantage of Max and she regretted it in the morning? He could almost live with being that convenient,
comforting someone. One of those moments of weakness they'd talked about. Because he loved her that
much. But he wouldn't be able to look at himself in the mirror anymore if Max ended up hating him for
this, or hating herself, which would be so much worse.
He didn't, couldn't, stop, but he entertained the idea that he could try.
The temperature between them was rising again, as was the frenzy. Zack kissed Max with all the passion
he was trying so desperately to contain, and Max met him every inch of the way. She felt so good, so soft,
so right beneath him; she tasted of some indistinct sweetness.
Their hands were everywhere, and suddenly their boots were gone, as was Zack's sweater.
When they rose, and Max reached for his shirt, just as his hands her inching hers up her stomach, Zack
paused again. Max was still tugging at his shirt, so Zack grabbed her wrists. "Stop. Maxie, stop," he told
her.
Then he rested his forehead against hers, his whole body shaking with need, and his breathing labored.
"Max…if we're going to stop this, we have to stop it now."
He had to be sure she knew what she was getting them into. After this, it wouldn't just be a few kisses
they'd have to deal with. After this, Zack knew neither of them would be able to settle for anything less
than everything.
Max finally stilled, resting there in Zack's arms, letting herself think about what he was offering. A way
out. Did she need one?
'Hell no.'
Up till this point, Max hadn't let herself think about going backwards – she was hell bent on taking what
they'd found with one another forward. She hadn't wanted to dare stopping, because she knew if she
stopped and lost here nerve, then she'd regret it for the rest of her life. She'd never forgive herself for
passing up perhaps her only chance to be with the man she loved.
Of course, she realized she might end up with regrets anyhow. If Zack felt differently about her in the light
of day…if this was just one of those 'moments of weakness' he mentioned…it would crush her. But not as
badly as knowing what she could have had, but didn't.
"I don't want to stop," she told Zack.
Zack breathed deeply, and his eyes fluttered closed again.
"I don't want to hurt you, Max," he pleaded.
And Max swallowed. To be honest, she was a little afraid of that, herself. She'd only ever made love to
humans before. She had no idea what to expect from one of her own kind. From Zack. He had so much
pent up passion inside of him… And she knew what he was capable of. Knew his strength. She'd seen the
hunger, the stark hunger in his eyes…
It did frighten her a little. But it also exhilarated her. This was Zack. She trusted no one in the world so
much as Zack. And no one could ever be the match for her that he was.
Max pulled back, looking into Zack's eyes, seeing the need there once more, and shivering with the need
she felt stir in response.
"I'm a big girl," she said. "I can handle it."
That hadn't been what Zack had meant, but he didn't say so. He couldn't, because she was running her
hands up his chest once more. And this time, when Max tried to divest him of his shirt, Zack let her.
Then there was silence, and stillness, as they just sat there, staring at one another.
Max took in the sight of muscle of smooth, tanned skin before her. She swallowed. Then she slightly
smiled.
"Besides," she said, her voice just the slightest bit shaky. "You shouldn't flatter yourself. Who says you
can handle me?
Then she leaned over, and planted a kiss on Zack's collarbone.
For Zack, that was the proverbial last straw.
With something somewhere between a groan and a four letter word, he suddenly pulled Max into his arms,
capturing her mouth once more, and with one movement of his hands her shirt came off of her with a loud
rip. Max yelped in surprise, but didn't break their kiss as Zack lifted her, taking them closer to the fire, and
lying Max down on the rug in front of it. Then he joined her.
The next thing she knew, Max was lying beneath Zack, completely nude as he gazed down at her with what
Max could almost swear were tears in his eyes.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered.
Max just reached up to cup his face in her hands.
Before she'd known that she loved him, she'd never taken compliments on her looks to heart. What did it
matter to her if people found her attractive? It wasn't she they should be sending their compliments. As
she'd said often before, it was all thanks to the clever folks at Manticore. They'd designed her to be
beautiful. All the X5s were made that way.
But loving Zack had given Max another perspective. When he told her she was beautiful, she felt like it.
She actually felt tears of her own spring to her eyes. What Zack told her when he looked at her made
sense, because she felt the same way when she looked at him. She didn't look at Zack and see Manticore –
she saw Zack.
"You, too," she whispered, smiling when Zack laughed.
But then, as he kissed her, the humor left his eyes. And, soon, the smile left her face. They seemed to be
moving in slow motion, making up for a lifetime of having been denied one another's touch. Making
memories that may have to last them a lifetime more, if their plan to get over the Canadian border went
awry.
Then Max's fingers were trailing down Zack's stomach, heading to the button of his jeans. Zack watched
her face, waiting. He saw the excitement and anxiety there, but he kept quiet, knowing she had to take this
step on her own. And Max watched him watching her. He had the most brilliant eyes – Zack did. They
hinted at all sorts of thoughts going on behind them, but they never gave away what he was thinking. The
intensity in his gaze could eat right through you. Max felt that intensity now.
She trailed her fingers over his skin, tracing a circle around his belly button and toying with the light trail of
hair that began there. Zack moaned and buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair,
and nipping at her neck with his teeth and his tongue.
Then Max took a deep breath. Forget her heat cycle, making love with Zack was like burning alive and
loving every moment of it. Finally, she undid that button, and slipped her hands beneath the last barrier of
clothing between the two of them.
"Maxie…"
Zack hissed in her ear between clenched teeth, his whole body tensing when her touch found him.
"Zack…"
Max stroked him, until suddenly the tension radiating through Zack's body could no longer be contained.
His kisses went wild and his touch became rough, and Max was swept away in the passion that assaulted
them both.
Then Zack was shimming the rest of the way out of his jeans and there was nothing left between them.
Max held onto him tightly, as Zack moved between her legs, positioning himself on top of her.
His lips were back at her ear.
"Max…"
As Zack finally entered her, in that last, wild moment before he joined their bodies, Max's every emotion
overwhelmed her as she held Zack in her arms, as she looked up at the man she loved.
As he finally entered her, she locked her eyes with his, and once again spoke what was on her heart without
considering it first.
"I love you, Zack."
And then he was inside of her, and neither of them had the capacity for speech for a long while after.
by pari106
pari106@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: See chapter one; Rating: Okay, kiddos, this is where the story starts to swing between PG-13
and NC-17. So skip this part if you don't have the stomach for that sort of thing.
A/N: I know this story is taking up an awful lot of chapters, but I'll probably condense the whole thing
once its finished.
Blah blah, Kiss kiss, part 6
by pari106
When Zack's lips touched Max's it was like an explosion for both of them. So much wanting and wishing
and waiting had preceded that kiss. They'd both pined for one another for so long, that now they came
together with a passion they'd never experienced before.
As she'd known they would be, Zack's kisses were just like the man himself: confident, bold. If she were
to use militant terminology, Max would say it was a take-no-prisoners kind of kiss. But there wasn't
anything militant about Zack in that moment. His kisses were demanding, but they were also surprisingly
tender, as well. He was such a complex man, even at this. One moment, he was suddenly pushing her back
into the couch she was sitting on, his hands holding her face to his in an iron grip, his lips coming down
upon hers with a power that was numbing. And the next, those same hands were lightly caressing her skin,
those lips were barely even nipping at hers, making Max want to plead for more. And the whole time, their
bodies were pressed together so that there wasn't an inch between them. Zack's lean, muscular frame
completely covered Max's softer, though nonetheless equally fit physique.
Max had had a few lovers before, taken in a moment of heat. But right now, what she was feeling with
Zack surpassed all of her previous experiences. She wasn't going through one of her cycles, but she felt a
burning and a need within her that she'd never felt even when she had been through them before.
And, in the midst of all this, Max must have made a sound. They were both breathing heavily. Every now
and then, when Zack's lips met hers with particular force, or when her tongue met his in a particularly
provocative fashion, Zack would groan. But when Max made that sound, something somewhere between a
request and a prayer, Zack somehow managed to pull back. Just an inch. Just enough to let her go if she
were asking to be released.
What he didn't know was that Max was asking for the exact opposite. She didn't ever want Zack to let her
go.
Still, he somehow managed to remove his mouth from hers. He was lying on top of her on the couch, and
her face was still in his hands. During all this, Max had helped him out of his jacket and now her fists were
balled up beneath his sweater, resting against his chest. When he pulled back, she splayed her fingers out,
resting her palms against his skin.
Zack had to close his eyes and will himself to keep breathing and not simply force himself upon her again.
"What are we doing?" he managed to grind out from between his teeth.
Max wasn't about to let him go now. Even if she had misinterpreted the affection she'd seen shining in his
eyes for her earlier, Max knew there was no interpreting the desire he was feeling for her now. It was there
in his eyes, in his expression, in the roughness of his voice, and in the hardness of his body pressed next to
hers…
Max resisted the urge to whimper, and leaned upwards, planting kisses on the side of Zack's neck.
Zack's breath came out in a hiss.
"We're doing what I've wanted to do for way too long," she whispered.
Hearing Max's words, entertaining the thought that Max had wanted him just as badly as he'd wanted her,
effected Zack's body and soul. But he held back, even still.
"Are you sure? It's so soon. Maxie, you just left…"
"Shh." Max nipped at his ear, planted a kiss on the Adams apple of his throat. His hands fisted so tightly
in her hair that it stung. "I'm certain," she told him, trying to press herself closer to him if that were
possible.
She loved the feel of him, the taste of him. She loved the way he called her "Maxie. She loved him. She'd
never been certain of anything like she was of that.
Zack, however, wasn't so sure. He'd seen how distraught Max was earlier. She was leaving her home
behind, her friends and her job. And Logan.
"Max…"
Zack's hands traveled from her hair down to her shoulders. He'd meant to put some distance between
them, but instead he found himself caressing the expanse of skin now beneath his fingertips, running his
hands up and down her arms. Max's hands were travelling over his chest and his back.
"Zack…"
Max continued to kiss his throat, then she stretched upwards to capture his mouth with hers once again.
And Zack groaned.
Just like that his will to resist had left him. There was just so much temptation Zack could take, and he'd
wanted Max for so long. He couldn't just let her go now, could he?
There were so many reasons why he should. 'She's not herself,' he told himself. They were here, sipping
wine in front of a fireplace, she was feeling uprooted and lonely and they were staying the night in Cale's
fucking cabin, for crying out loud. Wouldn't he be taking advantage of Max if he made love to her now,
like she was? What if she regretted it in the morning? What if it wasn't really him she wanted, just the
comfort of being intimate with someone, anyone. She'd never seemed to have these kind of feelings for
Zack before. Had the circumstances of the situation made her own up to feelings she'd always had? Or
were they simply making her believe she felt that way? And how exactly did she feel? They hadn't talked
about that. Max had mentioned their "caring" for one another, then she'd kissed him. What did that mean?
There were a lot of reasons why Zack should stop, now. A lot of questions he didn't have the answers for.
But he didn't. He knew there was a good chance he'd hate himself for it, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
Even though it tore him up to think about the consequences, he just couldn't. What if he were taking
advantage of Max and she regretted it in the morning? He could almost live with being that convenient,
comforting someone. One of those moments of weakness they'd talked about. Because he loved her that
much. But he wouldn't be able to look at himself in the mirror anymore if Max ended up hating him for
this, or hating herself, which would be so much worse.
He didn't, couldn't, stop, but he entertained the idea that he could try.
The temperature between them was rising again, as was the frenzy. Zack kissed Max with all the passion
he was trying so desperately to contain, and Max met him every inch of the way. She felt so good, so soft,
so right beneath him; she tasted of some indistinct sweetness.
Their hands were everywhere, and suddenly their boots were gone, as was Zack's sweater.
When they rose, and Max reached for his shirt, just as his hands her inching hers up her stomach, Zack
paused again. Max was still tugging at his shirt, so Zack grabbed her wrists. "Stop. Maxie, stop," he told
her.
Then he rested his forehead against hers, his whole body shaking with need, and his breathing labored.
"Max…if we're going to stop this, we have to stop it now."
He had to be sure she knew what she was getting them into. After this, it wouldn't just be a few kisses
they'd have to deal with. After this, Zack knew neither of them would be able to settle for anything less
than everything.
Max finally stilled, resting there in Zack's arms, letting herself think about what he was offering. A way
out. Did she need one?
'Hell no.'
Up till this point, Max hadn't let herself think about going backwards – she was hell bent on taking what
they'd found with one another forward. She hadn't wanted to dare stopping, because she knew if she
stopped and lost here nerve, then she'd regret it for the rest of her life. She'd never forgive herself for
passing up perhaps her only chance to be with the man she loved.
Of course, she realized she might end up with regrets anyhow. If Zack felt differently about her in the light
of day…if this was just one of those 'moments of weakness' he mentioned…it would crush her. But not as
badly as knowing what she could have had, but didn't.
"I don't want to stop," she told Zack.
Zack breathed deeply, and his eyes fluttered closed again.
"I don't want to hurt you, Max," he pleaded.
And Max swallowed. To be honest, she was a little afraid of that, herself. She'd only ever made love to
humans before. She had no idea what to expect from one of her own kind. From Zack. He had so much
pent up passion inside of him… And she knew what he was capable of. Knew his strength. She'd seen the
hunger, the stark hunger in his eyes…
It did frighten her a little. But it also exhilarated her. This was Zack. She trusted no one in the world so
much as Zack. And no one could ever be the match for her that he was.
Max pulled back, looking into Zack's eyes, seeing the need there once more, and shivering with the need
she felt stir in response.
"I'm a big girl," she said. "I can handle it."
That hadn't been what Zack had meant, but he didn't say so. He couldn't, because she was running her
hands up his chest once more. And this time, when Max tried to divest him of his shirt, Zack let her.
Then there was silence, and stillness, as they just sat there, staring at one another.
Max took in the sight of muscle of smooth, tanned skin before her. She swallowed. Then she slightly
smiled.
"Besides," she said, her voice just the slightest bit shaky. "You shouldn't flatter yourself. Who says you
can handle me?
Then she leaned over, and planted a kiss on Zack's collarbone.
For Zack, that was the proverbial last straw.
With something somewhere between a groan and a four letter word, he suddenly pulled Max into his arms,
capturing her mouth once more, and with one movement of his hands her shirt came off of her with a loud
rip. Max yelped in surprise, but didn't break their kiss as Zack lifted her, taking them closer to the fire, and
lying Max down on the rug in front of it. Then he joined her.
The next thing she knew, Max was lying beneath Zack, completely nude as he gazed down at her with what
Max could almost swear were tears in his eyes.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered.
Max just reached up to cup his face in her hands.
Before she'd known that she loved him, she'd never taken compliments on her looks to heart. What did it
matter to her if people found her attractive? It wasn't she they should be sending their compliments. As
she'd said often before, it was all thanks to the clever folks at Manticore. They'd designed her to be
beautiful. All the X5s were made that way.
But loving Zack had given Max another perspective. When he told her she was beautiful, she felt like it.
She actually felt tears of her own spring to her eyes. What Zack told her when he looked at her made
sense, because she felt the same way when she looked at him. She didn't look at Zack and see Manticore –
she saw Zack.
"You, too," she whispered, smiling when Zack laughed.
But then, as he kissed her, the humor left his eyes. And, soon, the smile left her face. They seemed to be
moving in slow motion, making up for a lifetime of having been denied one another's touch. Making
memories that may have to last them a lifetime more, if their plan to get over the Canadian border went
awry.
Then Max's fingers were trailing down Zack's stomach, heading to the button of his jeans. Zack watched
her face, waiting. He saw the excitement and anxiety there, but he kept quiet, knowing she had to take this
step on her own. And Max watched him watching her. He had the most brilliant eyes – Zack did. They
hinted at all sorts of thoughts going on behind them, but they never gave away what he was thinking. The
intensity in his gaze could eat right through you. Max felt that intensity now.
She trailed her fingers over his skin, tracing a circle around his belly button and toying with the light trail of
hair that began there. Zack moaned and buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair,
and nipping at her neck with his teeth and his tongue.
Then Max took a deep breath. Forget her heat cycle, making love with Zack was like burning alive and
loving every moment of it. Finally, she undid that button, and slipped her hands beneath the last barrier of
clothing between the two of them.
"Maxie…"
Zack hissed in her ear between clenched teeth, his whole body tensing when her touch found him.
"Zack…"
Max stroked him, until suddenly the tension radiating through Zack's body could no longer be contained.
His kisses went wild and his touch became rough, and Max was swept away in the passion that assaulted
them both.
Then Zack was shimming the rest of the way out of his jeans and there was nothing left between them.
Max held onto him tightly, as Zack moved between her legs, positioning himself on top of her.
His lips were back at her ear.
"Max…"
As Zack finally entered her, in that last, wild moment before he joined their bodies, Max's every emotion
overwhelmed her as she held Zack in her arms, as she looked up at the man she loved.
As he finally entered her, she locked her eyes with his, and once again spoke what was on her heart without
considering it first.
"I love you, Zack."
And then he was inside of her, and neither of them had the capacity for speech for a long while after.