Title:
Love Loss 3
Name:
Joy
Email:
SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Rating: PG-13
A/N:
Thanks to all of you who sent condolence messages. It was nice to have people
show they cared.
A/N2:
My betas are busy so forgive any grammar issues.
The Moore family estate was lush
with greenery that would have put most historical sights to shame. The grounds
were amazingly well kept by a lonely looking gardener that Max and Logan's tour
passed. The group was taken to the statue erected for the mythical Nimue shortly
after the death of Lysander by his family. The tour guide did her rehearsed
speech to the tee, until Logan interrupted with questions.
"Miss? Has anyone ever searched
through Mr. Moore's writings to discover the true identity of Nimue?" he
asked.
"Well sir, since the name Nimue
Alexander was given in a legal document. No one considered the woman might have
a secret identity, especially since the property adjoining this one were owned
by the Alexander family," the guide spoke quickly trying to get back to
where she was in her monologue.
Logan leaned into Max's neck to
whisper, "You hear that. The next-door neighbors were the Alexanders. We
should poke around a little more then head to the county record office… Now
pretend I whispered sweet nothings in your ear." He planted a chaste kiss
on the hollow of her neck causing a slight shutter in her body.
He placed his arm around her waist as she leaned in
to whisper, "If the next door neighbors are the Alexanders, why wasn't
this mystery solved long ago?" She in turn kissed his neck and then his
lips.
Logan was so taken in by Max and she with him that
they didn't notice they were straying from the group. "Sir? Ma'am? The
group is headed to the house now," the gardener said to them. Pink cheeked
they returned to their tour.
"Ah… The newlyweds have decided to stay with us
after all… Come, we will be going to Mr. Moore's study. The room is as
authentic as possible…Some of the manuscripts on his desk are copies of what he
was working on at the time of his death," the tour guide said as they
entered the room.
Logan inspected the room and asked a variety of
questions in the hallway so Max could do her super quick read of the contents
on Mr. Moore's desk. Without any thing of interest appearing, Logan continued
to distract the guide and leave Max time to read papers around the house.
Lunch brought it's own share of land mines for Max
and Logan as they sat with another young couple at the estate. "Hi… Mind
if we join you?" the gentleman said as he and his wife sat down.
"No, be our guests," Logan said raising a
little as was the custom of gentility in the presence of a woman.
"Thank you. The rest of the group is a little…
well… old," the wife said.
"We're the Tysons- Paul and Sarah," the
husband said shaking Logan's hand.
"We're the Taylors- Logan and Max," Logan
responded.
"Max? Is that short for Maxine?" Sarah
asked.
"No…Just Max. Short and efficient," she
responded.
"Oh… those kind of parents," Paul said
rolling his eyes.
Logan and Max looked at each other for a moment as
Logan slid his arm around her. "Yeah, those kind of parents."
"So are you here for the fairytale portion of
the story or the mystery?" asked Paul inquisitively.
"Both!" Logan said snuggling Max closer to
himself. He closed his eyes and laid his forehead to hers before giving her a
light kiss. Max looked into Logan's eyes seeing oceans of deep blue filled with
unidentified emotions.
"I'm definitely here for the romantic
fairytale…" Sarah said before enjoying her sandwich.
"I don't really see it as a fairytale,"
Max commented.
"Really?"
"Yeah…. What's so great about a man in
denial?" Max asked as Logan shifted uncomfortably.
"Oh… all great romances have a period of denial
between the lovers," Paul stated, "even Romeo and Juliet."
"Sleeping Beauty there was no denial between
the lovers- they were meant to be from the first moment," Sarah said to
her husband.
"No… Prince Phillip didn't really want to marry
Princess Aurora. I call that denial," Logan challenged.
"Yes…but that was before he realized she was
the peasant girl from the forest with the amazing voice. He knew immediately he
wanted to marry the peasant girl once he met her… I was thinking more of the
Grim fairytale where there was no question of his desire to have the Sleeping
Beauty. Though I have to say having a guy slay a dragon to get to you is a
really big turn on for me," Sarah said sipping her drink. "So Max,
what's your favorite fairytale?"
"I've never given it much thought."
"I bet Logan knows what it would be," Paul
commented, thoroughly believing that all marriage partners could read each
other's minds.
"Actually I don't. Max doesn't really go for
the mushiness associated with most fairytales," Logan said looking at his
pseudo bride.
"I think I would have to pick Robin Hood,"
Max said after a few moments of pondering.
"Really?" Logan asked to which Max nodded.
"I never would have guessed that."
"I like the idea of a guy who would rob the
rich to feed the poor, especially the corrupt wealthy royalty. Now that would
turn me on," Max said sending Logan a sizzling look. All he could do was
gape at the idea that Max would even minorly implying he turned her on.
"Now you see… You even chose a story where the
hero is in denial of his feelings for Maid Marine," Paul injected.
"Yeah, Robin didn't see himself as worthy of
Marine's affections. All though he would risk life and limb to win a kiss from
her at the archery contest," Logan said in a husky tone unfamiliar to Max.
Sarah cleared her throat and changed the subject,
"So how long have you been together?"
Max's face began to warm as anxiety and arousal
washed over her. Not only was Logan snuggling closer to her but he was staring
at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. She went to speak
only to have Logan answer the question, "A couple of years. It was love at
first sight for me, though she took some convincing."
"Oh. Why was that?" Sarah asked obviously
attracted to Logan's attention to Max.
"Trust isn't my strong suit," Max
whispered still looking into Logan's penetrating eyes. It was the first moment
she actually entertained the idea that Logan might not be acting. His gaze was
so deep and unashamed that she felt almost seduced by his eyes.
"Should we leave you two alone?" Paul
asked interrupting the intensity of the moment.
"No… I'm sorry. I was just thinking of the
first time I saw Max. We started bickering over a statue moment one and I just
knew I had to make her mine," Logan said flitting his eyes at Paul and
Sarah before meeting Max's gaze again. He cleared his throat and went on with
the story looking at Max only occasionally. "I tracked her down to talk to
her… She wasn't interested at all. Giving her the statue only made her mad. I
really goofed up moments after getting her to finally spend sometime with me by
pushing to far too fast. Lucky for me she cooled off in time and gave me a shot
at the friend thing."
"So…how'd you get involved?" Sarah asked
sipping her sweet tea.
"Several candlelight dinners at my house and
chess games," Logan said turning back to Max. "I had to earn every
ounce of trust she has in me." Logan's eyes shown with the truth of his
statements.
"So when did you know you were in love with
Logan?" Paul asked biting into his sandwich.
Logan was prepared to offer Max the out of 'Max
doesn't like to talk about her heart with strangers' when she abruptly kissed
his lips. The shut up kiss having done its job, Max began, "Well, we'd
been close friends for a long while when I discovered that Logan was a poet, a
good poet at that. When he let me read a poem he wrote about me, that was when
I knew I didn't want to live without him in my life."
Logan's eyes were wide with surprise as he looked at
Max. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes out of fear that the
truth would be too easily read on her face. "So you've heard our story…
how'd you get together?" Max asked Sarah digging into her sandwich and
ignoring Logan's stare.
Sarah and Paul started relaying their romance as Max
and Logan exchanged a few shy glances. The Tysons felt the Taylors seemed to be
too involved with each other to be good company. Logan made apologizes for
their behavior and they continued the tour with the rest of the group. Max
& Logan were better behaved for the second half of the tour, though Max did
notice the gardener paying great attention to them as they went by.
"Why are we so interesting, I wonder?" she
thought while being escorted to the South garden by Logan at her arm.