by Rowe
Set: Post Hello, Goodbye.
Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its character belong to Cameron/Eglee and Fox.
Author's note: First attempt so please feel free to give constructive criticism.
My muse thanks those that keep giving me encouragement, she's shy but eager to please..Chapter 4: When the music stops ……
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"Then, Sweet Heart," the sarcasm in Alec's voice scared her a little," you had better have something to really confuse you." In the confines of the ceiling she couldn't move away. He grabbed her arms roughly and ground his mouth hard down on hers. She could feel his anger and frustration bubbling underneath it all. And something else too. He was sending all his pent up emotions into the kiss. Max was relieved. At least this was better than him withdrawing them into himself like moments before. Somewhere along the line the kiss changed from angry punishment to light caress. The feel of him in reality felt even better than she had dreamt. Obviously in the past her senses had never experienced a benchmark to equal the power of Alec. His gentleness was in stark contrast to the rough beginning, this is more what she remembered. "Or fantasised about." her mind corrected.
"He has the softest lips." Max focused on the incredibly sensual feel of his lips massaging hers. She sighed into his mouth as she let his tongue enter and explore. This was like heaven should be, with a warm fuzzy feeling swelling through her body, Max wanted more. Her hands decided a little exploration was in order. She slid them up his chest and over his shoulders so she could hold his delicious mouth to hers. The hair at the back of his neck was slipping silkily through her fingers. She traced his neck where she knew his barcode was- somehow feeling the need to sensually acknowledge who he was. His answering shiver brought a grin to her lips, this was obviously an erogenous zone to be tantalised. She filed this away for later examination.
His hands slid under the hem of her top. The skin his fingers encountered was warm and satiny. It invited further investigation. He stroked his hands up her back bringing her in even harder against his body. Mutual agreement to this arrangement was confirmed as both let escape sensual moans of enjoyment. He moved his lips to her neck and nibbled his teeth along the pulse point. Her moaned response, his name drifting of her lips in ecstasy, was nearly his undoing. As was the heady scent of her arousal. His hand caressed down her sides wanting to do much more but constrained by the tight circumstances. She had somehow managed to tangle her legs seductively around his and was moving them sensually up the insides of his thighs.
As Max ground her body against him and sunk her teeth into his neck, Alec's head cracked back into the wall behind him. The pain brought with it a moment of unwanted clarity. Realisation as to how far out-of-hand this could quickly get slammed into him. He moved his hands out from under her shirt and grasped her arms to her sides. Holding her as far away from him as possible, he tried to calm his breathing. What the hell had just happened and why now of all times? He could hazard a guess that for him when the soldier persona had retreated his emotional control was down, but what was her excuse?
"Max, what the hell are we doing?" Alec's miffed expression brought Max slamming back to reality. The chill of his body being away from her and his rejection of her advance confused her. Her instincts screamed at her to get closer to him. Like a glass of ice water thrown in her face, Alec continued on. "What about Logan, this is unfair to him? We can't do this." Alec's comment brought guilt to the surface, for using him and for doubting him. She herself hadn't even thought about her pseudo-boyfriend, the man she was supposed to be madly in love with. The man she was now very irritated with for making Alec stop what he had been doing. Alec listened below. Finally, the silence signalled they were able to move. Space seemed a major priority if sanity was ever going to get a chance to prevail. Especially as Max was indicating her displeasure with a pout.
Max kept the pout firmly in place for the rest of the journey home. She had her answer, they were like combustible chemicals together, it would be so easy to get burnt. Their feet hitting concrete and the roar of the Ninja's engine were the only sounds that had broken the silence. The ride had been awkward to say the least. Alec held himself tensely away from her body. The line that had been invisible till now had been most determinedly crossed, and neither knew how to deal with that.
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"Sir, they have combed the area several times." The NSA agent was painfully aware that his superior wasn't happy and he hated having to bear bad news. "It appears that they may have slipped out before we cordoned it off. What would you like us to do?" White sneered at the man. He knew it wasn't his fault but he had to get his anger out somehow. "How did this end up happening? Who were the incompetent fools?" He demanded. "You might as well call of the search it has been 6 hours since they were last sighted, they are probably long gone and laughing at your stupidity." He dismissed the man abruptly and strode to his car. He needed to get away from here before he totally lost it. How many times would this keep happening?
White marched into his office fuming. He slammed the door shut to hide him from the too observant onlookers- he was sure the Conclave had spies. The briefcase being flung across his office didn't relieve his frustration. Neither did the smashing of the coffee mug sitting innocently on his desk. Harry Houdini would've been proud of these two transgenics. He growled out his anger at another failure. The Conclave would not be happy to see he was losing it and kept losing them. Time to plan on a new strategy for the next time. They were close to nabbing this Eyes Only freak and that could be the key to this whole problem. Why did something that appeared to be so simple keep getting more complicated?
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Max was trying to focus on what Logan was saying. Something about the next mission and a new way to save the world. God, he just babbled at times. So caught up in his own importance. Alec yapped, but he was always way too perceptive of how she was feeling. She focused back on Logan, who seemed oblivious to the fact that she wasn't even listening. Drifting back off into her own little world again, she remembered the feel of Alec lips on hers, only to find Logan's face mere inches in front of her. Startled she jumped back. It wasn't the fear of him catching the virus that sprang first to her mind, it was the anger at the invasion of space. Logan got straight back up on his soapbox when he was sure he had regained her attention.
Alec strode purposefully into Crash. He knew she was here. Actually, he knew they were here. Time to put an end to the subterfuge. If the cards were on the table, then maybe they could get out of this dangerous little cul-de-sac they were trapped in at the moment. Having tasted her was slowly driving him insane. Touching the silkiness of her skin had only fired his imagination further. Naked Max writhing in ecstasy under him being his favourite image. His mind took the scenic route as he wove towards the table at which they were sat.
She saw him the moment he entered the room. It felt silly, but she could feel her heartbeat increasing and a rush of anticipation as he approached. Being so aware of him was almost painful. She had such an itch, but after their last encounter she knew she wouldn't get to scratch it. The frustration she knew was going to make her testy. That was, along with the irritation she had been building up with the droning Logan. She stood as he drew near, hands on hips ready for a pre-emptive strike. The smart comment dying on her lips.
Alec stared straight at her. He refused to let his eyes move down over her body as they were aching to do. He needed to keep his mind in the game. "Max, we need to talk, all of us." He shifted his focus to include Logan. "I can't play your stooge any more. Sort it out between you if there is anything there to save, because my heart can't take the battering it is receiving here." He looked at Max with an intensity that caused her breath to catch. "You have no idea what the other day meant to me but this can't go on. We can't be around one another, okay." He turned on his heel, he needed to get out of there before he told her too much. Before he blurted out to the whole world that he was in love with her. He was nearly at a run by the time he exited Crash. "Coward." that little voice screamed at him, as he didn't stop till he was safely home.
The tense voices had attracted attention from the corner near the pool table. Original Cindy shook her curls in bemusement, " This storm has been brewing for a while. I am just not too sure there are going to be any survivors." Her companions stopped their game as they saw Max's shoulders slump as both Alec and Logan chose to storm out in opposite directions. She was left standing with a look of utter defeat on her face. Cindy knew it was time to go to the rescue and moved on over to her Boo to sort her out. She could see the situation was not good by the tears streaming down Max's face.
"They have both rejected me." Max dramatically circled her arms in the air to indicate the lack of Logan and Alec. As she related the tale, Original Cindy pursed her lips and shook her head at her friend. "You know honey, you really have to come correct on this. No one can make you do anything you don't want but playing them off this way just ain't fair." Max looked stricken at her. "And no, you ain't dragging Cindy into this mess you've made. I care about your boy as well remember." Max didn't even try to reject the your boy tag. Alec had made it pretty clear where he stood. Now she just needed to work out where she fitted in. Cindy hugged Max and rubbed her back. At least the crying had subsided. "I need to blaze, I need air" Max snuffled to Cindy who nodded back at her. Dejectedly she slumped out of Crash- fresh air and her bike would be the best cure for this.
Joshua watched Max as she paced back and forth. She wasn't making much sense to him- probably wasn't making too much sense to herself, as she worked herself into an agitated frenzy.She had turned up upset about being left by both Logan and Alec. He could understand the Logan bit, but how could Alec leave her? He knew Alec adored her, but she was always so focused on curing the virus to be with Logan. Women were just confusing sometimes.
Max had stopped her pacing and was hugging her arms tightly around herself. "What am I to do? I love them both, Josh!" The realisation had obviously not been a pleasant one as the crying was getting worse again. He knew what the solution was but she wasn't going to like it. The romantic in him desired a happy ending but he was worried that this might be too much to hope for. He could only set her on the path. She had to decide where it led.
"Little Fella, you are going to lose both of them if you can't make the decision." He came up and put his arms around her. He hated seeing her like this.
"Who does your heart say is the one."