Chapter Thirty-Five:

She allowed him to drag her for a few minutes before her anger over came her and she hauled her arm out of his grip.   Running his hands through his hair Max watched her before he took a step toward her, but he stopped in med step when her hand shot up warding him off.

"Okay…your angry…why?"  He asked drawing his brews into a frown as he watched her pace in front of him.  When she didn't answer, but kept pacing he reached out to touch her, but she drew her hand up again warding him away.

"Don't you dare touch me."  She yelled staring angrily at him.  'Jerk.' She mumbled under her breath.'

"What was that?"  He tilted his head toward her cupping his ear.  "Your tone was deafening a moment ago.  In fact I'm sure the people across the lake heard you perfectly so don't chicken out now.  If you have something to say…say it Liz."

Her face turned a bright red as she tried to control her rage.  'How dare he…how dare he?'  "JERK…JERK…JERK!"  She yelled her body trembling from the anger she was barely controlling.

Max felt his own anger building inside him as he watched her intently.  Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes for a second before he returned them back to her.  'Why the hell are we fighting?'  He asked himself as she stood a few feet away angrily glaring at him.  'God…she beautiful.'  He drew his bottom lip into his mouth holding it between his teeth, his heart rate accelerating just as quickly as the anger bubbling inside him

evaporated.  Everything in him yearned to touch her, to enfold her in his arms and hold her close to his heart, but he held himself back.  Touching her when she was obviously pissed at him wasn't a smart move.  "I've been called a lot of things, but jerk has never been one of them."  He felt as if he was on the edge of a mountain holding on for dare life and the ground under him was shaking.  Every movement made, every breath taking could destroy the balance of his very existences.

"What did I do, Liz?"  He asked his voice low and soothing as if he were speaking to a two year old.

"God…don't you dare patronize me damn it.  You know what the hell I'm talking about."

"Why don't we cut through the chase and you just tell me what crime I've supposedly committed here?"  He demanded, his voice rising despite the fact that he was no longer angry.

"How can you flirt with that girl…and…and right in front of me?"  She screamed at him capturing his eyes with hers.  "What…is this payback for the whole Jason thing…because…because…"  The words caught in her throat, but she forced them from her body.  "… if it is…"  Her eyes filled with tears as she bounced angrily from one foot to the other.

Max laughed.  He couldn't help himself even though he understood how important the next few minutes meant to his future happiness, but he couldn't help but see the absurdity of the whole mess he'd inadvertently created.

"Don't you dare laugh at me."  She yelled balling her hands into fist at her side.  'How dare he laugh at me…how dare he?'

"Your jealous."   Even though he wasn't laughing any longer his voice was still laced with his amusement.

"What?  I've never…ever been jealous of anyone in my life."  Her chin jerked up into the air as she frowned at him.  "Why the hell would I ever be jealous of that tart?"  She turned away from him crossing her arms over her chest.

"Exactly."  Max said walking toward her and stopping inches away.  "Why would you be?"  He asked touching her arms with his hands.

"You were flirting with her."  Liz mumbled.

"No…she was flirting with me."  He countered closing his eyes as he leaned forward resting his forehead on her head.  He moved back and fort caressing her scalp with his forehead as he said.  "I was just trying not to be rude."

"Do you except me to believe that?"  Liz demanded pulling away from his touch.  She didn't want to feel the tingling sensations racing inside her whenever he touched her.  She wanted to hold on to her anger.  She did…she really did she told herself.

"I except you to truth me."  He sighed staring at the back of her head.

She swayed on her feet uncertainly.  "You hurt me, Max."  She mumbled shaking her head as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"That wasn't my intention.  I'm sorry.  I was just trying not to be rude."  Max tried to reassure her.  "Will you look at me now?"  He touched her arms running his hands up and down her flesh.

"Do you think she's beautiful?"  She asked turning to look at him.

"Not as beautiful as you."

Liz smiled.  "Do you love me?"

"God…Liz."  Max rolled his eyes before he captured her eyes with his.  The laughter humming inside him died suddenly as he stared at her.  'Didn't she know by now how important she is to him?'  He wondered.  'What do I have to do to make her understand that I will always love her, need her, yearn with everything within me to have her at my side?'   He forced a smile to his face as he said the words that surged through every essence of his being.   "You are everything to me…everything.  I love you more then I will ever love the world waiting my return.  I would without regret give up my so call Kingdom to be with you.  I would give up everything for you."    He held his arms open wide and waited his heart racing for her response.

"Next time be rude."  She said smiling at him.

"Rude…next time…got it."

She leaped into his arms holding him tightly to her.  "I love you, you jerk."

"Jerk?'  Max laughed as he held her close to him.  "So I'm still a jerk?"'

"Yeah."  Liz pulled slightly away to look into his eyes.  "Until further notices."

"So…I guess I'll have to live this one down for a while?"

"You can say that."

"Okay…jerk it is until proven other wise."

"I love you."  Liz murmured pulling him closer to her.

"I love you."  He said closing his eyes, holding her tightly to him.  "I love you."

'I can be your child."   The soft whisper hit him so suddenly that he jerked away from Liz looking around him.

"What's wrong?"  Liz asked startled by his sudden withdrawal.

"Nothing."  He reassured her pulling her back into his arms.  'It's just your imagination. It's just your imagination.'  He told himself as he held Liz closely to him, his eyes tightly shut.  "I love you."  He whispered.

TBC