Reaching for the Moon by ThePekingNoodle

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Chapter Twenty-One: Saving the world starts at home

A test of willpower for our intrepid hero…

At first, Kendra and Bling just looked at each other in the elevator on the way down. Then they simultaneously burst into laughter.

"Did you see the look on his face when he saw her in that outfit?" Bling gasped between guffaws.

"Logan's whipped – he just doesn't know it yet. I can't say I'm sorry to see it. He may be my cousin but he deserves what Max is going to do to him," she giggled.

"You're not gonna get any arguments from me." Bling agreed. "He's gonna fight it."

"I give him two weeks at best." Kendra declared.

"Logan's stubborn. He'll last at least a month."

"Bet on that?"

"You got it. Fifty big ones?"

"Bling, you're a man after my own heart. Done." Kendra smiled at him flirtatiously running her eyes over his well-toned physique. "You wouldn't happen to be free tomorrow night would you? There's a stunt contest at this bar I know in Sector Five…"

* * * *

Logan avoided Max for the rest of the evening, keeping to his computer room, and telling her to order out for dinner to be delivered. When the Chinese food she had selected arrived, he told her to go ahead and eat hers since he wasn't at a stopping point.

When she finished her meal, she breezed into the computer room and leaned a hip against Logan's desk. He quickly closed the screen he was working on and looked up at her, his expression carefully polite.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey, Max," he responded unable to bring himself to be rude to her. He concentrated on meeting her eyes, assiduously avoiding looking at the several inches of exposed skin above the waistline of her low cut jeans. Not an easy task since her position placed that tantalizing expanse right at his eye level. "You need something? 'Cause if you don't I'm really kind of busy."

"Kendra told me you're a journalist. Do you have a deadline to meet or something?"

Logan grasped gratefully at that excuse. "Or something. So if you don't mind I need to finish this up tonight."

"No problem." She agreed cheerfully but she didn't move.

If he leaned over just a fraction he could kiss her right there, just above her cute little belly button…He dragged his wandering eyes back up to meet her amused glance.

"I forgot to tell you we're going to a charity fundraiser tomorrow night. It's a formal affair for the Save the Space Needle Foundation."

Max wrinkled her brow, "What exactly are we saving the Space Needle from?"

Logan wasn't too sure of that himself. "Oh you know -- decay, disintegration, acid rain. It's a Seattle cultural landmark after all." Now that sounded unbelievably pompous, good job, Logan.

Max tried to look interested and involved. "Definitely an important part of saving the world."

Logan just looked at her with his eyebrows slightly raised at that one and she smiled at him.

Okay, Max so that wasn't exactly one of your best attempts but damn he's giving you that look again. Like he wants to start nibbling away at you…Control, girl. Remember the pink silk…

Max smiled and reached over to ruffle his spiky hair. "Thanks, Logan. For having me here, and for the clothes, and for everything." She turned to leave him to whatever he had been doing; somehow he couldn't quite remember what it was.

Control, Logan. You can do this. You aren't eighteen. Just because you want to put your arm around her and pull her close while you run your tongue over every inch of that exposed skin…

Logan smiled. "You're welcome. I'm going to eat and head for bed. Do you need anything before I go?"

Max was suddenly seized with a spirit of mischief. She looked disappointed. "Oh."

Logan was immediately concerned, "What's wrong?"

"I thought you'd be up for a while longer. I was hoping I could borrow your tub again for another long hot soak. That was so incredibly relaxing the other night. Almost as good as a full body massage." She stretched. "Shopping is so exhausting."

Logan couldn't tear his eyes away from her as her shirt rode up even higher than it had been and pulled tight across her bust as she stretched her arms over her head. Thoughts of long hot sensual soaks and full body massages drifted through his head. "Um…sure. I'm going to be a while. Take your time."

Max shot him a look, "Are you positive? I wouldn't want to keep you out of your bed." Her voice was soft and he could have sworn there was a slight emphasis on the last sentence.

Logan clenched his hands at his sides a motion Max didn't miss. "I'll be fine. Go ahead," he managed to get out.

She smiled at him once more and then walked casually by him on her way to her room to get her nightclothes. She brushed his arm as she passed, and it was all Logan could do to not reach out and stop her. He watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked away, and then with a muttered exclamation he headed for the kitchen to take care of at least one appetite, even if it wasn't the most pressing one.

* * * *

The next evening

What was it with women? Logan looked impatiently at his watch as he waited for Max to emerge from his room. She had once again commandeered his bath, relegating him to dressing in her room. Maybe he ought to just turn the damn room over to her and move into the guestroom himself. He was about to head in and forcibly drag her out, when he heard his door opening. He turned to look and his mouth dropped open as a sudden surge of heat rushed through his body.

Max looked incredibly elegant and poised and…hot. She was wearing a midnight blue strapless evening gown that hugged her curves until it reached her knees, where it flared out into a soft bell. Logan couldn't take his eyes off of the top of the dress. Surely it wasn't supposed to be cut quite so low. Another inch and her nipples would be exposed for the world to see. Not that there wasn't already enough exposed…

Max walked up to him and twirled in a circle. The back was cut to slightly below her waist revealing an expanse of smooth golden skin.

"Do you like it?" She gave him an innocent smile.

"I'm speechless," he said in all honesty. Telling her that the dress seemed to be missing a bit of fabric in the front and back wouldn't go over too well he decided. He would just have to make sure he stayed close to her this evening to make sure there were no accidents that might embarrass the poor girl. That top looked like it would only take a touch to cause it to slip right down…

"Logan what are you doing?"

He looked down to see that his hand had started towards the top of her dress. "Oh, just pushing this piece of hair back is all." He found a stray hair of hers and patted it into place. Then he looked a bit more closely and frowned. "You need some jewelry."

Max shrugged. "I didn't think of that."

"Hang on." Logan left her standing there and walked into his bedroom. He was back in a few minutes holding out a gold choker with a large blue sapphire set in the center. "It was my mom's. I think she'd like you to wear it tonight." Max looked at him but made no move to take it.

"I can't put it on myself, Logan." She pointed out.

He moved behind her and reached around her to place the choker on her neck. Max reached back and lifted up her hair baring her neck to him as he fumbled with the clasp. She still had that odd tattoo and on a sudden impulse Logan ran a finger over it once he had fastened the necklace. Max shivered when he did so and he smiled at her reaction to his touch suddenly feeling a bit more in control of things.

"How come you never had that removed?" he asked.

Max was facing away from him, "Oh no reason. Maybe I will sometime."

Logan had the feeling there was something she wasn't telling him and he remembered what Nathan had told him about Max's past. "Your father told me some things about you, Max. About how he found you and about the foster care program."

Max whirled to face him her eyes showing alarm. "What else did he tell you?" she demanded.

Logan was surprised at her reaction. "Not much other than that they were still after you and he needed me to protect you. Problem is that I don't exactly know who or what I'm protecting you from. Do you know, Max?"

Max turned away to pick up an evening bag that she had set down on a table. "No. No I don't. Aren't we going to be late?"

"Max." She turned to meet his eyes. "We're going to talk about this more later. I can't help you if I don't have all the facts."

Max gave him a bright smile and then turned and swept ahead of him to the door. Logan groaned as all rational thought once again fled. He had a feeling this was going to be a long evening. It was a damn good thing he was a mature man of the world who wasn't afflicted with out of control raging hormones like some men…

End of Chapter Twenty-One…TBC…