Into My Heart

By: Izabel

Chapter 2: Only In My Dreams

*~*~*~*

Her face lit up and she grabbed a box as well. They boarded the elevator and within an hour, lugged all of her belongings upstairs. Once done, they sank onto the floor, surrounded by the boxes.

Max giggled as she leaned against a nearby box. "Thanks, Jason. You didn't have to do this."

He brushed the comment off with a shrug. "I didn't mind. All I was going to do was go to the gym, but this was a good workout." He watched as she picked at a piece of fuzz on the two-inch thick white carpet. "Besides, I don't mind the company either."

Max looked up into his face with a slight grin. Her eyes traveled to his lips and she leaned over. Jason braced himself for her lips on his once again, but felt nothing.

"Thanks for the help," she whispered softly in his ear. Sensing he was slightly disappointed, she kissed his cheek. She jumped to her feet. "I'm starving."

Jason shook his head. "I know this little restaurant by the ocean. Interested?"

"Definitely," she agreed. She looked down at her bikini and shorts. "I think I'm gonna go change first."

Jason nodded. He watched as she disappeared into the back hallway. A few minutes later she came out wearing a gray tank top with spaghetti straps and another pair of denim shorts. Her tanned legs disappeared into a simple pair of sneakers. She leaned over and grabbed her purse and pulled out a handful of money. She caught his looked and shook her head. "My treat," she said.

Jason looked at her. "It's OK, I asked you out."

Max sighed and placed her left hand on her hip. "Oh, come on. I really don't mind." She walked over to him and tugged on his red T-shirt. She smiled coyly up at his handsome face. "Please, Jason?" she begged, sticking out her bottom lip a little.

Jason shut his eyes and groaned. "Fine."

Max grinned and lifted herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed him quickly on his mouth. "Thanks!" She grabbed her keys. "I'm driving!" With that she pulled him out the door. Once outside in the sunlight, Max led him to her black BMW convertible.

Jason stared in awe at the car. "Nice wheels."

Max shifted on her other foot uncomfortably. "It's OK. Let's go." They both climbed in. The wind tore through their hair as they coasted down the road. Once at the place, Max tied her hair back in a messy bun.

They both enjoyed a quiet meal, talking briefly about their childhood. Jason finally asked the question she'd been afraid he'd ask.

"Where do you work?"

Max swallowed her soda harshly, coughing a bit. "I, um, actually…I'm not working right now."

Jason whistled. "How'd you get that car and penthouse—they're awesome."

Max looked down and played with her napkin.

"Max?" Jason prompted. He leaned forward. "What?"

"I'll probably get a job on the water," she said finally.

Jason sensed something was up, but he remained silent. He figured she was trying to change the subject, so he went along with it. "You were great out there today. I take it you've done some lifeguarding before?"

Max felt the tension drain from her body as she relaxed visibly. "Yeah. I used to work over on Oahu until I turned nineteen. Then I took off to New York."

"Why'd you leave?" he asked.

Another bad question. She picked her words carefully, as if she was walking on eggshells. "I needed to get away."

Jason was beginning to feel frustrated. Every time he asked a question, she got all nervous. He was curious, who wouldn't be? But clearly she was still healing from something and she needed time. He decided to change the subject before she got up and left. "So you're what? Twenty-one?" he guessed. He was twenty-three. Not a huge difference.

"No, I'm twenty. I'll be twenty-one next month," Max said slowly.

Silence again. An idea hit Jason full force in the head. "Why not come and work at Baywatch?"

Max's head shot up. A smile crossed her face. "That'd be cool."

Jason nodded encouragingly. She was finally perking up. "We're really short right now, I know Sean would take you. Just go through recheck."

The waitress appeared with their check and Jason instinctively reached for it. Max slapped his hand away playfully. "I meant it—I'm paying."

Jason leaned back in his chair and watched her. She paid the bill and they left. Once at her car, Max paused before unlocking the doors. She looked Jason in the eye. "I didn't mean to offend you, if I did. I mean, I know I seem all secretive, but I just still have a lot of things I need to work out. That's one of the reasons I came home"

Jason stared right back, his gaze never breaking. "I totally respect that. But if you need someone, I'm here." Where did that come from? He just met the girl.

Max shifted her position and looked down at the gravel before meeting his gaze once more. "I like you, Jason. A lot, in fact." He didn't say a word, sensing more was coming. "I'm just unsure of where this could be going."

"'This?'" he asked, wanting clarification.

"Us," she replied. "I want there to be an us—"

"So do I," he said before he knew it. What was going on? How could he feel so close to someone he had just met a few hours ago?

Maya.

The name sprung into his head so quickly, he felt like he was back on the beach watching Maya play volleyball for the first time. But it was Max instead of Maya he saw. Max gracefully leaping into the air, Max taking him to dinner, Max making love to him.

"Jason, I'm not sure I know what I'm doing right now. I just know I have this attraction to you I can't ignore," she replied. Then she said, after a beat, "Even if I could ignore it, I don't know if I would want to." She rolled her eyes and sighed, raking a hand through her tousled blond locks. "God, this is so not me. I never go off like this." She gave Jason a sideways glance. "There's something about you…" She trailed off and looked away.

Without another word, Max got into the fancy car and watched as Jason got in. Neither said a word all the way back to her place. Once there, Jason got out and began to go to his vehicle. He stopped when he realized Max was following him. He leaned against his door and looked down at her.

Looking in her eyes, he saw the mixture of desire, lust, and pain. Whoever the last guy was messed her up really bad. Jason touched her smooth cheek with on large hand, nearly covering the entire left side of her face. She shut her eyes and leaned into him. Speaking without words, their lips met. It wasn't the playful kiss they shared earlier on the beach, or the quick one in her apartment. This one meant something. It was gentle and sweet, but definitely not without heat.

Max pulled back and lifted her hands to Jason's face. A tear slid down her cheek and he reached up to brush it away. Max smiled through watery eyes. "Thank you, Jason."

He nodded and watched as she walked away from him. She reached the door to the building and looked back with one last, fleeting grin. He sighed and got in his jeep. He could already tell this girl was going to change his life.