Into My Heart

By: Izabel

Chapter 17: All For You

*~*~*~*

Max forced her eyes open the next morning and looked around. "Jase?" she called tentatively. She looked at the clock. It read 10:07. "I'm late," she mumbled. Her heart broke as she went into the bathroom and realized Jason wasn't with her. She brushed her hair and teeth and entered her room again, but stopped short as she saw Jason in the doorway, a tray piled with eggs, toast, bacon, and sausage in his arms.

Max's jaw dropped. "Wha—"

"I thought you might be hungry," he said simply. "Now back to bed with you."

Max shook her head. "I'm already late for work—"

"Did you forget we both asked off for today?" Jason replied easily. "Now get back in that bed."

Soundlessly, Max slid back into the bed, her eyes filled with awe and love. Jason set the tray in front of her and crawled over her to her side. He put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"Jase, baby, I don't get it," she said.

"Happy Birthday," he said sweetly.

Max laughed. "I totally forgot!" She smiled happily up at him. "You remembered?"

Jason laughed. "Of course I did."

Max and Jason ate in near silence, only breaking from eating to ask small, irrelevant questions. Once done, Jason stood and carried the tray to the kitchen. He was on his way back to the bedroom, when he paused by the coffee table and picked up a picture.

It was of himself and Max. They were laughing and Jason was holding her in his arms. The next picture was of Jason, JD, Sean, and Zack. Another one had JD and Kekoa, one had Max and Kekoa, and the last had all eight of them; JD had Max on his shoulders, Sean had Kekoa on his, Zack had Leigh, and Jason held up Carrie. He remembered the day they had all spent on the beach. Almost three weeks earlier.

"What are you looking at?" Max asked, coming up behind him.

Jason turned and smiled at her. "Just some pictures." He placed his hands on her waist. "Where do you want to go today?"

Max lifted and eyebrow and shut her eyes dreamily. "We could just stay here all day, I'm sure we could amuse ourselves somehow…"

Jason snorted. "Tempting, babe, but no."

Max's eyes flew open. "What? Since when have you ever turned me down?" She jutted out her lower lip in a pout.

"We'll have time for that stuff later, right now I want us to go out and have some fun. Hang out on the beach, lunch, and maybe go on a hike to Paradise Falls…"

"OK," Max agreed. A devilish smile crossed her lips. "I bought this new bathing suit last week with Kekoa…"

Jason arched an eyebrow. "Go change," he urged, shooing her along. He followed and went into the bedroom after her.

Max stepped out of bathroom in shorts and a small tank top that hugged her upper body. Jason was dressed in a blue T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and black swim trunks.

Max grabbed a bag from under the bed and tossed a few towels, sunscreen, and a frisbee inside. She tossed it to Jason who grabbed his car keys from the night table. They walked out the front door and Max locked it.

They took the elevator down before stepping outside. Max slid her sunglasses from her head to shield her eyes as they got into Jason's jeep. As he drove, Max tied her hair back into a messy bun to keep it from whipping in her eyes. Jason parked near the beach, grabbed their bag and waited for Max to come around the side.

The sun was shining as they strolled down the hill to the beach hand-in-hand. They waved to Kelly Ryan in her tower and set their towels up. JD wandered over from the other tower.

"Hey, guys," he said. He kissed Max's forehead. "Happy birthday, Max."

"Thanks, JD," she beamed.

Jason raised his eyebrows at JD who smiled conspiratorially and nodded. Max looked from one to the other. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Jason said quickly, too quickly.

"Inside joke," JD replied hastily.

"I'm not buying," Max responded, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at them.

JD bit his lip. "I should get back to my tower." He turned and jogged away.

"JD!" Max yelled in frustration. She looked at Jason. "Tell me."

Jason gave her an innocent smile. "Tell you what, babe?"

Max sighed. "Come on, Jase…" She wrapped her arms around his torso and smiled up at him seductively. "You know you wanna tell me."

Jason groaned and stepped away from her. "Nothing to tell."

Max clucked her tongue in her mouth. She shrugged. "Fine. We can play that way." She shed her shorts and tank top, revealing a bikini that left little to the imagination. She arched an eyebrow before turning to saunter to the water.

Jason watched as every male turned in her direction. A few were even bold enough to say hi, but Max simply smiled and kept going until she reached the water, went under the surface, and came out glistening, water droplets dripping from her perfect figure.

"Not fair," Jason retorted as she came back.

Max smiled sweetly. "What's not, hon?"

Jason rolled his eyes and pulled her to him, their bodies sliding against each other from the water. He kissed her softly, then more urgently. When they came up for air, a spattered applause broke out across the beach.

Max blushed and waved slightly to her audience. "That's embarrassing."

Jason grinned. "So?"

Max grinned and looped her arm around his neck again. "Good point," she murmured as their lips brushed once more.