This Thing Called Life

Chapter 11- Loved & Cherished

The candles cast a soft glow that lit on her hair like a halo. He ached to reach out and touch the shiny dark strands that framed her face. The way it fell around her shoulders, caressing her. To feel the texture he knew would be silk to the touch.

Max had changed. He'd seen it while watching from the shadows. The way she held herself, how she interacted with others. She was not quite as assertive, less outgoing. It was almost as if the fire in her had died. It hurt him to see the pain that enveloped her, it attacked his heart like it was his own and the sadness in her eyes held him captive.

He took a tentative step toward her as her tears began to fall. "Maxie?"

"Are you real?" she asked, her voice small, uncertain. The man standing before her had to be a ghost, an apparition. A dream.

"Could something this gorgeous be fake?" he said, grinning widely, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, Maxie. I'm real." When the anticipated smack never came, his smile faded.

She looked up at him with a mixture of wonder and anguish storming her eyes.

"How can you stand to look at me? After everything I've done?" she whispered brokenly.

Alec wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. Pressing his lips to her hair he spoke softly.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Maxie. Any of us would have done the same. Falling back on instinct is a survival technique. You did what you had to do to get through an impossible situation. To protect your own." He kissed lightly on the temple. "I'm only sorry I couldn't be there for you when it happened."

"Not that."

Alec looked down at her in confusion. "Then what?"

"I hurt you. You came to help me and I hurt you. Like I always do."

"Oh god, Max! I deserved that! I had no idea why you felt you had to leave. I thought you were abandoning us, leaving everyone behind. I didn't know about…I just didn't understand. I ragged on you for running away and I'm sorry."

"I needed to know he was safe." She kept her eyes downcast, as she spoke.

"I know, Maxie. I know."

After a pause he ventured, "Why didn't you come back, or at least let us know you were okay? Cindy was worried sick."

Just tell her, you fool.

Max looked up at him, eyes wide and red rimmed from crying. And he confessed.

"Not knowing how or where you were was driving me out of my mind."

He was worried about me.

"After the way I've treated you, why would you care?" she couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. Could he possibly…?

"Because I love you, Max. I have for the longest time." He stared deeply into her eyes, every emotion he felt laid bare for her to see. She was drowning in the dark tempest pools swirling in front of her. And the emptiness she'd felt for so long started to fade.

He stared at her for a long while, as silence settled upon them. Alec was beginning to feel somewhat foolish for having told Max how he really felt. Maybe he'd misheard her words, misinterpreted her meaning. As he was about to pull away Max tightened her hold on him, raising her hands up and splaying them on his chest. She rested her cheek over his heart and inhaled deeply.

"I love you, Alec. I've missed you so much."

The words he'd longed to hear from her for so long enveloped him and filled him with a sense of contentment. He gazed tenderly at the beautiful girl in his arms. His heart swelled with love and longing. She was his now and nothing would change that, not as long as he had breath in his body.


Alec gently skimmed his finger along the curve of her neck, tilting her chin so their faces were parallel. He waited. He needed to know she was sure.

Max's answer came quickly and without hesitation. She snaked one arm around his waist, the other reaching up to his neck, gently tracing his barcode with her finger. With light pressure, she pulled his head down toward hers.

Their lips met in the softest of kisses, gently brushing in a feather light touch. They both gasped as the electricity sparked between them. The air practically crackled with a life of its own. Max could feel the heat curling inside of her, rising from her belly and igniting as Alec's lips pressed harder. The touch of his mouth was sensual and tender, yet powerful all in one. His gentle caress carried more passion than she'd ever imagined possible.

His tongue darted out and traced the outline of her full, bee-stung lips and she opened her mouth in a sigh of pleasure. They stayed like that, tongues dancing, tasting and stroking for what seemed like hours. Their breathing grew heavy and labored. Max moaned at the touch of his hands as they drew lazy circles on her lower back.

She leaned into him, pressing her soft curves against the hard planes of his chest. Running her hands up and down the taut muscles of his arms, over his shoulders and coming to rest again in his hair. He angled his head for better access, content to stay lip-locked with her forever. No kiss had ever felt so right before.

Heat coursed wildly through him as he molded her flesh to his own. The evidence of his arousal pressed against her stomach. Their need, want and hunger was desperate and wild. Max opened her eyes to see her feelings mirrored in his. Alec's pupils were dilated with a desire that matched her own. Her lips curled shyly upward as she looked at him from behind heavy lidded eyes. He returned her smile with one of his own and lifted her in his arms.

Max wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding against him. They both moaned from the friction. She needed to feel his skin on hers.

Too many clothes.

Max hadn't been aware she'd muttered the words but Alec laughed as he heard them. Moving over to the bed, he gently laid Max down. She slowly peeled her top off, watching with a satisfied smile as she saw the desire in his eyes flame. She wore nothing underneath and was filled with female pride as his breathing hitched. Max proceeded to slink out of her pants, leaving her in a black lace thong. She took a moment to gauge his reaction, before sliding it seductively down her legs and dropping it at the end of the bed. Alec's eyes glinted fire as his bold gaze swept over the goddess lying before him. His sharp intake of breath made her giggle.

"Think that's funny, do you?" he said huskily. She nodded, still giggling.

Two can play this game, Maxie.

In what seemed like painfully slow motion to Max, Alec pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. He unbuttoned his jeans and hooked his fingers in the belt loops on either side, dragging the pants down, inch by inch. The skin left exposed as the material fell away from his body caused her own breath to catch. Stepping out of them completely, Alec stood before her in all his sculpted, naked glory.

Max's eyes drank in the sheer beauty of the man before her. His superb masculinity, the hard muscles of his thighs, the smooth golden skin of his abdomen... He was perfection. And he was all hers. Max's eyes raked over his body with a possessiveness that shook her. Never had she wanted someone like she wanted Alec. She craved his touch to the point of frenzy. She groaned.

"Is there something you want, Maxie?" he purred seductively as he leaned over her.

She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, crushing him to her. "Yeah. You."


(Sorry folks, edited out the NC-17 content. This chapter in all it's forbidden glory can be found on Nuns With Pens under authorship of thewickedquill - formerly known as jracklesfan77)


Reveling in the afterglow, Max looked deep into Alec's eyes and whispered sleepily. "I love you."

Returning her gaze with eyes shining with love he kissed her slowly, deeply, possessively.

"I love you too, baby."

Rolling them over and spooning her to him, he whispered. "Get some sleep, Maxie. We'll talk in the morning."

The sound of deep, even breathing answered him. Max was fast asleep. And he smiled content to know she was in his arms.

TBC

Chapter 12