Theater in the Round, 10:00 PM

The shots rang out in wild staccato as Alec ran the catwalk above the stage in the old theater, a huge smile plastered to his face. Despite dodging the gunfire, he was laughing hysterically.

"It's not funny!" Max shouted from behind him, blurring in an attempt to catch up with him.

Alec's throaty laughter sounded again as a bullet nicked the handrail in front of him. "Yes it is!"

He reached the end and turned to face Max, ducking down.

Nothing prepared him for the sight before him. Here came Max, hauling ass, dressed in a skin tight leotard meant to mimic a calico kitten, with her nose painted black and false whiskers jutting out from her scowling face.

Another set of shots rang out and Max dove to the metal, pushing Alec onto his back and landing right on top of him. He hadn't expected it, which caused the wind to get knocked out of him. He gasped for air.

"I knew I took your breath away," Max teased, looking out toward the direction from which the bullets seemed to be emanating. He looked down to her body on his and watched how her cleavage moved as she turned back to him.

"You know, Maxie, you don't have to call me in a panic on opening night if you just wanted to jump me," he teased back. "All you had to do was ask."

His brows wiggled playfully and Max tried to move her hand to hit him upside the head (like she normally would when he made comments like these), but the gunfire seemed ceaseless and he caught her hand and pulled it to his chest.

"Hold on there, kitten," he said, watching the way her hand curled in its spotted glove. "If you want to keep them, keep your paws to yourself."

Max scoffed. "Look, it was the only way I could get in – maybe you could rent an apartment off my back?"

Alec laughed, sending rumbles through her body, causing her to shift in place. And those shifts caused certain other parts of him to become increasingly aware of her position on top of him and the thinness of her costume. He hoped she hadn't felt it.

But of course, she did. She shifted some more, enjoying the way his eyes tilted back and his laugh morphed into a groan.

"Maxie, if you're not careful, those guys down there are gonna have a whole new target."

She ground into him a little more. "They're not snipers, Alec," she joked.

His eyes widened. He let go of her hand and, with his hands at her hips, repositioned her in his lap.

She groaned as her eyes fluttered shut, then opened wide. She licked her lips. "Can we get outta here?"