DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters
-thanks for the reviews... another chapter with MA...

Chapter 15: Alec

Outside, it didn't take long for Max to spot him. She shoved him again, "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Yea, that's what the girls usually say after a night at my place."

She shoved him again. This time he grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall. He held his face right in front of hers. "You wanted to talk?" He loved having her this close to him. Toying with Max was so much fun. He was also enjoying that he was immune to her today. Before, it was like just at her touch, he was under her control. In their 2 weeks apart, he'd managed to get out from under her spell.

"Well, yea, I did before, but now I just wanna kick your ass. If you don't let go of my arms in 5 seconds, I'm not gonna hold anything back."

He released her, only because he really was curious about what it was she had to say. In his 2 weeks away from her, he had tried to find out something about her, but found it was just driving him nuts. So he'd made up his mind to just forget about her. He'd been bar-hopping the past few nights, and it sure seemed to work. He was no longer taken at the sight or touch of her, though he couldn't deny how beautiful she was.

Her mood changed suddenly, he had no idea why. She must have been trying to pull some sort of trick. "I did want to talk. You know, ever since you left my apartment, I can't stop thinking about you. I didn't know what it was!" She spoke with desire, not anger.

It was true, Max realized as she said it. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Somehow he got all inside of her, without even speaking, he drove her crazy. "But seeing you here, I know why." She stared at him with eyes full of desire, but he could see right through it. He'd let her think she had him though.

"You know, Max, lots of girls can't stop thinking about me, it's nothing to get so worked up over." He flashed her that smart ass grin.

She shoved him against the wall, something he wasn't expecting. She stared up into his eyes and spoke softly. "Stop talking and kiss me," she said, giving in to her desires.

He didn't know why he listened. He had spent the past several days trying to get away from the thought of her. But you stayed here, he thought to himself, you could have gone somewhere else. He kissed her with desire he didn't realize he had for her until it was unleashed in that kiss. She kissed him back, wrapping her fingers around his head. Her full lips felt so amazing against his. He opened his mouth for more, but she backed away.

He stared at her, waiting for her next move.

"I want to do something," she said, looking so innocent yet sexy at the same time.

Again, he waited, letting her have her way. He wanted to know what exactly she was planning. This had to be some kind of trick, but all he could do was wait for her next move.

She smiled at him, looking so beautiful. "Turn around," she said sweetly, more asking than demanding. Once he was around she started massaging his neck. He stopped caring what she was planning, and just enjoyed the moment, hoping it would last.

As Max was massaging his neck, she kept staring. The bar-code. It was back, and now as she massaged his neck, she saw it full force, the lie staring her in her face. He had definitely lied. 494. She felt her anger coming back. She knew he'd lied, she didn't know why she hadn't just beat it out of him. She could have seen it some other way, in a fight or something. Why the hell had she kissed him? And why had she actually liked it? It made her even more upset, knowing this ass could somehow pleasure her. She didn't know whether to be disgusted with herself or him. Either way, she had her answer now, she would stop this little charade. She let go of his neck.

He spun around, staring into her eyes. He could see it- something had changed again. She looked back to her old self, ready to kick his ass, but restraining herself. He grabbed her arm, "Do you want me to kiss you again, Max?"

She yanked herself free in disgust. "Don't touch me!"

"Come on, Maxie, we were finally having some fun!"

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"If I tell you, are we gonna get back to you massaging me?"

"What is your name?" she asked again. She was quickly losing the little patience she had.

"Ben," he replied, not knowing what else to say. He didn't have a name to himself, other than his number.

She slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" he said, even though it hadn't hurt. "Now what the hell was that for? My kiss wasn't that bad, was it? You sure seemed to like it a moment ago."

She slapped him again, "Listen! This isn't funny, okay, this isn't some game. I'm sick of the lies. First, you just disappear after lying to me about staying. Then you steal my phone, which by the way, I really would like back. Then you head over to my.." She stopped, not really knowing what to call Logan.

"Boyfriend's?" he answered, mocking her because of it. "Yea, like I said on the phone, I know who Logan is. Whowould have thoughta little pasta was all it would take for Maxie to be yours."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Max declared, hitting him again, and not really knowing why it bothered her so much that he thought they were dating. "And that's right- you ate my lunch! You owe me a meal for that." She realized she was getting off track. "That's not important right now, though. You pretended to be Ben, someone I really care about, and have been looking for. I was actually happy when I saw you. Until you opened your damn mouth. Now like I said, I'm sick of the lies. Fess up. You aren't Ben, I saw your bar-code, 494."

"Oh, is that what that whole charade was all about?"

"Yea." She answered, though strangely feeling like she was lying. She really didn't know why she had chosen that way to see his bar-code.

"Listen, Maxie, I'm not the only one lying here. And I'm not the only one playing games. You knew all along I wasn't Ben, but you kept it up."

She slapped him again. This time he grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall, hard, her head was bleeding. She leapt in the air, and dove at him, planting both feet into his stomach before using her feet to kick him to the ground. She leapt on top of him and started punching him.

He managed to flip her over and now he was on top of her. No one really knew who was winning, they were both just beating each other, till one of them stopped. It was 494 that stopped. He held her firmly underneath him, not letting her hit him again. He stared at her while she struggled not to be free but to hit him again. He let her punch him as he used his now ripped shirt to wipe some of her blood away from her face.

She stopped hitting him when she realized what he was doing. He was actually being affectionate, like he was trying to take care of her, instinctively. She was more confused than ever, laying there, feeling weak, and frustrated. She decided to stop fighting him, and just be straight. She grabbed his arm gently as he went to wipe her face again, and just stared at him, indicating for him to stop.

"So, what are we gonna call you?" she asked, acting as though they hadn't just finished beating the crap out of each other. "I mean, I could keep calling you asshole, but people might start to think I'm a bitch."

He stayed on top of her. "A girl like you should call me Sexy Daddy." He said, giving her that grin. That damn grin! "Don't worry about looking like a bitch, Max. Most people already think you are one."

She glared at him, and shoved him off of her. Staring at that smirk, she thought of something. Clearly, he didn't have a name. He would have fessed up by now. She liked the name that popped in her head. He was, afterall, a smart ass.

"Why are you smiling now, Maxie? Thinking about our kiss?"

"I thought of a name for you," she declared, getting to her feet again. "Alec," she stated.