Chapter 34: The Boy is Mine

"Speakin' of ya boy," Cindy replied with a nod toward the door.

"He's not my boy," Max blurted. But she felt completely the opposite of what she'd just said. Even hearing Cindy say the words made Max smile on the inside at their truth. Of course it wasn't literally true, since Alec was a free man, but it still was nice to hear.

Max looked up to see 'her boy' walking in nonchalantly, as confident a walk as ever. Although Max was happy to see him and drawn to him, at least, her body seemed to be, the way it was reacting, she groaned in displeasure. Max didn't want to see him right now. She'd just finished telling Cindy what happened between the two of them, not thinking he would show up since he was so late.

Max swallowed as she stared. She really had an attraction to him. His every movement seemed to call to her. She found herself wanting to greet him with a sweet, sensual kiss, not only for her own pleasure, but also to mark him as hers. She knew how the girls around JamPony were. Ever since Golden Boy's arrival they'd been swooning over him, among other things probably.

"Awkward?" Cindy asked, wondering what was going through her friend's head at the moment.

"Not exactly," Max admitted, getting up as she noticed Alec coming her way. Even though her body and mind were still drawn to him, she wanted to escape the situation before she let on how much she enjoyed the sight and company of him.

"Got a package for me?" she called to Normal as she headed to him faster and more eager than she probably ever had before.

"Not so fast, Golden Boy!" Normal called over Max, completely ignoring her for the moment.

Max felt herself tense as she noticed Alec coming toward Normal to see what he wanted.

"Package?" Max asked Normal again, a little more panic and force in her voice this time.

"Normal!" Alec greeted the man with a pat on his shoulder. "Good to see you, bud!"

"You're late," Normal informed Alec, as if he didn't know.

Max cringed as she was now standing in between the 2 of them and they were talking over her. So much for avoiding him!, she thought angrily, noticing Normal didn't even have a package sitting out for her to just grab so she could get the hell out of there.

"Yea," Alec said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, about that, buddy. I had something to take care of this morning."

Max wanted to ask what exactly that was, but that would mean acknowledging his presence, and so she kept her lips tightly shut, hoping Normal would get back to doing his whole 'Bip bip' thing.

Alycia, one of the girls that worked there, came up to Alec and started stroking his arm. "Ohhhh, Alec! Please tell me you're not sick!"

At the sight and the possessive feeling that was overpowering Max, she decided to break her vow of silence. "Well, if he was, I guess that you would be, too, then, what with not being able to take your hands off of him!" Max snapped at the girl. "Ever heard of germs?" she added rudely.

"Max," Alec finally greeted her with a nod and a brief but intense stare. "Nothing to worry about, I don't have cooties!"

"If you aren't sick, then why are you late?" Normal asked him.

Alycia meanwhile was still holding onto Alec. Although it was obvious he wasn't enjoying or responding to her touch, it bothered Max that he wasn't backing away from it. "Do you mind?" Max asked Alycia.

"What? Are you two dating or something?" Alycia blurted.

"Normal, don't you have a package or something for her to get to?" Max asked, ignoring the girl's question.

"Yea!" he said, finally it seemed remembering that he had a place to run. "Okay! 4th and Euclid! Go!" he said to Alycia, tossing a package at her.

Max smiled as the girl's hand finally removed itself from Alec so that she could catch the box that was tossed at her head. That's right, bitch! Get your hands off of him, he's mine!

"Here!" Normal called, tossing one to Cindy, and another one to Max.

As soon as both girls were out of the hearing range of even a transgenic, Max turned to Cindy and tried to deny what she couldn't admit to wanting to be true. "Like I said…he's not my boy."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, suga! But please tell me that you ain't gonna avoid him forever now."

"Why can't I?" Max asked, though not being completely serious.

"You got ta figure that connection thing out, right? Find out about Manticore, right?"

Max frowned. "Yea, I just can't escape that damn place, can I?" She hated admitting that Cindy was right. She really did need to come clean to Alec so they could work together to find out what was up.

Max hopped onto her bike and turned to Cindy one last time before seeing to delivering her package. "Meet me for lunch?" she suggested.

Cindy nodded as she got onto her own bike. "You know it!" she accepted. "The usual spot."

-------

Max squeezed Sketchy lightly on the shoulder once the whole crew had arrived at the usual spot. "Your turn to buy!" she reminded him.

"Aw, man!" he complained. "Come on, Max. Pay day isn't until tomorrow. You know me! I'm completely broke as of right now."

Alec slapped Sketchy on the back, pulling out his wallet with his other hand. "I got ya covered for today, Sketchy."

Max rolled her eyes. "Figures," she mumbled.

"What's that, Maxie?" Alec asked her, his first direct question at her all day.

"Well it figures," she said, her head cocked slightly to the side and her arms folded. "That you'd have extra cash lyin' around." She remembered how she'd seen it lying there at his apartment when she'd been there.

"That isn't the only thing lyin' around in my apartment, Maxie. But you already knew that, didn't you?" He sent her his usual suggestive stare and smirk.

Max felt a burn coming over her cheeks. She didn't blush easily. His effect on her seemed completely out of her control.

"Let the man pay for our fine meal," Herbal told Max. He then turned to Sketchy. "We all been there before, man. Nothing to get upset about. Let it roll off ya like water."

Max stood up. "I think I'm gonna roll on out of here," she said abruptly.

"And why's that, Max?" Herbal asked.

Max stared at Alec's back as he was standing in line waiting to pay. The view again was all too pleasing for her. She noticed his hand as it casually rested to his side. She felt the urge to grab it and give him a cute kiss on the cheek. Max didn't know what was going on. It was all the more reason to talk to Alec about it so she could do something about it before she lost total control of her thoughts and actions as it seemed she was headed toward.

Max swallowed, actually nervous as she realized she had to do something. She needed to talk to Alec, alone. She turned to Herbal, "I'm not really hungry. I'm gonna go say goodbye to Alec."

She walked up to him and tried not to pay attention to how good he looked just standing there and how good he tasted the night before. Her tongue suddenly felt dry as she approached him and realized just how much she wanted to taste him again. She noticed his hand yet again, and had to shove her hand in her own pocket to prevent herself from grabbing his.

It was a weird feeling. It wasn't that she had lost control. That happened when she was in heat. This was something totally different. She still had control, it was just…her thoughts and desires. They weren't going after everything in sight, like when she was in heat. It was like after last night, she only had eyes for Alec. She couldn't recall wanting someone so badly before.

She wanted to make it quick, but he wasn't paying any attention. Damnit, Alec!, she thought as she realized she was going to have to touch him to get his attention. As she forced herself to finally make contact with his skin, she felt a shrill tickling go through her fingers and down her spine, ignited by the feel of his skin.

He turned immediately toward her soft, recognizable touch. His eyes were wide with a passionate stare, and she returned with one just as full of desire. He stared at her hand that had moved instinctively from his shoulder to his chest, and then back into her dark eyes. "Max?" he asked her, in a low rugged voice that reminded her of how it sounded to hear him yell it the night before.

Max only then noticed she was still holding her hand against him and she quickly pulled it away and tried not to stare at his lips as she spoke. "Alec, we need to talk," she told him.

Alec rolled his eyes slowly. "If this is about last night-" he said quiet enough so that only she could hear.

"It isn't," she quickly corrected him.

"Then what?"

"I'll tell you tonight. Meet me-"

"At my apartment?" he suggested with a suggestive look.

"At Gilla's. For dinner," Max decided. It was a restaurant, quiet enough for them to speak in privacy, but public enough for her not to let her desires and attraction toward him get the better of her.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Alec asked her with his smart-ass grin.

Max rolled her eyes. "Don't get so full of yourself, Pretty Boy! You're paying anyways."

"Oh, am I?" Alec asked her. "So you want me to take you out, then."

"It'll make up for you not buying me lunch now," Max explained innocently. She backed away, ready to leave. "7!" she whispered, but she knew that he, being a transgenic, would hear it.

------

As Max walked off, Alec was left to smile not only at the view but also at her reaction. He could smell her increased desire whenever she was around him. Especially when she'd touched him, it was clear. She wanted him.

He couldn't deny that he felt the same way. He was definitely drawn to her. It was more than that, really. Why else would he break out of Manticore at the mere glimpse of her from afar? He wanted to be with her completely again.

It was strange, but he felt a sort of claim to her. Not that she was property by any means. She meant more to him than anyone ever had before. He felt the same need to protect her as he had with Rachel. But it was different with Max. She could take care of herself.

He'd had one night stands before with other women without such a lasting effect. It wasn't even their most intimate moment together that had done it. He'd known he felt this way about her from the first time he'd tasted her lips.

Although he didn't own Max at all and he respected how independent she was, he still enjoyed the way it sounded in his head. She was done with Logan, and now she wanted him. Max was all his. At least, he would allow himself to believe that just for the day.

a/n: Thanks for reading and for your reviews!