Part Nine

When I wake the next morning, I find myself surrounded by warmth. My eyes flicker open and my gaze falls on the empty bed just a couple of feet from where I'm lying; my empty bed. For a second, I'm confused. Why am I not in that bed? Then I remember; I was upset last night, and asked Max if I could sleep in his bed with him.

I almost groan with embarrassment at how bold I was, to assume that we could just share a bed. I mean, we've only been 'a couple' for two-and-a-half days! But, as I become more fully awake, I realise our position in bed and suddenly the embarrassment is replaced by something else. It's contentment, and a sense of belonging.

I can feel Max's arm around me, holding me to him. His hand is resting against my bare stomach, having slipped under my T-shirt sometime during the night and he has pulled me flush against his chest. I am also aware of his legs, his thighs against mine. Our lower legs and feet are not entwined, but are just touching, and his face seems to be buried in my hair.

I relax and close my eyes, savouring the feeling of being wrapped in Max's arms. For a moment, I wonder how it is that he can breathe while his nose and mouth are pressed against the top of my head, but then there is a slight movement from behind me and I realise that he is no longer asleep. His lips brush against my head and then lower, as he places small tender kisses to the side of my head and then down to my cheek, ear and finally my neck. His fingers move and stretch slightly over my stomach and it is then that I become conscious of the fact that he seems to be aroused.

I can feel his length pressing into my bottom and that, coupled with the movement of his fingers on my belly, sends curls of excitement, desire even, through my body. My first instinct is to let him know that I'm awake and to show him exactly what his ministrations are doing to me, but suddenly a thought occurs to me and I find myself frozen in place.

This is Max.

I mean, sure, I love him and he's told me he loves me, but the whole situation suddenly seems a little scary.

Max Evans, my Max Evans has an erection and it's pressing right into me. It's there because of me. I can feel it's length, it's hardness, but still it seems strange and foreign to me.

Of course, he's a guy and it's normal. And it's not like I've never seen one, or touched one, or even felt one inside of me before; it's just that I've never really let myself think of Max getting them before. I mean, come on, it would be kind of gross if you thought about your best friend getting aroused, even more so if you considered that you might be the reason for it.

We might be more than best friends now; and are thinking of each other differently, but I just don't think that I'm quite ready to make love to Max yet. And you know what, despite the situation he's currently in, I don't think that he's completely ready yet either.

But, having said that, there's no harm in a little making out, is there?

I let out a small moan as Max's mouth hits a sensitive spot on my neck and as he lifts his head to see if I'm awake, I take the opportunity to turn over to face him. His hand slides over my skin when I move and it rests on my lower back as I come to a stop in front of him. Our noses are practically touching and our lips are so close that I can do nothing but close the distance between us and kiss him. I don't even think about morning breath this time.

I also don't get around to talking to him about my earlier concerns regarding us becoming more intimate with each other. Our make-out session gets pretty heated, with Max ending up on top of me and our legs intertwined; but apart from the odd wandering hand and tender caress, we don't really explore any further than that. And, as Max points out breathlessly several minutes later, if we don't get a move on, we're not going to make it to Vegas with time to experience the city. We're only staying a couple of nights and then we'll be heading eastwards.

The drive up to Vegas is fun and the atmosphere between us starts off surprisingly light-hearted. While Max drives, for some reason I decide that it's a good idea to twist round in my seat and bombard him with random questions, at the same time as tossing M&M's into my mouth (or trying to, at least).

Honestly, I have no idea what I'm on today!

"So, Max. Have you decided what your major's going to be yet?" I start, barely five minutes into the journey. My unexpected line of conversation must have startled him, because he sends a 'what does that have to do with anything?' look my way.

"Where did that come from, Lizzie?"

"What? I can't ask you a simple question?" I wonder indignantly.

He looks at me fully this time and shakes his head before turning back to the road. "No, it's not that. It's just that, apart from last night, we haven't really mentioned college over the last few weeks. I was just surprised you brought it up now."

"Oh," I reply, a little embarrassed at my outburst. "Sorry."

He smiles, his eyes fixed on the road, "Hey, don't worry about it. And to answer your question, I was thinking about doing English," he tells me, but then frowns as if he's just thought of something. He looks at me suspiciously, "But then, you already knew that, Lizzie. So, come on, 'fess up. What's this all about?"

I shrug, popping a green M&M into my mouth, "Just trying to start a conversation. You know, find some stuff out about you, that's all."

He looks at me like I'm crazy, "But you already know everything about me. We've been best friends for years."

I look away. Oops, busted.

"Not everything," I mumble under my breath, but he hears me anyway.

"What do you mean?"

I sigh, "We've both said it before, Max. There's just some stuff that we don't talk about. You know, personal stuff. Private stuff. But, now that we're…you know…I'm curious. I want to know those things about you." I need to know these kinds of things. I need to get over the 'best-friend' image that I still have of Max in my head so that I don't feel strange around him like I did this morning.

He glances at me, his mouth agape. "You want to know intimate stuff about me, about my past? What kind of stuff?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, we're getting closer and I think we should be more comfortable with each other, get to know each other's likes and dislikes; our preferences and fantasies."

"F-fantasies?" he practically squeaks. "Liz…I-I don't think that now is really the time – ""

"Come on, Evans. I know you wanna know that stuff about me," I tease, leaning closer to him. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

He looks shocked for a second and I wonder if maybe I've taken things too far, but then a mischievous smirk creeps across his face.

"Really?" he drawls. "Okay. Well, two can play at this game. So, how about this, Parker: What's your favourite position?"

Now it's my turn to be taken aback. I wasn't expecting him to be this blunt. "P-position?" I stutter.

"You know what I mean, Lizzie," he replies smugly. "You're the one with the experience here."

"I…um," I gulp. "Okay, here's the thing. I've only actually done it a handful of times. With Robert, it was just awkward and uncomfortable; and then Kyle…well, he wasn't really that adventurous and we only ever did it the old fashioned way," I admit, slightly embarrassed. "So, I don't really have anything to compare between or choose from."

I look up at Max to find him staring at the road, a frown marring his features.

"I'm sorry," he says, when he realises that I'm watching him. "I just, I assumed that since you were more experienced than me, you'd have done stuff, you know? I didn't mean to embarrass you."

He glances at me, his apology evident in his eyes.

I shake my head. "Hey, it's okay, I'm over it, no big deal," I smile. "So, now I guess it's my turn to ask you something," I muse. "Since I pretty much know what you've already done, how about this one…if you could have sex anywhere, where would it be?"

His head turns to me once again, "Liz! I'm trying to drive here, I can't think about that kind of stuff now!" he protests, but I can see through him.

"Oh, come on! Stop trying to avoid the question!" I exclaim good-naturedly.

He sighs in defeat and his shoulders slump, "Fine. But I'm warning you, this isn't kinky or anything, so don't laugh at me when I tell you."

"I'm not going to laugh, Max," I reassure him, but also wonder why he thinks that I would laugh.

"Okay. Well, I kind of have this image of the perfect bedroom location in my mind. In the middle of the room, there is a queen-size bed with expensive sheets and there are candles scattered all around the room. An open bottle of champagne and 2 empty glasses sit untouched on the bedside table, while we make passionate love amongst the soft, luxurious sheets…"

He trails of in embarrassment and he looks over at me, as if expecting me be laughing at him. But I can't laugh, my eyes are welling up and my heart is filled with so much love for him.

"We?" I manage in a small voice. "As in, you and me?"

He gives a small nod and I feel a lone tear escape, making it's way down my cheek. "Max, that's beautiful," I cry. "Where are we? In your fantasy, I mean."

"We're, um," he gives a small, nervous chuckle. "We're at home, in our house. Liz, in my fantasy, I'm making love to my wife."

"Oh my God," I whisper, completely overcome with emotion. "Max, you really imagine us that way? Married?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," he whispers, nodding. Then he peeks at me again, "Liz, if this is too much, or whatever, you can just forget that I said anything. I don't want to assume…or…"

"No, Max. You can't take it back," I beg. "I won't let you. It sounds perfect. D-do you really think that maybe that could happen for us? I mean, it's been a crazy few days, with everything that's going on. Can we really think that far ahead?"

He shrugs, "Maybe it's a silly thing to be thinking, but it's just this picture I have in my mind of what the perfect setting would be. And now that we're, you know, together, in my mind you're the person that I imagine being with."

"That is so sweet," I exclaim and before I can stop myself, I lean over and plant a soft kiss against his cheek. A smile lights up his face as I link my fingers through his and relax next to him.

We arrive in Vegas just after three o'clock, but instead of pulling into the parking lot of the cheap motel chain that we usually stay in, Max drives straight past all the motels and carries on towards the Strip.

"Max?" I ask, confused. "Where are you going? We just passed the motels."

His mouth turns up into a grin as he strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. "Shh," he whispers conspiratorially. "It's a surprise," he wiggles his eyebrows at me. "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes," he smiles and rolls his eyes. "I'll tell you when you can open them."

I watch him suspiciously for a moment, before doing what he's asked.

"And no peeking," I hear him say.

We drive in silence for a few more minutes. I still have my eyes closed, but my body is humming with anticipation. What is Max up to?

I don't have to worry for long though, because he takes a left turn and then tells me that I can look now.

"Ta da!" he exclaims, as I try to get used to the light again. But then I see what he's showing me and I gasp in amazement.

"Wow! Max, I can't believe you did this!"

I can't believe it! Max has booked us into one of the themed Las Vegas hotels for the next two nights! We're staying at the Excalibur hotel and casino. It's supposed to be like this old, medieval castle and it even has turrets (although they're red and blue and not very medieval) and a drawbridge!

"I hope you don't mind," Max murmurs to me as we make our way to the check-in desk. "But I could only afford a room with one bed. It's the height of the season and the prices have gone crazy."

"Why would I mind?" I say with a smile. Another night curled up with Max? I'm definitely not going to complain about that. "It sounds like the perfect solution. But you have to at least let me pay for half of it."

Max shakes his head violently, as if I've said something totally outrageous, "No way, Lizzie. This is my treat. You're my girlfriend now and I can spend my money on you if I wish."

"Girlfriend, huh?" I raise an eyebrow and his expression turns anxious, as if he might have just said the wrong thing. "You know, I think I like the sound of that," I reassure him.

I suppress a smile at the look of utter relief on Max's face. Impulsively, I slide my arm round his waist and squeeze lightly as I stand on tiptoe to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw. With a look of contentment, his arm comes around my shoulder and he holds me to his side as we approach the desk.

As he's talking to the receptionist and getting our keys sorted out, I start thumbing through the hotel entertainment brochure. Although we're not allowed in the casino, the hotel has a large swimming pool and several evening shows. My eyes widen as I read about one particular event, although I don't think Max would be too thrilled if I suggested going to it.

"Okay, we're all sorted, here are the keys," says Max, coming up behind me. "What's that you've got there? Thunder From Down Under? Liz, these are Australian strippers!" he sounds scandalised.

I scoff, covering any interest I might have had in the show, "Honestly, Max! Like I really want to watch a load of disgustingly over-muscled, oil-covered jocks prancing around the stage in nothing but thongs!" I exclaim, and then nudge him playfully. "Besides, I like my guys real and more than a little capable of intelligent conversation."

He wraps his arms round my waist from behind, resting his chin against my shoulder, "You do, huh?" I can hear the smug grin in his voice.

"Uh huh," I manage as I turn in his arms, planting a quick kiss to his lips. "Come on, let's go find our room. What floor are we on?" I ask as we pick up our bags and head over to the elevators.

"Uh, seventeenth floor," he replies, looking at the keys. "West Tower."

After finding the correct elevator for the West Tower, we eventually reach the seventeenth floor and find our room number.

"Wow," I say, as we enter the room. It's really spacious and looks so much more luxurious than the shitty little rooms we've been living out of the past few weeks. Dumping my suitcase and backpack on the edge of the bed, I walk over to the window and look out. "Look at that pool, Max! We have to go swimming later."

"We will," he assures me, laughing at my enthusiasm. "But first I think we should check out Vegas in the daytime. Since we're not allowed in the casinos we might as well see what else this city has to offer us."

We leave our belongings in the room and head out of the hotel. Our first stop is the Luxor, which is right next-door. It's pretty cool inside and has this whole food court area as well as an IMAX theatre and several other attractions. We grab a McDonalds in the food court and then crack up at the absurdity of coming all the way to Las Vegas, only to eat at an international fast-food chain.

"We'll eat at a proper restaurant for dinner," Max promises later, as we walk arm-in-arm down the strip towards the other famous hotels.

We end up in the Forum shopping centre next to Caesar's Palace. It's really swanky, but I guess that's to be expected considering that stars like Michael Jackson shop here. We pass Planet Hollywood and I suggest having dinner there tonight, since I've never eaten at a Planet Hollywood restaurant before, but Max says that he already has something planned for tonight and that we'll have to do it tomorrow.

I wonder what he's intending for us to do this evening? This feels weird – Max has been going around being all secretive today, but as much as it annoys me that he won't let me in on his plans, I'm also finding it incredibly romantic and I can't help but wonder if he's always like this as a boyfriend; making secret plans and arranging surprises.

If so, I can't believe what I've been missing out on all this time.

Day 24 – Wednesday July 16th 2002

Wow, I can't stop smiling this morning!

Max and I are in Las Vegas, we're currently sharing not just a room, but also a bed, in the Excalibur hotel and memories of last night are running through my mind at an amazing speed. Max said yesterday that he was going to surprise me, and well, surprise me he did!

First, he took me to dinner at the Caribbean themed restaurant, Kahunaville, in the Treasure Island hotel. He told me that it was 'in honour of all the times we rode Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland' and he insisted on paying, since it was our first official date. The food was gorgeous and although we couldn't drink them, the cocktails sounded delicious – they even had this huge one that cost $18 and you could even keep the cocktail glass afterwards!

Anyway, after dinner, we decided to watch Sirens of Treasure Island, the pirate show that they put on every night just outside the hotel entrance. It looked like it was going to be pretty cool – there was a large area of water out at the front and a moving pirate ship, but within about five minutes of the show starting, we began to regret our decision to stay. Despite the fact that there were families and many young children watching, the 'performance' was pretty much a soft porn show. The women were dressed in tiny corsets, boobs practically spilling out and fishnet tights and the men weren't much better. I managed to sit through about fifteen minutes of it, before I looked up at Max and found the same uncomfortable, unimpressed expression on his face as the one I'm sure was on mine. One glance and that was it; we were out of there!

But dinner wasn't what made the evening special, it was what happened once we got back to our room that did…

I lift my gaze to watch Max; he's sleeping peacefully beside me on the bed and I can't help the bubble of joy that rises up in my chest at the sight of him. I carefully reach out and lightly brush his soft, slightly parted lips with my fingers, remembering exactly how they felt against mine last night.

Flashback…

The walk back to the hotel is spent expressing our disgust over the Treasure Island show, although Max does point out that this is Vegas and that this kind of thing is not all that uncommon here. But you'd think that they'd at least put a warning on the brochure that it might not be suitable for kids!

By the time we reach our room, we've almost gotten over the whole thing and it turns out that Max is in a really playful mood. The second the door closes behind us, he pushes me up against it and immediately begins an onslaught of kisses on my lips, my face, my neck and every other area of exposed skin that he can get his hands (or rather, lips) on. The sudden feel of his solid chest pressing me against the door makes my knees weak and I hold him to me tightly as he buries his face in my neck.

I am so caught up in the feel of his body pressed against me that I completely miss the fact that by the time he stops to take a breath, we are on the bed and he is pressing desperate, open-mouthed kisses to my face and neck. I can do nothing but cling to him; my hands and fingers buried in his short hair, my mind a blur.

"Liz…" he breathes as his lips brush my collarbone.

He continues to move lower and it's only when I feel his warm hand cupping the underside of my breast that the hazy fog surrounding my brain clears somewhat and I realise that what is happening between us is something new and exciting.

"Max?" I slide my hands out of his hair and lift his chin to look at me. "What are we doing?" I whisper softly.

But he just grins and presses a finger to my lips. "Shh. No Questions. Just relax and enjoy it."

So I do.

My fingers immediately fly back up to grasp his hair as I feel his ministrations resume. He slowly draws the straps of my top down over my shoulders and then my arms, exposing my bra-clad chest to his gaze. I gasp as he cups my breasts in his large hands. He runs his thumbs over the silky material and I shiver as they come into contact with my sensitive nipples. My head falls back against the pillows and my fingers go slack in his hair as I feel the sudden warmth of his mouth on my still covered breast.

He teases me for a couple of minutes before moving down over my stomach, reaching for the hem of my top and pushing it up to expose my bare skin. He rains small kisses on my stomach, around my belly button and I gasp with the pleasure, unconsciously tightening my grip on his head and holding him to me. As his mouth continues its assault on my skin, his hands travel down over my hips to the hem of my knee length skirt before slipping up and underneath it.

My breathing quickens as his fingers trace light circles up over my thighs and my skirt rides up towards my waist as his hand creeps higher and higher. A breathy moan escapes my lips and my hips jerk as his roaming fingers gently brush against my panties. He smiles against my stomach at my reaction and I can feel his eyes on me, watching me, but I don't have the energy to lift my head and return his gaze.

"Max, please," I whisper, my hands dropping to his broad shoulders.

He complies with my unspoken request and the next thing I know, he hooks his thumbs into the elastic of my panties, easing them over my hips and slides them off me. He doesn't touch me for a moment, but even so, my heart begins thumping in anticipation of what's coming next. But then his fingers come into contact with my most intimate area and I practically jump at the new and unfamiliar sensation. I clamp down on the sudden, self-conscious urge to close my legs and hide myself from his view and instead I force myself not to shy away from him.

I don't have long to deliberate over my decision however, because suddenly his head is between my legs, his hot, warm tongue is darting out to taste me and I am completely, totally lost. He strokes my thighs as he devours me with his tongue and the combined pleasure is overwhelming. I can feel the pressure building within me, escalating exponentially with every stroke of his tongue. This is positively the most wonderful, fulfilling experience I've ever had and I don't want it to end.

Then, just when I think it can't get any better, Max's fingers slide into me as he uses his teeth to gently tease me and suddenly, something inside me just explodes.

I hear myself moaning with pleasure and gasping for breath, but it doesn't register that the sounds are really coming from me. I can't think, my body is shaking and quivering; my senses have gone into overload and when the intense sensations finally begin to subside, I can do nothing but lay there, all limp and sweaty, yet fully sated. It doesn't even register when Max rearranges my skirt to cover me before sliding back up my body and settling on his back beside me.

"Wow," is all I can manage as I try to catch my breath. "I never knew it could be like that," I whisper in awe as I turn my head to look at him. "Thank you."

He smiles and he brushes a stray strand of hair off my face. "No need to thank me, Lizzie," he whispers softly. "We came back here, and you just looked so… I couldn't help myself," he tells me. "And I love the fact that I can make you feel like that."

An incredible feeling of happiness washes over me at his words and I move closer to him, settling myself against him. It's on the tip of my tongue to offer to return the favour, but I think he senses that he's worn me out and also that since I've never done it before, I'm not completely ready for it yet, because he just folds me into his arms, presses a light kiss to my forehead and encourages me to get some sleep.

We fall asleep in each other's arms, still fully clothed, but extremely content.

Present

I realise that a full-fledged, dopey grin has spread across my face as I've been remembering the events of last night, but looking at Max now, I really don't care. I'm still wearing my skirt and top from last night and although he's lost the shirt, Max is still in his jeans. The sight of his bare chest, only partially covered by the sheet has me practically drooling, but unfortunately, as much as I would currently like to spend every waking moment in his company, he's still Max and that means he'll be dead to the world for at least another hour and a half.

I playfully roll my eyes at his sleeping form and decide that now is as good a time as any to explore more of the hotel. One peak through the curtains tell me that it's a gorgeous sunny day outside and not too hot yet, so I scribble Max a quick note to let him know that I'm going for a swim and casually suggest that maybe he'd like to join me when he wakes up. I can't resist adding a quick 'I love you' on the bottom of the note, partly in hopes that he won't think that I've just abandoned him, but more to the point, that I really want him to come find me down at the pool.

I'm suddenly in the mood for feasting my eyes on a dripping-wet, swim-shorts-clad Max Evans.

Okay, I desperately need to get my mind out of the gutter now.

I'm off to cool down in the pool (well, at least until Max shows up, anyway).

TBC…