April 14, 1912
9:16pm
Anna Marie had never been so pampered in all her life. She was soon discovering just how thorough Max could be when he set his mind to something.
They had spent the afternoon and evening in bed, and she lost track of the number of times he had satisfied her. The thought occurred to her that he got more satisfaction from watching her come undone, as opposed to his own pleasure.
Of course, she was hellbent to make sure he got as much enjoyment out of it as she did.
And when they could barely move, they had napped- naked, spent and satisfied. It was a lovely feeling, enveloped in his warm embrace as she drifted off for an hour or two.
And now, she was emerging from a warm bath that he had drawn for her, taking her time drying off.
When she emerged from his bedroom, she found him in the sitting room, having once again retrieved a meal for her.
"You're gonna spoil me." She commented.
"And if I am?" He challenged with a raised brow.
She chuckled and leaned down to kiss him, which he took as an invitation to gently pull her into his lap.
The humming noise he made was like a rumble in his chest.
"You smell divine…."
"It's that fancy soap."
"Hmm. I think it's less to do with the soap, and more to do with the woman wearing it." He spoke softly as he kissed her neck.
As much as she enjoyed his lips on her skin, she knew that if he continued, their dinner would grow cold. She gently slipped off his lap with hesitance.
"Anyone ever told ya that you're insatiable, Max?" She teased as they set to eat the food he had brought.
"Actually, no. It is a newly discovered trait of mine. One that you have unearthed, schatzi."
She didn't know whether to be stunned or flattered at his admission, turning her attention to the plate of food he had brought her.
10:22 pm
"You do realize we have spent the last-" Anna Marie glanced at the clock on the fireplace before continuing. "...six hours in bed? And now you're askin' me to stay the night. Remember what ah just said about you bein' insatiable?" She teased him as she fastened the last button on her dress.
He laughed out loud. "While I agree with you, my reasons for wanting you to stay are not as salacious as you think. I quite enjoyed waking from our short slumber earlier to find you sleeping in my bed." He murmured as he placed a doting kiss on her cheek.
The smile she gave him was equal parts sultry and teasing. "Well, when you say it like that, how can ah refuse you, Mister Eisenhardt?"
She was just about to place a kiss on his lips when there was a loud knock on his door that startled a gasp out of her, both of them whipping their heads around at the sound.
"Max? I know you're in here, no one has seen you for hours. We need to talk." Charles Xavier's voice came through the door.
Max's facial expression changed to one of irritation as he rolled his eyes at the intruder at his door. He was about to open his mouth to tell him to fuck off when he felt Anna Marie's fingers on his lips, and his eyes were immediately drawn to her, who held a finger to her own lips before pointing to a secondary door that led out of the stateroom.
Once he realized what she was implying, he quickly grabbed the necklace off of the table, slipping it into his pocket before taking her hand, slowly and quietly making their way towards the side door as Charles continued banging on the locked door.
The door clicked softly behind them and they made their way down the hallway very calmly and leisurely.
Anna Marie made the mistake of checking over her shoulder, attempting to be surreptitious, and she caught Charles' eye, who started towards them.
"Run!" She exclaimed, and Max's hand was in hers as they made a mad dash past the top of the grand staircase, around to the lift on the other side.
"Max!" Charles yelled in warning, clearly making chase.
The attendant on the inside of the lift shut the doors at Anna Marie's insistence, and the attendant on the outside shut the outer doors just as Charles' irritated face came into view. The lift started to go down, and Anna Marie looked him dead in the eyes, flipping him off with her middle finger with a proud smile on her face.
"Anna Marie!" Max was trying not to laugh, in shock as she made such a crude gesture. They were both laughing as they went down the lift, disappearing from Charles' view, who went looking for an alternate way down to where they were heading.
Anna Marie pulled Max out of the lift and down a flight of stairs to E Deck, almost running into some kitchen staff.
"Sorry!" She exclaimed, and they ran around a corner, catching their breath. Max was trying not to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Not you, dear girl. Charles. I've never seen him run like that." He was grinning, and looked up at the right time to see Charles, on the other side of a set of swinging doors with circular glass to see through.
He grabbed Anna Marie's hand. "Scheiße!" He exclaimed, dragging her the other way as they took off running, running down a corridor and around a corner….to a dead end.
"Max, in here!" She quickly found a door off to the side, and opened it, dragging him inside before Charles could find them. She locked the door behind them, in case he tried to follow them through it.
When she turned, she realized where they were. This room was loud, and they couldn't hear themselves think. There was a hole in the ground, with a ladder that led to the level below them: the boiler room.
Max had his hands over his ears, as did she. "Now what?" He shouted over the noise.
"What?" She shouted back, and they both grinned like idiots, realizing that they could either go back the way they came, and be apprehended by Charles, or they could go down into the boilers.
Max climbed down first, waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder as she climbed down. His hands came around her waist as she got closer, setting her down gently.
"Hey! What are you two doing down here?" One of the workers, covered in soot and dirt, exclaimed in what sounded like an Australian accent. "You can't be down here. It's too dangerous!"
Anna Marie took Max's hand and they were running down towards the nearest exit.
"Sorry! Keep up the good work!" Max called over the noise.
Anna Marie giggled as they made their way out of the boiler room, and elsewhere onto the ship.
They opened a door, and they found themselves in the cargo hold, boxes and crates of belongings from those onboard were in this giant room, a staircase in the center led up to the upper decks.
Max guided her through the room, almost as if they were just taking a leisurely walk after dinner. She smiled to herself as he slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and guided her up the stairs, not caring about Charles and his wild goose chase through the ship.
Eventually, the door they opened was to the upper deck of the ship, the cold night air nipping at their skin. Anna Marie leaned closer to him as they climbed out of the cargo hold, and he wished he had brought his coat with him to keep her warm.
They were near the front of the ship, the crow's nest in view. Their breath was visible in the cold, and he slipped his arm around her waist, turning her to face him so he could kiss her thoroughly, gently.
When she finally opened her eyes to look at him, he saw love, warmth, and a hope that he never thought he would have. Hope for a life beyond his station, a life with meaning and substance.
"When the ship docks…." He murmured. "I'm getting off with you."
She was surprised by his declaration.
"Max, what do you mean? What about Johnathan Michaels? And Xavier-"
"I will deal with Charles, and Mister Michaels. But I will gladly forsake everything if it means spending the rest of my life with you." He softly murmured.
She grinned, feeling elation as she leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his neck.
"Is that your way of proposin' to me, Max?"
"For now." He promised. "When we dock, I shall do it properly, if you'll still have me."
She nodded her head excitedly, and he swept her up into his arms, holding her close as he swung her around in his embrace, never wanting to let her go.