After her talk with Diane, Liz wandered around the house not really paying attention to where she was going. Finally she found herself on the second-floor balcony overlooking the back yard. Resting her arms on the railing, she tried to let the beauty of her surroundings calm her. But she couldn’t seem to stop the things her aunt had said repeating in her mind.
"Max practically jumped at the chance to come up here when he found out you were coming."
Could it be true? Liz asked herself. Had Max only agreed to come after he found out she was coming? And what did that mean to her?
Her first reaction was excitement, then worry, and finally confusion. Liz just didn't know what to think.
Everything was happening so fast. She didn’t know if she was ready…
A deep voice startled her out of her contemplation.
"Liz?"
She turned to face him, noting the concern in his golden gaze.
"I've been looking for you everywhere," Max said softly. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Max,” she said with a small smile. “I just lost track of time looking at the view."
He came to stand beside her at the rail and her heart skipped a beat.
"The view is incredible," he agreed.
They stood in silence for a few minutes and Liz wondered how Max's presence could make her feel safe and jumpy at the same time. No, she argued with herself, maybe jumpy wasn't the right word, maybe it was excited or maybe alive.
Finally, he turned toward her. "Diane and Alex have gone into town to do some shopping. They had lunch before we got here and left some food for us in the fridge."
"Oh, well I'm not hungry yet," Liz replied too quickly.
"Good," he said smiling, "because Alex told me there is a lake that's about a twenty minute walk from here. He suggested we could go see the lake, take lunch with us and make a picnic of it."
His smile and easy mood were infectious and Liz found herself returning it. She knew she should refuse, it was dangerous to be around Max. He was too charming and he made feel things she thought she had locked away. But she wanted to go and spoke before she could change her mind. "That sounds like fun. When do we leave?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The walk was invigorating, even if the day was a bit cool, and Liz was glad she'd thought to bring a jacket. The air was so fresh and clean and she inhaled deeply, savoring it. Max had a pack slung over his shoulder that Alex had left out for him with the food and other picnic necessities. Liz offered to carry it, but Max refused, saying it wasn’t heavy.
It seemed as if they had just left the house but Liz could tell they were getting close to the lake because she could smell the sweet water. Excitedly she started to pick up her pace and promptly tripped over a root. Max was there instantly, his arms going around her, stopping her from hitting the ground.
"Liz, are you okay?" he asked as he steadied her.
At first she couldn't look at him, embarrassed because of her clumsiness. But as the seconds passed and he still didn't release her, she dared a look into his face. "I'm fine,” she finally replied somewhat breathlessly. “Just not very graceful."
She looked down at his arms still around her.
Max followed her gaze and then abruptly released her like he hadn't realized he was still holding her. "You'll have to be more careful in the future," he said softly.
Reaching out her took her hand, and gave her a quick wink that nearly made her knees give out. "Maybe I should just hang on to you to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Liz knew she shouldn't let Max hold her hand. It seemed so intimate somehow but it would be petty or even insulting to snatch it away, so she allowed the contact and tried to pretend like it didn't mean anything.
After walking a few more minutes, the trees suddenly parted and the lake was revealed to them. It was a small lake and the water was calm and so amazingly clear Liz thought she would be able to see the bottom even in the middle. Trees rose up circling the shore on all sides and in the distance they could see the mountaintops peeking over the forest.
Liz squeezed Max's hand excitedly. "This is an even better view than Alex has," she said as she turned to him. "Imagine having all of this out your back door."
"That would be incredible," he agreed with a quirky smile and a shrug. "Who knows, maybe someday."
They chose a spot on the rocky beach and spread the blanket to sit on.
"I'm glad we finally made it," Liz said enthusiastically. "I'm starved. What are we having for lunch? Aunt Diane is such a great cook."
"Yeah,” Max agreed. “I was always glad when she invited me over for dinner. Everything she makes is wonderful." He pulled the contents out of the pack. "It looks like we have chicken-salad sandwiches, apples, potato salad, bottled water and for dessert Diane's world-famous chocolate chip cookies."
The food was delicious and as they ate they spoke about various subjects. Liz was glad she had agreed to come, she was really enjoying herself.
As they continued with their meal, Liz became increasingly aware of Max. Two weeks ago, she never would have guessed that she would be in such a beautiful setting with a man who was able to cause such havoc on her carefully controlled life.
When she thought he wasn't looking, she took covert glances at him, studying him. His handsome face fascinated her and she let her eyes roam over it.
But she was so intent in her task that she didn't notice Max had turned toward her. His eyes met hers and she felt a shiver of excitement go through her as he held her gaze.
"I have an appointment tomorrow to look at a few cabins in the area," he started casually. "And I’d like you to come with me, if you don't have any other plans."
When she didn't answer immediately, he continued. "I'll even promise to have you back in time for lunch," he said with a smile.
As Max sat patiently waiting for her answer, Liz studied him. Silently she reminded herself of all the reasons to stay away from him, but surprisingly mentally discounted every one. He was fun to be with she argued with herself. And they would only be looking at houses. What would it hurt?
Finally she nodded and smiled. "Sure, I 'd like that. What time?"
"Great" Max said. He flashed her a brilliant smile and acted as if he hadn't noticed the extra time it had taken her to answer. "We won't leave too early, the appointment is for ten."
They spoke casually as they finished eating and Liz felt herself relax again. It was a beautiful day, the food was good and she was glad she had come.
Max rose to gather the remains of the meal and put them in the pack, and when he returned to the blanket he sat nearer to Liz.
His proximity made her heartbeat increase and she looked into his face not knowing what to expect. She felt nervous but excited and when his eyes captured hers, she didn't want to look away.
Max leaned toward her, reached up and gently took a strand of her hair in his fingers. "I'm glad you left it down today," he rumbled.
His soft words caused a shiver of anticipation to rip through her, and she nearly jumped when he softly caressed her cheek.
"You are so beautiful Liz," he whispered.
His thumb traced the edge of her jaw and he cupped her head. Gently he held her as he moved closer, and Liz’s breath caught. His eyes never left hers and she realized he was going slowly, gauging her reactions, giving her a chance to back out. But she didn't want to back out. Even though she knew it was a mistake to let him get this close, she wanted to feel his lips on hers, to feel his arms around her.
When he was only a couple of inches away she sighed softly in acceptance and allowed her eyes to shut.
At last, his lips gently met hers.
She’d been kissed before, but the sensations that surged through her were like nothing she'd ever experienced. It felt as if every cell in her body was coming alive, charged with the electricity shooting through her at his touch.
He kissed her softly at first, his lips barely brushing hers, coaxing, caressing. And when she didn't pull away he deepened the kiss, covering her lips. One of his hands cupped her head and the other rested on her back urging her closer. And after only a moment of hesitation, she put her hands on his shoulders.
All of the sounds faded into the background and she let herself drown in the sensations rushing through her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a voice say, so this is what kissing should be like. After that Liz was only aware of the hands and lips touching her and the feelings they caused.
As Max gradually pulled away from her, the world came intruding back into their private space. Liz’s eyes fluttered open to see that Max had only moved a few inches away, and she noticed his ragged breathing matched her own.
His thumb caressed her cheek leaving a trail of fire. "Wow," he rumbled.
Suddenly shy, Liz took her hands off his shoulders and looked down at his chest. Her hands fidgeted in her lap as she wondered what to do.
Max leaned in and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, sending warm, soft waves through her. His arms wrapped around her again and he took her into an embrace.
Surprised by his actions Liz held herself stiff in his arms. Her hands automatically went to his chest, ready to push him away. She knew he could feel the tension in her and waited for him to release her.
But he didn't.
"It's okay Liz," he murmured as he softly stroked her hair. "I won't hurt you."
She could almost feel him willing her to be calm, to relax. After a few moments she allowed her head to rest on his chest and leaned into him, releasing a tension-filled breath.
He pulled her closer, laying his cheek on her head, and she let her eyes drift shut.
Liz didn't know how long they stayed like that but gradually she began to become aware of him. She felt the solidness of his chest beneath her fingers and inhaled his unique masculine scent mixed with the light fragrance of his cologne. She was conscious of his strong arms wrapped around her and listened to his steady heartbeat. His heat was seeping into her body wherever he touched her, warming her, but at the same time sending shivers of awareness through her.
Max felt her shivers but mistook the reason for them and gently put her away from him. "You're cold," he said softly as he brushed her cheek with his fingers. "We should be getting back."
Liz felt dazed having been suddenly stripped of his presence, and quickly crossed her arms over her chest to try and regain some of his warmth. He stood and offered her his hand and she gratefully took it, not trusting her legs to support her with all of the sensations that were still washing through her.
Max released her hand long enough to shrug out of his jacket and drape it across her shoulders. Then he quickly shook out the blanket and stuffed it in the backpack, fixing the loops over his shoulders before recapturing her hand.
They walked back in silence, Liz's mind racing from the events of the afternoon. From time to time she could feel Max's eyes on her but he stayed silent as if he knew she needed to sort out her thoughts on what had happened.
She liked Max. She liked him a lot she admitted. But he made her feel things she had never felt before, and that scared her.
When she was with him she had no control over the sensations that overcame her, and she was scared of losing control. Liz knew from experience when you lost control other people had power over you and they could use that power to hurt.
Unwanted memories started to surface and she brutally pushed them to the back of her mind as another shiver racked her small frame.
Max pulled her into his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "We'll be back in a few minutes and then we'll get you warmed up. I didn't realize it would be so cold today. Maybe this wasn't the best day for a picnic."
Liz was astonished. He was apologizing to her for what he considered to be his mistake, and the amazement must have shown on her face.
Max smiled. "What's that look for?"
Liz shook her head. "It's not your fault it was a little cool today. I'm glad we went. It was beautiful."
Max stopped and looked into her face grinning. "Beautiful, huh?"
Liz felt a blush rise up her cheeks under his gaze. "I..., uh, I meant the lake was beautiful," she quickly clarified.
His smile vanished as he leaned toward her, and stopping just a few inches away he whispered, "Oh, I thought you meant this was beautiful." He gently took her face in his hands and slowly closed the last few inches between them, grazing her lips softly with his. Then he leaned back an inch or two to gauge her reaction.
The feather-light kiss left Liz feeling bereft, wanting more, and she swayed toward him.
And that was all the encouragement Max needed. His hands threaded into her hair as he pulled her toward him and their lips met again.
Liz felt immediately the kiss was different than the kisses by the lake had been. Max wasn't holding back. His lips were firmer, more demanding.
She leaned into him winding her arms around his neck attempting to get closer, giving him what he was asking for. His lips left hers and she felt soft kisses all over her face, her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, and then he returned to her lips, tasting, teasing.
Finally Max broke the kiss. "Now that was beautiful," he gasped with a ragged breath.
Liz felt herself blush again and strained to keep her voice even. "It was nice," she teased.
"Nice?" he asked incredulously. "Nice?" He stepped back, grasping at his chest with a smile. "I think I've just been mortally wounded."
Liz couldn't help but laugh and Max was soon laughing with her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived at the cabin Alex and Diane were unloading the last of the shopping bags from the car. Liz watched as Alex's gaze traveled from their clasped hands to her face, with a questioning look that quickly turned into a broad smile.
"So, how was the lake?" he asked innocently.
"It was beautiful," Max said, turning to Liz with a smile. He squeezed her hand before releasing it.
She felt herself blush at his words but she held his gaze for a moment before she turned to her aunt. "Let us give you a hand with the unloading. It looks like you bought enough stuff for an entire year."
"We're just stocking up on cleaning supplies and other household necessities," Diane said. "We also bought some folding chairs and card tables to make sure we have enough space for everyone."
Liz noticed Diane was also studying her face, and then her aunt glanced at Max and smiled. Liz rolled her eyes knowing she would never hear the end of it.
"This is the last of it," Diane announced as she turned to Liz. "Why don't you go and get cleaned up and then help me start dinner in about an hour."
They all walked into the house together and Liz started up the stairs. She didn’t need to turn around to know Max was right behind her, she could feel him.
"Max,” Alex called up to him, “will you give me a hand unpacking these chairs?"
"Yeah Alex,” Max answered, “I'll be down in a minute."
When they reached the top of the stairs, Liz turned toward her room but Max stopped her with a hand on her arm and gently pulled her to him. She didn't even have time to react before his lips were on hers and she barely had time to kiss him back before he pulled away.
"I just wanted to thank you for a lovely afternoon," he said softly and then he turned with a wink and disappeared into his room.
Liz stood dazed for a few moments before she was able to gather herself enough to enter her room. She pushed the door shut behind her and let her shaky legs collapse as she sank onto the bed. There were so many feelings running through her she could barely think straight. Hearing the door to Max's open and close again, she listened to his footsteps as he walked toward the stairs, hesitated for a moment at the top, and then continued down.
She glanced toward the mirror on the dresser and gasped as she took in her appearance. Her hair was messed up, her eyes were huge and her lips were red and slightly swollen. She looked like she had been kissed, a lot.
Blushing furiously, she realized Alex and Diane must have guessed what had happened between herself and Max. No wonder Alex had been grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Eventually she would have to answer their questions but she decided to take a bath and relax before facing the inquisition.
