The jeep rolled to a stop in front of the Crashdown, the roar of the engine quieting, as they sat there motionless for a few minutes, neither one willing to make the first move.

Finally Max broke the silence.

“Liz…are you doing okay?” He asked her gently.

There was a long pause as Liz contemplated his question, before she finally responded.

“Yeah, actually I am, Max.” She turned to grace him with a soft smile. “I don’t know if I would be without you here though. By giving me the opportunity to talk to her one last time…I think it gave me the strength to let her go. I think…it was her time.”

Max nodded in agreement. “She was ready. I think…her only regret was leaving you.”

“And you too, Max. She loved you too.”

“She was amazing.” Max marveled softly. “I mean, she accepted me so quickly, without question. She knew what I was, and she didn’t even care…like you. I never even imagined that anyone could ever be so accepting of me…but you both were. It’s unbelievable to me…like a dream come true. I’ll always be thankful for that.”

“And I’ll always be thankful for you.” Liz immediately responded, taking his hand into hers, and clutching it tightly. “You just give and give and give…constantly…without question. First you gave me your love…and then you gave me my life…and tonight you gave me one last chance with my grandmother. You’re always there for me, always supporting me. You’re always giving, Max…and I never give you anything in return.”

“That’s not true.” Max protested. “You give me your love…you give me you. Being able to hold you, touch you, kiss you…it’s a tremendous gift, Liz. Once that I couldn’t even imagine my life without anymore. I need you, Liz. You and I are a part of each other. Doing things for you…it’s just natural to me, because it’s all for you. Everything I ever do is all for you, Liz. I love you.”

Liz shifted her weight so that she could sit taller on her knees and look straight into Max’s eyes. She studied the face of the love of her life, her eyes taking in every line etched into his features. Their eyes locked, and Liz noted the lines around his eyes…he was exhausted. The past few days had been hard on them both.

Liz’s heart pounded in her chest as she drank in the pure love that flew openly from Max’s eyes into her own. She smiled softly, realizing that at that exact moment, the look in her eyes probably mirrored his own.

“I love you too, Max.” She swore to him passionately, reaching up to stroke his cheek in a sweet, loving caress.

Her hands flew across his face…tracing every line, touching every bump. She ran a single finger down the center of his face, from his forehead, over the tip of his nose, and down to his lips, which she traced gently, before cupping her hands around his cheeks. His lips were so soft…a contrast to the rough stubble on his jaw. He hadn’t shaved today, Liz noticed. She ran her hands through his dark, thick hair, wrapping them around his neck, and playing with the little tufts on the back of his neck.

Max’s heart was pounding wildly in his chest, and his breathing had gone raspy somewhere during the course of Liz’s explorations. His eyes blackened with desire, and Liz knew, ash her own pulse began to race, that he was loosing control quickly, a thought that left Liz feeling lightheaded. Max always kept his cool, always put her first. What would happen if she made him loose all control? Liz had to hold back the smile that threatened to crawl onto her face at the thought. She didn’t know what would happen, but she had a good idea, and she definitely wanted to find out for sure.

So Liz sat there, meeting his gaze evenly, waiting for Max to make the next move.

Max groaned softly after a moment of her teasing, and in an instant she had been pulled onto his lap, as his lips crushed into hers desperately, hungrily. Max’s tongue plunged into Liz’s mouth, as he caressed every inch of her hot depths, trying to taste absolutely every inch of her.

His hands roamed up and down her body, leaving a trail of fire on her skin everywhere he touched. His hand lightly slid over her breast, causing Liz to openly moan.

God, if it felt this good in the car, dressed, what would it feel like when they got inside?

She pulled away suddenly at the thought, resting back against the steering wheel, staring deeply into her love’s eyes, her lips swollen from his assault.

Max took deep breaths, desperately trying to regain control of himself. His chest was heaving and his pulse racing…and his arousal was growing tighter in his jeans.

Max moaned softly. He wanted her…badly. He just wanted to bury himself deep within her body and just loose himself inside of her.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Max prayed for some control. Now wasn’t the time for this. Liz didn’t deserve to be fending off his sexual attacks tonight. Her grandmother just passed away. She deserved better than that.

Oh God…was that her hand stroking his cheek?