"I want you to make love to me, Max," Liz said emphatically. Her words were velvet, seductive.

Max had difficulty swallowing. "B-But you said-"

"I know what I said, Max, and we've taken things slow enough." Liz laid her hand against his chest. Beneath her palm his heart beat wildly. "Don't you want me?"

"Hell yeah," Max whispered, covering her hand with his own, "I just don't know what brought this on. It seems so sudden."

Liz pressed herself against him, sliding her body along his in a sensuous motion. "Kiss me, Max," she coaxed quietly against his neck, "Make love to me."

Max couldn't breathe. She was too close. Her proximity was overwhelming him, making him dizzy. She swirled her tongue along the delicate skin at Max's throat, sucking it tenderly. Max's body responded immediately, hardening and heating with desire. "We should. . .get . . .a . . .room."

She shook her head, a playful smile floating on her lips. "I want you now," Liz insisted. She reached forward and began slowly unbuttoning Max's shirt.

"Liz!" Max exclaimed, pushing her into a dark corner and at the same time trying to still her roving hands. "We're on a public street! Anyone can drive by and see us."

"I don't care," Liz said, thrusting her hips against him. She rolled them in slow, sensual circles. Max gritted his teeth in the effort to control himself. Liz pouted and licked his chest where his shirt was open. "I want you inside me, Max."

She looked up at him, allowing him to see the unhidden desire in her eyes, how much she wanted him. Max felt his pulse speed up. "Where is this coming from, Liz?" Max asked in confusion.

"I've already given you my heart, Max. Now let me give you my body."

It was true. Liz had given him her heart. For the longest she hadn't been sure if she could trust him with her heart. She didn't like the ping-pong game he did with her and Tess. Liz wanted Max to make a choice and let that choice be the one he stuck with no matter what. And Max made his choice. He chose Liz. She knew he didn't want to be with anyone besides her. Max had spent weeks proving it to her.

He had chased her. For the two weeks Maria had stayed after Claudia's birth Liz had spent the majority of her time with Maria and the baby. When she saw Max it was when he came to the Crashdown in the evenings after work. And he would stay there until the restaurant closed, playing with Claudia and watching Liz when he thought she wasn't looking. Liz and Maria had laughed about how Max's behavior was reminiscent of high school when he used to sit in the Crashdown and watch her all day. Only this time around he actually spoke to her. He sent her flowers and wrote her love poems. Liz had to admit that he laid it on pretty thick. But Liz had loved every moment of it.

Everything was finally going back to the way the way it was before, only better this time. She and Max were in love again. Not that they'd ever fallen out of it. They were just disillusioned with one another. Now everything was perfect, well almost perfect. She wanted to have Max in every way, body and soul. Liz realized that she didn't want to wait anymore. She had waited long enough.

Liz licked her lips and gazed up at Max, her eyes full of love and lust. "Take me back to the jeep, Max." Max knew exactly what she was asking for. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and together they made a break for the jeep. They ran with the abandon of children, laughing the entire way. When they reached the jeep Max pinned Liz against it, kissing her wildly. He couldn't help but smile as he kissed her, loving her more than he'd ever dreamed possible.

They stumbled back into the jeep, undressing each other as they did. In the dimness, Max tentatively pushed Liz's shirt from her shoulders. He was speechless to see her beautiful body gleaming in the light reflected from the park light above the jeep. He trailed his hand down the slope of her breast, watching Liz's face as he touched her. And then he kissed her again, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra. He caressed her bare back for a moment before moving around to her front to caress her breasts. Liz moaned at the contact.

She likewise removed his shirt, kissing his chest, his strong shoulders. Max pulled her clip from her hair, causing the dark mass to rain down like a waterfall. Since he had first seen how long her hair had grown Max had dreamed of being enveloped in her hair while they made love. Now that dream was going to come true.

In the close confines of the jeep they both removed their clothing and tossed them in a pile in the front seat. Max caught his breath at the sight of Liz's naked body. He noted the changes in her since giving birth. Her breasts were fuller, her hips slightly more flared. There was a cute little pink stretch mark on her belly. Max touched it with his finger and then lifted his eyes to Liz's face.

"I don't look the same," she told him softly, regretfully.

"I like it," he whispered, coming closer, kissing her neck. He took her hand and brought in down between their bodies, curving her hands around his rigid arousal. At contact with his fiery skin Liz moaned. She had thought she would never touch him like that again. To know that she was caressing him, that he was kissing her and after so long, brought tears of bittersweet joy to Liz's eyes.

Again they made eye contact as Liz eased herself onto Max's lap. Her fingers skimmed over his face remembering all the previous times she'd touched him, all the times they'd made love. "I love you," she told him sweetly, whisper-soft.

"I know."

"I've waited and waited for this moment, Max."

"Are you sure, Liz? I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to regret anything that happens between us." Her expression was earnest, her words heartfelt when she said, "I could never regret anything between us, Max. This is where I belong."

Her sweet words touched him, made tears come to his eyes. He kissed her mouth softly, moaning as he felt her push her center against his arousal. "We should be in a bed," he groaned as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.

"I. . .," Liz gasped, positioning him at her entrance, ". . .can't. . .," she eased herself down on the tip, holding her breath as she felt him stretch inside her body, ". . .wait." She enveloped him fully, feeling a slight pinch as he pushed inside her.

For a moment they were still, just enjoying the feel of their flesh joined together. Sighing, becoming one. They were one. They had always been. Max lifted higher within Liz wanting to be deep, as deep as he could possibly go. He wanted to touch her heart.

Liz dug her fingernails into his shoulders; riding him in the rhythm he had taught her so long ago. Their movements were steady, deliberate, focused on giving and receiving pleasure. It was facile, fluid. It was heaven. Max increased the speed of his thrusts, biting his lip to keep control of himself. He didn't want to lose himself to an orgasm before Liz. He was determined to wait for her.

A fine sheen of sweat broke out over Max's body. It became very slick between their bodies. They slid against each other. Liz's body swallowed him over and over again. He braced her hips against him and drove into her in quick shallow motions. Whimpering moans escaped Liz as her orgasm began to take hold.

Their lips met in one last desperate kiss before they came together in a shattering climax. Max cried out Liz's name in a long, serrated moan. He shook uncontrollably, his body racked with wave after wave of blinding pleasure.

Liz collapsed against him, smiling into his perspiration soaked neck. "Baby. . ." she whispered, unable to think of more to say. She was speechless. She was exhausted.

Max stroked her spine, her damp hair. "Are we finished?"

Liz lifted her head to look at him. "Do you want to be?" Inside her she felt him stirring to life, hardening again. Liz giggled, low and sexy. "I guess that answers that question."

Max chuckled, burying his hand into her hair. "Yeah, I guess it does."