They were snuggling on a lounge chair with Max on his back and Liz curled up on her side, one leg swung over both of his. Her head rested gently in the crook of his shoulder and she found that merely listening to his beating heart caused a sense of ease and tranquillity to flood through her sun exhausted body. She felt heavy and listless, but she was a peace with her previous demons. How could she not be? She had Max back, it was all she ever wanted.

Max leisurely ran his hand through Liz's dark tresses as they watched the sun kiss the horizon good-bye and make room for the coming moon. They didn't say a single word as the new moon began it's venture into the infinite, rapidly dimming sky. Instead, they just gazed at the shining moonlight on the surface of the cool blue water, and marveled at how wonderful it felt to be in each other's arms. Liz felt hot tears of joy and wonder rise in her throat. Nothing had ever felt so right, so amazing, so beautiful. Her body shuddered lightly.

"Liz are you okay?" Liz could hear the loving concern in Max's voice and her heart melted. She looked up into his soulful eyes and brought a hand up to caress his face. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

Liz bit back on a sob. "Oh Max, don't you feel it? This. Us being here together in each other's arms, it's just so perfect. I feel as though I've been waiting my entire life to feel like this, like it's our destiny. And so it makes me cry because I am so overjoyed at the way it feels to be this close to you. And because I am so terrified that at any moment I'm going to wake up and find out that all this was merely a dream." The tears spilled over her face as she continued. "Max, I love you so much and I don't know what I would do if you ever decided that you didn't love me. Promise me now that you'll always be mine."

Max looked down into Liz's tear stained face and stroked her cheek. "Liz, I promised that you will never have anything worry about. I'll always be yours. I have been hopelessly in love with you for the last ten years, ever since I first laid eyes on you. You have always been so beautiful, so pure, so good. I feel so blessed that you are willing to share all of your beauty and goodness with me," Max's own eyes filled with tears and his voice became thick. "I went crazy when you left this summer, I couldn't think of anything else but you and how horribly I screwed up. I realized that no matter what, I couldn't stand being away from you. It was as though my life ceased to go on. As if I was merely existing, not living, until your return. And now that you're back in my arms, I am never going to let you go."

"Oh Max, I love you." Liz said, her tears only increasing as she smiled.

"I love you, Liz," Max said before he covered her mouth with his lips. The first brushing of their lips was so soft and tender. They both opened their eyes to stare at each other as they pulled apart. Something passed between them, like a jolt of electricity. It caused a heat to flare inside of their bodies. A red wave of passion washed over them, sparking their desire which shown in each other's eyes.

Max fiercely grabbed the sides of her face and his mouth collided with hers in a searing open-mouthed kiss. His kiss was hard, hungry. She kissed him back with just as much passion and intensity. Her body began to quiver with want. She stretched her leg up over to his other side so that she was laying on top of him. Their mouths never left each other. Liz felt Max's arousal grow, straining into her inner thighs. Her hot center lightly ran over his bulge and she gasped when it caused a flood of sensation through her lower body. It felt so wonderful, so new. A slow ache began to pulse inside of her and she once again ran her lower body over him.

Nothing else existed for them in that moment. They forgot where they were. Their world only consisted of each other and their burning desire.

Max groaned into her mouth each time Liz's body brushed over him. She was driving him mad. He lowered his hands in between their bodies and cupped Liz's center. Her eyes quickly flashed and she moaned into his mouth, her jaw quivering. He lightly massaged her, and watched as her body began to respond so fervently. He ran a finger across the hem of her bikini briefs and then maneuvered his hand inside. With two of his fingers he parted her lower lips and then began to push one up inside of her. He got only an inch inside of her before she cried out. He felt her wetness spread over his hand and her walls tighten down on his finger, almost painfully.

Max stared up into Liz's clenched eyes, and waited for her to come down. He was in awe at her responsiveness to his hand. "Liz, what happened. I barely even did anything, and you just...wow."

Liz smiled and her eyes glazed over. "I don't know Max. It's just everything you were doing felt so...good. And when you touched me inside, I felt an...I exploded!"

Max smiled, his elation boiling over, and pulled her into his embrace. He stole her swollen, red mouth again and began to try and do it to her all over again when he heard someone clear their throat behind him.