He's had less than 4 hours sleep in the past 24 hours so even changing into sleepwear was a chore. Pajama bottoms were all he could manage before falling on top of his welcoming bed.

A vision of Liz's disappointed face when he tells her that it isn't a good idea for them to be together haunts him.

Sleep evades him and his body betrays him when in the next instance he is standing in Liz's bedroom.

The frown that furrows her forehead and the continued tossing and turning indicates that her sleep is a restless one.

Max lifts the light blanket and slides into bed beside her gathering her into his arms and whispering her name.

Her arms automatically wrap around his neck and without opening her eyes her mouth opens to receive his kiss as her small hands caress the taut muscles of his back.

Liz moans in abandonment as he kisses her face, her neck, turning her head this way and that so that he can caress every bit of exposed skin.

"I want," sucks on her chin, "to touch," kisses her jaw, "every part of your body." Max murmurs unevenly.

"Max, we have on way too many clothes," she whispers drowsily.

He reaches down and lifts her top over her head and tosses it somewhere in the vicinity of the floor.

He lowers his head and covers her nipple with his mouth, circling it hungrily. Liz arches herself forward encouraging him to absorb more and more of her, until there is nothing left.

Max covers her again drowning in the sweet smell of her hair, grinding his hips into the softness of her womanhood separated only by the thin material of her panties.

Her hands run down his back and inside the elastic band of his pants to grasp his buttocks as her legs spread out to allow more access to the part of her that is now and will always be his.

"Condoms Liz, now," he murmurs hoarsely.

She reaches over to the nightstand, "top draw," but she can't get a hold on the handle.

Max braces himself on one arm, reaches for and grabs the handle and in his enthusiasm flings the draw and its contents on the floor.

With a cry of loss, Liz feels him leave her, feels the air touch her suddenly exposed body with coolness.

Liz rolls over and follows his movements, her hand still inside his waistband. She doesn't let go but instead pulls them down under one cheek.

Max turns to her and smiles before continuing what she started by sliding his pants down his thighs to his ankles and discards them in a pile.

Drunkenly she reaches for him and he draws her hand to his hugely jutting manhood, groaning thickly in ecstasy as he shows her how he likes to be touched and finds her inventive enthusiasm more than he can handle and stay in control.

He soon abandons her in pursuit of the evasive condom. Once found he hurriedly returns the contents to the draw and the draw to it's home.

Max's return to the bed finds Liz kneeling close to the edge eager to take up where they left off minus her panties which she has managed to discard in his short absence.

Max sits on the side of the bed trying desperately to make his trembling fingers work and accomplish the opening of the foil package.

Liz is positioned behind him, her naked body rubbing up and down his back, which isn't making it easy for him to complete his task.

In her impatience she reaches over and around his neck, grabs the package and rips it open with her teeth placing the now opened packet into his hand.

"Maxxx," her voice drowsy with passion. " I need you now."

With her arms around his neck and her nipples boring into his shoulder blades she reaches for his chin and tilts it to one side to receive her kiss.

Max turns into the kiss and places his hands under her arms, lifts her up and positions her feet on either side of him, her Venus mound directly in his face.

Liz braces herself by placing her hands on his shoulders as his hands part her legs, his fingers stroking the inside of her thighs and his nose buried inside the delicate curls of her femininity.

A soft tormented moan escapes her throat as his mouth steals across the hidden delta of her womanhood to nuzzle into its musky darkness. His tongue laps at the tiny budded erection until she is racked with helpless convulsions.

Liz closes her eyes, not because she feels self-conscious or inhibited, but simply because the excitement exploding through her is almost too much to bear as her body quivers feverishly beneath his touch.

Suddenly her knees go lax and she slowly slides down his body straddling his hips and lowering her moist quivering sex towards his jutting arousal.

Max guides his swollen staff into her welcoming opening and enters her with one sure powerful thrust.

Liz strains toward him in trembling need, her nails biting into his back as his rhythmic thrusts match hers, and then slowly increases in tempo. The sweetness of being filled by him again, combined with the fierce power of his body holding her as she controls the driving force of his manhood sends pleasure after streaking pleasure through her body.

She instinctively plants her feet firmly behind his back as she pumps her body up and down his engorged member.

Straddled across his lap, bare chest to bare chest she cups his face in her hands as she continues to spiral out of control.

"I love you with every ounce of my being," her voice horse with passion as their eyes lock and hold.

She nibbles on his lower lip before devouring his mouth and absorbing the moans of pleasure emitting from them both.

Suddenly her mouth leaves his as her head falls back, "Max, oh Max. Humm humm, oh god Max - hold me."

His arms goes around her back for support as she purrs and lift her arms over her head and leans backward in a stretch that has her hair tumbling to the floor beside the bed.

He stares down at their joined bodies listening to her soft whimpers of sated bliss and suddenly thirsts for his own release.

From his seated position on the side of the bed he reaches down and supports her back with his arm as he stands and swings her up and gently lays her on the bed severing their sex connection.

With one knee on the bed he leans in, places an arm under her back and kisses her passion-swollen lips hard before turning her over and lifting her to her knees.

He is still supporting her body when he whispers in her ear, "Liz, put your hands on the headboard."

She looks over her shoulder at his fevered eyes and watches as he moves into position to take her from behind.

Liz's excitement is heightened by how forceful and commanding Max is at this moment.

With her arms firmly planted on the headboard she closes her eyes and awaits this new assault to her senses.

Max burns a moist path of soft kisses across her shoulders and down her back and ending at the curve of one firm cheek.

He molds her sassy butt, cupping each cheek as though he were testing melons for ripeness.

His fingers find the folds of her being gently readying her for his entrance.

Max grips her hips as he slowly penetrates her welcoming warmth. His movements slow and steady until she accepts his full length.

Liz moans and bits her lip as she savors each stroke, the next just as welcomed as the one before.

Max has one hand on her shoulder and the other holding her hip as he quickens the pace of his deep plunging strokes, circling his hips and lifting her to meet his thrusts.

He leans in to kiss her neck and she gives him free access by throwing her hair over her shoulder.

The small love bites are exciting her, forcing the trembling ecstasy to overtake them both until she cries out, shuddering with the violence of it as Max explodes deep within her and they both collapse into a glowing mass of sated bliss.

He remembers looking at the clock and reminding himself that he needs to get home and then awakening in his room shaking off the remnants of what he thought could only have been a dream.

His reverie is broken when Liz starts to stir and then suddenly bolts straight up and screams his name.

"Max?" She frantically searches for him, tears streaming down her face.

Max is beside her in a flash taking her face in his hands. "Liz honey, shh. Everything is okay. I'm right here."

"Oh my God Max." She puts her hand over her mouth and shakes her head as the tears continue to flow. "I humm. I'm so ashamed."

"Liz," he puts his hand under her chin and gently lifts it, "drink some water."

He puts the opened bottle to her mouth and she takes small sips and sneaks a glance at him looking for revulsion but is confused when she sees the overwhelming love emanating from his eyes.

The bottle hovers in front of her mouth her eyes red and swollen looking to him for enlightenment.

Max sees the horror and confusion on her face and wants nothing more than to put her out of her misery.

He takes the bottle of water from her and places it on the dashboard. "Liz." He takes her hand to help her out of the Jeep and into his arms.

Max sandwiches her face in his hands and tucks her hair behind her ears before swooping down to devour her lips.

Her arms creep up and around his shoulders and she stands on her toes to assure that their lower bodies meet. His hardness assures her that he still wants her and that she doesn't repulse him.

He starts to wipe at her tears, trailing kisses down her face to her neck before stopping to take in her beauty.

"It was me." He looks for comprehension and when it's slow in coming he starts to unbutton his shirt.

"Max, I don't know..." Her sentence stops abruptly as he turns around to reveal his back, a human canvass of scratches.

"Oh my God, Max. I did that but I thought that it wasn't you." Liz lightly touches his back and traces the telltale proof of their togetherness a few hours ago.

"Does it hurt?" She frowns as she realizes the extent of her over-enthusiastic clawing.

"No, it doesn't hurt although it did sting this morning when I was taking a cold shower. I was running late and didn't have time to investigate."

"After you fainted and I was holding you in my arms I started having these flashes of your thoughts, but your thoughts were of my dream. At least I thought it was a dream."

"So." She places her hands on his bare chest and leans up for a kiss. "How do you suppose you found your way into my bedroom and into to my pants Mr. Evans." He grabs her by her firm butt and lifts her up forcing her legs to wrap around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that I was so tired and angry," he nods yes in answer to her pointing her finger to herself. "Don't feign innocence, you knew I would be upset that you left without telling me."

"I know. I'm only human and I'm entitled to do the pouty girlfriend thing every now and again right." She whispers in his ear before nipping the lobe with her teeth.

"I remember laying in bed and wishing that I was with you. I even got up once and was going to come over then I looked at the clock and saw how late it was and knew that I needed some sleep. It all seemed so real but I've had wet dreams before when I dreamed of you." He looks away when he realizes how much he's revealed to her.

"You have huh. And were those other dreams as interesting and acrobatic as the one last night?" She pulls his head to her chest and he bites her nipple through her shirt.

"Sometimes. But you were a little bit more cooperative last night." He sighs as he remembers some of the things that she initiated.

"Where is everyone?" She looks around to see everyone's car but no one is around.

"They went to retrieve the chest." He notices the glint in her eyes and looks around and calculates in his mind how long they have before everyone returns.

"To late," as she nods toward the trail where Teresa and Isabel are just emerging.

Max lowers Liz to her feet and reaches for his discarded shirt.

Liz is sitting in the passenger seat of the Jeep and Max has one arm through his shirtsleeve and is facing the curious looks of his sister and friend.

"Max wait." Liz stops him from putting his other arm through the shirtsleeve.

"What?" he turns slightly so as not to let the others see the scratches on his back.

Liz's fingertips have taken on the light golden glow that she usually only experience when she's aroused. She lightly touches the raw marks left by her overzealous lovemaking and the marks fade to nothingness.

"Voila," she places a loud kiss on his back and grips his butt, which makes him jump in surprise.

"You guys weren't," Isabel wrinkles her nose, "out here in the open? That is so gross."