As Max’s tongue swirled against hers, Liz explored his bare torso with curious fingers. She learned the shape of the muscles of his back, then slid her hands up his sides and in between their bodies, lightly rubbing her thumbs over his hard nipples. Max groaned low in his throat, and Liz smiled against his mouth, delighted with his reaction. She did it again, this time scraping very lightly with her nails.

Max caught her hands and pinned them above her, gazing at her. His eyes glowed with desire, and Liz felt a slow heat steal through her body at the way he looked. She arched against him instinctively, her legs wrapping around his hips, and Max smiled in satisfaction.

“Turnabout is fair play, Liz,” he warned softly, then let go of her hands to grasp her thin pink sweater and pulling it up and over her head to reveal her pink lace bra.

Max exhaled forcefully, dragging his gaze back up to Liz’s face. She just looked at him, love in her eyes. He smiled.

“Did I ever tell you that you look fabulous in pink?” he asked, eyes twinkling. Liz laughed, then gasped as Max cupped her breast, kneading it gently.

“Especially pink lace,” he breathed as he bent to kiss her again, his fingers never stopping their caresses. He propped himself up beside her and continued kissing her as he began to stroke both breasts. Liz’s nipples were hard, pushing against the lace of her bra as he carefully rolled them between his thumb and forefinger, tugging gently.

She moaned, and Max stepped up the pace, trailing kisses down her throat, past her collarbone. He licked the valley in between her breasts, then moved to the right and circled her nipple with his tongue, careful not to touch it. Liz was breathing hard now, nearly every breath a little cry of pleasure. She gasped when at last Max sucked her nipple into his mouth, and her cries became progressively louder as Max unhooked and removed her bra and went back to suckling her nipples, alternating his hands and his mouth. He was breathing hard too, struggling for control as each of Liz’s sounds vibrated through his body.

Max moved his head back up to Liz’s mouth, and she kissed him hungrily, her tongue darting into his mouth to meet and twine with his. Max groaned as he gently undid the button and zipper of Liz’s pants and managed to slide them past her hips before breaking the kiss to pull them off completely. He quickly stripped himself before returning to Liz’s mouth for another deep kiss. Liz was reeling, her mind and body drunk with sensation. She knew she wanted to do some exploring of her own, though. She rolled Max over so she was on top of him and sat up, straddling his thighs.

Max opened his eyes and looked at her. She was smiling, a mischievous glint in her eyes. He smiled back, thinking that she looked incredible, her long hair brushing against her bare breasts.

“What was it you said?” she asked archly. “Turnabout is fair play?” she continued, looking into his eyes then letting her gaze slowly travel down his body.

Max’s breath exploded from him as he grasped her meaning, and he found himself praying for the strength to hold on as Liz bent to kiss his chest. Her warm body pressed against him, sending shivers of excitement down his spine. He would have sworn it wasn’t possible, but as Liz’s tongue found his erect nipple and her hand slid down between his legs, he could feel himself growing still harder at her touch.

Liz stroked his erection gently, her hand forming a ring that slid from its base to its tip and back. Intrigued by the softness of his skin, like velvet-covered steel, she slid her body down Max’s and experimentally touched her tongue to the tip of his erection.

The sight of Liz’s mouth on him was almost too much for Max, and he closed his eyes, abandoning all control to her. Liz smiled at the expression on his face: a combination of nervousness and deep desire. She knew Max’s gesture for what it was: a symbol of his complete trust and faith in her.

Liz licked around the ridge at the head of his erection then took it into her mouth. She carefully covered her teeth with her lips and drew back slowly, creating suction. She repeated her actions, her speed increasing a little as she found a rhythm. With one hand she stroked the base of Max’s erection in perfect time with her suction. Her other hand reached farther down to fondle his testicles very gently.

Max was breathing hard and fast, his mouth open to gulp in air. His hands grasped fistfuls of the blanket as he rode the tidal wave that Liz’s warm hands and soft mouth were creating in him. At last he opened his eyes and reached for her, pulling her back up so he could look into her face.

“No more, Liz, or I won’t make it,” he got out between breaths. His skin had a faint sheen of sweat, and the look in his eyes—Liz felt her blood heat at the way he was looking at her. Those eyes held the promise of what was to come.

Still breathing raggedly, Max buried his face in Liz’s hair, inhaling its fragrance. He needed a moment to collect himself, and Liz was more than happy to grant it. Once he could breathe more evenly, Max kissed her hair tenderly, eliciting a giggle from Liz. He smiled, then turned his head to kiss her lips.

He devoured her mouth, his tongue not seeking but demanding entrance. He claimed her tongue, drawing it into his mouth, then slipping back into hers. As Liz melted against him, Max’s hands explored her naked body. She had a moment’s hesitation when he reached her inner thigh and began moving upwards, and Liz opened her eyes.

Max just looked at her, his hand stilled on her thigh. She could see all his love, his overwhelming desire for her, his need to please her and she relaxed under his hand. Max smiled at her as he reached her dark curls, his face reflecting wonder he found her wet. He bent to kiss her neck as he began to explore her womanhood.

Max’s fingers traced a careful path, learning Liz’s contours, her peaks and valleys. He found the hard little nub of her clitoris, and gently began to rub it. His circular motions were echoed by Liz as her hips began to move in time with his caressing, and Max sucked on her neck in an effort to keep himself from taking her right then and there. He managed to keep himself in check by a bare thread.

Liz was moving wildly, her moans no longer low in her throat but bursting from her to echo in the still air of their sheltered spot. Max couldn’t believe how responsive she was to his touch, despite what she’d said, but he definitely could not deny it. Something raw buried deep within him, a long-held doubt about himself, began to heal as his rhythmic stroking brought Liz to a flashing orgasm.

She cried out, “Max!” His name echoed across the hills as she grasped his shoulders, her fingernails digging into his flesh as she rode out the waves. Max winced, but welcomed the minor pain as a distraction. He watched her face as she returned to earth, her shaking gradually subsiding to a mere quiver. He continued to stroke her, very gently now, until she opened her eyes. Then he withdrew his hand, proceeding to carefully lick his fingers as she watched.

Liz smiled, her long lashes sweeping down to veil her eyes then opening again. She knew that some people found this moment uncomfortable or embarrassing, but…it just seemed so natural to her. Everything with Max felt so right.

He smiled back, reaching to cup her face. Liz could faintly smell her own fragrance on his hand, and the knowledge of why that was so darkened her eyes with renewed desire.

Max saw the change and realized that now was the time. He reached for his jeans, pulling the little box out of his back pocket and extracting one condom. Liz giggled, and Max smiled ruefully, remembering what his future self had said.

“So I am, on occasion, a little predictable,” he grumbled, loving the way Liz could laugh about it now. He tore the package open and rolled the condom onto his erection. Liz watched him in fascination. He suppressed a laugh—it was probably the last condom he would ever have to put on himself!

Liz tore her gaze away from Max’s groin and met his eyes. There were so many emotions swirling there she could hardly name them all. But uppermost were love and desire; nothing else really mattered. She grasped his hand and pulled him back down onto the blanket so that they were lying side by side, facing each other.

Liz broke the silence first. “Max, are you sure? We don’t have to; I mean, I could…”

Max touched her lips with his fingers. “Shhh, Liz. I’ve never been surer of anything. I love you so much,” he whispered, tears in his eyes.

“Oh, Max,” Liz breathed through her own tears. “I love you every bit as much.”

They kissed, and the comforting nature of that kiss transformed rapidly into burgeoning desire. Max knelt in front of Liz, poised between her legs. He broke off the kiss, and she opened her eyes to see him gazing at her, his eyes reflecting concern.

“This is going to hurt, Liz. Are you sure you’re ready for it?” he asked. Liz smiled and tightened her legs around his hips.

Max’s eyes blazed, desire for her burning out everything but his love, and he thrust into her.

Liz cried out and Max stilled, letting her body accustom itself to the sudden, aggressive stretching of her muscles. He gritted his teeth with the effort, sighing in relief as Liz began to move beneath him.

Max withdrew almost completely and plunged back into Liz. This time, her cry was not one of pain, but of pleasure, and Max felt her tighten her hold on him, her fingernails raking down his back, her head thrown back. He kissed her throat.

“Liz, look at me,” he breathed, and she opened her eyes, to drown in the love she could see in his.

They kept eye contact as they found a rhythm together, Liz rising to meet each of Max’s thrusts. They started to merge into each other, their pleasure swirling back and forth till it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. The stars were not only overhead: they could see them in each other as all the walls came down. Liz could feel everything Max had ever felt; she even knew how it had felt to break through the membrane of his pod. Likewise for Max. He had images of his own umbilical cord being cut, and the face of Liz’s mother, fuzzy with the imperfect vision of the newborn child.

Caught up in an unstoppable force, Max and Liz reached climax simultaneously, falling together into a brilliant explosion of colour and light. Their motion slowed, and gradually came to a stop. Max rested his weight on his arms, still locked into Liz’s gaze. Ever so slowly, the world around them swam back into existence and they were able to move independently of each other.

Max moved to one side, pulling Liz with him and pulling the blanket up over them. She snuggled against his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, feeling its synchronicity with her own.

Nearly half an hour went by while they cuddled close together, neither able to speak. They had gone so much farther than either had dreamed was even possible. Liz was the first to find her voice.

“Max, what happened here? That was…” she trailed off.

“Incredible. I know,” Max said, his voice shaking. Liz stared at him in shock, realizing that he had not guessed what she had wanted to say; he had known. She could feel Max balancing on the edge of panic.

“Max. We can deal with this. It may not even be permanent,” she started to say, but knew as soon as the words left her mouth that it was permanent. The link between them had been blown wide open. They could sense each other’s feelings, hear each other’s thoughts. It was intoxicating, and more than a little frightening.