"No, it’s a pay per room hotel, they don’t care how many people are in—"

"Let’s go then." He steered her towards the elevators, his urgency to get to her room returning in full force. He waited impatiently until the doors of the elevator have slid closed behind them before turning Liz into his arms and swooping down on her lips eagerly. She tasted sweet and hot at the same time. Intoxicating. A whole week of abstinence has increased his need for her to almost unbearable levels. She moaned into his mouth when his hand splayed over the small of her back to press her into his body. She had just curled her hands around his neck when they dimly felt the elevator jerk to a halt. They managed to break apart before the doors opened to allow an older couple to enter.

Max pulled Liz to stand in front of him as they looked at the backs of the newcomers who pressed the button for a floor a few below theirs. He clasped Liz around the waist to keep her from pulling away from him and cast a glance at their companions in the elevator, but they seemed oblivious.

When he felt Liz relax in his arms, he slowly maneuvered the zipper at the back of Liz’s dress down soundlessly. She stiffened but didn’t say a word. He laid the palm of his hand against her bare back and gave Liz time to step away if she wanted to. She didn’t. Instead she stood rigidly facing forward, holding her breath and waiting for his next move. Keeping an eye on the two people in front of them, Max let his fingers glide up and down the path left by her zipper. Liz shivered, then leaned back into him, her sigh almost inaudible.

Trailing his fingers up her back, he felt the pattern of her spine, traced the gentle curve of her shoulder blade and found the soft skin under her arm. Liz’s body rose and fell as her breathing became more labored. She was forcing herself to stay in control, he knew, because so was he.

With slow, easy strokes, he caressed her side, up and down under her arm, delighting in her soft skin under his fingers. With each upward stroke, he moved his fingers closer to her front. Liz leaned back, the soft grinding movements of her hips against him increasing his arousal.

When his index finger stroked the soft flesh of her breast, his efforts were rewarded with a small spasm. Was he driving her as crazy as he was, he wondered? He knew he would go mad if they didn’t reach her room soon.

When the elevator stopped at the 32nd floor the couple stepped off. As soon as the doors closed, Liz spun around in his arms, her face flushed. "Kiss me, Max."

It was an order Max wouldn’t dream of ignoring, and he lost himself in the kiss for the next three floors, lost to everything except the throbbing in his own body and the ambrosia of her mouth under his.

This time the doors had opened on their floor already before it finally dawned on them that they should probably get off. Max turned Liz around in his embrace and held her flush against his body as they walked to her room. It took some coordinated steps, but their feet found the same rhythm without them even noticing. Liz was too absorbed in his breath skating across her cheek as he held his bent head next to hers, while Max was trying not to lose it from the way her body swayed against his as they walked.

Then finally, FINALLY they were in the room. Max dropped his backpack with a slight shrug of his shoulder before returning both arms around Liz’s waist again. It was glorious to just hold her like this. Her hands came up and her fingers entwined with his. He listened to the rhythm of her breathing for a few moments, trying to get himself under some sort of control. If he made love to her now, it would be over quickly. Right now, he wanted nothing more than be inside her as fast as he could and she deserved so much more than that. His gaze fell on the ring sparkling on her ring finger and he slowly rubbed his finger over the sign of his possession of her. It still surprised him how his primal instincts just kicked in with Liz. He WANTED her to be his… and he wanted the whole world to know that she was.

"Liz?" his voice sounded strained.

"Hmmm?" She wriggled against him, making him groan.

"I-I don’t want you to think that all I want is to—. I mean—"

Smiling, she leaned her head back on his shoulder. He was worried that she would think all he wanted from her lately was sex. "I know. We talked on the phone all week. Time to stop talking, Max…"

He took a deep shuddering breath. "I love you."

"Show me."

Just like that, she snapped his control and he pulled her around to him roughly, his mouth immediately capturing her lips. He pressed her into his body while his mouth played over her neck as she threw back her head.

"Please," she whispered and he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. The desire she saw there was enough to make her knees weak.

He lifted her hands to kiss her fingertips as his eyes continued to promise unimaginable pleasure. "My Liz." The way he said it, with that husky catch in his voice that shot straight to her loins, made her chest constrict with emotion.

"Yes," she acknowledged. That she was.

He pulled her to him again. His kiss, powerful and possessive, cut off speech and coherent thought until nothing was left in her except a wild hunger. She rubbed herself against him, soaking up his heat, tasting the luxury of his lean, hard body. She moved her hands over him and he shuddered under her touch, his reaction sending her own passion soaring to new heights. She WANTED him to shudder, to cry out her name in ecstasy, to find absolute pleasure in her touch.

His hands stroked her legs, moving higher underneath the short skirt until she sighed his name into his mouth. He pulled her with him to the bed, managing somehow to end up on top of her as they sprawled across the cool sheets.

"Close your eyes," he said, and when she did, he kissed each eyelid, a feather kiss that made the rest of her body tingle in anticipation.

When he started to peel off her dress, she raised her hips in accommodation. "Can I open my eyes?"

He brushed a kiss across her lips. "No."

His lips burned a path down her neck, his breath hot against her body. His hands caressed her, sliding over her skin and preparing a trail for his mouth to follow. She reached up for him, but he pulled away, catching her hands.

"Not yet."

He moved away from her momentarily, jerking his clothes off in haste before coming back to her. With one motion, he turned her over on her stomach. She stayed still as he curled himself against her. His tongue traced patterns on the back of her neck, sending bursts of ecstasy racing through her.

While his lips roamed her back and shoulders his hand slipped down, caressing her bottom. She held her breath as the caresses slowly became more intimate.

Liz moaned. He was like a fire that was spreading through her being. A fire she needed and wanted. So much she thought she might die if he did anything so foolish as to stop making love to her.

"Max, please."

Max was fighting his own battle. Agony. Not being in her was such sweet torture, but he wanted to savor these moments, to draw out her pleasure for as long as possible. He was awed by her response to him, so honest and so intense. He rolled her over and inhaled sharply when he saw her flushed face. She opened her eyes and smiled, shy and trusting and hungry at the same time and he knew he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else touching her.

"My Liz," he repeated. He kissed her briefly, then slid his kisses down her chest to her navel, where his tongue flicked over her bare flesh. Her heard her small sound of surprise when she realized he wasn’t stopping there.

"Max…" Another helpless moan.

Heady from the desire in her voice, he moved lower until he was kissing the tender inside of her thigh. Her breathing was coming faster and faster, her sighs music to his ears.

Liz gloried in his mouth on her body, weaving incredible magic and intensifying the ache in her stomach until it was a sharp and piercing need for him to become one with her. When she finally couldn’t take it anymore, she pulled him up to her and he kissed her savagely, deep and hard, until she slid her mouth from his and breathed one word against his lips.

"Now."

That one soft word almost hurled him over the edge. He took one sweet moment to memorize the passion and love in her eyes before finally entering her in one smooth stroke. None of the dreams he had this week compared to the reality of being inside her. He moved urgently, with Liz matching him until she cried out his name in release. He felt his body join hers too soon, and at the same time, not soon enough.

Afterwards, she snuggled against him, her back pressed against his chest. Max draped an arm over her. He felt like he’d claimed her again. She was his.

Liz chuckled softly at his thoughts. "Yes, I am."

He nuzzled the back of her neck, breathing in their combined scents. "I missed you so much."

"I know. This week felt like it would never end. I kept waking up because you weren’t here, next to me."

He was quiet for a while. "Are you sure you’re not sick anymore?"

She nodded. "I’m fine now. Why?"

"It’s just that… We don’t really know if that pregnancy test would work on you, do we? I mean… because of who I am…"

She had wondered the same thing. "I guess… But I don’t FEEL pregnant, Max." She twisted onto her back so she could see his face. "Don’t you think I would feel something?"

He lifted himself on one elbow and rested his other hand on her womb. "I think you probably would. I mean, you and I share this connection, can you imagine how strong one between you and our baby would be?" He sounded slightly envious, bringing a smile to Liz’s lips.

She touched her fingers to his mouth. "But you will always be my first love, Max Evans."

His eyes glittered down at her before he asked tentatively: "Would you mind if I… if I tried something?"

Not even asking what he wanted to try, she nodded trustingly and watched as he splayed his fingers over her stomach and closed his eyes in concentration. Liz literally held her breath as she waited for him to finish.

When he finally opened his eyes, he continued staring down at her stomach before saying softly. "Nothing."

She touched her hand to his cheek again and brought his face down until their foreheads were pressed together. "I knew that. I’m sorry."

"Its okay. I suppose I knew too. I just wanted to be sure…"

"We have time, Max. Why don’t we concentrate on being the two of us first."

He moved his head until his lips just touched hers and smiled against her. "I can do that."