She definitely needed to get away after the last few weeks.

How had it taken her so long to come here? She’d been so stressed lately that she could feel it in her bones, yet this was her first visit to this place in as many weeks. She was glad to be back.

This place didn’t really exist, of course. It was a beach, that much was certain, but it was like no beach she knew of on earth. The water here was crystal clear, the air just the right mixture of warm and soothing as it floated around her. No one else came to this beach; it was hers alone, her special, secret hideaway. No footprints marred the sands except her own, no noises invaded her privacy save for the gentle lull of the tide and the soft strains of distant music that were always just barely audible in this place. The atmosphere was completely calm and undisturbed.

That’s why it surprised her all the more when she heard that voice behind her, his voice. “Hi Liz.” She spun around from her seat in the sand to see Max Evans standing behind her.

“Max? What are you doing here?” she asked in astonishment.

He shrugged. “It’s your dream, Liz.”

“I’m dreaming about you?” she asked.

“It sure seems that way,” he replied with a soft smile. “Why, do you not want to dream about me?” he asked then.

“No, no . . . I mean, I do. I dream about you all the time, Max. I dream about you when I’m not even sleeping. It’s just . . . I’ve never dreamed anyone else here. What do you think that means?” she asked as she looked up at him. He was wearing a pair of deep blue swim trunks and a white T-shirt. He smiled as he crouched down beside her on the beach.

He looked deeply into her eyes and replied, “The question is, what do you think it means?”

“I think it means that you are what I need right now,” she answered without hesitation. She’d have never said that to Max in real life, at least not in such a straight forth manner, but in this magical place she had no inhibitions, no insecurities to tie her down.

“I agree,” he said with a smile.

“Then why do we have to be here on this beach in my dream before we can sit within ten feet of each other without our palms sweating?” she asked.

He turned to her and smirked. “I don’t know about you, but my palms are sweating,” he said and grabbed her hand in his to demonstrate his words. She smiled and held his hand to prevent him from pulling back.

“I like being here with you,” she told him. “I’ve never wanted anyone else to be here, but with you I don’t mind.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” he replied. They both looked out over the endless stretch of water in front of them and Liz sighed. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“No, nothing at all,” she said. “I was just thinking that it feels like we’re the only two people that exist right about now.”

He turned to her again and their eyes met for the second time in an intense stare. “Right now, at this moment, we are the only two.”

She smiled at that. “Yes, I guess we are.” She turned back to the waves and closed her eyes again. Then he heard her say, “Max?”

“Yes Liz?”

“Would you kiss me?” She opened her eyes and turned back to him. His mouth curled into a shy grin as he nodded his head yes in reply.

Max leaned in slowly, edging towards her inch by inch, wanting to savor every second of this first contact for as long as he could. When their lips finally met, it was everything he had ever hoped and dreamed it to be and more.

Her lips parted to allow him inside and his tongue brushed hers as a jolt ran through his body. He could feel his excitement building just from that simple kiss. His right hand cradled her left hip as his left hand tangled in her hair. Liz had her right hand pressed against his chest and her left hand cupping his cheek gently.

“Mmm, Max,” she murmured against him as she finally pulled back enough to take a much-needed breath. “That was . . . that was . . .”

“Incredible,” he finished for her.

“Yes, incredible,” she agreed.

His forehead was pressed to hers as their chests heaved in unison. “Liz, you’re so beautiful,” he said breathlessly. “I want . . . I want to touch you.”

Her eyes met his as she pulled back just enough to focus on him. Her one word reply said it. “Please.” That was all he needed to hear.

Before she knew it, Liz was lying back on the cool, wet sand. Max was lying on top of her, kissing her breathless yet again. His hands were caressing her sides as their lips danced and their tongues tangled. She’d never felt anything like what she was feeling at that moment, and she never wanted that feeling to end.

“Max . . .” she moaned as his lips torn from hers again. He moved his kisses over her cheek, then to her neck. His lips traveled down the pale column of flesh until he came to the junction of her collarbone. She felt his tongue taste her there, then felt the suction of his lips on her tender flesh. The more pressure he applied to her sensitive skin, the more she wriggled beneath him. “Ohhh, Max,” she sighed and her hands tangled in her thick, dark hair.

“You taste so good,” he told her softly as his lips finally broke from her skin. “I bet you taste good everywhere.”

She caught his eyes and gently nodded her permission for him to find out for himself. The slight gesture was all the encouragement he needed.

She felt his hands cupping her breasts just as his lips returned to her neck. She moaned and arched into his palms as his fingers teased her hardened nipples through the thin bikini top. “Ohhhh,” she moaned again and felt his lips begin traveling lower down her body. His left hand slipped inside her bikini top as his right reached to undo the thin straps that held it in place. The garment fell away as his hands returned to her breasts and his mouth finally converged there as well.

Liz was moaning continually as Max alternated the teasing pinch of his fingers and the warm wetness of his tongue over her breasts. “Maaax, God, Max,” she said through her moans and the sound of his name on her lips in that breathless and passionate way drove him forward.

With one of his hands still cupping her right breast, the other slide carefully between their heaving bodies to travel down over her flat stomach. His fingers played at the elastic band around her hips as his tongue flicked her taunt, pink nipple repeatedly. She writhed beneath him, begging inarticulately for him not to stop, never to stop. Though she looked to be the submissive one, Liz had Max in her utter and complete control.

His fingers slipped beneath the bottom of her swimsuit and played along the wiry hair for a moment before plunging into her hot, wet center. They both gasped at the contact, Liz arching violently against him and squeezing her eyes shut tight. Max moved back to her lips for another kiss.

As his tongue entered her mouth, his fingers pushed further into her body. She felt like liquid heat, molding to his touch and burning him with the deepest desire he’d ever felt in all his life. Her body was tight around him and he gently pushed against her inner walls with just the right amount of pressure. She groaned against his mouth.

“Max . . . God, oh God . . .” she hissed.

“Is this okay? Do you like this Liz?” he asked cautiously as his fingers continued to move inside of her.

“God . . . ohhh yesss, yesss. Yes Max, don’t stop!” she cried. He had no intention of stopping. He pushed his fingers a little deeper within her body and pressed his touch deep and high within her. When he found the spot where she ached the most, she released a shrill cry and dug her nails into his shoulders. “Oh God!” she cried.

“Are you okay?” he asked quickly, panic edging into his voice at the sharp pitch of her cry.

“Okay? Yeah, okay . . .” she managed. “I’ve just . . . never felt . . . ahhhh,” she moaned again as he continued to stroke her inner walls. She liked it, he was sure of that now. His hesitancy waned as she continued to thrash beneath him. His fingers moved inside her body, grazing that secret spot within her with subtle but precise strokes. Her moans grew louder with each touch of his fingers. Finally, he felt her walls begin tightening and she released a long, loud moan as she reached up to sink her teeth into his shoulder. She held her arms tightly around his back as she contracted around his hand repeatedly.

When it was over, she fell back against the sand. She was heaving for breath and flushed from head to toe. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in all his life. He leaned over her, propping his weight on one side, and said, “Liz Parker, you take my breath away.”

She half smiled up at him. “Me? Max, that was the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me,” she replied.

“Then I am twice as lucky that I could give it to you and enjoy myself just as much,” he replied.

“Oh, you think you enjoyed that? Just wait,” she said with an evil grin. His eyes widened and he smiled at the possibilities that her promise held.

Max lay over her and slightly to the left. She turned just enough to meet his intense and hungry gaze and gave him a seductive smile. Without a word, her hands moved under his T-shirt, rubbing over his hard abs, then up his firm, smooth chest. He sunk down beside her and they turned until they were lying side by side facing each other.

“You make me crazy, Max Evans,” she purred as she leaned in to kiss him. Her lips moved over his and he felt her tongue slip into his mouth. He let himself be pushed onto his back and she climbed on top of him as she continued the kiss. When their lips parted, he smiled.

“I’ll take that as a sign that I like it when you get crazy,” he said. She just smiled back and lowered her mouth to him neck. “Mmm,” he moaned as he felt her tongue glide over his skin. She latched onto his neck, sucking his skin as if she could eat him alive. “Ahh, Liz . . .”

“You like that, Max?” she asked as she finally pulled up to look at him again. He nodded, his eyes heavy with desire as he peered up at the goddess straddling him on a deserted beach that only existed for them. “I know of something you’ll like even more,” she said with a seductive grin and then lowered her head to trail kisses over his chest. She moved lower, her tongue darting out to trace his hard abs as she closed in on her target. His breath hitched as her tongue dipped into his navel. Her hands were already hooked into the sides of his shorts when she looked back up at him.

“Liz?” he said breathlessly as he watched her. She was grinning madly at him and her eyes were wild with passion.

“You want this, right?” she asked. Her manner suggested that she knew he did, but something in her tone told him that a tiny nagging doubt remained. She wanted him; she needed him. But she also needed him to acknowledge that he felt the same. She needed to hear him say that her hands and lips on his body were enough to drive him out of his mind. She needed to feel wanted . . . and Max had never wanted anyone more.

“Please Liz . . . please touch me. Never stop touching me,” he said in a voice made dark and heavy with the weight of his desire.

Her lips turned up into another Cheshire grin as she lowered his swim trunks over his slim hips. As the material slid down his thighs, she was met with the sight of him. Her eyes widened just a little and she felt a rush of heat wash over her as she surveyed his erection. She didn’t have much to make a comparison with of course, but from her vantage point, Max Evans did not seem to be lacking in his endowments. And he was definitely already aroused. She took a little pride on the fact that she alone, her body, her presence, had brought him to this state. She lifted her eyes to meet his and gave him a small smile. He returned the gesture.

When his shorts were finally tossed aside, Liz brought her hands to rest on his bare calves. She rubbed his legs in slow circles as her hands inched their way higher. Her eyes kept their focus on his the whole time. Her touch drifted up to his knees, then over his outer thighs. He sucked in a ragged breath as her fingers played at his hipbones. She was inches from his straining erection, not touching him, but already he could feel himself losing control.

“God Liz . . . please . . .” he moaned as he struggled to focus.

“You’re so beautiful,” she marveled as her hands moved back down his legs and stopped again at his knees. She pushed them apart gently and situated herself between them. Her hands started their journey upwards once more, this time trailing lightly over the skin of his inner thighs. “I love to look at you . . . to touch you . . .” she mused.

“Touch me,” he urged. “God . . . please . . .”

She smiled slightly as she watched him wriggling in the sand. He was hers, totally at her mercy. Just the thought of it turned her on.

Her hands traveled higher, her fingers massaging his sensitive skin as she drew so close to her target. His breathing was ragged as he struggled to stay still beneath her. She could tell that he was having a hard time doing so. Finally, she decided it was time to give him what he wanted . . . what they both wanted.

When her lips closed over his head, Max nearly jumped into the air. He stilled his hips so as not to gag her. His fingers dug into the sand around him as her head moved lower, taking him further into the hot, wet depths of her mouth. Her tongue flattened along the underside of his penis as she moved back up, almost releasing him, and then she sank down over him again.

“Ohhhhhh God . . . Liiiiizzzz . . .” he hissed out. Her hand cradled the base of his erection as her mouth and tongue lowered over him again and again. He didn’t think he could take much more.

Liz seemed to sense this and finally pulled back. She looked up at him again as she inched forward. His head was tossed back, his eyes clamped shut as he struggled with his control. He looked so perfect to her at that moment, so passionate and beautiful and she’d never savored a sight more.

“Open your eyes,” she said huskily. He did so slowly. “I want you to watch . . . I want to see you,” she said. He nodded, knowing what she meant immediately. His hands came up to cradle her hips as she straddled his thighs. “I love you, Max,” she said as she looked down at him.

“God, me too, Liz, me too . . . I could never love anyone else the way I love you,” he told her. Her smile sent a warm rush through him and he wanted her even more, if that was possible. He couldn’t help but think that Liz Parker was perfect. There was nothing on earth or anywhere else at that moment that could have changed his mind.

Liz kept her gaze locked with his as she moved over him. He guided her gently with his hands still at her hips and, slowly, she sunk down onto him. As his body entered hers, Liz moaned. She clenched her teeth and stayed still, letting herself grow accustomed to this new fullness. Max waited and just kept watching her.

Finally, after a moment, she slowly leaned down to him; their bodies still one. She shifted slightly to lay across him without breaking their bond and his arms came up to cradle her to him as her lips met his in a hungry kiss. When they broke the kiss, he finally started to move within her.

Liz had never felt anything like this in her life. With each gentle thrust, she could feel Max everywhere, all through her body. Her nerves tingled and her body burned as the places where they touched. She was barely breathing, just letting the new feelings and sensations wash over her and carry her to a place beyond her dreams.

With his arm pulling her tightly to him, Max managed to roll them over until he was on top. Once he had better leverage, he began to pump into her again. With every stroke they both groaned. His body was pressed to hers and his hands traveled reverently over her naked body as they drew closer and closer to completion.

“Max, yes . . . God . . .” she moaned as he entered her again and again. She could feel every muscle in her body tighten as her orgasm built within her.

Max pushed up a little, his arms outstretched and resting in the sand to either side of her head. Her hands were wrapped around his arms and her nails sank into his skin with every downward thrust. He could feel the wonderful ache of his impending orgasm growing closer and he knew that he couldn’t hold out much longer. His pace increased as he tried desperately to push her over the edge before he fell himself. Just as he thought he couldn’t hold out for one more second, Liz fell.

“Max!” she cried sharply and clutched at him as her back arched upwards. He felt her body contracting around him and was swiftly carried over the edge as well. He exploded within her before she’d had a chance to fully recover from her own orgasm. He fell forward and nuzzled his face into her neck as their chests heaved against one another and they struggled for air.

“God Liz . . .” he murmured against her soft skin.

“I know . . .” she said in reply. His body was still joined with hers. Her hands came up to run over the sweat-slicked skin of his back as she held him close to her. He was like a warm, comforting blanket, his body shielding her from everything bad in the world.

“I should get off you,” he said as he started to pull away.

“No,” she said quickly as she held him tighter. “Don’t go, not yet.”

“I’m too heavy, Liz,” he said.

“No, Max,” she protested. “You’re fine. I just . . . I wanna feel you for a little longer. I can’t let go yet.”

He nodded and lay back down. His lips pressed against her neck in another soft kiss. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize every feeling that ran through her at that moment, somehow knowing that it would be a long time before she’d feel them again.

When he finally pulled away from her, Liz whimpered slightly. But she was shortly back in his arms and snuggled up to his warm chest as he held her close.

“Do you think it’s always this perfect?” he asked softly.

She didn’t look up at him, just nodded. “Yes, I think with us it always will be.”

“I can’t imagine this with anyone but you,” he admitted.

“Me either,” she replied with a smile.

“You and I . . . this place . . . will it ever be real?” he asked her. It was only then that she remembered the beach and the dream that she was having. It all felt so real that she’d completely forgotten everything else. It just seemed impossible that this wasn’t really happening. She refused to let that be true.

“It’s real to me already,” she told him.

She felt rather than saw him smile in response. “It’s real to me, too.”

Her eyes began to close as she felt sleep weighing down on her. The last thing she felt before she dozed off was the feel of his arms and of the sand beneath them. The last thing she smelled was the salt air and the heady scent that she could only describe as Max. The soft strains of music that existed only on that mystical beach carried in the air as she felt sleep steal her away.

Her eyes opened with a start. She looked around for him, praying she’d find him lying next to her, but she was just as alone as she had been when she’d fallen asleep the night before. The sun was just starting to peek in through the blinds and she fell back onto her pillow with a disappointed sigh. He wasn’t real . . . none of it had been real.

Steeling herself against the loss, Liz pushed back the covers and swung her feet over the side of the bed. When her feet hit the floor, however, she felt something strange. She sat back down onto the bed and lifted one foot up onto her knee. She examined the bottom of her foot in surprise. There, with no explanation as to how it got there, were tiny flecks of a substance that was not unknown to her. She dusted the particles off into her hand and shook her head in wonder at the handful of sand.

* * * * *

The End