Liz rubbed her nose against his face and he felt her smile against his skin. Her breath was warm and sweet and did nothing to cool the raging fire in his body. "So… I have to go back in or Maria will kill me." She started pulling her hands from his pockets, but he stopped her. He stood completely still for a few seconds, his fingers gripping her wrists.

Liz looked at him, afraid that she might have pushed him too far this time. His eyes burned into hers, dark and hooded with passion.

"Liz, we can’t keep doing this to each other." He saw the hurt in her eyes and realized she had misunderstood him. "No, no… I mean driving each other crazy like this. Its… we’re going to get into trouble…" He struggled to find the right words to tell her that he didn’t want them to move too fast. He didn’t want her to get hurt because he couldn’t control himself. And that he needed her to help him, because keeping his hands off her was hard enough without her doing her utmost to seduce him.

Liz looked at him for a quiet moment and he wondered what she was thinking. Then she nodded. "I know. I’m just… I’m just afraid this dream will end soon." Now it was his turn to look at her sharply, hoping she didn’t mean… "Liz! You can’t…" He stopped abruptly, not able to get the words out past his suddenly constricted throat.

‘You can’t leave me.’ But the words still didn’t come.

Liz saw something flash in his eyes and experienced a searing pain in her heart. After a moment of confusion, it dawned on her that it was coming from Max. She rushed into speech. "Max, I mean this pretend dating thing. I’m afraid it will end soon and then you’ll… I’ll be… What’s going to happen with us, Max?"

It took Max a moment to realize that she wasn’t saying she would leave him. He closed his eyes in relief, but opened them immediately when he felt the tension in her body. He finally let go of her wrists and took her face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. "Liz, we have to talk about… all this! Something has happened between us and I… WE need to talk this through." He watched her carefully. Her eyes were shining brightly in the light of the setting sun and she seemed ethereal to him. He half smiled at the fitting image as her hold on him was something not of this earth.

"We’ll go for a drive and talk after your shift, okay?" He brushed his lips over her forehead, everything in him rebelling at the thought that she must now leave his embrace.

Liz looked at him uncertainly as he stepped away from her and turned to unlock the door. In spite of everything her heart was telling her, her mind still wondered if Max would be prepared to take the step forward into a real relationship…

******

By a quarter to six, Maria threw up her hands. "Liz, just get going will you! You’re driving me nuts with the mooning looks at Mr Wonderful and you’re NOT helping with the customers either. So just… GO!" She sighed as Liz flashed her a grateful smile, going to the back room to change. Then Maria remembered that she intended to preach to Liz on the dangers of her new endeavor and followed Liz. "Just promise me you won’t do anything rash, okay babe? I mean, I’m all for some face-sucking with a certifiable hunk, but don’t go… BEYOND, okay!"

Liz grinned. "A certifiable hunk, Maria? Since when do you think that about Max?"

Maria folded her arms. "I’m not blind. And I’m not an idiot either, so don’t change the subject!" She paused, and tried again: "Liz, I’m serious. We don’t know what can happen! And from what I’ve seen here tonight, I don’t think dear Max can be relied upon to keep his head around you if things get heated…" She saw Liz’s blinding smile of happiness at her last words and grabbed Liz by the shoulders. "I’m serious, Liz! Be careful! We both know that this whole pretend game was a farce from the get go, so…"

"Calm down, Maria. Max would never…" Liz stopped, maybe ‘never’ was a bit long. "He wouldn’t let it get that out of hand so soon."

Maria still looked doubtful. "Liz, he’s a GUY! Granted he’s a Czechoslovakian guy, but still… a GUY!" She buttoned Liz’s shirt to her chin. "I’m just saying. Be careful!"

******

They had been driving for half an hour and the sun was setting on the horizon. The desert was streaked with colors ranging from orange to pale pink. Liz had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Then she looked at Max and re-evaluated her last thought.

Max caught and held her gaze. "You are so beautiful!" he blurted, making her blush. He watched her for another moment and then turned the Jeep off the road. He drove into the desert and parked near a group of rocks.

They sat staring at each other silently. Neither of them knowing how to begin this talk that would change their lives. Max jumped out of the Jeep and came round to Liz’s side. He held out his hand and she took the invitation to join him. When she was standing in front of him, he didn’t let go of her hand, but pulled her closer to him. He lips touched hers softly, gently and reverently. He traced her lips with his tongue, silently asking her to open up to him. And she instinctively knew that he was asking much more with the small gesture. Liz pulled away and looked into his eyes. Searching for confirmation of the one thing he hadn’t said with his mouth yet…

And his eyes, always so expressive, told her the truth. Told her that he would never let her go again, that she was right where she belonged. In his arms, forever…

Tears gathered in her eyes as she leaned up to kiss him with everything she felt in her heart. He gathered her close and deepened the kiss. His tongue mated with hers as his body seemed to curve around her. As if trying to assimilate hers. Melding them into one person.

His mouth left hers reluctantly. He looked down at her with such longing and hope, that the tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Liz, I…" His voice caught. "This connection. Do you… can you feel what I’m feeling right now?"

Liz just nodded, unable to speak. She put her fingers against his cheek and slowly ran them over his face. Lightly touching his eyebrows, his nose and finally his lips. The kiss was without hesitation this time. They kissed as two people would who have known each other all their lives…

When they broke apart they were both breathing hard.

"Tell me, Max." Liz’s soft voice broke the silence.

"I love you."

The sounds of the desert ceased for a few seconds and the words seemed to echo between them.

"It scares me how much I love you." Max’s voice was husky and low.

Liz was drowning in his eyes. "It scares me too. That I love you so much."

A shudder went through Max’s body and the next moment Liz was held high against his chest. His arms underneath her as he swung her around in a dizzy circle. Liz laughed, the sound clear and joyous in the cool night air.

Max finally dropped to his knees, out of breath and carefully put her down on the soft cool sand. "I was so afraid –," but Liz stopped him with her hand on his lips. "Me too."

He kissed her again. Pressing her down into the sand, her head on his arm. She moaned his name into his mouth and pulled his body on top of hers. His weight felt familiar, like she was finally home…

Max ran his hands over every inch of her that he could reach. She was soft and warm and his. Finally really his. "Mine… you’re mine." He whispered the words against her mouth.

Her ‘yes’ went unspoken, but sounded unequivocally through their connection.

When the kiss finally ended, they were both smiling.

Liz spoke first. "When are we going to tell Michael and Isabel?"