Re: Rooftops and Invitations (AU, M/L, Mature)Ch10 1/3/08
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:42 pm
Chapter 11
The song we were dancing to has long since ended and the intensity that fueled our first kiss has cooled to simple touches as we each acquaint ourselves with the other. My hand trails across her fingers and up her arm, and I watch its path as it moves over her shoulder and disappears inside her hair. The other hand that is gripping her waist rises slightly, exposing a line of smooth skin, and begins to stroke lightly back and forth. My attention is entirely trained on the sensations at my fingertips, that is until I feel Liz’s hand creeping up underneath my shirt and her lips gently pressing against my throat.
“Oh God, Liz,” I moan as her hand skims down low across my stomach.
She moves her lips up my jaw and over to my ear, and my grip in her hair reflexively tightens. “Do you want to take this inside the jeep?” she asks, her warm breath grazing my ear.
My knees nearly buckle at the images that her suggestion produces in my mind. I’m burning to explore the skin underneath my hand more fully, and Liz seems to be thinking the same thing if her insistent pulling and pushing on my shirt is any indication. I’m on the verge of scooping her up and carrying her to the backseat of the Jeep when I’m struck with a sudden, unwanted thought.
Isn’t there something I’m supposed to be doing tonight?
How I can even think about anything else at this moment amazes me, prompting me to think that it must be something important. I’m wracking my brain even as my hand slides to Liz’s back and pulls her tightly against me. As her tongue tangles sensually with mine I start to think that I’m worrying over nothing, but there’s a nagging at the back of my mind that won’t let up. And when my hand slips down the curve of Liz’s backside, it suddenly hits me.
Alex and his band have a gig tonight. A gig that I promised to attend.
I move my lips down the side of her neck, take a furtive glance down at my watch, and realize that it starts in less than an hour. Now normally, this dilemma would be a no-brainer. Your buddy’s band or a hot girl who wants your body. Yeah, real tough. And if it were any other night I know that Alex would understand. The problem is that it isn’t just any other night. It’s their first real big show, and they may even get on the radio if the DJ likes what he hears. Alex had even made a point to ask everyone to come, saying how much it meant to him to have us there.
When I look down into Liz’s eyes a selfish part of me wants to say ‘fuck it’ and just climb into the backseat with her. But I know that I couldn’t do that to Alex. This is a big deal for him, and I promised I would be there. Damn my moral fiber!
It takes me a few minutes before I reign in enough self-control to pull back from Liz’s warm embrace. Her confusion is etched clearly on her face and I immediately feel guilty.
“I hate to do this, God, if you only knew how much I hate to do this,” I mumble in a rough voice.
“Do what, Max?” she asks in a similar tone, her fingers skimming across my cheeks and into my hair.
Unable to resist, I dip my head in for a brief kiss. “Alex and his band are playing for this radio DJ in about an hour and I promised that I’d be there to support him. I’m sorry.”
Liz’s hand pulls back to cup my cheek. “Don’t be. Max, I think it is so sweet that you want to be there for him. Is it ok if I come along?”
A wide grin breaks across my face. “You really want to?”
She leans up on her tiptoes and murmurs against my lips, “If it means I get to be with you, then of course.”
If her mouth wasn’t pressed so passionately against mine I’d probably be shouting out my happiness right now. Could this girl possibly get any more wonderful? I stumble blindly, still tangled up with Liz, until we bump against the hard metal of the jeep. I reluctantly let her go and help her up, then jog around to the driver’s side and get in. We’re soon speeding along the highway back to town, Liz’s hair whipping around her face. Before I even know what I’m doing my hand is reaching over to her and tucking the wild strands behind her ear. I linger there, letting the silky tresses slide through my fingers. I don’t know what’s come over me but I just can’t seem to keep myself from touching her.
As the outskirts of town appear ahead of us, the opening lines of ‘Baby Got Back’ filter through the speakers. I start humming along under my breath, when I catch Liz singing along. I quirk an eyebrow at her, even though she hasn’t noticed me watching her yet.
“And I cannot lie. You other brothers can’t deny that when a girl walks in with an itty...” she trails off as she catches my eye, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “What?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I just didn’t know this was the kind of thing you listened to.”
“Oh come on, Max. Everyone knows the words to this song. You know you love it,” she adds with a light shove to my shoulder.
I’m about to join her in singing when I hear sirens sound behind me. I glance up in the rearview mirror and see the flashing blue and red lights of the Sheriff’s SUV. Liz looks worried as I pull off to the side of the road and turn the radio off. I gulp audibly as a boot clad foot steps to the ground, followed by its twin. I wait in apprehension as the lazy shuffle approaches us, until I am met with a rough voice.
“License and registration please, son.”
“Is there a problem officer?” I ask as I reach for my wallet.
“Just do what I said and keep your mouth shut,” is the curt response.
“I’ve got an idea,” I begin as I hand over the requested documents. “Why don’t you take my license and registration and shove it up your ass?”
“Max!” Liz gasps, her eyes wide in horror.
In a flash I’m pulled roughly from the Jeep and forced against the hood.
“Just who do you think you’re talking to, son?”
Liz is standing up in her seat now, watching me with an intense expression of worry. “Just do what he says, Max!”
There’s a long, tense pause, and then the sheriff starts laughing and pulls me into a hug. “How’re you doing, Max? And why haven’t I seen you at the house lately?”
“I’ve been meaning to stop by, Uncle Jim. Just been really busy lately,” I say, returning his embrace.
I turn to Liz and wink. “Liz, this is my uncle Jim. Uncle Jim, this is Liz.”
Quicker than I would have thought possible, Liz is out of Jeep and at my side. She punches me, hard, in the arm. “You think that was funny, Max? You really scared me!”
I put on an appropriately contrite expression, even though I’m still laughing on the inside. It’s not like that little show was my idea, though. Uncle Jim was the one who started it when I first got my license, thinking he would get a kick from scaring the shit out of the local teenagers. I just play along.
I wrap my arm around Liz’s shoulder and pull her close, pressing my lips against her temple and whispering a soft apology.
“Is this the Liz that’s staying with you and Isabel?” Uncle Jim asks, eyeing us with a strange look.
At my nod he offers out his hand to her. “I’ve heard so much about you from Kyle. I tell you, that boy just can’t stop talking about you.”
Ah, now I get it. Uncle Jim knows that Kyle has had his eye on Liz, and he is more than aware of Kyle’s success rate with girls, so I understand his surprise at seeing us together like this.
Liz blushes at his words and I choke down the possessive growl threatening to erupt from my throat. I don’t want Kyle even thinking about Liz, let alone talking about her to his dad.
“Well I’m very flattered,” Liz replies politely. I smirk as her arms come around my waist and her hands link together on my hip, showing us both exactly which cousin she’s with. “And it was very nice to meet you, sheriff,” she adds.
“Oh yeah,” I say, “We really have to get going. We’re going to be late for Alex’s show.”
There’s a gleam of approval in my uncle’s eyes as he gives us a final look-over. “Alright, but you slow it down a little, Max. And be sure to come over for dinner sometime soon.” He turns to Liz and tips his hat saying, “Nice to meet you miss,” before returning to his SUV and pulling away.
I turn in Liz’s arms until we’re face to face. “You’re amazing, you know that?” I breathe out as I lean down to kiss her.
She presses her fingers to my lips and stops me. “Max, you know I’m not interested in Kyle, right?”
“Of course,” I say, but even I notice the uncertainty in my response.
She looks intently into my eyes, her voice serious, almost forceful. “I mean it. I’m not interested in him at all. Don’t get me wrong, Kyle’s a nice guy. But he’s clearly a shameless flirt, the kind of guy who’s always just looking for a good time.”
I notice the second something shifts in her. She seems nervous, almost afraid. “He’s not the kind of guy a girl gets serious about, and definitely not the kind that she…that she falls in love with.”
My forehead falls involuntarily against hers. “What?”
Okay, so it’s not exactly an eloquent response, but the underlying meaning is clear. Am I the kind of guy that a girl falls in love with? Am I the kind of guy that you could fall in love with? Is there a possibility that you could feel for me even a fraction of what I feel for you?
My breath locks inside my lungs, and I think I might die if she doesn’t answer soon. Of course, depending on her answer, there’s a chance I might die anyways.
The song we were dancing to has long since ended and the intensity that fueled our first kiss has cooled to simple touches as we each acquaint ourselves with the other. My hand trails across her fingers and up her arm, and I watch its path as it moves over her shoulder and disappears inside her hair. The other hand that is gripping her waist rises slightly, exposing a line of smooth skin, and begins to stroke lightly back and forth. My attention is entirely trained on the sensations at my fingertips, that is until I feel Liz’s hand creeping up underneath my shirt and her lips gently pressing against my throat.
“Oh God, Liz,” I moan as her hand skims down low across my stomach.
She moves her lips up my jaw and over to my ear, and my grip in her hair reflexively tightens. “Do you want to take this inside the jeep?” she asks, her warm breath grazing my ear.
My knees nearly buckle at the images that her suggestion produces in my mind. I’m burning to explore the skin underneath my hand more fully, and Liz seems to be thinking the same thing if her insistent pulling and pushing on my shirt is any indication. I’m on the verge of scooping her up and carrying her to the backseat of the Jeep when I’m struck with a sudden, unwanted thought.
Isn’t there something I’m supposed to be doing tonight?
How I can even think about anything else at this moment amazes me, prompting me to think that it must be something important. I’m wracking my brain even as my hand slides to Liz’s back and pulls her tightly against me. As her tongue tangles sensually with mine I start to think that I’m worrying over nothing, but there’s a nagging at the back of my mind that won’t let up. And when my hand slips down the curve of Liz’s backside, it suddenly hits me.
Alex and his band have a gig tonight. A gig that I promised to attend.
I move my lips down the side of her neck, take a furtive glance down at my watch, and realize that it starts in less than an hour. Now normally, this dilemma would be a no-brainer. Your buddy’s band or a hot girl who wants your body. Yeah, real tough. And if it were any other night I know that Alex would understand. The problem is that it isn’t just any other night. It’s their first real big show, and they may even get on the radio if the DJ likes what he hears. Alex had even made a point to ask everyone to come, saying how much it meant to him to have us there.
When I look down into Liz’s eyes a selfish part of me wants to say ‘fuck it’ and just climb into the backseat with her. But I know that I couldn’t do that to Alex. This is a big deal for him, and I promised I would be there. Damn my moral fiber!
It takes me a few minutes before I reign in enough self-control to pull back from Liz’s warm embrace. Her confusion is etched clearly on her face and I immediately feel guilty.
“I hate to do this, God, if you only knew how much I hate to do this,” I mumble in a rough voice.
“Do what, Max?” she asks in a similar tone, her fingers skimming across my cheeks and into my hair.
Unable to resist, I dip my head in for a brief kiss. “Alex and his band are playing for this radio DJ in about an hour and I promised that I’d be there to support him. I’m sorry.”
Liz’s hand pulls back to cup my cheek. “Don’t be. Max, I think it is so sweet that you want to be there for him. Is it ok if I come along?”
A wide grin breaks across my face. “You really want to?”
She leans up on her tiptoes and murmurs against my lips, “If it means I get to be with you, then of course.”
If her mouth wasn’t pressed so passionately against mine I’d probably be shouting out my happiness right now. Could this girl possibly get any more wonderful? I stumble blindly, still tangled up with Liz, until we bump against the hard metal of the jeep. I reluctantly let her go and help her up, then jog around to the driver’s side and get in. We’re soon speeding along the highway back to town, Liz’s hair whipping around her face. Before I even know what I’m doing my hand is reaching over to her and tucking the wild strands behind her ear. I linger there, letting the silky tresses slide through my fingers. I don’t know what’s come over me but I just can’t seem to keep myself from touching her.
As the outskirts of town appear ahead of us, the opening lines of ‘Baby Got Back’ filter through the speakers. I start humming along under my breath, when I catch Liz singing along. I quirk an eyebrow at her, even though she hasn’t noticed me watching her yet.
“And I cannot lie. You other brothers can’t deny that when a girl walks in with an itty...” she trails off as she catches my eye, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “What?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I just didn’t know this was the kind of thing you listened to.”
“Oh come on, Max. Everyone knows the words to this song. You know you love it,” she adds with a light shove to my shoulder.
I’m about to join her in singing when I hear sirens sound behind me. I glance up in the rearview mirror and see the flashing blue and red lights of the Sheriff’s SUV. Liz looks worried as I pull off to the side of the road and turn the radio off. I gulp audibly as a boot clad foot steps to the ground, followed by its twin. I wait in apprehension as the lazy shuffle approaches us, until I am met with a rough voice.
“License and registration please, son.”
“Is there a problem officer?” I ask as I reach for my wallet.
“Just do what I said and keep your mouth shut,” is the curt response.
“I’ve got an idea,” I begin as I hand over the requested documents. “Why don’t you take my license and registration and shove it up your ass?”
“Max!” Liz gasps, her eyes wide in horror.
In a flash I’m pulled roughly from the Jeep and forced against the hood.
“Just who do you think you’re talking to, son?”
Liz is standing up in her seat now, watching me with an intense expression of worry. “Just do what he says, Max!”
There’s a long, tense pause, and then the sheriff starts laughing and pulls me into a hug. “How’re you doing, Max? And why haven’t I seen you at the house lately?”
“I’ve been meaning to stop by, Uncle Jim. Just been really busy lately,” I say, returning his embrace.
I turn to Liz and wink. “Liz, this is my uncle Jim. Uncle Jim, this is Liz.”
Quicker than I would have thought possible, Liz is out of Jeep and at my side. She punches me, hard, in the arm. “You think that was funny, Max? You really scared me!”
I put on an appropriately contrite expression, even though I’m still laughing on the inside. It’s not like that little show was my idea, though. Uncle Jim was the one who started it when I first got my license, thinking he would get a kick from scaring the shit out of the local teenagers. I just play along.
I wrap my arm around Liz’s shoulder and pull her close, pressing my lips against her temple and whispering a soft apology.
“Is this the Liz that’s staying with you and Isabel?” Uncle Jim asks, eyeing us with a strange look.
At my nod he offers out his hand to her. “I’ve heard so much about you from Kyle. I tell you, that boy just can’t stop talking about you.”
Ah, now I get it. Uncle Jim knows that Kyle has had his eye on Liz, and he is more than aware of Kyle’s success rate with girls, so I understand his surprise at seeing us together like this.
Liz blushes at his words and I choke down the possessive growl threatening to erupt from my throat. I don’t want Kyle even thinking about Liz, let alone talking about her to his dad.
“Well I’m very flattered,” Liz replies politely. I smirk as her arms come around my waist and her hands link together on my hip, showing us both exactly which cousin she’s with. “And it was very nice to meet you, sheriff,” she adds.
“Oh yeah,” I say, “We really have to get going. We’re going to be late for Alex’s show.”
There’s a gleam of approval in my uncle’s eyes as he gives us a final look-over. “Alright, but you slow it down a little, Max. And be sure to come over for dinner sometime soon.” He turns to Liz and tips his hat saying, “Nice to meet you miss,” before returning to his SUV and pulling away.
I turn in Liz’s arms until we’re face to face. “You’re amazing, you know that?” I breathe out as I lean down to kiss her.
She presses her fingers to my lips and stops me. “Max, you know I’m not interested in Kyle, right?”
“Of course,” I say, but even I notice the uncertainty in my response.
She looks intently into my eyes, her voice serious, almost forceful. “I mean it. I’m not interested in him at all. Don’t get me wrong, Kyle’s a nice guy. But he’s clearly a shameless flirt, the kind of guy who’s always just looking for a good time.”
I notice the second something shifts in her. She seems nervous, almost afraid. “He’s not the kind of guy a girl gets serious about, and definitely not the kind that she…that she falls in love with.”
My forehead falls involuntarily against hers. “What?”
Okay, so it’s not exactly an eloquent response, but the underlying meaning is clear. Am I the kind of guy that a girl falls in love with? Am I the kind of guy that you could fall in love with? Is there a possibility that you could feel for me even a fraction of what I feel for you?
My breath locks inside my lungs, and I think I might die if she doesn’t answer soon. Of course, depending on her answer, there’s a chance I might die anyways.