A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner (totally ignoring the three year gap between the last update heh). I know I told you guys at the end of last chapter that this chapter should be soon but then stuff happens. My computer crashed, wiping my hard drive and I assume this chapter was gone along with everything else. I cried at that time because I didn't have a word on back-up and I didn't feel like rewriting 2000+ words again.
Then, last month or so, I was going through my old files and I find my WIP Chapter 15. Just for the sake of nostalgia, I opened it and whadya know, the part I thought was lost forever was there, at the end of chapter 15 *happy dance* I had forgotten I didn't erased it from my chapter 15 file. So, there you go. Blame my lack of update on my scratchy memory!
I edited some stuff, throw out some, add something else and I hope you all like this :) Now, I have to go and see if my muse wants to write angst. Between Love and Hate desperately needs an update.
Song lyrics is from Jessica Simpson – Irresistible.
A/N 2: For Lynn cuz she found a new way to make me update. Sneaky girl :P
Beta: The awesomeness that is Alexis helps me to make this chapter shinier than a Christmas ornament *huggles*
Warning: Very M+ish because of some rainy goodness :)
Quick Recap: Just because I'm nice and everything, I'll summarize what had happened in the last fifteen chaps so that you don't have to slug through the whole thing again. (I'm not saying you shouldn't, be my guess if you want to! *winks*)
Max, Zack and the others didn't get to blow up the DNA database so Manticore was never burnt down. She was recaptured, got Zack's heart and after Reindroc and PsyOps, she was put in 494's unit and was sent deep in the jungle for a mission. Sparks (and fury) fly and 494 distracted her enough so she didn't get to run when they were out in the field. Plus, he was shot and Maxie has to channel her Florence Nightingale persona to patch him up (cuz it was her fault he got shot anyway). After much flirting and other things in the hallway of Manticore, they were both sent on another mission but they were separated.
Max was stuck as an assistant to MediCorp's CEO, Mr Bennet (I wrote this dude almost four years ago, so I think he didn't have anything in common with Claire's dad in Heroes haha) who was a pain in her transgenic ass. Alec was stationed in another company, Pharmatech. For some reason, Manticore wanted the two companies to merge and their mission plan was to see that it happens. But, the two CEOs can't stand each other but our two transgenics are able to smooth things out, all without seeing each other. However, Alec found her and they got together at her place. When he wakes up and found her missing, he went to find her. All seems well in MA Land, but apparently someone is stalking our CO. Who could it be?
Chapter 16
The night air blasted his face when he pushed the doors apart. The shiver was an instant reaction, the fine hairs standing at the biting cold. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, worry crinkling the corners. Alec pushed the doors, his shoulders bunched as he braced it apart, already searching for any trace of her.
He woke up earlier and finding out that he was alone in an empty apartment sent an immediate rush of fear through his system. He knew his fear for her was foolish, as she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he had done a lot of questionable things lately. Like trailing her whereabouts and meeting (definitely not stalking) her at the club earlier tonight. He even disabled his transmitter so his little rendezvous was not monitored by his handler.
Way to go, Alec. Whenever she was around, his brain switched gears and he started doing things he normally wouldn't even dream of thinking. He had been silently stewing for the last ten weeks when as suddenly as the Director pushed Max as his partner, she did a one eighty and decided it was in the best interest of the mission to have them separated. His order was clear. Stick with Pharmatech's CEO and make sure the old geezer agreed to a merger with MediCorp. He had assumed her orders were along the same line. Divide and conquer.
He rubbed his arms as the cold started gnawing on his exposed skin, already busy searching for any sign of her. The smile that lit his eyes a second later was tinged with relief when he caught sight of her dark hair, fluttering softly in the cold. He padded silently closer to her, the smile hovering over his lips by now.
'It sure feels colder up here, huh? I'd offer you a jacket or something… but then, I'm a little bit on the under-dressed part.'
Max turned around, a bit startled by his sudden entry. Her eyes widened a bit at the man standing a few feet away and Alec gave his bare chest a quick glance before shrugging. 'Maybe even more so.'
She burst out laughing, her small frame shaking in her mirth and he grinned, striding towards her.
'What's so funny?'
The girl in front of him was laughing so hard she couldn't even speak. Alec sat beside her and tried again. 'Come on, spill!'
She laughed harder when he tickled her sensitive ribs, after he deemed that she had taken way too much time to his liking.
'Get… off!' Max sputtered, a little out of breath, batting his hands away.
'No,' his grin grew and his nimble fingers flew over her oversized shirt. 'Are you laughing at me?'
Underneath his roving hand, she twisted and turned, trying hard to get away. 'Okay! Okay… I give up,' she managed to whisper between bouts of laughter. Max scooted backwards, eyeing him before she blurted out, 'Under-dressed? If you lost another piece of clothing, you'd be naked.'
Alec chuckled at her response, watching the safe distance she had put between them, no doubt to avoid his hands. Intentionally, he turned his back on her and stood, watching the twinkling city down below. She never saw that customary glint in his eyes, the one she knew only too well. 'You know, I never noticed how an ordinary place can look so… beautiful from up here.'
Without a thought, Max nodded as she took a step forward. 'Yeah, I know.' She smiled at the familiar scene before she turned to face him, 'And what are you doing here?'
His brow rose as his hand wrapped itself around her waist, 'I thought it would be obvious.'
Max laughed while he pulled her to him, 'Yeah, you saw the empty bed and just because you like sleeping with me that much, you forgot your shirt for the repeat session?'
He turned her body flushed against his and whispered, his lips were brushing enticingly against her ear, 'Uh huh, that's one of the crucial steps to eliminate unwanted distractions.'
'By walking around half naked? Isn't that distraction enough?'
He never gave her a full answer but the sight of his smile pushed the question right out of her head.
You know I don't know what it is
But everything about you is so irresistible
She sighed in satisfaction as his lips hovered over hers; his warm breath was as caressing as a warm summer breeze. Max linked her fingers through his messy hair and pulled him towards her, her skin already tingling in anticipation.
Above them, the clear night sky was slowly hidden when murky clouds blew into sight but none of that was of any importance to them. They traced each other's familiar contours with their lips and hands with slow gestures that told onlookers that they had all the time in the world.
As he tightened his hold on her, he glanced at the dark heavy clouds and the first few drops of rain before whispering, 'Come on Maxie, we should go in now. I don't want you catching a cold or something.'
'Hah! That's funny,' Max snorted, rolling her eyes heavenward. 'Who do you think is more likely to catch a cold here? A fully dressed me,' she gestured to her warm sweater, 'or a half naked you?' She bit her lower lip as an impish grin emerged. Her dark eyes started to cloud with a hint of a freshly ignited passion and she ran one finger lightly over his glistening torso, brushing the drops of water off with a few slow, languid motions.
Don't you try and tell me that he's not my type
To hide what I feel inside
When he makes me weak with desire
Alec watched amusedly as her finger traveled downwards. 'Not that I'm complaining or anything but honey, it's raining. We're gonna get soaked in a minute if we don't go in now.'
Around them, the wind shifted direction and the rain dropped steadily on the waiting earth.
'Then let's do something to get warm.'
But he's irresistible
Up close and personal
Now inescapable
I can hardly breathe
'I agree perfectly,' he smirked, his hand already clasped around her waist as he tried pushing her indoors, 'but I prefer your warm and dry bedroom.'
'Are you afraid to get wet?' she purred, her lips hovering over his pulse point, nipping softly at the skin when he didn't reply. At that moment, Max had no idea why the idea of making love to him right then and there was so compelling. In fact, the feel of the cool drops of water on her heated skin was heady as it went straight to her head and she did not want the feeling to disappear. At least not right now.
More than just physical
Deeper than spiritual
His ways are powerful
And irresistible to me…
She twisted a bit as she turned around to face him, her wet hair already plastered against her skull while her eyes were glowing as she saw the response flickering in his hazel orbs.
'No,' he only smiled, 'I guess not.'
'I thought so too.' She laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him towards her.
Alec lifted her into his arms, claiming her full lips hungrily, sucking on the raindrops to get to the waiting flesh below. Blindly, he retraced his steps to where the spindly branches had made a thin covering on the cold floor. Hurriedly, he lowered her before falling to his knees. He scraped the tender lower lip softly with his teeth and she moaned, her leg already hooked around his hip, bringing her closer to him.
He forgot about the raindrops that were falling around them. In fact, the soft sound they made as they hit the ground was the perfect background music for the moment. The lazy thud of water seemed to compliment their fast rising passion seamlessly.
His hand cupped the back of her neck, holding her in place while he continued to feast on the sweet taste of her flavour, greedily taking what she openly offered. She made a low sound at the back of her throat as he bit her upper lip and the sound turned to a hum of pleasure after he caressed the spot with his warm wet tongue.
Her wet strands of hair whispered temptingly against his cheek as she shifted closer and his hand started to wander. He ignored the damp sweater; he was more interested in the silky skin waiting underneath. His sensitive fingers moved over her ribs, slightly tickling her and she gasped in response.
Alec almost chuckled at her reaction but in reality, he didn't have time for that. The tip of his fingers had discovered the smooth underside of her breast. As his skillful hands were sending her straight to heaven with his ministrations, Max threw her head back to fully enjoy the sensation. Alec wrapped one hand around her, supporting her pliant back with his arms as his lips moved from her jaw to her ears. He lavished the delicate area attentively, flicking through the folds.
Max hung on for dear life, her nails will undoubtedly leave some deep marks for the morning. She opened her eyes and turned towards him, watching him as he fervently licked and nipped his way across her neck. Underneath her sweater, she could feel the way his hands roamed towards her throbbing breasts. She pried one hand from his bare and wet shoulder before sliding her slick fingers down his chest.
Beneath her hands, she could feel how his heart quickened and that simple response fueled her even more so. Her blood rushed through her veins, hot and sizzling, and her fingers continued on their quest. She felt his hard muscles quiver as her hand moved over them.
The raindrops landed softly around and onto them, running down their bodies in rivulets of crystal clear water. Max touched the band of his pants, her breath rushing out through her lips in a hiss as his hot mouth fixed securely on one breast. The rough fabric rubbed huskily against her swollen flesh and the friction alone literally pushed her senses to the edge.
Her hand knotted itself at the back of his head, her fingers twisted in his wet hair. The layer of clothing between them didn't prove to be a big hindrance. Her frantic hand pushed his pants down and she locked her legs tightly around his hips.
He made a few bites, just above her breast, the area that was visible to him because of the gaping neckline as he scraped the slick skin none too gently with his teeth. Max arched her back in response, her wet hair was streaming down her back like soaked black velvet. She pushed one hand between their two bodies under his already damp pants and along his hard thigh. She continued doing that for a while, reveling in his apparent strength as she sought out his mouth again.
Instantly his tongue clashed with hers and she accepted it gladly. She moaned when she felt his nimble fingers whisper over her hips before venturing further down. His skilful hand parted her plump lips and she moaned her agreement, rocking her hips towards the busy hand. He fingered her bundle of nerves, stroking it upwards and Max trembled in his arms.
Her wetness dripped downwards to coat the tips of his fingers and slowly he peeled her inner lips opened. He pushed one finger in leisurely, feeling the tight walls closed around him. She grounded her hips hard before she slowly rode his finger. Quickly he thrust another finger in and she moaned, deep within her throat before moving faster.
His thumb lightly tweaked her throbbing clit and she screamed but Alec closed his mouth over hers, swallowing her scream into another hard kiss. She shuddered as he inner walls fluttered around his fingers, bringing with it the sweet release she violently craved. Max wrapped one trembling hand around his neck before realizing she still had one hand under his pants, clutching hard on his hips and then her eyes glinted.
Alec saw the gleam and grinned, 'I'm all yours, baby.'
Max moved her lips to his ears and whispered, 'Yeah, just the way I like it.'
Alec shuddered when her hot breath whispered over his wet skin. Max's hand traveled over taut abs before getting to her destination. The slightly coarse hair tickled her sensitive hand as she ran her fingers through them. He growled, impatient by the way she kept teasing him.
His impetuous lover just laughed before running one finger lightly over his throbbing shaft, from the hilt to the end of the tip. Her small hand took hold of him, the feel of his hard male flesh pushed her further and she could feel her own response rising swiftly.
Alec helped her to lower her pants and impatiently she kicked them off. With Alec sitting in front of her, she climbed onto his lap and lowered herself. With his shaft securely between her swollen lips, she then moved her hips slowly, rubbing herself against his hardened flesh without taking him in.
A sharp burst of air hissed through his clenched teeth and his hand gripped painfully on her moving hips as she continued to torture him with her movements. He wrapped one hand behind her neck, pulling her head towards him before ravaging her lips in a bruising kiss. With what seemed like an eternity later, she broke the kiss and perched her knees on his thigh before she rose.
Slowly and carefully she placed herself over him and with his help to guide her, she lowered herself. Her eyes fluttered close and she bit back a moan when she felt his hard hot flesh parted her silky lips apart before pushing itself in. Alec's breath stuck painfully in his throat when her tight passage swelled and stretched to accommodate him.
Even with the rain falling swiftly around them, he felt like he was on fire. From deep within him, the fire of their passion started to consume him. Max laid her head on his shoulder, pushing through his wet hair to explore the area where his neck met his strong shoulder. Still taunting him with the swift movements with her slim hips, she grazed the velvety skin roughly, feeling the strong beat of life rushing through his veins.
His rough intake of breath told her just how much he found her attention earth-shattering to his senses and she basked in the sensation.
After he was deep inside of her, he gripped her slim hips tighter, holding her securely against him. Without warning, he rose to his knees before he twisted, all the while still joined to her and before she could even blink, she was staring into his stormy eyes.
Her black hair fanned out around her head on the wet floor and he knelt over her, shielding her from the hard rain. A mere beat passed before he went into her waiting arms, supporting himself with his elbows to avoid crushing her.
But Max didn't need any of that. She pulled him roughly and he relented, taking her full lips in a deep consuming kiss. Max wrapped her hands tightly around his shoulder when he started moving, exiting her snug passage before quickly ramming himself back in.
Their wet and slick skin moved effortlessly over each other, and because of that, their slow sensual movements grew more frantic. Racing towards that sudden burst of nirvana, they both pushed the other to the brink of explosion.
His teeth and lips made their marks visible on the tender neck as he feasted upon her delectable skin, his hand urging her hips on. Her fingers clutched at his slick side before the white light erupted behind her closed eyes and her body turned liquid, flowing into his arms. He shuddered and nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder. Both of them were still for a few moments as their breaths evens out and their hearts slowed down.
He was the first to move, his lips cruising from her neck to her cheek, trailing the raindrops in its wake. Max felt a girlish giggle trying to surface and in retaliation she smacked the side of his arms and tried wriggling out of his arms. He latched onto her and let out a mock growl as she laughed.
She broke his hold and sat, looking morosely at the darker sky and the heavy rain. 'I think we have to go.'
He grabbed her discarded sweater and wrung it, an act of chivalry that made her smile before handing it to her. She pulled the wet shirt over her head, pulling her soaked hair over it.
'Here,' Max grabbed his wet jeans and threw it towards him, 'I'm sure you didn't want to walk back to my place looking like that.' She smirked, giving his glistening naked body a once over.
Alec caught his pants and sighed at its sodden state, before reluctantly shrugging it on. 'Baby, it's nothing I haven't done before.' He just laughed at her expression and strode towards the door.
'You didn't!' She snapped her mouth shut and ran in his wake, 'Oh my god. Come on, I want the details! Spill!'
*-*
Max opened her eyes and sighed, noticing from the corner of her eyes that it was still dark outside. Dawn was almost here but the sun won't be up for a while yet. She burrowed her face into the soft pillow and her breath deepened, fully intending to catch a couple of minutes more of sleep. The sigh was soft, a quiet admission of bliss as she stretched languidly under the sheets. Lying in bed and lazing around like this was a luxury she rarely got and she didn't want it to end prematurely.
The low breath whispered over the soft fabric as her hand sneaked behind her; a little snuggle sounded good just about now.
After their little rooftop loving, they had raced to her place before tumbling into bed, arms and legs locked around each other, chest heavy with laughter and desire. He pushed her down on the bed, smirking and she remembered arching herself up and pushing him down so she was straddling him. He laughed, the sound vibrated from his chest to hers and reared up, nipping the soft skin of her neck. And then it started again.
Her lips stretched into a sleepy smile and she turned towards him, her dark eyes peeping from under heavy lids. Where was he? Her features froze in surprise; her eyes were wide open, sleep had disintegrated and was replaced with alarm when she stared silently at the messy sheets and tangled blanket. Her heartbeat increase tenfold when she realized she was alone.
Max sat still in her empty bed, her fingers fisted in the sheet, breathing heavily. He was not here.
The curtains fluttered in the breeze, letting in shards of pre-dawn light. They danced on her profile, illuminating the fire basking in her golden eyes. Max tossed one of the pillows and grunted in satisfaction as it knocked over a lamp on the bedside table. God, suddenly she hated that shade. Stupid colour. Who likes green with streaks of brown anyway?
Her jaw hardened when she climbed down the bed and made her way to the bathroom, kicking the discarded clothes littering the floor out of her way.
That was so typical of a man. Max huffed and kicked another piece of clothing, ignoring how it dangled precariously from a chair. Just see if she'll give him the time of day when he dared to haul that sorry ass in front of her. If he even dared to come back, a vein throbbed in her temple.
She flipped the bathroom light on, it was still dark out anyway, and cranked up the shower, waiting for the water to heat. Good for nothing jerk. Wait till she got her hands on him, sorry ass and everything. Max sneaked a hand into the shower and shuddered, it was freezing.
Turning to the mirror, she stared at her reflection morosely. Was it something in her, something she can't see that chased everyone away? Was there something genetically wrong with her? The anger in her had turned to a hint of sorrow, the fury was still there but distress had started nibbling on the edges. She sighed again but this time her eyes narrowed as she squinted at the mirror.
What the hell was that? Her fingers hovered over the marks on her shoulders and neck, eyes turned to slits as she peered into the glass. She skimmed over the teeth marks, fiercely squashing the heat that flooded back and focused on the smear that wasn't suppose to be there. Ink? She rubbed at the spot furiously and frowned when the stain didn't lift.
She turned the faucet and wet the edge of a towel. A few minutes later, her brow crinkled in confusion when the blackish spot still remained on her skin. What the hell? She leaned in closer to the mirror and examined the area closely. Was that an… alphabet? No no, it looked too… old for simple ABC. Her fingers hovered over her skin for a few more seconds, frowning before she shrugged and slipped into the shower.
Must be some kind of rash. No big deal, it'll disappear soon.
*-*
She stared at the blank wall behind her handler's back and crushed the urge to shuffle in her high heels. The high collar whispered against her jaw line and she was trying not to remember the reason she had to wear it in the first place.
'Good job, 452. I assume the meeting is going as planned?' her handler leaned back in his chair and scrutinized the soldier in front of him.
'Yes, sir!' her shoulders straightened in attention. 'I'm sure both of the CEOs will agree to a merger by the end of the meeting.'
'That's good.'
'I'm just following my mission orders, sir.' Max rolled her eyes in her head at how lame she sounded.
'Very well. Is there anything else I should be aware of?'
If you're thinking of my intimate contact with Alec, hell no. She was trying to forget that herself. 'No, sir!'
'All right then, go in for your routine medical,' he nodded towards the door and she gave him a salute before exiting stiffly.
Max turned and walked blindly to the small room at the back. This routine had turned to habit for her. She had to meet with her handler every other day, fill him in and then get her shots.
She knew one of the reasons that stopped her from bailing and disappearing from the face of the earth the second they let her out was him, back then when she thought he was actually a decent human being anyway. She had that tiny seed planted in her brain that if she left, she might loose him forever. That was one of the reasons. Another one was the shot she was getting.
Manticore had pulled her in from practice one day and sent her to the medical wing, with strict orders and even stricter guards flanking her. She had been confused at that time, but thought she was supposed to go through a thorough medical exam since she was going out on a mission. They had put her down and when she came to, Renfro was sitting by her side.
She had paled, and turned even paler when she realized that she had been tied to the bed. She tugged her hands hard and the Director smiled when the leather strips held.
'It was our insurance, you see,' she started, smiling down at her. 'I know if we let you out, you'll find a way to leave. We just can't let you do that.' The smile grew and Max's fear rose.
'What did you do to me?' the hoarse whisper filed through cracked lips.
'Our technicians here can do almost anything. I just instructed them to take out a strain of protein from your DNA. And without that tiny piece,' Renfro's teeth appeared between her red lips, 'you'll die. That's a simple way to explain everything.'
'What?'
'But don't worry,' she patted Max's hand, almost maternally, 'when you have your meeting with your handler, he'll give you something. A shot that'll give you two days, no more no less, enough time until your next meeting. As I said, our insurance. We'll fix you when you're done with the mission.'
She never told anyone, not even him. She was too ashamed to admit to anyone that she had marched in like an idiot and let Manticore slice away a part of her, a vital part of her no less. Her eyes were distant as the technician tied a tube around her arms and she didn't flinch when the needle pierced skin and murky yellow substance sped through her system. Then, he put in another needle and drew her blood. They were both silent as the tube rapidly filled with deep red liquid.
'All done,' the technician threw the used syringe and his rubber gloves into the trash. 'I'll see you in two days, 452.'
She shrugged into her black blazer and walked out without another word. The technician took a moment to stare at her legs, admiring the way the tight black skirt moved as she walked away. When she was gone he turned to her vial of blood and start filling in the forms. The Director was always a bitch when it came to her soldier's blood test. 'Like she didn't have anything better to do than check on every X Series' blood work,' he muttered under his breath.
Max was standing in front of MediCorp, looking up at the door as everyone rushed in, ready for another working day. She was silent for a few more seconds, staring at the company's logo, emblazed above the front door. It was a dove's wing that supported the world. It was poetic and beautiful. And it sure as hell didn't come from Bennet, she was certain of that. Max had always secretly thought that MediCorp's CEO was the male version of Renfro.
The sigh that escaped her lips was heavy as she trudged inside the elevator. She ignored everyone else and walked out at her level, plodding heavily to her office. The hallway from the elevator to her office was deserted and silent. Max contributed the fact that she never saw the hand that snaked out from the broom closet to tiredness. She was thinking too much that she wore herself out. Yes, that was a plausible reason.
The hand clasped tightly over her mouth and strong arms started dragging her inside the dark room. She kicked his knee instinctively, her sharp heel added more pain as he gasped, his hand tightened around her. Her elbow rammed into his ribs but she didn't get to make contact, let alone crack said ribs when he twisted her arms behind her. Before she could use her knee, he pushed her around and in the darkness, she saw a familiar pair of eyes glinting at her. For some reason, she recalled her broken lampshade, the stupid thing with the weird colours she had bought when she first get here.
'Hey honey, I'm home. Miss me?'
To be continued..
A/N: I hope you enjoy this part :) Plus I wanted to thank the people who still leave a review, eventhough I haven't updated in years! You guys are the best *hugs* Thanks for still sticking with me, everyone! :D And thank you for reading and the reviews too *winks*