And now with no further ado…on with the show!

PN

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Chapter One:  All I Want Is You

In which our hero and heroine enjoy some down time only to be hit with a not so happy surprise…

Since their return from the yacht, Max and Logan had fallen into a comfortable routine. Logan had gone back to spending his days working on his hacks for Eyes Only alternated with his continued surveillance of the Colonel and Manticore. While he did that, Max kept herself busy roaming Seattle on her Ninja, getting to know the ins and outs of her adopted city.

Some days she met Original Cindy or Kendra for lunch, but if she was close enough she'd stop back at the penthouse and roust Logan off of the computers long enough for him to make her one of his gourmet meals.

Evenings were saved for leisurely dinners together in the Penthouse, followed some nights by an evening of playing chess or watching movies, and on others by several hours spent hanging out at CRASH with Original Cindy and her gang.  Sometimes Logan passed on CRASH, needing to spend the time communicating with contacts who were located in time zones all over the world, and Max went alone.

But no matter what, the late nights were saved for each other. Sometimes their lovemaking was slow and sweet and sometimes it was hard and fast, but no matter what, the passion between the two of them never slackened. Each morning when Max woke up and looked at her husband sleeping beside her she smiled, thinking how lucky she was to have found Logan at what could have been the darkest part of her life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This morning she had slept a bit later than usual. They had spent the previous evening at CRASH playing pool, drinking beer and dancing, and she had been taken by a spirit of devilment.  Logan had been buried in his research for days and so she had been determined to have his full attention that night. 

Her campaign to drive him crazy had begun before they even left the penthouse, when she had appeared in the doorway of their bedroom ready to go to CRASH. Her jeans were lower cut than he'd ever seen her wear before, and her wine colored top barely covered her midriff. It bared her shoulders, and the neckline dipped down, affording Logan a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage. She had let her hair flow loose over her shoulders in soft waves, and put on soft red lip gloss that made her mouth gleam as if she had just licked her lips. Her eyes were dark and smoky, an effect of the subtle eye shadow she'd skillfully applied.

Logan had just reached to pick up his keys when he saw her. He stopped in his tracks as he took her in. He felt a sudden rush of heat and a hardening in his groin. Keys forgotten on the table he strode over to her and reached out to pull her to him. "You sure you want to go to CRASH tonight?" he said in a husky growl, letting his eyes devour her.

Max laughed and ducked away from him. "You are so not getting away with spending another night locked up in this place." She picked up his keys and tossed them to him. "Let's go."

Logan sighed and followed her out the door, admiring the sway of her hips as she walked in front of him to the elevator. Once inside he let her push the button for the garage, but then he neatly backed her into a corner, trapping her between the walls and his arms. He dipped his head and trailed soft kisses across her shoulders and along the top edge of her shirt.

By the time they reached the garage he had her backed up against the wall as he pressed against her, letting her feel her effect on him.  "Are you really sure you want to go to CRASH?" he asked again.

Max placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "Come on, lover boy. I have a date with a pool table and a coupla pitchers of beer."

"If we stay here, I can teach you some other games." Logan suggested, not one to give up easily.

"Anticipation, Logan." Max tossed her hair and strode to the Ninja. She threw her leg over it and gave Logan a look. 

"You sure you want to take this and not the car?" he asked her.

"Climb on." She gunned the engine and he quickly obliged, only to suffer more sweet torture as he snuggled his arms around her waist. Max shot out of the parking space and sent the bike careening through the garage.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CRASH was a continuation of what Max had begun at the penthouse. She spent the evening alternately tantalizing him with accidental touches, followed by sudden swift retreats.  Original Cindy looked on with amusement as Max expertly made Logan burn for her.

"What are you smiling like the Cheshire cat about?" Max demanded when Logan left the table to get a refill of beer.

"Sugah, for a girl who a few weeks ago wasn't so sure of her man, you got that boy wrapped around your pinky finger. But if you don't take him home and put him out of his misery soon, he's like to set this whole place on fire."

Max laughed happily. She looked up to see Logan approaching the table and let her eyes sweep over him knowingly, ending up locked with his. Cindy reached up and took the pitchers from his hands, setting them safely down on the table.

"Hey boo. Shame to let this go to waste, which is what it's gonna do when you drop it in about two more seconds."

Logan ignored her as Max rose and walked to the tiny dance floor, swaying in time to the rock number that was playing.  He quickly caught up with her and grasped her shoulders, pulling her close to him as the song segued into a slow ballad.

Max looked up at him as she let herself melt into his tall frame. "Who said I wanted to dance with you?" she teased. She ran her hands over his back.

Logan let his hands drop to her hips and he pulled her even closer. "You want to do more than dance with me, and you and I both know it."

"Oh yeah?" Max challenged, enjoying the heat in his eyes, and in his hands where they rested on her skin.

"Yeah." Logan had had enough and he grabbed one of her hands and pulled her off the floor and towards the back exit of CRASH.

"The dance isn't over." Max protested as they exited the building.

"It's only just begun."

They were outside now and Logan glanced around to be sure they were alone. Satisfied that they were, he pushed her up against the side of the building and dropped his head, devouring her mouth in a hard kiss. When he stopped they were both breathing heavily, and his hands had somehow found their way underneath her top. He lowered his head and kissed her again, grinding his hips against hers. Max moaned softly and pulled him even closer.

"So is it on your agenda to get down to it right here and now, or are we going home first?" Logan finally asked her, looking in satisfaction at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

In answer Max pulled him along to the Ninja. The two climbed on wordlessly and Logan swore that she managed to get them back to Fogle Towers in record time. By some miracle they managed to make it up to the penthouse mostly clothed, although it wasn't from any lack of effort on his part.

Max felt a flush of heat as she remembered what had come as soon as they had made it inside the penthouse.  By the time they made it to the bedroom, Logan had taught her several new "games" and the living and dining rooms had been thoroughly christened.  Not to mention the stop in the kitchen for a snack that had turned into something more than one consisting of food…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She stretched out in the bed, feeling the pleasant soreness in her muscles from the night's activities and leaned down to drop a light kiss on Logan.

"Go 'way." He muttered. "It's not time to get up yet." He rolled on his side, facing away from her and began to snore lightly.

Max chuckled and climbed out of the bed. "As if you could right now anyway." She was still smiling as she pulled the sheets up over him, and then headed in to take a shower.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When she emerged from the shower the bed was empty. She sniffed eagerly and was surprised not to smell one of Logan's delicious meals. Puzzled she headed out to the kitchen.

Logan was there dressed in a pair of loose sweat pants that hung low on his slim hips and a t-shirt that outlined his muscles nicely, but he wasn't cooking. Instead he had a letter in his hand and a frown on his face.

"What is it?" she asked him. "Is it the Colonel?"

He looked up. "No." He said shortly.

"Logan?" Max said when he didn't continue.

"It's a letter from immigration. About you."

Max tilted her head. "About me?"

"Seems you're an illegal alien and as such subject to deportation."

"But we're married. How can that be?"

"That's the thing. Remember the guy who married us at customs?"

Max shuddered. "That sleaze ball?"

"Well it seems the sleaze ball and his partner, the slime ball, were running a scam. Refusing to let visitors through customs and then offering to marry them to a citizen in order to let them in. Only thing is that the sleaze ball had no license to marry anyone."

"We're not married?" Max stared at him, trying to take it in.

"Evidently not."

Before she could answer there was a knock at the door. Logan walked over to admit Bling, who was carrying a folded newspaper in his hands.

"Why do I think that this visit isn't a good thing?" he groaned as he stood back to let Bling enter the apartment.

Bling wordlessly handed him the Weekly World News. Its headline blared.

PHONY MARRIAGE SCAM FOOLS DOZENS…SEATTLE'S MOST PROMINENT MOVERS AND SHAKERS CAUGHT UP IN SCHEME…DETAILS INSIDE… CON ARTSTS RAKE IN MILLIONS!!!