Chapter 24

So I feel a little bleh about this chapter but I hope it's good. I've been crazy busy and so it is what it is :D

Max's POV:

I watched Lizzy obsessively tap and shake her foot in the plane seat next to me while she scribbed into a notepad. She and Sid were talking about one of his deals with Reebok while the other guys around us played on their PSP's. Besides her crazy, shaking leg, she was the epitome of calm and professional. We had only been in the air for 20 minutes and I wasn't sure if she was afraid of flying, or nervous in general about this weekend. She hadn't mentioned a fear of flying before and so it made sense that she was just nervous thus the insane leg shaking.

For the past couple of days she had been surprisingly willing to let me take over all of the plans and just go along with everything. This was, of course, completely unlike her normal, control-freak tendencies and I was starting to get worried. I had been expecting her to put up some resistance to all of this and instead, she had nodded all week saying nothing else other than "okay."

I was starting to worry that her leg was going to fall off if she continued her violent shaking. Even Sid had noticed and his eyes kept darting down to it as they talked.

"Go away" I told him and put a hand on her leg to still the movements. "What's wrong?" I asked once Sid had crossed the aisle to settle back in next to Flower.

"Max, that was rude" she said looking over to where Sidney was now sitting smirking across the aisle at us.

"Stop avoiding the subject" I said catching on immediately to what she was doing. She's a major avoider.

"Nothing" she sighed sliding her hand into mine on the armrest between us. I raised my eyebrow at her because obviously something was wrong. Before either of us could say more, Mario walked over to bring Lizzy to the front with them to go over some paperwork. She jerked her hand out of mine, blushing as Mario gave us both a look and quickly followed him to the front of the plane where the coaches were seated.

Eliza's POV:

Tell me what's wrong.

I looked down at his text feeling the nervous flutters erupt in my stomach all over again. Of course he was going to make me talk about it. I tried to pay attention to what both of the coaches were saying as they gave me instructions for handling the passports. Technically, I didn't really understand why I was here. Since when had they ever needed passport help? I was basically the passport babysitter this weekend but on the plus side, I did get to go along with the team and Max and watch the games. And meet his parents.

Speaking of family, I tried not to focus on the fact that I could feel both Max and Marc watching me as they talked about me. Well I assumed that they were talking about me given the fact that I could hear murmurs of french coming from them. Max thought that I hadn't caught on but I wasn't stupid. He only used french when he didn't want me to know that he was talking about me. I couldn't really blame him though- I used spanish with Mia on the phone when we were talking about him. I guess it's only fair that he can do the same thing. No matter how annoying it is.

I checked my phone again to see the time. We had only been on the plane for 40 minutes and I was bored and hadn't really brought anything to do on the plane besides work. With nothing to occupy my mind, I had nothing to do but think about what meeting Max's parents was going to be like. What were they like? It was stupid, but I was even worried that they didn't speak English. How was I going to communicate with them if they only spoke french? It was something that had never come up between Max and I and was one other thing that I could worry about.

Max hadn't said too much throughout the week except that he had set up plans with his Mom and that she was excited to meet me. I wanted to make things easy for him because I could tell that this was really important to him so I had smiled and agreed to every suggestion all week hoping that he didn't see how terrified I really was. It was really important to me too because family had always played a primary role in my life and I knew it was huge for him too. If we were going to make this work between us, we obviously needed approval from each other's families.

Both Vero and Emma had told me not to worry when we went out for girl's night last night. This made me feel better at the time but now that I was actually on the plane heading for the place where Max grew up, I was nervous as hell. Realistically there was nothing that I could do on a plane 30,000 feet in the air so I sat back to try to take a little bit of a nap before we landed and I would have to make sure that none of the passports got lost.

After landing and getting off of the plane, we all headed over to the hotel to drop our stuff off before heading out to the arena. From there, I would have the rest of the afternoon to myself to hang out before watching the game. Even though I knew that everyone on the team, including management, were aware of our relationship, I couldn't help but feel slightly bashful about the fact that Max didn't even attempt to disguise our status. His hand had possessively been on my lower back the entire time after we got off of the plane and he had even arranged for our own hotel room instead of rooming with Marc like he normally did on roadtrips.

It was a little hard to ignore the smirk I got from Marc when he learned of his single room status. But hey, at least the room was nice. Actually it was amazing with the king sized bed and whirlpool. Max followed me into the room and dropped his bags in a heap on the floor before falling face first onto the bed. He rolled onto his side looking at me mischievously and patting the space beside him. When he leaned over me to start kissing my neck, I could tell where he was going with this.

"Max, I am not screwing with your pre-game ritual." He ignored me and I felt his hands slide up to play with the buttons of my blouse. His lips continued to distract me until I noticed that four of my buttons were already undone and his hands were busy tracing the outline of my bra.

"Max!" I laughed swatting his hands away. "You're not getting any until after the game." He groaned and the sound vibrated against my neck.

"You're mean, you know that?" He rolled onto his back and pulled me against his side.

"You'll thank me later when you have all that energy for the ice. I expect a win tonight" I whispered in his ear enjoying this new form of torture. I rolled off the bed to check out the rest of the room before he could grab me again.

"So what should I wear tonight?" I asked deciding to unpack both of our bags. He couldn't just leave his suits all folded up like that. Which he undoubtedly would.

"Dressy is good" he said getting up to change into more comfortable clothes. The guys had some time to take their pre-game naps and eat a little before heading over to the arena. "I like that red dress you packed."

"I didn't pack that dress" I said re-thinking my wardrobe options. How would he know what I packed and didn't pack?

"Yes you did" he said smiling and laying back against the pillows in bed, watching me.

I opened my bag and saw that my red, tube dress with the sweeheart neckline was indeed laying on top in my bag, folded carefully. I definitely hadn't packed it leaving only one other option.

"Did you sneak this into my bag?" I asked eyeing him. He looked entirely too smug and proud of himself.

"Yeah, just wear it. You'll understand why later" he said smiling at me. I didn't understand why it was so important that he had packed the dress but let it go. This weekend was all about going with the flow and whatever Max had planned while we were here and it wasn't really a hardship to wear the dress if it made him happy. I finished hanging up our clothes and poked around the room some more. When I came out of the bathroom, Max was already asleep snoring softly on the bed. Even though I wanted to crawl into bed next to him, I knew it would wake him up so I decided to catch up on my emails instead and booted up my computer. Thank God for wi-fi.

I rolled my eyes at the number of emails 5 in total my Mom had sent me wondering about how everything was going so far. I had told her that I was here for both work and to meet his parents and she had gotten on my case about not meeting him yet when I was already meeting his parents. I think she was actually more nervous than I was given all of the emails that said "call me" among other things.

I flickered back to the inbox to make sure there were no urgent emails and noticed an unfamiliar address next to the title "Regarding your interview..." My heart stopped wondering if this was going to be the rejection letter I had been expecting for days. Even though I knew that I wasn't going to be offered that job, I had still been dreading the actual rejection part and debated whether or not I should open the email or just delete it. It was tempting, but I knew that I had to read it and respond just to be polite and do the right thing.

"Ms. Smith, we would like to offer you a position with our legal team..." The email continued but I couldn't read the rest of it. They wanted me? Even after that horrendous interview?

What the hell?

Max's POV:

I woke up from my nap feeling energized and excited for tonight. So far everything was going according to plan and Lizzy seemed to have relaxed since getting off of the plane. While she was in the shower, I checked to make sure that her present was still safe and sound. I couldn't wait to see her reaction and hoped that it would go over well and without argument. She wasn't comfortable yet with me buying her things and most of the time, I let it go. This however was a gift for her birthday which to me seemed like a good excuse to excercise my credit card and buy her something good.

The water shut off and I quickly snuck the box into my suit jacket so that I couldn't forget it. I had made late dinner reservations for after the game at one of my favorite french restaurants in the city.

"Hey, you're up" she said exiting the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and pajama shorts with her hair wrapped up in a towel. Her face was flushed from the hot shower she had just taken and I could smell her flowery lotion fresh on her skin. It never stopped amazing me just how gorgeous she actually was and how she never seemed to completely believe me when I told her this. I had never been the type of guy who shied away from complimenting women but it was different with her. Not only was I in love with her, but it was harder now to communicate things to her like I normally would because we just weren't on the same page yet.

Now as I looked at her settling down in front of the TV to put her makeup on and watch the news, I knew that it was worth it. For her, I was willing to be patient. Besides, who else had an adorable frustrated facial expression when she realized that all of the TV stations were in french?

Eliza's POV:

I waited anxiously for a few minutes after the game up in the box with management before making an excuse and heading down to the locker room. It had been a nasty game with a lot of unnecessary fighting and I wondered why the game had gotten so physical. They managed to scrape out a win but barely and the team's bad mood had intensified in the third period when Max had taken a nasty hit directly to his still shaky shoulder. I saw that he had tried not to let it show but even from high up above the ice, I could see the pained expression that had crossed his face, even momentarily. He had kept playing but that didn't stop me from worrying about it-especially since he was pulled off the ice immediately after the game and disappeared into the locker room presumably to see the trainers.

I made sure that I had my security badge ready as I moved through the crowd of media looking for Max's head. I looked like a hussy in my red dress going to a hockey game but didn't really have a choice considering Max had made me wear this and we were going out to eat immediately afterwards. I heard a whistle behind me and turned to see Jordan grinning at me appreciatively.

"Damn, Eliza. Nice dress" he said still giving me the once over. Because he was harmless and becoming a good friend, I smiled and turned in a circle showing off the rest of the dress.

"Thanks, good game by the way." He thanked me and pointed me in the direction of Max who was just starting to take his gear off. He spotted me and waved me over and I left Jordan to push my way through the crowd of media. Up close I saw that his shoulder was an agitated red color and was a little swollen. Without thinking about it my hand shot out to gingerly touch the muscled shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked pulling my hand away to fall at my side instead. He was still in the process of pulling his pads off and I tried to focus on what he was saying and not what he was doing which was revealing his gorgeous body to me. It's getting really hot in here. He got up to go shower and I moved out of the way to let him pass still unsure of his mood. He was never mean but I could tell that he was hurting and trying not to let it show- the media would be all over that and it would hurt his game.

While Max was getting ready, it was still so crowded in the locker room that I decided to wait in the hallway instead. Outside I talked to a few of the players who entertained me until Max appeared dressed in a black suit and freshly shaven. I was getting so used to his scruff that when he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek, I almost missed it.

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked taking my hand in his. I nodded and said goodbye to the group in general before allowing Max to pull me away. He was quiet and wasn't saying much- just holding my hand in his as we walked, his thumb stroking rhythmically over my hand. It was strange for him to not be talkative since he was usually pretty revved up after a game.

"Hey, do you want to just go back to the room? If you're tired we don't have to go out." I didn't want to go out if he was secretly in pain and putting on a strong front. He smiled slightly at me and kept walking.

"No, we're celebrating your birthday. My shoulder hurts but I'll be fine." We exited the arena to a waiting taxi and hopped inside. I listened as Max gave directions in french to the cab driver and kept up a pretty steady stream of conversation with him. I didn't normally like listening to french and had hated it the one year I tried it in high school but Max's accent was so much nicer and kind of hot.
After a short cab ride we arrived at the restaurant which was tiny and dimly lit with candles and a fireplace in the corner. It looked very old-world Europe but fancy with everyone as dressed up as we were. It reminded me of the restaurants I used to go to with my parents when my Dad entertained for business and I got dragged along.

Max ordered a drink for me since I couldn't communicate to the waiter that's how french this restuarant was and smiled a real smile for the first time that night, kissing the back of my hand.

"I like your dress" he said giving me the once over even though we were seated. He looked like he had finally relaxed and I wanted to ask him about his shoulder again but let it go.

"So are you going to explain why I had to wear this particular dress?" I asked remembering why he had packed it. He shook his head telling me to wait until later and smirked reminding me to be patient. He knew I hated waiting for surprises but the rest of dinner was so nice that I forgot all about it. Max's bad mood seemed to have gone out the window and he tried to teach me french phrases and how to pronounce things but would end up laughing hysterically at me instead.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked still chuckling at my attempt to thank our confused waiter. We left the restaurant and decided to walk a little even though it was freezing and starting to snow. Max explained that we weren't too far from the hotel and I nodded taking in how beautiful the city was at night.

"I like it here" I commented snuggling closer to him and enjoying the feeling of his arm around my waist, keeping me warm. It was amazing to think about how much I needed to feel him and how much I thrived off of his strong touch. He was busy explaining something and it was adorable to listen to him lecture me about his city when usually I was the one doing the lecturing. It was obvious that he was very proud of his french-canadian heritage. I stopped him before he began to explain the traffic patterns to me and he looked at me in confusion before I leaned up to join our lips together in a soft kiss. He responded immediately pulling our bodies flush up against each other and deepening the kiss.

"Wanna go back to the hotel?" I asked breaking the kiss and giving my best suggestive smile. I wasn't great at playing the seductress part but I was trying. Apparently it worked though because he didn't even respond and practically dragged me down the street only slowing down when I complained of my heels. After a few blocks we walked into the hotel and hopped on the elevator to head to our room. I hoped that none of the guys were around to see us because then I would die of embarrassment if they knew why we were in such a hurry.

I fumbled with the door key feeling my knees getting weaker and weaker while Max attacked the sensitive spots on my neck. At the feel of his teeth scraping lightly along my jaw I almost lost it completely but miraculously pushed the door open with both of us tumbling inside. Both of us kicked our shoes off leaving a trail of outerwear on the floor along the way to the bed. Max sat down first never breaking our kiss and pulled me down on top of him to straddle his lap, my dress already more than halfway up my thighs. Even though I could feel how excited he was he broke the kiss panting and breathing out "wait."

Max's POV:

I knew she was confused when I pulled away but I had to stop now if she was ever going to get her birthday gift. I pulled the box out of my breast pocket surprised to find my hands shaking. Damn. Her eyes widened at the sight of the box and she hesitated at taking it from my hand.

"Open it up" I said watching her cautiously hold the box. "Babe, just open it" I sighed almost wanting to laugh at how tense she had gotten all of the sudden. Her thighs were squeezing mine together and not in a good way as she stared at it finally opening it up.

Her eyes darted up to meet mine in shock before quickly shutting the box again and pressing it back into my hand. "Max, I can't accept this" she said trying to move off of my lap. I held her in place obviously not seeing the issue here.

"What? Why? It's your birthday gift" I said pushing it back into her unwilling hands. I thought girls liked jewelry?

"Max! This is not a birthday gift. A birthday gift is a card, some cake and a gift certificate. These are ruby earrings. Ruby earrings with diamonds" she said stressing the 'diamonds' for emphasis.

"Wait, you wanted a card too?" She rolled her eyes, frustrated with my sense of humor at the moment and continued to struggle her way off of my lap. When was she going to learn that I wasn't going to let her get away from me?

"Okay, okay. Calm down" I said waiting until she stopped squirming. I knew that she was unhappy right now but a certain part of me definitely didn't mind her moving around and now wasn't the time for that. Her dress had hiked up even higher on her thighs and I forced myself to concentrate.

"Okay listen to me" I said forcing her to look at me. "I know you don't think I'm serious or don't want to believe me, but I love you." Her blue eyes softened and continued to meet mine. "Yes, it's all happening fast but that doesn't change anything. So because I'm in love with you, I want to buy you things because I can, not because I have to or expect anything from you." She didn't say anything, just stared at me so I kept talking- trying to make her understand. "I was out looking for something for your birthday and I saw these and knew they were perfect for you."

She blinked still thinking about what I had said. "Thanks, I didn't mean to be rude about it" she said rubbing her temples in frustration. "They're just really beautiful. And obviously expensive" she said accepting the box as I gave it back to her. Was she ever going to say it back? I was almost positive that she was in love with me too.

"Will you just try them on at least?" I asked hoping this would help my case. I wanted her to like them so much that she wouldn't want to take them off, ever. She got up to fasten them to her earlobes and look at them in the dresser mirror. She was disheveled with her dress still pushed up high on her legs and the very tops of her bra showing from where I had started to pull the dress down. She turned walking back to me on the bed to lean down and give me a kiss.

"I really do love them so thank you" she said kissing me a little bit longer this time. "And I'm sorry that I freaked out. I just don't want you to think that you have to buy me things and plan extravagant trips like this to make me happy."

I pulled her back down onto my lap to hold her close again. "I know, but like I said, I want to do these things for you. At least occassionally" I added when she looked like she was going to protest. I knew that she made her own money and was successful with the team but that didn't change the fact that I was also blessed with a nice salary and if I chose to spend some of it on her, well then she was going to have to deal with it.

I leaned forward to kiss her more forcefully this time unable to resist her as she straddled my lap wearing the earrings I had bought her. She responded meeting me with equal force and urgency as she removed my tie and I pushed her dress down to reveal her breasts, forgoing the zipper. She moaned as I slid my hands under the cups of her bra, rubbing my palms over her nipples as I suckled her neck. Her own hands wandered to the waist of my dress pants tugging my shirt out of my pants and pressing her hand against my obvious desire before pushing against me to lay back on the bed. We were so caught up in each other that I barely registered the shock of her hand pushing against my tender shoulder to push me down onto the bed. We both stiffened in realization and I felt my body brace itself for the pain. She gasped rolling off of me as I laid back trying to breathe air in and out of my lungs to combat the pain. Fuck.

"Max, I'm so, so sorry" she said helping me into a seated position looking like she was also in pain. I continued to breathe in and out and she rubbed my leg while I waited for the stars to stop spinning around in my head.

"Are you okay?" she asked looking worried. I nodded feeling the pain fade and tried to smile to let her know that I was alright. She left to go get me some ice from down the hall and while she was gone I finished taking off my clothes and set them into a pile in the closet. She returned still looking stressed and helped me get into a comfortable position in bed before settling the makeshift icepack on my shoulder and turning on the TV while she changed into her pajamas and washed her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked for the 15th time. Yeah, my shoulder was feeling better but the rest of me wasn't due to unfinished business. I definitely wasn't going to get any tonight if she thought I was still in pain.

"Yes!" I said laughing at her. It hurt, but it wasn't like she pulled it out of its socket. "Is it normal for it to still be so sensitive?" she asked settling in beside me in bed and pulling the covers up around us.

"Yeah, I came back a little earlier than I was supposed to so it's still going to be tender, but the trainers keep clearing me to play so I guess it's okay" I said trying to reassure her and kissing her forehead. It was nice to have someone worried about me.

Eliza's POV:

I felt like someone had sucker-punched me when I saw the look on his face. I hadn't meant to push his shoulder so hard but we were both so distracted that I hadn't been paying attention to what I was doing. I was half-naked with his hands all over me. What was I supposed to do?

I could feel Max's breathing evening out beside me as he fell asleep and I reached up a hand to touch the earrings he had given me, that were yet another reminder of how serious our relationship was becoming. His voice saying 'I love you' played over again in my mind and I snuggled closer to him without realizing it. I was still thinking about how nice the evening had been until I nearly busted Max's shoulder before I remembered that I had completely forgotten about the job offer and had forgotten to even mention it to Max. Shit.