let it rain --- MAX

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Rowan could hardly believe he had actually managed to stay friends with a lass this long. He wasn't one for befriending females, mostly because he didn't want to endanger them. In his line of work you had no one on your side. The law wanted you, and they would sometimes arrest anyone close to you, and try to pressure them into turning on you. Rivals always were looking for new ways to hurt you, and he would be damned if any lady was hurt because of him. But for some reason he had a soft spot for Max. She wasn't the easiest woman to deal with all the time, but he cared for her. They had met on a dark street one dreary night when some thugs had been hassling the poor lass. Rowan never left a lady on her own, and was thus forced to confront the little bastards himself. He had pulled out his glock without hesitation, and made it very clear who they were fucking with. You didn't fuck with Anarchy Right, or the Irish mob without getting scathed. Rowan happened to be a member of both, which made him a very lethal thing to fuck with. In typical frightened female style she hadn't wanted to wonder off on her own. So Rowan told her to get her ass on the back of his bike because he had somewhere to be. That night, Max had gotten more than she bargained for. Poor lass found out exactly who she was dealing with, and surprisingly, she hadn't abandoned him for it. Rowan , a couple months back, had told her off in the pub, mostly because he felt as though their were shady people a foot. He wanted them to believe he didn't give a shit about her, for her safety had become his number one priority. But here he was back in her home once more. Rowan had been helping her over the past several months to fix up her deceased father's home. He felt a weird since of duty, like he would be wronging her if he didn't help. Though Max hadn't exactly abused the arrangement. She had given him a roof over his head, a spare bedroom whenever he wanted it, and well she wasn't to bad about feeding him either. Rowan had been working on painting the kitchen wall, mind you in the dark because the power had gone out hours ago, when Max had walked through the door. He offered her a friendly smile, but didn't stop what he was doing. That was something that sometimes bothered people about Rowan, he couldn't leave something unfinished. He hated it, and would get up in the middle of the night to finish it. The Irishman was a hard worker, and well that wasn't something American laziness would ever be able to break. When Max finally approached him, he assumed she was going to tell him to take a break or something, so he pretended not to notice her. Rowan wanted to get this damn kitchen finished, it was driving him bat shit. "you know, you don't want to get this close to me right now, I'm gross." he said with a small chuckle. After all Rowan had not only been painting the kitchen that day, but had also worked on the wood floors in the living room. He was sweaty, shirtless and had paint splashed on him in numerous places. "So go on, I'll be done in an hour or so." came his accented words, before those eyes of his landed on her. He gave her a mischievous smile before taking the paint brush and paint a part of her nose. He laughed, as he did so, hoping she would be in good spirits about it.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON closing the store was always a slow, and sometimes, painful job to do. especially when she's all by herself. now, max loved her job at mosh hero; it was the only place besides her father's house that felt like home to the twenty-eight year old. but that didn't change the eerie feeling that loomed over carmel's mall after dark settled in. to someone like max, who was more interested in comic books about zombies coming to life than real facts, it was the perfect setting for something to go horribly wrong. whether it was something as gruesomely cliche as zombies, or more down to earth like a mass murderer, it had played behind max's eyelids at least once during her closing shifts. on this particular night, she was especially eager to get the final preparations finished because she had company waiting for her back home. rowan was the only person, besides her brother, that max had ever trusted to be inside the house without supervision. a lot of that trust had been earned on the night that they'd met. rowan had saved her from an unfortunate event, maybe even worse, and he hadn't even wanted anything in return. instead of letting his heroic acts go without a reward, however, max tried her hardest to give him friendship, and luckily, he accepted and returned it. finished up with counting the till's amount, max wrote it in the store's log book and put everything back. racing the amount of time that everyone else cleared from the mall, max grabbed her messenger bag and slipped out of range of the security doors. unlocking them, max hauled the both to a conjoined meet in the center, and with the same key, she locked them together. taking a quick glance at her phone as she started towards the closest exit, max let out a sigh of relief. she wouldn't be the last to leave, so the possibilities of a serial killer choosing her as their next victim were slimmer than if she'd been alone. reaching her jeep without any supernatural or otherwise mishaps, max climbed into the front seat after unlocking her doors. pushing the key into the ignition, she twisted and smiled at the familiar sound of its engine roaring to life. adjusting the volume to her cd player, max quickly buckled herself up and put the gear into first. pulling out of her usual sparking space, she almost went straight home. if it weren't for her small stomach growl, she would've. but the thought of sinking her teeth into a burger she didn't have to make was way too good to pass up. plus, she had to find some sort of payment for rowan's effort into getting her father's house fixed up. and knowing rowan, he wouldn't have even opened the fridge if he wanted a drink without her being present; he usually surprised her with his mannerisms, considering his line of work, but she was slowing getting used to him - it's only taken a year, so far. making a pit-stop at the only diner open twenty-four-seven, max picked up two burger specials to go, complete with fries and milkshakes. without anything left in her way, she headed for home, pushing the speed limit a bit because of the delay she'd already taken to get there. the last thing she wanted was for rowan to either think that something had happened to her on her way home, or that she'd ditched him for whatever reason. pulling into the driveway, max decided against storing the jeep in the garage and turned the vehicle off. shouldering her bag and grabbing the food, she exited the jeep and headed for the door. locking it behind her, considering the time, she slipped out of her shoes and started for the kitchen, completely oblivious to the fact that the power had gone out. when she'd left that afternoon, the kitchen walls hadn't been touched with a fresh drop of paint since her father had moved in a large handful of years ago. so when she walked through the large arch into one of her favourite rooms in the house, max let out a delightfully surprised gasp. as soon as she had noticed the paint job so far, her eyes caught sight of rowan's shirtless back, and she quickly adverted her eyes. max had no idea why; she'd seen guys shirtless countless times, especially with living in california. but she didn't want him catching her looking. for what reason, she had no idea, and just hoped that she wasn't blushing. "you can't be that gross," max objected with a sheepish smile. "besides, all i can smell is paint and greasy burgers." holding up the bag, she waved it slightly, setting the drink tray with their milkshakes down on the counter beside him. "and the kitchen isn't going anywhere, i promise. come eat--"

[/color] she was cut off by his paint-brush stroke along her nose, and instantly, max's fave twisted into a goofy grin. laughing along with him, she almost lifted her hand up to wipe her nose off before remembering that she'd have to eat with those hands soon. "okay, how about this instead. you come eat, and after we're done, i'll help you finish the kitchen." of course, she didn't state it as a question or an opinion, but rather a statement. max was too stubborn to let rowan go another paint-stroke without filling his stomach with some dinner. and, hoping that he'd listen to her slight command, she grabbed the drink tray and carried it, with the bag of food, into the living room.

setting everything down on the coffee table, she started to get the burgers and fries out, placing each with their drinks. afterwards, she grabbed the remote, plopping down on the couch. hitting the power on the television's main remote, she frowned when nothing happened. trying it again, she frowned even more, before tossing the remote onto the top of the table. pushing up off the couch, she made her way back into the kitchen, this time using the entrance practically right beside where rowan was working. "hey, uh, how good are you at being an electrician?" taking a moment to pause, she leaned against the arch, crossing her arms. "unless candle light doesn't bother you.."[/div]
[atrb=style, background-color: 202020;]

ROWAN . 1061 . OUTFIT

[/td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Being shirtless around Max hadn't hit home until after he had painted his nose. Even if he didn't look the part he was quite the gentlemen around ladies. The original thought of being courteous around woman had been instilled by his family, and the marines had shaped it into an unwavering trait. "Sorry." he said giving her a nervous glance before letting his eyes search the area for his shirt. He nervously moved away from her to fetch his shirt off the kitchen chair, almost tripping over Deusy in the process. The dog grunted before jumping his feet to move out of his masters way. "Damnit Deusy." Rowan cussed, something that was actually rather cute sounding. The giant pit bull trotted over and sat down by Max, his faithful brown eyes looking at his master almost as confused as Max might be. Rowan pulled the shirt over his head, quickly before offering her a cheeky grin. Rowan wouldn't say anymore on the matter, and truly hoped Max would leave it alone. Rowan didn't like when she got under his skin, didn't like the fact that she could make his insides turn, and lately he hated the affectionate feelings that he had to keep at bay every time she got just a little too close to him. Rowan wasn't one for love, let alone sex. He had sworn both of them off a long time ago, for very different reasons. Sex between strangers complicated things far more than his already difficult and dangerous life needed. If he allowed himself to love someone, they could be taken from him, a pain he never wanted to feel again. He loved his homeland, his dog, his bike, his brothers, and most of all his gun. Rowan would never be anyones man, and that was all there was too it. Now back to the argument at hand. Rowan smirked when she told him what to do. Brave lass, he would give her that. The Irishman wasn't use to woman like Max, mostly because the women he encountered would do anything for his attention and to take him home from the bar. They were weak, and thought their bodies would earn them love, and a stable life, how wrong they were. Rowan didn't respect tramps like he did faithful and strong women. The women who waited years for their husband to come home from war, those to endured scrutiny for waiting for their husbands to be released from jail, or those who were so loyal to their husbands that even death didn't separate them. Rowan secretly hoped one day he would have a girl like that to come home to. One that no man would ever be able to break or use. A woman who would stand by him regardless of what others thought. A true and loyal woman, that's what Rowan wanted more than anything. But just as the thought made him smile to himself, he also frowned. His life would never allow that type of happiness and it was just about time he let that dream go. "Alright love, you win." he said with a smile, before walking over to the sink and washing his hands. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked before trying his hands on the towel and making his way into the living room. As much time as Rowan spent here with Max, he still didn't dare to call it their home. "Decent." he said with a smile. "But I think the storm knocked it out." he said with a shrug. "That I cannot fix." he said with a chuckle. His dark eyes looking up at her before looking around for his dog, only to find him laying by the section of couch that Max usually sat on. traitor." he muttered. He waited for her to take a seat before reaching for the food she set out. "If the power doesn't come back on soon, I might just call it a night on painting, even though i hate leaving shit unfinished." he said with a slight grumble.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON "nah, it's fine," max was quick to object to his apology, though her eyes were still finding anything and everything they could to focus on, rather than his shirtless torso. "i mean, it's not like i haven't seen a guy before. without a shirt on. standing in my kitchen, or anything." giving off a cute, nervous laugh, she tried to shrug it off like it was nothing, but it kind of was. max hadn't been that close to anyone in a little bit over a month, and to be honest, she hadn't even really paid attention to the shirtless guys at the beach whenever she passed it. so seeing rowan, especially rowan, shirtless in her kitchen after an annoying day at work, max could almost feel the red that would be seeping through her cheeks if she had actually made more eye contact with his half naked form. while she waited for rowan to decide if he was going to listen to her request for dinner, or continue painting, max remained against the archway of the doorway, watching him. when the pit bull made his way over to her, she smiled in greeting and crouched down, giving him a scruff behind both his ears and a pay on the head for good measure, before letting him get comfortable by her feet. she was never one to own a dog, mainly because she didn't have the time in order to get them the exercise that they needed. that's why she'd been perfect with sleven for so long; he didn't require much besides your typical necessities, and whenever he wanted exercise, he simply ran throughout the house. the only times max had ever tired him out from his hyper-ness kicking in was when she had still had her pen lazer- he'd gone completely nuts over the red light. when rowan agreed to eating, she arched a brow at first, expecting there to be a second part to his words. like a condition. but when she didn't hear anything, and he started to wash his hands instead, max shot both her fists above her head in victory. it was rare that she never got a fight from rowan for something like this, and because it was a break during physical work, she knew to be grateful about it. "kickass. it'll probably taste better warm, anyway," she teased gently as she waited for him to finish up at the sink. following him out into the living room, she grinned at the sight of deusy, slowly coming up to nuzzle her way between the pit bull and her friend. before she grabbed for her food, however, she reached underneath the coffee table to the cabinet on the right, and pulled out two tall candles. there were other various small candles inside, but for dinner, this was all they'd need. the other candles could be used throughout the rest of the house for light when it was needed. lighting the wicks, she glanced towards rowan with a bit of a smile, hoping he wouldn't mind the light. grabbing her burger, she started to unwrap it, glancing towards him when he spoke. "what? no way. we'll get that kitchen finished before your bedtime, i promise." grinning, she took a bite from the burger and closed her eyes, enjoying the taste as it overwhelmed her mouth. chewing, she swallowed what was in her mouth before looking back at him with the intent to speak. "besides. dad would've kicked me in the ass if he saw me sitting around while someone else took care of jobs that i could do around the house. so we're gonna get that crap finished, even if it takes us until three a.m." taking a sip from her drink to wash down what might've gotten stuck along the way down, max reclined a bit in the couch, releasing a content sigh from the conjoint body heat between the pitty and rowan. "plus, i've already got paint on my nose. there'd be no point in going to bed without a bigger mess to clean up." [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 683 . OUTFIT sorry if this is shitty. i tried to re-write it good D;

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Rowan grinned at her as he began to unwrap his burger as well. He brought the greasy mess to his mouth before taking a rather large bite. Rowan wasn't a slow eater, never had been, and never would be. He found dinner situations awkward, and very uncomfortable, thus he ate and exited them the quickest he could. When Rowan heard her speak about her father he smiled. "He sounds like he was a good man. " he said softly, hoping that his words wouldn't bring up any sad memories that might have pulled some tears from those beautiful eyes of hers. Rowan could get lost in those perfectly shaped, beautifully colored eyes for hours. He wasn't quite sure what about them kept him so entranced but needless to say he did his best to hide his wondering gaze. For some reason he felt as though he But was committing some great sin every time he allowed a lustful thought about her to cross his mind. Obviously Rowan would never openly admit to her what he thought when he was alone on a cold night. His thoughts weren't always of the best nature, but they were never in bad taste. Sure he had thought about her naked, but when he pictured such things, he pictured her curled up with him, not doing vulgar things. The Irishman had to admit that was a first. Something about her drew him in, and kept him here. He was a restless man, and to this day he had no idea why he still called this lovely lass's home his. "And your a good woman." he spoke with a smile. "But you do know you wont make it to three am helping me, you never do." he playfully teased before bumping her. Rowan knew she had good intentions, but to be honest he had tucked the exhausted lass in bed more times than he could remember. "Walls will still be there in the morning, maybe we call it quits? Find a movie, and just relax? After all i don't get to see you much pretty lady." he slightly teased, though he truly hoped she would take him up on his offer. He really wanted to spend time with her that didn't involve them just working on something. Rowan always felt awkward when they were up close working on something, mostly because his feelings towards her always threatened to show. Rowan remembered one time when they had been working on hanging the new windows, that she had accidentally rubbed against him, and caused him to almost get a very evident stiffy in his pants. Rowan luckily had quickly found a reason to make a smooth exit to the bathroom, and to this day didn't think Max had noticed. Though if she ever admitted to him that she had, he would be horrified. "This is true, but you could always just take a shower which would make your argument invalid." he teased before moving back to eat his food, which was practically gone already. Deciding he was pretty full he whistled for Duesy who promptly appeared before his master. Rowan through his remaining chunk of burger to him, before smiling over at Max.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON "he was," max answered, a warm smile forming on her lips from the thought. her dad was her hero, to say the least about what she thought of him. "after mom died, he got really whacky with religion and sent me and theo off to a catholic boarding school. after my brother got us kicked out for being a typical angsty boy, dad and i kind of had it out. i was nine, and i hated him for sending us away. but he never stopped loving me, even though i didn't agree with the reasons why he turned into this religious nut. i know it was a long time ago, but i still kind of hate myself for putting him through that. and it's not like we were good kids after that, either." shrugging, she bite into her burger again, taking the time to chew and swallow to collect her thoughts. "but after everything was said and done, he loved us like you wouldn't believe. he was just scared he was going to lose us, too, y'know?" glancing up towards rowan, max slowly blinked, realizing that she'd probably just turned the mood a little bit darker than he'd ever hoped for. clearing her throat, she took a sip from her drink before placing it back down on the table. "sorry.. i didn't mean to go on like that. i just don't get to talk about him a lot anymore, so when i do, it kind of just.. spills." offering an apologetic smile, she slowly raised her burger to take another bite. his compliment made her smile further through her chewing, but his injection about her crashing whenever she vowed to stay up late caused her to pout after her swallow. "it's not my faaault," she rang, looking at him with a childish gaze. "at least i make the effort to try, right?" going back to her smirk, she took another bite from her burger, this one a little too messy. a smudge of ketchup and mustard had planted itself on her lower lip, and without thinking about napkins, max simply just licked it off with her tongue when she didn't have that much left to chew in her mouth (not wanting to flash any chewed up food to rowan, of course). "but i guess we can wait until morning," she slowly agreed, glancing at him sideways. "just as long as you chose the movie this time. don't think i forgot that i chose the last one." she grinned, re-announcing their small game that had gone on since he had started to stay with her occasionally. at least she had a large collection of DVDs to pick from. taking the time to finish the rest of her burger as well, max slowly reclined in her seat on the couch, lifting her legs to cross them on the cushion. closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the couch's back and chewed her second last bite, swallowing it when it was finished. "this is true," she started slowly, her eyes still calmly closed. "but that doesn't change the fact that i felt like getting messy." opening her eye closest to rowan, she grinned playfully and sent him a small wink. it was a playful wink, innocent at best, considering she had never assumed that rowan thought of her in a way like that. she was a girl who tried to be modest about everything until given another reason not to be, and so far, rowan hadn't lead on about anything, so she remained naive. finishing her last bite, max wrapped up the packaging it had been wrapped in and tossed it into the bag that the meal had been held in. grabbing her drink, she took a quick sip before setting it back down and gathering up rowan's garbage as well. "you spoil him, you know," she retorted with amusement, glancing at him. she was talking about the way he treated his dog in general, but what she had just seen was the ultimate way of showing affection to a dog; sharing your meal. "i think it's cute, how you get around duesy." grinning, she grabbed the bag of garbage and walked off into the kitchen before he could try and defend his honour in a manly way, because being called cute was never a manly compliment. stuffing the garbage where it belonged, max opened the freezer and pulled out the only tub of ice cream. closing the door quickly after, considering there was nothing to really keep the things inside of it cold, she grabbed two spoons and made her way back into the living room. plopping down beside him, max curled her legs back up underneath her and gave him a smile. "dessert? i promise not to eat from your side." [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 807 . OUTFIT

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] "Aw love, don't beat yourself up over it. We all do things to are parents when we are young that we would do anything to take back." Rowan said in a comforting tone, his Irish accent becoming more apparent from his deep concern about the matter. Rowan hadn't seen most of his family in years. The Irishman hadn't laid eyes on his father since he was a teenager, and his mother was happily remarried to some CEO. Ever since the marriage Rowan had felt like an unwanted burden, and thus had left his mother to her new glamorous life while he slummed the streets. "I haven't seen my father in over 17 years, and I regret it every single day. I still wish I could go back and have stayed with my father, instead of my mother after their divorce. Though if that had been the case, I would have never had the pleasure of meeting you. That in of itself makes everything else worth while." he said offering her a warm smile. He often felt as though Max brought the best out of him, a side he thought he had killed off with liquor years ago. "I'm sure your dad knew you really didn't hate him, parents have a way of seeing past are anger." he said leaning over and giving her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "Max, it is alright. I like hearing about your past, and where you came from. I honestly enjoy all your little stories." he said warmly. He laughed at her next statement, finding her defense rather amusing. "Yes yes, you try. You try so hard to stay up and help me that you end up passing out in the middle of what you are doing. I don't know how many times I've carried you back to your bed and tucked you in." he said with another small chuckle. Max was adorable when she was half asleep and protesting being moved. But Rowan was stubborn , and he refused to let a lady sleep on the floor, or even the couch for that matter. Sum it up to him being a gentleman if you want, but Rowan simply thought it a common courtesy to take care of a lady in need. "Already did, all time favorite Boondock Saints." he said with a smile. "Nothing like some vigilantly justice before bed." he said with a playful wink. When Max made the comment about him spoiling Deusy he just chuckled. The dog was by far his most prized possession, and loyal friend. Rowan would go to hell and back for that pooch, and Max probably knew it. "He is my best mate, I love him, even if he is a royal traitorous dick sometimes." he said looking over at the hunk of muscle he called a dog. When Max had gotten up to get ice cream, Rowan had stood to his feet as well. Though instead of following her he headed over towards the entertainment center to set everything up. Though as he reached for the power button he just laughed. "Okay its official we are both exhausted." he waited to hear a response from Max as to why. "We don't have any power doll, the storm remember." he said with a grin before walking over to her, and sitting back down beside her. "So until it kicks back on, I guess we are stuck talking to each other." he said with a smile, taking a spoon from her. When she had opened the partially melted ice cream, he smiled. "Still looks okay." he said giving her a side ways glance as he leaned over to take some. Though as he dipped his spoon in it, he froze and looked at her once more. Rowan knew the urge he felt building up inside him was a foolish one, but he simply couldn't help it. He had desired her touch so long, that he knew he couldn't keep his curiosity at bay long. So he went for it, and if she rejected him he would be sure to never try again. Rowan dropped the spoon in the ice cream and instead let his hand slide up the side of her neck, to her cheek. He leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers, just to show how serious he was being. Rowan didn't kiss girls, Rowan didn't go out on dates, and Rowan most certiantley did not let woman touch him. But for some reason he was perfectly content with the idea of making love to Max if she ever gave him the chance, that is. But the real question was, would she even kiss him back?

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON "thanks, row. sometimes i just get stupid stuff in my head. i think it's 'cause he's not here, right now, so.." she responded slowly, shrugging her shoulders innocently. she was really glad that he at least understood where she was coming from, and he was alright with hearing about it. the last thing she wanted was to bore him with some story that she could've held off on telling. max didn't ask about his dad, simply because she didn't really know how. this was the first time she'd ever heard of rowan's family, period, so it was a little interesting, but at the same time, she had no idea how to address any of it. and, because she didn't want to offend him, or seem like she was prying, she simply just smiled at him apologetically for bringing up the entire topic to begin with. that, and because he had regrets involving his father. max had no idea what she would've done, or where she'd be, without her dad, so she could only imagine how rowan sometimes felt. "well, at least i'm not that heavy, so i can't feel too bad about you constantly having to cart me up the stairs like a seven year old," she mused back with a smirk, laughing softly afterwards. rowan was definitely a very, very good person to max, and she knew this all too well. in fact, she didn't like it most of the time; she thought he was too good to her most times, and often tried to refuse whatever he was trying to do / give her. but she knew it was all in good heart on his end, so she usually ended up giving into those puppy, irish eyes of his. when he spoke the title that he'd picked for their movie, max let out a victorious cheer. "fuckyeah!" she grinned at him. "and right before bed? that leads to awesome dreams. well, on my end, anyway. not too sure if you're into guys halfnaked, and in bathrobes." she mused, laughing softly afterwards. "ooookay?" max called as she came back into the living room as to why rowan was calling them both exhausted. when he explained why, her face lit up, and she almost smacked herself in the forehead. "oh, shit, right! i have my laptop? it's fully charged, so it should last through an entire movie." max smiled brightly afterwards, pausing to say, "but we can still talk. it's not like we haven't seen it a billion times." pulling the lid off the ice cream container, she set it on the coffee table and settled back, holding it between them so that it was easier for rowan to reach it. "looks perfect." max agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically as she sunk her spoon into her side of the tub. she had just been about to lift her spoon when she noticed that rowan hadn't lifted his yet from the tub. slowly, she looked up at him, her lips parted with slight curiosity. she'd been about to ask him if it was something she'd said, because he was so silent, when he dropped his spoon altogether and relocated his hand to her cheek. a bit of a confused coo escaped before the kiss, but as soon as it was pressed, her eyes widened with shock. at first, she couldn't do anything, frozen in her spot, hand still firmly holding her spoon. slowly, after a moment, she started to relax, getting over the initial shock. her eyelids slid closed, and with a small bit of hesitation, leaned into the kiss and began to return it. her heartbeat was through the roof instantly, and she had no idea if this was even real, but she knew she didn't want it to stop yet. and a bit carelessly, she shifted to half set and half toss the ice cream tub onto the coffee table, so she could raise that hand to cup around the back of his neck in order to deepen the kiss. [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 674 . OUTFIT she definitely wasn't expecting that, lmfao

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Rowan couldn't believe he had actually given in, that his lips were pressed firmly against those of a woman he knew he could never really have. Sure maybe they would both make a mistake tonight that one or both might regret, but it could never be anything more than this eve. Rowan wasn't allowed love, he wasn't even allowed a stable relationship. He was a criminal with deboterous friends, and ruthless enemies. If any harm ever befell the beautiful woman he was currently clinging too, he would never forgive himself. To be honest, who was he kidding? Someone like Max would never want to be involved with a man like him. A man who lied, stole, and hurt people on a daily basis in the name of a dirty cause. He wasn't good enough, and even as those dark thoughts filled his mind he couldn't break his lips of her angel like ones. The sensation, the warmth she caused in his soul was over riding any desire he had to pull away and protect her. He wanted this, he wanted to feel all of her. The Irishman wanted to feel loved for a night, he wanted to feel vulnerable and protected by her all at the same time. He wanted her to need him, just as he craved her. What had started off as one night of feeling guilty about leaving a woman to wolves, had turned into so much more. He had broke character completely when he saved her from those thugs, and brought her into his life. She had been the only thing close to stable in 17 years. He didn't know what he would ever do if she was gone. He loved her, and although he could never utter those words out loud to her, he knew them to be true. Love did crazy things to people. When it came to Rowan it made him give up his time to help finish a dream, it made him so concerned with her well being that he endangers his own, and most of all it was going to make him break his own heart tomorrow morning. Rowan couldn't have her, and as much as he repeated that to himself in his mind, he couldn't pull his lips away from her. For once in his life he wanted to be selfish, he wanted to have something everyone told him he couldn't. Rowan wanted out of his life, and to be a part of hers. He wanted to fix up the house with her for the rest of his days. Hell he wanted to break things in it just so he could see her just a little while longer. Rowan pulled her closer to him, as the kiss deepened. His heart racing as the kiss continued. Rowan was a little shocked she couldn't feel it against her own chest. Rowan let his hand leave her cheek, and move around to her side. As gentle as he could be he pulled her onto his lap, never once parting his lips from hers. As unexpected as the kiss had been, it felt so right. His hands slid up her sides, the shirt she was wearing rising with it. His calloused hands moving up her smooth sides as he continued to kiss her. His kisses had slowed in their intensity, but the emotion behind them was only increasing. The Irishman's kisses weren't driven by lust, but a far more powerful emotion, one he was completely terrified of ever uttering. Yet at the thought, his lips parted hers, and he looked down. Rowan was ashamed, a look and emotion that hardly ever overcame him. He did terrible things, and as he sat their with a girl he viewed as nothing but an angel, he felt so dirty and low. He had been stupid, and he felt stupid. Rowan didn't dare let his dark compassionate eyes look up at her. He didn't want her to see the shame that had filled them now, a shame that was driven by a feeling he didn't feel as though he could have. Rowan knew the consequences if that emotion ever became word. He knew he couldn't do that to her, it wasn't fair. She deserved to have someone she could hold every night. Someone who didnt come home covered in blood, and she had to pretend she didn't see the monster beneath it. He didn't deserve an angel for a lover, he would only taint her. Rowan had watched time and time again how his fellow brothers had been ripped from their wives, and sometimes even their kids to be thrown in prison, or deported back home. He never wanted her to have to walk those cold hallways, to pretend not to hear dirty men as they called longingly for her attention, or have to see him behind glass. To be so close to him, yet so far away at the same time. It broke people, Rowan knew that better than anyone. He never wanted to see her pretty face on the other side of the glass, to be the woman who had to listen as a man she loved reassured her that this time his parole would go through. To just hold on a little longer and they would be together. He never wanted to have to tell her to keep her chin up, that things would work out, and that she shouldn't worry. Rowan never wanted to have to look into those eyes and know that his words were nothing but lies. She couldn't have him, and he couldn't have her, that was simply the way the cards were dealt.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON it was like one of her wilder dreams were taking form again, and max was being sucked into a night full of fantasy. only it was real, and her co-opposite wasn't just a shadowy figure that she didn't recognize as anyone she knew. but everything still felt unreal, light, like she wasn't actually there, or coherent. she could tell from the weightless feeling that consumed her when rowan lifted her into his lap. her legs seemed to fit perfectly against his sides, and she straddled him tightly, almost needingly. it'd been quite a while since max had even contemplated the idea of letting anyone come back home with her from a bar for a night of drunken, sloppy, yet satisfying sex. that mixed with the way rowan had kissed her, and was kissing her, it was more than hard for her to resist the need to want him as much as he seemed to want her. even after her shirt was removed, and she was left in her bra and jeans, she felt the most comfortable she'd been around rowan since they'd met that late night. and as her arms wrapped around him, keeping herself drawn close to him, she hoped that he felt as comfortable as her, too. she was just starting to melt into his softer, more intimate kisses, when he parted and broke away from it. max's breath caught in the back of her throat, and her eyes slowly started to open in confusion. at first she'd thought that maybe he'd just needed some breath, but when her eyes opened the rest of the way and focused on rowan's face, his downward gaze, she felt her stomach twist and knot. to max, it looked like a face full of regret, and she couldn't think of a time where she'd felt more hopeless and vulnerable in her life. when he didn't say anything, she felt like the silence put more of a bite into the situation, only making her mind register that she probably didn't want to be there any longer. so, as hard as she tried not to be awkward - but unfortunately failed rather miserably - max started to pull herself out of his lap. it turned out to be more of a rushed, ungraceful scamper backwards into her seat, but she didn't really spend too much time thinking about how silly that probably looked. "i-i think i'm just going to go to bed, now." she said underneath her breath, trying to hide the hurt from her voice. she felt as though she'd just been rejected, despite the fact that she hadn't made the first move. and that stung so much more than if she would've made the first move. "night." standing, she left the ice cream where it was, uncaring if it melted out and she'd have to toss it in the garbage in the morning. all she wanted to do was escape to the sanctuary of her room, and cuddle with sleven until she could sleep all of this away. [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 508 . OUTFIT (:

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Rowan couldn't manage to utter any words when Max remained sitting helpless in his lap. What was he suppose to say to her? Sorry? Was he sorry for his actions? No, Rowan was anything but sorry for them. He had wanted to kiss her for so long, hell he wanted so much more with her. He had gone five years without feeling any kind of intimacy, and what he had just felt when their lips had been connected overwhelmed him to his very core. The Irishman wanted to pull her back in, to forget his momentary laps in judgment and just for once let things happen. But he was far too concerned with the what ifs to allow himself that type of freedom. Rowan did nothing to stop her when she climbed off his lap, saying something about going to bed and beginning to walk off. He felt helpless in that moment, why couldn't he muster the words to explain himself, why wasn't he chasing after her? He seemed frozen to the spot, the horror of what could of happened fresh in his mind. Though as he managed to pull his gaze up and watch her walk away from him, everything became so surreal. Rowan jumped to his feet, and went after her. He wasn't going to just let her slip away from him, but at the same time he wanted her to know exactly what she was getting herself into. "Max..." he muttered softly, his accent thick from the distress he felt. He reached out for her hand, gently turning her around to face him. Rowan pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. The well built man just held her for a moment, before kissing the top of her head. "I'm not sorry for kissing you, i..I'm just scared." he admitted softly looking down at her with his warm eyes. Rowan felt so lost, so uncertain, and most of all afraid. Afraid of what all this meant for them, what it meant for him, and what it would mean for his lifestyle. "I just don't want you to get hurt." he said brushing some hair out of her face. "I'm not a good man, I've done terrible things Max, unforgivable things. You are the only good thing in my life, and I just don't want to do something that would endanger you, or ruin what we have."[/] he said with a sigh looking down once more. Though when he looked back at her face, and saw her eyes he smiled. "I want to kiss you so bad right now." he said with a small chuckle. "Hell, I want to say fick everything, and just take you to bed." he said with a grin, hoping his words didn't offend. He didn't want her to ever think something she had done had caused him to pull away. What he had done was truly because of him, and only him. Rowan remained quiet, his arms still wrapped around her torso. Rowan wasn't sure what to do, and he hated it. If he did indeed go through with what he felt he knew he would always want more That seeing her would bring about immense feelings with in him that he would not be able to control. The thought of her being with another man would drive him mad, even if he knew he couldn't have her. Rowan knew he wouldn't be able to keep his life with her separate from his work. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before she met his brothers, began hanging out at the biker bar with him, and well if things continued she would eventually be rubbing elbows with mob wives. Needless to say she would be getting in deep with wanted men, dangerous woman, and an illegal life style. But if she could see past all that, hold her own, and truly wanted to be apart of it, he wouldn't stop her. Hell he knew he could never keep Max from what she truly wanted, or worse tell her she couldn't do something. "I care about you Max, I just don't want to bring you into something you may not want." he said honestly. "but please believe me when I say I want nothing more than to be apart of your life, and if you truly don't care about what I do or who I am, you can have every part of me." he said in a serious tone, his fingers unable to stop from caressing her lower back.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON every step that max took away from him and more down the hall, the more her heartbeat had started to raise. she felt her cheeks grow warm, and her eyes had started to gloss over and grow wet. she had no idea why she felt like this, all over something as simple as him breaking from a kiss, but she couldn't control herself from feeling what she did. her chest felt like someone's hand was wrapped around her and squeezing as tight as they could muster, making it hard for her to breathe, or even concentrate on the speed of her walking. but when she heard rowan's voice, it was like she hadn't known he was there at all from how much the noise startled her. at the feel of his hand, she almost jerked her own away and out of his grasp, but he had her spun around to face him before she could flinch away. it only took him a matter of seconds to embrace her in a hug, and all max could do was stand there, her hands helplessly dangling at her sides as she tried to figure out what was going on. the kiss on the top of her head made her eyes close, but other than that, she just listened to his words. she had no idea what he was talking about, not really. she knew he was involved in something that he didn't want her to discover, but she wasn't interested in prying, or hanging around long enough to be known by whoever he was attempting to protect her from. but max was also fearless when it came to stuff like that; her past with carter proved that without much effort. so when he said he just wanted to protect her, her face twisted a bit in pain and dislike, because she hated it when people tried to protect her from things she didn't even know if she could withstand. being babied had never been one of max's better things to deal with, considering she'd grown up with her father and older brother, who did neither to her no matter her age. her thoughts shifted when he smiled down at her, and for a moment, she felt like she'd smile too, but it was gone as quick as it'd started to come through. it was still a rather large, confusing mess inside of her head, and rowan's filtering wasn't making it any easier for her to make any sense out of it. at the silence that overwhelmed them, max was trying to find something to say. but, when she wasn't able to, it gave rowan the perfect opportunity to take the stage again. she looked up at him at his words, slowly raising her hands to rest on his chest, though she was still a tad confused about everything. when he was done speaking, max swallowed thickly, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. "why are you so scared to let me in, even for a night, row? it's not like i'm not going to be here tomorrow. or the day after that." slowly, she let her right hand slide down his chest, and she caught his left hand with her own. entwining their fingers, she looked back up at him, offering a reassuring smile. "i don't care what you do. i never have. all i need to know is that you're a good man, who risked his life to save someone he didn't even know." slowly, she pulled away from him, but kept her hand in his. taking a few steps, she tugged on his hand, trying to get him to follow her. "come lay with me. please?" [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 619 . OUTFIT

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] How Rowan wanted the silence to end, how he wanted Max to tell him everything would be okay. That his fear was irrational, that his choices weren't so bad, and that his future wasn't as dim as his fears were making it appear. He wanted her to hold him, and care for him in a way he had never really experienced. Rowan was so accustomed to being a protector, for having to play the fearless bad ass, and worse yet become what his family expected of him. When in all actuality he wanted a normal life, with an honest career, and a good woman to come home. A family that supported and loved each other in a way that didn't comprise of ass kicking, gun dealing and a lot of alcohol. When she finally spoke a sigh of relief was released, and his whole body seemed to relax. Rowan didn't know how to respond to her words, and thus when he felt her hand grab his, he couldn't help but to smile. It never ceased to amaze him how simple gestures could warm your soul. He didn't need to be sexually involved with Max to feel what he longed for. Her simple touch, reassuring words, and the second chance she had given him was plenty. So when she gave his hand a tug, he obediently followed after her, deciding one they reached the room he would be brave enough to turn thoughts into words. "Because I don't think you will accept the real me. The one I've hidden, the one I've tried so hard not to let into this wonderful friendship I have with you. I'm not a good man Max, I just did a good deed out of guilt. Do you have any idea who I even am?" Rowan said with a sigh, rubbing his face partially out of frustration. What he didn't realize, and probably never would was that actions would always speak louder than words. He may be described as something, but he could in turn be something completely else. "I just want to be honest with you, I want you to know everything about me, and if you cant accept it, I'll understand." he said softly, his eyes looking desperately into hers for some encouragement. "But once I tell you, I don't ever want to speak about it again. I don't want to mix this wonderful thing I have with you into my work, and family life." he said calmly, but the seriousness to his words remained. If she chose to accept him after he came clean, then god bless her, but she would never be apart of his other life. She would never meet his family, she would never be allowed to go out on runs with him, or hang out at SouthTown pub when his fellow mobsters and bikers were a foot. In a sense she would be isolated from all that made him bad, in order to not ruin what they had, or endanger her in any way. "I cant lay with you, until I get a few things off my chest." Rowan took a deep breath, doing his best to try to compose himself, and make his words come out clearer. "Well, here goes it." he said trying his best to control the shakes he felt coming on. "I work for the Irish Mob, well rather my family is pretty high up there." he admitted first. "That old man that works at the pub close to where you first met me? That's my uncle Byran, he runs things here in the states. Please try not to go in their too often." Rowan cautioned, knowing that drawing attention to the fact she knew Rowan wasn't likely to go over well. Rowan was cherished by his family because he had no attachments, he wasn't afraid to go to jail, and he was practically fearless because he had no one to fear for, well until now. "I'm a gun smuggler, and I sell guns to bad people so that they can start shit with other bad people. I'm a murderer, I'm wanted in four different states, and I've been to jail countless times." he said with a sigh. "But Max I never meant to hide things from you. I never meant for this to even get this far. I told myself back then that I would just save you from those bad men, and be on my way. But for some reason I just couldn't leave you there alone, and afraid. I still cant seem to leave you, even though everything in my head screams this is not a good idea. I just don't want you to get hurt, or have to stand by while I do." he said softly. His hands moving to rest on her shoulders as he looked down into her beautiful eyes. "I don't know what it is I'm exactly feeling, but I do know you are special to me. The thought of you being hurt whether by my actions or someone elses makes me feel ill, I've never felt that way before." he said, knowing good and well that he was rambling. But while he had the courage to be blindly honest he was going to get every last thought out. "As much as it will upset me if you cant accept me, I understand Max. I know this is a lot to put on someone..." with that he forced himself to shut up, and just let her speak.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]

[MAX ANNABEL CARDIGAN.]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background-color:#202020] [STYLE=opacity:.8; background-color:#202020; padding:6px; width:200px] [/style]

[atrb=style, width:252px;][atrb=valign, top] can i make it better WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED ON as max lead rowan up the stairs and down the hall to the last door, her bedroom, she turned to glance over her shoulder at rowan. she tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it felt more weary as she looked ahead of herself again, and finished leading him into her room. letting his hand go, she sighed a bit when he said that he had to get a few things off his chest before he could lay down. without saying anything, she simply just took in a deep breath and plopped down on the side of her bed a bit less than graceful. rolling her sleeves up, max looked at him intently, letting him know that he had her undivided attention. she had no idea what he'd tell her, but she had a bit of an idea. at least, from the way he was already carrying on. to be honest, max didn't want to hear it, simply because she was a very strong-willed woman who chose to make opinions on her own basis, not what other people say. but, because it was rowan, she was going to listen and hear him out before she told him to shut his mouth entirely and just crawl into bed to cuddle. max didn't quite understand why he was so worried about telling her about his affiliation with the irish mob. max wasn't stupid enough to get caught up in things like that, mainly because she'd already had her fair share of accidents with carter while she was growing up. getting involved in something that could leave her fingerless, tooth-pulled, and dead in a ditch? she had no intentions of getting remotely interested in the mob his family was high up with. it was a little bit of a surprise to hear that the old man who worked at the pub he always went to was his uncle, but she supposed that made sense, if it was rowan's main spot to go to when he wasn't working on her place. still, she remained silent, knowing that it probably wasn't the thing that was eating at him to tell her. as soon as he said that he was a murderer, max's eyes blinked, and she stared at him in disbelief. she fell deaf to everything else he said after that, and all she could do was stare at him. on the outside, it looked like normal, as though she was processing and listening to him all the same, but on the inside of her mind, it was almost at a stand still. she was having a very hard time trying to come to the realization that this wasn't some joke he was pulling. he'd actually just confessed to killing not one person, but more than one, to her. what was she supposed to say, or do, to that? it wasn't until his hands came to rest on her shoulders that she actually snapped out of the trance, and with another blink, she tilted her head up a bit more to see him better. slowly pinching her eyebrows together, max drew in a deep breath, and she shook her head. at first, that's all she did, not being able to find the right kind of words to express how she felt. "rowan.." she started a bit shakily, closing her eyes for a moment so she could think a bit better. "i've never seen that person. since the night i met you, i haven't seen that guy at all. you've been nothing but amazing, helping me out around the house, making sure i'm actually awake to get to work before i get my ass canned for sleeping in again.." opening her eyes, she gave him a hard pressed look. "i don't believe you. i mean, i believe everything that you said, but i don't believe that's who you really are. i've been around people who have no disreguard for anyone else, people who would steal the last of their grandmother's grocery money just to get another twenty minute hit. guys, who've literally attempted to pass me around like some fucking.. biker bitch." stopping there, her breathing having grown more hyped from reliving the memories of her past with carter. "rowan, you're not like that. okay? you're just.. you're not." grabbing his right hand from her left shoulder, she lifted it from her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to the back of his hand. "if you want me to stay away from the pub, i will. but i don't wanna hear ever again that you think you're a bad man." standing, she pushed past him to work her way out of her jeans. tossing them into her laundry hamper, she ran her fingers through her hair quickly in front of her dresser's mirror, before returning to her bed. crawling onto the queen sized mattress, she scurried under the blankets, visibly shuffling over to make room for the man who she desperately had faith in. patting the spot, she gave him a small smile, hoping he'd finally take the offer and crawl into bed with her. [atrb=style, background-color: 202020;] ROWAN . 854 . OUTFIT sorry for the waaaaaait

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[ROWAN THOMAS CARNIGEE.]

[bg=8a0f00][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Okay so maybe Rowan was dumping a little much on the lass, after all hearing all that in one sentence might have been more than he could have even handled. As he thought over the words that had fell from his lips uncontrollably, he sighed. Man he felt even lower than before, and as his eyes finally managed to find hers he could only hope his tired orbs would be met with an understanding look. His entire life had gone wrong some how, and he was tired of feeling all the hurt that swelled in every fiber of his being. He just wanted it to end, he didn't want to live a life on the run, he didn't want to be in a constant fight for his life or turf, he just wanted a normal life. A life that would allow him to have an honest job, and a good woman to hold every night. When he heard her speak his name a bit of hope rose in his chest, maybe this wasn't it. Maybe confessing all this hadn't been a terrible thing after all, perhaps she truly wouldn't care about the monster that resided deep with in him. He had shown her a side of himself few ever got a glimpse at, and it seemed as though she was accepting that he wasn't as perfect as he might have appeared. When she spoke of never seeing that man, he couldn't help but to smile just a little. Not that he was proud of himself for hiding a part of himself from her, but he was impressed in the slightest. As she looked at him, he couldn't help but to sense a little uneasiness from her. He wished that feeling had never took hold of her soul, for he would never harm a hair on her head. Max was special to him, and even if she started screaming and throwing shit at him, swearing and hating him, he would never be able to build any kind of rage towards her. When her breathing increased and her words seemed to become more distressed, and intense feeling rose in Rowan's chest. A sick feeling, crossed with a bit of anger, and a desire to comfort. It was obvious from her tone that men with his rap sheet had been in her life before. It seemed as though on in particular had put her in several not so good positions. "Hey hey hey.." he said a bit firmly, but compassion was still laced in his voice, "Don't go to that place, bury those memories Max, don't think about them you are not in that place anymore." Rowan said softly. Rowan knew a thing or two about bad memories, and over the years he had found ways to completely forget some, to the point they no long rose any emotion with in him. "I would never allow that to happen." he added. Rowan had only said the last part in case Max did stick around. It was well understood by all Irishmen within his crime family that you never ever messed with someone elses old lady. Even if she happened to show up on your doorstep you were still expected to deny her. Brotherly loyalty came before all else, breaking that code could leave you with more than just a few broken bones. When she said he wasn't like that he smiled. "I am, but I will never be like that at home, or around you. This life is going to remain separate from that one, where I am now, is where I truly want to be." he said a soft genuine smile remaining on his feature. Feeling her lips on his hand sent shivers down his spine, not because it aroused him, but rather he had never ever felt this type of genuine concern and care. Her soft little gesture brought immense comfort to his warring soul. "I just don't want you wondering in there on your own, it really is not safe. If you go in there with me, than you opening a can of worms you might not want too. Not sure you want to be viewed as my old lady, and yea, they'll jump right too that cause its not often I'm in the company of a lady." he said with a small grin. Rowan did his best not to watch her as she removed her jeans, even if he badly wanted too. There were parts of Max he had imagined, and if given the chance to look he was dying too. But at the same time the inner gentleman in him was keeping him from doing so. Rowan could feel those late night thoughts entering his mind, and he needed to get away from her quick before he did something incredibly stupid. "I'm going to go take a shower...." he said abruptly and scurried off out of her room. Rowan could feel himself becoming rather aroused due to the slight bit of skin he had snuck a peek at, and his vivid imagination of his going wild. Rowan walked into the bathroom, shutting the door, but not bothering to lock it. Rowan had been around long enough to know that Max would respect his space. He turned the water on, letting it get warm as he pulled his shirt over his head. He ran a hand through his hair before hitting the wall out of frustration. Why was this so fucking hard, why couldn't he have just kept her out like every other girl. He wasn't good enough for her, he couldn't give her what he thought she needed, and quite frankly the thought of anything ever happening to her was enough to make his eyes start to water. With a grunt, he undid his belt, and pulled his jeans off. Maybe the water beating down on him would be enough to calm him. Rowan climbed in the shower, and silently prayed for peace. Rowan finished taking his shower, clearing his head, and bringing his arousal level down before shutting off the water. Part of him wanted to be a coward and sneak off to his room to sleep, but the other part of him knew that after he had dropped all the on her, he couldn't leave her on her own. His only fear was that he would for the first time in his life he would be over affectionate. He wanted to hold her, cuddle her, and fall asleep as close to her as humanly possible. His greatest fear was pushing her away with his actions, and he knew with the way he was starting to feel about the girl, he could. Rowan took a deep breath, before climbing out of the shower, and wrapping a towel around his waste. He couldn't be a coward, he knew that. He gathered up his things off the bathroom floor, and quietly walked to the room he called his. He tossed his clothes in the hamper before walking over a pulling a pair of black basketball style shorts out of his bag. He finished drying himself off with the towel, before pulling the shorts on. Rowan paced for a moment as he continued to wrestle with himself on what he should do. Finally he just walked out of his room, and back to hers. He didn't say a word as he came in the room, just quietly walked over to the side of the bed where she had left space for him. Rowan climbed in, pulling the blanket over himself. Though there was a slight hesitation, he gave in and gently pulled her close to him, draping an arm around her affectionately.

[/blockquote]
[/color][/td][/tr][/table]
[/center]