Erotic Liaisons by jleigh1

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 9


The days passed with companionship and happiness. The nights passed with unbridled passion. An unspoken agreement was reached--neither broached the subject of the unspecified danger hanging over their heads like a dark storm cloud. Instead, they each reveled in their renewed connection--a friendship to stand the test of time, a passion that would not be denied, and a love so powerful it knew no bounds.

Elizabeth basked in the early morning peace. She had become accustomed to sitting on the balcony in the early morning stillness. Her toes gently tapped the deck as she slowly rocked her daughter in her arms.

A few days ago, she made a casual comment in passing about moving the rocking chair from the nursery to the balcony. To her surprise, a new rocking chair was delivered a few hours later. She smiled to herself as she remembered the look in Jason’s eyes when he walked through the door behind the deliverymen. His eyes had held excitement, and hope that she would be pleased with his gift. She had been pleased because of what the gift represented. He truly listened with his whole being when she spoke, not just with his ears but with his heart and soul as well. That was the greatest gift of all.

She continued to reminisce on the various kindnesses he had shown her this past week, the kindnesses interspersed with the heavy-handed dictation. He had a tendency to carry out actions or give instructions without requesting her input. That first morning in the Penthouse when she learned he had hired Celeste to be Venice’s nanny without her input was only the beginning.

She immediately set about subtly informing him that she would not be dictated to. Patience had never been one of her strong suits, so it was with great pride that she congratulated herself on the immense strides she had made in training Jason on the proper houseguest and relationship etiquette. The man was too heavy-handed for his own good. But he was learning, slowly but surely.

She smiled at the memory of his stupefied expression the first time she said, “No.” He stood rooted to the spot with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. When the silence stretched between them, she had finally relented and said, “Not until you ask me what I think. Remember, I do not respond well to heavy-handed tactics. Nobody dictates my life, but me.” Since that day, he had truly tried to do better.

Coming back to the present, she basked in the beautiful display of color in the harbor. The early morning sun combined with the multi-colored boats cast such a display of brilliant color that it almost seemed to be a kaleidoscope made for her personal viewing. If she didn’t know better, she would be inclined to believe Jason had ordered this for her too.

Leaning her head against the back of the rocking chair, she ruminated on the turn her life had taken. She had been staying with Jason for a full week now. One glorious week.

There were times with Ric when she had been happy, moments when it seemed she couldn’t possibly be more content.

This past week had shown her what true happiness is. No second guessing, no doubts or fears, just happiness and understanding--peace. Jason completed her in a way no man ever had. Sometimes she wondered if any other man ever could.

Jason seemed to understand her completely. Sometimes he knew her thoughts before she even voiced them. He respected her as an individual, even as his actions tightened the bond between them. At times during the past week, she had found herself wondering how she had ever lived without him. Then upon further reflection, she realized she had not been actually living. She had only contentedly existed. Her heart was filled with love for her daughter, but Jason satisfied her woman’s soul.

She did not know what the danger was that prompted Jason to move her here, but she trusted him enough to know he would protect her. She had a sinking suspicion it had something to do with Ric, but decided against questioning him about it up until now.

She had selfishly wanted some time to just be with Jason and be happy without worrying about anything. The knowledge that Jason would warn her if he knew the danger was close made the decision an easy one. Therefore she gave herself one week to live with Jason and be happy, without questioning anything.

Her week was up. Tonight she would have to broach the subject with Jason.

The hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Turning her head, she looked up into the bright blue eyes currently centered on her daughter. “You look so beautiful sitting here,” Jason said before leaning down to place a kiss on Venice’s cheek. Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes and with a quirk of his lips said, “You’re beautiful too,” before placing a soft kiss upon her lips.

Sliding his arms behind her back and beneath her knees, he avoided her eyes as he gently lifted her and reversed their positions. He lowered himself into the rocking chair and settled the bundle in his arms on his lap. Once she was settled, he turned his head and closed his eyes.

She smirked as the suspicion seeped into her consciousness that he was attempting to be funny. Well, I’ll play along, she thought to herself. She sat ramrod straight and waited for him to open his eyes and look at her, but he seemed determined to avoid it. Shifting slightly and clearing her throat in staccato form finally prompted him to meet her eyes. She hitched her eyebrow and barely stifled her snort as his amusement became clear. The smile he had been holding back broke across his face as he shamelessly asked, “Was that a bit heavy-handed, ma’am?”

Dissolving into a fit of giggles she relaxed against his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. “You impossible man, why do you provoke me? Am I that amusing?” she asked.

With an affirmative nod, he confessed, “You’re funny when you get your back up.”

With an indelicate snort, she closed her eyes and settled her face in the curve of his neck. She felt his chin come to rest on her head as he resumed their rocking. She loved being held in his arms like this. A sense of peace permeated her being as she thought there is no place I’d rather be.

*****

“Damn it!” Sonny yelled as he snapped his cell phone closed. He walked to the edge of the docks and looked over the water. “That was Marcos. They found Clarence.”

“Where is he?” Jason asked.

“They tracked him to his mother’s place in Florida,” he paused to rub his hand down his face before continuing. “They got him to talk. Ric’s alive.”

A feeling of dread came over Jason as he asked, “Where? What’s he planning?”

“We don’t know.” Seeing Jason’s impatient look, he continued, “Jason, they worked him over good. If he knew something, he would have talked. The only thing Clarence could tell them is what we already know. He’s coming after me, and…you already know, Jason. You were hoping you were wrong, but you already know.”

Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he said, “He wants Elizabeth.” It was more a statement than a question. At Sonny’s affirmative nod, he yelled, “Son of a bitch!” As the second ring finished, he said, “Come on…damn it Johnny, pick up.” His gut clenched in fear as the third ring completed. He never even heard Johnny’s voice mail pick up. He was already running.

*****

“Johnny, I’m just taking Venice for a check-up. You don’t have to dog my every step you know. Do you think the Pediatrician is secretly a hit man?” she asked with a laugh. “Just stay here in the waiting room. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sorry Ms. Webber, I don’t mean to crowd you, I just--“

“Johnny, its Elizabeth. Just Elizabeth, ok? And I understand that you’re only doing your job. Thank you,” she said and stood on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. His head ducked and a sheepish expression crossed his face. Watching his embarrassment caused her to smile. “Johnny, I appreciate that you watch over me and I feel completely safe because I know you will protect me. Now, why don’t you just sit down and talk to Celeste?” This time she chuckled at his embarrassment. “Come on Johnny. You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell. You like her, don’t you?” Leaning closer to him, she nudged him in the side with her elbow and whispered, “I think she likes you, too.”

She paused at the door to look back at the waiting room sofa. Johnny sat there completely erect with his hands clasped prayer-style on his lap. She noticed that he determinedly avoided looking at Celeste, who sat with her head slightly bowed, meticulously picking nonexistent lint off her skirt.

Entering the pediatrician’s outer office, she decided a little matchmaking was in order, since neither seemed inclined to act on their interest in the other. Sometimes the only thing required, she thought, was a small nudge in the right direction.

Recalling the tableau in the waiting room, she mentally snorted and realized a nudge might not be quite enough. This required a small shove in the right direction.

*****

He went to her studio, but she wasn’t there.

He called the penthouse, but there was no answer.

Finally, he called Max, who was with Carly and the boys at the park.

“Venice had a check-up today, so they should be at the hospital. Elizabeth probably made him turn off his phone once they got there,” Max informed Jason.

“Thanks Max. I’ll head over there now. She’d like that you just called her Elizabeth instead of Ms. Webber.”

Max chuckled and said, “What can I say? She has me trained.”

*****

Elizabeth decided it was time to take the first step in her matchmaking effort. The first step was to get Celeste and Johnny to actually talk to each other. With this goal in mind, she handed Venice to a surprised Johnny and said, “Here. Can you two take her to the waiting room while I speak with the doctor?” Maybe with Venice as a buffer, they’d finally actually speak to each other.

Once they were gone, she sat down in the plush chair in the Pediatrician’s office waiting for the results of the check-up. She expected the doctor to tell her that Venice was happy and healthy, but braced herself in case something was wrong that she couldn’t see.

She heard the door open and close behind her. She waited for the doctor to walk around her chair and take a seat at his desk. When a few seconds passed, she began to tense. Her ears picked up the sound of the lock sliding home and she whipped around in her chair. Before her stood her worst nightmare.

“I’ll scream,” she said but stopped when Ric lifted his finger and shook it in front of her face in a silent “no”, then lifted it to his face. She could hear the air hiss out of his mouth in a quiet “Sshh”.

He pulled his finger away from his mouth and placed it on her cheek. She inhaled sharply as the finger began to stroke down her cheek. Her eyes closed briefly as she attempted to control her racing heart. The finger was now moving down her neck to the pulse point at the base of her throat, just as he always used to do. It was amazing how drastically things could change. That particular stroking touch used to bring her pleasure, but now caused her stomach to churn.

Her eyes snapped open and her head snapped around. She glared up into his dead, black eyes and said, “He’ll hunt you and kill you for the rabid dog you are, you know.”

“This from my sweet Elizabeth? What happened to my sweet, gentle, loving wife, Elizabeth?”

“Ex wife, Ric. I’m your ex wife. And if you think all I am is sweet, gentle, and loving, then you never knew me at all.”

“You’re right. I guess I didn’t, because I never expected my wife to whore for a glorified hit man.”

“I would rather be Jason’s whore then your wife,” she snapped. Softening her facial expression, she deliberately instilled a sensual slant to her eyes as she whispered, “The pleasure he gives me is indescribable. He knows my wants, my needs, my desires…the desire in every inch of my body—“. She barely stifled her gasp as her head was yanked back by the hand in her hair.

His left hand maintained his hold of her hair even as his right hand came down on the opposite arm of the chair in which she was seated, effectively caging her in. His sneering face leaned so close to her own, her stomach revolted at the wash of his hot breath on her face. His maniacally glittering eyes glared into her frightened ones, as he seethed, “You will never spread your legs for him again. Instead, he will watch as I fuck you. Then you will watch as I kill him slowly…”

She couldn’t stop the tears that gathered in her eyes at the visual picture his words evoked. “Ric, please. I’m sorry I provoked you,” she paused to suck in her shaking breath and fighting tears, continued, “This isn’t you, Ric. There is a good man inside you, I know it. I loved you once, because I could see the good—“

His grating laugh cut off her words. He lifted his hand from the arm of the chair to grasp the side of her face, clamping his thumb on her chin. “When you took away your love, the good in me went with it. But you will love me again. I’ll make you love me again, Elizabeth.” On that ominous note, he enclosed her shaking lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

Using the thumb on her chin to pry open her jaw, he forced his tongue inside her mouth. Her head was forced against the back of the chair as he molested the inside of her mouth. His whiskers scraped the sensitive skin of her chin and upper lip as he forced her to respond. Pulling back slightly from the kiss, he said, “What’s wrong Elizabeth? Has being with a stone statue like Morgan made you forget how to kiss?”

She glared into his eyes and in a voice shaking with equal parts rage and fear she said, “You think to win my love by raping me and killing the man I love? You are insane!”

“Now there you’re wrong, Elizabeth. I am quite sane. I’m just extremely pissed off.” Leaning closer to her face, he whispered, “Kiss me, Elizabeth. Or the first person I take away from you will be your bastard daughter.”

“I will not sit passively while you attempt some sick seduction! My daughter is safe with Johnny. You can’t get to her.”

“Tsk. Tsk. Wrong again, Elizabeth. I have men stationed in the waiting room right now, prepared to take her out with one quick bullet.”

Was he lying? Possibly. Could she take that chance? Never.

The fear and the loathing coursed through her veins as Ric resumed his assault on her mouth. His hands began to roam her body, and she prayed for the strength to accept his touch without fighting him. If saving her daughter meant letting him kiss her, she’d accept his angry kisses. She almost lost her will when his hands closed over her breasts. She tensed in revolt and she fought the helpless tears welling in her chest. She felt so defenseless and alone. Latching onto her one beacon of strength, she began repeating a silent litany in her mind…please hurry Jason, please hurry Jason…

Suddenly her mouth and breasts were released. He lifted his head and cocked his ear towards the door. Looking up into his eyes, she tried to imagine how she could have ever loved this monster. Had he always been like this? Had his eyes always been so deadly cold? If so, how had she never noticed? How had she ever imagined she had seen warmth and love? “It looks like our reunion might have to wait a bit,” he whispered.

“Excuse me, what room is Elizabeth Webber in?”

Jason! So that is what had made Ric stop. He had heard Jason in the hall. The relief that poured through her gave her a feeling of immense power. “Are you going to run, Ric? Are you going to run and hide like the pathetic excuse of a man that you are?”

“No, I’m not running. I simply know when to throw in the cards. But there will be a next hand, Elizabeth. And I’ll win the next one. See you soon, love.”

She watched as Ric whirled away from her to escape through the side door reserved for the doctor’s use. She yelled, “Jason! I’m in here!”

A few seconds later, the door slammed open and there he was, larger than life. She ran across the room to him and was swept up in his comforting embrace. “You’re shaking, Elizabeth. It’s ok, baby. What is it?” He set her feet on the ground and pulled back to look into her face. She watched as his face transformed. The expression on his face hardened and a steel glint entered his eyes as he looked at her mouth.

She suddenly realized how she must look--her lips swollen from Ric’s violent kisses, and the whisker burns on her chin and upper lip. The evidence of his embrace was clearly visible on her face. Her shame must be clearly visible to everyone, and especially to Jason. She couldn’t blame him for doubting her, when the evidence was so damning and literally staring him in the face. The thought of hearing Jason’s accusations cut her to the core, so she opened her mouth to begin explaining, but never got the chance.

“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you,” Jason said in a broken whisper as his hand lifted to cup her cheek.

She stood there dumbfounded for a moment. The ability to form a coherent sentence fled as his complete faith in her rocked her to the core. She had expected questions at the least, but he did not doubt her for one single moment. She was looking into the eyes of unconditional love, acceptance, and trust.

His thumbs stroked her cheekbones, and she realized he was wiping away tears she had not realized were falling. Struggling to control her trembling mouth, she whispered, “You did protect me, Jason. You’re here. And you believe in me.” Her body began shaking with her sobs and she was wrapped in his protective embrace.

He dropped soft kisses to the top of her head and said, “Of course I believe in you, Elizabeth.” Pulling back slightly, he tilted up her chin and said, “We’re going home. That is, if it’s okay with you ma’am.”

Her lips moved into a trembling smile as she looked into his gently smiling eyes. “It’s about time you learned to ask me instead of ordering me, you impossible man.”

“What can I say? You have me trained.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter 10

He believed in her--completely and unconditionally. That thought kept repeating in her mind as they walked into the waiting area. Her eyes widened and a smile broke across her face when she noticed that Johnny and Celeste were actually talking--to each other. Her plan worked! She clasped her hands, and excitedly turned to Jason, ready to share her achievement with him, when it struck her like a 2x4…Johnny was her bodyguard, and he was here…while she had been in there…with Ric…

Jason’s arm slipped off her shoulders as she bolted forward to the waiting area sofas. She immediately began speaking, while jogging forward, loud enough for her voice to carry back to Jason, “Oh Johnny! You were so right and I was wrong! I’m so sorry I made you guard Venice out here. I just don’t know why I thought I needed to speak with the doctor alone!”

She came to a stop and glanced over her shoulder to watch Jason come to a standstill beside her. Turning back to Johnny, she continued, the words spilling out in a rapid flow, “Thank you so much for guarding Venice like I ask--um--ordered you to. And I just wanted to say that your instincts were right on. You knew best, and I probably should have had you and Venice with me in the doctor’s office, and from now on, what you say goes, but you know, I was just worried about my baby girl and--“

Her furious rambling came to a halt. She could have sworn she heard a chuckle. It didn’t come from Johnny, who was standing there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She turned to look at Jason and realized she had heard a chuckle! The odious man had his hand over his mouth, and his body was shaking from subduing his mirth. Slapping the back of her hand against his chest, she asked, “What is so funny?!”

Tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, he wiped his hand over his mouth, as if he were trying to wipe away his laughter. Gaining a semblance of control, he lowered his head again and speared Elizabeth with his still dancing eyes. “Johnny is your bodyguard, Elizabeth--your bodyguard. Not,” he paused to stress his point, “not the other way around.”

A small grin stole across her lips and she said, “Was I that transparent?”

“Yes, you were. But it was kind of cute, really,” he said with a grin.

The smile slipped off her face and her eyes turned serious. She held onto Jason’s elbow and pulled him slightly away from the sofas as she whispered, “Seriously though, Jason, he did want to follow me in, but I thought it was silly. I even made a joke about the Pediatrician secretly being a hit man.” She paused to prepare herself for his reaction to her next statement. Would he be disgusted with the reason why? “I was trying to play matchmaker.”

Jason looked up to see Johnny standing there holding Venice, watching them and waiting to find out what went wrong. He also noticed that Celeste was watching Johnny watching them. “It looks like your plan worked.”

He knew that was the right thing to say when Elizabeth’s face lit up and she excitedly asked, “Do you think so?”

“Yeah, I do. I have to tell you, I’m not used to being around a woman whose plans actually work,” he laughed.

“Well get used to it, because I’m not going anywhere.”

His smile fell away as he thought to himself, that’s what you think. Deciding that wouldn’t be the smartest way to broach the subject, he said instead, “Elizabeth, we need to talk. I know you don’t like anyone dictating your life, or even making it seem like they’re trying to, but from now on, we have to be more careful. Ok? Will you trust that if I tell you something, it is not because I’m trying to run your life, but that I’m just trying to protect you?”

Her head tilted to the side as she reached up to touch his cheek. “Of course I trust you Jason. But getting back to Johnny—“

“Elizabeth, you don’t have to worry about Johnny.” He cupped her precious face in his hands and continued, “But that was too close, Elizabeth. I will not risk losing you to that bastard. So I need you to not argue with me when I tell you what I have planned.”

“What you have planned? Something tells me I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“Not at all,” he sighed.

*****

“Absolutely not!” she yelled. She paced back and forth across the bedroom floor, her suitcase already lying on the bed. Leticia put it there no doubt.

“Carly, don’t argue with me. You’re going. That’s final. Now help Leticia get Michael and Morgan packed up.” He turned to move towards the door, but was stopped by Carly’s hold on his arm.

“Sonny, I moved back into this place because you made me believe it was necessary for my safety. I didn’t want to be here, but I did it, because it was necessary. But I refuse to go to the island with Muffin Face! She will drive me crazy with her holier than thou attitude and her judgments that always find me lacking!” She paced back toward the bed, then rounded on Sonny again, “She’ll try to rub it in my face every chance she gets that she’s with Jason now and—“

“Jason? That she’s with Jason? What do you care, Carly?! Do you want to be with Jason?” Sonny asked.

“No! Ugh, no! That’s not the point.”

Shaking his head, he grumbled, “Then what is the point, Carly? Is the point that you know you probably owe her an apology for all the times you tormented her? Or maybe the point is that it kills you to think that if you put aside your own psychosis for a minute, you might actually like her?”

“Like her? Like Muffin Face?! Give me a break, Sonny! What is there to like about her?” Carly asked as she turned towards her suitcase.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that she’s loyal? And honest? And would do anything for her daughter, the same way you would for Michael and Morgan? Maybe because you’re both fighters? Maybe—“

“Enough, Sonny!” she yelled. Stuffing a couple shirts in her suitcase, she huffed, “She’ll probably expect me to apologize to her and grovel at her feet.”

Sonny barely contained his chuckle at the picture of Carly ever being reduced to groveling at anyone’s feet. Her pride would never allow that. “Or maybe she won’t expect anything at all, Carly. Maybe she is dreading this trip just as much as you are.”

*****

Jason watched her eyebrow hitch and her lip curl. In trepidation, he braced himself for her reaction. Watching her lip and eyebrow, he knew for certain she wasn’t pleased. Not pleased didn’t even begin to cover it as he looked into her flashing eyes. He began to squirm as the silence stretched. Why wouldn’t she say something? She would be an excellent interrogator, he decided. She could get people to spill their guts with one eyebrow and a whole lot of righteous silence.

Finally the silence was broken. “Let me get this straight,” Elizabeth said in a quiet voice, all the more nerve-racking for it’s deadly calm, “You expect me to go to the island with Carly?”

Jason struggled to swallow and followed her lead by speaking in a low tone, “Yes?” Geez, why had he made it sound more like a question than a statement of fact? What was it about this little slip of a woman that with a simple look, she could make him shake in his boots?

“Did you decide you don’t like having me around Jason?” she asked. She watched the confusion enter his eyes and was gratified at the immediate denial she saw springing to his eyes and lips. She didn’t give him the chance to voice that denial though. She was seriously dreading this trip and he would just have to accept that she would take out her aggravation on him. Better him than letting loose in front of Carly and the kids.

“Did you and Sonny maybe get together and decide that you didn’t want the burden of two demanding women? Hmm?” she asked before twitching, he could only call it twitching, to the closet door. She turned back to him and said, “Were you going to pack the weapons for us, or did you just plan on letting us get creative as we attempted to kill each other?”

She turned to reach into the closet and pull out her bag. She grabbed a few shirts out of the closet and marched over to the bed. She slapped the bag on the bed and began meticulously folding the shirts and placing them inside. “What makes you think that Carly and I could be on the same island without going at each other’s throats? You know Jason, if you wanted me gone, it would have been much easier to just tell me so.”

Watching her pack, the terrible thought spread through his mind. Was she leaving him? Was she planning on walking out of his life again? Was this the final straw for her? He wondered at his inability to draw a complete breath, until he realized it was fear. The fear that she was leaving him was tightening into a ball in the middle of his chest, seizing his lungs and constricting his heart. “Elizabeth, I don’t—“

She raised her hand, palm out, in a command to stop speaking. A command he instantly obeyed without conscious thought.

“Is this your idea of some kind of punishment? Did Carly and I somehow break your rules, so you and Sonny thought you’d teach us a lesson? Hmm? By torturing us?”

He watched her walk--twitch, she was still twitching--back to the closet. His mind was furiously scrambling for an alternate plan, a plan that would keep her safe but also keep her with him. He felt the island was the best place to keep her safe, but not if she left him because of it. That’s all there was to it, he’d have to come up with another plan because he could not watch her walk out of his life again.

“Well, at least Celeste and Johnny will have a chance to further their communication skills,” she said. Propping her hand on her hip, she turned to Jason and asked, “Johnny is coming with us, right?” Not waiting for an answer, she turned back to her packing and mumbled to herself, “Of course he is. So hey, we can work on furthering their communication. That is, of course, if they’re not constantly refereeing for Carly and I.”

She paused in the middle of folding her pants and gazed off into space for a moment. He watched her worrying her bottom lip as if she was deep in thought. Was she deciding where to go? Deciding where to tell him to go?

Suddenly she turned to him with excitement flashing in her eyes. “Zander needs to go along. He won’t want to be separated from Venice, you know. And well, I just can’t imagine going without my best friend. Well, my best friend other than you of course,” she said with a smile and turned back to her packing, her earlier pique dissipating at the thought of more matchmaking opportunities.

He watched her place her clothes in the bag, mumbling the whole while. One part of his mind registered that she had a plan for matchmaking, but he barely registered her words as relief poured through him, easing the knot in his chest.

“You’re going to the island.”

She stopped and turned to face him. Placing her hands on her hips, she declared, “You don’t have to keep repeating yourself, Jason. I can hear perfectly fine. I never took you for the type to rub it in when you get your way.”

“No, I mean…I mean, you’re going. To the island. You’re not leaving me.”

A look of confusion crossed her face as she stepped closer to him. He watched comprehension dawn in her eyes, and then she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Jason, how could you think I was leaving? About the only way you could get rid of me is to lock Carly and I in a room together, and hope that she wins.”

He laughed and bent down, kissing her eyelids and then her nose, whispering all the way, “My money would be on you. You’re a spitfire when you get mad.” He halted his exploration of her face to look into her eyes. “I still get worried sometimes that you’ll realize you could do so much better than me, and then you’ll leave.”

“Oh, Jason. I could never do better than you, because you are my other half. Why would I ever want to lose a part of myself?” She kissed his mouth softly then continued, “That’s what losing you would be like Jason. It would be like losing a part of me. Nothing and no one could ever pull me away from you. I’m afraid you are stuck with me, Morgan. So get used to it.”

“That’s how I feel too,” he replied in an emotional whisper.

“Well I should hope so,” she laughed. “What good is having your other half if they don’t realize you are theirs?”

She stepped out of his embrace and turned to finish her packing. They shared a comfortable silence until she zipped her bag and set it on the floor. “Since I have to share an airplane and an island with Carly, can we at least be in different vehicles on the way to the airport?”

“Yeah. That can be arranged,” he laughed.

She walked to the telephone and informed him as she dialed, “I’m going to invite Zander and Emily for a little island vacation. Do you mind?”

“Would it matter if I did?” he asked.

“No,” she smirked.

“I didn’t think so.”

*****

“All right, Sonny. We’re all packed up and ready to be smuggled out of the country,” Carly snarked from the bar. She poured herself a shot of brandy and tossed it back, appreciating the burn in her throat. Setting the glass down, she said, “Airplane ride and an island with Muffin Face? We’re going to need a lot more of these,” and proceeded to pour herself a double.

After tossing back her second shot, she asked, “So how did Elizabeth take the news?”

“She took it just fine, Carly,” Jason said from the doorway. He walked through the door and stopped by the bar, “It didn’t drive her to drink at least. I guess she’s made of stronger stuff than you, huh?” he asked and dodged the blow she aimed at his arm.

“I’m going upstairs to make certain I packed my headphones so I don’t have to listen to Muffin Face go on and on about big, bad, Jason Morgan and her girly little crush.” As she began to climb the stairs, she decided to get a rise out of Jason. “You know Jason, this is probably the perfect opportunity for me to teach Elizabeth a few things. You know, try to help her out—“

“I’d like to see you try, Carly. It’s too bad I’ll miss that.”

“What? No defense of the little Saint? You’re not going to tell me not to teach her anything? Not going to tell me to play nice?” Carly asked.

“Elizabeth can handle you just fine on her own, Carly,” Jason replied. He watched her until she was out of sight, then turned to Sonny and said, “We’re all ready to go, and we have two additional passengers. Zander and Emily are going, too.”

“Oh, so the little angel needs reinforcements? She has to bring along Emily and Zander for protection from big, bad, Carly?” she sniped from the stairs.

“Aren’t you gone yet, Carly?” Jason yelled.

Jason made certain she was gone this time, before speaking. Turning to Sonny, he shook his head and said, “Elizabeth might be right. There might only be one of them left standing by the time this is over.”

“Zander and Emily are going?” Sonny asked incredulously.

“Elizabeth wanted to ask them along since Zander is Venice’s father, and…oh hell, she plans on trying to play matchmaker,” Jason grumbled.

Sonny whistled through his teeth and said, “How do you feel about that? Do you want Zander anywhere near your sister?”

“I don’t know, Sonny. I still don’t really like the guy, but I have to admit he’s changed,” Jason replied. “But Elizabeth thinks they belong together, and if she thought Zander was a danger to Emily, she wouldn’t try to get them together. And it makes her happy to think of hooking them up, so I guess it’s all right with me.”

Sonny’s dimples flashed and he couldn’t help teasing Jason, “What Elizabeth says goes, huh? Anything she wants, she gets?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jason confirmed with a grin. “And that starts with a ride. Before we leave, she wants to take a ride, so we’ll be leaving pretty soon. I’ll take her directly to the airport on the bike.” Jason laughed and continued, “She said since she has to share an airplane and an island with Carly, she at least wanted to drive to the airport in peace. So we’ll meet you there.”

Sonny reflected on the changes he had seen in Jason since Elizabeth reentered his life. He had a new lightness to him, a sense of peace. Thinking back over the years, he realized that the last time he had seen Jason like this was before they went to the church that night to meet Brenda; the night he was ‘killed’.

He had experienced a lot of guilt over his part in their falling out. He knew that Jason had loved Courtney, but on some level, he had always known that Elizabeth was the one woman that was Jason’s perfect match. And now she had his psycho bastard of a brother after her. If anything ever happened to Elizabeth, it would destroy Jason.

He’d just have to make certain Ric couldn’t get to her. He would ensure Ric was eliminated for himself, and his family, and for Jason and Elizabeth, too.

*****

“We’re all packed and ready to go. I told Celeste that we’d meet them at the airport.” Smiling up at Jason, she whispered, “I told Johnny he was responsible for getting them there.”

Jason laughed and pulled her in his arms. “Are you ready to go?”

“Where?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Nowhere.”

“I’ll be ready in a second Jason,” she said and pulled out of his arms. Moving towards the stairs, she continued, “I just have to change.”

“You don’t have to change. It’s pretty warm outside,” Jason replied.

She turned to him in surprise from the second stair and said, “Jason, I’m wearing a skirt; a short skirt. I need to change into some pants. I can’t straddle a motorcycle wearing a skirt.”

“Why not?” he asked and strolled across the room to the foot of the stairs. “It’s dark enough outside that nobody can see anything,” he said and swept her up in his arms. “Besides, I want you to wear the skirt.”

Gauging the desire blatantly burning in his eyes, she realized what he was thinking. On a motorcycle?! Was that even possible?!

She couldn’t deny that her interest was piqued and she certainly wanted some of that before she left. She figured she deserved a little piece of heaven before the hell on earth in front of her—an extended stay on an island with Carly. And that was only if they both survived the airplane ride there.

“Let’s go,” she answered the unspoken question in his eyes.

*****

“I want to steer,” she declared. Expecting him to say no, she began to climb on behind him.

“How do you expect to steer from back there?” he asked.

Her leg stopped mid-swing and was quickly jerked back to the ground. “I get to steer?” she asked.

“Yeah. You get to steer. Hop on,” he replied.

As they hit the outskirts of town, it became readily apparent to her why he had so magnanimously allowed her to steer. An involuntary shiver racked her body as his hands began an exploration of her thighs.

“Uh, Jason…not that I don’t like it, but what if I can’t hold it steady?” she asked.

She felt his breath on her neck and heard his muffled, “Hmm? You’re doing great.”

He never wore a helmet when they rode, his little bit of defying convention and pressing the limits. She never suggested he wear one, because she understood his need to go without, but he never hesitated to hand the helmet to her. She wished that just this once she hadn’t worn the helmet, so his exploration of her neck wasn’t so abbreviated. He couldn’t even reach her ear. It always drove her wild when he licked that spot just behind her ear; it gave her butterflies in her stomach and tightened her nipples. Oh my, just thinking about it produced that effect.

The cool air hit her abdomen as he slowly worked her shirt up beneath her breasts. “You have no idea how hard it was for me,” he said in a low voice, pushing her shirt higher above her breasts. “Every time I let you steer, I wanted to do this,” he confided before springing the front clasp on her bra. Filling his hands with her soft, bare flesh, he finished his confession. “You never even realized it. That was the worst part. I sat here wanting you and fighting not to touch you and you didn’t even realize it. But I knew that if I ever got the chance, I’d make up for all those rides I longed to touch you, but couldn’t.”

Arching her back to press her breasts more firmly into his hands, she marveled at what he had just confided. He was right. She would have never imagined back then that when he sat behind her, so solid and comforting, that he longed to touch her as he was now.

One of his hands released her nipple to begin a slow descent, tracing each rib. He smiled at the way she rubbed herself against his hands like a contented feline. He continued his exploration, moving down to gently massage her hip while simultaneously massaging her breast with his other hand. He kept one eye on the road to ensure she could handle the bike, ready to take control if necessary. So far, she was hanging in there just fine, but he wondered if she knew she had slightly reduced their speed in small increments. As long as she didn’t speed up, they’d be fine.

She marked the progress of his hand on the outside of her thigh, and his lips across the back of her neck. A shiver racked her spine at the sensations he evoked so effortlessly. She felt the pads of his fingers slowly walking up her outer thigh until they met the barrier of her skirt. With one smooth motion, her skirt was slipped up from beneath her bottom and bunched at her waist.

She sucked in a breath as his large hand cupped her hip, his fingers firmly kneading her flesh. Her thong provided him access to the bare flesh of her buttock, which he took advantage of, much to her delight. His hand slowly massaged circles on her soft skin as it determinedly moved from her buttock to her hip, and then towards her abdomen.

Her lungs seized when his fingers began slipping lower, beneath the top edge of her thong, and down into her thatch of curls. Without conscious thought, her body responded to his stroking. Her hips immediately canted to provide him easier access. Concentrating on steering became nearly impossible as his thumb massaged her clitoris, and one finger entered her wet heat. Her back arched and her hips began an involuntary movement in sync with the rhythm of his searching finger.

Her blood was singing. She always felt alive on the motorcycle, but nothing compared to this. She had never felt anything like this. The exhilaration of the ride coupled with Jason’s seduction produced a level of hypersensitivity she had never known possible.

He was going to miss her so much. How could he possibly stand to be separated from her until Ric was eliminated? He already suspected he would probably end up making quick trips to the island to slake his desire, physical and emotional.

Riding with Elizabeth had always been one of his favorite things to do, but this…this was amazing. Her short, fast gasps beneath the helmet brought a smile to his face. He loved how she was always so uninhibited in her responses to his lovemaking.

The closer she came to climax, the harder it became to hold up her head and keep her eyes open. He seemed to know she was close, because he inserted another finger into her core even as the thumb stroking her clit picked up speed. When his free hand squeezed her nipple, she knew she was lost.

“Jason,” she sighed, then louder, “Jason! I don’t think I can—“

[JRK Archiver]

He slowed the motorcycle to a stop and turned it off. Her helmet was whipped off and tossed to the ground before he pulled her more securely back against him into the vee of his legs. She felt her legs lifted and draped across his spread thighs and she allowed her head to fall back against his shoulder. Her stomach performed somersaults as his left arm stole across her torso. A throaty moan escaped her throat as he filled his hand with her breast and his free hand resumed its ministrations below.

His thighs felt like slabs of steel beneath her grasping hands. The leather on the motorcycle seat became warmer from the friction caused by her bare gyrating backside. The leather jacket at her back was also warming from Jason’s rising body heat.

She was so uninhibited, his own little wildcat. He could smell the musky scent of her arousal wafting up to him. He loved the way she smelled. Her pussy was so hot it almost burned his fingers. He longed to sheath himself inside her, but not yet. He held himself in check with ruthless control.

Her head rolled from side to side on his shoulder and he could hear her whimpers, the begging for release. It was time.

The fingers lightly rolling her nipple suddenly clamped tight. A lightning bolt slammed through her from her nipple to her core where the fingers of his other hand relentlessly brought her closer to climax. The urgency slammed through her, tightening her body like a bow ready to snap. She was so close to the tiny death that brought so much pleasure. Her body cried out for release, and he held the key.

The torture couldn’t continue. She was positive she could not take any more when he breathed in her ear, “Come for me, Elizabeth.”

His low sexy voice and hot breath in her ear was all it took and she shattered in his arms. Release slammed through her as she screamed with pleasure; his fingers held prisoner by her convulsing inner muscles. Nonsensical whispers soothed her as his hand stroked back the hair plastered to her wet cheek. He held her as she died a thousand deaths.

She came back to herself slowly. The first thing she felt was the cool air against her bare spread thighs and stomach. Her breasts were warm, cupped within his large hands. How long they had been sitting here like this, she did not know.

Beginning to believe he had displayed extreme patience, her thoughts altered when she realized he had been busy while she came back to earth. Shifting slightly on the seat, she felt a nudge against her lower back and realized somebody else had also been brought out to play. Not so patient, apparently, she thought with a smile.

“Lean forward,” he said. She complied while looking at him over her shoulder. Her eyebrow hitched when she saw him pull the knife from his pocket. At this rate, she would have no underclothes left if Jason kept cutting them off her.

Somehow she couldn’t find it in herself to mind, but wanted to tease him anyway. “You are going to have one hefty bill when I go shopping to replace all of my underwear you keep slicing up.”

All thought fled as she was entrapped by a gaze of piercing blue. Desire had darkened his eyes to twin sapphires, both centered solely on her face. She lost all sense of time and place as desire began humming through her body again. She was not certain she could even remember her own name. Lying there across his bike, half naked with her head twisted around to look over her shoulder, on the side of a cliff road overlooking Port Charles, suddenly seemed like the most natural place in the world to be.

“Anything you want, Elizabeth. Anything, anytime, anyplace. What’s mine is yours and my fortune is at your disposal.” He broke eye contact to look down at her backside as his hands began their exploration. He gently kneaded her hips and the globes of her bottom, exposed by her thong. With one finger, he stroked down the crevice between her buttocks and slid it underneath her and inside the slim scrap of silk to toy with her nether lips.

Keeping her eyes open became almost impossible as pleasure held her in its thrall. Her languorous eyelids began to succumb to the pleasure when his gaze abruptly lifted once again. His eyes locked with hers as his fingers plied their magic. “I would pay any price, for anything, just to see you smile.”

Now both hands worked their magic between her legs. She gave herself up to his ministrations. Facing forward again, her back arched and she rocked against his hands.

He loved to watch her body move; the way she moved begging for his touch. Never before, with any other woman, had he ever obtained this level of pleasure from simply watching hers. Her small moans were like an aphrodisiac. He had tried to wait. He had wanted to bring her to climax again and again before slaking his own desires, but it wasn’t to be. He simply couldn’t wait. This woman drove him mad.

With one smooth movement, he slipped his hands under her inner thighs and lifted. He brought her up and back, and set her back down so her thighs straddled his own.

Lying on the body of the machine, her lower body draped across his thighs, a shiver raced up her spine. She resolutely attributed the shiver in her spine to the cool night air.

She would not attribute the shiver to the sharp contrast of the cooling metal under her prone half-naked form against her own hot flesh, or the erotic slide of the knife against the bare flesh of her backside. Sex on a motorcycle on a cliff overlooking the city with the stars above her head had nothing to do with it. If she attributed the shiver to that, she somehow seemed so…so…decadent…wanton…

The sounds of the night were drowned out by the humming in her ears as she anticipated his next move. The slow glide of the knife abruptly stopped. The sharp tug against her thong let her know he had sliced through it. She waited breathlessly for his next move. Thankfully she didn’t have long to wait.

The languor of moments before dissipated in a rush as he filled her to the hilt. The strength in the hands clasping and guiding her hips effectively contained her. Completely at his mercy, she gloried in the pleasure-pain and writhed against his groin as he slid into her again and again, with long, slow, filling strokes. She felt completely possessed by him, in a way she never had before. It was as if he were marking her as his own.

He wondered if she would believe him if he told her he had not expected this. He had intended to play with her and then take her to the studio and make slow love to her, but he had not been prepared for the intense lust that had seized him when he stroked her beautiful body.

Moving in and out of her wet sheath now, he wondered if maybe he had subconsciously planned this all along. All the times they had rode in the past, and he longed to touch her, he had never imagined it culminating quite like this.

Her lungs seized as the volcano built within her. He seemed to know the eruption was coming, because he picked up speed and was pounding into her now with fevered strokes. The finish line was within her reach and she raced toward it, her hands wildly flailing, desperately grabbing for purchase. Her hands locked on the handlebars of the bike and launched herself upright. Immediately, he released the grip on her hips to clasp around her midsection, pulling her into the security of his arms. She was held against his chest by one arm crossed over her lower abdomen and the other across her ribs.

Rhythm unbroken, he continued to penetrate her with hard strokes, lifting and lowering her with his powerful arms. He heard the hitch in her breath and then the moan in her throat that told him the time was nigh. Wanting to come with her, he increased the power of his entry and threw back his head as he felt her muscles clench his penis. The chorus of sound from the night woods ceased as her delighted scream melded with his own growling release.