Thanks for the great reviews- They always help to keep the creative vibes flowing Serendipity

This chapter is slow… not too good IMO… once I get going it will pick up… Suggestions & reviews welcome!

I own ABC, GH & STEVE BURTON…. And ocean front property in Colorado… Ok… so I just wish I owned Steve Burton!

Chapter 2- The morning after…

With a groan he rolled over and stretched his aching muscles.

Blinking rapidly he took in his surroundings and tried to recall how he ended up sleeping on the hard floor when he had a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs… or couch sitting behind him for that matter.

Taking inventory he realized that besides the slight crick in his neck and the dull throb behind his eyes, he actually felt amazingly good for drinking so much the night before. Honestly, he had slept better than he had in along time… maybe in months. Sitting up he registered that he had at least had the mental capacity to strip down to his boxers... and grab a blanket... But, why not just go upstairs… Had Milo undressed him? A wave of nausea hit him as he tried to banish the thought from his mind… Surely, Milo would have had a sense of self-preservation and just dumped him clothes and all on the couch, or left him sprawled fully dressed on the floor. Somehow the thought of any man, even a trusted bodyguard, stripping him down to his boxers made him cringe.

Sitting up slowly, Jason looked around for his clothing. A pile two feet away from him turned out to be his jeans and shoes… one sock was peeking out from under his couch… but where in the hell was his shirt? Probably hiding somewhere with his other sock…

Coffee… that was the next thing on his mind… hot, black coffee… heading to the kitchen he tried to shake off the feeling that something was off… something was missing…

Three cups of coffee and a steaming hot shower later he still couldn't shake that feeling. Over and over he replayed the events of the night in his head… Unfortunately, he always got stuck with an image of Sam and Ric rolling around on the floor. The image was enough to make his stomach heave and so he kept trying and trying get it out of his head… The anger… and if he was honest with himself, the deep hurt he had felt last night surprisingly wasn't there… maybe Tequila was useful after all he thought grimly as he picked up his phone to check his messages.

As he sat listening to Sonny rambling on about Sam, Alexis & Ric…blah, blah… an image of him and a leggy blonde locked in a heated kiss popped into his head… he couldn't see the blonde's face , but he could almost swear… Why would he be fantasizing about Carly after all this time? To make the confusion worse he was suddenly very aroused at the thoughts the image had created along with it…

Shaking his head he reached the front door in three strides…

"Max? Where's Milo?" He knew he sounded a bit out of sorts, but who wouldn't be after fantasizing about his best friend… while it was better than seeing Sam and Ric, it still left him feeling unsettled.

"Uh, Mr. Morgan, he had to go take care of a personal matter… I came in to help him out…" Max started to add that Milo hadn't wanted to disturb him, but thought better of it. He was going to avoid any mention of the previous night at all costs.

"He did, huh? Did he mention if anyone came by or if I had any messages?" Jason hated that he sounded like he didn't know what was going on, but at this moment he didn't and that was the price he would pay for this night of over-indulgence.

Max thought about what Carly had told him… should he mention that she came by? Would it help or hurt the situation?

"Uh…you mean Mrs. C? She came by, but Milo told he your were out… you know how Mrs. C is when you tell her that you aren't supposed to be disturbed."

Jason grunted with a slight smile, "Carly doesn't know what 'do not disturb' means… alright… I gotta go and take care of some stuff… why don't you get one of the guys to fill in for Milo and head back to Sonny's… he sounds like he could use you this morning…"

Max just nodded and watched in silent thought as Jason hopped on the elevator.

Carly sat on her couch staring at the blank TV screen. The house was silent for the moment… the boys had stayed with Bobbie this weekend so they could go to the circus… too bad Carly hadn't gone with them… if only…

A hot shower hadn't helped any… if anything it had just made memories of the night before more vivid. It had all started so innocently… a few drinks, some laughs, a few more drinks… some playful body shots and truth-or-dare moments… and then she had cried…

"I am so stupid Jase…. Here I am making progress with my life… just me and my boys… and you of course… no men, no complications… Why did I let him in? I let Jax into my heart and he stomped all over it… why can't just one man love me… love me and not rip my heart and soul to pieces…"

Carly had been leaning against the pool table, a half-empty beer bottle in one hand and a pool stick in the other, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jason had come over with the intention of hugging her… to reassure her and comfort her, but when he had touched her face to wipe the tears away something had happened… a long dormant spark began to burn slowly and before she could realize what was going on he was kissing away her tears and she was staring into those amazing blue eyes…

Somehow they had started kissing and heaven help her if she hadn't said anything he would have taken her right there against the pool table… Where the beer bottle and pool stick went she would never know…

Carly knew how badly Jason was hurting inside too, just as she knew that he would never admit it and somewhere between the alcohol induced haze and the need to take his pain away she had given into her impulses and given him everything she had to offer… the only sane moment had been when she asked him if he was sure…

"Jase… is this… am I… Is this really want you want… right here? Right now?" she had asked quietly, her lips suddenly dry and her heart pounding.

His eyes smoldered and if they had been a laser she was sure they would have singed her to pieces.

His only answer had been, "You… right here… right now…" and then his lips had captured hers again and the next thing she knew they were ripping clothes off each other and somehow they had made it to the couch…

A knock on the door brought her out of her reverie.

"Coming…" she muttered as she walked to the front door.

"Oh… hi…", Carly began… foolishly she felt tongued tied… and more than a little afraid.

"Hey… you busy?"

"Nope... come in…" Carly stood to the side and nervously tucked her loose hair behind her ears.

Jason looked at her curiously, "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

Carly froze, would he blame her? "No… why?"

"Well Max said you came by last night…" Jason began as he walked over to the living room and looked around.

"He did?" Carly felt her heart drop…

"Yeah… Sorry I was out last night when you stopped by… I had something to take care…" Jason sat down and ran a hand through his hair. Why was she acting so weird? Uh oh, he thought, she always acts like this when she's hiding something…

Thank God! Carly thought. He didn't know… Part of her was relieved and part of her was deeply hurt that he didn't remember… yet… wasn't him not remembering they had slept together a good thing?

"Where'd you go? Business?" Carly asked, trying to act normal, she sat down and tried to get comfortable.

"Let's just say I finally took your advice and talked to Sam…" Would the thought of her sleeping with Ric ever not make him sick to his stomach?

"And…" Carly knew what was coming, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.

"It's over… I… she was with Ric…"

"You mean Ric was with her… where at the lakehouse?" Carly asked trying to cover that she already knew what he was saying.

"No… I mean she was WITH him… I saw them together…" Jason waited for Carly's reaction.

"You actually SAW them together… um, does she know?" Carly tried to look surprised…

But, he knew… he knew her better than anyone… she was covering something… what was it? Had Sam been sleeping with Ric for a while? Maybe he didn't want to know…

"Wow… are you ok? I mean, that has to bother you…" Carly went on choosing her words carefully. Placing a hand on his arm she tried to pretend that touching him didn't make her feel like electricity was shooting from her body.

Jason almost jumped, it was as if Carly's hand making contact with his skin had sent a jolt of energy into him… kind of like a giant static shock. Instead he covered his reaction by standing up.

"Yeah… it bothered me… I don't want go over the details… I gotta get to Sonny's… uh, don't mention this to anyone ok…" Not looking at her he headed to the door.

"Jase…" Please stay…." Carly couldn't finish her sentence, instead she jumped up and threw her arms around him.

Jason closed his eyes and inhaled the scent that was Carly… a zesty, yet sweet perfume teased his senses... Why did holding her feel so right?

"Carly…" Don't let me go… Jason thought, but said, "I have to go, I'll talk to you later…"

Carly watched as Jason, one of the steadiest people she had ever known, practically ran out her front door like he couldn't escape fast enough…

Carly stood frozen in place staring at her from door…

Why did last night have to happen… she thought sadly… would things between them ever be the same?

Jason stood on the other side of the front door and gulped big breaths of fresh air…

Why do I suddenly wish those images were real?

Shaking his head he walked to his motorcycle… how come he had the feeling that last night was only the beginning of changes yet to come…