Alexis blinked looking up at the man in front of her.

"Derek…"

He smiled at her.

"Alexis…good to see you…"

"Likewise…What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with your girlfriend."

He frowned.

"I had to take a phone call and Carly's not my…"

Alexis put her hand up.

"I don't want to know and it's not my business what you do with your time. I'm just making small talk something I'm not good at…"

She studied the man in front of her and admired his fitness, the way his clothes defined his frame. Muscular and yes handsome…she knew better than to focus on his eyes. That had gotten her into such trouble with him…exposing all her vulnerabilities while allowing none of his to show through. He'd sure played her well…leading her to think and then all this time it'd been all about Carly.

Just like with every other man in PC.

"Okay…so let's talk about this interview I need to set up with you for the Crimson article."

Alexis waved her hand.

"Oh that…I don't know if I'll even have the time. The custody battle over little Connie is going to get really intense and it'll take up all my time…"

"You can make time for this...you do eat dinner don't you?"

She just stared at him, thinking man he's got a lot of nerve. She arched a brow at him.

"Derek…we tried that. I said I'd take you out to dinner sometime and the next time I saw you, it was dining with Carly. I think you should stick to something more your speed...and you too look…good together…at least when she's not chasing after Franco or him after her…"

His jaw clenched slightly.

"I admit I was surprised to see her get so flustered when I brought up the idea of the two of them. After all the things he did…but then I never got Carly."

"So about dinner?"

The man was focused she had to give him that.

"For the interview?"

He smiled slightly.

"For starters…."

She frowned.

"Then my answer is no…Like I told you, even if I were interested…I'm not into Carly's leftovers. I don't know how exactly happens but whenever she gets a man, she treats him like a bright shiny toy to play with and then like most children, she breaks it. Then the toy is never quite the same again."

He chuckled.

"I'm not one of her toys…so now that this is cleared up…are you free tomorrow night?"

Her mouth fell open.

"I'm…busy. It's movie night at the Davis house."

"I see…then Monday night…"

She sighed.

"I have the case heating up again and Dianne's going to come out at full throttle. Look I haven't agreed to the interview…and I'm sure Carly will keep you busy and that you'll figure the whole Franco thing out."

She saw his face harden and realized he really didn't like Franco. Well neither did she, she hated him with the heat of a thousand sons…or how only a Cassadine could hate.

"Tuesday…?"

She sighed.

"I have to check my calendar and get back to you…but this is going to be just business. Because like I told you…I don't pick up after Carly's broken toys."

"Oh nothing about me is broken…or neutered in case that's your next question."

She just stared at him. Then his phone rang. He frowned at it.

"I'll have to take this…but we're not done here…"

She watched as Mr. Alpha Male walked a distance from her and she just thought about his invite. If it was just about the interview for Crimson…and nothing else… Besides she had better things to do than dally around with him keeping him company during an intermission with Carly.

Then her mind wandered again…Julian Jerome….she had to continue on that hunt especially if he turned out to be Sam's father.


She heard the urgency in his voice and felt a charge in the confines of the car. After she stepped closer, he grabbed hold of her, and slammed her against the side of the elevator wall.

Oh god, she almost felt the wind knocked out of her as he pressed his body hungrily against her own and damn, he felt hard, his muscle tensed and she could feel the power held in check inside of him…waiting to explode.

His lips claimed hers in a quick movement that shocked her with its stealth, but she wrapped her arms around him as he flicked his tongue lightly caressing her lips before he seared his mouth against the soft plumpness of her lips. Oh god, the manner that he took her with just his mouth, what a turn on as her body tensed and then shivered even more as he didn't give her an inch to move as he took her mouth as she knew he'd take her body.

The man who could be decisive even ruthless in controlling a mobster organization clearly brought some of that flavor to his bed…or against the wall of an elevator.

"Oh God, Alexis…"

He groaned and she knew that she drove him to it somehow…not sure how long but he pushed against her more insistently, his hands pressing into the wall on either side of her as his body held her fast. She tasted his mouth with her own tongue tentatively and then her mouth began to explore his and when he pressed against her pliant lips with his insistent tongue, this time she let him breach her mouth and stroke the inside of it.

That almost made her lose control right there, and she dared meet his tongue with her own and they stroked each other…sending delightful chills through her. She started working on his tux, pushing him away enough to make it clear to him she wanted some of his clothes off of him…the jacket…which he slipped out of him leaving his silk shirt. She rubbed her hands against it over his chest and felt his nipples harden beneath it and his breath quicken.

He moved his hands to unzip her gown and she heard the zipper saw through the dress material and she felt a jolt of excitement as a feathery draft of air caught her bare skin on her back. He pushed the sleeves off of her dress and it fell to the floor.

His eyes widened as she stood before him in a lacy bra and not much else…

"I've got to see them…"

He kissed her again while he unhooked her bra in the front and her creamy colored breasts with rosy nipples sprung out and in front of him. She knew he wanted to taste them, to suck on them and she groaned at the vision that came to her, at the sensations throughout her body.

"Please…"

He knew what she wanted but it would have to wait…he had to have her…he had to take her now…and let her take him inside of her. She looked at him, bare on top with only her panties, left besides her teasing thigh highs and heels…she looked so damn hot…he felt him fight for control…as he took her mouth again..,and then inches away from her face, their eyes locked on each other, counting each other's breath, as he reached for what was left of her clothing.

She smiled at him softly.

"Let me…"


Alexis almost hyperventilated at that point but then she heard her name being called and not by the man in her vision. She blinked her eyes and looked to see Derek giving her a puzzled look.

"I thought I lost you…"

She licked her lips taking him in…and she saw a swirl of emotions in his eyes. She recovered quickly.

"Oh no…I'm here…I'm just thinking about my grocery list. You see I have to pick up some snacks for movie night tomorrow…"

He got that look in his eyes that she couldn't look at for long. She didn't want to get sucked into one of his flirtatious games. She knew Derek loved to play games…like Sonny after what he'd told her in the waiting room at GH that day and based on what she'd seen since.

"Okay about dinner…"

Damn he wasn't anything but persistent when it came to getting what he wanted. But she couldn't be a part of that. She meant what she told him about sharing a man with any woman let alone Snarly.

"I said I'd get back to you."

He stared at her a long moment as he assessed her.

"You're thinking about him aren't you?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Who?"

"Julian Jerome…"

She responded quickly.

"No I'm not…I told you…"

His mouth quirked.

"I know what you said…but you just said his name."

Her eyes widened. Oh my god…she'd said his name out loud while she'd been…her face flushed hopefully not too much. Talk about being busted! No, she could handle this…quite easily after all he knew her theory about Julian Jerome possibly being the one she'd hooked up with in the back seat of his car.

"I did…? Oh well…you know I'm trying to find out more information on him and why."

"Because you think he might be Sam's father?"

She nodded.

"I don't know for sure…it's just a theory but I need to find out if he is or not."

"For closure…"

She nodded again, feeling her mouth go dry.

"Yeah why else? I mean the man's dead right?"

"So it would appear…"

She flipped a tress of her hair back off her face.

"So it's just about knowing more about him if that's the case…what kind of man he might have been…"

He sighed.

"The man was a mobster, one of PC's most notorious and fierce…"

She smiled.

"That's not exactly how I heard it but whatever…anyway he was portrayed as being volatile and ruthless by those who knew him."

"So you interviewed people…"

"Oh yes…I mean if he was the one…I only knew him a few hours and I had been drinking….so it helps to know the kind of person he was when he was alive."

"That makes sense."

She smiled…and in her mind she saw him in that tux.

"I did see some photos and he's not a bad looking guy…especially in dark leather and jeans. I can see the allure too...that he might have for women."

Derek frowned but his eyes read differently almost as if he were pleased…no he was smug. She didn't try to figure out why…there were things she'd never understand about the man who'd stepped forward to save her grandson's life.

"I read somewhere that there wasn't too many of those in his life."

She shrugged.

"I haven't really gotten to his personal life…except…"

His eyes sharpened.

"Except what?"

She didn't want to go into how she'd sought a DNA sample from Julian's son Lucas Jones because that wasn't information that was general knowledge and she had to agree with Carly that it was private.

"Nothing…If it does turn out to be him I don't really know whether to be relieved…or…"

His voice softened.

"Or what?"

She shrugged.

"I don't really know how to feel about him. I know he's a ruthless mobster who came from a crazy sounding family but when I met him…he seemed different…almost nice."

He sighed.

"People change Alexis…for all kinds of reasons. Julian Jerome might have had his better qualities and just not shown them in a world where they're seen as some kind of weakness and exploited by enemies."

She nodded at that, it made sense. Hadn't Sonny done the same thing occasionally when he wasn't consumed by the belief that everything that happened was always about him. People in his family were possessions to be enjoyed at will and forgotten the rest of the time?

Hadn't her daughter…their daughter Kristina found that out the hard way? After all she returned to working for Sonny in large part to protect her daughter from her father. Maybe as hard as Sam's life might have been because of the decisions made about her because of the circumstances of her conception it would have been worse for her to know her father.

She just didn't know how to begin to figure that out inside her head.

"I know that Derek…I live in that world and have for years now. I know the rules…"

He tilted his face.

"I imagine you do working with Sonny…"

She frowned noticing that Derek didn't seem too fond of Sonny. She'd picked that up after he'd been pleased with his front page story on the first explosion involving one of his shipments.

"So about dinner?"

She felt like rolling her eyes at him again. Then she saw Molly walking up them quickly.

"Mom…I tried to find you…"

Her focus was on her youngest daughter.

"What is it? Anything wrong with…"

Molly shook her head.

"No not at all. It's Carly…you know how she gets sometimes…"

Try all the time.

"What'd she do now?"

"She's in some knock down dragged out fight right in the middle of the street fair with some blonde lady. I think it's Morgan's new girlfriend."

Molly said that with such distaste, Alexis almost laughed.

"You mean Ava Jerome…why doesn't that surprise me?"

Molly's eyes widened.

"It's really bad…Dante and Taggart are trying to break them up."

"Oh dear…well honey sometimes grownups act out and do stupid things."

Molly sighed.

"I know that but they might send out the police helicopter if they can't break it up."

Alexis glanced at Derek.

"It's your girlfriend…maybe you should have a talk with her."

He looked almost annoyed.

"She's not my girlfriend and she can handle her own catfights…"

Molly shrugged.

"I don't know…Ms Jerome might be winning this one. Man the talons on her…"

Alexis almost chuckled at her daughter's commentary. She looked at Derek and smiled.

"It might make a great front page story for your newspaper…maybe you'd better go check it out."

He shook his head.

"We're not finished here."

"Oh yes we are…I've got to put some time on my custody case tonight so I think this is my cue to leave."

"Alexis…"

"I'll get back to you in a day or two about my schedule…and decision on the interview…"

She turned around and putting a hand on Molly's shoulder.

"Come on let's head back home and we'll stop at Kelly's and pick up some dinner to take home…"

Molly nodded and the two of them walked away from Derek and the latest melee and Snarly drama at the street fair.

Derek thought he might get a dinner out of her but she really didn't have time for that right now…what with the court case and her family.

Not to mention a man with the name Julian Jerome. She didn't know why he consumed her thoughts in such...an interesting way. Maybe it was time to set up an appointment on the couch with Kevin.