Chapter Fourteen: A New Beginning
Jason grinned happily and brought his lips to hers in a passionate kiss; A kiss that was filled unspoken promises and happiness; A kiss that held nothing but love and hope for the future; A kiss that would start it all.
"Hey, Courtney! Do you have a cup of sugar-," Carly stopped short at the kitchen door when she saw what she had interrupted. She stared at both guilty faces and her lips curled into a smile. "What have you two been up to?"
Courtney closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair laughing. Carly always seemed to know, or at least want to know, what was going on.
Jason rolled his eyes at Carly, "Let me get you that sugar, Nosey."
Carly made a face at him and laughed, "Now do I have to say I told you so, or are you going to say those four magic words that everyone hates to say?" She was torturing both of them and loving it.
Courtney shook her head and shot Jason look. She earned a shrug in response. Rolling her eyes, she said quietly, "You were right, Carly."
Carly shook her head, "No, no, no, no, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking that blue-eyed fella over there." Carly pointed in Jason's direction.
Jason looked around pretending to be searching for another person and then back to Carly, "Oh! You must mean me!" He exclaimed sarcastically.
Carly threw back her head and laughed, "Of course I mean you."
Jason knew that he had to give in or she would be bugging him all night. Barely audible, he stated, "You were right, Carly."
Carly put a hand behind her ear, "What? I couldn't exactly hear that! Can you speak up a little bit?"
Jason rolled his eyes and stated, "You were right, Carly."
Carly smiled, satisfied with herself. She. Was. Right. Accepting the cup of sugar from Courtney, she waltzed right back out the door. SHE. WAS. RIGHT.
Courtney laughed as she and Jason made their way to the living room. Courtney had really made the penthouse over. It was much warmer and inviting now. It definitely felt like a home now.
"Carly is a piece of work, let me tell ya," Courtney said, sitting down on the couch and propping her feet up on it.
Jason sat down on the opposite end and brought her feet on top of his lap. Rubbing them to warm them up, he nodded, "Yeah, well, she's nothing compared to you."
Courtney rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him. Shaking her head, she smiled, "Yeah, but you love me for it."
Jason shrugged, "That is true."
Courtney was so happy right now. She thought everything was perfect. She was back with Jason, the love of her life, with her family, and most importantly, happy. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. Positioning herself so that she was leaning on Jason, she drew circles on his chest, "Let's go to bed. I've had a long day."
Jason raised his eyebrows, "Oh really?"
He captured her in another breathtaking kiss and slowly lifted her off the couch. He carried her up the stairs and kicked open his bedroom door. His tongue searched out hers as he deepened the kiss. He couldn't get enough of her and he needed more.
He gently lay her back on the bed and watched as she crawled to the top and lay her head on the silk pillows. She had a look of pure desire in her darkened eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat and still couldn't believe that she was here with him, loving him.
Slowly, he pulled himself over top of her and kissed her passionately. He felt desire run through his body and his heart began to race. He slowly traced kisses down her jaw line and to her neck where he sucked slightly at the collarbone. He heard her moan audibly.
She tugged at the bottom of his shirt as she felt the need to feel his hot skin against hers. Pulling it over his head, she raked her nails over his amazing body sending electrifying chills down his spine. He pushed her shirt up so that he could see her belly button. Smiling, he placed a sweet kiss on it and then looked back up at her.
She was so beautiful with her hair sprawled out on the pillows, his pillows. What had he done to deserve a woman like this, so wonderful and caring, to come back to him. His lips descended hers in another kiss, yet this one was slower and more sensual instead of needy and urgent.
Suddenly, she pulled away. She couldn't do this; not right now. She felt like they were going too fast for her liking. They hadn't seen each other since they were young adults, and they were letting their emotions get to their heads. She looked up at his confused eyes.
"Courtney? What is it?" He asked, pulling himself off of her. He tried to hide his hurt. Why had she pulled away? Did she not want him? Did she not love him?
She looked at him and saw the hurt in his face although he was trying to hide it. She palmed his cheek, stroking it gently, "I just think that we need to take it slow. I feel like we're rushing things."
Jason righted himself on the bed so that he was sitting and facing her. "What do you mean, Court?"
Courtney shrugged, "Jason, we just admitted that we still had feelings for one another. I love you so much and with all my heart, but I want to take things slowly. I don't want to rush to bed. I want to wait; wait for perfect time so it's beautiful."
Jason nodded, smiling slightly at her serenity. He loved how she liked to voice her opinions to him. He took her hands in his and kissed each one of them. Looking into her cerulean eyes, he whispered, "Then we'll wait. We'll wait for the perfect time and the perfect place, because it's worth waiting for with you. I love you, Courtney, so much."
Courtney smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're always so understanding, Morgan. How do you do it?" She asked as she stroked his hair.
Jason looked into her sparkling eyes and shrugged modestly, "You're worth it."
Courtney felt her eyes fill with tears and she placed a hand over her heart. He always got to her. Taking his hand, she looked into his eyes, "I think we should tell Sonny. He has the right to know."
Jason nodded, "If Carly doesn't tell him first."
"So we'll go now. I want to tell Sonny myself; I don't want him finding out by someone else," Courtney said, taking a stand. She smoothed her wrinkled clothes, picked Jason's shirt up from the floor, and threw it to him.
He threw the shirt over his hand and took a deep breath, "Maybe I should tell him by myself?"
Courtney shook her head stubbornly, "No. I want to be there with you when we tell my brother. We're in this together, Jason."
Jason nodded, "Ok. Let's go."
They made their way down the stairs and out the door. Taking her hand, he smiled reassuringly. He squeezed it gently and asked, "You nervous?"
Courtney let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, "Yeah, just a bit."
Jason brought her to him and kissed her chastely reassuring her everything was going to be fine through one kiss. He waved Marco off and opened the door himself.
Sonny looked up as he heard the door open. He nodded towards Jason and Courtney as they entered, yet something was different and he could feel it. Giving Jason a questioning look, he asked, "Is everything all right?"
Courtney nodded with a smiled, "Everything's fine, Sonny." Then added, "Actually, everything's more than fine; it's wonderful."
Sonny was confused. What was Courtney talking about and why was she so happy. He didn't like feeling left out in the cold, so he asked, "What do you mean?"
Courtney took a deep breath and looked at Jason. She received an encouraging nod from him so she went on, drawing her strength from him and their love. "I don't really know how to say this, but I. we think you have right to know."
Sonny's eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes?" He was letting his impatience get to him.
Courtney froze. She didn't know why she was having such a hard time saying that her and Jason were together, but she was so scared that Sonny would object. She loved Sonny with all her heart even though she had only known him for almost a year. Somehow, she needed this approval from Sonny. She needed him to say it was all right; that he approved of her being with Jason.
Taking a steadying breath that seemed to relax her nerves, she stated, "Sonny, Jason and I love each other and we're together."
Jason grinned happily and brought his lips to hers in a passionate kiss; A kiss that was filled unspoken promises and happiness; A kiss that held nothing but love and hope for the future; A kiss that would start it all.
"Hey, Courtney! Do you have a cup of sugar-," Carly stopped short at the kitchen door when she saw what she had interrupted. She stared at both guilty faces and her lips curled into a smile. "What have you two been up to?"
Courtney closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair laughing. Carly always seemed to know, or at least want to know, what was going on.
Jason rolled his eyes at Carly, "Let me get you that sugar, Nosey."
Carly made a face at him and laughed, "Now do I have to say I told you so, or are you going to say those four magic words that everyone hates to say?" She was torturing both of them and loving it.
Courtney shook her head and shot Jason look. She earned a shrug in response. Rolling her eyes, she said quietly, "You were right, Carly."
Carly shook her head, "No, no, no, no, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking that blue-eyed fella over there." Carly pointed in Jason's direction.
Jason looked around pretending to be searching for another person and then back to Carly, "Oh! You must mean me!" He exclaimed sarcastically.
Carly threw back her head and laughed, "Of course I mean you."
Jason knew that he had to give in or she would be bugging him all night. Barely audible, he stated, "You were right, Carly."
Carly put a hand behind her ear, "What? I couldn't exactly hear that! Can you speak up a little bit?"
Jason rolled his eyes and stated, "You were right, Carly."
Carly smiled, satisfied with herself. She. Was. Right. Accepting the cup of sugar from Courtney, she waltzed right back out the door. SHE. WAS. RIGHT.
Courtney laughed as she and Jason made their way to the living room. Courtney had really made the penthouse over. It was much warmer and inviting now. It definitely felt like a home now.
"Carly is a piece of work, let me tell ya," Courtney said, sitting down on the couch and propping her feet up on it.
Jason sat down on the opposite end and brought her feet on top of his lap. Rubbing them to warm them up, he nodded, "Yeah, well, she's nothing compared to you."
Courtney rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him. Shaking her head, she smiled, "Yeah, but you love me for it."
Jason shrugged, "That is true."
Courtney was so happy right now. She thought everything was perfect. She was back with Jason, the love of her life, with her family, and most importantly, happy. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. Positioning herself so that she was leaning on Jason, she drew circles on his chest, "Let's go to bed. I've had a long day."
Jason raised his eyebrows, "Oh really?"
He captured her in another breathtaking kiss and slowly lifted her off the couch. He carried her up the stairs and kicked open his bedroom door. His tongue searched out hers as he deepened the kiss. He couldn't get enough of her and he needed more.
He gently lay her back on the bed and watched as she crawled to the top and lay her head on the silk pillows. She had a look of pure desire in her darkened eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat and still couldn't believe that she was here with him, loving him.
Slowly, he pulled himself over top of her and kissed her passionately. He felt desire run through his body and his heart began to race. He slowly traced kisses down her jaw line and to her neck where he sucked slightly at the collarbone. He heard her moan audibly.
She tugged at the bottom of his shirt as she felt the need to feel his hot skin against hers. Pulling it over his head, she raked her nails over his amazing body sending electrifying chills down his spine. He pushed her shirt up so that he could see her belly button. Smiling, he placed a sweet kiss on it and then looked back up at her.
She was so beautiful with her hair sprawled out on the pillows, his pillows. What had he done to deserve a woman like this, so wonderful and caring, to come back to him. His lips descended hers in another kiss, yet this one was slower and more sensual instead of needy and urgent.
Suddenly, she pulled away. She couldn't do this; not right now. She felt like they were going too fast for her liking. They hadn't seen each other since they were young adults, and they were letting their emotions get to their heads. She looked up at his confused eyes.
"Courtney? What is it?" He asked, pulling himself off of her. He tried to hide his hurt. Why had she pulled away? Did she not want him? Did she not love him?
She looked at him and saw the hurt in his face although he was trying to hide it. She palmed his cheek, stroking it gently, "I just think that we need to take it slow. I feel like we're rushing things."
Jason righted himself on the bed so that he was sitting and facing her. "What do you mean, Court?"
Courtney shrugged, "Jason, we just admitted that we still had feelings for one another. I love you so much and with all my heart, but I want to take things slowly. I don't want to rush to bed. I want to wait; wait for perfect time so it's beautiful."
Jason nodded, smiling slightly at her serenity. He loved how she liked to voice her opinions to him. He took her hands in his and kissed each one of them. Looking into her cerulean eyes, he whispered, "Then we'll wait. We'll wait for the perfect time and the perfect place, because it's worth waiting for with you. I love you, Courtney, so much."
Courtney smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're always so understanding, Morgan. How do you do it?" She asked as she stroked his hair.
Jason looked into her sparkling eyes and shrugged modestly, "You're worth it."
Courtney felt her eyes fill with tears and she placed a hand over her heart. He always got to her. Taking his hand, she looked into his eyes, "I think we should tell Sonny. He has the right to know."
Jason nodded, "If Carly doesn't tell him first."
"So we'll go now. I want to tell Sonny myself; I don't want him finding out by someone else," Courtney said, taking a stand. She smoothed her wrinkled clothes, picked Jason's shirt up from the floor, and threw it to him.
He threw the shirt over his hand and took a deep breath, "Maybe I should tell him by myself?"
Courtney shook her head stubbornly, "No. I want to be there with you when we tell my brother. We're in this together, Jason."
Jason nodded, "Ok. Let's go."
They made their way down the stairs and out the door. Taking her hand, he smiled reassuringly. He squeezed it gently and asked, "You nervous?"
Courtney let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, "Yeah, just a bit."
Jason brought her to him and kissed her chastely reassuring her everything was going to be fine through one kiss. He waved Marco off and opened the door himself.
Sonny looked up as he heard the door open. He nodded towards Jason and Courtney as they entered, yet something was different and he could feel it. Giving Jason a questioning look, he asked, "Is everything all right?"
Courtney nodded with a smiled, "Everything's fine, Sonny." Then added, "Actually, everything's more than fine; it's wonderful."
Sonny was confused. What was Courtney talking about and why was she so happy. He didn't like feeling left out in the cold, so he asked, "What do you mean?"
Courtney took a deep breath and looked at Jason. She received an encouraging nod from him so she went on, drawing her strength from him and their love. "I don't really know how to say this, but I. we think you have right to know."
Sonny's eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes?" He was letting his impatience get to him.
Courtney froze. She didn't know why she was having such a hard time saying that her and Jason were together, but she was so scared that Sonny would object. She loved Sonny with all her heart even though she had only known him for almost a year. Somehow, she needed this approval from Sonny. She needed him to say it was all right; that he approved of her being with Jason.
Taking a steadying breath that seemed to relax her nerves, she stated, "Sonny, Jason and I love each other and we're together."