Author's Note: So I had two typed pages of this chapter, and then my computer froze! 10 gold stars for Suzie! Boy was I mad. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. I really liked writing it! It's my favorite so far!

Jason opened the door to his room in the casino, and let Courtney walk in before him.

"So what do you want for dinner?" He asked, as he watched her observe her surroundings. A smile formed at the corners of her mouth.

"Who decorated for you?" Courtney asked. "You didn't do this by yourself."

Jason shrugged. "Rodrigo. He's pretty good at this kind of stuff." Jason smiled at Courtney as she walked around the room, picking things up and placing back in the exact spot she found them.

"Ah, the infamous Rodrigo. You know, he was so sweet when he picked me up at the airport. I want to see more of him."

Jason didn't really hear what she was saying. Courtney was wearing a pale pink dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. No woman, at least no woman that Jason could remember had ever made him feel like Courtney did. She was so beautiful, so innocent and sweet, that she took his breath away. Sonny had called him passionless before he left Port Charles to run the casino, and for a while, Jason believed it. But now, he knew that it wasn't true. Courtney was going to prove Sonny wrong.

"You never answered my question," Jason said as he watched Courtney take a few steps toward him.

"What question?" Courtney asked as Jason pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Courtney felt a chill race up her spine.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Oh, whatever you have. I'm not that hard to please…"

"Can I kiss you?" Jason heard himself ask. Courtney had told herself countless times not to get lost in his eyes. But she couldn't seem to look away from them. They were so hopelessly blue. She told herself not to fall for him, but now, with his mouth mere inches from her, she couldn't step away.

"What?" Courtney asked, surprised that she could string letters together to form a word when her eyes were going foggy, her knees were weak, and her heart was melting.

"Can I kiss you, please?" Not knowing what to do, say, or think, Courtney slowly nodded and placed her lips on his.

Jason sighed into her mouth, amazed at how wonderfully sweet this woman was. Courtney gently pulled away, her eyes still closed. "No one has ever asked me that before."

Jason had no idea what she was talking about. He could have asked her to marry him and he wouldn't have remembered it. He was so overwhelmed by her. "Asked you what?"

"Asked if they could kiss me." Courtney blushed and turned her head away from Jason, only to have it turned back by Jason's thumb.

"But you kissed me," Jason whispered before crushing his lips to hers.

Courtney pulled away, laughing. "Did not."

Jason chuckled and swung his arm around her shoulders, leading her into the kitchen.

About a half an hour later, Jason had put a chicken pot pie in the oven, and Courtney was seated on the counter, pulling out her tape recorder.

"Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Go for it," Jason said as he set the kitchen timer.

"How did you become the co-owner of a casino in Puerto Rico?"

"Well, my business partner bought it a few years back, and he sent me down here to run it." Jason cringed inwardly at his half version of the truth.

"Who is your business partner?"

Jason braced himself. "Sonny Corinthos."

Bells began ringing in Courtney's head. And everything began to fall into place. Morgan and Corinthos. Alleged mobsters. Of course, they'd never been convicted of anything, but still…

Jason walked over to where Courtney was sitting and gently placed his hands on her hips. He reached over to take her recorder and removed it from her hands, hitting the stop button.

"What are you doing? This is an interview," Courtney said, trying to back up, away from him.

He wouldn't let her go. "I saw, from the look in your eyes, that you know exactly who my business partner and I are now."

Courtney nodded slowly. "I need to turn my tape back on, Jason."

"I can't lie to you, Courtney. I wasn't going to tell you everything. I had planned on telling you half of the truth."

"You don't need to tell me anything that isn't business related. I told you that I don't like mixing business with pleasure Jason, this is exactly why."

"We both know that this is more than business, Courtney."

Courtney couldn't deny that, but she wasn't ready to admit it either. She slowly nodded.

"I used to live in Port Charles, New York. I'm sure you've heard of it." Courtney nodded, and smiled down at their now joined hands. "One day, a long time ago, my brother was getting into a car, and he was drunk, so I got in too. At least, that's what they tell me. He crashed the car into a tree. I woke up in the hospital after that, not knowing anyone. Not my family, my friends… no one."

"Jason, I'm sorry…" Courtney looked into Jason's eyes, and didn't see regret.

"I'm not. My family wanted me to know them, wanted me to be someone I didn't know. And I couldn't do that. So I left. I needed a job, and Sonny took me in. He was like a father to me for a long time, he taught me everything he knew about coffee importing, and how to handle violence if it came. But more importantly, he taught me about family."

"How?" Courtney asked.

Jason smiled. "Through his wife, Carly, and their son, Michael. I saw how close they were, and how important it was, and still is, to Sonny to protect them. I want that, someday."

"Jason, you've been through so much…"

"Stop. I don't want you to feel bad for me. That wasn't the point. The point is that I'm having a hard time staying away from you, and I need you to understand a few things before we can continue with this."

Courtney didn't know what to say, so she nodded.

"The business can get violent. We have codes, and rules that are not supposed to be broken, but sometimes they are. We leave families and loved ones out of personal vendettas, at least, we're supposed to. Those rules get broken all too often. Sonny's wife, Carly, has been kidnapped on more than one occasion. And I just want you to be aware that if you become publicly involved with me, you may become a target." Courtney's hands tensed in Jason's. He was being so honest with her, and she hadn't been honest with him.

"Jason, I'm only here for two weeks…" Courtney watched Jason glance down at their intertwined fingers.

"You might change your mind. At least give me the chance to change your mind, Courtney." Jason looked into her eyes, and for the first time, she saw desperateness.

"I can't make any promises, Jason."

"I'm not asking for any."

"Okay then."

"You'll think about it?"

"There's something between us Jason, something that I'm not ready to just walk away from yet." Courtney smiled as Jason kissed her softly.

"Are you sure? I know it's a lot to ask, I mean, the business is dangerous, but I can protect you."

Courtney was sure of that. "I know you can."

"Thank you."

Courtney felt herself being lifted off the counter and into Jason's arms. She wrapped her legs around Jason's waist as he spun her around.

The timer went off.

"Dinner's ready," Jason smiled as he walked over to the table, and placed Courtney in her chair.

Courtney was so elated, she knew that she'd found a man who truly cared about her. Jason wasn't like Kent. Courtney was sure about that.

"What do you want to drink?" Jason yelled from the kitchen.

"Whatever you're having!" Courtney yelled back.

"A beer then," Jason said as he walked back into the room and lit the candles, placing her beer in front of her.

"I had no idea you were a romantic."

"I resent that." Jason said as he put the stereo on. Classical. The image didn't seem to fit with the man she knew.

"Don't. I like romantics." Courtney smiled as she tried a bite of her chicken pot pie. "This is excellent."

"Write a letter to Mrs. Budd. You watched me take it out of the box." Jason sat across from Courtney and smiled at her.

"Yes, but you didn't burn it. That's the difference between you and me. I burn everything."

"Thank you for warning me." Jason said as he abruptly placed down his fork.

"What's up?" Courtney asked. "Did you get a bone or something?"

"No. I just had an idea." Jason said as he sprang up from his chair and held out his hand for Courtney to join him.

Courtney took his hand, smiling wider than she thought she ever would again.

"Dance with me."

"You mean you don't want to get me drunk first?" Courtney teased.

"No, I think I'll risk you being sober."

Jason pulled Courtney into his arms and they began to sway to the relaxing music.

"See, it's pretty nice when you're not drunk too."

"Jason?" Courtney looked up into Jason's impossibly blue eyes.

"Yeah?" Jason smoothed the hair running down Courtney's back.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

Jason stopped moving and placed his hands on either side of Courtney's face.

"That's good. Because I know I'm in love with you."

Author's Note II: There was no Robin, and Michael was never Jason's son. Just an FYI.