Jason sat at the small table and watched as Elizabeth walked around the small water fountain snapping pictures with the digital camera he bought the day before after driving into the quaint city of Lisbon. They spent a few hours yesterday in Spain, enjoying a brief lunch then boarded the jet for Venice. A car awaited them after landing and drove into the city to the large apartment he used when he didn't want to go home during the week. Later this evening after some sightseeing and dinner, they would drive the thirty minutes out and he would show them his house.
Being with Elizabeth was just as easy and good as he remembered. They talked, truly talked last night and he didn't worry about censoring his thoughts or how she would react, what she would think of him. He confessed to screwing up five years ago and how it had taken him a long time to find a way to live with himself and the damage he caused. He told her how much it hurt when Sam decided to stay in Port Charles but he had understood her need to know Alexis, even if it hurt.
If he had taken a moment to realize how his decisions would affect his life with Sam instead of taking for granted that she would agree with him, maybe that would have made a difference. He couldn't tell anymore and eventually found a way to let it all go. Perhaps they had always been on this path and this was just one hurdle too many to overcome. Elizabeth hadn't ridiculed him, didn't judge,she just listened and he hadn't known how much he needed that quiet support until she offered it.
She told him about her marriage to Lucky and how it fell apart. In that soft whisper, she confided that maybe Lucky had been right about her. She should have trusted that he would be able to handle any dangerous situations that rose with his job. Perhaps she hadn't believed in him enough.
In a suffocated rasp, stilted and unsteady, Elizabeth retraced the last year of their marriage. It had just always seemed that everytime they dug themselves out from one hole, they ended up trapped in another one. Lucky's need to prove himself had become too much to live with, and his bitter accusations that she regretted marrying him had made her realize that she needed to walk away before they ended up hating each other.
He instinctively wanted to say something, do something to make things right, a knee jerk reaction to the distress of someone he cared about. Yet he didn't. He knew that these wereold feelings, she didn't need him to rescue her. Elizabeth had realized long ago that she couldn't take on Lucky's issues. So he just held her hand and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. It seemed he had learned something during these years of exile and Elizabeth hadhandled her own problems without needing someone to rescue her.
They had both grown.
The sound of Cam rushing around the fountain, laughing and avoiding his mother and her quest for pictures, pulled him from his thoughts.He was a great little boy and Elizabeth was doing a great job raising him. Bright with a clean innocence thatonly a child could shine with, he wore a simple white shirt and pants that Elizabeth had purchased from a store the day before. She had seen the little church from the balcony of his apartment and asked him about it. When he told her, yes, he did attend services there when he was still within the city, she rushed out to the store because all she had packed were a few pairs of jeans and t-shirts.
He had thought Carly was a good mother, and in her way, she was. She had the added help of nanny's and other family members to help with Michael and Morgan though. He had played a major role in raising those boys up until five years ago. If he wondered about his nephew and godson, then he had to trust that they were in capable hands because he was no longer apart of their lives. That separation had hurt but it was unavoidable.
Even without telling him so, Jason knew that Elizabeth was raising Cameron on her own. Yes, she accepted help from her grandmother from time to time, but her son was her entire focus and that was something that Jason admired about her. Cam was courteous and smart but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that reminded Jason of his mother.
When the little boy woke on the plane, he vaguely remembered him from the night before. After some pointed questions that only a child could ask, Cam had decided that he could be trusted. Elizabeth was very careful to call him Roman in front of Cam and it was probably for the best. There was no need to confuse the little boy with false identities. For Cameron Webber, he was Roman Jonas, an old friend of his mother's who they were going to Venice to visit for a while.
He watched as Elizabeth chased Cam with a teasing smile her laughter ringing through the air. She wore a wispy blue sundress that made her eyes sparkle radiantly. Thick tresses bounced with her footsteps and when she glanced over at him, he felt something tighten with longing. It reminded him of everything he could have had. A wife. A son. A family.
They had exited the small church this morning and he decided to take them out to brunch at the tiny café where he often stopped in for a cup of coffee. The owner, Vincent, a salt and pepper haired man with a loud barking laughter and a welcoming smile, had taken one look at Elizabeth and nodded his appreciation.
"She is beautiful Roman. You are a lucky man," he had complimented in thickly accented English as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
Vincent then scuffed Cam across the top of his head and promised to bring them a meal they would always remember.This was the most relaxed he felt in years. Not because he didn't have to worry about work. He liked the shipping business, it kept his mind active and provided enough of a challenge to keep him from being bored.
The company was much like running the coffee business had been, only now he didn't have to worry about territory. He wasn't breaking the law and he didn't have to kill anyone who got in his way. There was always the chance that someone from the business would recognize him despite the name change, but no one would think to look for Jason Morgan, enforcer of Port Charles within the disguise of Roman Jonas, shipping magnet. Sometimes the best way to hide was in plain sight. No one who knew him from his life before would truly recognize him now, which was why he felt safe in bringing Elizabeth and Cameron along with him back to Venice.
If he thought for one moment that she would be in danger he would have his jet take her back to Port Charles and never contact her again.
Who did he think he was fooling? That smile had crawled back inside of him just like those years before and the last thing he wanted was to send her away. Seeing Elizabeth and her son together tugged at something deep inside him. At first he thought maybe it was residual feelings for Sam, the life they could have had together. Then she had walked out of that small bedroom on the jet and Jason knew that every thought he was having, every yearning that had sparked to life deep inside his body, was focused solely on the beautiful woman standing before him.
Did she know how tempted he had been to peel back those buttons ontheshirt he had lent herand bare that smooth skin for his touch?
When he had stepped into the room earlier for a change of clothes, he had stopped for a moment to watch her sleep, her lovely face gentled with rest. Long brown hair, spread messily over his pillow, that lush mouth, it had left him with an ache surprisingly strong.
Elizabeth started apologizing for coming along with him and his first thought had been maybe she was sorry and wanted to go back to Port Charles. It was startling how much he didn't like that thought and he had wanted to do something that would make her want to stay. Then she had said his name. The new one, and something had clicked for him. Instead of trying to explain himself, he was still shitty with words that much hadn't changed over the years, he had just kissed her.
Then he really had wanted just to crawl inside her.
Now here it was a beautiful Sunday morning in Venice with Elizabeth Webber and her son Cameron and he was happy. Happy in a way that he hadn't been in a very long time. He needed to find a way to convince her to stay a while longer. To convince her that he wanted them both to stay a while longer. Where this was headed, he had no idea, but for the first time he was going to reach for what he wanted without worrying about the consequences.
Perhaps he would get hurt, yet he had been hurt before and lived to tell. Perhaps it wouldn't work out, he had been in failed relationships before and survived. The one thing he knew was that he wasn't afraid to take this chance. All the other times, he had been afraid to risk. Afraid that something would come along and snatch happiness from him.
Now he was more afraid of what he might lose if he didn't take that risk.
Five years alone had taught him that every thing worthwhile bore some risk and fear could be conquered.
Elizabeth glanced over at Roman, she called him Roman now simply because it was best and helped her remember the pretense to keep him safe. He sat at the table watching them with a small smile curving his lips. Dressed in the light grey suit and the blue shirt beneath that made his eyes passionate, he looked the most content that she had ever seen him. The rough edge that always seemed to surround him was still there, it probably always would be but he seemed different. Relaxed.
Roman Jonas serene was extremely sexy. Those hooded eyes, the deceptively lazy posture that shimmered with heat. Who was she kidding? Those separate bedrooms that he offered last night weren't going to make it through this next evening. There was no way she was going to deny herself the experience of making love to this man. No matter what happened afterwards.
He had told her once about the light in Venice and the wonder in his voice had shown her a part of his heart that he kept hidden from most people. Now she was here with him, experiencing the amazing sight for herself and her fingers itched to paint. It was a sensation that she had pushed aside to make a life for her son and now it almost roared with it's need to be sated.
How would she paint the bridges, or the water that if you listened closely you could hear? Would she use oil or watercolors to depict the wonderful old buildings and the people who walked along? She wanted a picture of Cam in front of this beautiful fountain, with the water trickling behind him drawn from her own hands, not just a photograph. She wanted to capture Roman and that contented expression on his face.
She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry that she was given this gift. All she knew was that she owed it to Roman.
"You should take a picture with us," she heard Cam call out to Roman. He shook his head and Elizabeth knew that she wanted him to do this for her.
"Oh Roman doesn't like taking pictures, he's shy." She sat down next to her son on the edge of the fountain and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"That's ridiculous,"Roman smirked, and she could tell that he had caught on to her tactics.
"Maybe he's just afraid he'll break the camera if he smiled," she teased and Cam burst into laughter.
"Come on Roman," Cam waved him over, "Mom won't let it go if you don't take a picture. She even worse about homework."
"That's right," she nodded, "I'm like a terrier."
"More like a terror," he put in but stood from his seat and walked over to them, that loose limbed stride had her body humming with appreciation.
Vincent, the nice man who made them the delicious lunch of minestrone and baked bread that practically melted in her mouth, came outside then wiping his hands on the apron around his waist. The café was empty now except for them, so he must have heard her teasing Roman. "Did I hear something about pictures?"
"Yeah, my Mom is trying to convince Roman to take one with us," Cam called out cheerfully.
Elizabeth forced a demure smile, despite the laughter that threatened to burst free and placed the digital camera in Roman's hands. An eyebrow raised just a fraction but she could see the grin he was holding back. He couldn't fool her for one moment. He never Vincentandsat next to her. Retribution gleaming in his eyes, he placed an arm around her shoulders.
"You owe me," he murmured but smiled as the flash flickered taking the picture.
Feeling just a bit naughty she leaned over and touched her mouth softly to his feeling his groan of surprise just moments before his hand lightly grasped her chin. She drank in his tenderness, thrilling at the slow shivery kiss that made her body crave his touch. When they broke apart, her eyes fluttered open and she allowed the loving curve to spread across her lips. "Yes, I do," she whispered meaning much more than owing him for a simple picture.
He had opened her heart again and she was delighted to welcome him inside.
Samantha Spencer typed in more information into her computer and was mystified at how easy it was to uncover the owner of the Jonas Corporation, one Roman Jonas. Doodling on a piece of paper revealed that rearranging the letters and adding the missing g, gave her the name Jason Morgan. There were no pictures available of the CEO, but she managed to dig up some information about the man. Aged thirty five, wealthy, he owned an apartment near the Jonas Corp. headquarters as well as a house a few miles out of the city.
He was considered a recluse and allowed the vice-president of the company to take care of any media scrutiny. It sounded exactly like a man who didn't want to be found. She knew that sometimes the best way to hide was in plain sight.Or maybe she was just placing too much on the possibility.
Even now, she didn't quite understand why she agreed to look into this for Emily. If Sonny discovered that Jason had returned to Port Charles he would try to go after him and did she really want to be responsible for that happening. Yes, part of her was still angry that he had tossed aside everything they had, trying to look out for his sister. Did that mean she wanted to punish him? Hadn't they all been through enough?
She and Jason had a future ahead of him and the next instant it was gone.A part of her that knew that if Jason betrayed Sonny, it was going to go bad. However she remained silent because it was business and she didn't feel that she had a right to interfere in his business.
The day he left and she told him that she wasn't going with him, she knew it had hurt him, but he had hurt her too. Jason left Port Charles and she stayed here. Until now she had never once regretted that decision. Now all of these doubts kept swimming in her head.
Okay, honesty Samantha, she reminded herself. She just a bit jealous that Jason hadn't come back to see her but to see Liz.
She had no real reason to be jealous. She was with Lucky, she loved him completely and it had taken a very long time to get over losing Jason. Lucky waited patiently until she trusted him and their feelings for each other and now they were happily married, shared a beautiful little girl and a business that they were both good at.
Lucky who still had no idea that she believed that his ex-wife had run off with Jason Morgan.
She looked at the computer screen and the information, glanced down at the print out of the travel arrangements for one to Venice, Italy and wondered again, if she was happy, then why was she going after Jason Morgan?
And why had he returned for Elizabeth Webber?