Beyond the windows, the steady hiss of the rain played its soft song in soft counterpoint to the storm clouds and thunder. Inside the penthouse, the only sound was that of their breathing.
Can he hear the sound of my heart? Alexis
wondered. She wondered how he couldn't. She felt as though it might burst out
of her chest at any moment. Worse, she didn't know how to control it. Alexis
hated losing control in any circumstance. She simply couldn't take this, being
so close to him and he having no idea of how much he meant to her, how much
this was affecting her. She knew that she should, but Alexis couldn't bear to
tear her eyes from his. Just another moment, and she would move. Just a moment
more…
Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating their faces as they stared at one another.
The crack of thunder that boomed overhead a moment later broke the strange stillness that had sprung up between them as Alexis jumped. Instinctively, Sonny's arms closed themselves around her, a protection against the storm and the dark and any and all things that might threaten her.
The dancing flames from the fireplace created a warm gentle crackling sound, a backdrop to the sounds of their breathing. For a moment, they were the only sounds existing in their world. The storm had cut off everything and everyone else.
His arms felt natural, she fit in his arms so
naturally. But this feeling inside him; the wave of protectiveness that swept
through Sonny surprised him. He'd always felt something for Alexis. As they'd
grown closer, he'd liked her at first, and had slowly come to cherish her...but
this…what he was feeling was something totally new to him. Alexis was in his
arms, and he didn't want to let her go.
"Are you afraid of the thunder?" he asked softly.
Alexis shook her head. "No, I actually liked thunderstorms even since I was
young." She answered, her tone suddenly just as hushed as his had become.
Something about the hiss of the storm outside and the flickering glow of the
fireplace held them suspended in a cocoon of intimate quiet. "Back on…the island…there were caves up in
the hillsides. When I could sneak away, there were few things I liked better
than be in them. For me, the storms represented safety and security, not danger,
because no one would bother looking for me then. Stavros…wouldn't bother
himself to come out in the wet, and it was easy for everyone to just forget
that I didn't exist." A shadow passed over her eyes, but Sonny said nothing,
letting her continue to talk. Like himself, Alexis was not one to reminisce
often, or to share it with many others. He knew it for the gift it was and was
suddenly, oddly, content to lay here with her, content to listen to the sound
of her voice and accept another secret part of herself that she was sharing
with only him.
"I loved to watch the lighting dancing
across the sky." She continued. "There's something primeval, something untamed
and untamable that I love about them. I could see my future in them. Because
one day, I would be like they were…free."
For a moment. Sonny was envious of that freedom; he
wished that he'd had a place to hide, to get away. But all during his days of
growing up, it had seemed like there would be no escape. For him, the
boundaries were set by the four walls of the place that he, his mother and Deke
shared. It was called his house, but had never really become his home.
But just as quickly as those dark thoughts had come, the memories they evoked
were forced away, banished by the sound of her voice and he was glad for her.
Alexis had had a whole island to escape into. What she was telling him now, had
been part of what made Alexis the woman she was, and for that, he could be
nothing but grateful.
Her eyes gazed serious into his. "The only thing I feared, besides Stavros and
Helena, was the dark. Not the storms themselves, just the endless, lightless
dark."
Sonny knew that fear all too well. When Deke used
to lock him in the closet as a child, the total absence of light was one of the
things that used to terrify him. He'd managed to lose that fear over the years,
but sometimes, it came back to haunt him too. "It's dark now." he said aloud.
"But I'm with you." Alexis said without
thinking. "Nothing bad can happen to me when I'm with you."
Her rational mind screamed for her to move, demanded
to know what it was she thought she was doing. She didn't know. Don't make a fool of yourself and this
situation, logic told her. Her irrational heart didn't care what
logic said. All it knew was that it was her and Sonny and firelight and they
were the only things that existed in this moment in time.
Happiness was such a fleeting thing, Alexis thought. She'd promised Stefan that
she would start to live her life more fully. Well, if that meant taking life
and living it just for the moment sometimes, that was fine with her. She'd take
the memory of this moment, of Sonny's beautiful, sable-lashed dark eyes gazing
deep into hers, of the strength and feel of his arms holding her close and the
beating of their hearts together as one and not ask for more but just store it
away in her heart.
"Yeah, you're with me." And not with
Jax. He dismissed his wannabe rival from his mind, without a second
thought. This was in no way about Jax. Instead, Sonny allowed himself to become
all too aware of her. His hands on her body craved nothing more than to explore
the smooth lean curves of her slender form stretched out above him and against
him, all that was usually hidden by the suits she insisted on all too evident
as they pressed close against his body. Unconsciously, he still had one hand in
her hair, holding it back so he could see her clearly. Her face hovered above
his and even in the golden orange flickering glow of the flames, he could see
the depth of trust in her eyes. "You know I'll take care of you, no matter
what. You're the only person I can trust. And there's no one else that means
anything like you mean to me."
"Right back at you." Alexis fought to keep the
tremble from her voice. If only he meant it the way that she did. She pushed
that misery away, not wanting him to see it. He need never know….
Instead, she smiled down at him, a slow sweet smile that set her dimples to deepening and his heart to pounding. That and the look in her eyes. He wanted to stare up into them forever. Sonny saw the tiniest quiver of her lips and the sudden knowledge of all that Alexis had kept from him, her own emotions that she had selflessly kept bottled inside, was like a blinding explosion in his mind, a sudden sharp blow in his gut, and his response was a dam breaking free in him that sent a flood of emotions poured through him, inundating his heart. As much as he'd doubted Kristina before, he knew she'd told the truth for a fact now. And damned himself for being such a blind fool for so long. And now that he knew, he wouldn't waste another moment questioning it. All the answers he needed were there in Alexis' eyes.
"Alexis…" How could he tell her everything he was
feeling this moment? His feelings, this realization, all of it had been
building so long and now, tonight came pouring out from seemingly nowhere,
blindsiding him, paralyzing him with the sheer earth shattering strength of it,
leaving him speechless. His lips parted, blindly seeking for the words that
would express what he felt, but nothing came out.
There was one way to say everything he wanted, without speaking a single word.
Sonny lifted his head, at the same time, his hand tangled itself in her hair
and slowly urged her downward to meet him.
"Sonny…?" Alexis whispered. That single word held a million questions in it, and not a single one was she brave enough to ask aloud. Alexis was stunned and disbelieving of the dawning awareness she saw blooming in his eyes. It was as though a wall had come down, a barrier had been broken, destroyed, laid to waste without her knowing it. And in spite of all the alarms going off inside her, her heart thrilled, and beat faster in astonished anticipation.
"Shhh….Alexis…" Sonny breathed. His brought both of
his hands up in a hesitant caress, gentle fingers tracing the fragile outline
of her cheekbones, while his thumbs brushed over the contours of her lips. His
heart leapt in pleasure as Alexis' eyes warmed and darkened in response. And
then, gently cupping her face, Sonny touched his lips to hers, "Don't…" his words were whisper-soft, mingled with
feathery kisses to her lips, her cheeks and then the smooth sweet curve of her
jaw line, and finally her eyelids as he kissed them shut, his voice gentle as
his touch as he spoke to her between his kisses "….don't… say… a …word…Alexis…please…"
Hearing the heartfelt plea in his voice broke down the last of her resolve.
Alexis let herself melt into his kisses, a tiny moan of surrender escaping her
as his lips pressed themselves firmly against his own, slowly parting hers and
then his tongue sweetly sought hers. Sonny groaned as he deepened the
possession of her mouth, knowing that she was granting him access to so much
more than her physical self at the same time. How could he have not known
all this time…Sonny stopped thinking, let pure sensation overtake him as
Alexis responded to his kiss, her lips warming under his own, allowing his
mouth to plunder hers. One soft hand came up to caress the hard contours of his
face with softly trembling fingertips. Her touch sent a fresh wave of feeling
sweeping through his body. It had been so long since he had allowed himself to
lose himself inside a woman's sweetness. And it was this woman's sweetness that
called to him, her and her alone.
Her mind struggled for control…telling her all the reasons why she shouldn't be
kissing Sonny, all the while her arms were coming up to hold him close. He was
still in love with his wife, her mind said…no, his ex wife…her heart
replied….she'd seen the final papers herself. All while his arms tightened around
her, pulling her body close against his. The proof of his desire was all too
evident. Her heart won out, sending her senses spiraling downwards to lose
themselves in his embrace. She surrendered as time stopped for the two of them
then and there.
Sonny's hands tangled themselves
in her hair and then his lips were scorching a pathway down her throat.
"Alexis…" His murmuring of her name against the soft curve of her collarbone
sent a shiver of desire deep inside her. Unbidden, her fingers slid into the silken
midnight of his hair, stroked the strong column of his throat and caressed the hardened muscles of his body as his
hands threaded through the warm dark chestnut of hers. Their lips came together
again in an explosion of joy and surprise and passion.
Reluctantly, the kiss ended in a mutual need to
breathe. Sonny and Alexis drew apart slightly, expressions of wonder and yes,
awe, in each of their faces, both of them reluctant to speak, afraid of
breaking the spell that had been cast.
Sonny's heart sank as he saw a veil fall over Alexis' beautiful eyes, dimming the passion he knew he'd seen just moments before. He knew her all too well and guessed, correctly, at what would come next.
Alexis struggled to free herself from Sonny's arms, her heart already aching. "No, Sonny…no…" She was already shaking her head. They couldn't… they shouldn't… "Your…your wife."
"Ex wife, Alexis." Reluctantly, Sonny let her go.
Alexis got to her feet, struggling to
hide the weakness in her knees. "Legalities."
Standing, she moved away, turning her back to him as she struggled to
compose herself. "You still love her." It wasn't a question. Not in her mind.
She stiffened her resolve. Not that he would purposefully set out to hurt her,
but Alexis was not going to allow Sonny to use her to prove to himself that he
no longer loved his wife.
The touch of
gentle fingers against the curve of her neck startled her. She'd never heard
Sonny move. She caught her breath as the fingers traced their way gently
downward. Then they were curving around her shoulder and turning her,
unwillingly, around.
"Whatever I say,
you're afraid to believe it." Sonny said, looking directly at her. "Don't you
think I know you well enough by now?"
For a moment, all of Alexis' arguments were lost, mist on the wind, underneath the intenseness of his dark gaze. But she gathered her resolve. "And I know you, Sonny." she said as she moved purposefully towards the door. She didn't see Sonny as his hand came up to stop her, or the regret in his eyes as he let it fall and watched her walk away from him.
Alexis went to the door and opened it. Unwisely, her head argued, she turned around and looked at Sonny one final time and a sharp pain knifed through her heart as her eyes met his. She wrenched her gaze away. "Let's just chalk this up to a moment where we let things get away from us. No harm, no foul." Not trusting herself to say anything more, Alexis jerked the door open and headed for her own apartment. Behind her, she heard Sonny's voice, but still somewhat dazed from everything that had just happened, she didn't catch the words.
In the hallway, Johnny was on post, as usual. He looked at
her strangely as she brushed by him. Usually Ms. Davis had a smile or a joke or
both for him, but not tonight. She swept by without a word, long legs moving
her swiftly past him, hair mussed, her eyes strangely lambent. Johnny's own
gaze swiveled around just in time to see his boss come barreling out of the
door directly behind her, an oddly intense expression on his face that his
bodyguard hadn't seen in a very, very long time. He didn't so much as glance at
Johnny either. But before Alexis could shut it, Sonny was there, catching a
hold of the door. He stepped inside and closed it behind him.
The bodyguard turned his eyes resolutely away from the door, while a reluctant
smile tugged at his lips.
It was about damned time.
