CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
Best Intentions

Eyes closed, head back against a bath pillow nestled under her neck, Alexis let her body float in the fragrant water, determined not think of anything at all. And every so often, she actually managed it, the scents of the bath oil and the silkiness of the warm water and bubbles soothing her senses and leaving her thoughts mercifully blank. But too often, thoughts of Sonny kept intruding into the nothingness of her mind. There was the sound of his voice, soft and sultry, the memory of his eyes meeting hers danced behind her own shuttered lids…at the edge of her consciousness there was the scent of him….and there was the sheer presence of the man…without meaning to, she was forcibly reminded how Sonny could fill a room simply with the very power of his presence. And just do it by being.

The remembered sensation was so strong, Alexis opened her eyes. And wasn't surprised, not really, to see Sonny standing in the doorway.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"That key was for emergency purposes." She reminded him.

"Didn't need it. The door was unlocked. But I thought this might be count as an a emergency anyway." Sonny crossed the room to kneel beside her. He unconsciously licked his lips, entranced by the sight of Alexis, her hair loosely pinned up, tendrils of it hanging damply at her temples, while the mounds of fragrant bubbles that filled the tub, leaving only her smooth shoulders showing and how they gleamed softly in the candlelight. He put out a hand tentatively, at first brushing back some of those tendrils away from her face, then unconsciously letting it slip down to softly caress one finely shaped cheek. Neither of them spoke as he touched his hand to her face and when she didn't pull away; Sonny braved more, unable to help himself as he leanied forward and captured her lips in a kiss that was clearly a apology.

For a sweet moment, their only contact was their lips. Then Sonny was thrilled as one hand came up to slide into the thick waves of his hair, her fingers twining themselves into it, unconsciously pulling him closer. Unconsciously, Sonny drew her even closer, Alexis half-rising out of the water to feel his arms wrap themselves around her, both of them oblivious to the water splashing over the edge of the tub or the wetness spreading across Sonny's shirt..

Sonny's lips traveled slowly from her lips to the sensitive juncture behind her ear. When his mouth would have moved lower, savoring the fresh clean taste of her skin, he felt Alexis stiffen ever so softly, so he hesitated, then ended the kiss with a last lingering caress of his lips against hers. Alexis drew back slightly to look deeply into his eyes.

"Was that because of Carly?" Alexis sighed. "Never mind; don't answer that, if you don't want to."

"Don't apologize, Alexis."

"I wasn't planning to." She answered with more than a touch of sharpness. But her eyes softened ever so slightly; Sonny felt an inward sense of relief even as he smiled inwardly at the familiar tone. He watched as Alexis sank back down into the bubbles, gazing up at him, her dark eyes once more unreadable. There was a long pause between them.

Alexis was the one to break it. Her lips parted to speak, then hesitated, and then spoke what was in her heart. Alexis had always demanded the truth from him, facing him, she could give him no less. "I'm supposed to be angry at you. It's classic. The ex-wife returns and things get ugly. But I'm not. I just want to make it clear. I don't want to get caught up in the little games you and Carly used to play. I don't want her to - and I won't let her be - the catalyst for what does or doesn't happen between us… I don't want her to matter any more…"

"She won't be the reason for anything." Sonny said, wanting, needing to reassure her. " And she isn't now. Carly doesn't matter anymore."

"She's the reason why you're here right now." Alexis said, eyes looking steadily into his. "She's the reason why I'm here right now, in my own apartment. We had some work to finish, contracts to review. We were going to have dessert, remember? We had plans to spend time together tonight. Carly changed all that. And all she had to do was show up at your door."

"I can't stop her from coming by the penthouse. I can't control what she does. I can only control what I do and the choices I make." A little smile crossed Sonny's lips. That was a lesson Alexis had tried to teach him more than once. How many times had she come to his rescue, making things clear for him when his thoughts sank down into guilt and gloom. More than once , she had pulled him back into the light, reminding him that everything bad that happened wasn't his fault, no matter what his heart and soul said. Other people made choices that he was powerless to change.And now, for once, it was his turn to do the same for her. "And you thought I never listened to you."

"I'm glad to see that some things I say to you actually sink in." Alexis smiled in spite of herself.

"I know it's hard, but I want you to trust me, Alexis. I want you to be able to trust in me..my words.... just like I trust in you."

"I want to trust in you too, Sonny, of course I do, but we both know that we can't trust Ca…" Before she could finish saying Carly's name, Sonny had touched his fingers to her lips again.

"I told you , Carly has finally gotten the message. We're over and she's accepted that. I know as well as you do what Carly is capable of….but just trust me..." Sonny looked deeply into her eyes, but then all of a sudden, his serious expression was interrupted by a very noisy, very loud sneeze. He tried to speak again but he sneezed again, louder than the first time. Then a third sneeze erupted and Alexis did her best to hold back a giggle. She failed miserably. Sonny looked down at his damp shirt, still wet from where he had held Alexis' slick and soapy - and arousing - slenderness against his own body. "You're laughing at me?" he asked with a mock frown.

"Seeing the almighty Sonny Corinthos brought low by a sneeze or two or three…" Alexis laughed again as another sneeze interrupted again. "…or four… and the added bonus of watching Mr.-I'm-in-control being as human as the rest of we mere mortals…. losing control over something we mere mortals are accustomed to…yes, I'm laughing at you."

"I guess I'd better change out of these wet clothes." Sonny said. He leaned over and kissed her again. "And what I want you to do, is to sit here, relax and get a good soak in, and promise me that you won't get to thinking too much." He scooped up a handful of bubbles and used one finger to touch a dollop of to the tip of her nose. "You do too much of that as it is."

You think you know me so well, do you?" There was a challenge in her voice that wasn't there before. Before he could even think abut that, or could answer - or move away - Alexis indulged herself in a sudden whim. Wrapping one arm around his neck, she brought Sonny's lips back to hers. She brought her other arm up embracing Sonny even more closely, even as she took charge of the kiss. She let her lips press softly against his, savoring the feel and the texture of his mouth. Slowly, she deepened the kiss, gently, insistently demanding access to his mouth. Sonny groaned slightly at the taste of her, emboldening her to press forward. Alexis pressed forward and the kiss between them intensified. And then unexpectedly, she half-pulled him into the tub; soaking him and his shirt again. She released him and her mouth quirked itself into a smile. "You didn't expect that, did you?" she said, as he sputtered a little in shock. "Lesson: Alexis Natasha Davidovitch 101. Never think that I'm too predictable, Sonny."

"Spontaneity - you're showing me spontaneity, aren't you? Okay, point taken. I won't make that mistake again, Alexis." Sonny said. A quirky grin of his own flashed out at her. "But fair warning, I owe you for that."

And just like that, as their eyes met and they reconnected without words, everything was - almost - all right.. "I repeat, Counselor, take a long soak - and no thinking. Unless it's another surprise. You can surprise me all you like."

"I promise." Alexis said. He grinned at her one more time before he left. And she tried to do exactly that after he had left. But all too soon, the water cooled, the bubbles died away and Alexis left the dubious comfort of the remains of her bath.

She toweled herself off leisurely, her thoughts slowing her movements. She admitted to herself that a part of her would have willingly given herself to Sonny right then and there…and a sweet ache went through her at the thought, but at the same time, Alexis was forced to acknowledge that somewhere down the line, maybe the next morning, maybe the next week or even the next month - or more, but she would have regretted it, because of Carly. Damn her for even showing up tonight! Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't?

And how long would she continue to be an obstacle in their path?

Alexis forced her mind to more pleasant possibilities. A part of her had wanted Sonny to have taken her right then and there in her bath when he'd first taken her into his arms…and for a moment, the naughty vision of erotic possibilities flooded her mind...and she wondered just why he hadn't. He really was waiting for her to take that final step towards intimacy; Alexis marveled at that. Every time she turned around, she learned something new about this man, this thief of hearts that had stolen hers so easily. That realization sent a wave of tenderness across her heart for him. Sonny actually cared enough to wait as long as she needed to. "The problem is," she said aloud, "…is that I don't know how long it might be before I was ready to take that step. I'm afraid…I'm afraid, not of wanting him, but of needing him." And was that being fair to Sonny?

She glanced at the phone by her bed. Should she call him? If she did, what was she supposed to say? "I need you, Sonny" she said aloud in a half-whisper, testing the words upon her lips. Alexis felt slightly silly saying the words out loud and laughed to herself softly. "I want you, Sonny." That was more to the truth. But she just wasn't ready to say them to Sonny. Not yet. Not while the merest trace of Carly remained between them.

Alexis slipped on her robe and headed downstairs. The scent and softly crackling sounds of firewood came to her as she neared the bottom and she halted just as she came to the bottom step.

She had thought he'd gone home. But Sonny was here; kneeling before the fireplace. Somehow, he'd managed to go across the hall, change clothes and get back without her realizing it. At the sound of her footsteps, he turned around, and coming to his feet, smiled at her. He was dressed in a pair of lounge pants, soft charcoal in color, and a matching deep dark crimson robe, softly warm against his skin.

He noted her surprised expression with a satisfied expression of his own. "And you thought you were the only one that could be spontaneous." Sonny walked over to the stairs and offered Alexis his arm. As Alexis slipped her arm into his, he winked at her. "I told you, I owed you one."

"This is hardly one." Alexis said as Sonny escorted her to a place in front of the fire. He'd pulled the cushions from the couch to the floor, and nearby sat a tray with a carafe of coffee and a tray of biscuits. "More like two or three…" she paused as she saw the tray and its contents. "Biscotti!" she exclaimed. Alexis smiled dreamily, remembering the last time they'd shared biscotti.

Sonny sat, drawing Alexis down with him. She watched as Sonny poured them both coffee. He passed her a cup, their fingers touching as she took the cup from his hands. Alexis sipped at it and smiled delightedly. "This is something new."

"Very good. It's a new blend of beans we just got in on the last shipment. It's a Brazilian specialty blend."

"It's delicious."

"Try it with the biscotti." Sonny suggested. He reached for one of the crisp Italian cookies and dipped it lightly into her cup before lifting it to her mouth. Alexis closed her eyes and nibbled at the tip of the biscotti, savoring the rich taste. "Mmmmmmmm." Before she could say anything more, Sonny replaced the biscotti with his lips. And his kiss was as sweet as the cookie and as intoxicating and rich-tasting as the coffee.

Sonny fed Alexis the rest of the biscotti, and then somehow, they drifted into a comfortable silence while they finished their coffee.

Alexis glanced at Sonny from under lowered lids. He was staring into the fire just as she had been. This was the kind of evening she had thought was going to happen. Until Carly had exploded into their world once again. She would always be there in one form or another, Alexis realized. The question was, was she strong enough to accept that fact? One way would be to stop waiting for the perfect moment. That only came in soap operas and late night romantic movies, she knew. She could be with him tonight… that would show Carly once and for all; for a moment she savored the fantasy of being able to throw the fact that she had slept with Sonny in her face. What a pleasure it would be to see her face. But would she feel the same way in the morning? What would she have proved? Alexis was confused all over again.

Then Sonny was suddenly taking the cup from Alexis' hand. He leaned back against the couch and pulled Alexis until she was leaning back against him. She could feel him behind her as he nuzzled the tender spot behind her ear.


"Did you enjoy the rest of your bath?" He asked. Sonny took one hand and began playing in Alexis' hair, baring her neck to his gaze. He wanted nothing more than to let his lips trail down the long and lovely length of Alexis' throat, but there were other things on his mind that took precedence. But he lingered, letting his fingers play across her skin, enjoying the fresh-washed scent and soft texture of her skin..

"I enjoyed all of it." Alexis answered. "The bath, the biscotti - and you. Not necessarily in that order." She turned in his arms to look up at him. "Is everything all right?"

Sonny smiled down at her. "That's what I was about to ask you." He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I heard what you said upstairs." Sonny began. "I just want to make sure you understand that. I told you this before. I'm here, but I'm waiting until you're ready. And I don't ever want you to think otherwise."

"I don't doubt you Sonny. But there's so much going on in our lives. Things neither of us have ever dealt with before. You and your sister, me with mine. And like it or not, there's Carly. No, Sonny…" she said as it seemed that he wanted to stop her from speaking. "She's there. Just like she was tonight. I know what you said, but emotions like that don't die away overnight. I just think that the both of us are on emotionally shaky ground. We don't know where we stand. Not really."

"And this is why you want to wait?" Sonny asked.

"I want to wait until the time is right for the both of us. When there will be no question as to why we do… what we do."

"Let me tell you what happened tonight. Carly tried to get to me. She tried to push my buttons. But she couldn't. There was nothing there for her tonight. And I think this time, even she got it; how couldn't get to me anymore." He paused. "I think I just might be growing up."

There was a second small silence between them, one where Sonny wondered if his words had had any effect and surprising himself just how much he cared. Alexis was the one to break the silence again "The world will never be the same." Alexis said dryly.

"The world changed the day you walked into mine's." Sonny said. He hesitated for a moment. " I understand what you mean about not wanting Carly to be the reason for what will happen between us. Remember what I told you…we'll go as fast or as slow as you need to."

His expression intensified. "I told you from the beginning. We will do nothing until you're ready. I will wait for you...until the end of time if I have to. But I won't ever pressure you into anything you don't want, Alexis. Or anything you're not ready for.

"But you know me well enough that I always get what I want in the end, because I am, after all, a patient man." Sonny couldn't help being Sonny, and despite the seriousness of the moment, he smiled. His dimples flashed as she smiled back.
"I know how hard it is for you to let your guard down. I'm the same way and you know it. But we've shared so much already...why is so hard to share...this?" he reached out and took her hand.

That simple touch, that and his words, struck a chord in Alexis' heart. She could answer him with nothing less than the truth. "I'm… afraid." Her voice was soft and the silence that followed her words was filled with the soft crackly from the fireplace.

"And you think I'm not?" His reply brought her eyes up to his face. "You're the only person I trust in this world. And somewhere along the line, you've become the world to me. Maybe I had to almost lose you to Jax before I realized it."

Alexis' heart, filled with its own fears, relented as she saw the unease in his eyes. "There was never anything there, Sonny. Jax and I are just friends. We've always been that - very close friends. But never nothing more than that."

"But I didn't know that here." Sonny said as he took her hand and pressed it to his heart. "Everything has changed. Including me. My life has changed ..and that was from the moment that I let you into my life..not as my employee, not as my lawyer..but as my friend." Alexis felt the beat of his heart, slow and strong and rhythmic under her hand. As Sonny spoke, she laid her head down on his chest, letting the beat of his heart fill her. His arms tightened around her, rocking her lightly, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

He wanted her, Alexis knew that he did. Remembering the obvious look of desire that had been in his eyes when he'd come to her upstairs, she couldn't help but be reminded of it. The look he'd turned on her had melted right thru her and she shivered inside feeling the memory ripple through her. But once more, she had been the one to stop things. How foolish was she being? Maybe she shouldn't wait anymore. Maybe she could shut off the little nagging voices that wouldn't allow her to commit herself to him fully. Maybe she was being foolish waiting for just the right time, like some love struck teenaged full of romantic notions gleaned from books and television. After a long moment, Alexis shifted. She raised herself, lifting her lips to his and Sonny met her halfway. But when she would have slid her robe from her shoulders, Sonny stopped her.

"No, Alexis."

"No?" Alexis couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No." Sonny repeated. "I know you're acting with the best of intentions, but you're thinking it's all about what I want. Don't doubt yourself; a part of you is still not ready. Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I can tell?"

"But don't you want…?"

"More than you know, Alexis." Truer words he never had never spoken. His body ached with the knowledge that her body was so close to his, fresh and sweet and fragrant and knowng that she was willing. But suddenly, it wasn't enough; Sonny put his own selfish instincts aside. "When it happens, when we make love, there will be no question as to the reason why." He tightened his arms around her and Alexis, still a little bit confused but more than happier for a reason she couldn't quite put words to, gratefully snuggled back down into his embrace. Her head fit perfectly in the hollow of his collarbone.

"I'm sorry this evening didn't turn out the way you wanted…" Alexis said quietly..

"The way I wanted? You, me, a roaring fire and no interruptions for the rest of the night." Sonny dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "Who says it didn't?"

Author's Note: I know we're all disappointed that Sonny and Alexis haven't consummated their relationship yet. Me as much as anyone else, trust me…My very sincere apologies. But there's something in me - or more truthfully, something in them - the characters - that needs to keep this part of the story as close to the " real" storyline as possible in this timeline. So we know all know what brings them together… And it's coming. Soon. Patience!