In Dawn's Early Light

A beautiful night and a marvelous morning. Alexis sat at the table, the remains of their breakfast before them while the rich smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted in from the kitchen, still hardly daring to believe that things between them had changed literally overnight. Before Sonny had left the room, he'd just gotten through making gently teasing comments that had her cheeks still warm and blushing. And I'll never be able to look at strawberries the same way ever again.

The rich sound of Sonny's gentle laughter at her blushes still echoed in her ears. He'd been amazing. He acted like her waking up in the morning beside him had been the most natural thing in the world. When she would have slipped away silently, he'd stopped her, teased her and kissed her softly, reassuring her without having to say the words. Even an unexpected early morning visit from Kristina hadn't fazed him. He'd made small talk with her little sister and then left them alone, under the pretext of making coffee.

"All I care about is that you're happy." Kristina had said to her, her eyes sparkling with her own joy. "And I can see that you are. That's what matters to me."

Kristina had slipped off before Sonny had returned, leaving Alexis alone. She sat back down at the table, one hand cupping her chin as she became lost in thought. She was happy, she decided tentatively. Happier than she had been a long time, happier than she had a right to be. Where did that thought come from, she wondered.

She'd woken up at the first blush of dawn to find herself snuggled close to Sonny. Even though I don't do snuggling she laughed to herself. She'd lain there for a time, savoring the early morning peace, broken only by the sound of their breathing. Sonny's was deep and even as he slept the sleep of satiation. Alexis felt the same languor in her body, the delicious feeling of sweet exhaustion.

The room had been bathed in the most beautiful pale glow of dawn sunlight she could remember seeing, and Sonny's body, half draped in the sheets was mostly exposed to her gaze. The sunlight danced over his body and his lithe form glistened, kissed by the golden rays of the sun like a statue come to life. Without moving, Alexis' eyes roamed over him, remembering the hunger she'd had for him. His hair curled loose from the control he usually imposed upon it, escaping to lie loosely across one brow, giving him the rakish appearance of a little boy, but the strong lines of his face gave lie to the look, marking him as all man. The thick fan of his eyelashes swept down and drew her eyes along firm cheekbones and down to his mouth.

That mouth. Alexis's body warmed all over again as she thought of that beautiful mouth and the feelings it had aroused in her. The sweet Spanish love words it had whispered to her as Sonny scattered heated kisses along the full length of her body and taste and tecture of his lips as they had captured her own and sent her spiraling into ecstasy time and time again.

Reluctantly, she shifted and endeavored to slip from the bed. It had been a miraculous fantasy brought to life, but morning was here and reality with it. If she hurried, she'd thought, she should be able to get across the hallway and into her own apartment before Sonny awoke and before her sister did too. No one had to know what had happened between she and Sonny, and it was probably better if it ended this way so that no one would be disappointed or put into the awkward position of having to make explanantions.

Yes, it was a beautiful memory she had now, and they could go on as though nothing had happened. It was probably for the best. That's what she had thought, and happily, she had been proven totally wrong.

Sonny came back into the room. "You okay?"

Alexis came out of her thoughts and smiled up at him. "That's about the tenth time you've asked me that this morning."

"Well after I opened my eyes to find you trying to leave the..umm.. scene of the crime, I have to ask."

"I told you then and I tell you now, I'm okay."

"You were more than okay, trust me." Sonny smiled wickedly at her. Unable to resist he laughed as he saw another set of blushes rising in her cheeks. "Okay doesn't begin to describe you." He pretended to be suddenly deep in thought. "What is the word I'm looking for...sensational, exhilerating, seductive, stimulating, passionate..."

"Sonny!"

He crossed the room to her. "....breathtaking.." Sonny murmured huskily as he bent down to kiss her in a way that managed to take her breath away. "I knew once I got you out of those lawyer clothes, you'd be a revelation."

He ran one hand up her bare leg, delighting in the shiver his touch evoked in her. Alexis had come down dressed in one of his shirts, and he was very much enjoying the view it gave him of her beautifully long legs. "This is a good look for you, Counselor. You should wear it to court - with a pair of your not-so-sensible pumps."

"Any pair in particular you had in mind?" Alexis asked dryly.

"Wit.. you're trying to give me wit, aren't you? It's a little early in the morning for wit, Alexis. Actually, there's this navy pair you have, they have little silver charms that dangles from the backs..."

"I hadn't realized you'd noticed." Alexis said.

"Alexis, with those legs of yours, how could I not notice? Like now..."

She could feel herself begininng to blush again and tried to hide it by reaching for her glass of juice. "I only wore your shirt becaue my clothes are a bit - rumpled."

"Wanna go home, and change into something so we can rumple you all over again?"

"Sonny!" His words had caught Alexis just as she was trying to take a sip and she choked slightly.

Sonny laughed and patted her energetically on the back. "Are you okay?"

"That's eleven times you've asked me that."

"Well, this time, it was to make sure you're okay physically. But since the question is on the floor, are you okay? With everything, I mean."

"I'm okay." She took a deep breath. "I'm just going to state the obvious. Does anybody have any idea of what happens next?

"Does anybody?"

"Good point."

Sonny started to say something, but they were interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by Zander's shouting.

Sonny went to the door and jerked it open. "What the hell's wrong?"

"There was a news report. A car went off the cliffs at Richmond Bluff. A woman in a blue sports coupe."

"So what?" Sonny snapped.

"Carly drives a blue coupe."

"Carly doesn't drive."

"Yeah Sonny, she does."

Sonny turned to Alexis. The shock in his eyes was mirrored in her own.