'I'm in, what do you want me to do?'

Billy was almost giddy as Tom's words echoed in his ears. He wasn't sure what had brought the mechanic around but frankly he didn't care all that mattered was that finally he could see the light at the end of the tunnel in ridding himself of Jason Morgan. All that was left to do now was put things in motion and he'd be a winner on all fronts – back on top of the Ryan Racing heap and back at his rightful place in Elizabeth's life.

Billy pulled into the hospital parking lot all his thoughts were centered on Elizabeth and getting her back. He waltzed to the elevator completely full of himself more so than usual. It was great to finally be getting things back on track after the train he had been riding on had been derailed for so long.

Stepping off the elevator on the fourth floor, Billy quickly made his way to Elizabeth's office. "Come in," he heard her say in response to his knock. He took a deep breath before turning the knob to enter. He watched her turn around in her chair and saw her smile instantly harden into a thin line. "What do you want now?" she groaned. Billy held his tongue momentarily gathering his thoughts. The last thing he needed to do was go off halfcocked when things were finally falling into place. "Well?" she pressed.

"I just wanted to talk to you, to see if we are okay after what happened in Bristol. I am really sorry for losing my temper and hurting you."

Elizabeth stared at him flabbergasted after everything that he had done to her she couldn't believe that there he stood acting as though some half-baked apology was going to change anything. "You said what you needed to say. You can go now I have work to get back to," she said dismissing him.

"Elizabeth, please don't be like that. I am sorry, sorry for everything," he announced resting his hand gently over hers.

Instantaneously she jumped back as if her hand had been seared by a branding iron. "You can be as sorry as you want but it's not going to change a damn thing," she stated.

"We all make mistakes, Elizabeth," he stressed. "All I want is a second chance."

"What, a second chance so you can humiliate me again? I don't think so! What kind of fool do you take me for Billy?"

"You're not a fool," he paused resisting the urge to choke on the words he was about to say next. "I was the fool. I made a colossal mistake with Theresa. What can I do to fix things?"

"Nothing!" she said even though she was admittedly stunned by his words. What she wouldn't have given to hear him say those things months ago. She might have even forgiven him if they had come then but not now, not now that she knew what it felt like to truly have someone love her for her and not her last name.

"Elizabeth, please," he said again. "Please be reasonable. I love you. Were planned a life together. We can have that all again."

"You can't be serious?" she asked totally stunned that he could even think that she would go back to him after all he had done apology or not.

"Very serious. I love you. I've always loved you…"

"Don't you mean you love me because of who my father is?" she countered cutting him off in midsentence.

"I don't give a damn who your father is."

"That's a lie! That's all you've ever cared about!" Elizabeth shouted. "You never really loved me. You only loved the fact that by being with me it got you into the inner workings of Ryan Racing. I was just a means to an end for you Billy."

"That's so not true, Elizabeth…."

"Stop lying," she cut him off once more. "You love only one person and that's yourself. I am just sorry it took me so long to see that. I deserve better than your warped version of love."

"Elizabeth please," he reached for her arm again only to find her backing away from him. Billy was slowly losing the restraint he had been holding together thus far.

"Just go," she said pointing to the door. "You've said what you came to say now just leave."

"Elizabeth,"

"GET OUT!"

"Elizabeth, please. I am truly sorry," Billy tried his best to sound sincere but knew this was not at all going the way he had planned in his head.

"I don't give a damn! And if you don't get out of here right now I'm calling security." Elizabeth picked up the receiver and began to dial.

"Okay, okay I'm going. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you. I'll see you around the practice track," he said as he closed the door behind him.

"UGH!" Elizabeth groaned falling back into her office chair.

Jason walked into the hospital gift shop like a man on a mission ever since his encounter with Theresa he couldn't think of anything but Elizabeth and wanting to see her. He was amazed at how different she was from any other woman he had met on the racing circuit. Maybe it was because she had grown up in the midst of it all, or that she truly loved it as much as he did, but no matter what he loved everything about her and at that exact moment he wanted to show her just how much.

He rode the elevator to the fourth floor and exited quickly when it jerked to a stop his anxiousness getting the best of him. Raising his hand to knock but stopped short wanting the element of surprise instead, he turned the doorknob and walked into Elizabeth's office.

"I thought I told you to get out of here!" her harsh voice rang through the room before she turned around to see Jason standing in the doorway with a single red rose in his hand and instantly felt horrible. She saw his puzzled expression. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"I guess so. Who has you all fired up? I sure wouldn't want to be them," he laughed offering her the delicate flower.

"No one important. Thank you so much," she smiled taking the rose from his hand. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he countered leaning in to brush his lips against hers. "You sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"I'm fine. Just work stuff. Having issues with another patient advocate."

"You sure?" Jason had seen Elizabeth this unnerved only a few times and he knew the two people who had that effect on her. He couldn't help but wonder which one had been the cause of this.

"It's nothing really. I'll take care of it. So what brings your by?" she asked reaching for his hand hoping to steer the conversation in another direction.

"You. I just wanted to see if you wanted to grab some dinner with me."

"That'd be great. Dinner sounds good," she agreed reaching for her purse and jacket.

"Elizabeth," Jason stopped her gently touching her arm. He felt her tremble slightly. "Hey, what's wrong? And please don't tell me this just about work."

Elizabeth turned and looked into Jason's cobalt eyes wanting for just a minute to get lost in them so she didn't have to think about anything else, yet she knew that wasn't going to happen. She hated that Billy still had such an effect on her but given the fact that lately it seemed like no matter what direction she turned he was there she was more than a little rattled.

"Liz," Jason's voice tugged at her thoughts.

"It's Billy. Billy was here."

"WHAT?" Jason's voice thundered. "What the hell did he want?"

"It doesn't matter what he wanted. He's not going to get it."

"Get what?" Jason pressed. "What did he want Elizabeth?" Jason didn't trust Billy Weston as far as he could throw him.

"To apologize again. He said he was sorry for what happened in Bristol and wanted to make sure I was alright."

Jason rubbed his hands over his face letting out a labored sigh. "Are you sure that's all he wanted?" Jason pressed.

Elizabeth didn't know how to answer that. How was she supposed to tell Jason that Billy wanted her back? Not that that mattered because she didn't want him, even if there had been no relationship with Jason she wouldn't have taken Billy back. Yet still how was she supposed to tell the man that she loved that Billy had basically declared that he hadn't stopped loving her.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, no, him just showing up here unannounced took me by surprise. I'm a little rattled I guess."

"I think it's time Weston and I had a talk," Jason declared making his way to the door.

"Jason, wait, stop. He's so not worth the effort. Just let it be," she pleaded.

"I don't like to see you upset like this." He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"I'm fine, really," she stressed when Jason cocked his brow at her remark. "Didn't you say something about dinner?"

"Yes," he answered his thoughts still centered on Billy and doing what he needed to do to get him to back off of Elizabeth. Jason knew she was more upset than she was letting on and that had him seeing red.

"I just have to drop one thing off at the admitting office and I'm done for the day," she said flashing Jason her million dollar smile.

"Let's go then." Jason took her work bag and jacket ushering her through the door shutting it behind them.

As hard as she was trying to act as though nothing was bothering her, Jason could easily tell that Elizabeth was still extremely upset by her run in with Billy. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and make it all go away. If he could he would have made Weston disappear too but Jason knew that wasn't an option no matter how much he wished it was. Billy was like that splinter that wasn't close enough to the surface to be removed yet just deep enough to be bothersome. "Dessert?" he finally broke himself away from his own thoughts and asked.

"Not tonight."

"When you have a minute, we'd like the check please," Jason said as their waitress passed by.

"Sure thing," she said with a bright smile and a wink.

"You're lucky I'm not the jealous type," Elizabeth joked slapping him square across the shoulder.

"Ouch," he said rubbing his shoulder mockingly. "You have nothing to be jealous about. No one can hold a candle to you Miss Elizabeth Ryan," he said leaning in to kiss her sweetly well aware that the waitress in question was looking in their direction. "You ready?" he asked when everything had been squared away.

Elizabeth knew she had to answer him but telling him she was ready to go home was the last thing she wanted to say. To say things were a little tense at the Ryan house since she began dating Jason was a severe understatement. She spent most of her time their hiding in her room doing her best to avoid her father's stares and rather pointed questions. Pat Ryan did what he could to disguise them under the guise of fatherly concern but really Elizabeth knew his only concern was how her relationship with Jason would affect his racing stats.

"Elizabeth, you ready to go?" Jason asked again this time touching her arm softly. He didn't like the furrow of her brow or the far off expression that clouded her gorgeous cerulean eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered in a not all that assuring tone. "And yes I'm ready to go but do you mind if we went back to your place for a while?"

"Sure, if that's what you want to do."

"I'd like that," she gave him a slight smile.

"Anything you want." Jason draped his arm over her shoulder pulling her close to his side kissing her chestnut locks.

Jason poured Elizabeth a glass of wine and grabbed a beer for himself before heading back to the living room where he left her snuggled in the corner of his leather sofa. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said taking the glass from his hand.

Easily she rested her head on his shoulder and for the first time since Billy had shown up at her office she allowed herself to relax. Jason pulled her closer enjoying the rhythmic motion of her beating heart against his chest. He finally felt her muscles loosen and her breathing slow. He wanted to ask her again what was really bothering her. He had some idea given the fact that she had told him without saying it in so many words that she hadn't wanted to go home. Why were relationships with parents so difficult he wondered? He had always thought when children became adults that they were supposed to be easier. That hadn't been the case for either him or Elizabeth, but at least he had Jake, Elizabeth she had no one. That thought made his heart hurt for her. "I love you," he whispered burying his nose in the soft folds of her dark curls.

Lifting her head placing her slight hand against his cheek, she kissed him softly on the lips slowly deepening the kiss. Jason allowed her to take the lead somehow knowing that she needed to be the one to control this. He felt her teeth tug gently at his lower lip giving her tongue the entry it desired. He heard himself moan faintly as their tongues began to dance methodically. She giggled enjoying herself completely.

Without breaking their connection, Elizabeth straddled his lap lowering herself easily against him. She heard his breath hitch in his throat as she pressed her palm against his engorged groin. "Na..na," she said stopping his hand before he had a chance to slip it between the buttons of her blouse. She enjoyed the look of bewilderment that crossed over his features.

Slowly Elizabeth began moving her body watching Jason squirm beneath her. Jason felt his nerves jump when her cool hands made contact with his fiery skin. Carefully her fingers climbed against his chest nails raking across his erect nipples. Jason bit at his lip doing what he could to contain himself. For a moment their eyes locked and she allowed him to engulf her mouth with his. She could feel his hunger for her but Elizabeth wasn't ready to turn over the reign just yet.

Breaking their kiss, she let her tongue trail down Jason's neck to the hollow of his collar bone moving further down the tip of her tongue teasing his nipples once more. Jason let out a frustrated groan as once more she wouldn't allow him to touch her pinning his hands at his side with her knees.

She now undid the buttons of his jeans one by one until his throbbing manhood burst forth. Elizabeth cupped it gently feeling the warmth radiating into her palm. Gently she massaged him with the pad of her thumb until Jason thought he was about to explode. Pulling his hands free finally, he tore at her blouse exposing her pale pink bra his fingers toying with its satin edge making Elizabeth arch back when he grasped her erect nipples. Jason slipped the straps off her shoulders revealing her full breasts.

Jason now took the opportunity to watch her expression as he took his turn at pleasuring her. He heard Elizabeth moan softly when he gently suckled her nipples and ran his fingers over her flat stomach and when she wasn't able to take it any longer she stood up stripping off what was left of her clothes. Jason did the same before laying her gently against the leather sofa letting her consume his engorged form. Elizabeth raked her fingers across Jason's back arching her hips forcing him deeper within her until they were merely one body each reaching release at once.

He rolled over pulling Elizabeth on top of him cradling her small frame in his arms each of them totally and completely content. He kissed the top of her head for the third time that evening before they both fell asleep in each other's arms.