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Not Safe For Work
Chapter 29
"Hey baby." Jason was in his office at Corinthos/Morgan's headquarters. Cody had just stuck his head in the quiet space not even a minute ago to pass along a message. The blonde mob boss immediately picked up the phone to make this call.
"This is a nice surprise." Liz tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder while she looked at her computer. She had spent the morning on her website doing some maintenance and making some changes. The fall/winter collection photographs had been uploaded and the items were now available for purchase. The remaining items from her spring/summer collection were put on sale. It still made her laugh that in July it was time to start buying sweaters. Most importantly she needed to make an announcement. She now had an official grand opening date for her boutique. Cody had told her it was fine to let everyone know because the work being done now was just cosmetic. "Couldn't wait until lunch to talk to me?" She teased him some. They were meeting at Kelly's.
"You did mention being irresistible." He said laughing. "Actually I was calling to see if you would be okay with changing our lunch plans." Jason wanted to know. "I'd like to take you somewhere else."
"I'll go anywhere with you, which you should already know." Liz understood without him saying anything that the location of this lunch would not be forthcoming.
"I like hearing that." Jason got reminders every day of just how much she trusted him. "Can I come pick you up now?"
Liz looked over at the clock and calculated the time. "How about if you leave your office in twenty minutes. I have some things I need to finish up on the website before I can leave."
"Twenty minutes it is." Jason wouldn't rush her if she was working. "If you aren't ready when I get there I can hang out with Max."
"Are we taking a long lunch?" Liz was thinking yes.
"Unless you have afternoon appointments you shouldn't count on returning to your office." Jason let her know.
"No appointments all day." Liz replied smiling. Since there was now a good chance she wouldn't be back on her computer until they were home she needed to make sure everything looked good. Namely that she had gotten all the prices correct, and that the right description was with the right image. "Is it possible for me to push back the time you leave by ten minutes, if I'm not coming back?"
"It sure is." Jason knew that he was disrupting her work day. He also knew that spontaneous drop everything days couldn't happen too often. When he wanted to whisk her away he needed to do it around the time she finished a collection. That was when she had the largest block of free time. It shouldn't be an issue to match his schedule to hers.
"Thanks." Liz appreciated that he respected her work. "See you when you get here. I love you."
"I love you too." Jason said before hanging up. He just needed to handle one more piece of business before he could head out. The "normal" business hours that he was working these days were nice. It felt good to have something in his life other than the business. Even with past girlfriends he didn't feel the need to leave work quickly. With Elizabeth he started watching the clock around four so that he wouldn't leave any later than necessary. "Angie can you please bring me the paperwork from Duke." Once this was handled Jason was shutting it down for the day.
"Okay, I'm ready." Liz said coming into the waiting area where Jason and Max were watching television. She had one delivered the day after they got back from Puerto Rico. If Max was going to hang out he should at least be entertained. He said it wasn't necessary, but she insisted it was. She would set up an area like this for him at the new building. "Sorry you had to wait."
"Did you figure out what the issue was?" Jason wanted to know. Elizabeth said that she was having trouble with the sales count on a couple of items. She needed to review the payment account to see what had actually sold.
"Yeah." Liz said slipping on her jacket and trying not to blush. They were going to be on the bike.
"If your computer program has a serious malfunction I can have Stan or Spinelli look at it." Jason knew they wouldn't mind. He watched her pink up. "What?" As he watched a lop-sided smile came to her face.
"I thought that I had done something to cause the sale count to come across incorrectly." Liz told him. "But after reviewing the electronic inventory I realized the numbers were right."
"And?" Jason was still missing something.
"I sold out of two my faux wrap dresses already." Liz had introduced the garment in five solid colors and two prints as part of the corporate line. Although the dress would be great at a party or on a date night. "I put them on the site not even six hours ago." She was going to need to reorder that item. Unable to resist Liz had looked at the shipping labels that were automatically generated when a sale was completed and realized none of the dresses were going to anyone in Port Charles. Her friends hadn't been responsible for the run on the dress.
"Congratulations." Jason pulled her into a hug. Selling out of clothes was not anything new these days, but this had to be a new record.
"They are going to be busy at the warehouse shipping department." Liz grinned as she locked up. Two years ago when she started increasing the number of items produced she needed more room to store her inventory and Sonny leased her one of his smaller warehouse. She had deliberately gone to him because Jason would want to just give it to her. Hiring staff had meant dipping into the inheritance that Gram left her, but Liz was able to replace that money within one calendar year. A steady but controlled growth had been the key to success for the Audrey March label.
"You'll be ready for a bigger warehouse soon." Jason said as he mounted the bike and put on his helmet.
"Probably not. With the extra floor at the boutique I should be able to use part of that as storage." They set off, doing the speed limit since they were still in the city.
"At some point you will need dedicated office space." Jason explained to her. He wasn't lecturing, because Elizabeth was smart when it came to her business. He was just sharing what he had learned. "Having somewhere quiet to work on the bureaucratic side of the business is a good thing. Plus at some point you'll need an assistant and a public relations person to handle advertising."
"I'm not there yet, but I see what you mean. I need to sit down and create a new three year plan." Liz was in the middle of her current one, but with such big changes taking place a reassessment would be smart. "I can either get a new warehouse. Or I can get dedicated office space away from both the store and the warehouse. Somewhere for staff to work."
"Edward owns some nice brownstones." Jason knew his grandfather would be thrilled to help. In Port Charles it wasn't uncommon for the iconic New York buildings to be converted into business headquarters. Diane had the walls knocked out between four such structures to create her law firm.
Liz just laughed. "I'm sure he'll be anxious to take my money." Which wasn't at all true. She remembered him glaring at Sonny when he learned that she was renting the warehouse. Liz had to tell Edward to stop because he was making the mob boss feel bad.
Then Jason's grandfather took her for a walk in the garden and gave her some advice. That in business it wasn't always what you knew but who you knew. And what those people could do for you. Now that she had come so far on her, it might be time to start letting those folks that cared about her to help. Within limits. She didn't want them thinking they had to take care of her. She refused to be another Ava. Sonny bought Deception so the other woman could stay busy. Nope, not going down that path. A discount on a warehouse was great, and a lower price on brownstone was too. When she was ready. Right now she needed to build up the coffers before any more expanding took place.
They got on the highway and she realized they were heading over to Crimson Point, which probably meant to the house. Over the past month they had been spending more time in the town they were going to call home. Going to dinner in local restaurants, and occasionally out to a movie. Jason selected the exit that took them down Main Street and then turned heading toward their private road.
Unlike the boutique, Liz had been out to the house since construction began. She wasn't a frequent visitor but a couple of times she had to come out to make decisions. Since she was on the site she had gotten a tour. They should be nearing the end of the remodel. The completion date on the contract was next week, somehow she doubted Cody's guys would be late.
They pulled up the guard station and Jason briefly spoke with the guys on duty. The station had been manned since construction started. Once she knew about this addition Liz had been adamant about a few things. The guards had to have basic things like heat in the winter, and air conditioning in the summer. She wasn't having the men who would be keeping her safe uncomfortable. She also wanted them to have a water cooler, a small refrigerator for snacks, and they had to have access to a bathroom.
Jason didn't argue, he just made it happen. Solar panels were a big help with the new station, since he was buying them anyway Cody suggested adding them to the house. When he and Nadine bought a place together the former solider was installing some before they moved in. After the plans were drawn up Jason mentioned to his girl that both Sonny's house and the Corelli home were making the same upgrades. Elizabeth was now the favorite person among the entire guard staff.
After the quick check in they rolled through the gates of the house, up the drive, and into the garage. It was as they were dismounting that she noticed Max was no longer with them. "Is Max down with the guards?"
"No." Jason replied as they secured their helmets. When they walked out he used the remote on his keys to close the garage. There was no direct access to the house from the outdoor space. "I told him that I would call either him or Milo when we are ready to leave."
"We're going to be here for a while?" Liz asked looking around. There weren't any trucks in the area which meant the crew wasn't on the grounds. They could having a late lunch, but her instincts were saying that wasn't the case. With a smile she looked over at her guy. "The construction is complete."
"It is. They finished up yesterday. Cody told me this morning, and gave me the new keys." Jason reached into the pocket of his leather jacket to get the ring. "He asked us to do a walk through, and to make a list of anything that isn't to your standards."
"I'm sure everything is just as it should be." Liz left impressed with the work each time she came out. It made her more excited to see the boutique.
They walked to the front door and before he opened it he looked over. "We will be living here, so I want everything to be just how you want it. Okay isn't going to cut it. So if you don't like something speak up. No one will think you are a diva, or a perfectionist if you want a wall repainted. Everyone who worked on the house takes pride in what they do and part of that is knowing their customers are satisfied." Jason wanted her happy.
"Thank you. Changes will happen, when we live day to day with things we'll learn what works and what doesn't. Those issues will need to be addressed. Smaller changes will happen as well. I may want to put up borders, or swap out bathroom fixtures both of which I can do by myself. As long as the big pieces work, like the oven or bathtub, I'm not going to sweat the small stuff." She said giving him a kiss. "Now open the door before I die from curiosity."
With a smile he did. He picked her up and carried her into the house. "The alarm is off right now, we need to reset it before we leave." He still had her in his arms as they looked around. The floors had been the last thing the crew did and they gleamed as they peeked out from under the runner that went down the main hall. "The floor looks great."
"It does." Liz nodded her approval. Jason put her down and they removed their jackets, putting them in the closet by the door. "Can we go see the kitchen?" It was one of the most important rooms in the house so she wanted to see that first. Along the way they peeked into some of the other main floor rooms. Some were partially furnished because she had been shopping off and on since the work started. A smile as bright as the sun filled room lit up her face when they stepped into the kitchen.
"There's a gift bag on the island." Jason said walking over. "It's from Cody."
Further exploration of the space would happen shortly. Liz reached in and removed the card. "Congratulations and welcome to your new home. We hope everything is as you wanted it. Should there be any complaints or corrections needed please do not hesitate to call. P.S. Yes, all my customers get cards and a housewarming gift." She finished laughing. Looking into the bag she laughed a little harder. "It's a tin of cocoa powder. A huge tin."
"That's from the coffee shop." Jason told her. Knowing Cody he paid for it even though Sonny wouldn't care. The executive staff got unlimited free coffee, which included beans. Requesting a tin of the cocoa powder would fall under the same category. "He didn't leave anything for me?" Jason asked to be difficult.
Liz looked in the bag and extracted a note. "Jason, your gift is in the refrigerator so stop pouting."
"Smartass." Jason walked over and open the large appliance. Elizabeth had gone with black stainless steel which Jason hadn't even realized existed. She and Sonny had a two hour conversation about the style during a dinner over his house. He was a fan, but not enough to remodel his kitchen. "Beer." The blonde mob boss said grinning. "Cody's smartassery is forgiven."
"It's good to know I don't have to shop for you now." Liz told her boyfriend.
"There's no coffee, so we need to shop." Jason said completely serious. "We aren't staying here tonight, so there is no rush. When we move in there will be coffee." Liz promised him. "There is more house to explore."
"There is." Jason said following her into the hall.
They walked through the entire house, stopping in each room to inspect the work. To say they were pleased would be an understatement. The crew had done an amazing job on every aspect of the remodel. No matter how small the detail it got their best. She was betting that Paul Construction carried these high standards over to jobs that weren't for Corinthos/Morgan.
"I didn't realize you had gotten so much furniture." Jason would have gone along to the design center with her.
"The fact that we still have so many empty rooms makes that statement very funny." She said as they walked down the upstairs hall. Downstairs the only rooms completely furnished were the dining room and the living room. The family room was getting the furniture that was currently in the penthouse living room so she didn't shop for that space. None of what for now would be guest bedrooms had furniture either, but they did stop in to look at the work.
"Thank you for the new pool table." Jason hadn't expected that.
"Johnny went with me to pick it out." Liz had appreciated the help. She could hold her own in a game of pool, even occasionally beating Jason, but she really didn't know much about the tables or cues. "He kept me from getting the blue table." It was really pretty.
"I'll have to thank him for that." Jason would have had to find a way to tell his girlfriend the table had to go if she had picked one up. Pool tables, at least his, had to be green.
"Let's check out the third floor." Liz decided as they passed the stairway leading up. Up here it was still empty. She hadn't yet decided what this space would be since the gym was in the basement. She was considering a temporary office while she was setting up the boutique. "That view is amazing." She said looking out the panoramic windows.
"It's a lot of green." Jason come over and wrapped his arms around her.
She leaned back against him. "It's relaxing. Maybe I'll do yoga up here until I figure out what to do with the space."
"Why don't you keep this area for yourself?" Jason was enjoying having her close. "I know you'll use the gym, but the rest of the basement is basically a man cave." That was an area that was almost completely furnished. She had turned it into a giant game room where he and the guys were going to have fun. "You should have a space where you can just come and relax."
"I'll consider it." Liz leaned up and kissed his jaw. "There is one space left to look at." She was saving it for last intentionally.
"Our bedroom." Jason said smiling. He was looking forward to all the time they were going to spend there. "Lead the way."
She linked their fingers as they went down the stairs. "I haven't come in here during any of my visits."
"Me either." Jason wanted to wait to see it with her.
She opened the door and they stepped into what would be their private refuge. The first thing you saw when you walked in was the small sitting area she created. They were going to spend a lot of time curled up there watching movies. To the left was the sleeping portion of the room. She had gotten them a new bedroom set with a California King Sleigh bed.
"There's furniture in here." Jason hadn't realized that.
"I thought a new bedroom set was the perfect way to celebrate our new house." Liz let him know.
"I think that a new bed needs to be celebrated." Jason said while bobbing his eyebrows up and down.
"You have the best ideas." Liz said grabbing his belt and pulling him closer. That was why she had wanted to come to this room last. She was hoping the bed would inspire him. His lips covered hers as she hooked her arms around his neck. When she felt his hands on her bottom she prepared herself to be lifted off her feet.
Jason groaned when her legs wrapped around his waist. He was looking forward to feeling that again when they were both naked. Since he didn't know the layout of the room he was forced to take his lips off of hers to walk over to the bed. Tripping and falling wasn't going to happen. "This is a very tall bed." Jason said when he was standing beside it. The top of the mattress was almost at his hips.
Liz had her lips on his neck since they were free. She nodded before kissing his jaw. "We are on your side of the bed. On my side I have a small step that I can pull out. I know you thought your other bed was too low."
There it was, more proof that his happiness was essential to hers. "Thank you." He said giving her a soft kiss.
"You're welcome." Liz bit her lower lip as their eyes connected.
He laid her across the mattress and stood back up. Reaching for her feet he took off her boots and socks. Her eyes were on him as he pulled his shirt over his head. He opened his belt before snapping the top button on his jeans and lowering the zipper. He was already hard so the extra room felt good. His eyes were on hers as he toed off his boots and socks. With his feet free the jeans were pushed off leaving him in his shorts. He let a wicked grin come to his lips as the boxer briefs went as well leaving him totally naked. "Like what you see?" Her eyes were darker now.
"Mmm-hmm." Liz hummed and nodded as she took in all him that she could see. The plan had been to move to the edge of the bed and roll to her stomach so she could take that rigid column of flesh into her mouth. Seeing him standing there hard for her definitely had Liz aching. Her plans were interrupted by his hand on her ankle.
He knew what her intention was and while it would feel great, it wasn't what he had in mind. Using her ankle he pulled her closer as his free hand opened her jeans. "Lift up." When her hips lifted he grabbed the waist band of her pants and underwear pulling them both down at the same time. The material was tossed aside as she removed her top and bra. Leaning over he came close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin. "You are so sexy, do you know that?" He was looking up at her through his lashes. "Sometimes I just look at you and try to figure out how the hell I was fortunate enough to even get your attention. Now you are wearing my ring, and we are moving into this house together. If I could dream I would worry that this was one, since I can't I know this is my real life. Which makes me really lucky."
Liz was blown away by the words he was giving her. She went to respond but his lips came over hers and she got the silent message that he didn't want her to say anything. He just wanted her to accept the gift of his words. Her fingers speared into his hair because she needed to be touching him. She had to pull her lips away to pull in air when his body joined with hers.
"I love you Elizabeth." Jason whispered against her ear as his body stroked into hers. "I will always love you."
She wrapped her legs around his waist just as she had earlier letting him slide deeper inside her body until it felt like he was moving at the very center of her being. "I love you Jason. For all my life I will love you." She had tears in her eyes because what they created moved her so much.
They rocked together until they both exploded in bliss. After loving one another they cuddled close, not speaking but just being with each other. Jason kissed her temple and smiled. He was home, in every way possible and he knew Elizabeth was as well.
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