Chapter Four

There was one thing Elizabeth Webber was sure of: getting shot sucked.

The weather was perfectly fine on the island with light winds and cloudless skies, but she was trapped inside the villa while everyone else was outside enjoying themselves on the beach. Sonny made sure that she remained inside with more than enough guards at her disposal, but that didn't make her feel any better. The one thing she hated was being stuck indoors while the weather was beautiful.

The bullet wound wasn't that bad any more. Elizabeth could move her arm freely now with barely any pain. It was healing nicely. Dr. Griggs had said that much herself during last her check- up. But Sonny, Brenda, and Emily, who was a medical intern herself, didn't care what the doctor's opinion was and demanded that she stay home. Poor Dr. Griggs had battled on her behalf for nearly an hour with little success of removing the figurative shackles that adorned her patient. That's what she had done for the last two days, stay in her room. She grew more restless each day.

On past visits, Elizabeth had enjoyed spending time in the spacious villa, but now it only annoyed her. There was nothing to do, other than walk from one room to another. All the books in the library had been read. The ones that Emily had packed for her were now sitting in her room repacked in her carry-on. Painting was out of the question. She had no paint. Drawing only frustrated her; she drew things she wished her mind wouldn't conjure up. The scenery around her upset her as well for she wasn't allowed out the door to enjoy the horizon at sunset or watch the waves. She was a prisoner on the verge of insanity.

Elizabeth's mood was furthermore foul because of a certain blue-eyed blond employer who was avoiding her. After kissing her senseless, the man had disappeared from sight. He lurked around the house, staying clear of her. He wasn't even around when Lil was with her. It only frustrated her when she woke in the morning to find Lil already fed and dressed, but her father missing.

The four year-old had been a sweetheart the last few days, always at her side with Mr. Floppy in her arms. Lil brought all her toys and travel books into Elizabeth's room to entertain her nanny. She fussed very little of being cooped up until one of guards arrived to take her outside. The young child made sure her nanny was comfortable and following the doctor's instructions. When she wasn't around she left Mr. Floppy behind so her nanny wouldn't get lonely. Their roles had been reversed and Elizabeth found it amusing that the young child acted as she did if the toddler were sick.

In some ways it was a good thing that her boss remained out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. She could only wish that were the case for her. The mere thought of him had her blushing, which she couldn't afford to do with the possibility of Emily and Brenda popping up out of nowhere. If one of the older brunettes caught her turning red at the mention of Jason Morgan, she would have to explain, which would only led to question after question for her to answer. They would only make her head spin.

The kiss.

A soft sigh escaped Elizabeth's lips at the thought of the kiss. The memory of the kiss followed her everywhere she went. Even in her sleep, she dreamed of his firm lips over hers. His rough roaming hands. The scent that was only his dominating her senses. His warm skin under her palms. Jason Morgan's one kiss did things to her that no one else ever had. Feelings she had pushed away to the back of her mind when she first arrived at the Morgan household only sprung free with a vengeance.

Fingering the smooth leather spine of her journal, Elizabeth wondered what she was feeling. They were familiar emotions, but ones that had only caused her heartache in the past. Her mind pondered her boss's odd behavior. Why did he kiss her? Why did he pull away? Had she done something wrong?

Shifting on the tan couch in the spacious living room of the villa, she tried to get as comfortable as her injured arm would allow her. Mr. Floppy stared back at her. Dressed in a pink tank top and white caprice, Elizabeth only fidgeted in the cool air-conditioned room. Giving up on getting comfortable, she tried to keep her body still as she flipped open her journal-Emily had packed it for her-to the last written page. Pen posed to write down her thoughts, Elizabeth struggled to think straight. All her thoughts rushed at her at once. Throwing her pen across from her in frustration, she attempted to clear her mind.

It didn't work.

Tossing her leather bound journal onto the glass top of the coffee table, she laid back against the variety of throw pillows. Instantly, Elizabeth regretted throwing her journal. The resignation letter she had written more than a year ago, slipped out and fell onto the wooden floor of the living room. Groaning, she reached for it to only follow the momentum and went crashing to the floor.

Fresh tears pooled in Elizabeth's cornflower blue eyes as pain pierced through her. She had landed right on her wound. The polished oak wood of the floor stared back at her as she remained in her spot. Slowly, the wooden floor began to drift far away as a strong set of arms pulled her into a sitting position.

Jason Morgan crouched besides her with eyes full of concern.

A crimson blush formed on her cheek as he stared down at her. Only she was capable of being clumsy enough to fall over getting a piece of paper. Elizabeth was jarred from her thoughts by the sudden movement of being lifted off the ground. Startled, she found herself staring into a pair of piercing blue eyes that only made her breathing difficult. A bolt of electricity sparked through her as her hand landed on one of his bare, well-built forearms.

Placing her down gently on the couch, he squatted down besides her and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she barely got out, trying her best to ignore the feel of his touch on her injured arm. The pain began to slowly fade away.

"It doesn't hurt?"

"I'm fine now."

"Good," he replied quickly, moving away from her.

Elizabeth scowled at him.

"Liz, are you okay?"

Lil's worried voiced had Elizabeth's features softening at once. Tearing her eyes away from the tall blond now on the other side of the room, she concentrated on the young girl gazing down at her.

"I'm fine, sweetie," she murmured to four year old, drawing her closer to her.

"Your boo-boo doesn't hurt?" Lil asked, fingering Elizabeth's bandage lightly.

"A little bit, but I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" she inquired with a glint of suspicion in her pale blue eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," Elizabeth, replied with a small chuckle. "How was your day?" she asked, taking notice of the child's blue shorts and yellow bathing suit. A pail sat besides the couch. Lil had been keeping her informed on the happenings of the island. She had become Elizabeth's private informant while she was out of commission.

Lil's face filled with excitement as she climbed onto the couch with Mr. Floppy. Elizabeth shifted, making it possible for the child to lay her head gently on her nanny's chest. "I went to the beach with Daddy and David. Uncle Max came too. Daddy and David helped me make a sand castle. It was so pretty," she gushed. "But then Uncle Francis came and Uncle Max pushed him and he fell onto it," she pouted.

"Aww," Elizabeth sympathized, giving the child a hug. Her arms remained around the child.

"Daddy scolded them and then they helped me and David fix it."

The nanny began to fiddle with the child's soft pale blonde hair. "That was nice of them."

"Then we had lunch," Lil continued with the day's occurrences. "Aunt Brenda made fun of Daddy about some person. I don't know who. They wouldn't say her name. Daddy just made his face at her and Aunt Emily," the child imitated her father's scowl, making Elizabeth laugh at her screwed up features.

"What did Uncle Sonny make for lunch today?"

"He made a bunch of stuff. Something called poco-wait no it was Pollo cop-" She tried to pronounce the Cuban dish, but eventually gave up and continued her chatter. "I liked my PB and J sandwich." Lil giggled. "Uncle Sonny made Daddy eat his lunch and it was something called ossob uco or something like that. I don't think he liked it much."

"Why do you say that?" Elizabeth asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Well," she drawled, smiling at her father for a second. "He made this face that David makes sometimes when he has to, has to eat vegetables."

Elizabeth tried her best to smother her laughter.

"Oh," there was a bit of scandal in the child's voice now. "You wanna know what Uncle Max did today?"

Elizabeth leaned in closer. "Yes," she replied with her voice a tad bit lower.

"He said a really bad word."

The nanny clutched at her heart and gasped in horror. "He didn't?'

"He did and then Aunt Emily smacked him on the head and he said sorry."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Oh, and guess what?" Lil's blue eyes brightened in excitement.

"What?" Elizabeth asked eagerly.

"Della crawled."

A smile blossomed on Elizabeth's face at the mention of the six-month-old infant. The youngest member of the Corinthos family had attempted to crawl for weeks now and finally she had accomplished it.

"Aunt Brenda wanted me to tell you something."

The brunette giggled. Lil and David had become Brenda and Emily's personal messenger for the last few days, passing along messages to her. They had their own courier service now. "What did she want you to tell me?"

"She said that you, Aunt Emily, and her have to go shopping soon with Vicky C or someone like that. She kept looking at Daddy when she said that. She's a weird lady."

Elizabeth felt the blush blossom on her cheeks and begin to travel down her neck. Ignoring the male in the room, she cleared her throat loudly and focused on the young child seated next to her. "Yes, she is."

"Did you and Mr. Floppy have fun today?" Lil asked thoughtfully.

The nanny smiled at the child. "Yes, we did. I sat around and he was always at my side like the perfect gentleman that he is."

"Good job, Mr. Floppy," she complimented the toy bunny.

Tucking a lock of the young girl's hair behind her ear, Elizabeth frowned. "I think it's time for you to wash up young lady."

Touching her hair where Elizabeth's hand had been, Lil puckered her brow. "Yuck sand."

"Off to a shower you go kid," her father announced, picking her up.

"Go ahead and I'll be up soon to wash your hair," Elizabeth said, kissing the top of Lil's head.

"Okay," the energetic child called over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs.

Elizabeth struggled to sit upright. A pair of gentle hands righted her. For the second time that night, her boss had come to her assistance wordlessly, confusing Elizabeth even more. He stood in a form fitting white sleeveless t-shirt and khaki shorts. His dirty blond hair was tousled and his exposed skin even more tanned than usual. Trying her best to keep her eyes from straying to his exposed muscles , Elizabeth distracted herself by blurting out, "Did you really hate the osso buco?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't that bad, but I-I had a hard time getting it down my throat."

The brunette covered her mouth, muffling her soft laughter at her boss's pained expression.

He joined her and chuckled.

Their laughter soon faded away and the uncomfortable tension that existed between them settled in.
Peaking a look at her boss, Elizabeth found him moving his bare foot over the wooden floor. His eyes anywhere, but on her. Mustering up all the courage she had, Elizabeth looked straight at him and began to speak.

He beat her to it.

"About the other night."

Recovering from her monetary shock, she offered, "We should talk about it."

"Yes, we should." Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes before murmuring, "I'm sorry."

She frowned. "For what?" She had yet to figure out why he was sorry. She had responded and allowed him to touch her.

Sighing, his arms dropped to his side. "You're the nanny, Elizabeth. Lil loves you and I don't want your relationship with her to change."

He only confused her more. "From where I stand, my relationship with Lil is perfectly fine and I think she would agree with me. As for my relationship with you that's changed."

"Exactly why this shouldn't be happening," he waved his hands back and forth between them. "We shouldn't even have a relationship other than a professional one."

Rising from her perching place on the sofa, Elizabeth tried her best to stay strong. "Then, I think we're going to have a problem."

"And what is that."

"It's no longer professional between us. We kissed that can't be undone and its anything, but professional behavior the last time I checked."

"That kiss shouldn't have happened," he growled, his back to her he faced the floor length bay windows. "I shouldn't have kissed you and it went too far."

Whatever control Elizabeth had over her emotions broke and her confusion and anger were released. "Why did you kiss me then?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, shuffling his feet.

"I think you'd have an answer since you were the one that kissed me," she countered.

"I haven't been with someone in a very long time," he explained. "And you were there and I just gave in and for the moment didn't think of what I was doing."

"An itch that needed scratching," Elizabeth muttered, her eyes drifting to the floor.

He pivoted sharply, his face a total mask of disbelief. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then, how did you mean it?" she seethed.

"Elizabeth, we just need to forget it happened."

"But it did."

"Then, it shouldn't happen again," he growled, growing impatient.

Glaring at Jason, Elizabeth diverted her eyes for a moment when she caught sight of what laid on the floor besides her foot. "You won't have to worry about it happening again," she said, reaching down.

"Good, that's the way it should be."

"It won't happen again because I'm quitting," she announced calmly, holding out her resignation letter.

"What?!"

"You heard me, I'm resigning." Her hand remained midair, clutching the battered white envelope. "Consider this my two weeks notice."

When he wouldn't take the envelope from her, Elizabeth threw it at him. He caught it against his chest, staring at it as if it were a foreign specimen.

"You have two weeks to replace me, Mr. Morgan," she enlightened him through clenched teeth.

"Eliz-"

"Liz, where are you?" Lil's worried voice cut her father off, giving Elizabeth the excuse she needed to leave the room.