This is the sequel to the first story in this collection. Its not mature.

I am working on a new Jaslexis story.

Heat- For three months Alexis Davis was his defense attorney while he was on trail for murder. And for everyday of those three months Jason Morgan wanted to fuck her. Now that his is out of jail, its time to make his fantasies into his reality.

Clic, AU, Sequel to An Unequal AttractionFor the Taking

This comes as a surprise to her.

Him standing behind her in this dimly lit hotel bar. His silky, deep voice betraying his heart even with the first words he says. Because it is not in the words but in his tone that she hears his longing for her. That is not what she wants to hear it. Not at all. Because it just might inspire longing in Claudia can't have that.

She slides her hand off his brother's thigh. She came back home to deal with her nutcase father who went and got himself paralyzed. Merry Christmas to her. In most families, this situation would be a tragedy but for a Zacchara it is simply an opening. She has wanted to come back for awhile. See her little brother. Run the family business the right way. But her father didn't want her around. Well he couldn't stop her now, could he?

The only thing that could wreck her plans was letting her head get caught up on anything but business. She knew she would see Ric again, that his father, Trevor, still worked for her father, Anthony- as he had since the beginning of time. She just didn't expect to run into Ric her first night home.

She listens as Sonny and Ric spar back and forth over her.

The men act like little boys, throwing around jabs that all sound like Mommy loved you more and then, ever so slowly, she turns and faces the only man who ever really got under her skin. Her reaction is not the practiced one she wanted to give. Its not the cool "Richard, its hard to believe you gave up Martha's Vineyard for Port Charles. What a step down."

That response would have only worked if they were alone for she will not give away to Sonny that she shares a pass with Ric. He wants information? Let him scrounge for it like she does.

But worse then the fact that she can not use the lines she wanted to is that her mind shuts down nearly completely when his dark eyes settle on hers. The world stops moving. She's sixteen. They are in a pool house. She's smirking cause its obvious he's never felt this good before and that makes her feel powerful. She holds him in her hands. She rules his world. Out of her mouth pops the greeting she always gave him back then "Hey there, you."

"Hey you."

Damn it all to hell. She is Claudia freaking Zacchara and there is no man on the whole damn planet who can make her lose it. Except there is. And he's standing in front of her staring her down.

Sonny seems on to them. Freaking lovely. Damn Ric. Damn him for moving to Port Charles. Damn him for being in her way. Damn him for coming to Milan with that ring...God. It still hurt to think about that. Is it fair for anything to ever hurt for sixteen whole years? How could she let this happen to her? You want to know how? Being seventeen, stoned, horny, angry, stupid, reckless, weak, bitter, crazy, and madly in love all at the same time. That's how.

She was just too young to know better. And she would pay for that for the rest of her days on earth.

By the time she wised up, when she was in Milan, she knew love was for fools and suckers. Her Daddy broke her heart when he banished her from the family home, leaving her with simply no heart left to offer Ric or anyone else. So when Ric said he was coming to visit her in Milan, she made sure he left hating her. Claudia couldn't even remember the name of the man he caught her in bed with. Marco? That might be it. Who can say after so many years? He meant nothing. No one meant anything to her ever again once Anthony was through damaging her.

And no one could ever mean anything to her again. That's how she wanted it at least. But sitting next to Ric in this bar her body is already humming with awareness, and aching with need. Damn it, she is not supposed to need anyone. She certainly shouldn't still be affected by her high school boyfriend.

What kind of bullshit is that?

This is why she hates love. Because of the way it can mess up a person's mind, their plans and tear out their heart and soul. Leave them less. Love is powerful and she did not want its power unleashed on her ever again.

Sonny, with his smarmy smile, cut the night short, leaving them alone. Isn't he such a good guy? He probably left a guard behind to watch them. Claudia would if she was in his place. See what his lawyer had to say to his enemy. Ric settles into the seat next to her. He orders a drink, while she downs hers. She's gonna need more to get through this but any more and she might just drag him upstairs- work this all out between some silk sheets, to hell with what would be good for her. She's always controlled though, always since she left him.

She uses sex to get her something...she can't use sex just to connect to someone she loves. Its not how she works waits a few minutes before he finally asks, his voice his unique mixture of cocky and unsure. No one else sounds like him. No one. Its endearing to her, which she knows is messed up and pathetic, how he is needy but acts confident.

Ric asks "Miss me?"

Claudia breaks out in a smile. She did, she realizes suddenly. She missed feeling like this. Known. She knows all about his dirty little secrets. She's heard the stories through the years. But even if he is insane, even if he will always bend to Sonny's will, even if he is plagued with demons and filled with bitterness, he is still one more thing. The man the makes her feel what she shouldn't and react like she shouldn't and want what she knows she can't have. And the best part about that is, she is all that to him right back. She can just tell by how he looks at her.

"Not as much as you missed me."

He turns his head, smiling at her, as his eyes work up and down her.

She asks "You like?"

"You grew up, that's for sure, Claudia."

"Yes, I did. I grew up to be the only one in charge of my life. I no longer have to live by what my father deems best for his little trouble making daughter."

"I heard about his accident. I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

Ric shakes his head, disbelieving her. "I know you always loved Anthony, whether you liked him or not."

She leans very close to him. "What does love have to do with this? I came home for the business. Not to hold his hand."

"And not to see me, right?"

"Right."

But still her body stays pressed against his arm. They are eye-to-eye. It's the most alive she has ever felt. Better than when he was inside of her when they were teenagers. She knows how rare this is now. She's educated, wiser, she knows what she would be walking away from if she were to give him up

She doesn't have him yet? Doesn't she?

Ric turned his head away from her. Claudia eased back, not offended in the least. She knew what he was doing. Getting his bearings. She was making his head spin. Saying no with her mouth, yes with her eyes. Acting like she could careless.

She wanted to careless. Wanted it so damn bad she could taste it. Claudia Zacchara, the woman who killed to get what she wanted. But how would she kill her hunger for him?

Claudia stood up. Ric's eyes snapped back to her. He asked "Have somewhere to be?"

"Business calls."

"This late?"

"Calling me a liar, Ric?" She doesn't wait for him to answer, as she picks up her red coat. "Pay for my tab."

She loves to boss men around. And its especially thrilling to have that man be Ric again. He stands and takes her coat from her. She turns and takes her coat from him. He helps her into it. He leans close to her. Claudia starts to feel lightheaded.

His mouth brushes her ear as he whispers "It was good to see you, too."

She does not answer him back, does not even smile, she just breathes in and out, while her body shivers in a way it has never before in her life.

Somehow he gets to her worse now that she's older. Claudia walks out. Her guard opens the door of her limo and she climbs in. She sinks into the leather and closes her eyes.

She hates love. She will always hate love. But damn it all to hell she will probably always be in love with him. It didn't end when she was eighteen. She only pressed paused then. Tonight it started again, not missing a beat, the song richer for its age and it something she can give into? Is it even her choice now? She despises the fact that he can flip her world upside down just by being who he is. But he can, he did, he will again. Her world is his for the taking. How in the hell can she deal with that?

THE END