Carly and Jason are sitting on the sectional talking about their day. She tells him about her day with Brenda, decorating and bossing around the guards. He details a funny story of one of the younger guards who had gone to the grocery store with him. Apparently, the kid 'fell in love' with the checkout girl and literally fell over his own feet right in front of her. Carly is laughing so hard by the end of the story she's practically laying on Jason.

She takes his breath away when she's like this, her whole face lit up and happiness dancing in her eyes. For just this moment, all the things that make her sad, make her feel less than have been banished. He runs his finger lightly down her cheek, a caress that brings up goosebumps all over her body. Her eyes meet his, seeing only happiness and affection.

She gives him a warm smile, leaning into him to kiss his cheek, "You look happy."

"I am happy," he tells her softly. "Being here with you makes me happy."

She looks up at him through her lashes, a brilliant smile on her lips. "Me too. Being with you makes me happy too."

Jason's eyes drop to her mouth, which causes her to lick them nervously. He takes in a sharp breath at the desperate need to kiss her that rises in him. The air gets thick, an exciting strumming just under the skin. He looks her in the eyes, which are half mast, to see desire shining back at him. He reaches up, sifting his fingers through her hair, putting the briefest pressure on her to bring her lips to his. When they make contact, Carly lets out a gasp. He uses the moment to deepen the kiss. He pulls her body tightly to his, just as the door slams open. Carly jumps back, as Jason looks up in irritation at the interruption.

He curses as Brenda bursts into the room, followed closely by Sonny. Brenda takes in their positions, Carly's red face, and the death glare from Jason, and gives a pleased smile. She raises an eyebrow at Carly, causing the blonde to roll her eyes at her.

Sonny, missing the subtext, gives the pair a smile, "I am cooking and came to invite you to join us. Demand, really. Consider it a welcome to the building." He looks at Carly, and kindly says, "Brenda told me how hard you worked decorating, and figured you wouldn't be up for cooking."

Carly shoots a look at Jason for guidance. He gives her a shrug, looking distracted. She looks back to the mobster, and nervously tells him, "Um… sure, sounds good."

Brenda beams at her. Sonny, however, has shifted his focus to Jason, whose eyes are on Carly. "Jason, come with me. We need to talk."

He glances briefly at his boss, giving him a nod, then turns back to Carly, "Will you be okay?"

She's nodding, with a soft smile at his concern, even as Brenda scoffs, "What exactly do you think is going to happen to her up here? She is in the fortress, the only people to hurt her are me and Sonny. What, are you scared I'm going to hurt your pregnant g…"

"Brenda." Sonny says in a warning tone that makes it clear they've got some subtext of their own. She just rolls her eyes, flouncing back on the sofa. He walks over to her, caressing her face, whispering, "We will figure it out, Cara Mia."

Carly looks away as he leans down to kiss Brenda, it feels too intimate seeing such vulnerable expressions of intense love mixed with a little pain. Her eyes meet Jason's, and widen in surprise to see a heated, predatory look in his eyes. With a surprised breath, she feels her body react, a heat like molten lava warms her core and has her heart beating double time. It's suddenly just the two of them, Sonny and Brenda disappearing entirely. A bomb could go off in the apartment, and she's not sure she would notice.

Jason must have more awareness than her because his eyes reluctantly leave her and focus on his boss. It takes her a second to realize Sonny is speaking, and another to comprehend that he's speaking to her. "…won't take too long. Just a little bit of business to take care of before dinner, plus he's a decent sous chef at this point. Before I cook, any foods I need to steer clear of because of the pregnancy? I remember…" a look of sadness crosses his face, and his eyes jump guiltily to Brenda. Clearing his throat, he veers, "I don't want to cook anything that will make you sick."

Carly looks at him thoughtfully. While she hasn't had a lot of contact with Sonny in the past, she got the impression he wasn't her biggest fan. Yet, he is being kind, considerate even. She is happy with the development, wanting to get along with the people who are important to Jason, but she wonders what caused the change of heart.

Carly gives him a tentative smile, "No issues so far. The only symptom I have is feeling tired. I literally woke up from a nap the other day, moved from the couch to my bed and took another nap."

Carly watches an emotion she doesn't understand flit across Sonny's face. She looks at Brenda to see her watching him with a concerned expression. His voice is a little shaky as he tells her, "Good. Let me steal Jason for a bit. Dinner will be ready in about an hour." With that, he turns and walks out of the penthouse. Jason gives Carly one more long look, a look filled with desire and protectiveness, before following his boss out.

It takes her a second to shake herself out of the haze his look creates in her. Between the kiss and his looks, she feels desire thrum through her, making her feel an ache and antsiness like she's about to come out of her skin. Her mind and body are both reeling at the change in Jason, but she's definitely not complaining. She just might melt into a puddle at this rate. When she is finally able to drag her attention to her new friend, she finds Brenda staring at the door in concern.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asks Brenda with concern in her voice.

The brunette's eyes jump to Carly. She gives herself a little shake, then says, "Yeah. Sonny is just dealing with some stuff right now." Her tone shifts from concerned to sassy. "You know how it is, worrying about your man. Though I have to admit, your man seemed more concerned about you. 'Will you be okay?'" She mimics in a low, growly voice, with a laugh and a roll of the eyes. Then, more seriously, "So, do you want to talk about what we barged in on? Sorry, by the way."

"Nope. Do you want to talk about whatever is going on with you and Sonny?" Carly asks, turning in her seat to face Brenda.

"Nope."

Carly lifts her shoulder, then tilts her head, "So, Sonny cooks? I didn't expect that."

Brenda laughs, "You are in for a treat. His food is delicious, sinfully so."

"Not going to lie, it takes away from the bad boy image a little." Carly jokes.

"No," she says a little dreamily, "it makes it sexier."

In the kitchen, Sonny has Jason cutting up vegetables for a salad while he cooks the chicken and pasta for chicken Florentine. As his second in command gives him an update on business, Sonny is too quiet, lost in thought. When he gets done, the room remains silent for several long seconds. Jason asks, "Sonny?"

"Yeah. Good, good. You seem to have everything under control. I had no doubt." He clears his throat, "Carly seems to be settling into the apartment well. If you need anything, just let me know."

Jason nods, telling his boss, "Thank you for letting us move in. Carly seems happy. I'm grateful… we're grateful."

Sonny turns around, a smile on his face that conveys sadness more than joy, "We protect the mother of our children. It's our duty as men to protect and care for our families." He looks down, running his hand down the back of his neck. "I just hope you do a better job than me."

"Sonny…"

Sonny breaks in, "Jason, I'm going to put protection on Carly, a couple guards. You are high up enough in the organization that you are a target. Especially with her being pregnant, we have to make sure she and the baby are safe."

Jason puts down the knife, crossing his arms in concern. "Do you think someone will try to hurt her?"

"If it gives them an advantage, don't put it past our enemies to use her to hurt you, her and that baby. It's good that you're next door. The security here at least keeps them safe while they're home, but while they're out there, they need extra protection." Sonny has pain and resolve in his voice. He's not asking his lieutenant, he's giving an order.

Jason tilts his head for a second, considering, before he agrees, "I'll talk to her about it tonight."

"Good." Turning back to his cooking, he says with a smile in his voice, "Carly and Brenda are getting along really well. I'm not sure if I should be happy or scared." With a softer tone, "Brenda has been lonely since Robin left, it's good for her to have someone close by to talk to."

"Brenda and Carly together is terrifying, but truthfully, I'm happy Carly has a friend. She's been so alone, and I don't want her to feel like that." He scratches his jaw, "I… uh, need your help, actually. What do you think the chances are of Bobbie being interested in having a relationship with Carly? All that shit with Dr. Jones, I think she just wants her mom's attention. If I can do anything to…"

"Jason…" Sonny starts hesitantly, "Getting in the middle of that particular battle is… you might end up hurting more than helping. Or you might end up being the one hurt. I'd be cautious trying to untangle that mess. As far as I know, Bobbie thinks her daughter is dead, so until she gets clued in that she is actually alive…"

"You know Bobbie better than I do, so I could really use your help coming up with a plan, something that will hurt Carly the least, something that will give her mother to her." He looks earnestly at his boss, "I want her to have family, more family than just me and the baby."

"I'll help." Sonny gives in, putting his hand on Jason's arm. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. But, just a warning, talk to your girl before you put anything in motion. She's been pretty adamant about keeping it from Bobbie."

Jason takes in the advice with a serious expression, his eyes giving away the thoughtful activity lying within. "I have to try, but I'll be careful. And I'll talk to her."

He studies the young man who has come to feel like much more than another enforcer, not just because he trusts him implicitly in the business, but because he feels more and more like a cross between a son and a brother. After he lost Stone, he didn't want to let anyone else in, especially for that role, but Jason snuck past his defenses without him noticing.

Sonny has seen a difference in him the last month that he initially thought was because of his breakup with Robin, a distractedness that he suddenly realizes has more to do with the blonde across the hall. He's in love. There's a possessiveness and protectiveness in Jason's eyes that mirrors how he feels about Brenda.

He can see the appeal of the blonde, to be honest. She's a firecracker, who is undeniably sexy. If he wasn't so blinded by love… But looking at the two of them together, he knows they are blind to anyone else just as he is blind to anyone but Brenda.

Jason looks happy, settled. It makes him smile, then look down at the chicken to hide his reaction. He hopes the kid gets the family Sonny had ripped away from him. "She means a lot to you, more than just the mother of your child. How is everything going with the two of you?"

"Good. It's easy with her, you know; just easy to be around her. We can be doing nothing, hanging out, and I feel happy. I don't like anyone, but I like her. And knowing she is having my baby, that we are now a family, I feel this connection and desire to do everything, do absolutely anything for them. I just… I…"

"You love her." Sonny says softly.

Jason tilts his head and smiles, his eyes expressing joy, as he admits for the first time, "Yeah, I do. I think I have since that night she got pregnant. The attraction was there from the beginning, and I didn't understand it, but even then, she meant something to me. I couldn't figure out why, because other than great sex, she is usually making messes that give me a headache. But, then, she pulled through for me on more than one occasion, and became someone I trust. And when I was with her that night, it felt different. It meant… more."

"I'm happy for you kid." He takes a deep breath, then lets it out in a sigh. "Now you've got to keep her safe. It's a heavy weight. You let me know if there's anything I can do to assist in that."

"Thank you, Sonny." Jason tells him, then with a hesitant voice, "And if you ever need…"

With dimples flashing, he acknowledges, "I know. Now, go tell the ladies it's time to eat."

Later that night, Jason is showered and dressed in only his boxers already sitting against the headboard under her girly comforter when Carly comes out of the bathroom in one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers. And, suddenly Jason is on fire. Seeing her in his clothes turns the desire that had been simmering since he'd kissed her earlier to a boil. As she looks at him through her lashes, biting her lip, he vaporizes, the desire so intense he has to fist his hands in the comforter in an effort not to reach for her. He doesn't want to assume anything, but he wants her so much his control is barely hanging on.

The air practically crackles with the tension in the room. Shyly, she gets into the bed beside him, wondering why it feels different from his room at Jake's. There's a vulnerability and intimacy she wasn't expecting. She takes a moment to settle before she builds the nerve to look in his eyes.

What she sees takes her breath away. There's such naked desire burning in them. She takes in the tension in his body, the flush to his skin, and feels her body quickening. Without any conscious thought, her body sways toward him. They crash together, his hands fisting in her hair, angling her head to kiss her deeper. He allows himself to savor the feeling of her skin pressed to his, his hands doing a maddening dance of caressing, grabbing, and kneading all over her body, making the fire burn hotter and hotter until she feels like she's burning alive.

With his last shred of control, Jason asks between kisses, "This is okay, right?"

She puts her hands on the nape of his neck, pulling his mouth from where he's kissing her jaw and neck to connect to hers again. She moans out, just before his mouth connects with hers, "God, yes."

With a smile against her lips, Jason feels himself slipping beneath the tide of pleasure, consumed by her fire. It's the sweetest bliss he's ever found.