Author's Note –
This is based on ABC's General Hospital's romantic pairing of mob enforcer Jason Morgan and artist Elizabeth Webber.
* * * * *
Jason Morgan had always prided himself on being a strong man.
But not tonight.
Not with her.
Especially when she was pressed against the hard plane of his chest wearing only a thin, skimpy dress as the warm summer night breeze caressed them with its sultry, wispy touch. Elizabeth moaned into his mouth and used her small hands to frame his face and bring him closer still. And as Jason obliged, parting her lips with his tongue and seeking immediate entrance, he was extremely thankful to the fact that relatively few people knew about Vista Point.
He kissed her fully, he kissed her roughly, he kissed her as if he'd never get enough of her. She was warm and sweet, and he found himself wondering if she always tasted like raspberries. He drank her in like a man dying of thirst, drowning himself in her soft scent of vanilla and jasmine. And just when he was ready to pull back and release her from his demanding embrace, she reeled him right back in with a sultry murmur and a feather-light sigh.
Elizabeth pouted when the cool air caressed her flushed skin and bee-stung lips – Jason had pulled away despite her best efforts. But his fingers remained fanned out along her jaw, tentatively stroking the lacy wisps of hair at her temples. Her body was tingling with energy and warmth, every place that he had touched alight with pleasant burning sensations. His forehead was pressed tenderly to hers and when she peeked up hesitantly at him, his eyes were still closed. She watched in wonder as his lips – just as red and ripe as hers – trembled while he breathed deeply and tried to slow his rapid pulse.
With each second that passed, she could feel him detaching mentally. Each passing moment enabled him to put as much distance between them as possible, let him come up with an infinite amount of reasons for why the kiss had been wrong and a mistake. Even more time for him to formulate a way to tell her to keep her distance, and that it would be for the best.
Elizabeth let out a shaky breath. No. She wouldn't let him do that – not again. After all that time of waffling back and forth, one tentative step and one debilitating slip, she wasn't about to let them lose the paramount connection they had just made. He had kissed her. With desire. With longing. With purpose.
It wasn't like when she had kissed him, the first time their lips had ever met. She was hurting and in need of someone to set her emotions and body alike on fire. Jason had been with her and more than willing to play the part. But she knew that night would have been a mistake. If she had slept with him...
She shivered at the thought. And what a thought it was! The vision of his strong hands all over her body, eliciting sensations she had all but forgotten; his mouth following the path of his able fingers, worshipping her body like she imagined few men would be able to; the idea of trailing her own hands over his naked body, the powerful muscles rippling and quivering under her touch. It was enough to make her cream her panties on the spot.
No, she definitely wouldn't let him slip through her fingers tonight. Not after what had just happened between them. Because damn it, she
wanted
the chance to make love to him.
Jason expelled a long breath, and with it came the willpower he needed to pull away completely. His heart clenched in his chest at the way she pouted at him, the way her eyes pleaded with him to move closer, not farther.
But he couldn't do that. He couldn't place her in any more danger. It was a big enough gamble to be with her just now.
His strong hand enclosed around her smaller one, their arms extended to maintain a connection even as he drew further away. She refused to let him go, and when she spoke it was almost more than he could take.
"Jason."
The muscles in his chest trembled. Before him, Elizabeth's lower lip quivered. He tried to loosen his grip on her hand, but she still held firm.
"Jason, please." Tears gathered in her deep sapphire orbs, and Jason's heart nearly broke in two at the pain swimming therein. "Don't leave me – stay, Jason."
"Elizabeth, I can't-"
He saw a new strength seep into her even as he spoke, but he still wasn't prepared when she squeezed his hand and stepped up, closing the distance between them.
"Yes, you can," she insisted. And then she kissed him.
Jason's heart skipped two beats as her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders and pulled him savagely down to accommodate her height. Even as his hands found her waist, the long fingers digging into the fabric and her soft skin underneath, Jason fought to rein his mind and body back in.
"Elizabeth, we can't do this. I can't-"
"Jason." Her voice was soft, drugged with desire, when she pulled back just enough to gaze openly and honestly into his eyes. "You asked me before what I wanted. My answer hasn't changed – I still want
you
."
His eyes fluttered shut at those words; they were just one more reason for why he had to pull away. This attraction, this bond between them was dangerous for both of them. She was too close – too close to business, too close to the danger, too close to him. And he didn't her to get hurt, by the business or by him.
"Elizabeth-"
"But my reasons have changed, Jason," she whispered. "I don't want you because I need someone to take away my pain. I want you for
you
, Jason."
His heart leapt up into his throat; she didn't mean that, did she? She couldn't. But with the way she was gazing back at him, an open book flipped right to the page he wanted to read, it was getting harder and harder to keep his defenses intact.
"I want you, too, Elizabeth." It was the biggest admission he had ever made to her – biggest in the sense that it was the hardest to say aloud. Because saying it aloud made it real, immutable. He
wanted
her. He
needed
her. And that was terrifying because he had never wanted or needed anyone as badly as he did her. She transcended all the carefully constructed walls around his heart – maybe it was just that she held the only key. "I want you, too."
"Then stay, Jason." Her whispered voice, full of excitement, made his head swim at the powerful request. "Stay with me."
When she kissed him again, Jason didn't have the power to stop her. Nor did he have the power to stop himself. He was amazed at the power she had over him – one simple word, one simple touch, had him forgetting his own name.
And Elizabeth seemed bent on taking advantage of every ounce of power she held over him – she was intent on driving him wild. Her delicate fingers traced figure-eights against the nape of his neck as her tongue outlined his bottom lip, both simultaneous actions immediately sending all the blood in his body rushing straight down south.
Jason pulled her closer, tugging on her waist and roughly bringing her slight frame crashing against his sturdy one. She let out a soft yelp of surprise but soon took advantage of their proximity to tease him to the brink of insanity.