A Drunken Man's Words
by SexisFan

chapter 1

Alexis stepped off the elevator, her strappy heels in her hand. It had been a long night and she was looking forward to a shower and her sheets.

Johnny's voice stopped her before she reached her door. "Ms. Davis?" Alexis spun, startled. "Mr. Corinthos would like to see you immediately," Johnny explained apologetically.

"Now?" she asked in surprise. Johnny nodded in reply. "Is he even awake? It's 3 o'clock in the morning!"

"Yeah, he's awake," Johnny confirmed quietly. "But he's been. . ."

"Johnny!" Sonny's shout cut him off, demonstrating that he was indeed awake in spite of the late hour. "Show Ms. Davis in!" he bellowed.

Alexis' eyes widened in surprise. Johnny shrugged and gave her an apologetic look, as if silently saying, 'Hey, what can I do?' Alexis smiled warmly in return. Passing through the door he held open for her, she gave his shoulder a gentle pat, reassuring him that she would be fine.

Inside Sonny's penthouse it was dark and cave-like. The only light came from the fire now dying in the fireplace. Alexis froze, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness as the door closed softly behind her.

"Sonny?" she whispered softly into the night.

"Come on in, Ms. Davish." The slightly slurred invitation came from the general direction of the sofa, which had been turned to face the fireplace. Alexis laid her shoes on Sonny's desk and made her way across the dimly lit room. She had no trouble picking up the heavy scent of whiskey as she crossed the room and neared the only source of light. Rounding the sofa, she found Sonny stretched along its length, his head propped on the arm of the piece, allowing him to be just upright enough to continue sipping the dark liquid swirling in his glass.

"Sonny, what's wrong?" she asked cautiously, the concern evident in her voice. It must be bad for him to be like this. Business didn't do this to him, only personal pain sent him over this particular edge.

"Late night out on the town?" he asked accusing, ignoring her question.

Alexis stood silent, set off balance by his words and his tone.

"Your little lawyer friend, again. Huh?" It was a statement, not a question, Alexis knew as she watched him down the last draw from his glass.

"Obviously you already know that I spent the evening with Grant. Is this the urgent matter you needed to discuss with me at three o'clock in the morning?" Her tone was icy in reply. She didn't know what was going on here, but she didn't like the feel of it.

Sonny dropped the empty glass on the floor. Struggling against the sofa cushions and his own inebriation, he pulled himself rockily to his feet and headed for the bar.

"Things must be getting pretty personal between the two of you. That's hardly your typical business attire," he smirked, eyeing the deep wine-red dress that draped her slender frame, accentuating every curve and plane.

"You're drunk," Alexis replied flatly.

"Ahhhh. Nothing escapes your astute eye, does it counselor? That's why you're so good, isn't it?" he continued sarcastically.

"You are drunk," she repeated, "and I am leaving." Alexis headed past him for the door. "If you want to talk to me when you're sober. . ."

She was stopped mid-step and mid-sentence by Sonny's hand darting out to grasp her arm.

"Does Grant know how goooood you are, yet?" he hissed.

Instinctively Alexis drew around and slapped him. "How dare you!" she exclaimed.

Sonny released her immediately. In the dim light of the dying fire Alexis watched as his face crumpled, then was buried in the hand that had released her. Breathlessly she stood, rooted to the floor, watching as his body shook with an explosive sob. She was about to reach out to him when, in a flash, his hand dropped from his face to the near empty bottle of whiskey on the bar. In one fluid motion he lifted the bottle by the neck and hurled it toward the fireplace. "F!ck!" he yelled, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of glass shattering against stone.

Sonny stumbled to the sofa as the door silently opened just a crack behind Alexis. She turned and motioned to Johnny, letting him know that she was fine. As the door slid quietly shut again, Sonny slumped down onto the soft sofa cushions. With his elbows propped on his knees, his head held bowed in his shaking hands, he groaned out, "God, Alexis. Get out of here. You don't deserve me."

The pain in his voice was primal and tore at her heart. Her anger forgotten, Alexis crossed the room and took a seat on the sofa next to Sonny.

"Sonny," she whispered, her soft hand dropping warmly on his shoulder, "tell me what's wrong."

Sonny turned his head to look at her, revealing the tears welling in his eyes. "I'm drunk, Alexis," he stated simply.

Alexis could barely suppress a smile at the boyishness of his statement. "Yes, Sonny, you are drunk," she agreed.

"I'm really, really drunk, Alexis," he amended.

"That's quite obvious," Alexis replied, keeping her tone light.

Sonny leaned back into the sofa cushions, dropping his hands into his lap. Looking at Alexis, he gave her a cock-eyed grin. "You've never seen me this drunk, have you?" he asked.

Alexis shook her head 'no'.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" he laughed with a tinge of sadness.

"I have seen you more attractive," she answered diplomatically, leaning back with him on the sofa.

"I haven't," he replied.

Alexis looked at him with questioning eyes. "Haven't what, Sonny?"

"Seen you more attractive," he answered.

Alexis nervously dropped her eyes from his gaze. She was trying to come up with a response when she felt his fingers begin to stroke her hair.

"God, Alexis, you're so beautiful," he whispered huskily. His hand slipped underneath the veil of her hair and began to stroke the tender spot at the nape of her neck. "So beautiful, and you don't even know, do you?"

Alexis raised her eyes to his again.

"I watch you," he continued, "and I can see what you don't know. You walk into a room and men watch you. But you have no idea. No idea at all. Do you know how sexy that is?" he asked, shifting to slip his arm around her shoulder as he drew closer to her.

Alexis pulled back slightly, but Sonny continued his intoxicated pursuit. A warm hand fell to her knee, massaging in gentle circles.

"You don't know what you do to me, do you?" he asked, his voice thick with alcohol and emotion.

"Sonny, it's late and you're in no shape. . ."

"I'm drunk. I'm not dangerous. And I'm not deluded."

"I didn't mean to imply. . ."

"I want you Alexis. God help me I shouldn't, but I want you," he breathed heavily, pressing himself against her. Alexis stared at him, dumbfounded, as his gaze dropped to her mouth. "I have to force myself not to stare at your lips," he admitted. "Every time I'm near you, I want to taste you. You didn't know that, did you?" he purred.

Alexis shook her head. She should say something, but there were no words.

"I lie in my bed at night and I think about you," he whispered as his fingers slid further up her thigh. "Did you know that I imagine making love to you?"

Alexis gulped. It was definitely time to get out of there. Placing her palms on the hard wall of Sonny's chest, Alexis tried to gently push herself free of his embrace.

"Sonny, I have to go," she began.

"Not yet," he rasped, "Please." The final word was uttered with such hopelessness that Alexis couldn't help but comply.

"Sonny," she tried to reason, "we can talk tomorrow, when you feel better."

"You mean, when I'm sober."

"That, too," she laughed.

"Alexis, I know I can't have you. Don't you see? That's what makes me crazy. Like tonight."

"I don't understand, Sonny."

"I know you belong with another kind of man, a good man. I have no right to be jealous, but I am. I have no right to want you, but I do," he confessed, slowly bending his head to bring his mouth just a whisper away from hers.

"I'm a coward, Alexis," he stated, his lips hovering over hers.

Alexis licked her lower lip unconsciously. "Sonny, you're not a coward," she began to protest.

"Yes, I am," he interrupted. "Because I haven't had the guts to kiss you sober."

Alexis knew what was about to happen, knew she should stop it, but also knew that she wouldn't.

"I'm sorry," he said in a strangled voice as his mouth claimed hers. Months of pent up passion fueled their kisses as lips fluttered, teeth teased, tongues probed and hands roamed. Their gasps and moans intermingled as they breathlessly indulged in their animal attraction to each other. Just as Alexis felt sure she was on the verge of passing out, Sonny shifted his weight from her body. Pulling backward, he let himself fall flat out on the seat of the sofa while pulling Alexis along with him. In a flash she found herself draped across the flat plane of his chest, looking down at his desire-darkened features. Sonny's hands lifted to cradle her face, then pulled it gently to his own. Alexis knew that she should be the one to put a stop to this. It was so wrong to take advantage of his drunken desire in order to sate her own. But somehow the blood rushing to her head had overwhelmed her brain, drowning all reason in a hot lava wave of lust. Sonny's fingers tangled in her hair as his assault on her senses continued until Alexis knew she was going to lose consciousness. Pulling away from his hungry mouth, Alexis laid her head on his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart beneath her ear. She stared into the glowing embers in the fireplace as Sonny's hands gently stroked her hair, her shoulders, her back. Slowly, their breathing slowed and their pulses calmed.

As reason returned, Alexis flushed with embarrassment. How could she let this happen? What if he remembered in the morning? Immediately she felt a pang at another instant thought. What if he didn't? How could she face him every day?

Lost in her worries about the future, Alexis didn't notice when Sonny's hands stopped moving. It wasn't until his soft snoring started that she realized he had finally succumbed to the enormous amount of whiskey he'd consumed. Slipping from his now slackened embrace, Alexis lifted herself from the sofa and the man sleeping there. She lifted a light blanket from the back of a nearby armchair and spread the covering over his sleeping form, before leaving him with a light kiss dropped on the smooth skin above his brow.

Alexis padded softly to the desk and retrieved her shoes before heading for the door. Silently she swung it open and started to slip into the hallway when Sonny's voice called out to her from across the room.

"''Lexis!" he called, groggily.

"What, Sonny?" she whispered loudly, not wanting him to fully waken.

"I love you," he answered simply.

Alexis froze, her hand on the doorknob, her heart pounding in her chest. A long second passed before she answered, whispering simply, "Good night, Sonny."

Shutting the door softly, she turned, finding herself face to surprised face with Johnny who was still manning his post. Realizing that she hadn't straightened either her hair or her clothing, and knowing that Johnny would have heard Sonny's last words to her, she smiled weakly and shrugged in embarrassment. "He's drunk," she said simply, as if that should explain the state of her attire and the flush in her cheeks. "Very, very drunk," she added.

Johnny nodded.

Satisfied that Johnny understood the context of the situation and of what he'd heard, she started across the hall for her own penthouse. Slipping the key into the lock, she heard Johnny clear his throat and begin to speak softly.

"My momma always said, 'A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts.'"

Alexis looked up at him with surprise in her eyes.

Johnny shrugged. "I just thought you should know, ma'am," he said sheepishly.

Alexis nodded. Giving him a shy smile, she slipped inside her apartment and shut the door behind her, her mind racing with thoughts of what might be if Johnny's momma was right.

chapter 2