Game Day
by Cowgirl

chapter 16 - They Score

Alexis slowly walked down the stairs and looked for signs that her sister was around. She didn't see her in the living room, so she crept toward the front door and quietly opened it, daring only to reach her arm out and feel for the paper. Retrieving it, she glanced momentarily at the door across the hallway and smiled, knowing she'd end up over there eventually today, but for now, she needed to be alone. She needed to think and to analyze like only she could do, and she didn't need distractions. She carefully shut the door and turned to find her sister smiling at her from the doorway leading to the kitchen. She plastered on a smirk and shook her head. "You know, I really should tie a bell around you," she said as she made her way to the couch.

Kristina chuckled and sat down next to her sister, offering her a cup of coffee. "Why, were you trying to avoid me?"

Alexis sighed. "Not avoid...I just wanted to read the paper in peace."

Kristina nodded. "I see. You know Alexis, you've been avoiding me all week."

"I have not...I've been busy," she said opening the paper and holding it up to her face.

Kristina swiftly took the paper from her sister's hands and laid it on the coffee table. "You have too, ever since you came sneaking back into the penthouse Monday morning...after being with Sonny...all night."

Alexis stood and moved to her desk, rifling through papers. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You mean you don't remember spending the night with Sonny?"

Alexis halted her movements and looked up at the ceiling. "See, I didn't...I don't want to have this conversation."

Kristina stood and moved closer to her sister. "Which conversation is that exactly?"

"The conversation you're trying to engage me in about me spending the night at Sonny's," she replied as she rolled her eyes. "Look...you already know that Sonny and I are...doing what we're doing. Why is this so shocking to you?"

"Alexis...it's getting more serious between the two of you."

"I know that," Alexis shot back quickly and moved away from her sister.

"Well, have the two of you talked about it?"

Alexis stopped and let out an exaggerated sigh. "No, all right? Sonny and I aren't exactly skilled at talking to one another about things like that."

"Don't you think you'll have to?"

"Eventually, yes."

"When?"

Alexis threw up her hands, a look of exasperation taking hold of her features. "I don't know that."

Kristina moved to Alexis and took her hand, leading her to the couch. Once they were seated, Kristina turned to her sister. "Look, it's so obvious that the two of you are falling in love. Why deny it to each other?"

Alexis lowered her head. "We are not falling in love...we..."

"What would you call it then?"

Alexis' head snapped up. "Sex. I would call it sex."

Kristina stood up and shook her head. "Okay, for once I won't push this."

"Thank you."

Kristina held up a hand. "But like it or not Alexis, you and Mr. Dimples across the hall are together." She turned and headed for the door. "Now, I'll be out with Ned all day...just so you know."

Alexis watched as Kristina exited the penthouse and then fell back against the couch with a sigh. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, remembering Monday morning waking up in Sonny's bed.

Alexis sat up carefully and looked at Sonny's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful, no sign of the knitted brows and tense expression that usually inhabited his face. She had just spent the last half an hour awake, relishing the feeling of being in Sonny's bed, in his arms, his warm body pressed to hers, his leg casually thrown across hers. She tried to slide out from beneath it when he awoke and turned to her.

"Good morning."

She offered him a weak smile. "Good morning," she said back sheepishly.

Sonny casually glanced down at their intertwined legs, then back up at her, smiling. "Can I make you breakfast?"

She bit her lip quickly and released it. "I should go...business day you know."

Sonny nodded. "You should eat before you start your day."

"I'll grab something at Kelly's."

Sonny sat up and stretched his arms out over his head. "Lex."

"What?"

"Don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Run."

"Who gave any indication that I'm running?"

He tilted his head and leveled his groggy eyes at her. "Come here," he said as his hand reached up and cupped her face, pulling it gently towards his own until their lips met and touched briefly. They parted and looked at one another. "There's nothing to feel awkward about."

Alexis averted her gaze. "I'm not feeling awkward."

Sonny's hand landed on her shoulder and slowly caressed her arm. "Lex, we just spent our first night together...does that bother you?"

Alexis closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I just...this is not..."

"Hey..." Sonny said softly. "Didn't you like spending the night in my bed?"

Alexis blushed and lowered her head. "Of course I did," she shook her head nervously. "It's just so..."

"Intimate?"

She nodded. "Too intimate."

Sonny chuckled. "Lex, I think we passed intimate about seven sporting events ago."

She smiled. "You know what I mean."

Sonny pulled himself upright and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, leaning back on his arms. "Is this getting to be too much for you?"

Alexis blew out a puff of air. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know...do you want to stop...sleeping with me?"

She turned her head and looked at him. "No," she answered softly.

Sonny nodded. "Then what? Do you want to make some sort of ground rules as to how intimate our...encounters can be?"

Alexis stood up and grabbed Sonny's nearby robe pulling it on. "No, it's not that," she sighed and held her hands up.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm fine...really. I guess it just affected me to..." She brought her arms down and moved to the bed sitting next to him. "Everything that's happened between us so far has just happened. One week we're going at it like wild animals on your couch, and then before we know it it's become a weekly event. Then we move our escapades into the bedroom and it becomes something else besides two people who haven't gotten any in a while. All of that just sort of happened..." She held out her hands. "We didn't plan those things they just happened naturally. Spending the night...it just threw me...I can't explain it."

Sonny smiled and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Look, Alexis, I'm not trying to force you into something you don't want to happen. I'll admit that it's not just about sex for me anymore...I...well, lately it's become more like this need you know? I need to see you, to touch you." He released her from his embrace and stood up. "I like being with you. I don't know what else to say except that I'm not expecting anything. I like how things are going."

Alexis looked up at him and nodded.

Sonny flashed the dimples and held out his hand, helping her up from the bed. "No strings okay?"

Alexis gave him a small, embarrassed grin. "Okay." She looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry for being so neurotic about this."

Sonny caressed her cheek. "Don't be...I mean this is not your everyday typical relationship we're having here is it?"

Alexis moved her head from side to side. "No, it's not."

Sonny moved forward and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her tightly as she nuzzled into his chest. After a moment he pulled back and held her at arm's length. "Want me to make breakfast now?"

"I'd like that." She said and surprised herself be placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Two hours later Alexis and Sonny were sitting in their now customary places on Sonny's couch, dishes from lunch littering the table and of course a sporting event on the television. Alexis sat forward on the edge of the cushion, her elbows resting on her knees, her brow knit in concentration. "This is so back and forth, it's hard to keep up with who's going where."

Sonny smiled and placed a hand on her back, caressing her gently. "That's the nature of the game. Soccer is fast paced."

Alexis nodded. "It is kind of interesting to think that they can't touch the ball with their hands. The way they maneuver it with their feet is amazing."

"It's definitely a skill...like every other sport requires."

Alexis sat up straight and pointed to the television. "That guy just touched the ball with his hands."

Sonny nodded. "That's the goal keeper. They're the only players aloud on either team to touch the ball with their hands."

Alexis clasped her hands together under her chin. "Got it...goal keeper gets to touch the ball." She turned her head to Sonny. "Are there innings in this game or quarters or whatever?"

"Yeah. There's two periods, each one lasts forty five minutes."

Alexis' eyes widened. "That's a long time to run back and forth across a field." She squinted at the television. "What are they doing now?"

"See, that guy there was offside. That means that he was nearer to his opponent's goal line than the ball and the last opponent, or it could also be if he is level with the opponent or two last opponents."

Alexis shook her head. "That made no sense."

Sonny chuckled. "It took me a while to figure it out too." He gestured to the screen. "What happens now is he'll get to kick what's called an indirect free kick. Meaning they'll place the ball where the other player was offside and he gets a shot at the goal, but the ball has to be touched by a player from his team other than himself before it enters the goal. The team whose player committed the offside has to stay back ten yards until the ball is kicked. It gives the kicking team an advantage."

Alexis strained her neck and leaned back against Sonny, his arm snaking around her shoulders. She turned to look at him. "You know, I'm going to be an expert on all these sports...Jax will be very impressed the next time he starts chattering about sports to Ned and I can understand them."

Sonny nipped her ear with his lips. "Do we have to bring them into our game?"

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "We have a game?"

Sonny flashed the dimples. "Yeah, we do. Sort of...don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

Alexis shook her head. "Just watch your damn sports." She nodded at the screen. "He just hit the ball with his chest...I thought they could only use their feet."

"They can use other parts of their body. What he just did is called a chest trap. They do this to control and slow the ball down when it's in the air."

Alexis stroked his arm with her hand. "What other parts of the body can they use?"

Sonny cleared his throat and smiled. "Well, they can use their heads. When they bounce the ball off of their head it's called a header."

Alexis continued her stroking and gradually moved her hand to his chest, finding her way to the top button of his shirt and undoing it, then sliding her hand down the front of his shirt to feel his skin.

Sonny's blood pumped wildly through his veins as her warm hand continued its ministration of his upper torso. He raised and eyebrow. "What is it exactly that you are doing counselor?"

Alexis smiled seductively. "I'm using my own version of a...what did you call it...chest trap?"

"Well I definitely like your version better than theirs," Sonny answered closing his eyes and relishing the sensations she was triggering. He felt Alexis' movement shift as she brought her other hand up and finished undoing the buttons of his shirt, he leaned his upper body forward so she could pull his shirt free from his body. When the offending garment was removed he leaned back into the couch and let Alexis climb move on top of him, straddling his lap. He opened his eyes as Alexis moved closer and captured his mouth, kissing him passionately. He moved his hands to her sides and caressed as he moved to the hem of her sweater. He began to lift the garment away from her body when she pulled away from him, grabbing his wrists. "Uh uh..." she drawled. "I'm the goal keeper...you're not...you can't use your hands," she said giving him a smoldering look.

Sonny smiled, unable to say anything as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let's go upstairs," he whispered in her ear.

She leaned into his own ear and kissed it gently. "Let's stay here...I miss the couch."

chapter 17