Mm, why does he have to feel so good, Dawn thought, as she closed her eyes. She pressed herself against him and gave in to the warmth of Nikolas' embrace. After a few seconds passed, she reluctantly pulled herself away. Keeping one hand on his waist, she presented the roses to him with the other hand.
“These are for you,” she said with a smile which lit up her face.
Nikolas was speechless as he took the flowers from Dawn. Other than the time he spent in the hospital, no one had ever given him flowers before. His eyes bored into hers as he inhaled the roses’ fragrance.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. As if in a trance, he lowered his head to claim her lips with his. As her lips parted and her tongue went in search of his, they both became oblivious to the world around them.
The sound of the approaching ferry made them aware of their surroundings and with much reluctance, they ended their kiss. Nikolas took her hand and led her down the remaining steps. He stopped when he saw that Robin was still standing on the dock. In his joy to see Dawn, he had forgotten Robin was there.
“Hi, Dawn. We meet again,” Robin said, a small smile on her face which didn’t extend to her eyes.
“Hi, Robin. I see that you’ve been keeping him company for me. Thanks,” Dawn replied with a smile as she swung her and Nikolas’ hands back and forth.
“You don’t need to thank me,” Robin said, trying to keep her tone light. “He’s a dear friend. Spending time with him is always a pleasure.”
“Tell me about it,” Dawn said with a knowing smile.
“This one is for us,” Nikolas said, indicating the ferry which had just docked.
Nikolas paid their fares and helped Dawn onto the ferry. After he had joined her, he turned to Robin and said, “I’m sure everything will work out for you. If you still need to talk, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks, Nikolas. I’ll keep that in mind,” Robin said, raising her hand to wave good-bye.
“Bye, Robin,” Dawn said as she wrapped her arm around Nikolas’ waist, who responded by putting his arm around her shoulders.
“Bye,” Robin said, with another smile which didn’t quite reach her eyes. She watched as the ferry pulled away. Only when the ferry was no longer in sight, did she move away from the dock.
Nikolas and Dawn were unaware of anyone else as the ferry pulled away from the dock. They only had eyes for each other and both were more than pleased with what they saw.
Dawn's eyes drank their fill as her eyes raked over him. The dark blue polo shirt was a nice contrast against Nikolas' tan skin. The sleeves stretched across his bulging biceps as he moved his hand along the railing. The tan khakis fit snugly in all the right places as he leaned against the railing and moved his head to look back at her.
Nikolas smiled as he gazed at his quiet companion. The dress she wore accentuated her deep skin tone, making him think of the sinfully delicious bittersweet taste of dark chocolate. He reminded himself not to stare as her full breasts moved with every breath she took. His eyes moved upwards and his heart stopped as he mentally traced the path her tongue took as she subconsciously licked her lips.
"What are you looking at?" she asked quietly. She was slightly embarrassed by his unwavering perusal and wondered if something was wrong.
"A vision," he replied, moving to stand closer to her as she leaned against the railing.
"A vision?" she asked, her voice a little above a whisper. He could barely hear her as the sea gulls talked among themselves in the distance.
"Yes. A vision of beauty the likes of which my eyes have never seen before," he softly said, brushing her braids away from her face as a strong breeze began to blow.
"Oh, Nickie, you're the beautiful one," she replied, her eyes serious as their eyes locked.
"No, I'm not beautiful," he said, smiling as he shook his head.
"Yes, you are. I never thought a man could be beautiful before I met you, but you are. Inside and out."
Nikolas smiled at her words. She didn’t realize that she was the beautiful one. Her strength. Her spirit. Herself. Wanting to feel her next to him, he tenderly pulled her into his arms. They held each other as the ferry continued on to Spoon Island.
Dara stormed blindly from the courtroom. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had been called to the Judge's chambers for an emergency meeting which, in her opinion, had been a travesty of justice.
The charges against Stefan Cassadine had been dropped on a technicality. After all this time…a freaking technicality, she thought, wrenching her office door open and after marching through it, slammed it shut. She allowed the briefcase to fall in front of the door.
Why do I do this, she thought, vehemently kicking her shoes off. The pumps landed in the corner with a thump, and she didn’t blink an eye as she stomped to her desk in stocking covered feet.
When was the last time, I won a case, she wondered as she plopped down in her chair. She was beginning to believe that somebody up there really didn't like her. She wasn’t one to give in to self-pity, but she couldn't prevent the bitter tears which began to stream down her face.
She allowed herself to indulge in her tears for a few moments until a knock on the door startled her. She grabbed a tissue to dab at her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she called, "Come in."
Somehow, she wasn't surprised when Alex walked through the door. His eyes were filled with so much concern that she almost burst into tears again. Refusing to break down in front of him, she forced herself to smile.
"I heard," he simply said. He closed the door behind him and then moved to take a seat in one of her guest chairs. He watched silently as she continued to fight to retain her composure.
"Would you like to talk about it?" he offered. When he shook her head, he decided on a counter-offer and asked, "Would you like to go somewhere?"
She nodded her head and hoarsely whispered, "Yes."
"Anywhere in particular?" he asked, watching her as she rose from her desk to retrieve and step into her shoes.
"Anywhere. It doesn't matter," she answered.
Alex picked up her briefcase with one hand and with the other he opened the door. She reached out her hand to take the briefcase from him, but dropped it when he shook his head, refusing to hand the briefcase over. She moved ahead of him out of the door and waited as he followed her. She relaxed when she felt the pressure of his hand rest against the small of her back as he led her down the deserted hallway.