We stared at each other, neither of us daring to move an inch. I could still feel his breath on my lips and I was wishing that we never pulled apart. My brain was screaming at me, telling me how bad of an idea this was. He had a fiancée, and I had a daughter that would be devastated if I screwed things up with the only man she ever associated with as her father. My heart still ached for Tommy and I could feel the heavy burden on my shoulders. Not wanting to move on, but wanting Sonny so bad that it hurt to breathe, to feel, to even move a step without him next to me. I never really noticed how deeply I felt about him until he kissed me, until he gave me a remote possibility that we could be together; that we could care about one another. I was nervous and speechless, and torn and so many other feelings, including confused and wary. My heart and body were telling me to kiss him, to hold him, to have him kiss and hold me, to take him to bed, but my head was advising me to run for the hills. I had been hurt enough and he would take me to bed and make me feel wonderful for one night and then realize the next morning that Kate was the only woman he could ever love and would ever love for the rest of his life and admit that having sex with me was a mistake and leave. He would take the easy way out, just like he always did, and always would.

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said taking a long sip of the drink I had poured.

"You're telling me that you felt nothing?"

"No," I began my voice increasing in octaves, "I'm telling you that you shouldn't have done that."

"Here you go again," his arms were flailing, "You're putting the walls up again. Didn't I just tell you to let them down? Just drag them down, Claudia."

"You know what, Sonny? Don't tell me what to do, and who are you to tell me to tare down my walls? You aren't honest with anyone about how you feel. You keep it bottled up inside until you explode, or worse do something stupid or dangerous. I got involved with you once Sonny Corinthos and it was a big mistake and I am not going to do it again." I could feel myself choking on air. I didn't want to push him away and my heart didn't understand why I was doing it.

"Why are you so afraid to be with me?" He asked. It was the most sincere question anyone had ever asked me.

"Because I don't want to get hurt. You are engaged Sonny, and I don't feel like being your whore. And more importantly my little girl loves you like you were her dad, because you are the only father figure she has ever known and God forbid things don't work out between us and we end up hating each other even more than we did before? That would kill her. I am not subjecting her to that kind of pain Sonny. I remember how it felt to have my parents split up and I always felt like it was my fault, like I could have done better. I don't want her feeling like us not working out has anything to do with her," My explanation was understood by the look on Sonny's face, "is that honest enough for you… Sonny Corinthos?" He stared at me with a look in his eyes that meant he wasn't going to back down. And I knew that I didn't have a lot of energy left in me to back him off and eventually I'd give in.

"You're right, you are absolutely right," Sonny agreed, "but you're forgetting how great it could be for all three of us if things did work out between us. We could be really good together Claudia, and I don't just mean in bed okay. I don't know how it happened or even when, but I care about you, and I care about Izzy and I want the two of you as permanent fixtures in my life. I missed a chance on us once, and it was mostly because I couldn't see us passed a one night stand and I couldn't see passed you being a Zacchara, but I am not going to let another chance just fly by me, without grabbing on for dear life and not letting go without a fight."

"How can you stand there and pour your whole heart and soul out to me, when just a few weeks ago you were pledging your undying love for Kate. How much of a bastard are you? First you love her and then when the next new and exciting thing comes along you have no more use for her. I'm not saying it because I care about what happens to her. Hell no, I knew the two of you were a complete train wreck from the first night we met, but what if we give this a go and I truly believe that we are insanely happy when you're out giving your heart to someone else. I don't think I can take that Sonny."

His words got caught in his throat and my words in mine. We both wanted this to work but it just didn't seem possible.

"I want you to give me a chance Claudia, please, all I'm asking for is one chance to prove to you that this could work out," Sonny pleaded.

Screw listening to my head, where did that ever get me anyway?

"Well, were would anybody be in life without taking chances every once in a while, right?" A smile spread across my lips and then across Sonny's.

"Right," he whispered, pulling me back in for a lustrous kiss that had him crashing his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. Our bodies had no space between them. He slipped his suit jacket off, and threw it on the couch, his hands fumbling at the buttons on my shirt, as well as my hands on his. He picked me up, my legs straddling his waist, and carried me into my bedroom. Our lips never parted as he laid me on top of the bed after throwing my black button down top on the floor. My fingers removed his belt in one swift motion as he removed his button down and under shirt, revealing his beautiful bare chest. He laid small kisses from my chest, up my neck, to my lips. My hands weren't idle as I raked them up and down his back. We were finally giving into passion as the afternoon sun beat down in its hottest hour. We forgot that we had left Izzy with Johnny on a walk to the park that was only supposed to last ten minutes there and back, but it felt so good to be touched and to be kissed and to be made love to, for the only person I had ever made love to was Tommy. For non romantic sex was more my style, and I always thought he was going to be the first and last. But, Sonny, he could be passionate and aggressive, and sweet and tender all at the same time.

Johnny was going to kill me for this, but that would have to wait till later. For three swing rides, four slips down the slide, six sugar sticks, and a cookie from Kelly's later, Sonny and I lay on our backs staring at an off white ceiling; exhausted and out of breath.

"Wow," I said, still panting, "I guess we haven't lost our touch, huh?"

"Most certainly not," Sonny said rolling back on top of me. A giggle escaped my lips which received a big dimple-don smile from Sonny. Just as he was about to kiss me, the phone rang.

"Ugh, it never fails," I whispered to him. He rolled off of me and propped himself up on his side as I retrieved the phone and pressed the call button, "hello?"

"Claudia, its been an hour and a half, how long does it take for you and Sonny to settle things?" Johnny questioned.

"Look everything is settled and you can bring Izzy back home, okay?"

"Okay, we're on our way. So you and Sonny talked everything out?" Johnny asked; curious.

"Yeah, you could say that," I laughed.

"Claudia, I don't like the sound of that…"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a knot John, just get my little girl home so Sonny and I can get her on that boat ride she's been looking forward to all week." I hung up the phone and turned toward Sonny who had been staring at me the entire time.

"So I guess this means that we have to get dressed?" He asked and I laughed whole-heartedly. He rolled on top of me again and kissed me with everything he had.

Sonny and I were dressed and sitting on the couch all cuddled up by the time Johnny arrived home with Izzy. He took note right away that Sonny and I were a little chummier than usual and got a little over protective, but with a little reassuring on my part Johnny left to go see Lulu without blowing Sonny's head off. "So, baby girl are you ready to go on Uncle Sonny's boat?" I asked and her face fell.

"What's the matter Izzy?" Sonny asked, concernedly.

"If mommy is calling you Uncle Sonny does that mean you don't want me to call you daddy?" I smiled and my heart felt so full; we were all going to be a family.

Sonny laughed then said, "no, you can call me daddy, because I love you as if I was your real dad, and I always will." Her face lit up like fourth of July fireworks and she gave him the biggest bear hug, that could ever exist, "come here beautiful." Sonny grabbed me by my waist and pulled my onto his lap and I grabbed Izzy and put her on my lap.

"My two favorite girls," He whispered.

Little did we know that right across the street, devious eyes were watching and waiting to destroy the happy little family I worked so hard to create.