"Good afternoon to ye Mary Ellen," Father O’Malley said as he entered the rectory and passed the secretary, giving her a cheery deeply-dimpled smile.

"Good afternoon Father O’Malley," Mary Ellen responded smiling and pushing her glasses back as she began to type up a letter for the Archbishop.

"I didn’t happen to get any strange phone calls, did I?" Father O’Malley asked, finding it curious that the outraged blonde lad had yet to follow through on his threats to cause a royal ruckus over the "marriage."

"No Father O’Malley. All’s been quiet on this snowy Sunday," Mary Ellen said with a smile as she got back to her typing again.

"Thank ye dear," Father O’Malley said as he headed towards the dining hall, his gray brows furrowed in thought as he wondered what was keeping Agent Jasper Jacks from doing anything about the marriage. Perhaps after leaving behind the confusion and mayhem of that scene up on stage in that auditorium, he’d taken a moment to think about it and realized that the ceremony would not hold up in any court of law and he had nothing to fret over. Or perhaps he was actually enjoying his sudden predicament? The lass certainly had been a breathtaking creation of God, yes indeed. And Agent Jacks had been mightily protective of the little lass. It could certainly be more than duty that was making that boy act like the young lady’s most loyal knight.

Father O’Malley sighed in some annoyance as he walked into the dining hall. It would be just his luck that his little 'lesson' to the insolent young man would turn out to be nothing but a grand and marvelous blessing for the unrepentant lad instead.

"Can I get you something to eat?" Brenda offered Director Scorpio as he took a seat, and Jax took his coat and then slid Brenda's coat off of her as well. She was annoyed by the shiver that she felt as Jax’s hands inadvertently brushed against her while he removed her coat.

"Before you answer, sir, make sure she gets you something to eat, not makes you something to eat," Jax advised the head of the FBI. "Brenda can’t cook to save her life," he said, recalling how during their month-long stay at the safe house Brenda had exhibited a decided talent for culinary disasters.

"But I can cook to end yours," Brenda joked, hoping the director would find it funny.

He did and his chuckle lit up his deep gray-blue eyes. "Coffee would be fine," he assured her.

"And you, Jax . . . honey?" Brenda asked, glancing slowly up at him and struggling not to burst out laughing at the expression on his face at her unexpected, rather exaggerated use of term of endearment. "Can I get you something?" she added, when he continued only to look at her. "Coffee? Tea?" She threw him one of her dazzling smiles that could knock a man off his feet. "Me?"

Director Scorpio chuckled again, thinking he’d already decided that the girl was simply enchanting just within the first five minutes of meeting her.

With a laugh so delightfully musical you almost expected notes to float in the air about her, Brenda walked across the vast living room and out the equally vast entry-hall, making her way towards the kitchen.

Jax sat down across from the director.

"You have quite a stunning home, Agent Jacks," Scorpio commented. "We obviously pay you far too well," he teased, knowing perfectly well the legendary wealth of Jax’s bloodline.

Jax smiled. "Is that the reason for this visit?" he inquired, feigning innocence as to the intent of Scorpio’s sudden appearance. "To check out if the rumors of my so-called decadent lifestyle have been greatly exaggerated or not?"

Scorpio shrugged. "Yes, perhaps I did want to take a peek at how the other half lives. Or perhaps I also wanted to meet your lovely wife." Scorpio smoothly swung one ankle over his knee, mimicking Jax’s own relaxed sitting style. "She’s utterly enchanting," Scorpio said.

Jax’s eyes seemed to take him off into some mystical distance for a moment as he nodded. "Yes she is," he agreed.

"She’s charming," Scorpio continued, his eyes focused on Jax, "she’s quite spirited and she’s absurdly beautiful. What I’m saying, Agent Jacks, is that I can see why you would have been swept away by her. Is that what happened?"

"That’s exactly what happened," Jax said.

The Director nodded. "And she must have been equally swept away for her to agree to do something as impulsive as getting married. You both seem to share a particular penchant for extreme spontaneity. Don’t you think perhaps the two of you rushed into this marriage in haste? It was extremely sudden and strangely timed," he added, getting to the heart of the matter.

"We did rush into it," Jax conceded. "But we wanted to. We both knew that I was going to be taken off of this assignment and that we would be apart. That was not an acceptable ending for either of us," Jax explained, thinking that his reputation for impulsiveness was definitely an asset to him in this instance. The director would believe that Jax would get married in the spur of the moment. Now all Jax had to do was convince him it had nothing to do with manipulating the rules.

Scorpio’s lips curved into a smile. "Couldn’t the two of you just have agreed to date each other? Your part in the assignment would have been done, so you would have been allowed to pursue her romantically thereafter."

"There’s not much to be said for long distance love affairs," Jax responded. "I wanted her here with me."

"Ah yes, but marriage is so extreme a course of action. You could have simply lived together. Brenda could have moved in here with you and that would have solved the problem of a long distance relationship."

Jax shrugged. "I don’t believe in living together just for the sake of living together. The person I’d want to live with on a daily basis is the person I’d want to marry."

Scorpio rose a brown brow and nodded. "So then I take it your ex-fiancee did not live here with you while you were engaged?"

"No, she never lived here."

"I’m assuming she did not take the news of your sudden marriage well at all."

Jax hesitated a moment. "She and I had already decided that being married was not something that would work out between us. We just wanted to be friends. I’m sure she never expected that I would move on and find someone I did want to marry so quickly, but Ariel already knew that things were over romantically between us. That was as much her decision as it was mine. She knows about Brenda and she wished me well," he said, making sure not to have Ariel look in any way pitiful or hysterical or incensed as she truly had been.

Brenda came back into the living room then, carrying a gleaming silver tray with the coffee and setting it down in their midst.

"Milk and sugar?" she inquired of the director.

"Yes please," Scorpio said, amusedly inspecting her attire. She wore a sweater that obviously belonged to Jax but looked incredibly fetching on her. Beneath the sweater she wore black leggings and a pair of very stylish hiking-style boots. As she stirred the milk into his coffee he was blinded by the glitter of the diamonds on her left hand, and he observed the unique heart shaped engagement ring that was of such a dimension and hue that it seemed to sparkle with as much life as the girl wearing it.

Brenda handed Scorpio the coffee and then handed Jax his, black with two sugars, the way she knew he always took it when they were at the safe house. Then she tried to figure out where she should sit. Should she sit on Jax’s lap? Aside from the pleasure of shocking Jax and possibly annoying the daylights out of him, it would also give Director Scorpio the impression of that newlywed intimacy. On the other hand, the director could think it was a bit much that she exhibit that level of intimacy in front of him, and he might subsequently become suspicious. She decided to just sit really close to Jax instead, her thigh brushing against the side of his leg while her hand rested on his thigh.

She could not hide her little triumphant smile as she felt Jax react to her innocent touch. Scorpio saw her smile and thought it was just a result of her being near to the man she was so obviously completely enamored with.

"How long have the two of you been married, exactly?" the Director asked.

"Just since late yesterday," Brenda responded.

Jax glanced at his watch. "Eighteen hours and eleven minutes," he said. And both Brenda and Scorpio were amazed that Jax knew the hour down to the very minutes.

"And how are you liking Great Falls, Mrs. Jacks?" Scorpio asked next, drinking down some more of the hot coffee, which was very good.

"I love it!" Brenda said truthfully, getting quite a kick out of this 'Mrs. Jacks' business. "Although I haven’t really been exploring the neighborhood yet, so I haven’t seen it all. Of course I think there’s an entire other half of this house that I haven’t seen yet."

Jax shot her a smile.

"I can’t quite get over the fact that there are only four houses on this whole, huge street," she continued. "It just really seems to emphasize how big all of the homes are. Oh, and I’ve only met one of our neighbors so far," she added. "Dimitri, is his name. He seems very nice. And he was very friendly to me."

Very attracted to you is more like it, Jax thought sarcastically.

"Oh yes, the Maricks," Scorpio nodded, drinking some more coffee. "Their estate is the one in the center of the street on the left, right Jax?"

Jax nodded.

"They’re fairly well known here," Scorpio continued, addressing Brenda. "Descendants of Hungarian aristocracy, I believe. They throw some kind of a lavish gala for charity around this time each year, don’t they? The Crystal Ball I believe they call it. My wife and I are always invited, but normally we just send a donation. Are the two of you going?"

"Absolutely!" Brenda shot out before Jax could get out so much as a breath. "Jax just insisted we go," she added, drumming her fingers on Jax’s leg and feeling the tension in him at what she was trying to pull. "Didn’t’ you, sweetheart?" she said giving him an angelic look.

Jax shot her back a brief look that was hardly angelic. It was what Brenda called ‘the look’. The one where she knew she was getting to him in some way or another. But ‘the look’ vanished as quickly as it had come and then Jax sent her a most engaging smile and played along with her manipulative little game.

"Yes, my wife was very excited about going so how could I possibly refuse her?" he said smoothly. "We’ll definitely be there," he lied. He had no intention of taking her. But if she wanted to play this little game where they would give Director Scorpio the impression that they were going, it was fine with Jax. If she thought she was actually going to get her way via this clever ruse, she was sadly mistaken.

In the next instant, however, he realized that he was the one sadly mistaken.

"It would be great if you and your wife could come too, Mr. Scorpio," Brenda said, still using the weaponry of that angelic smile. "It is for a good cause, after all, and Jax and I would love to see you there."

Jax shot Brenda ‘the look’ again and she had to swallow the giggle that was longing to burst forth from her throat. She was going to win this round and he knew it, she realized with a smile of one immensely pleased with themselves.

Robert Scorpio was not much for these fancy functions, but he knew his wife, Anna, would love to attend. And Brenda was right, it was for a good cause. It would also provide Robert the opportunity to observe the interaction of the newly married Jax’s at a social function, which could reveal quite a bit. He was more or less convinced they had genuine feelings for one another, and certainly a strong physical attraction. Whether or not it was love, he could not accurately gauge at this point, as they seemed rather fond of playing games with each other, and it made figuring them out very confusing.

"I think that’s a very good idea, Mrs. Jacks. I’m sure my wife will thank you immensely for the suggestion. You see while I generally detest these affairs, she just eats then up. I’ll see you both there, then, will I?"

"You certainly will," Brenda said, again turning her soft brown eyes, crowned by a stunning set of thick, dark lashes towards Jax. "Right, Jax?" she said, stroking him beneath his chin.

"Right," Jax said. What else could he say. Victory was most assuredly hers.

"I’m sure Agent Wilkie will be there too," Scorpio said as he rose to his feet. "I’ve never known him to pass up a social gathering full of beautiful women. Doubtless, we will all have a good time," He smiled and took his coat as Jax handed it to him.

"Are you leaving already?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, I’m afraid I really can’t stay. It was quite the pleasure meeting you, though, Mrs. Jacks, and thank you for the coffee -- it was excellent. Oh, and I look forward to seeing you again at the gala." He gave her a fond smile and then turned to Jax. "Agent Jacks, you and Agent Wilkie will need to come down to headquarters on Tuesday morning for an A-Team briefing about the mission I have in mind for you. The entire A-Team’s presence is mandatory. Don’t be late," Scorpio said, making no mention as of yet of his desire to have Jax command the squad. He decided he was not ready to make that decision yet. He would wait until after the Marick party which was two weeks away. That should give him a better idea of the state of Jax and Brenda’s suspiciously timed union.

"We’ll be there," Jax said. "I can’t leave Brenda here alone, however," he was quick to add. "Not with Bastian Reese still undoubtedly trying to track her down to get back what he accidentally gave to her."

"Take your wife with you," Scorpio suggested. "She’ll be perfectly safe in the building with us. Enjoy the rest of your evening, you two," he said, bidding them goodbye as they both waved to him as he exited the house.

Jax shut the door, and Brenda, who had been standing next to him, scooted away, a safe distance. But Jax closed that distance between them in three strides and Brenda had nowhere to go as she was backed up against the wall, a breathtaking Renoir original hanging above her head.

She saw ‘the look’ on his face and sighed. "Don’t be angry about the party," she said, gripping his powerful arms with her hands. Somehow when they were touching there was such a current of deliciously riotous emotions between them that anger never stood a chance of surviving in the swirling tempest of much more appealing emotions.

It was working now too, as she saw ‘the look’ disappear and Jax walked over to the coffee table and sat down on it, gazing at her. "I’m not," he assured her. Because he truly wasn’t. Not anymore.

Smiling with relief, Brenda joined him on the coffee table, hitting his arm playfully and tossing her head back in laughter, her tall, dark curls, swirling beautifully. "I was good, wasn’t I?" she bragged, holding up her hand for him to give her a high five for their convincing husband and wife act.

Jax smiled at her. "You were better than good," He gave her the high five, but then did not let go of her hand. "You were brilliant," he contended, sliding his fingers in-between hers, his eyes locked on hers.

Uh oh, Brenda thought as she felt herself becoming mesmerized by his gaze and the soft, seductive tone of his voice as he’d said the word ‘brilliant.’ And the way he’d so slowly linked his fingers through hers was certainly not doing anything to help stop the sudden rush of shivering arousal she was feeling.

His lips were slowly descending towards her.

Get up! Move! Stop him! Resist, woman, resist! she silently yelled at herself. But she did not move. And her nervous excitement made her wet her lips with her tongue which caused a sensual fire to alluringly back-light the darkening blue hues of Jax’s eyes. Brenda’s heart was racing so fast and so loudly that she thought for one embarrassing moment that Jax could hear it and would laugh with glee over her inability to hide her obvious desire for him. But he didn’t laugh. His eyes were focused on her lips, and her lips in turn were preparing for the ecstasy of touching his.

Oh how weak I am, she lamented with an inner sigh of exasperation. I can’t resist him. I can’t. I cant . . .

His lips had barely brushed over hers with strokes of warm, tingling sensuality, promising incredible rapture to come, when the doorbell rang.

Relief and disappointment shot through Brenda at the same time. For Jax, disappointment and frustration were the only things he felt. He looked at her, neither one of them saying anything. His gaze shifted from her lips to her eyes. Slowly, he ran his thumb across her warm, soft lips. He didn’t say a single word, but his stunning sapphire-emerald eyes said loud and clear to her ‘You will be mine’.

Brenda tried to give him a look that she hoped would say ‘not in this life time!’ But she had no idea what he took from her return look, because he slowly smiled at her. A quick, confident smile that made her think that her eyes had betrayed her in whatever message they had sent him. As he got up to answer the door, she sat there on the couch startled by the confidence in that wickedly attractive smile he had left her with. Then she went from feeling startled, to feeling ridiculously flattered by the apparent extent of his own attraction to her. Then she became defiant and rebellious, vowing that he could want her until hell froze over, but he would never have her. She wasn’t about to satisfy his wild lust (okay and her’s too) knowing full well that he didn’t care about her in any way beyond the physical. She wasn’t about to give into this titillating, brewing storm of passion that always broke loose when they were together, knowing that his body might want her, but his heart wanted someone else. She was not about to surrender her virginity to become the sexual plaything for the Adonis, only to be discarded by him when her usefulness in his life had run it’s course, and have to watch him have some grand spectacle of a wedding to his beloved heiress hot-head.

Brenda had figured out that Jax must want her with him because he knew wherever she was Bastian Reese would show up eventually. She remembered how excited Jax and Scott both were about the prospect of capturing this man. It was a big deal because he was so elusive and hardly anyone knew what he looked like. But she knew. And so Jax wanted her with him to lure Bastian Reese to his doorstep, no doubt. Now, the wedding part -- that was truly just a comedy of errors, the fault of no one, but Jax being so nice to her was obviously a part of this plan he had with his lawyer to make sure Brenda would not turn around and try to get her hands on his vast billion dollar fortune. Now, as for all the very provocative kissing and the escalating intimacy between them; she figured out that the reason for that was because Jax truly was attracted to her. Very much so. At least as much as she was to him. He had even told her that the first time she had kissed him back in Port Charles. So he obviously was not planning on following his lawyer’s advice not to sleep with her. In fact, he was probably more than willing to have several sensational but meaningless rolls in the hay with her as long as he knew he could get rid of her eventually, she thought. Too bad for him she had no intention of being gotten rid of.

She glanced up as Jax came back into the living room with Scott walking next to him.

Brenda was happy to see her friend, and particularly glad for the distraction from her passionate longings. When Jax was in a sweet, seductive mood like he had been a few moments ago she was simply no match for him and was therefore in real danger of losing the upper hand to him. She had to watch that in the future.

"Hey, so let me see your rock," Scott said stepping up into the living room and sitting across from Brenda, grabbing her hand as she laughed and playfully slapped his knee with her free hand. Jax rolled is eyes at their continued playful banter as well as his best friend’s lousy timing. "Verrrry nice," Scott said in approval. "I always knew you had great taste, "he told Brenda.

"Actually," she glanced over at Jax who stood leaning against a perfect duplication of the statute Rodan’s ‘The Thinker’ "I wish I could take the credit, but it was your partner over there who picked them out."

Scott’s gaze shifted to Jax his eyes slightly teasing. All he could think about was the run of the mill 2 karat diamond solitaire Jax had gotten for Ariel, which Ariel had then sweet-talked him into trading in for a some godawful looking so-called heirloom piece. Jax had put no thought or feeling into the choice of either of those rings for Ariel, but obviously he’d put a great deal of thought into Brenda’s rings, Scott realized as he once again glanced at the breathtaking diamond heart that shone like nothing Scott had ever seen and complimented Brenda to perfection. He looked at Jax again, a slight grin on his lips.

Jax gave him a warning look to shut up so Scott just let out a soft laugh and did not say a word.

"Director Scorpio was just here," Brenda said to Scott, her lovely eyes dancing with the mischief she and Jax had played upon the director.

"Yeah I know," Scott said unzipping his jacket and tossing it over the arm of the couch. "That’s why I’m here, actually. I thought I could help you guys with the deception. But I guess I was too late to join in all the fun subterfuge," he winked at Brenda. "So how’d it go?"

"I was brilliant!" she laughed, using Jax’s word. "I mean, I suppose Jax was okay too," she said, throwing Jax a playful smile, "but I think that I stole the show, if I may be permitted to be so bold."

"Permitted?" Jax asked. "Since when do you ever wait for permission, my love?" he asked in a voice that made her quake with delight although she did an admirable job of acting unaffected by his term of endearment and the caressing tone of his voice.

"I am not your love," she informed him, to which Scott laughed softly. For some reason he loved it when Brenda was contrary. He knew Jax loved it too.

"Oh, but it’s only a matter of time," Jax said dismissively, knowing his intentionally presumptuous words would ignite her ire.

Brenda glared at Jax. "Well if by time you mean the twelfth of never, my love, then you’re right," she said sweetly. Then she turned back to Scott. "Anyway, I’ll have you know that I had your boss laughing, complimenting my coffee, and believing that Jax and I are madly, passionately in love."

Scott rose his dark brows. "How exactly did you get him to believe the passionate part?" he asked curiously.

Brenda laughed and reached over and grabbed a cushion from next to him, slugging him on the head with it. Scott slugged her right back with it. She gasped and then hit him again with it, harder this time and then laughing, ran a safe distance from him, racing up the stairs. Jax remained leaning against the statue semi-scowling at their carefree closeness. She had no walls or barriers where Scott was concerned. No, those defenses are only reserved for me, Jax realized. But there were other things reserved only for him too, he noted with interest. Like those besotted looks she gave him when she thought he wasn’t looking at her. Like the aching tenderness of that soft kiss she had given to him to reassure him she would not betray him in their united front against the Director. Or like the fiery, tempestuous passion of her kisses. A fiery passion he knew she would control if only she could. And the fact that she was at a loss for control when kissing him pleased him immensely.

"Did my mother get on the plane okay?" Jax asked Scott.

"Yep. She’s really worried about you though, Jax. She was grilling me like you would not believe."

"About Brenda?"

"What else."

"What did you tell her?" Jax asked moving away from the statue and taking the seat on the coffee table that Brenda had abandoned.

"I told her that I knew she was worried but she shouldn’t be. I told her that you knew exactly what you were doing when you married, Brenda. That Brenda didn’t trick you or force you into it. And I reassured her that she wasn’t about to be a grandmother."

Jax nodded. "Did that settle her down at all?"

Scott shook his head. "Not really. But what I said next did."

Jax’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you say to my mother, Scott?"

"I told her that Brenda adored you, which is true you know. Jax, I know she loves to get in your face and act like she hates you, but even you have to know that’s just a facade she’s trying to keep up to protect herself."

"I know she begrudgingly likes me, Jax corrected. "And I definitely know she’s attracted to me, but I don’t think I’d ever go so far as to call it adoration. But if it helped allay my mother’s worries, I’m glad you told her that."

"I think it was actually what I said to her just before she boarded her plane that allayed her fears," Scott said.

Jax sighed. "Okay, what? What?"

"She asked me if you were in love with Brenda . She begged me to be honest with her. And I told her that I was positive that you were."

Jax glanced up at the spiral staircase to make sure Brenda was nowhere in the vicinity then his eyes went back to Scott. "Why did you tell her that?" Jax asked quietly.

"Because I am positive about it, Jax," Scott said with a shrug, as if it were all no big deal. "Look, you don’t have to deny it or confirm it or anything. I just wanted you to know that I told your mother, that’s all. So did things really go as well as Brenda said they did with Scorpio?"

Jax nodded. "I think so. Who knows, though. I may be in for some more unannounced visits from him."

"I can’t believe he came himself," Scott said. "I figured he would have sent Commander Donnelly for sure."

"Believe me, I was not expecting the director himself," Jax said. "Brenda really was exceptional. She had him just hanging on her every word and you could tell he was really fond of her. Oh, by the way we all have to be at Dimitri’s charity ball thing that’s coming up in a couple of weeks. You can thank my wife for that. We also have a briefing on Tuesday. Mandatory. The whole A-Team squad." Jax relayed.

"Hmm. I wonder what that’s about," Scott murmured, as it was unusual for the whole eight-man squad to be summoned. "By the way, have there been any further sightings of the elusive Mr. Reese or his cute little side kick lately?"

Jax grinned. "Cute little side kick? Aww, have you been unable to forget a certain green eyed girl who kicked your ass?" he laughed. "That’s really cute, Scott. Love at first. . . kick? You're not forgetting that this cute little side kick you can't seem to forget is a criminal, are you?"

"No I'm not forgetting. And believe me, she could probably kick your ass too," Scott assured him.

Jax laughed. "Well I’m sure we’ll find out when we meet up with them again," he said. "Cause you know we’re going to, Scott."

Scott nodded, and his eyes tried to remain aloof to the inevitability of that next meeting, but truth be told this was one meeting he was craving. He could not forget this girl, no matter how he tried to do so.

"So Brenda conned you into going to Dimitri’s party, huh?" Scott laughed, knowing Jax well enough to know he would not have wanted to go because of all the male attention Brenda would undoubtedly be the recipient of, not to mention all the curiosity about their being married.

"She conned me good," Jax confessed. "She asked me if we could go and I told her no. Then when Director Scorpio was here, the subject came up, he asked if we were going and Brenda said yes we were. She told him I had insisted we go and then she convinced him to go as well so now I have to go. And so do you, by the way."

Scott shrugged. "I was going to go anyway. It’s a masked ball, you know," he added, trying to infer that Brenda’s irresistibility could possibly be hidden behind a mask and she might be left alone for the night by the roving packs of cultured Romeos.

"I know. Only covering the eyes according to Dimitri though," Jax said, letting Scott know that if the only thing covered were Brenda’s eyes it would do very little to mask her enchanting allure. "They’re velvet masks provided by the host. We don’t even get them until we show up."

"I promise I’ll help you keep the wolves at bay," Scott said, getting up. "I have to get home. How are you and Brenda doing on sleeping arrangements?" he asked with interest.

"Fine," was all Jax said, although he had not yet told Brenda what tonight’s arrangement would be. "Who’s the unlucky woman who’s going to be going with you to Dimitri’s party?"

Scott grinned at Jax’s ‘unlucky woman’ crack. "Aurora’s going with me," he said.

The lovely and exotic Aurora Bhatia was a fellow FBI agent and someone Scott had dated serioulsy for nearly a year, two years ago. They were very good friends now.

"The woman is masochist," Jax decided.

Scott laughed. "I’m outta here. I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice ring by the way," he murmured, eyeing Jax’s wedding band with amused eyes.

"Scott wait!" Brenda said as she came racing down the stairs wearing only a fluffy mauve towel lined with satin wrapped around a body, one simply had to stare at. She was still wet, obviously fresh from the shower. She went over to Scot, who was zipping up his jacket and leaned up to whisper in his ear as a watchful Jax looked on. "I need a couple of favors," she whispered.

"Sure, what?" Scott asked her.

"First, remember I told you I wanted to go on a shopping spree? Well I really meant that. So can you take me to some really great stores in the area tomorrow?"

"You don’t want Jax to do that?" Scott asked her.

Brenda shook her head. "No. Because I’m going to run up his credit cards remember? I don’t want him to be there when I’m doing it. What’s the fun in that? The fun is in seeing him shocked afterwards."

Scott stifled his laughter and just nodded. "Go on."

"I also need you to teach me those fancy ballroom dances. I don’t want Jax to be embarrassed when he’s dancing with me at this party we’re going to. I want to be as light on my feet and beautiful to watch as every other woman there. I don’t want Jax dancing with me and wishing he were with anyone else. Can you help me?"

Jax’s frown deepened the longer Brenda continued her whispering to Scott.

"Sure. We’ll figure it out tomorrow," Scott said, taping her chin fondly. "See ya." Then he glanced back up at Jax, smiled enigmatically and left.

Well that was rude," Jax said conversationally to Brenda when they were once again alone in the mansion.

"I was asking him to do me a favor if you must know," Brenda said. "I didn’t mean to be rude, but it was private."

"And obviously urgent since you ran out of either your bath or your shower to catch him before he left," Jax murmured, his eyes roving slowly over her with infinite appreciation.

Brenda became fully aware of her decided lack of clothing and clutched the towel tighter to her body.

A lazy smile touched Jax’s lips. "Shy, my love?" he asked her. "How unlike you."

Brenda became wary and nervous by his sudden flirtatious manner and the attractive darkening of she saw in his eyes. She made sure the towel was wrapped tightly around her wet body and then pushed both hands against Jax’s muscular chest to stop his seductive advance.

"Stop calling me your love, Jax. I'm not your love."

"Isn't that for me to decide?" he pondered. "My love," he added.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation of his teasing. "What were you going to do with me earlier?" she asked him. "When you had picked me up outside and were intent on carrying me into the house over your shoulder? What did you have in mind?"

Jax laughed, knowing she was being deliberately dense. "Use your imagination, Brenda."

"You were going to make love to me?" she asked, softly.

"Only if you wanted me to," he assured her, but the look in his eyes told her he had no doubt she would want him to.

She blushed at his arrogant presumptions and how irritatingly accurate they were. "You seem to be under the impression that you have the ability to seduce me," she said aloofly. "But you don’t."

"Don’t I?" he countered, lazy mockery of her denial lighting his eyes, which looked very azure-blue right now and dangersoulsy gorgeous. Slowly he was curving his hands over the two wet wrists of her hands that were pressed against his chest and gently pulling her towards him. She didn’t resist. She couldn’t’ resist. Darn it! She felt the pleasing dizziness hiting her with every inch closer to him she got. And she was put out to find her attraction to him pushing all other common sense aside and decimating her so called resistance within seconds.

The sensation of her alluring body pressed against his combined with the headiness of her inability to resist him, caused desire to surge through Jax, heating his blood and sending it singing merrily through his veins. Making him come alive in ways only she seemed able to.

His lips covered hers, moving over her receptive lips with hungry, sweet ardor. Lost in a haze of nameless yearnings, Brenda encircled her arms around him and leaned forward on her toes responding in kind to Jax’s scintillating passion. The kiss deepened as his arms pulled her closer and tongue-play began between them with a maddening, deliberately slow exploration that was sensual torture. Brenda let out a little moan as she curled her fingers into the sublime gold of his hair and literally felt herself flying with the passion he was generating in her.

To her shock, Jax pulled away from her, then gave her a quick but full kiss to the lips. "You were saying something about my inability to seduce you," he ran his fingers down her heated throat, "my love?"

"Will you plese stop calling me that, Jax? And I tell you, I . . I was not in danger of being seduced!" she lied. She was flsutered, very hot and bothered, and desperatly trying to fabricate of some other explanation for her behavior just now.

"Then I suggest you run upstairs and put your clothes on before I’m tempted to show you how wrong you are," Jax said.

Brenda was so mad at herself for her inability to resist him, and so mad at him for being so damned irresistible in the first place, that her anger left her at a loss for words. With a huff she spun around to go back upstairs and put some clothes on.

Jax’s hold on her hand stopped her, spinning her back around to face him, her brown eyes glittering angrily like amber jewels.

"By the way," Jax told her. "I thought you might like to know that you’ll be sleeping in my bedroom this evening. The master bedroom," he said nodding upstairs in the direction of it.

"I would rather sleep on the floor!" she insisted, still upset with herself and imagining with trepidation how utterly impossible it would be to resist him if they had to share a bed tonight. If he so much as brushed against her accidentally in the night she was sure she would be a goner. Not only that, she still had the memory of how it felt to fall asleep in his arms. She ached for that feeling like no one would believe.

Jax seemed to ignore her charming little outburst about sleeping on the floor. "I’ll be in the connecting room," he told her. "The door that joins them will be left open. I need it to be that way, Brenda, you understand you’re still in danger until Bastian Reese is apprehended."

She just nodded. One thing she would never question was Jax’s ability nor his commitment to protecting her from harm. Oddly enough, as much as she didn't trust him with her heart or her emotions, she trusted him completely with her life.

"One other thing that might be of interest to you," Jax said as she was turning to go upstairs again. He toyed with a loose tendril of her wet hair as he gazed down at her. "When you kiss me, I feel enraptured. Every time. Like it was the first time. And when I make love to you I know it’s going to be just like that too. But I’m not going to make love to you until you trust me," he told her. "And I know that you don’t yet. But you will. And when you do, I’m going to give you paradise, Brenda. In every way that I can. In every way imaginable," he promised her, his voice husky and seductive. She felt his sweet kiss brush across her temple and she felt herself trembling.

Oh he was good! With his sweet, perfect, poetic words that made her heart melt on cue and made her knees tremble and filled her with confusion. If she didn’t already know he was in love with someone else she would think . . she would actually think there was a chance . . .a chance that Jax could . . .

She tried to block that fanciful notion from her mind lest it take up residence there and doom her to believing in unattainable fantasies of a love that was never going to be hers. He was just being nice, she reminded herself as she slowly went back up the stairs, her heart pounding with ridiculous fervor. He was just being nice to me like his lawyer told him to be to me.

She gazed at her beautiful wedding rings as she got to the top of the stairs. The diamond heart leapt out at her it’s symbolism so clear, yet so impossible. It made no sense that Jax would have gotten this for her – a heart. Was he really willing to go so far just to be nice to her? Just to keep her in line and happy in order to make sure she did not go after any of his fortune or tell Director Scorpio the truth about the marriage?

She shook the thoughts out of her head as the confusion that Jax’s words and actions left her with, combined with her own deepening longing for him was driving her completely mad! She had to focus! She would concentrate on her upcoming shopping spree plans with Scott, she decided. And then on having a grand old time at Dimitri Marick’s gala. And she would not dare think of anything so foolish and laughable as Agent Adonis actually falling in love with her and choosing her over the likes of snooty heiresses and such.

On Monday, Scott, true to his word, took Brenda shopping. Jax knew all about their plans in advance since Scott had fill him in privately, and Jax had told Scott to do only 2 things. Make sure no harm befell Brenda and make sure Brenda got whatever she desired. In return Scott made Jax promise to do his best to look suitably outraged by her wild shopping spree when they got back.

Scott and Brenda hit all the big department stores and exclusive little shops in Tyson’s Corners Galleria and ended up staying out shopping for five hours, returning to Jax’s hilltop estate at a quarter to four in the late afternoon. They were loaded down with bags containing clothing, accessories, Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons and of course a Christmas tree.

Jax had been hoping that Ariel would stop by to pick her the decoration she’d left behind while Scott and Brenda were out, but it was nearly 4 p.m., Scott and Brenda were back, and Ariel had yet to show up.

Tossing handfuls of snow at each other, Scott and Brenda entered the house with their ton of purchases. Jax prepared to act shocked.

Brenda smiled sweetly at him as Jax’s eyes widened questioningly as Scott brought in bags upon bags, filling the entry-way. When he brought in the last box, containing a 7 foot white pine Christmas tree, he leaned it up against the wall and assured Jax that was the last of it.

"Well, my work here is done," Scott said, brushing his hands together

"Wait, aren’t you supposed to help us decorate?" Brenda said, still flustered at the thought of being all alone with Jax as night began to fall.

"That was not in my contract," Scott said pushing her head back playfully. "See you guys tomorrow."

Jax walked up to Scott as he was leaving and whispered to him. "Did everything go okay?"

Scott nodded. "You should have seen how much stuff she put back. For all of her bravado and her adorable plotting to make you miserable, she didn’t want to run up your bills if she thought it would somehow hurt you, Jax. I had to twist her arm by convincing her that none of this was even a dent in your cash flow before she actually stated to have any fun buying everything," Scott said as he started down the front steps. "And if you tell her that I told you any of this, I’ll kill you," Scott added as he jogged over to his waiting, white and gold Jeep Cherokee.

"Don’t forget the briefing tomorrow, Scott. 9:30 in conference room D," Jax reminded him.

"I’ll be there before you are," Scott predicted, grinning and pulling away.

Jax went back inside where Brenda awaited him. Remembering Scott’s admonition to act bothered by Brenda’s doings of the day, Jax fixed his radiant young wife with his bet scowl of annoyance.

"Brenda, what is all this?" he demanded. "What have you done?"

"Just a little shopping, my love," she said with a smile that positively sparkled. "Courtesy of you, of course," she added with a contented sigh as she took off her coat and gloves.

"Did you buy out the entire store?" he asked eyeing the rows and rows of packages laid out in the entry-way.

"I tried," she assured him, giving him a quick once-over and thinking he looked positively sumptuous in black jeans and a deep-gold sweater that complimented both his well-defined physique as well as his dark-gold hair. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be all over him right now, she thought with a wicked little smile.

Caught up in her coveting gaze and racy thoughts, Brenda did not hear Jax’s next question until he had asked her for the third time.

"So what did you get?" he asked.

"What did you do while I was gone?" she asked, wondering if he’d used her absence to call Airhead and fill her with assurances of his love.

"You mean, besides miss you?" he asked.

She chewed on her lip to fend off the smile that raced to her mouth. But she could not fend off the sensation of delight that filled her at his words. Why was he so intent on teasing her with such sweetness? No girl could withstand his arsenal, she was beginning to realize. And he probably knew that. He probably was convinced that his charming persistence would win out even against her admirable stubbornness.

Jax smiled a little bit, knowing he’d scored some points and accepting the victory gracefully and silently. "So what did you get?" he repeated for the fourth time.

Brenda was only too happy rattle off her insane amount of purchases in the hopes of shocking him with her outrageous behavior. When she was done she looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explode over her audacity. To her shock he simply gave a slight nod and then said, "Well we’d better get this stuff out of the way," and he picked up a bunch of the bags and began to carry them upstairs to the bedroom. She recovered from her shock fast enough to grab one of the bags from him urgently, since it contained her Christmas gifts for him which she did not want him to see or know about. He looked at her curiously but said nothing about her action. "And we can start putting up the Christmas decorations after dinner," he added as he disappeared into the bedroom while Brenda stared up after him in amazement. "What do you want for dinner, by the way?" he asked. "My love," she heard him add with a soft, teasing laugh as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom gazing down at her.

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. . .

A light dusting of snow once again was falling from the skies as Jax placed the star on top of the tree while Brenda stood back by the glow of the fireplace surveying their tree-trimming skills with a critical eye. But not one fault could she find with the job they had done. The tree looked gorgeous; a white tree with twinkling white and amber lights and a silver and gold color scheme. Silver tinsel, little gold angels, silver bells, gold bows, gold and silver balls, and gold (butterscotch flavor) candy canes all hung from the branches. The tree skirt resembled a circle of glittering snow beneath the tree, and the star Jax had just affixed to the top was frosted white lit with several dazzling white lights within.

Jax glanced over at Brenda who looked like an absolute vision standing there by the fireplace, Xander playing at her feet with some of the left over Christmas decorations. Brenda had once again took it upon herself to get into Jax’s closet and put on one of his shirts, and it was all she was wearing. Her legs and feet were bare and her hair was loose. The fire’s glow was beautiful against her golden complexion and it played with the auburn highlights of her dark hair. He felt as if some sort of spell was being cast on him as he watched her assessing their handiwork on the Christmas tree.

"And so what is the verdict?" Jax asked when he remembered to talk.

Her eyes moved away from the tree and went to him. "The verdict is," she decided, "that people should pay us to do this, we’re that good," she said with a little laugh. She sat down in front of the fire place and he went over to join her.

As he was approaching her she tried not to stare at him. But with the soft, flickering glow from the fireplace making his hair look like burnished gold and making his uncommonly handsome features look even more Adonis-like than usual, it was difficult to convince her eyes to look elsewhere.

He sat down next to her and she felt her pulse leaping of it’s own volition just at the prospect of his nearness.

"Umm," she said finding his nearness, the semi-darkness of the room and the sound of nothing but the crackling fire a little too appealing. "So what do you normally do for the holidays?" she inquired.

"My family normally comes here for Christmas dinner," he informed her. "I mean my whole family – cousins, aunts, uncles. It’s a mad house of holiday cheer. Scott is usually here as well with his family, and Ariel’s family is normally here too. Our families have been friends for a long time," he explained.

Brenda just nodded, wondering why he felt he had to explain that to her.

"And of course you can invite anyone you’d like," Jax offered, wanting this Christmas to be a happy memory for her. Not one of isolation or loneliness or awkwardness or unhappiness in any way. If there was someone she wanted to be there that would make her happy, he would make sure they were there.

But Brenda was shaking her head. "The only family I have is a half-sister who lives in London and isn’t very close to me anyway," she confessed quietly.

"What about friends?" Jax asked. "You can invite whomever you like, Brenda."

She laughed, but it was a sad little laugh. "Umm…well. I’m not exactly overflowing in the friends department," she admitted. "I’ve never even had a best friend. You know, like how Scott is yours? I’ve never had a friend like that. It must be really great," she said staring into the fire and absently stroking Xander who had decided to plop himself in her lap, his soft, furry chin resting on her bare leg, as he too stared with fascination into the fire.

"It is really great," Jax confirmed. And she felt the relaxing touch of his hand sliding in her hair and then down to the back of her neck. "A best friend is someone that you know will be there for you for the rest of your life. They’ll always look out for you, and always be on your side when you think the whole world is against you. They’ll never abandon you. And they’ll love you unconditionally," he finished.

Brenda nodded, smiling at Jax’s description of Scott which she thought was really beautiful. And also smiling at the warmth that was cuddling her resistant heart as Jax continued to gently stroke the back of her neck.

"I don’t think anyone has ever felt that way about me," she said, "which explains why I’ve never had a best friend."

"If you want one," Jax said, "you have one in me."

Brenda turned around to face him and laughed. "You? You want to be my best friend?"

"I’ve always craved a challenge," he reminded her.

She laughed again. Jax as her best friend? That was crazy.

"And, there are other things I crave as well," he said softly, the firelight dancing seductively in his eyes as he tipped her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. "Your kisses are very high up on my list," he whispered into her ear as he kissed her again. Brenda felt that sensation of warm fire flooding her as Jax kissed her yet again. She thought, she could just close her eyes right now and pretend that this was about more than his physical desire for her. She could fantasize that this was love. And for a few moments of unreality, it would be true. Like in her dreams.

She shut her eyes and kissed him the way her heart wanted to. With ardent, unrestricted passion and flames of love. Jax reacted to her sudden, sweet surrender and he maneuvered her down on the lushly carpeted floor where they lay in front of the fire kissing one another with a passionate magic, lost in a mutual enchantment.

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me princess, now when did you last
let you heart decide
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say you’re only dreaming . . .

Jax pulled away from her slowly, needing to look into her eyes and make sure he was not crazy. Did he truly feel from her what he thought he did? Something beyond the intense desire. So far beyond that. Something he would cherish for his lifetime if she were offering it to him. But Brenda’s eyes remained closed as she refused to let go of the fantasy that he loved her. For just a little while she wanted to feel this, to live this. Her hands stroked his face and her fingers brushed against his lips.

"Jax, kiss me like that again," she said softly, her eyes still shut, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Open your eyes, Brenda," he requested. "Then I’ll kiss you again," he promised. He needed to see if what he felt was real. He needed to see if there was even a hint of it . . .

She didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t he understand that? When her eyes were closed he was in love with her. When her eyes were open reality stepped back in and reminded her that while his desire was hers, his love did not belong to her.

The impasse between her desire for his kiss and his desire for her to open her eyes was broken by the sound of the doorbell.

Brenda opened her eyes and got up quickly, licking her lips and knowing anyone who would look at her would know she had been thoroughly kissed. She went over to the mirror so fast that Jax could not even get to glance at her eyes to see if he could find any trace of what he had thought he’d felt her giving to him.

Brenda smoothed her slightly mussed hair and wondered if there was any way she could get that hazy, gentle radiance of desire out of her eyes, or that glow out of her cheeks, or do something about the fullness of her lips which did, indeed look they had been thoroughly and deliciously kissed.

Jax waited several moments before answering the door. Moments that his body needed to recover from the passionate interlude with his wife. Moments in which the doorbell rang twice more and Brenda had to chew on her lip not to laugh at the reason Jax could not yet answer it.

He heard her stifled laughter, however, and cast her a conspiratorial smile as he finally was able to answer the door.

Ariel was there, her sister Florence, whom everyone called Flossie, with her.

"Hi," Jax said in greeting to them both.

"Hi Jax," Flossie said and Jax noted that the woman looked as inebriated as ever. Flossie Lexington-Larson, unhappily married to producer Benjamin Larson for the past five years had taken to the bottle to find the happiness her marriage did not provide for her. As kids growing up Flossie had been little miss sunshine, Jax recalled. But now she was the antithesis of the term "ray of sunshine." In contrast she was a dark hole of misery. And her misery loved company.

"Hello Jax," Ariel said, drinking in his handsome appearance and feeling sharp pangs of envy as she could easily tell by his eyes and his lips that she and her sister had interrupted a moment of passion between Jax and his wife.

Ariel cast her eyes towards the living room where she saw the wife standing near the gold-beveled mirror wearing nothing but Jax’s shirt and looking exquisite. Ariel wanted to be sick. She let out a little gasp as she noticed that little wild animal with it's luminous, huge green eyes playing at the feet of Jax’s young bride.

"Oh Jax, please," Ariel said, clutching his arm. "You know I detest that little beast. Please cage him until we’re gone."

Brenda picked up Xander and shot Ariel Lexington as hostile a glance as the little tiger cub did. What a whiner! Brenda thought. What did Jax see in her beyond her perfect features, her golden hair and her air of elegance? She was so cold and phony. No warmth, nothing genuine about her at all. And she could not even be civil to his darling little pet!

"I’ll take him upstairs," Brenda offered, her eyes on Jax.

Jax smiled at her, still amazed at how comfortable she was with the little white tiger. "Thanks," Jax said.

As Brenda started up the spiral staircase with Xander in her arms, Ariel, who could not stand to gaze at the beautiful dark-haired girl one minute longer, looked at the Christmas decor of the house instead. She was speechless at the magnificent job she saw before her. The stunning white Christmas tree, trimmed to perfection, the silver and gold garland running along the banister of the spiral staircase, more garland, holly and mistletoe strung by the fireplace.

Ariel nodded in approval. "Oh, Jax, this is stunning! You had a professional do this?" she asked, liking the fact that Brenda had obviously been incapable.

"Brenda did it," Jax said, crushing Ariel’s hopes that Brenda was already proving to be an unsuitable wife for Jax. "I have your things ready, Ariel. I’ll be right back," Jax said, heading for the room he had stored Ariel’s decorations in.

"What do you think?" Ariel whispered to her drunk sister.

Flossie laughed. "I think you haven’t got a chance in hell of getting him back," she said with brutal honestly. "But why would you even want him, Ariel? Trust me it is no fun being married to man who does not love you."

"Well, I don’t see you rushing to divorce Ben," Ariel snapped.

"That’s because I like the lifestyle he has accustomed me to," Flossie explained, her words slurring. "I like the money, the cars, the cruises, the summer homes, all the press we get. I love attending all of the opening night parties for Ben’s plays and lapping up the accolades he gets. I’m not about to give that up just because the man no longer loves me. We have an arrangement that works fine for us. We present a front of marital bliss to the public and privately we do whatever the hell we want. He knows he can never divorce me without my taking him for every damn dime he's got. I know he’s sleeping with every young thing he can get his hands on. He knows my lover is a bottle of vodka. And we’re both fine with our screwed up lives. Still, little sister, I would hardly wish such a miserable existence on you. You should be glad Jax dumped you. He did you a favor," Flossie said.

"Oh, you’re drunk and making no sense as usual," Ariel dismissed. "I am going to get Jax back."

Flossie laughed in a drunken cackle at her sister’s idiocy. "Oh right! You’re going to make him leave a woman he loves to marry a woman he doesn’t love. You must be quite the magician, Ariel," Flossie said sarcastically.

Jax returned to the living room to the sound of Flossie’s intoxicated, loud laugh. "Here you go, Ariel. I’ll help you guys get this into your car," Jax said putting on his jacket, and anxious to have them gone.

"I ran into Dimitri on my way here," Ariel informed him. "He told me that you and Brenda are going to the Crystal Ball."

Jax nodded. "We are."

"He’s also under the impression that you and I mutually decided to call the wedding off and just be friends a while ago. Thank you for telling him that," she said. touching Jax’s hand.

"You’re welcome. I don’t want you hurt or embarrassed by any of this," Jax told her. "I’m not going to say anything that will reflect in a bad light on you," he promised. "Ready to go?" he asked, again trying to get his ex-fiancee and her tipsy sister on their way.

"I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to attend the Crystal Ball too," Ariel said. "As Dimitri’s date," she added, hoping the fact that she would be going as the date of the gala’s dashing host would get some kind of jealous reaction out of Jax.

"I don’t mind at all," Jax said. "I hope you’ll have a good time." It was not at all the reaction she would have liked.

Ariel picked up one of the bags of decorations ready to follow Jax outside, when she noticed Brenda lingering atop the stairs gazing down at them. All at once Ariel dropped the bag she was carrying and summoned up a well of tears, automatically going into Jax’s arms, seeking comfort.

"What’s the matter?" he asked wondering where in the hell that outburst had come from.

Flossie, watching her sister rolled her eyes heavenward at Ariel’s orchestrated theatrics.

"Oh, I’m sorry," Ariel apologized, allowing her crocodile tears to spill against Jax’s chest. "Sometimes out of the blue I’m just hit with this incredible sadness at the fact that you and I are not together anymore," she said, daintily wiping away the remaining tears. "I’m sorry, Jax. I’m sure I’ll handle it better as I adjust to the fact that we’ve split up," she said, keeping her cheek pressed to his chest.

Flossie wanted to gag. "Let’s go, please. You’re making me miss ‘The Practice,’" Flossie announced, glancing at her watch.

Ariel finally disentangled herself from Jax and picked up the bag she had dropped, and they all went outside to put her belongings in the car.

At the top of the stairs Brenda felt the coldness of reality hitting her moreso than the cold seeping in through the open front door. She had not been able to hear the conversation Jax and Ariel had been having, but she could imagine it was some mush-fest about them having to be apart while Brenda was here, Ariel probably pleading for Jax to end this quickly, Jax telling her she had to be patient because Brenda was his only way of getting Bastian Reese. That was probably why Ariel had burst into those dramatic tears and the comfort of Jax’s arms.

Feeling irrationally despondent all of a sudden, Brenda felt in need of solitude and in great need of distancing herself from the allure of Jax. That man could hurt her so much, she realized. And it was her own fault for giving him the power and allowing herself ridiculous fantasies of love and happiness that included him. She saw Jax come back inside and she quickly walked down the hall out of his sight and slipped into his impressive study. She turned the lights on and examined the room with interest, having never been inside of it before. She walked around his desk, running her hand along the fine cherry wood and the soft leather of the high-backed chair. Then her eyes were drawn to a beautiful chess set near the huge window. Brenda walked over to it, sitting down and examining the chess pieces in shock. They were heavy. Very heavy. And she realized in disbelief that they were made of black and white marble, as was the chessboard beneath it.

"Do you play?"

His voice from the doorway startled her. She supposed it was silly to try to avoid him in his own house. Where on earth could she possibly hide? Besides, she loved his company. She loved being with him, she could hardly deny that.

"A little," she confessed. "I was pretty good back at school."

"Well, let’s see how good you are," Jax said taking the seat opposite her.

Several minutes later Brenda sat studying the chessboard with a practiced eye. Jax sat across from her a predatory smile playing on his attractive lips and making her aware that he was already several moves ahead on her in his head.

Brenda studied the board some more and then grinned as she moved her knight between his king and queen.

Jax frowned, pretending to look at a loss as to how to get out of this predicament.

"Give up?" Brenda asked triumphantly, her pretty laughter soothing him like a summer’s breeze.

He smiled at her. "I never give up," he stated. And she sensed he was talking about a lot more than their chess match. Then with one casual motion he whisked his marble rook in place of her knight. "Checkmate," he said. " . . .my love," added softly in continued defiance of her repeated requests for him to stop calling her that.

Brenda attempted to glare at him for a moment, but could not withstand the charm of his boyish smile of victory. She surrendered to her happier feelings and laughed out loud, swatting his elbow with her fingers.

And Jax noticed that this time she neglected to coolly lambaste him for presumptuously calling her "his love" He took her hand and raised it to his lips, placing a lingering kiss against her skin.

"Another match?" he offered. "Winner take all."

"First, define all," Brenda said, laughing.

"It is indefinable," Jax insisted with a helpless shrug. "It's anything we want it to be."

She rose her eyebrows. "Well, that could be a little dangerous, don't you think?"

"Danger is not always a bad thing, Brenda," he said. "Or sometimes the things that you think are dangerous, are not. Sometimes barriers and walls don't protect you, they shut you out and isolate you," he said, gazing into her eyes. "And they block your view of something truly beautiful that can be yours. But you need to put away the walls and barriers in order to see it, and to reach it."

He was confusing her again. What was he talking about? she wondered. She glanced down at the board. "Okay, you're on," she said. "Best two out of three."

Jax glanced at her bowed head as she began to assemble her army of chess pieces on her side of the board. He was never going to give up on her. Never.

The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The farther you take your heart from me
The faster I will run . . .