The suburb of Kenner in Jefferson Parish was located about 18 miles west of Chalmette, In Orleans Parish, so it took Jax about an hour to get from the Jefferson Parish mansion to the cozy Chalmette Cottage in the woods.

     Jax parked the motorcycle and helped Brenda get off. She removed her helmet and gazed at the cottage looming in front of her in disbelief. It was like something right out of a fairytale; a beautiful cottage nestled in the woods. There was a cobblestone footbridge above a shallow pond of water where four white swans swam serenely. The cottage was surrounded by a variety of trees with leaves of green, gold and pink. Peach colored tulips lined the stone walkway leading to the front door and blue and pink hyacinths grew in a circle at the foot of the elegant black lamppost. From the lamppost hung a brass sign that said JACKS HIDEAWAY.

     The cottage itself was a cozy size although it was larger than most – it had five bedrooms easy. It was made of exquisite cut stone depicting the work of a remarkable mason. The windows were all half-ovals with gold and orange stained glass tops and clear sliding windows at the bottom. There were no other houses nearby, only the Jacks Hideaway all by itself amidst the spectacular foliage.

     She could hear each movement the swans made as they changed direction in the water. She could hear the gentle rustling of the leaves when the summer breeze toyed with them. She could hear every single bird from the woodpecker knocking against the weeping willow tree to the playful robins flying in and out of the magnolia bushes.

     Brenda was awestruck.

     She turned to Jax, who was watching her reaction, and breathed "I love it! I love it!" and then with a happy laugh she was jumping into his arms, unable to contain the joy she felt bubbling over inside of her.

     "You haven’t even seen the inside yet," Jax reminded her.

     "I already know it’s going to be perfect," she said. "But let’s go see it!"

     "No, that’s for later," he said setting her down. "This is for now." He took her hand and led her around to the back of the property where Brenda was startled to find a huge hot air balloon which sat slightly off the ground, held down by four thick stakes in the ground. As if that were not surprising enough there was a fully outfitted brass band dressed sharply in red and white playing "Up, Up and Away" and when they were done they released a net full of colorful balloons up into the sky as they marched on out as a gleeful Brenda watched them.

     As the band disappeared, Brenda turned to Jax with enchanting laughter and her hazel eyes sparkling with delight.

     "I can not believe that you did all of this!" she exclaimed as Jax helped her into the hot air balloon.

     Inside there was a picnic lunch arranged for two.

     "Jax, this is sooo amazing!" she said as she sat down opposite him and reached for the huge picnic basket. "And what do we have here?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrows as she opened the basket while Jax watched her with a mischievous look in his eyes.

     Brenda screamed as out popped a rubber octopus which landed directly in her lap. Jax was cracking up as Brenda screamed again and flung the rubber creature at him.

     "Jax!" she yelled, her heart racing with the rush of her initial fear.

     But then Jax unexpectedly blew her a flirtatious kiss and she instantly became semi-discombobulated.

     "There is edible stuff in there," he assured her as she just sat there staring distractedly at him.

     "Oh. I knew that," she said snapping out of her temporary Jax-daze and taking out what looked to be a very delicious lunch.

     "Sorry about the Octopus," he said grinning at her with that rakish charm.

     "Oh don’t you worry, I fully intend on getting you back," she promised him.

     "I’m counting on it." he told her.

     She smiled. "Oh yeah?"

     "Well, even though you’re a little young, you’re the most worthy adversary I’ve ever had," he informed her. "Not to mention the most beautiful."

     She smiled at the double compliment.

     "This place is soooo beautiful," she said crossing her tanned legs at the ankles and leaning back while looking around as she ate a strawberry. "It’s like it shouldn’t even be here."

     "I know. Like a place out of time," Jax agreed with a nod.

     "Exactly. You know it kind of reminds me of the grandmother’s cottage in Little Red Riding Hood. Just like the mansion reminds me of Camelot. And your dad reminds me of King Arthur – actually a cross between Old King Cole and King Arthur, and Juliet always put me in mind of Rapunzel for some reason."

     Jax laughed quietly.

     "Your mom sort of reminds me of a really hip Marilyn Monroe. Jerry would have made the perfect Robin Hood and Justin, well he’s a prince charming if I ever did see one."

     Jax nodded. "And so what am I, the frog?"

     She looked at him thoughtfully. "You’re just a lot harder to categorize," she told him. "I look at you and I never see just one thing. I always see a collection of contradictions. I see somebody with the allure of a prince, the untamed spirit of a warrior, the whimsical wanderlust of a pirate and the rakish appeal of like an international playboy or something. I see someone who’s blistering in battle, but gracious in defeat. Someone who could charm the skin off of a snake but can also be a snake. Someone with the face of an angel but who is no angel." They both laughed when she said that. "Someone who’s kisses can take you to the most sublime place imaginable or just break your heart into pieces. I sort of see you as Adonis and Aries and Eros all wrapped up into one, I guess."

     "That’s a combustible combination," he remarked.

     "Yes, I know. But I like it that way. I like you that way," she said gazing at him with flirtatious hazel eyes. "You know what? I don’t think I’m really very hungry anymore," she told him, her eyes never leaving his.

     "Are you sure?"

     "Mmm Hmm. Let’s go inside," she suggested and he knew exactly what was on her mind.

     "Ahhh. . . .no. Not yet," Jax said as he released the balloon from it’s stakes and they began to ascend.

     "Oh my God. Jax do you even know how to control this thing?" she asked, looking down nervously.

     "Actually . . . .I haven’t got a clue."

     "What?!" She grabbed onto him for dear life.

     "I’m just kidding, just kidding" he laughed. "We’re only going straight up," he explained. "The stakes are still connected to the balloon, I only released the ropes, I didn’t untie them."

     "You just like scaring me," she said, knocking him playfully beneath his chin.

     "A little," he admitted.

     She took his hand and began to play with his wedding band. "Jax, do you like me?" she asked inquisitively.

     "Unfortunately, I do."

     She smiled. "A lot?"

     "Yes."

     "Well how much is a lot?"

     "More than a little."

     She laughed. "Well do you think that maybe one day, you know if we’re together for a while, that you could maybe lo –"

     What?! She wasn’t going to ask him that was she? He brought his mouth down upon hers swiftly to cut her off and it was a brilliant distraction because it worked like a charm.

     The burner fueling the hot air to the balloon could not have been any hotter than the kisses Jax was giving to Brenda. He was determined to sidetrack her from this talk of love and the way he was kissing her she didn’t know what hit her. Her knees went weak, desire shot through her, her body grew hot, her lips sizzled on the receiving end of his unexpected passion.

     God only knew how long they would have kept at it had the alarm on Jax’s Rolex not went off reminding him of Part 2 of what he had planned for today. But the soft beeping of the watch put a halt to the increasingly frantic pace of their passionate kisses.

     "Time to go," Jax said as he maneuvered the balloon into descent aware of Brenda’s adorably dazed look after the kiss.

     "Ummm, go where? Inside?" Brenda asked hopefully as the wild desire she felt for him continued to course throughout her like the very blood in her veins.

     "No, not inside. You’re obsessed with going inside. Come on," he said helping he out of the balloon.

     "Are we leaving?" Brenda asked noticing they were headed towards the side of the cottage where the motorcycle was parked.

     "For a little while," he confirmed as they walked towards the motorcycle.

     They spent the next four hours having an absolute blast at the amusement park. They went on every roller coaster there was and Jax was impressed by Brenda’s total lack of fear. He contrasted that to Amber’s perpetual shrieking and clinging every time they had ever gotten on a roller coaster together. They went through the haunted house which was really far more funny than scary, especially when Brenda had accidentally beheaded the wax Frankenstein. And then they passed the marionette show which was about trolls and Jax made an offhand comment that it must be Iris’ life story which had Brenda in hysterics. They went over to Pirate Isle where they had a water gun fight to the death with another couple. Then they went into the games area and spent about an hour there in which time they had dried off.

     By the time they got back to the cottage however, Brenda was soaking wet again thanks to Jax talking her into going on the Super Splash Down ride, assuring her that she would barely get wet (when would she ever learn what a prankster this man could be?)

     Brenda got off of the motorcycle laughing at how soaked she was and carrying two huge stuffed animals with her. Jax had actually won her about fifteen of them but they had given most of them away to the kids they had run into at the amusement park. It was only the Raccoon bandit and the Tigger the Tiger that Brenda refused to part with.

     Jax got off the bike and laughed softly at the sight of his drenched wife.

     "Now wasn’t that fun?" he said to her.

     She laughed and hit him with the Raccoon. "Yes it was. But look at me, I’m soaked! How come you hardly got wet, Jax? We were on the same ride."

     "Well the trick is not to sit on the left side," he told her.

     "Which was exactly where you told me to sit, you jerk!" she giggled as she pounded him once again with the Raccoon.

     "Don’t worry you’ll be out of those clothes in a few minutes," he said as they stood in front of the cottage door.

     Brenda was so caught off guard by his statement that she dropped the stuffed animals to the floor. "What?" she asked.

     "Well it’s 7:45. You’re going to have to change," he told her.

     She gave him a puzzled smile. "Change into what? I don’t have any other clothes with me."

     "Don’t worry about that, I have it covered."

     "Okay. Well then what am I changing for?"

     He opened the door. "For dinner," he said as he allowed her to see the interior of the cottage. There were no lights, only candles. Lots and lots of elegant white, vanilla scented candles in shiny brass candelabras. Soft music was playing. The dining table was set romantically for two with exquisite china, sparking silverware, linen napkins and fine crystal glasses. A crystal vase with magnolias was in the center of the table along with a bottle of champagne sitting in a brass bucket of ice.

     Brenda was astounded. "How did you do all of this?" she asked incredulously as she stepped inside.

     He picked up the stuffed animals she had dropped and walked in behind her.

     "Magic," he said as he whipped out a single red rose seemingly out of thin air and gave it to her. "Why don’t you go upstairs, there’s something up there for you," he told her.

     "I can’t believe you did all of this for me," she said, obviously touched.

     He rose his eyebrows. "Neither can I, actually."

     "It must mean something, don’t you think?" she asked, looking at him with the prettiest smile there ever was.

     Yes, that was what he was afraid of, what this all meant. But out loud he said, "It just means that I don’t like to see you sad," he told her. "Or dripping wet on the rug for that matter," he added, tugging playfully on her wet dress. "Why don’t you go upstairs and change."

     "Okay. I’ll be right back," she said giving him a kiss and racing merrily up the stairs.

     Jax swallowed as he watched her disappear up the stairs. She was happy. And he was happy to see her happy, but the Thing was getting worse, he realized. He had known her for 13 days, been married to her for six of those 13 days and the Thing was happening to him with more frequency now. Sometimes when he was doing nothing more than looking at her that thing would happen – that funny feeling in his heart that made him frustrated and nervous. Not that the actual feeling made him frustrated and nervous, for the actual feeling was absolutely pleasant, he had to confess. It was the thought of what that feeling might be that made him frustrated and nervous. Not only that, but he didn’t think about other women. He didn’t even look at other women. And he certainly didn’t want any other women. When had all of this happened?

     "What is going on with me?" he murmured to himself raking both hands through his hair as he went into the bathroom to change.

     When Brenda came back downstairs she looked resplendent in a shimmering white dress that clung to her alluringly. Her hair was in a perfect French braid with sexy, wispy bangs and in Jax’s opinion she looked absolutely breathtaking.

     He had changed into a dashing black tux and he was looking at Brenda as if the sun rose and set in her eyes. His provocative gaze, so threw her that she nearly tripped, but he was there to catch her.

     "This is getting to be a habit with us," he said of her falling each time she saw him.

     "I guess I’m falling for you. Ha, ha, ha," she joked

     He smiled and then looked at her for a long time. "You look . . ." he couldn’t find the words, "ridiculously beautiful," he told her.

     She smiled. "Thanks. You’re looking absurdly gorgeous, yourself," she said. Then she noticed that on the table were several covered silver dishes. "Jax, if there is so much as one slimy octopus under one of those plates you are a dead man," she warned him.

     His smile took her breath away. "No octopus," he promised. "But we do have a sinful Jambalaya, Marinated Crab salad, Shrimp Remoulade, Blackened Redfish, Oysters Rockefeller, stuffed mushrooms, California fruit salad and a Mississippi Mud Pie for desert, all courtesy of Vince."

     Brenda was grinning. "Those are all my favorite foods."

     Jax nodded. "So he told me."

     "I can’t believe you went though all this trouble," she said looking at him as if he were some conquering hero adored by all. "This is turning into the most perfect day of my life," she said taking a deep breath. "And it’s all because of you. I’ll never forget this, Jax."

     "It's no big deal. I just wanted you to have a good time," he told her, trying to lessen the significance of it all.

     "Well I am. And I’m going to give you a day like this soon," she promised. "A day where I’ll do all the planning and it’ll be everything you ever wanted."

     Well he knew what he wanted right now, he thought as his eyes roved over her. But he couldn’t have that, now could he.

     They had a load of fun dancing to everything from old disco numbers like "Stayin’ Alive" to K.C. and The Sunshine Band’s "That’s The Way I Like It" to golden oldies like "The Peppermint Twist" to perennial favorites like Aretha Franklin’s "Respect" to modern favorites like Baby Face, The Cranberries, Savage Garden and Maxwell. Then to romantic ballroom dancing tunes like "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life" and various up-tempo tangos. They were having so much fun that they basically forgot about the sumptuous dinner awaiting them. Even while they were dancing to the a rather seductive jazz version of "Will You Still Love me Tomorrow" and Jax got a heavy dose of the thing ; although it got him slightly flustered, that wasn’t enough to break the fun, increasingly enticing mood brewing between them. But when Jax heard the song "Cupid" by the Temptations, that was like getting a douse of cold water and it was enough to get him to hold her at arm’s length and remind her that their dinner was getting cold. The image of the little winged boy-wonder relentlessly hunting after him with that cursed arrow was unsettling, especially given the way Jax was feeling in particular today. He felt particularly vulnerable to the little demon of love and did not want to encourage the blasted, arrow-shooting immortal to pounce.

     As they sat down to dinner, Brenda was beginning to finally notice Jax’s aversion to all things Cupid and it made her smile in amusement. Was he afraid of falling in love with her? That was so cute!

     She took the glass of champagne he handed her. "You’re actually going to allow me to drink this?" she asked with a teasing smile.

     "Just this once," he said smiling back at her. He clinked his glass against hers. "To you, Venus." He said.

     "To the honeymoon that wasn’t," she said laughing.

     "To the marriage that is under investigation," he said.

     She laughed. "And to the troll who made the marriage necessary," she said.

     Jax grinned. "To the demon who gave birth to the troll," he said with a shrug.

     They both laughed playfully and toasted several other silly things, including the rubber Octopus and the beheaded Frankenstein before settling into their dinner, which was absolutely delicious.

     "Have you brought a lot of women here?" Brenda asked him curiously as she crossed her legs and took a bite of a stuffed mushroom.

     "None." He said hardly able to take his eyes off of her.

     Brenda rolled her eyes. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

     "No, I’m serious. This is a really special place to me. I have a lot of happy memories of spending time here with my family. I wouldn’t just take anybody here."

     "But you took me here," she pointed out.

     His aquamarine eyes flickered over her in a most intimate manner and she felt herself tingle from ehad to toe. "Exactly," he said quietly.

     And that conversation stayed in her mind all throughout the meal. So much so that she hardly even wanted to eat anymore. Despite how delectable all the dishes were, the only dish she really wanted was Jax a’ la bed. A very deep desire to be with him in the most intimate physical sense was growing within her, and the champagne was helping her feel bold about it too, not that she needed the influence of the alcohol, as she was certainly bold enough on her own.

     "Will you dance with me again?" she asked him.

     He looked up from his plate and met her unquestionably seductive glance. "Now?" he said.

     She nodded. "Please?"

     Something told him to say no, that his will power batteries were all drained out, but of course he did just the opposite. He got up and took her hand, took her in his arms and they danced slowly in the candlelight, unable to take their eyes off of one another. The moment was fraught with a romantic allure and a potent sexual electricity.

     Brenda kissed his cheek and slipped his tuxedo jacket off, never missing a beat in their slow, sensual dance. He drew her closer to him and they leaned in for the kiss at the exact same moment, meeting each other halfway. The touch of their lips against one another’s was slow, burning and sexy, just like their dance was and just like the song they were dancing to was . . .a song called quite appropriately called "Dangerous Game"

     I feel your fingers
     brushing my shoulder
     your tempting touch
     as it tingles my spine
     Watching your eyes
     as they invade my soul
     forbidden pleasures
     I’m afraid to make mine
     At the touch of your hand
     At the sound of your voice
     At the moment your eyes meet mine
     I am out of my mind
     I am out of control
     Full of feelings I can’t define
     The thrill is always the same
     Like a tiger to tame
     and my senses proclaim
     it’s a dangerous game

     How they ended up in the bedroom on the bed, Jax couldn’t even remember. The sensations were so potent that everything else was but a pleasant blur. The flame of their desire had evolved into a raging fire and there were no extinguishers in sight. Clothes were actually coming off and a dangerous line was about to be crossed as this time their passion knew no boundaries and wound not be caged.

     Of the five bedrooms in the house, Brenda had known that this one belonged to Jax the minute they had hit the bed and she felt the swaying movements of the water beneath them. Brenda was terrified and excited at the same time as she felt his hands along her back unzipping her dress, sliding it off and casting it on the floor somewhere while his lips burned a sweet trail of fire along her stomach, and up to her neck on the way to her lips. In her white lace underwear she lay above him languishing in the volatile pot of passion they were mixing together. She had never done this before. She didn’t know what to do, what to expect. So far she was just going with the flow and it felt so good and so right and he certainly didn’t seem to be complaining so she guessed she was doing okay. She knew that he was going to make love to her. She knew that he would not stop this time, and it scared her because she was a novice at this sort of thing but at least she was going to make love to someone she actually loved, she thought, which was a relief.

     Wait a second . . . .I love him?! Did I just say that? I love him?! she thought.

     A rush of intoxicating feelings seized her, flooding her with the deepest warmth she had ever known.

     Was that love? This feeling? Was that what it felt like all warm and fuzzy and blissful? Yes, it must be, she thought excitedly. What else coudl it be if not love? She loved him. So now she knew that and she knew what it felt like to be in love. And soon she would know what it felt like to make love to the one you love.

     What an unimaginable day this was turning into! She dove into her kisses with him with renewed vivacity that had Jax turned on like a light-bulb.

     For Jax’s part, his mind was literally jumbled with thoughts. He was going to make love to her, there was no doubt about that. But then what? How would she feel? What would she expect? How would this change things between them? And then in the next minute he would be thinking that he didn’t care about any of the possible consequences, he just wanted her more than anything – even more than he wanted to takeover Microsoft, which had been his lofty goal since he was 20 years old. And then he would think about how he would be her first and how he had promised her when he married her that they would not be doing this. But then he would feel her passionate aggression and obvious arousal and he would remind himself that she wanted to do this as much as he did, probably even more. But she was young and curious and excited and intensely attracted to him and her hormones were bouncing off the walls - so she couldn’t stop this even if she wanted to. He was the only one who could do that. But the problem was that he didn’t want to stop it either. And if two cars both ignored the red lights there was nothing to be done but to allow them to run right into one another. This particular collision was inevitable . . .

     As he moved her from on top of him to beneath him, he reminded himself to be gentle with her because she had never done this before.

     She knew he wanted her. But she also knew that he was thinking about his promise to her, his promise to marry her only so that she could get her money and be her own legal guardian. His promise that sex would never be a part of this marriage. She had to free him from that promise so that he would have no regrets.

     "Jax," Brenda said. "I know what you promised me. But I don’t want you to keep that promise. I want this. I want us to be together like this. I don’t want a platonic relationship with you, I never did," she confessed. Then she kissed him like she had never kissed him before. "I want this to happen Jax -- I want you to make love to me," she whispered.

     He gazed down at her, perfect creature that she was. "This could change everything between us, Brenda. I mean it will. . ." he told her.

     "I know that," she said and she was smiling about that, which threw him off a bit.

     "This is so strange," he murmured. "You asking me to make love to you – as if you’d even have to ask."

     Her hazel eyes lit up with excitement. "You mean we’re going to?" she asked, biting down on her lip hopefully.

     He smiled at her and in his eyes was the wickedly handsome look that always made her totally nuts. "Are we ever," he murmured planting a blistering kiss on her mouth that sent her temperature soaring. Everything thereafter was just one explosion of passion after another.

     "I won’t hurt you," Jax said in a whispered promised to her as he unhooked her bra and removed it, gazing down at her perfect body in wonder.

     "I know," she said, arching up towards him and reaching up to pull him down closer to her.

     And then she was lost. Lost in the most exquisite emotions she had ever known and a burning need for the zen-like oneness that she instinctively knew she could have only with this man.

     Every kiss, every touch was like being submerged in a pool of liquid fire that made her mind and body come alive in ways she had never even imaged were possible. The ripples of pleasure that were assaulting her in relentless waves were equaled only by the sublime warmth his touch stirred within her heart. Nothing on earth should feel this good, she thought.

     She felt his hands stroking the bare flesh of her stomach and moving their way down to remove her last remaining piece of clothing. She entwined her fingers in the soft waves of his golden blonde hair and then moved her lips languidly over his and then over his chest.

     "You’re so perfect," she murmured, her eyes closed as she enjoyed his every touch. "You’re almost like make believe."

     He thought that was pretty funny considering it was exactly the way he felt about her.

     They rolled over on the bed, the mint green satin sheets tangling between them as the bed swayed erotically beneath them, the rippling sounds of the water acting as an aphrodisiac to further their mutual passion. Her legs wrapped around him, her arms stretched above her head, grabbing onto the brass railings. She had never felt anything like this. She felt as if she were about to go completely crazy and she was trying to hang on to some semblance of reality. But the pleasure was so intense that it would almost be frightening if it didn’t feel so incredibly good. His muscular arms slid over hers, holding them down as his fingers interlocked with hers and she just knew that something was about to happen. Something even more incredible than what was already happening.

     "Don’t be afraid," he told her, kissing her with an aching tenderness that was both arousing and heart-melting.

     She was going crazy with nervous expectation. Why was he telling her not to be afraid? Should she be afraid? What was going to happen now? She felt as if she would pass out from the pleasure of it all when all at once that pleasure intensified about one hundred fold in the blink of an eye and nearly sent her into shock. She heard herself gasp in astonishment at what she felt happening between them. It was as if the sun had slowly entered her body. And then it was as if the sun morphed into rockets that began to shoot off inside of her every two seconds. It was like the fourth of July was taking place inside of her with body-rocking explosions going off all over the place, each detonation more pleasurable than the first. It was enough to make Brenda’s mind buckle in disbelief. What was this? What was happening? Whatever it was, it was insanely wonderful and she didn’t want it to stop. Thankfully it didn’t.

     Surely this was not real, she told herself. She had to be dreaming. Yes, feelings like this could only be experienced in a dream state, she decided as her mind and body continued to reel from the ceaseless delectation.

     But this was no dream. He was real. She could feel him, she could hear him whispering to her, she could taste his kisses. She could feel the waves of the bed rocking wildly beneath them, she could feel his hands interlocked with hers, feel the pressure of his body on top of her, hear herself saying unintelligible things. And every time she didn’t think it could get any better or feel any better, it did. Until finally there were just simply no more levels of better to reach -- they had reached them all – the very apex. Their love making was a phenomenon unto itself – an astoundingly sensual trip to paradise unequaled by anything else. Of course to Brenda, a virgin up until this moment, it was an experience larger than life and somewhat earth-shattering and mind boggling. But even to Jax, who had been with his share of women in his 24 years, this was an experience unlike anything he had ever known. And that was when he knew what the thing was – what he had always suspected it was but had never been sure of until now.

     It was love.

     He was falling in love with her, damn it.

Song Credit: "Dangerous Game" from "The Complete Work: Jekyll & Hyde." Music by Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse