Port Charles Hotel
Presidential Suite

Brenda never let go of Jax all the way back to the hotel. As soon as they were in the car she wrapped herself tightly around him without saying a word. Jax wrapped his arms around her and gently ran his hands up and down her back in an attempt to reassure her. When Ben saw how upset Brenda was he decided to leave them alone. They could discuss what was going on here tomorrow, after everyone had a chance to relax. He did make a mental note though to ask Jax about Brenda's connection to Sonny Corrinthos. After what he had just seen and heard Corrinthos moved to the top of his suspect list.

When they got back to the hotel Ben insisted that Jax and Brenda wait in the car until he checked things out. Once he was satisfied that they had not been followed he opened the door. "All clear," he said as he bent down to look in the car. As Jax and Brenda got out he and the other guards kept watch. They headed straight through the door, across the lobby and into the elevator.

As the elevator doors opened on the penthouse floor Jax put his hand on Ben's arm. "I think Brenda's had enough for one day Ben. Can we hold off talking about all of this until tomorrow?"

Ben looked down at Brenda for a moment. She had her arm wrapped around Jax's waist and her head resting on his shoulder. It was obvious that her confrontation with Corrinthos had been a lot harder on her than he had originally thought. He also realized that what he had taken for newlywed affection in the car had actually been comfort and reassurance. "No problem. You guys have a good evening. I'll take care of things out here," he said as he looked Jax in the eyes. Turning his attention to Brenda he put his hand on her arm. "You did very well with Corrinthos Brenda." When he saw the exhaustion in her eyes he smiled slightly at her. "It's over now. You're home and we're not going to let anyone bother either one of you" he said with a slight smile.

Brenda gave him a half smile in return. "Thanks Ben."

"Sure. Why don't you two go on inside and relax." He looked at Jax and winked. "After all, writing all those checks must have really exhausted 'junior' here." Ben dodged Jax's swing as all three of them chuckled. Ben nodded to the guard to unlock the door for them. As soon as they were inside Ben positioned his men, replacing those on duty from ELQ.

Once they were inside Brenda slowly set her purse down on the table behind the couch as she walked over to stare at the little yacht on the mantle. Jax came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You've been awfully quiet. Talk to me luv. What's wrong?" he asked softly. When Brenda turned around to face him he cupped the side of her face. "You're thinking about Sonny aren't you?"

Brenda slowly took his hand off of her cheek and walked over to sit down on the couch. After sitting down and running her fingers through her hair several times Brenda looked up at him. The tears in her eyes were all the answer he needed. He sat down next to her and reached up to stroke her cheek. "Don't let him get to you Brenda. You aren't responsible for what happened to Lily."

Taking his hand from her face Brenda looked into Jax's eyes and nodded her head. "I know that Jax - now." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Taking Jax's hand in both of hers she looked down at their joined hands as she continued. "It wasn't until Sonny was screaming at me that I realized that he never loved me. He thinks of me as a piece of property to use when he wants and discard when he's done." When Jax started to say something she squeezed his hand and looked back at him. "I owe you an apology Jax," Brenda said softly.

Jax was surprised by that statement. "What on earth do you have to apologize for?" he asked, his confusion obvious on his face. When he looked in her eyes he realized that the fear he had seen there earlier was completely gone.

"For letting Sonny be such a big part of our life." She could see that Jax still didn't understand what she was trying to say. "I don't think I ever saw the real Sonny Corrinthos until today. His wife, a woman he claims to love, is in Intensive Care hooked up to all kinds of tubes and wires on the verge of death and all he can think about is the fact that I refused to leave you and be his mistress." Brenda got up and walked over to the fireplace. "When we were driving home from the hospital this afternoon I started thinking about the time that I was with him and I finally realized why I was attracted to him in the first place." She turned back to Jax with tears running down her cheeks. "He treated me the same way my father did. I let him control me and I believed everything he told me!"

Jax got up and walked over to her. "Go on," he said quietly as he gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

Brenda reached up to wipe away her tears. "When he started blaming me for what had happened to Lily I finally understood a lot of things. He was doing the exact same thing that my father always did when something went wrong - blame me! All of a sudden things fell into place. That's why I was able to say those things to Sonny."

"You really meant what you said about Sonny being your past and me being your future didn't you?" Jax asked softly as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks.

"You bet I did. I don't think I even realized it though until I actually said it." Brenda looked up at him. "I think I'm finally starting to understand why I had such a hard time believing that you could trust me without making me prove myself to you." She reached up to caress the side of his face. "You are so totally different from anyone I've ever know - even my family. It wasn't until I was sitting with your arms wrapped around me in the car this afternoon that I finally figured it out. For the first time in my life I felt safe. I felt like I had found someone who puts my needs and wants first. You know what? I like how that feels!"

Jax wrapped his arms around her waist as Brenda linked her fingers behind his neck. She smiled up at him as she stood up on her toes. "I want to spend the rest of my life enjoying this feeling." She leaned up to kiss him gently before looking back at him with a big smile. "I also plan to make sure that you feel the same way. I intend to make sure that you know that you are the most important thing in the world to me and that you always will be!"

"I'm going to hold you to that," Jax said with a twinkle in his eye as he leaned down to kiss her passionately. After several intimate kisses Jax finally leaned back to catch his breath. "You know, if you keep that up I might just have to believe you," he said with a chuckle as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"That's the plan," Brenda said with the same twinkle in her eye as she pulled him back to her for another kiss.

After having room service deliver their dinner they spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms. When they went to bed they made love late into the night before falling asleep wrapped tightly around each other to enjoy pleasant dreams for the first time since all of this had happened.

10:15 A.M.

When Brenda finished dressing she came out of the bedroom to look for Jax. She wanted to talk to him before leaving for her meeting with Katherine. Since this was the first time one of them would be leaving the suite without the other she wanted to make sure that he was going to stay home until she got back.

The first stop she made was the den. When she didn't find him there she headed out to the living room where she found him talking to Ben. "There you are," she said brightly as she came down the stairs. "I thought you'd be hard at work trying to replace all that money you left at General Hospital yesterday" she said with a chuckle as she came over to give Jax a kiss.

Ben was surprised at the change in Brenda. The young woman he saw in front of him was more the type of woman he had pictured Jax marrying than the frightened woman he had met yesterday. He couldn't help wondering what Jax had done or said that had brought about this change in Brenda. He almost chuckled when the obvious answer came to mind but he managed to stop himself when he realized it had to have been more than sex. The woman he saw in front of him, whispering and giggling with her husband, was more than just physically satisfied. She actually seemed to be at peace - something that he had not seen yesterday.

Finally remembering that they were not alone Jax and Brenda kissed each other one more time before turning their attention to Ben. "Sorry about that," Jax said with a chuckle.

"No problem" Ben said with a knowing smile.

Brenda glanced at her watch. "I better get going." She looked at Jax, her expression suddenly very serious. "You ARE going to stay here while I'm gone aren't you?" she asked as she looked up into his face.

Jax smiled at her. "I told you I would luv."

"Are you staying with him while I'm gone Ben?" Brenda asked as she walked over to pick up her purse and then turned back to where Jax and Ben were standing.

"Actually I'm going to be going with you Brenda," Ben said calmly. When he saw the look of concern on her face as she looked from him to Jax he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about Jax Brenda. My men will take good care of him until you get back."

Jax walked over to Brenda and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be fine luv. You're the one going out, not me. I want you to promise me that you'll do what Ben tells you." When Brenda looked up at him he reached up to stroke her face. "I know how you feel about protection luv. Will you just promise me that you'll listen to Ben?" He looked expectantly into her eyes.

When she saw how worried he was she smiled slightly. She put her hand on his arm. "I will Jax, I promise." She looked over at Ben. "Are you ready? I have to meet Katherine in a little while."

"We're ready when you are Brenda," Ben said with a smile. He looked over at Jax. "I'll take good care of her Jax," he said seriously.

"I know Ben, thanks" Jax said with a slight sigh. He looked down at Brenda who was looking for something in her purse. "Are you sure I can't come with you? I'd love to see the look on Katherine's face when you tell her you're not going to sign with Deception!"

Brenda smiled. "I know you would honey but I really feel like I need to do this alone. If you go with me Katherine is going to think that you made the decision for me. I want her - and everyone else - to understand that this was my decision." She was surprised by the strange expression that she saw come across Jax's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Jax did not answer her right away. In fact he had not actually heard the question. His mind was still trying to adjust to the term of affection Brenda had just used. When he realized that Brenda was waiting for him to say something he shook his head slightly and smiled a little self-consciously. "Ah, what? Oh sorry luv. What did you ask me?" he asked.

"I asked what was wrong. You have a strange expression on your face." Brenda's concern for him obvious in her voice as she suddenly looked past him. "Are you upset because I want to meet with Katherine without you?"

Reaching up to turn her face back to him, Jax smiled as he caressed her cheek. "Of course not luv. I understand why you want to do this alone and I'm very proud of you. Katherine needs to know that this is totally your decision. No, actually I was thinking about something else you said."

"What's that?" Brenda asked.

Jax blushed slightly as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You called me honey. That's the first time you ever did that and I was just thinking about how nice it felt to hear."

"I did?" she asked feeling a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess I did." She couldn't help smiling. "I didn't even realize I said it."

"I know," Jax said softly in her ear. "That's why it felt so good." He kissed her cheek before standing back up and smiling at her. "You better get going. You don't want to keep Katherine waiting do you?" Jax asked with a quick chuckle. "Where are you meeting her anyway?"

"At the Outback - unfortunately. I just hope Mac isn't there. I really don't want to have to deal with him again!" She put her purse strap on her shoulder before resting both hands on Jax's chest. "I better go," she said sadly as she leaned up to kiss him.

Jax leaned down to return the kiss before wrapping his arm around her shoulders to walk her to the door. "I want to hear all the details when you get back." He said as he reached around her to open the door. "Let Ben handle things, okay - especially if Mac tries to hassle you."

Brenda looked up at him. "I will. Believe me, I have no desire to have another run-in with him or anyone else associated with what happened that night!" She stood up on her toes to give him one more quick kiss on the cheek before walking out the door.

As Brenda stepped out into the hall Ben walked quickly behind her, stopping only long enough to nod to Jax as he passed and to give some last minute instructions to the guards who would be staying with him. Just as he finished the elevator doors opened so he and Brenda could get on. Brenda waived and Ben nodded curtly to Jax who was standing in the doorway of the apartment as the doors closed.

Outback Restaurant

When they got to the Outback Ben assigned one guard to stay with the car and one to wait outside while he accompanied Brenda to her meeting. As soon as they came through the door Ben began to look around the room. When he felt Brenda tense up next to him he looked in the direction she was staring. He saw that she was staring directly at the man behind the bar. "Who's that?" he asked quietly as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

Brenda took a deep breath before looking up at him. "That is Mac Scorpio. In addition to owning this club he is the Police Commissioner of Port Charles. But more importantly he knows Jax from back in Australia and he hates him." Unable to keep calm any longer Brenda per her hand on Ben's arm. "He's already made it very clear that if something happens to Jax because of the other night he would not be overly concerned. You've got to promise me that you will make sure NOTHING happens!"

Ben smiled reassuringly at Brenda as he gently patted her hand. "I promise Brenda, nothing will happen to either one of you on my watch. Big John contacted the Justice Department as soon as he found out that Scorpio was the top cop here in Port Charles to let them know that Scorpio might have just that attitude. Apparently the Attorney General agreed with his concerns which is why I'm working directly with the FBI on this situation."

Brenda gave him a weak smile. "Jax told me that just before you got here." She paused for a moment as the smile on her face got a little larger. "He also told Mac that you were expecting his cooperation and Mac…"

"Let me guess, Mac refused. Right?" Ben interrupted.

"You've got that right," Brenda said with a slight chuckle. "He even tried to provoke Jax into assaulting him in front of witnesses by insulting me." Brenda shook her head sadly as she remembered what had happened.

Ben smiled slightly. "By your expression I'd guess it didn't work."

"Nope, Jax just stood there and let me handle it. THEN he informed Mac that the PCPD would cooperate or the case would be taken over by your team and the FBI." Brenda's smile brightened. "You should have seen the two detectives that were with him panic at the thought of loosing a chance to finally get something on Sonny Corrinthos. They were almost tripping over each other offering their full cooperation and that of the department to you AND the FBI."

The hostess came to show them to their table before Ben had a chance to respond. Ben insisted that they be seated at a table in the corner and that Brenda take the corner seat. Once they were settled at the table Ben tented his fingers in front of his face and stared at them. He needed to ask Brenda about her past with Corrinthos but for the first time in his career he found himself more concerned about her feelings than the information she could provide.

Brenda could tell Ben wanted to ask her about Sonny. She put her hand on his arm to get his attention. "Go ahead and ask Ben. You can ask me anything if it will keep Jax safe."

Ben smiled slightly as he looked down at the table. "Thanks," he said as he took a deep breath and looked at her. "I need you to tell me about Corrinthos. What type of public displays has he made? Exactly how public were they?"

Brenda shuddered as she took her hand off of Ben's arm and put both hands in her lap. "I was once involved with Sonny, before he got married that is. In fact, he dumped me the night before his wedding, telling me that I was great as a mistress but not marriage material." Again she shuddered at the memory. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "Anyway, it wasn't very long after the wedding that he started coming up to me in public places to tell me how great his marriage was and how dumping me was the best thing he had ever done, trying to make me miserable and show people that he wanted nothing to do with me. Then all of a sudden he started calling me and coming up to me in public, telling me that his marriage had been a mistake and that he wanted to resume our affair. When I refused he told me that he would make my life hell until I agreed to go back to him. Unfortunately he kept his promise. He'd come up to me in public places and demand that I sleep with him again and when I said no he'd switch gears, call me vile names and make a big scene about telling me to stop trying to lure him away from his wife. It got so bad that I stopped going out - just to avoid running into him and his wife."

"How did Jax get involved?" Ben asked.

"Actually it was my business partner who brought him to Port Charles. See Sonny and Edward Quartermaine got together to swindle us out of the record company we owned and Lois, that's my partner, went to Mac Scorpio to find out the name of the most ruthless corporate raider he knew." When she saw the slight smile come to Ben's face Brenda chuckled. "Yep, he gave her Jax's name with a warning that if the deal was a good one that Jax would double cross her and steal the deal away for himself.

"Anyway, Lois went to New York and talked to Jax about the deal. He agreed to help us and when he came to Port Charles work the deal and eventually sign the contracts Lois 'arranged' for the two of us to meet." Brenda smiled at the memory. "We've been together ever since." The smile quickly faded. "Unfortunately, just when we were starting to enjoy being together Sonny found out. He started confronting us every chance he got then he would tell his wife that I had hired Jax to cover my desperate need to get him back - which obviously wasn't true."

"Did he ever do anything to either one of you?" Ben asked. So far what Brenda had told him matched the reports the FBI had gotten from the PCPD.

"Once, when he found out that Jax and I were going away for the weekend together he 'arranged' for me to be kidnapped." Brenda saw something in Ben's eyes that she couldn't identify so she hurried to finish the story. "I wasn't hurt or anything and we never could prove that he was behind it but Jax and I both knew it was him. I was just driven around Port Charles for most of a day before being let out at the Quartermaine estate." She could tell that Ben was making mental notes about everything.

"Anything else?" he asked.

Brenda sat back in her chair and looked at Ben. "There was one other thing," she said softly. "One night when we were all at a benefit at a club here in Port Charles I was hit by a car while we were waiting in the parking lot for our car."

"What do you mean by you were all attending a benefit?" Ben asked.

"Well it was Jax, me, Sonny, his wife Lily, my partner Lois and her husband Ned Ashton." Brenda suddenly sat forward. "Now that I think about it we were all standing together waiting for our cars when I got hit." She looked at Ben for a second. "That's the first time I've remembered anything from that night."

"Did they charge the driver?" Ben asked. He could tell the memories must have been traumatic for Brenda to have blocked them out for so long.

"They never caught him. The police called it a hit and run. The car was found a couple of days later on a road just outside of town but they never caught the driver. Even Mac was able to figure out that it was a murder attempt. He just never figured out who was the target. To tell you the truth I don't know myself if the driver was aiming for me or Sonny's wife since we were standing right next to each other at the time. Actually Lily is the reason I'm still alive. She must have seen the car coming because she pushed me out of the way. If she hadn't the car would have hit me straight on instead of at an angle."

Ben was suddenly starting to get an idea. It was too soon to mention anything to either Brenda or Jax. He needed to get a lot more information before saying anything to them. "Did Sonny ever make any actual threats against Jax?" he asked.

Brenda thought for a second before answering. "No, he just kept ordering me to leave Jax and be his mistress which I refused." Brenda looked directly into Ben's eyes. "You know, even before Jax and I were married Sonny's wife realized that I was not a threat to her marriage. She knew that I was committed to Jax, that my future was with him and not Sonny. In fact she was there when I told Sonny exactly that."

Ben's eyes light up at that statement. "When and where exactly were you when you told him that?"

Surprised by the serious tone in Ben's voice Brenda began to feel a little nervous. "I had tried to tell him several times but he wouldn't listen to me. I finally told him the night of the Nurse's Ball. He cornered me when I was waiting for Jax to come back from the penthouse. Why? Is that important?"

Before Ben had a chance to answer her Katherine came up to their table carrying a large artist's portfolio. "I'm so sorry I'm late Brenda but I had to stop by the office to pick up the storyboards for the Christmas campaigns. I'm sure once you see them you'll be as excited about…" Katherine stopped and closed the portfolio when she realized that Brenda was not alone. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" she asked as she looked from Brenda to Ben and then back to Brenda.

"Not at all Katherine. I'd like you to meet Ben Johnson. Ben, this is Katherine Bell. She owns Deception Fragrances."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Johnson" Katherine said. "Ah, if I may ask, how do you know Brenda?" Katherine asked, suspicious that this man was trying to steal Brenda away from Deception.

"I don't think that's really any of your business Katherine" Brenda said with a trace of irritation in her voice.

"It's all right Brenda. I'm sure Ms. Bell is just looking out for your best interests." Ben turned his gaze back to Katherine. "Actually, I'm an old friend of Brenda's husband."

"Oh so you know Jax?" Katherine asked, still suspicious.

"I've known the entire Jacks family since young Jasper was just a boy. When his father told me about Jax's marriage I had to come meet the woman who had captured not only Jax's heart but his father's as well." He looked over at Brenda with a sincere smile. "Now that I've met her I can see what John was talking about. She's an amazing woman." When he saw Brenda's cheeks turn bright red Ben cleared his throat and stood up. "Well it's obvious you two have business to discuss so I'll leave you to it." He turned to look at Brenda. "We can finish our talk when you're done. I'll wait for you at the bar. Just let me know when you're ready to leave." He put his hand on Brenda's shoulder for a moment before walking over to the bar. He took a seat where he could see Brenda and the doors, both front and rear.

"What an unusual man," Katherine said as she looked over at Ben for a moment before looking back at Brenda. "Well, shall we get started? I'm sure you're going to just LOVE what I've got planned!"

As Katherine started to open the portfolio Brenda put her hand on the case to stop her. "Katherine don't!"

"I don't understand? Why not?" Katherine asked.

Brenda took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she linked her fingers together in front of her on the table. "Because I'm not re-signing with Deception that's why. I'm going to accept another offer."

"WHAT? WHERE? Are you going to sign with Jacks Cosmetics just because your husband owns the company?" Katherine demanded. "How can you do this to me Brenda? I had a fantastic campaign planned! How can you just walk away? You wouldn't be who you are if it wasn't for Deception!"

"My decision has nothing to do with my marriage" Brenda said calmly. "I don't like you Katherine and I do NOT want to work for you! It's as simple as that." Brenda picked up her purse and stood up. "I've had a very lucrative offer to sign with another company with a very large product line and I've decided to accept it." Brenda couldn't resist the urge to smile. "I would not have signed with you even if there had not been another offer. You see you fired Lucy from the company she created and she's the reason I'm a model NOT Deception!"

After looking over at the bar to let Ben know that she was ready to leave Brenda looked back at Katherine one more time. "I really do wish you the best of luck with Deception. I especially wish you luck finding a new model." As Ben came up to her Brenda smiled, "I'm afraid you're going to need it." She turned and walked away before Katherine could say anything.

When he glanced down at her Ben was surprised to see a very satisfied smile on Brenda's face. It only took a second for him to realize that whatever had gone on between Brenda and Katherine Bell only reinforced his belief that Brenda was a perfect match for Jax. As they walked across the restaurant toward the door Ben decided he needed to talk to Jax about his new bride. He had the sinking feeling that she was going to turn out to be almost as much trouble as Jax and Jerry when it came to security matters.

Katherine could not believe what had just happened. She could feel her mouth hang open as she watched Brenda and her friend walking away. This was not how she had planned their meeting would go. When she had gotten Brenda's call yesterday she had figured that Brenda and finally realized that the offer from Deception was the best thing for her career and she had decided to accept it. Now what was she supposed to do for a model? The market analyst she had hired had warned her that loosing Brenda as her spokesmodel to Jacks Cosmetics or any other company could cost her as much as 30% of her projected sales. At the time Katherine had not been concerned. After all, Deception was a fragrance company only and most of the other fragrance companies were part of multi-national conglomerates that would not be interested in bringing in a new face like Brenda. Now that Brenda was actually going to be representing another company Katherine was no longer so sure of herself. She wouldn't put it past Lucy to have convinced Jax to start a fragrance line just to steal Brenda AND Deception's client base.

Unable to control her anger Katherine slammed the portfolio down on the table. When she realized that everyone was looking at her she picked it up along with her purse. She walked quickly across the restaurant and out the front door without looking at anyone. Once she was outside she stopped to take a deep breath and try to figure out what to do next. This day had not gone at all as she had planned. She was supposed to be opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate the bright future of Deception not standing in a parking lot trying to figure out what to do to salvage her company.

Katherine was so involved in her thoughts that she didn't hear Mac Scorpio come up behind here. "What's up?" he asked. When Katherine turned around and he saw the expression on her face he put his hands on her upper arms. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I take it things didn't go as you planned. Want to tell me about it?" he asked with sincere concern as he waited for her to answer.

"That ingrate Brenda Barrett - I mean Brenda Jacks - just refused to sign a new contract with Deception. She's going to sign with some other company, probably Jacks Cosmetics!" She looked into Mac's eyes. "What am I going to do now? She IS Deception as far as the buying public is concerned!"

Mac reached out and wrapped his arms around Katherine. "Did you really expect her to stay with you Katherine?" he asked. Katherine pulled out of his arms and looked at him as he continued. "After all, you fired Lucy who was her friend as well as her boss; not to mention that she's the reason Brenda's a model in the first place. Add to that the fact that she's now married to a billionaire who just happens to own his own cosmetics company and it becomes a done deal that she would leave Deception." Mac looked expectantly at her. "Did you really expect her to choose you over her new husband?"

Katherine sighed deeply. "I guess I should have figured it that way but I thought she was enough of an independent spirit to want to stay just to prove to herself and everyone else that she does what she wants. After all she has the reputation of being a 'free spirit'! I thought she would stay with Deception just to prove to the world that she was her own person - not dependent on her husband for a career!"

Mac couldn't help smiling. "It's obvious that you don't know Jasper Jacks Katherine. He's one of those people who gets whatever he wants. Besides, you have to remember that Brenda is Harlan Barrett's daughter. She grew up in that fancy pampered lifestyle that Jax can provide. Whatever the reason she married him she's not about to go against Jax for you!"

It was as if Mac's words had suddenly flipped a switch in Katherine's brain. She stood up straighter and smoothed her skirt with her free hand. "You're right. I should have seen this coming" Katherine said as she shook her head as if to clear out the cobwebs. "Actually I think I did - I just didn't want to admit it." Katherine smiled for the first time since Brenda had left. "In fact, I just had a great idea for a new campaign - a campaign that will blow Lucy and Brenda and whatever companies they are working for out of the water!" Katherine leaned forward and kissed Mac on the cheek. "Thanks!" she said as she turned and walked quickly away from him, leaving him wondering what he had said to get her so fired up.

When Brenda and Ben got back to the hotel Ben had one of the guards in the lobby escort Brenda upstairs. Once they were on the elevator Ben walked across the lobby to the security office for a meeting with the director of hotel security. He wanted to talk to him about putting some permanent changes in penthouse security into place. In the short time he had been at the hotel he had found a long list of problems relating to the safety of anyone staying in the penthouse suite.

Brenda had expected to find Jax waiting for her when she got back so she was very surprised to see an empty living room when the guard opened the door for her. "Jax?" she called out. When he didn't answer she called again. "Jax? Are you here?" Still no answer. After all that had happened the past few days she was suddenly frightened. She ran back to the door and pulled it open, nearly knocking over the guard. "Has my husband gone out somewhere?" she asked the startled guard.

"No Mrs. Jacks, why? Isn't he in there?" the guard asked as he looked over at the other guards in the hallway suddenly on full alert.

"Brenda?" Jax called out calmly.

Without a word to the guards Brenda slammed the door and spun to face Jax. Her fear was obvious on her face. "Where were you? I called out to you but you didn't answer," Brenda said as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her ear above his heart so that she could hear its reassuring beating.

Jax could feel her trembling as she held him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and gently ran his hands up and down her back. "I was in the den answering some e-mails. Hey what's wrong? You're shaking like a leaf. Did something happen while you were out with Ben?" He tried to push her back from him so he could see her face but she wouldn't let him go.

"I called out to you when I came in and when you didn't answer I got scared that something might have happened to you" Brenda said softly as she leaned back from him slightly but not far enough to break his hold on her. "I'm sorry, I must sound pretty silly huh?" she asked as she finally looked up at him.

"I don't think it's silly at all Brenda. I'm just sorry that I scared you like that." Jax smiled at her before leaning down to kiss her lips. He had kissed her several times before he felt her begin to relax in his arms. When he ended the kiss he took her face in both of his hands. "Feeling better?" he asked softly.

Brenda smiled slightly at him. "Yes I am. I also feel a little embarrassed," she said with a slight chuckle as her cheeks started to turn a light pink color.

Jax smiled at her. "Don't be embarrassed for worrying about me luv. That means more to me than I can tell you. I'm just sorry I frightened you." He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment before looking into her eyes. "What do you say we start this over again?" he asked with a wink.

"Sounds like a good idea to me" Brenda said with a real smile as she leaned up to kiss him one more time. They wrapped their arms around each other as they walked over to sit down on the couch. Once they were comfortably cuddled together Brenda looked up at Jax. "So what have you been up to while I've been gone?" she asked before resting her head against his chest.

"I made some business calls - which reminds me I closed that Richland deal you were so concerned about - and I answered a couple of faxes before checking my e-mail which is what I was doing when you got home." Jax wrapped his arms more tightly around Brenda as he reached up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your turn. How did things go with Katherine?" He could feel Brenda smile against his chest before she answered him.

"Not too bad I guess. She actually took the news a lot better than I expected." Brenda leaned back to look up at Jax. "When I told her I was going to sign with another company she assumed it was Jacks Cosmetics because you owned the company. She tried to convince me that I'd be hurting my career if I went to work for a company owned by my husband." Her smile broadened as she put her head back on Jax's chest. "Don't worry, I didn't give her any hint about who I was going to sign with or about your deal with Lucy. I kind of enjoyed watching her squirm not knowing where I was going." Brenda chuckled when she remembered the shocked expression on Katherine's face when she had told her.

"What reason did you give her for actually refusing the deal?" Jax asked as he started to run his fingers through her hair.

Brenda chuckled. "I told her the truth. I told her that I didn't like her and didn't want to work for her because she had fired Lucy from the company she had created and that Lucy was the real reason I've had so much success as a model not Deception Fragrances."

"How did she take that?" Jax asked as he stopped his fingers in her hair.

"I have no idea. As soon as I said it I turned and walked away from her without waiting for a response." Brenda said proudly. "I never bothered to even look back as Ben and I walked away."

Jax couldn't resist laughing. "Good for you," he said as he tightened his arms around her. "So does this mean that you are definitely going to sign with Lucy? That you are going to keep modeling?"

Brenda pulled back to look at him. "Of course I'm going to keep working Jax!" A serious expression came across her face when she realized that he might not want her to work. "Do you mind?" she asked seriously.

"You can do whatever you want luv, you know that. I just want to be sure that you are doing this because you want to and not because you think you have to prove something that's all."

Brenda smiled and snuggled close to him again. "I appreciate your concern honey, but I really want to keep working." She gently ran her hand across Jax's chest. "I'm not the stay home and do nothing type Jax. I'm actually looking forward to working with Lucy." Brenda smiled as she sat up and took both of Jax's hands and put them on her face. "You are now holding the new face of Jacks Cosmetics," she said as she looked into his eyes, sounding as excited as a little girl with a present.

"And a beautiful face it is too" Jax said with a smile as he leaned forward to kiss her passionately again and again. They spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled together on the couch, talking about Brenda's new job and what she was looking forward to and what she might be afraid of.

As they started talking about what made Brenda nervous about the new job she suddenly got quiet. Jax could tell that something was bothering her. "What's wrong luv?" he asked as he rubbed his hands on her back.

Before saying anything Brenda took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pulled out of his arms to sit facing him on the couch. "You're going to think I'm crazy," she said as she slowly shook her head, unable to look him in the eyes.

"I would never think that about you Brenda. Come on, you can tell me anything." Jax sat up straighter and turned to face Brenda, his left leg tucked underneath him. "What is it?" He reached over to tilt her face up to him. "You can trust me" he said softly.

Brenda looked into his eyes and realized that she really could trust him. "I do trust you Jax." She looked down at her hands again. "I get really nervous just before a shoot. I can't eat anything because I feel like throwing up the entire time and I have so much nervous energy that I can't sit still. It usually isn't until near the end of a shoot that I can start to relax." Brenda smiled sadly. "Lucy really tries to help me but…"

Jax reached up to caress her cheek. "I've got an idea. Do you think it would help if I was with you at your first shoot for Jacks Cosmetics?" he asked softly.

"I'd love that Jax! Would you really do that? Give up an entire day to just stand around and watch me pose for pictures?" Brenda asked, a shocked expression on her face as she remembered Julia's refusal to come to her shoots because she didn't approve of modeling as a profession and Sonny's insults about her not being a coward and facing her own life.

"Of course I would Brenda. I'm your husband. I want to do anything I can to make you feel comfortable - about everything." He smiled as he saw the expression on her face slowly change.

Brenda could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "You really wouldn't mind coming along would you?" she asked as the smile slowly returned to her face. "I'd really like that - very much. Thank you." Brenda crawled back next to Jax and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "You're amazing you know that" she said softly.

Jax pulled her over so that she was sitting in his lap and leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. He gently ran his hands up and down her back as he kept his face buried in the side of her neck for several moments. When he finally leaned back from her and looked into her face he reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her left ear. He gently stroked her hair. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because you are so willing to support me in the things I want to do. No one has ever done that before" Brenda said with a trace of sadness.

He gave her a slight smile. "I don't feel like I'm doing anything special Brenda. I'm your husband and I love you. It's as simple as that. Anything that I can do to make your life easier I'm going to do." His smile suddenly brightened and a mischievous twinkle came into his eyes. "Besides, if I come to the shoot I get to spend the entire day watching my beautiful wife in amazing clothes that I don't have to pay for!" He laughed as Brenda took a slight swing at him that he ducked away from at the last minute.

When she saw the mischief in his eyes Brenda had to smile. "In that case I better call Lucy and let her know that I'm ready to accept the offer from Jacks Cosmetics." She reached up to stroke the backs of her fingers across Jax's cheek. "Thank you my husband," she said softly as she leaned forward to kiss his lips.

When they finally ended the kiss they each sat back to look at the other in silence. They both seemed overcome by the power of what they were feeling. They stayed like that until the sound of Jax's stomach growling broke the silence. Both Brenda and Jax started to laugh at the noise. "Something tells me it's time to order dinner," Brenda said with a big smile.

"I think you may be right" Jax said with a chuckle as he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss.

"Tell you what" Brenda said as she sat further back away from him on the couch. "Why don't you order dinner while I go call Lucy?" When she saw the uncertain expression on Jax's face she looked at him. "What's wrong? I don't see any reason to keep Lucy in suspense any longer than necessary do you?"

Brenda could tell by looking at him that Jax had not expected her to want to move so quickly. She looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that? Why do you suddenly not want me to sign with Lucy right away? What are you up to?" she asked as she looked into his eyes to try to figure out what he was planning.

"You really are getting to know me aren't you?" Jax asked with a chuckle. When Brenda didn't say anything, just looked at him expectantly, he shook his head. "You're right though, I do have a reason for wanting you to hold off for a little while."

"I knew it! So what's up?" Brenda asked, her curiosity peaked.

Jax smiled sheepishly, like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "While you were at your meeting with Katherine I got a call from Lucy. She told me that Ned's assistant had just called to let her know that the next ELQ board meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday evening at the Quartermaine house." Jax waited while Brenda digested what he had said.

It only took a moment for Brenda to figure out what Jax was thinking. "I understand now. You want to spring your surprise on them before Lucy announces that I've signed with Jacks Cosmetics. Right?"

"Exactly!" Jax said with a sly smile.

Brenda wasn't sure she understood the significance. "Why is it so important that Lucy not announce my signing before the meeting?" she asked.

"It's simple really. I don't want to give Edward any clue that I've bought Lucy's shares of ELQ until the actual meeting so he can't try to void the transfer." He paused for a moment as if organizing his words. "Also, if the sale of Jacks Cosmetics to Lucy is made public before she announces your signing with the company it will make both you and Lucy look good. Lucy looks good for stealing you away from Deception and you look good for accepting a job with a much larger company without the suspicion that your husband gave you the job." Jax grew serious again. "It also prevents Katherine Bell from trying to explain your leaving Deception by claiming that I forced you to leave to work for my company. It will also hurt Katherine because the public will know that she couldn't keep you when she let Lucy go.

"On top of all that Lucy gets points in the media for luring you away from Deception while your professional standing goes up for signing with an international cosmetics company that everyone knows is owned exclusively by Lucy Coe and not me!" He looked at Brenda for a response.

"When you put it that way how can I say no?" she said with a broad smile. "I'll hold off calling Lucy until after the ELQ board meeting - on ONE condition!" Brenda looked directly at Jax with a glint in her eye.

"And what would that be exactly?" Jax asked with the same glint in his eyes. He had a pretty good idea what she wanted but he wanted to hear her say it.

"I get to go to the ELQ board meeting with you!" Brenda chuckled when she saw the surprised look on Jax's face. "After what he did to L&B I want to see Edward's face when he finds out that you're now a voting member of the ELQ board!"

Jax couldn't help laughing out loud as he pulled her close to him for a quick kiss. This had not been the condition he was expecting. "You know I can't refuse you anything - especially when you have a reason like that. You've got a deal," he said as he kissed her again. While they were kissing Jax's stomach rumbled again, causing them both to laugh and wrap their arms more tightly around each other.

Brenda finally pulled out of Jax's arms and got up from the couch. "I think I better call for dinner," Brenda said as she straightened her blouse and smoothed her skirt. "Any suggestions?" she asked with a slight smile.

After getting up from the couch himself, Jax rested his forearms on her shoulders and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. "Yes, order something that we can eat in bed," he said softly as he leaned back up and smiled invitingly at her.

When she saw that look in his eyes Brenda couldn't help smiling as she rested both of her hands flat on his chest. "I think I can arrange that," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. She stood up on her toes to give Jax a quick kiss on the lips before walking over to the desk and picking up the phone to order their dinner. As she waited for someone at The Grill to answer the phone her mind began to imagine what was in store for them during the rest of the night. As her mind raced she could feel her cheeks begin to turn pink, which made her quickly turn her back to Jax so that he would not see.

While Brenda was ordering their dinner Jax walked over to the door to let the guard know that they were ordering their dinner and that after dinner they would be staying in for the night. He also told him that they did not want to be disturbed. He instructed the guard to notify the front desk to hold all their calls and faxes until either he or Brenda notified them otherwise. The guard nodded his understanding and started speaking into his radio to relay Jax's orders.

When he finished talking to the guard Jax closed and locked the door. When he looked back over toward the desk he was a little surprised not to see Brenda there. He couldn't help smiling though when he walked into their bedroom and heard the shower running in the bathroom. He started unbuttoning his shirt as he walked toward the bathroom door to join Brenda for the start of what promised to be a very 'pleasurable' night. As he removed his shirt and reached for the doorknob Jax realized that even though they had only been married for a month he already felt like Brenda was a part of him. As he opened the bathroom door he decided to make sure that tonight was a night she would not soon forget. He couldn't help smiling as he closed the door behind him, his mind imagining as Brenda's had earlier what lay ahead for them tonight.

Brenda jumped when she felt Jax's arms wrap around her waist from behind in the shower. As soon as she felt him start to kiss the side of her neck she leaned back against his chest and brought her arm up around his neck as the hot water sprayed down on both of them. It wasn't long before the entire room was filled with steam - partly from the hot water flowing from the showerhead and partly from the lovers standing together beneath it as they made love for the first of what promised to be many times during this night of romance and passion.