Brenda had just set her makeup case on the step next to the rest of her luggage when she was startled by the sound of a knock on the door. She smiled as she shook her head slowly and walked over to answer it. When she turned back from the door she was glad to see Jax at the top of the stairs.

"Is that for me?" he asked, pointing at the envelope Brenda was holding as he came down the stairs and started across the living room.

"No," Brenda said sadly as she held up the envelope. "It's my itinerary for the promotional tour." She pulled the tab on the envelope as she walked toward him. She pulled the itinerary out and dropped the envelope on the coffee table. The sadness on her face intensified as she looked over the schedule. When she finished she looked up at Jax with tears in her eyes. "I hate this. Maybe I should just cancel the whole thing!" she said as she plopped down on the couch.

Jax sat on the couch opposite her. "You can't do that luv. Lucy's counting on you."

"I know, I know," Brenda said with a sigh. "I just hate the idea of being away from you for so long."

"It won't be so bad," Jax said with a reassuring smile.

"Yes it will! Have you seen that schedule?" Brenda asked as she pointed at the paper she had dropped on the table. "I won't be home for over a month!" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You know, when we first got married I wasn't sure about anything. But now…"

"Now what?" Jax asked softly as he smiled at her.

"Now I feel like I know exactly what I want. I know what I like," Brenda paused and looked into his eyes. "I like being married to you. I like being with you. I like thinking about you." She smiled at Jax. "I like talking to you about everything. Heck, I even like disagreeing with you!" She chuckled when she saw the expression on his face. "I especially like falling asleep in your arms every night and waking in your arms every morning."

"After we've made mad, passionate love all night long," Jax said softly as he looked mischievously into her eyes.

Brenda blushed slightly as she cleared her throat before continuing. "With the sound of your heartbeat being the last thing I hear at night and the first thing I hear." She fell back on the couch. "How am I supposed to sleep without the feel of your arms around me? I don't think I can!"

"I know what you mean. I love feeling your soft breath on my chest the first thing in the morning." Jax leaned forward and reached for Brenda's hand. "That's why I made sure that we'll never be apart more than three days," he said with a sly smile and a wink.

"Really? Only three days? How is that possible?" Brenda asked as she looked at him with a stunned expression.

"It's very simple really," Jax said as he reached for the itinerary on the table. "I got a copy of this from Lucy a few days ago," he said as he held the itinerary up in front of him. "Then I gave it to Addie and told her to arrange my schedule so that I could spend every third night with you - regardless of where you are."

Brenda jumped up and ran over to sit on his lap. "Really? You really did that?" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek several times. She suddenly sat back and grabbed for the itinerary. "Let me see that! Where's the first city we meet in?" she asked as she scanned over the list. "New York City," she said as she looked excitedly into Jax's eyes.

"Now do you understand why I wanted you to stay at the penthouse?" Jax asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Still stunned by his promise to meet her every third day, Brenda didn't answer right away. She just stared into Jax's eyes and smiled.

"Hey! Earth to Brenda," Jax said with a chuckle as he tapped the tip of her nose.

"You amaze me," Brenda said softly as she stroked her fingers softly across his cheek. "You're willing to rearrange your life for me." She took a deep breath and let it out quickly as she tightened her arms around his neck a little. "You know, I think I'm now actually looking forward to this trip!" she said with a chuckle.

"Good, that was the plan," Jax said with a smile as he reached up behind her neck to pull her face to him for a passionate kiss. When he finally ended the kiss he leaned back from her slightly. He lifted his hand from her lap and looked at his watch. "We better get going. Lucy will be waiting for you at the airport," he said as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against her shoulder.

Brenda ran her fingers through the back of his hair as she rested her cheek on top of his head. "I know," she said with a sigh. "I just want to stay like this a little longer." When she finally lifted her head, Jax leaned back from her shoulder to look into her eyes. "This is the first time we'll be apart since we were married," Brenda said sadly.

Jax smiled slightly as he brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I know," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist again. "We CAN do this you know," he said seriously as he looked into her eyes.

"I know," she said sadly. "I guess I should get used to it since it's only a matter of time before you fly off to some place or other that I've never heard of to handle some big merger." She looked into his eyes as she let out a sigh. "I just didn't think I would be the one to leave first or that it would be this soon."

Before Jax could respond there was a knock at the door. "That's probably the bellman for your luggage," he said. "Are you ready?" he asked with a reassuring smile.

"No, but I guess I have to go anyway," Brenda said with a sigh as she got up from his lap. "I'll go get my purse and make sure I haven't forgotten anything."

"Okay, I'll get the door," Jax said as he got up and stood in front of her. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Come on, we can do this," he said with a reassuring smile.

Brenda smiled weakly before walking away from him. As she walked up the stairs she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She kept telling herself that she could do this all the way up the stairs. Afterall, it was only for two nights. She would see Jax again in New York City the third night. As she walked down the hall toward the bedroom, she began to plan all of the things she would do with him when she saw him again. By the time she came back from the bedroom, she had not only accepted the fact that she had to leave Jax but was now looking forward to their reunion at the penthouse. She really was glad he had insisted that she stay at the penthouse instead of at the hotel with Lucy and the rest of the Jacks Cosmetics people. She chuckled softly as she realized that many of the things she was planning for Jax would not be possible in a hotel!

J&J Jacks Penthouse
7:45 P.M.

Jax stepped quickly off the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He was a little surprised that Paul was not waiting for him. There were several things he would need Paul's help with before Brenda got back from her last Jacks Cosmetics appearance. He set the overnight bag he had brought with him on the floor by the elevator. "Paul?" he called. There was no answer. "Paul?" he called again, this time with a growing sense of concern. When there was still no answer, he walked cautiously into the living room.

He stopped suddenly when he saw what was waiting for him. Brenda was sitting on the floor by the fireplace with her feet tucked underneath her. She was wearing a silver satin gown that had a neckline that plunged so low that he was sure he could see the bottom curve of her breasts. She wore a short lace jacket that hung open over the gown. Her hair hung loosely on her shoulders, accented with tiny silver stars that caught the glow of the flickering fire.

She smiled seductively at him as she slowly got up. Her smile grew when she saw the look in Jax's eyes as she walked toward him. She loved the way his eyes watched as her legs showed almost to her hips through the slits in her gown with every step. She felt herself growing excited by his obvious enjoyment of her appearance.

"Hello my husband," Brenda said softly as she stopped in front of him and rested her hands on Jax's chest. "What took you so long?"

Jax smiled at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are you doing back so soon? I thought you wouldn't be through until after eight?" He reached up and gently ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "I wanted to have a surprise waiting for you when you got home."

Brenda's smile broadened as she gently ran her hands across his chest. "I thought you might. That's why I got Lucy to rearrange my schedule for this afternoon. When I told her why I wanted the time, she gladly moved my last two interviews to earlier in the day so that I could get back here in time to get things ready for you." She had reached up and pushed his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor as she was talking. Then she opened several more buttons on his shirt before leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his chest just above his heart.

"Where's Paul?" Jax asked quietly as he rubbed his hands up and down her back after resting his cheek on top of her head.

"He helped me get everything ready and then he took the night off. He won't be back until tomorrow," Brenda said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's just you and me tonight, sweetheart." She stood up on her toes as she pulled his face down to hers for a passionate kiss.

As soon as Jax felt Brenda's lips on his, he tightened his arms around her and eagerly responded to her kiss. When he felt her try to end the kiss, he took control, stroking his tongue in and out of her mouth. Brenda's one passionate kiss turned into a series of kisses, each more passionate than the one before, finally ending when they both needed to breathe.

Flustered by their kisses, Brenda took a deep breath and let it out quickly. "Whew! That was some kiss!" she said as she tapped her hands on his chest. She smiled lovingly when she looked up into Jax's eyes and saw his desire for her. "Come with me," she said seductively as she took his hand and led him toward the fireplace.

It wasn't until they stopped walking that Jax looked away from Brenda's eyes. When he looked around he saw a small fire burning in the grate and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket on the floor. The furniture had been moved back and a plush cashmere throw was spread out on the floor in its place.

Brenda let go of his hand and sat down on the throw, tucking her legs under her. When she did, her gown slid up enough to reveal the edge of her waist, confirming what Jax had suspected as soon as he had put his arms around her, she was not wearing anything under it. Once she was settled on the floor, she held out her hand to him. "Join me?" she asked huskily.

With a big smile Jax took her outstretched hand and sat down next to her. "Of course," he said as he reached for the champagne. "Champagne?" he asked as he held the bottle up in front of him.

"If you pour," Brenda said seductively as she reached for Jax's foot. As he opened the champagne and poured them each a glass, she untied his shoes and pulled them off, along with his socks. She put his shoes off to the side and reached for the glass he was holding out to her. "Thanks," she said with a smile.

"To my beautiful wife," he said as he held his glass out to her.

"To my beautiful husband," Brenda said very softly as she looked into his eyes and clinked her glass against his. She had barely taken a sip of her wine when Jax reached behind her head and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss.

When he ended the kiss he leaned back from her a little and looked into her eyes. He reached for her glass and set both glasses on the floor near the champagne. Without taking his eyes off of hers he reached forward to slip her jacket off her shoulders and slowly down her arms. After he slid her jacket off, he gently ran his fingers up and down her bare arms, all the while looking deep in her eyes.

Brenda was the first to finally break their gaze. As Jax's fingers continued to stroke up and down her arms, she looked down at her hands as she reached forward to slowly unbutton the rest of his shirt. When she got to his waist, she pulled it out so that she could open the last few buttons. When she finished she slid the shirt off of him and dropped it on top of her jacket.

She gently ran her finger down the side of his neck and across his chest. She leaned forward to place a soft kiss just above his heart. Then she kissed a path over to his right nipple. After kissing it quickly, she slowly dragged her tongue across it before nipping at the hardened nub with her teeth. When she leaned back from him, she looked up into his eyes. "I missed you," she said softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward to kiss his lips.

Jax wrapped his arms around her as their kisses intensified. Without breaking the kiss he slowly lay back, pulling her down on top of him. As their kisses continued he rolled them over so that she was beneath him. He started kissing a path across her cheek and down the side of her neck. He continued downward as he pulled the straps of her gown off of her shoulders so he could free her breasts. As soon as they were free of the gown he placed a kiss on each nipple, causing them both to become even harder than they already were.

Brenda reached up to weave her fingers in his hair as he continued to kiss first one breast and then the other until she felt her control slipping away. When he finally took her breast in his mouth she moaned. Overwhelmed by the passion he stirred in her, she pulled him closer so that he took even more of her breast into his mouth. She moaned again when she felt his mouth release her breast. When he suddenly shifted his attention to her other breast she gasped at the feel of his teeth grating across her rock hard nipple.

As Jax continued to kiss and caress her breasts, Brenda slowly ran her hand across his back and up and down his arms. When she felt she couldn't wait any longer she brought her hands forward and gently lifted his face from her breast.

Jax took a quick breath as he looked into her face, his eyes filled with his desire for this beautiful woman - his beautiful wife. When he saw the need in Brenda's eyes he cupped the side of her face in his hand and stared deeply into them.

Without looking away, Brenda reached up to rest her hands flat on his chest. She slowly slid them down his chest to his waist and beyond. As she caressed him through his pants she could feel him respond immediately to her touch. She caressed him again before moving her hands up to undo the button and slide down the zipper of his pants. She hooked her thumbs at the waist of both his pants and boxers and pushed them down as far as she could. Still looking into his eyes, she gently caressed his nakedness as she saw his last bits of control slipping away.

Unable to wait any longer, Jax pressed his thigh gently against hers. When she opened her thighs wide enough him for him to settle between he pulled the front panel of her gown up. As soon as he did he leaned down to kiss her passionately as he stroked against her. He reveled in her response to each stroke.

Brenda moaned as she arched up against him. "Please Jax, I need you," she whispered huskily as she arched up against him again.

Jax looked deeply into her eyes as he slowly entered her. When he was completely surrounded by her, he stayed motionless for several moments, watching her response to their joined bodies. He finally started moving slowly within her nearly pulling completely out before sliding all the way back into her. It wasn't long before they were making love with total abandon, trying to erase the memories of having been apart for two days. They quickly became totally lost in their need for each other until they reached absolute fulfillment at the same time. Jax collapsed on top of Brenda, totally satisfied. He snuggled his face against her neck as he slowly regained the ability to move.

Not ready to end their intimate connection, Jax slid his hands under her and held her close as he rolled onto his back. He slowly ran his hands around her back as Brenda sighed softly and wrapped her knees around his hips, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Whew! That was unbelievable," Brenda said with a very satisfied sigh as she brushed her fingers gently across his chest.

Jax kissed the top of her head as he ran the tips of his fingers around her back. "I guess it's true what they say about absence," he said with a chuckle as his hands drifted down to her bare bottom to continue caressing her. He smiled silently as he thought about how the remainder of their clothes had 'disappeared' during their lovemaking.

Brenda let out another sigh as he continued to caress her. "That feels wonderful," she said as she leaned forward to kiss his chest.

"YOU feel wonderful," Jax said. "Are you okay? Are you cold?" he asked as his hands began rubbing more intensely and more intimately across her body. He smiled as he felt her immediately respond to his touch.

Brenda lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I'm fine," she said with a satisfied smile. "But you know, now that you mention it I am a little 'chilly'," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as he began to caress her more intimately. "I have a feeling," she said with a soft moan of pleasure, "That you can come up with 'something' to warm me up!" she said as she shifted slightly against him before leaning back down to give him a passionate kiss.

Jax responded immediately to her kiss by wrapping his arms around her and meeting each kiss she gave him with one of his own. When their kisses finally ended and Brenda sat back up from him, her knees tightly gripping his hips, it became obvious that she was ready to show him how much she had missed him in much the same way he had just shown her. Seeing her desire for him in her eyes, Jax immediately responded. He couldn't resist smiling when he saw the startled expression on Brenda's face as she felt his desire for her return.

She smiled seductively as she began to move slowly up and down. She gently slid her hands across his chest, finally stopping when her hand reached where their bodies were joined. As she continued to caress him he reached up to caress her breasts, gently stroking his fingertips across her hardened nipples before rolling them between his thumbs and forefingers. It wasn't long before she felt herself overwhelmed by the passion she was experiencing, resulting in a climax so intense that she momentarily lost all contact with reality.

As she slowly felt herself returning to reality, Brenda realized that she was now lying snuggled close to Jax's side, her head resting on his chest and her arm across his waist. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she felt his hand gently stroking across her back and saw her leg draped across his hip.

Neither of them said anything for a long time, preferring to enjoy the afterglow of their lovemaking. It wasn't until they heard the sudden loud growling of Jax's stomach that either of them moved.

"I hope you had Paul fix something for dinner before he left," Jax said softly with a chuckle as he continued to stroke her back.

Brenda lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with a smirk. "Of course I did! You don't think I'd ruin an evening like this by COOKING do you?" She leaned up to give him a quick kiss before reluctantly pulling out of his embrace and standing up. Instead of putting her satin gown back on she grabbed his shirt and put it on. She buttoned a few of the buttons and rolled up the sleeves before holding out her hand to him. "Come on, dinner awaits," she said with a smile.

Jax reached for his boxers and quickly slid them on before taking her hand as he stood up. He gave her a quick kiss. "Lead on my lady," he said with a smile as he gave her hand a squeeze.

After smiling back at him for a moment, Brenda led Jax to the dining room doorway. The only light in the room came from the stars shining through the wall of windows. Brenda stopped in the doorway and looked up at Jax. "Wait here a second," she said with a smile as she rested both hands flat on his chest for a moment before walking quickly over to the table. It only took a minute for her to light the candles in the center. When she was finished she turned to look proudly at Jax. "Well? What do you think?" she asked.

Jax walked up to stand next to her. He wrapped his arm around her as he looked at the table. "It's beautiful - just like you," he said as he turned her face up to him and gave her a quick kiss. After the kiss he looked lovingly into her eyes for several moments. When his stomach growled again they both burst out laughing. "I guess we better eat," he said with a chuckle as he nodded toward the table.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Brenda said as she took his hand again and led him toward the table. "I hope you like the food. Paul said they were some of your favorites."

"I'm sure I will," Jax said with a smile as he reached to pull out her chair.

"No, you go ahead and sit down. I have to get dinner out of the oven," Brenda said as she pointed to his chair. "Why don't you pour the wine while I get dinner?" she said as she turned and walked into the kitchen.

Jax stood watching her until the kitchen door swung shut behind her. He smiled slightly as he shook his head. He finally reached for the wine bottle, which Paul had already opened and poured them each a glass. He had just sat down when he saw the kitchen door swing open and Brenda come through carrying their plates. He walked over and moved her chair out of the way for her and waited until she set the plates down to push her chair in beneath her.

Once Brenda was seated Jax sat down next to her and reached over and put his hand on top of hers on the table. "This looks great," he said as he looked at the food on his plate for a moment before looking back at her. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before picking up his wineglass. "To the rest of this perfect evening," he said softly with a seductive smile.

Brenda blushed slightly, knowing exactly what he was thinking since she was thinking the same thing! "To this perfect evening," she finally said as she tapped her glass against his. They each took a sip of their wine. "Let's eat before this gets cold," she said.

Jax just smiled at her and gave her a quick wink. "Definitely! We have the rest of the evening to enjoy."

As things turned out, they never quite finished their dinner. Once they realized that the food fight they had gotten into while feeding each other had resulted in more food on them than in their stomach, they each 'volunteered' to clean the food off of the other. The rest of their meal was soon forgotten, replaced by passionate lovemaking.

Afterward they took their dessert - strawberries and whipped cream - as well as the champagne from earlier into the bedroom. They decided to take a shower to get the rest of their dinner off of them before having dessert. It wasn't long after they stepped into the shower that they were once again making love.

After drying each other off, they quickly jumped into bed. After feeding each other strawberries dipped in whipped cream and sipping champagne, they moved all the dishes and glasses to the floor next to the bed. They turned off the lights and snuggled together under the covers. It wasn't long before they dozed off, exhausted from their 'dinner'. They spent the rest of the night in bed, making love twice more before falling asleep wrapped around each other.

Jax woke the next morning to the sound of knocking. He stretched as best he could without waking Brenda who was wrapped around him. When there was a second knock, Brenda stirred and moaned softly.

As he was about to call out for Paul to come in, Jax glanced down to see that the covers had somehow gotten pushed off of them during the night. He reached down to pull them up, covering Brenda to her shoulders.

"Come in Paul," Jax called out, causing Brenda to finally open her eyes and look up at him as she tried to focus.

The door slowly opened and Paul came in carrying a breakfast tray. "Good morning Mr. Jacks, Mrs. Jacks," he said politely as he set the tray on the table in the sitting area. "I'm sorry to disturb you but it's 7:45. Jared will be here to take you to the airport at 9:00 and Ms. Coe will be here for Mrs. Jacks at 10:00."

"Thanks Paul," Jax said as he sat up higher against the headboard. He couldn't resist smiling as Brenda tried to snuggle deeper into the pillow in an attempt to go back to sleep. Remembering the bag he had brought with him last night he looked back at Paul. "I left a bag by the elevator when I came in last night. Would you mind bringing it back for me?"

"It's right here sir," Paul said as he stepped back out the door and brought Jax's bag in. "I took the liberty of pressing your shirt and tie." Paul paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "I also pressed your suit for you since I didn't see another one in your bag. Unless you were planning to wear one from the closet here."

Jax couldn't help chuckling, especially when he glanced down and saw the deep blush of embarrassment on Brenda's cheeks as she pulled the covers up higher to hide her face. "Thanks Paul, I guess I forgot about that last night." He reached down to run his hand across Brenda's back through the covers.

"You're quite welcome sir," Paul said as he looked at his watch again. "I'll leave you and Mrs. Jacks to your breakfast." He turned and walked to the door. After opening it he stopped and looked back at his employers. He tried not to smile when he saw Brenda peeking over the top of the covers to make sure he was gone. "Please let me know when you are finished with your breakfast. I'll bring your clothes in while you are showering. He bowed slightly before walking out and closing the door behind him.

"As much as I hate to say this, Paul's right, we really do have to get out of this bed and get going," Jax said with a sigh. When Brenda sat up with the covers pulled up and tucked under her arms, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Resting his cheek on top of her head, he linked the fingers of his free hand with hers. "Thank you for last night," he said softly. "I think it was the most amazing night that I have ever had, with the possible exception of our wedding night." He gently kissed the top of her head before holding her for several moments. He finally placed another kiss on the top of her head. "We better get up," he said as he lifted his head and leaned forward to get up.

"Wait!" Brenda said as she put her hand on his chest to stop him. "Just one more minute. After all, this is the last chance we'll have for another three days! I want as many memories as I can get to keep me going until then." With that she wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him close to her. After several moments she finally sat up and looked at him. She reached up to stroke the backs of her fingers across his cheek. "I love you Jax. I hate the idea of being away from you - even for only a couple of days."

Jax was surprised to see tears filling her eyes. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, meeting every three days; it was obviously just as difficult for her to say goodbye as it had been the first time. He smiled reassuringly at her as he reached to cup the side of her face. "It's okay luv. We can do this," he said as he leaned forward to give her a quick but passionate kiss. When he leaned back he smiled again. "What do you say Mrs. Jacks? Ready for breakfast?"

"I guess we better. If I know Lucy, she'll probably be here early just so she can see this apartment!" Brenda said with a chuckle as she leaned over the side of the bed to pick up Jax's shirt. She put it on before getting out of bed. As she stood next to the bed buttoning several of the buttons, Jax grabbed his boxers from the floor and slid them on before getting out of bed. He reached for Brenda's hand as they walked over to the table. He pulled her chair out for her, leaning down to kiss the side of her neck when she was seated.

After enjoying their breakfast Jax and Brenda each headed off to shower and dress, Brenda in their bathroom and Jax in the guestroom across the hall. He was just tying his tie when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he called as he slid his suitcoat on.

The door opened quietly and Paul stepped into the room. "Excuse me sir, Jared is here to take you to the airport. Also Ms. Coe is here for Mrs. Jacks."

"Thank you Paul," Jax said as he gave his tie one more adjustment. "Please make Lucy comfortable in the living room and tell Jared I'll be out in a minute."

"As you wish sir," Paul said as he brushed a piece of lint off of Jax's back before picking up his bag and heading out the door.

Jax headed across the hall to the bedroom and knocked lightly on the door before opening it and walking in. He was glad to see that Brenda was just finishing putting her hair in a ponytail. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he bent down to kiss the side of her neck. "Did I ever tell you how much I like your hair like that?" he asked softly as he kissed her neck again.

Brenda sighed as he continued to kiss her neck and leaned back against his chest. "I'll have to remember that," she said with a smile as she closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of his lips on her neck

"I have to get going," Jax said softly as he lifted his head and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Jared is here to drive me to the airport." He lifted his head to look at their reflections in the mirror. "By the way, Lucy is here too," he said with a chuckle.

"I figured she'd be early. She's been bugging me to let her come up to see the apartment," Brenda said with a sigh.

Jax looked around at her without releasing his arms. "You mean she hasn't been up here yet? Why not? I thought you'd be having your meetings here."

"I know you did, but I just didn't feel right," Brenda said as she turned in the circle of his arms and rested her hands on his chest.

"Why?" he asked as he leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. "I told you this apartment is here for everyone in the family to use for business or pleasure." A serious expression came across his face as he realized what she was thinking. "Look, your work with Lucy is just as important as any business deal of Jerry's or Dad's or mine."

Brenda smiled up at him. "Do you really believe that? Somehow talking about department store appearances and fashion magazine interviews doesn't seem as important as an international corporate takeover!"

"Listen to me Brenda Jacks, your work is just as important as mine. I insisted that you stay here while you were in New York so that you could have a private place to unwind and meet with Lucy. I wanted Paul to be here to pamper you and guarantee you down time after a stressful day when I couldn't."

"That explains it!" Brenda said as she slowly shook her head. "I was wondering why he seemed to know what I wanted even before I did! You told him!" she said with a smile as she looked up into his eyes. "You did all of this for me," she said softly as she cupped the side of his face.

Before Jax could say anything, they heard a knocking sound. They both turned and looked toward the partially open door. "Come in," Jax said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry to intrude sir, but it's getting late. If you don't leave soon, you'll be late getting to your meeting in Port Charles," Paul said politely but with a tone of insistence in his voice.

"Thank you Paul. Would you ask Jared to take my bag down to the car and tell him that I'll be right there?" Jax said.

"Very good sir," Paul said with a slight nod of his head as he left the room.

When Jax looked back at Brenda, he was surprised to see how determined she suddenly looked. "Come on, I'll walk you out," she said softly with a slight smile as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

"You won't get an argument from me," Jax said as he pulled her closer to his side.

When they walked into the living room, they could see Lucy standing by the wall of windows in the dining room. "Hello Lucy," Jax called as he and Brenda stopped to wait for her. "How are you?"

Lucy walked quickly into the living room and came up to Jax and Brenda. After giving Jax a quick kiss on the cheek, she looked at the two of them standing wrapped around each other. "I'm crazed as you would expect at the beginning of a promotional tour!" She looked at them as a broad smile crossed her face. "No need asking how you two are."

Jax chuckled when he saw Brenda press her face into his chest to hide her bright pink cheeks. He gave her a quick squeeze and kissed the top of her head. "I better get going," he said softly, ignoring Lucy's comment.

"Okay," Brenda said as she wrapped her other arm around his ribs. "I'll be back in a minute Lucy," she said without letting go of Jax. "I'm going to walk my husband to his car."

"Take your time, I'm enjoying this fantastic view," Lucy said as she walked back toward the dining room. She stopped and turned back to them. "Have a safe flight Jax."

"Thanks Lucy," Jax said with a smile. He looked down at Brenda for a moment. "Take good care of my wife will you?"

"I always do Jax, you know that," Lucy said with a smile. "Besides, Eric and Clay wouldn't have it any other way," she said with a chuckle which made both Brenda and Jax smile.

Just then the elevator doors opened. "I'll be back," Brenda said as she and Jax started across the foyer. As soon as they were on the elevator they began a passionate kiss, not even waiting until the doors closed. They didn't end the kiss until they felt the elevator stop. As the doors opened they stepped off, hand in hand, and walked across the lobby and out the front door. It wasn't until they stepped outside that they realized that it was pouring rain.

"Hey! You better go back inside - you'll get soaked out here," Jax said as he tried to push the door open again.

"I'm fine here," Brenda said as she pulled him close to her. "We're under the roof here. Besides, Lucy's got a hair and makeup artist waiting for me at the TV studio anyway." She looked up at him sadly. "I'm going to miss you."

"Hey, it's only for three days. We can do this," Jax said with a reassuring smile. "Where is it we next meet anyway?"

Brenda thought for a moment. "Boston I think," she said as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"I want you to promise me something," Jax said as he tightened his arms around her.

"What's that?" Brenda asked.

"I get to plan our evening in Boston," Jax said with his best 'little boy' grin.

Brenda couldn't help laughing. "When you look at me like that how can I say no?"

"Good! I'm going to have to get started right away if I'm going to top last night," he said with a very satisfied smile as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. They stood silently staring into each other's eyes until they were startled by the sound of Jared's voice.

"Excuse me sir," he said politely. "We really have to get going if you don't want to get caught in bad weather."

"You better go," Brenda said sadly as she rested her hands flat on Jax's chest. She leaned up to kiss him. As their kiss continued, Jax wrapped his arms tightly around her. When the kiss finally ended, she leaned back in his arms and looked up at him.

"I'll see you in Boston," Jax said softly as he leaned down to give her one more quick kiss before letting her go and walking quickly to the limo with Jared, who was holding an umbrella over him. As soon as he was in the car he lowered the window so that he could see Brenda as they drove away. As the limo pulled into traffic, he turned to waive one more time before seeing her go back into the J&J Jacks building.

Their night in Boston was as romantic as their night in New York, which made it even more difficult for them to say goodbye when it was time for him to leave. It was the same after their night in Chicago and the one in Baltimore. Each time they got together they shared a night of amazing lovemaking followed by an emotionally draining goodbye.

As he was flying back to Port Charles, Jax couldn't help wondering if these nights together hadn't been a mistake. For all the pleasure their lovemaking gave him, the pain he saw in Brenda's eyes each time he left made his heart ache. He began to wonder if he was being selfish. He wondered if instead of making this trip easier for Brenda, he was actually making it more difficult for her.

After landing in Port Charles, Jax went straight to his office. As soon as he stepped off the elevator he could tell that something was wrong. It was lunchtime but every member of his staff was at their desk, either on the phone or working at their computer terminal. As he looked around the office, he saw a lunch buffet set up in the corner - a REALLY bad sign!

"What's going on Addie?" Jax asked when he got in front of her desk.

"Oh! Mr. Jacks! I'm sorry I didn't see you come in," Addie said nervously. "Did you and Mrs. Jacks have a nice evening?"

"It was great," Jax said. "Now answer my question!" he said sternly. "What's going on around here?"

"Uh…" Addie said, obviously not wanting to be the one to tell him what was going on.

"Come with me," Jax said sternly as he walked into his office. Addie reluctantly got up and followed him into his office. "Close the door," he said as he sat down behind his desk. He tented his fingers in front of his chin and looked directly at her. "I want to know what's going on around here - NOW!"

"Your father called early this morning," Addie said as she took a deep breath. "He found out that someone is trying to raid the Butler conglomerate."

Jax slammed his hands down on his desk as he sat forward. "What? Why didn't you call me?" Jax demanded. "That conglomerate is the lynch pin of one of the biggest mergers I've ever put together!"

"I know that sir," Addie said nervously. "That's why your father called as soon as he found out."

"If you know that Addie, why didn't you call me as soon as you found out?" Jax demanded.

"Your father ordered me not to!" Addie said defensively. "He ordered me to get the staff started on tracing the raid but under no circumstances was I to contact you. He said if he found out that I had disturbed you and Mrs. Jacks before we had any concrete information he would fire me and make sure I never got another corporate job!"

"And you believed him?" Jax demanded. "You don't work for my father Addie, you work for me!"

"I know that Mr. Jacks!" Addie said with more than a trace of anger in her voice at having been put between Jax and his father. "But when you left yesterday you told me not to disturb you. When your father called this morning I decided to assemble as much information as I could before you got here. I knew there was nothing you could do about this situation in Baltimore, especially since we didn't really know what was going on, so I decided not to disturb you."

Jax leaned back in his chair. "Sorry I snapped at you Addie," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath. "So tell me, what have you found out so far?"

"Not much I'm afraid sir," Addie said as she sat in one of the chairs in front of Jax's desk. "We've started tracing several of the bids but so far nothing - which is very strange. There should be something - some basic information!"

"You're right, unless someone is trying to hide their identity," Jax said as he tapped his finger on his chin. "Which greatly limits the number of people who can be doing this." He looked up at Addie. "Get me a copy of everything you've got so far will you?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she said as she got up and started for the door.

"Wait! Before you do that would you get my father on the phone for me? I need to know exactly what he knows," Jax said as he pointed at the phone on his desk. When Addie came over to make the call, Jax put his hand on hers. "I'm sorry about before. I had no right to snap at you like that."

Addie smiled at him and patted his hand. "You're forgiven," she said as she lifted the receiver. "Just don't do it again or I'll have to tell your wife!"

"What do you mean?" Jax asked with a confused look on his face. "I don't understand?"

"Right before she left on her trip, Mrs. Jacks came to see me. She asked me to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn't work too hard while she was gone." Addie smiled broadly as she started to dial. "She also made me promise that if you ever did what you just did that I would let her know immediately!"

Jax laughed out loud as he crossed his arms in front of himself. "That sounds like Brenda," he said as he slowly shook his head. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his desk. "Thank you for the second chance," he said with a smile as he looked up at Addie.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "I'll get your father for you now," she said as she finished dialing the number. "It's ringing," she said as she handed him the phone.

"Thanks - for everything," he said softly.

"You're welcome Mr. Jacks," Addie said as she picked up her pad. "I'll get the information you asked for."

"Hello dad? What's going on with Butler?" he said as he nodded to Addie as she walked out of the office.

Jax was reading the last set of printouts that Addie had given him before he had convinced her to go home. He was startled by the sound of his cellphone ringing. He set down the report as he reached down to get his phone out of the pocket of his jacket, which he had hung on the back of his chair that morning before getting started with the information Addie had brought him. "Jax here," he said distractedly as he continued to scan the report.

"Where exactly is here Jax?" Brenda asked. "I've been calling the apartment all night and kept getting the machine. I got worried so I finally decided to try your cell. Where are you?"

"I'm at the office," Jax said as he leaned back in his chair and smiled, thrilled at the sound of her voice.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Brenda asked. "It's almost one in the morning! What are you doing at the office at this hour?" When Jax didn't answer, Brenda got nervous. "Jax? What's wrong? Did something happen?" She paused for a second and shuddered. "Is it Sonny? Did he do something?"

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly, suddenly feeling very tired. "It's just a business problem luv. It has nothing to do with Sonny."

"Are you sure? I mean it must be something major for you to still be in the office at this hour. What happened?" Brenda asked, her concern obvious in her voice.

"Apparently, someone is trying to raid one of my companies," Jax said trying to sound like this was not a big deal.

Brenda could tell by the tone of his voice that Jax didn't want to tell her what was really going on. "Which company? The truth Jax!"

Jax couldn't keep from smiling at the tone in her voice. "Butler," he said finally.

"Butler? Jax that's the most important part of your new merger!" Brenda said. "How can I help?" She paused for a moment. "I'll tell Lucy to cancel the rest of my trip. I'll be home tomorrow."

"You'll do no such thing!" Jax said as he quickly sat forward. "I love you for wanting to help me but you have a job of your own to do. You have commitments that you have to meet."

"But Jax I want to help you!" Brenda declared.

"You are luv," Jax said. "Just knowing you want to drop everything and come home to support me means more than I can tell you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be able to meet you in Atlanta because of this."

"Don't worry about that sweetheart," Brenda said quickly. "You stay there and take care of your business. I'll miss you, but I'll survive until you can get away again."

"I'm not sure I can," Jax said with a sigh. "I'll miss the feel of you in my arms - even if it's only for one night."

Brenda smiled. "What's this? Do I have to remind you that we can do this? She said reassuringly. "Now I want you to go home and get some sleep!"

Jax let out a groan. "I will, as soon as I finish the reports I'm…"

"No! Now!" Brenda ordered. "Honey, you sound exhausted! You can't work when you're this tired. Now go home and get some rest!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going," he said with a chuckle. Neither one of them said anything for a long time. After taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly, Jax finally broke the silence. "I guess I better let you get some rest," he said sadly. 'You've got that TV interview tomorrow don't you?"

This time is was Brenda who groaned. "I know, I know, you don't have to remind me."

"You're going to do great," Jax said proudly.

"Yeah right," Brenda said with a sigh. Glancing at the clock next to her bed, Brenda suddenly got serious. "Oh no you don't! You're not going to change the subject of this conversation! I want your promise that you'll go home as soon as we hang up!"

"Honey I…" Jax started to say but Brenda interrupted him before he could finish.

"Your promise Jax!" she insisted.

"Okay, I promise," Jax said reluctantly as he rubbed his eyes.

"Good!" Brenda said smugly. "Since you've never broken a promise to me I know that you'll go home and get some rest."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Jax said with a laugh. After a long pause Jax finally continued. "Okay, I'll go home as soon as we hang up."

"You'll go home and go to SLEEP as soon as we hang up!" Brenda corrected. "Jax, there's nothing you can do when you're this tired. Just leave all of those reports on your desk until tomorrow and go home and get some rest."

Jax tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "You're probably right. I'll leave everything here and get some rest. I'll get a fresh start on these in the morning."

"Good! Now tell me that you love me and hang up so that you can go home to bed!" Brenda said in one breath.

Too tired to argue, Jax sighed loudly. "I do love you, you know," he said softly as he rubbed his hand across his forehead.

"I love you too," Brenda said softly. "That's why I worry about you so much." She took a deep breath and paused for a moment, just enjoying the sound of his breathing. "I'm going to hang up now so you can go home to bed."

"Okay," Jax said reluctantly. "And thank you," Jax said softly as he sat forward in his chair.

"For what? Bugging you?" Brenda asked with a chuckle.

"No, for worrying about me," Jax said seriously. "You can't imagine how good it feels, knowing someone loves me that much."

A lump suddenly formed in Brenda's throat. "Yes I can," she said as she cleared her throat. "I feel like that every morning when I wake up in your arms."

Jax smiled silently for several moments before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Good night luv," he said softly. "I love you."

"Good night sweetheart, I love you too," Brenda said as she kissed the mouthpiece of the phone. She waited until she heard Jax hang up his cellphone before she hung up her phone. She reached over to turn off the light and snuggled down into the pillows. She closed her eyes as she replayed the conversation she had just had with Jax in her mind. As she dozed off she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this run on Jax's company than he had said, possibly more than he even realized at this point. Her last thought before falling asleep was to remember to call John Jacks in the morning to see what he knew about what was going on and ask him to help Jax any way that he could.

As he had promised, Jax went home right after hanging up with Brenda. He left all of the reports on his desk, grabbed his jacket, and left. He realized that, for once, he was actually glad to see Jared waiting for him in the outer office. As soon as he got into the car he knew he was too tired to drive. They had not even pulled out of the garage when he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. As they drove he went over his conversation with Brenda. Something she had said had started his brain going over the information he had just read before her call. He couldn't put his finger on what was bothering him, but something was. As they pulled into the hotel garage, Jax yawned and slowly shook his head. Whatever it was could wait until tomorrow. Brenda was right, he was too tired to think about it anymore.

As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep. He was so exhausted that he slept soundly for the entire night, the first time he had done that since Brenda had left. It wasn't until the alarm went off that he even moved. After a quick shower and shave he left for the office, not even bothering to have any breakfast.

He was not surprised to see Addie and most of his staff already at their desks when he stepped off the elevator. He smiled as he got to Addie's desk. "Good morning Addie," he said as he reached for the messages she was holding out to him. "Any progress?"

" Maybe, I'm waiting for some information from our people in Switzerland. Once I hear from them I should be able to tell you something." Addie smiled up at Jax. "Your coffee and breakfast are waiting for you on your desk. Please eat something before you start in on that stack of printouts in there."

Jax couldn't resist chuckling. "And what exactly makes you think I haven't eaten already?" he asked jokingly.

"A couple of things actually," Addie said with a smile. "First, four years of working for you. I know you well enough to know that when something like this is going on, you become totally focused on the situation. You don't take time for anything else."

"And the second?" Jax asked with a chuckle, a little surprised that Addie really did know him that well.

"Oh that's easy," Addie said with a chuckle of her own. "There was a message on my voicemail from Mrs. Jacks. She figured you wouldn't bother to eat so she asked me to make sure that you did." Addie looked up and saw the far away expression on Jax's face. "You miss her don't you?"

"Very much," Jax said wistfully.

"She's quite a lady," Addie said with a smile. "It's obvious she loves you very much." She could see the loneliness grow in Jax's eyes as he thought about Brenda. "Now go eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I'll bring the reports from Switzerland as soon as I get them," Addie said with a slight smile.

"Thanks Addie," Jax said as he let go of his thoughts about Brenda to get back to business.

As soon as Jax closed his office door, Addie flipped back a page in her notepad and picked up her phone. She quickly dialed the number written there. "It's Addie. Go for it," was all she said. As she listened to the response from the person on the other end, she jotted down several notes in her pad. "Got it. I'll take care of things here." She paused and wrote several more notes on her pad. "Everything will be taken care of." She listened again, said goodbye and hung up the phone. She sat back in her chair and tented her fingers in front of her face as she thought for a moment. She glanced over at the door to Jax's office for a second before reaching for the phone to start making calls to follow the instructions she had been given.

Jax spent the entire day at his desk, going over the information his staff was continuously assembling for him. He was beginning to feel that they were finally making some progress when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's time for you to go home Mr. Jacks," Addie said as she stood in front of his desk. "It's after 10:00. There's nothing more you can do tonight. We won't be getting any updates until tomorrow. Why don't you go home and get some rest?

"You may be right Addie. All these lines are starting to blur together," Jax said as he rubbed his eyes.

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Addie came around to his side of the desk and started to close up all the reports he had spread around the desktop. "May I make a suggestion?" she asked innocently as she stopped to look at him.

"Sure, what is it?" Jax asked as he looked up at her.

"Why don't you take all of this stuff with you and work at home tomorrow? I promise, I'll fax you any new information that comes in." When she saw Jax start to protest she didn't give him a chance. "If you think about it sir, it makes a lot of sense. You won't be disturbed by the phone ringing or me coming in to tell you to eat your lunch or dinner," she said with a smile. "Besides, maybe being in a different environment might help you find something we've missed."

What Addie said made sense to Jax. It would be much quieter at home than at the office. "You may be right Addie. I think I will stay home tomorrow," Jax said as he reached under his desk for his briefcase. He opened it as Addie finished stacking the reports and put them in.

After packing everything he would need in his briefcase, Jax got up and took a long stretch before reaching for his jacket, which was hanging on the back of his chair. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said as he picked up his briefcase. "I'll expect you to fax me the new material as soon as it comes in."

"Of course, Mr. Jacks," Addie said as she stepped aside so that he could get past her.

When he saw that Addie was not ready to leave he turned and looked back at her. "You are leaving as well aren't you?"

"Yes sir. As soon as I put the things on my desk away I'll be leaving," she said quickly. She walked out to her desk and waited until she saw the elevator doors close behind Jax. As soon as she was sure he was gone she picked up her phone and quickly dialed a number. "He went for it. He'll be working at home all day tomorrow." Addie smiled as she listened for a moment before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

8:45 A.M.

Jax was reading the latest reports that Addie had sent over by messenger as he ate his breakfast. He couldn't help smiling as he found what he had been looking for. It had taken almost two days but he was pretty sure he had found what he needed - a way to track the money behind the raid. He was just reaching for the second report when he heard the phone ring. He set the report down and walked over to the desk to get the phone. "Jax here," he said.

"Well you definitely sound better than you did last night," Brenda said brightly.

"Good morning luv," Jax said with a big smile as he walked back to the table to finish his coffee. "How are you?"

"I'm okay I guess. I wanted to catch you before you left for the office," Brenda said quickly. "Have you got a few minutes to talk?"

"For you? Always," Jax said with a big smile as he leaned back in his chair. "How are you doing?"

"Besides missing you more than I can say I guess I'm okay," Brenda said with a sigh. "Lucy is keeping me pretty busy during the day but I miss you like crazy at night."

"I wish I could see you tonight," Jax said sadly. "I'm so sorry I can't be there with you. Atlanta at night is an amazing place."

"I wish you could be here too honey, but you have a company to run. I understand that," Brenda said reassuringly.

"I appreciate that, I really do, but I promised you that we'd be together very third night and I've never broken a promise to you..."

"Jax DON"T!" Brenda said firmly. "You aren't breaking your promise to me. We're together right now. We may not be in the same room but we're together. We're always together because you're always with me."

Jax couldn't help smiling. "You keep amazing me Brenda Jacks," he said with a sigh.

"Good!" Brenda said with a chuckle. "That's the plan, you know. That way you'll never get bored with me."

"That is one thing you'll never have to worry about, luv. I will NEVER get bored with you," Jax said with a soft laugh.

"Well I'm not going to take any chances - just in case." Brenda paused as she glanced at her watch. "I hate to do this honey, but I have to go," she said sadly.

"Okay luv," Jax said as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the table. "I'll call you tonight," Jax paused for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you too, bye bye," Brenda said softly as she hung up the phone. She sat looking at her hand on the receiver for several moments. It wasn't until she heard a knock at her hotel room door that she slowly shook her head and got up to answer it.

Jax looked at the phone in his hand for a moment, letting out a deep breath as he finally set it down. He stared off into the distance as he thought about how much he missed Brenda. He slowly shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind and got up from the table. He picked up the reports he had been reading over breakfast and sat down at the desk. He spent the rest of the morning reviewing, not only the reports that he had brought home, but also those that Addie had sent by messenger this morning, as well as several faxes that she had sent with additional information.

It took him several hours to go through all the material, but he finally found what he needed - a mistake! As soon as he found it he started backtracking through the reports and faxes and found the opening he needed to start to trace the origin of the raid. As soon as he found his way in, he picked up the phone and called Addie. He quickly reviewed what he had found and then started giving her a series of orders - specific reports he needed updated, calls to be made, sources to be contacted and meetings to be scheduled in the next several days.

As he was reviewing these instructions with her there was a knock at the door. He got up from the desk and walked over to answer the door as he continued to talk. When he opened the door all he saw was a small tree. "What the..." he said as he stared at the tree. When the tree jerked off to one side he couldn't believe what he saw. "I'll have to call you back," he said as he shut off the phone without waiting for a response. A big smile spread across his face as he set the phone down on the table behind the couch.

"SURPRISE!" Brenda said with a big smile as she pushed the tree at Jax and stepped into the room. As soon as Jax set the tree down, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately as he reached past her to close the door.

As their kisses continued, Jax quickly pulled her coat off and let it drop to the floor. Without breaking their kisses they began to undress each other as they slowly inched over to the couch, leaving a trail of clothes as they went. By the time they reached the couch, they were both completely undressed. As soon as they lay down on the couch they began to make love with an intensity fueled by separation.

It wasn't until they were snuggled together afterward, Brenda lying on top of him resting between his legs, that Jax finally said something. "You're amazing, you know that?" he asked softly as he stroked his hands up and down her back.

"Mmmm ..." she said softly as she snuggled closer against him. "Glad to see me?" she asked without lifting her head from his chest as her fingers traced across his chest and down his ribs.

"Glad to see you AND to feel you," he said in a very satisfied voice as he wrapped his arms around her. "How did you manage this? I thought you had interviews all day today?"" Jax suddenly lifted his head from the pillow and turned to look at her face. "Wait a minute! How did you know I'd be home? I didn't say anything about working at home when I talked to you this morning!"

Brenda finally lifted her head from Jax's chest and rested her hands flat on his chest as she looked up at him with a smile. "I have my sources," she said smugly. "Actually, I only had one interview today so when I told Lucy what I wanted to do she moved it up to last night. Then I called Paul and asked him to arrange for the jet to pick me up in Atlanta and here I am!" she said proudly.

Jax leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "And I couldn't be happier," he said with a smile as he reached up to push a lock of hair behind her ear. "How long can you stay?"

"I have to be in Cleveland by noon tomorrow so I can stay the night and leave in the morning," she said as she leaned down and kissed his lips. "So, am I interrupting your work?" she asked with a knowing smile.

A serious expression came across Jax's face. "Listen to me Brenda, nothing is more important to me than you." He smiled again before continuing. "Besides, I found my way in just before you got here." He reached up to brush her cheek with his fingertips. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate than this," he said as he leaned up to kiss her.

After kissing him several times on the lips she started to trail kisses across his cheek and was working down the side of his neck when there was a knock at the door. "Who could that be?" she asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Just be quiet and they'll go away," Jax said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye as he reached up to pull her down for another kiss. As the kiss became more intimate, there was another knock at the door, this time much louder.

"Go away," Brenda said softly without taking her lips off of Jax's. When the knock became a constant pounding, Jax pushed her up slightly, breaking their kiss. "What?" Brenda asked, suddenly feeling a nervous knot forming in her stomach.

Jax reached down to pick up his shirt from the floor. "Put this on," he said as he wrapped the shirt over her shoulders. The pounding got louder as she nervously put the shirt on. When she had it on but not buttoned, Jax reached up to take her face in both of his hands. "I want you to go into the den and lock the door. If I don't come for you in five minutes I want you to hit the panic button that Ben put on the desk."

"Come with me Jax," Brenda said with a growing sense of fear.

"I'll be fine luv," Jax said with a reassuring smile. "Go on, get in the den."

Reluctantly Brenda got off of him and started toward the stairs. She stopped when she got to the top of the stairs and turned to look back at Jax. She stood watching for a moment as he pulled his jeans on and zipped them up.

As he was buttoning them, Jax looked up at her. "Hurry up and get in the den!" he ordered in a hushed voice as he nodded toward the hall. "Go on, I'll be fine."

The pounding on the door began again, even louder than before. Brenda looked at Jax for a moment, her fear obvious in her eyes. Jax smiled reassuringly at her again as he pointed toward the hall. She looked at him for another moment before running down the hall to the den.

When he heard the den door close and lock, Jax started toward the front door. Before he could get to the door to answer it, the door flew open. As he watched, two men came into the room, looked around and then nodded to someone waiting in the hallway. The two men stepped aside as Jax continued to watch as the person in the hall sauntered in.

"Hello Jasper," Sonny said with a smirk as he looked around the room. "Mind if I come in?"