When he yanked the door open a few seconds later, Jerry smiled back at him serenely. "My, my…….." His eyes traveled up and down Jax’s dripping wet nearly-naked form. "Aren’t WE in a bad mood?"

Jax gritted his teeth and glanced up and down the hallway. "Jerry……." Then he stepped back and opened the door wider to admit his brother, who pushed a large, linen-covered rolling table filled with fragrant dishes. "What the h*ll are you doing back again?" He ran his fingers through damp, blonde curls to push them back off his forehead. "I thought you just left here an hour ago!"

"And I’m glad to see you again TOO, little brother!" Jerry gushed with mock enthusiasm. After Jax shut the door, his older brother nodded at the puddle he was leaving on the carpeting. "I take it I got you out of the shower?"

"No, I’ve discovered a small leak in my bathroom and I was just going to call Leonardo de Caprio to fix it!" Jax snarled sarcastically, hands on hips. "YES, I was in the shower!!" He narrowed one eye, then re-adjusted his towel, which was once again in imminent danger of slipping down to his knees. "Have I missed the part where you tell me why you’re back?"

Jerry pulled a large book and a magazine from the shelf beneath the linen tablecloth. "I brought food," he replied calmly, taking a slice of orange from a large tray. "Fresh fruit, lean turkey on whole wheat, and all that other healthy stuff you like."

Jax ground his teeth furiously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Then he licked his lips before speaking. "I didn’t ORDER any food, Jerry!" he said with barely-contained impatience.

The dark-haired Jacks sibling had already started leafing through the pages of the magazine. "I know," he said distractedly, reaching for a large, succulent strawberry.

"Then why the H*LL did you bring it?!" Jax rubbed his face with both hands and snorted disgustedly at Jerry before turning to stomp back in the direction of the bathroom.

"I HAD to have some excuse to come back here, Jax," Jerry countered smoothly. He followed his brother to the bathroom, eyes never straying from the magazine. "I thought you’d want to know – I talked to Sean." He leaned his shoulder against the bathroom doorjamb, thumbing through the glossy pages. "I got some additional info on your cover, and on Miss Barrett, too."

Jax re-appeared in the doorway, his hair standing nearly on end as he tunneled his fingers through it. "Ohhhhh, I get it now……" He grabbed for a towel to wipe the hair tonic from his hands. "Does that magazine have some old pictures of our Miss Barrett in the buff?"

"Far from it." Jerry shook his head firmly. "Seems her photographic talent runs in the genes." He held out the open magazine to Jax. "Her mum was quite the shutterbug – won a Pulitzer for this one, I think."

Jax pulled back, tilted his head to the side, and then lifted his eyebrows appreciatively. "I think I’ve seen that one somewhere in a gallery."

"I wouldn’t be surprised." Jerry closed the magazine as Jax returned to stand before the small mirror over the sink. "Veronica Barrett was a respected member of the media before her untimely death." He settled into a comfortable position in the open bathroom doorway while Jax ran a comb through his hair to style it. "Brenda’s old man was something of a Wall Street whiz – complete opposite of his wife. It didn’t exactly make for tranquil times in the marriage."

Jax frowned. "You mentioned something about them dying in a tragic accident before……"

Jerry nodded. "They were separated when Veronica went on a photo shoot in Africa. Seems she had a rough time giving up the thrill of the chase for the monotony of tending the hearth and home." He paused as Jax grabbed a dry towel from the rod just outside the shower, letting the one around his waist drop to the floor. When he started to briskly rub his muscular legs and thighs, Jerry glanced back at his magazine again and continued. "Anyway, Harlan Barrett followed her to try to mend fences and ended up dying in a plane crash. Veronica was killed a short time after that in a freak fall."

"Are we sure they were really *accidents*?"

"Apparently they were." Jerry straightened up again. "Anyway, that’s not our problem. We’re supposed to concentrate on keeping the daughter safe – not worrying about how her parents died." He flipped through a few more pages of the magazine and then frowned. "You know, Jax, sometimes it looks like Veronica might have passed along more than just her genius with a telephoto lens to her dear daughter."

"How’s that?" Jax asked. His eyes darted in his brother’s direction from time to time as he reached for an electric shaver and plugged it into the wall socket.

"I took the liberty of getting some copies of the print ads Brenda’s done in the past. She’s d*mn good." Jerry held out the glossies so that Jax could see them. "And take a look – she’s done three separate campaigns for major design houses and a half dozen projects for that agency she works for this year!" He shook his head and clucked his tongue. "The woman must never sleep!"

"She’s a manic work-a-holic." Jax stopped to stare at the haunting depiction of lovers at sunset in a Venetian canal. "Either that, or she’s running from something," he mused quietly. "Her past, maybe – or her present……"

"Which only means you’re going to have to run twice as fast to keep up with her, little brother," Jerry quipped with a wicked smile. "And the cover Sean’s dreamed up for you this time should make it a h*ll of a lot easier."

"Well, I know one thing – I must be rich." Jax rolled his eyes at the small bathroom, which was actually luxurious when compared to other lavatories aboard the cruise ship. "Otherwise I wouldn’t have these kind of accommodations." He clicked the shaver on, rubbing it against the pale blonde fuzz on his jawbone. "And you should take a look at the big closet full of clothes I’ve got back there." He paused shaving long enough to shake his head. "Even my *boxers* have designer labels in ‘em!"

"I’m not surprised. You, brother dear," Jerry drawled, "are a corporate raider – and a very successful one at that." He leaned against the doorjamb again and crossed his arms across his chest. "Ruthless, wealthy, powerful, unattached……" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the last adjective. "The type who goes hang-gliding in the Grand Canyon before breakfast and then parachutes out of helicopters to ski down mountains by dinnertime." He leaned towards Jax. "Helicopters, I might add, that you OWN."

"D*mn." Jax pretended disappointment. "And here I thought you were going to say that I owned the mountains, too."

"Sean also said that he thinks you being the model for Miss Barrett’s ad campaign would be entirely in keeping with your cover," he added, barely managing to stifle his snicker.

Jax almost dropped the shaver before he managed to click it off. "Sean said YES?"

"I believe his exact words were, "H*LL YES," old man," Jerry countered with a fiendish grin.

"D*mn……." Jax repeated his new -- and apparently favorite -- expletive. "Scorpio must have called in one h*ll of a marker to get Sean to agree to this kind of exposure for a SEAL operative."

"Yeah, well it appears that everyone’s circling the wagons," Jerry replied drolly. "Scorpio’s security chief has things battened down on Torrega and is flying down here. He’s planning to meet you when we dock on Barbados tomorrow." He scratched his head and then rose his eyebrows. "Spencer is his name, if I recall correctly."

Jax shook his head. "Yeah, but I still don’t get it…….putting a top-ranking undercover operative in such a visible position……"

"I guess Sean figures that after this all is over and the bad guys are behind bars, he can pay off the advertising agency to make your pictures go away." Jerry chuckled aloud. "And he *did* mention that rich, hot shot corporate raiders generally get bored easily and would dig that kind of excessive attention." He glanced down at his fingernails, feigning humility. "Something I would know NOTHING about, of course."

"Of course," Jax echoed with a grimace. His extension of the argument was cut short when a sharp knock sounded at the door of his stateroom.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Jerry murmured, putting his hand out to prevent Jax from leaving the bathroom.

"No – but that didn’t stop YOU, did it?" Jax growled sarcastically.

When Jax tried to push past Jerry’s arm, his older brother refused to budge. "At least put some *pants* on before you save the world this time, all right, mate?" Jerry hissed, closing the bathroom door on his angry sibling. "I’ll stall whoever it is until you’re ready."

Jax got one more glare in before his older brother slammed the door in his face. When the knock sounded again, Jerry tugged on his white ship’s uniform jacket and walked briskly towards the door of the stateroom, tossing the magazine onto an end table as he did. He took a deep breath and then opened the door with a confident flare. "May I help yo………"

"Oh…….I’m sorry……." He certainly wasn’t prepared to see the petite, brunette object of their discussions standing in front of him, wringing her hands abjectly and looking like she’d rather be having a root canal than stand there. "The purser must have given me the wrong information," Brenda winced, glancing down at the paper in her hands. "I was looking for Mr. Jacks’ suite……"

"And you’ve got it!" Jerry bubbled enthusiastically. He grabbed Brenda’s wrist before she could escape to pull her into the room. "I was just……." He stepped aside so that Brenda could clearly see the rolling food cart. "Well, Mr. Jacks had ordered a late lunch, and I was just setting it up for him……."

"Yeah……." Both dark heads turned to face Jax’s freshly scrubbed blonde features. "But he’s finished now – aren’t you, MATE?"

Just one look at the object of *her* intentions gave Brenda the feeling that an entire flock of fireflies was dancing the conga in her stomach. If there was any doubt in her mind that Jasper Jacks would make the perfect model for Princess Cruise Lines, it was immediately squashed. He wore a pair of low-slung, button-up-the-front jeans that weren’t quite buttoned-all-the-way-up-the-front. His bare feet and the droplets of moisture clinging to the chiseled planes of his chest attested to the fact that he had probably just gotten out of the shower. When he ran careless fingers through the still-damp blonde locks that continually threatened to fall down on his forehead, she knew that the camera would LOVE him.

"I……uh…….." {Focus, Brenda. You can do this. Just ignore his sensational good looks and concentrate on the fact that you’re strictly here on business.} She shook her head to clear it and then smiled warmly at Jax. "I hope I’m not disturbing you, Mr. Jacks, but I’m afraid I wasn’t very coherent when we met earlier……"

"Ahhhhh, but you ARE disturbing me," Jax purred, slowly strolling towards Brenda.

"I………" She swallowed hard. The stomach muscles just above the waistband of his jeans rippled seductively with each step he took, reminding her of a predatory jungle cat. "I am?" she finally managed to squeak.

"Um-hmmmm." He came to a stop in front of her, slinging the towel he still held over his shoulder nonchalantly and putting his hands on his hips. "Because you know MY name, and I don’t know yours!"

"awwwwww, geeeeeeeez……….." Jerry’s whistle of disgust was soft enough so that only Jax heard it. The elder Jacks brother shook his head as he turned back to the dinner cart, mentally berating himself yet again for being on Sean’s "sh*t list."

In the meantime, Brenda fought the urge to fawn and grovel like some gawking teenage ninny meeting her rock star idol for the first time. "My name is Brenda," she smiled, reaching deep inside for confidence and cool professionalism. "Brenda Barrett." She took a breath, then paused, reached inside the hip pocket of the white cotton sundress she had changed into, and pulled out a small business card. "I work for Baldwin Coe Advertising out of New York."

"Advertising, hmmmmm?" Jax nodded appreciatively and gave Brenda a dazzling smile as he shook her offered hand. "Well, I can tell you in all honesty, Miss Barrett, that I do NOT squeeze the Charmin!"

"Good – very good!" Brenda’s hand still felt warm and tingly even after Jax had let go of it. "That *wasn’t* one of ours, by the way," she admitted with a chagrinned smile. Then she shook her head to clear it and her tone grew more serious. "To get right to the point, Mr. Jacks, Baldwin Coe was awarded the contract to handle the print advertising for Princess Cruise Lines last week……."

"It’s Jax – with an X." Jax held up a hand to stop her spiel mid-stream as he perched on the armrest of a richly upholstered sofa. "All my friends call me Jax. And after our little "misunderstanding" this morning, I’d like to think we’re friends – aren’t we, Miss Barrett?"

Brenda blushed a most becoming shade of pink. "Of course we are……Jax……"

A loud crash behind them followed by soft muttering drew Jax to his feet again. He turned towards Jerry, who was carefully slipping the magazine back beneath the catering cart. "Aren’t you about *finished* with that, steward?"

"Yes, sir – just about, sir," Jerry blustered, fumbling with the linen table cover. "I was just making sure everything was tip-top and ship-shape for you, Mr. Jacks……"

Jax grimaced. "And trying to get a fatter tip out of me, no doubt," he growled confidentially to Brenda. She hid her smile behind the knuckle of her first finger as Jerry came to stand next to his younger brother. "I’m afraid I don’t have my wallet on me right now, old man," Jax announced aristocratically, "but if you catch me later, we’ll square things up for this."

"Yes, sir – very good sir." Jerry looked appropriately disappointed and was muttering something about "cheapo crazy rich people" when he finally exited the stateroom.

"As I was saying before," Brenda began again after the door closed behind him, "my crew and I are on this cruise specifically to shoot the first footage for Baldwin Coe’s fall ad campaign for Princess Lines."

"And you’re the model?" Jax asked with a blend of innocent charm and coy flirtatiousness.

"No – I’m the photographer," Brenda replied proudly. "I’ve done quite a few ad campaigns for Baldwin Coe." She strolled past him towards the side of the cabin, visibly gaining confidence. "I love my work, and I’m very good at what I do," she added, turning back to face him abruptly. "But I’m afraid that we’re in a bit of a bind, and that’s where YOU come into the picture, pardon the pun." She took a deep breath and then squared her shoulders with determination. "We need YOU to be our model, Mist……uh, Jax."

"Me?" He did an *excellent* job of pretending shock, then frowned and put his finger to his lips. "Let me get this straight for a second, Miss Barrett. You say you’re good at your job, and yet you drag your entire crew on an oceanliner for a photographic shoot WITHOUT a model?" He stopped at the lunch cart to take a ripe strawberry and hold it up for close inspection. "I hope you’ll pardon me for being blunt, but as an experienced businessman, I’d say that was a pretty stupid move."

"Point well taken." Brenda’s lack of embarrassment raised Jax’s opinion of her several notches. "And we *do* have a model. Or we DID – when we boarded this cruise." She sighed aloud and put one hand on her hip. "But sometimes in this business, circumstances beyond our control make it impossible for us to use the model we originally intended for a particular shoot. When that happens, we find someone with the same basic build and coloring and then superimpose the model’s face on the other person’s body."

Jax’s eyebrows lifted. "Ahhhhh…… a body double!"

"Exactly!" She smiled warmly and then tipped her head shyly to the side. "And by the way – just to help you feel less hesitant about our professionalism, my best friend and assistant handles the business end of the shoot. Her name is Robin Scorpio, and she’s EXCELLENT when it comes to dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s."

Jax popped the strawberry in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes, and then swallowed before speaking again. "So you want me to be your body double for the Princess Cruise Lines photo shoot?"

"Yes!" Brenda clasped her hands in front of her and her eyes danced with excitement as she quickly strode over to where Jax stood. "It won’t involve much of your time – just some formal shots tonight in a tux and then a few casual shots on Barbados tomorrow……"

{Barbados tomorrow. As long as it doesn’t interfere with me meeting with that Spencer fellow…….} Jax arched one eyebrow. "You’re not going to shoot all of the pictures on board the ship?" he asked, removing a domed silver lid from a tray of sandwiches.

"No!" Brenda could barely keep her feet and hands still as she bubbled over with enthusiasm for her work. "We’re going to include some of the local color on the islands – you know, the waterfalls, the exotic flora and fauna……." Her voice trailed off suddenly as the rich smell of turkey, medium rare roast beef, and a variety of cheeses assailed her nostrils. She wove slightly and her eyelids fluttered.

"Brenda?" Jax rushed around to grab her by the elbow just as her knees buckled. "Are you alright?"

"Fine…….." She shook her head and took deep breaths, trying to fight the pangs in her stomach that made her finally realize she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. "I’m fine," Brenda insisted again weakly, accompanied by a loud growling sound from her stomach.

Jax frowned and peered into the slits that hid her eyes. "You don’t *look* fine." While supporting her around the waist with his right arm, he reached out to pull a chair over to the table with his left. "When did you eat lunch?"

"I…..uh……." She was too weak to protest when Jax slid the chair behind her knees and she sat down hard. "I think I had some coffee around 6 this morning……." Another loud rumble from her stomach made Jax grimace with understanding.

"Just coffee? And nothing since?" As he went to the other side of the table to pour a thick green liquid into a tall glass, Jax fought the rush of protective maleness that surged through his veins. Despite her bravado, Brenda Barrett was hiding something – running from something – and needed someone to protect her from more than just whoever was trying to kill Robert Scorpio’s near and dear ones. Submersing yourself so deeply in your work that you forget to eat was a clear cry for help. And he was more than eager to give it – particularly when it fit in so nicely with his own priorities.

Now that she was sitting down, Brenda’s head started to clear. "Hey – coffee’s one of the major food groups, isn’t it? And after all," she laughed hollowly, "I had some nonfat milk in it!"

Jax stared pointedly at her for a few seconds and then handed her the glass. "Here. Drink this."

"What is it?" She took a tentative sniff at it. "Crème de menthe milk shake?"

"Nope." He poured himself a glass and then lifted it to her in salute. "Fresh algae and seaweed protein drink."

Jax’s words echoed in the room as Brenda fought valiantly to swallow the sip that she had just taken and not gag. She set the glass down firmly on the table and pushed it as far away from her as she could. "No thanks. I think I’ll pass on that stuff."

He frowned again and then reached for a slice of Swiss cheese. "Then eat this, at least. You’ve got to get some protein in your system – and a few carbohydrates wouldn’t hurt you either, you know." Jax narrowed one eye at her lush figure in the miniscule white sundress. "Since you’re not a model, you can’t give me that "watching my weight" nonsense."

She reluctantly accepted the slice of cheese, took a bite, and then gave him an "are-you-happy-now?" smile. "You know," she said, waving the slice of cheese at him, "this doesn’t happen to me very often. I just……." Brenda sighed, took another bite of cheese, and then crossed her legs as she chewed. "…….well, I’ve been so upset about finding another model that I haven’t been able to do much but worry. My boss will *never* meet her deadline with the Cruise Line if I don’t get these shots, and then we’ll lose the account…..."

Jax tipped his head to the side, arching one golden eyebrow with a smile. "So I suppose that I should accept your proposition – just to ensure your continued well-being of mind and body?"

She shifted in the chair and gave him a coy half-smile. "It wouldn’t hurt." Then she peered at the rest of the sumptuous dishes on the table. "Got anything to drink in there besides that moldy green sludge?"

Jax chuckled softly. "Will orange juice do?" he asked, reaching into a large silver bowl filled with ice and small bottles.

Brenda accepted the bottle and flipped off the cap. "It’s not just for breakfast anymore," she replied smoothly, lifting it to him in a silent toast. After taking a long drink, she lowered it and then shook her head. "Unfortunately, *that* wasn’t one of ours either." She sighed, then took a large, buttery croissant off a platter near her and broke it in half. "So……you mentioned before that you were a businessman." After placing a small chunk of the confection in her mouth, she offered the other half of the pastry to him. "Exactly what kind of business are you in, Mr. Jacks?"

"I’m a corporate raider, Miss Barrett," Jax lied smoothly. He accepted the croissant and reclined nonchalantly in his own chair. The golden muscles in his bare, sculpted chest provided Brenda with a very distracting view. "I buy up large corporations, chop them into smaller entities, and then sell them off at a huge profit." Luckily, he had had enough experience in the corporate world before joining the Navy that he could lie his way through an explanation of the cover Sean had concocted.

"Which probably explains how you can afford a suite like this, while me and my crew are sharing space with the rats below the water line," Brenda quipped. She popped the last of the croissant into her mouth and then grimaced. "So I suppose the paycheck you’d get for working as our model wouldn’t help to sway your decision in our favor, hmmmm?"

"No……." Jax let out a long breath. "I won’t be doing it for the money……"

Brenda’s eyes widened and she jumped to her feet but just then, a knock sounded at the door. Jax rose and held up one finger at her in a motion to wait. "Hold that thought until I see who this is……." He grinned at her sexily and nodded towards the table as he went towards the door. "And have another slice of cheese…….for me……."

"Babe, if you get me out of this jam, I’ll eat the whole cow," Brenda muttered beneath her breath. She was just placing a large ripe strawberry in her mouth when Jax opened the door to reveal a chagrined-looking Robin Scorpio.

"I’m…….." Robin’s gaze bounced between Jax and Brenda guiltily. "I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was just wondering……."

"Jasper Jacks, let me introduce you to my aforementioned assistant," Brenda offered as she flew around the table towards the door. "This is Robin Scorpio."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Scorpio." Jax had become so adept at lying undercover that he didn’t even flinch. After his previous discussions with Jerry, he would have recognized the daughter of Torrega’s governor general anywhere, but he deftly hid the fact with a broad smile. "Won’t you join us for a late lunch?"

Robin rose her eyebrows at Brenda in a "looks-like-you’re-making-progress" gesture and shyly stepped inside the stateroom. "I just……well, I knew Brenda was down here and I just thought……." She grimaced and slumped a little as she pulled some papers from beneath her arm. "OK – I admit it. I was hoping that Brenda had convinced you to be our model by now, Mr. Jacks, so I brought some contracts with me……."

Brenda waved another slice of cheese in the air in Jax’s direction triumphantly. "See?" she crowed, taking a small bite. "I *told* you she was good with the details."

"So you DID agree to be our model?" Robin asked hopefully. She cast Brenda a meaningful glance. "Because Lucy just called AGAIN and wants to know how the shooting is going."

"Actually, we were just getting down to that when you knocked, Robin," Brenda replied slyly. "But I THINK that I heard a yes, didn’t I, Jax?" Her voice trailed off demurely.

Jax’s eyes darted back and forth between the two beautiful women. He couldn’t appear too anxious, even though he knew full well -- even before Brenda appeared in his suite -- that he would agree to her proposal. At least, he would – if he didn’t want to be court-martialed. "Well……." He licked his lips and stared down at the floor, blushing slightly. "There was ONE more question that I had……."

"What?" Brenda and Robin chorused the word at the same time, eyes wide.

"Well, you mentioned a tuxedo and some casual shots on Barbados, but I was just wondering…….well……." When a shock of his now-dry hair fell across his forehead, Brenda groaned inwardly in regret. It was a shame they would have to superimpose Lucky’s face on Jax’s body. Women everywhere would have booked cruises after seeing the combination of vulnerability and raw masculinity that that gesture evoked. Jax took a deep breath and then looked up into Brenda’s eyes. "Mum always said that I was perfect the way God made me, but I didn’t exactly want her – or any of her friends – seeing me that way as a magazine centerfold or anything……"

"Oh…….OH!!!!!!" Brenda’s eyes got as wide as saucers and she laughed heartily. "No – there won’t be any nude shots in this campaign, Mr. Jacks. Princess Cruise Lines is a *family* oriented venture."

"Good." Jax shook his head and ambled back over to the food table as he appeared to consider the proposal. "Well, then……since it does sound like it would be kind of fun……." Brenda clenched her fists in mid-air at her side in anticipation. "Yes. I’ll agree to do the shoot."

"YES!!!!" the women chorused. Robin darted over to Jax’s side with the contracts and Brenda made tracks for a telephone next to Jax’s couch. As he sat down and nodded in understanding while Robin explained the various standard clauses, Brenda punched some numbers into the phone and then put the receiver to her ear.

"Grobl?" She smiled and perched on the armrest of the couch. "Yeah. It’s me. We’ve got a go. Set up the equipment on the Promenade Deck and let everyone know we’ll be shooting around 9 o’clock tonight." Brenda nodded. "That’s right. I want the full crew there and the setup we discussed in pre-production – Svarovski crystal, white linen tablecloth…….oh, and those light violet gel filters for the lenses so we can get a dreamlike quality in the shots……"

"Now, Mr. Jacks……." Robin’s words vied with Brenda’s for Jax’s attention. "Since I assumed you didn’t have an agent and weren’t a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild, I brought a standard contract for minimum wage scale……"

"……and don’t forget the mist bottles so we can get just the right amount of condensation on the champagne bucket……"

"……all routine wording, I can assure you, but if you’d like to have your lawyers take a look at it first, we can fax it to them this afternoon….."

"……I’d rather have the champagne bottle uncorked – oh, and turned so that the label shows – Dom Perignon, of course……"

"…..customary hold harmless liability clauses for the Cruise Lines and Baldwin Coe, although we’ll have to get some additional wording added for the exposure on Barbados tomorrow……."

"……that five-carat diamond bracelet, and a tuxedo……" Brenda finally paused long enough to take a breath and glanced over at Jax. "I’d say a 42 – maybe a 42 long?" He didn’t realize Brenda was speaking to him until Robin prodded his shoulder and pointed towards her partner. "Are you a 42 long in a tux?" she repeated, covering the receiver with her hand.

"Actually……." Jax’s smile turned Brenda’s bone marrow to room temperature Jello. "I have my own tux." He had seen it on his quick tour of the closet before the shower Jerry had rudely interrupted.

"You have your own……" Brenda repeated, nodding slightly. "He has his own!" she smirked at Robin, shrugging her shoulders gleefully. Robin just shook her head, smiled, and tapped on Jax’s shoulder to get him to turn his attention back to her and the contracts. "He…..um……." Brenda cleared her throat to get rid of the giddy excitement in her voice. "Our model has his OWN tuxedo, so that won’t be necessary after all……."

"…….so if that’s all acceptable, I’ll need your signature here and here." Robin handed Jax the pen and felt the stirrings of panic when he didn’t move. "Mister Jacks?"

"Oh…….I’m sorry!" Jax quickly turned back, scribbled his name in the places Robin indicated, and then set the pen down firmly. "I was just…..uh……." He turned halfway in his chair so that he could watch the body it was his duty as an officer and a gentleman to guard until further notice. "She’s……."

"Tell those IDIOTS upstairs to stop being so D*MN cheap!!! I said I want DOM PERIGNON!!! NOT ERNEST AND JULIO ASTI SPUMONTI!!!!!"

Jax tipped his head towards Brenda and smiled at Robin. "She’s certainly good at ordering people around, isn’t she?"

"Oh, Brenda’s being actually being fairly calm and soft-spoken right now, Mr. Jacks. Just wait until you see her during a shoot." Robin whistled softly under her breath as she folded the contracts. "You ain’t seen NOTHIN’ yet!!"

Robin scurried towards the door and waved a goodbye at Brenda, leaving Jax to rest one elbow on the table in silent contemplation of his "assignment."

{And just wait until someone tries to do something to hurt her. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet EITHER, Miss Scorpio.}

To be continued………