"Yo, dude!! Watch where you’re goin’!!!!!"

Jax was so busy staring at the assembled people and equipment, he barely avoided falling on his face. Large electrical cables covered by shiny black, green and red tape crisscrossed the surface of the Promenade deck, making walking a challenge. Near the deck’s railing, five round tables were clustered, covered with fine white linen tablecloths and embellished with silver candelabra. Long booms with multiple light bars extended over the entire setting. Huge circular fans stood near the edge of the area where the tables were set, as well as machines that he assumed produced some kind of "fog" to help portray a romantic mood.

And – in addition to the obscene amount of technical equipment – there were people scurrying everywhere. People carrying things, checking things, re-adjusting things……..and, above all, shouting things. After a few minutes of quiet observation, Jax decided that the ONLY way the people on Brenda’s crew communicated was by yelling at each other. Loudly. Not very politely. All things considered, he decided that he had overseen undercover SEAL operations on foreign soil with barely a *fraction* of this kind of entourage. He realized with a sinking feeling that guarding Brenda’s life in this kind of insane zoo of humanity and machines was going to be a lot tougher than he originally thought.

"HEY – YOU!! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH OR SOMETHIN’?"

Carrying the garment bag containing his tuxedo over his right shoulder, Jax barely avoided a stumble and fall over a cable that would probably have plunged half the ship into darkness. But just as he was silently congratulating himself on his agility, he turned and found himself nose to nose with 250 pounds of disgruntled alpha male – with at least 75 pounds of said male hanging over his tool belt.

"This here deck area is closed to regular passengers tonight, mister," the beer-bellied electrician informed him smugly. Jax’s eyes widened when he took him by the arm and started to pull him in the opposite direction. "If you want the bingo game, I think they’re down on the Lido deck, near the pool."

"Thanks for the advice, mate," Jax replied smoothly, "but I’m not lost." The electrician did *not* seem convinced. "Brenda told me to come."

"Look, MATE," the burly baritone Brooklyn-ite growled, "I don’t care if Barbara Bush is your gramma!" He smiled smugly – obviously thinking that Jax was only some new hormonal impulse that Brenda had indulged in the night before by moonlight. "Brenda is gonna be workin’ tonight! So she can’t play," he continued, talking to Jax as though he was five years old, "and you gotta LEAVE!"

"Vinny!! Let him go!!" The sound of Robin’s voice was like a choir of angels to Jax. He turned to see the diminutive brunette dynamo bearing down on the two of them, a clipboard in her hand. "He’s with US!"

"He is? I don’t remember him bein’ at any of the other shoots." Vinny frowned at Jax and eyed him up and down, still obviously distrustful.

"He’s our new model," Robin announced breathlessly as she came between the two men. She smiled broadly at Jax and patted him on the arm for reassurance. "Mr. Jacks will be doubling for Lucky for this shoot."

"Vinny!!" A masculine shout echoed in the night. Jax peered around Vinny’s belly – not an easy task in itself – to see a short, wiry man with large black horn-rimmed glasses approaching the group at warp speed. "I *told* you that I needed enough power for at least four back-up digitals!"

"You GOT enough power for four digitals, Grobl," Vinny groused. He pointed over Jax’s shoulder at a massive control panel. "I got you an extra three lines routed to the deck, and I sent Louie below for backup generators ten minutes ago."

"But he’s not back yet, IS he, Vinny?" Grobl hissed, grabbing the electrician roughly by the shoulder. Jax pulled back a little – beefcake Vinny outweighed fly-weight Grobl by at least 100 pounds, and he had learned a long time ago to steer clear of situations with those kind of odds. "And that power isn’t going to do me any good if it’s not here when Brenda needs it!"

"Yeah, but……."

"Maybe you’re right!" Grobl punctuated his retort with a punch to Vinny’s left shoulder. "Maybe I should just let Brenda take it out on your BUTT when she tries to take a close-up and the camera shuts down!"

Vinny let out a long, terse breath, looking from Grobl to Robin to Jax and back to Grobl. "I’m gonna go find Louie," he finally announced grimly.

"Smart move, Vinny," Grobl muttered, patting him on the back. "VERY smart move." They watched Vinny amble away from them and then Grobl turned to Jax. "And who the h*ll are you?"

"Geez……." Jax whistled softly and smiled at Robin. "You’re a tight group, aren’t you?"

"We’ve been through a lot together," she replied, chagrinned. Then she extended a hand towards the shorter man. "Jax, this is Bill Grobl, head photographer on the shoot." The wiry, khaki-clad man shook Jax’s hand briskly. "Bill, this is Jasper Jacks. He’s our body double for Lucky Spencer."

"Pleased to meet you," Jax smiled at Grobl. "And the name is Jax – with an X."

"Sorry about the hostile welcome, Jax" Grobl grinned sheepishly. "Most of us have been with Brenda through thick and thin and we…….well, let’s just say we tend to get a little clannish."

"Sounds good to me." Jax hid his elation well. If he couldn’t think of a legitimate reason to be with Brenda during the entire photo shoot, at least the Neanderthals she worked with seemed to be protective of her.

"YO – GROBL!!" Three sets of eyes turned towards a man who was readjusting the lighting bars on the far side of the set. "Do you want the red gels on these or the violet?"

"The VIOLET, you idiot!!" Grobl yelled back. He muttered a string of swear words and then turned apologetically to Jax. "I’ll see ‘ya later, Jax ……I gotta go straighten this out before the boss gets here." He turned to leave and then pointed at Jax, giving Robin a keen look. "He needs makeup."

Jax waited until Grobl was out of earshot to turn to Robin. "I thought Brenda said that SHE was the photographer on the shoot?" He inclined his head towards the wiry spitfire, who was gesturing grandly as he made his preferences about the lighting gels MORE than clear. "But now this Grobl fellow says HE’S in charge?"

"Things have changed a LOT in the past five years in advertising photography, Jax," Robin explained with a smile. She crooked a finger at him, leading him carefully through the maze of cables and lighting booms. "We use digital cameras now, in addition to traditional still cameras. That way, we can send preliminary images electronically to Baldwin-Coe in New York. The executive in charge of writing the ad copy can make changes or even revamp the entire campaign, depending on how it looks in the early stages." She gestured towards the area with the tables. "We often work under critical deadlines and don’t have time to re-shoot many of our ads." She laughed softly. "We took a page from our counterparts in the television industry and now we shoot with multiple cameras, from multiple angles. That way, we’re *assured* of getting *something* that we can use for a campaign."

"So Brenda will still be photographing me?" Jax asked, shifting the garment bag to his other arm.

"Yep." Robin nodded and rested the clipboard against her waistline. "She’ll be the principal photographer, but Grobl is her main backup, shooting the same poses from other angles and with alternate lighting. He’s been her number two for longer than I can remember." She smiled wistfully. "They work really well together – almost like they were opposite halves of the same artistic brain."

Before Jax could ask just HOW close Brenda was to her creative counterpart, Robin placed a hand on his arm and turned him in the opposite direction. "You really need to get your makeup and tux on – we don’t have long before Brenda gets here." She frowned and peered around him, her eyes lighting up a few seconds later. "Colleen!" She waved at a tall blonde. "Would you show Mister Jacks where he can change?"

{STILL with the shouting?} Jax took a breath to say something but before the words came out, shy, petite little Robin cut loose with a bellow to wake the dead.

"AND WOULD YOU SLAP SOME FOUNDATION ON HIM?" She put her fingers to Jax’s chin, turning his face in the light and staring at it judicially. "I THINK WE SHOULD TRY MAX FACTOR NUMBER SIX ON HIS LIPS!!"

Jax stifled the groan that threatened to erupt. {Foundation. Lipstick. If the guys on my SEAL team ever hear about this, I’m a dead man.}

*~*~*~*

If they could see me now, that little gang of mine,

"Marty – those gels still aren’t right!!" Brenda eyed a bank of lights with a critical frown before glancing at one of the round tables. "Ohhhhhhh, man -- that candelabra is tarnished – and the candles are crooked!!" At her wail of displeasure, three more technicians rushed to the table and whisked away the offending hollowware. She tapped two fingers against her lips before her eyes widened and she cringed, covering her ears with her hands. "AND SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL STAN TO CAN THAT MUSIC BEFORE I HURL!!!"

Robin sauntered up, a jaunty smile on her face and clipboard still in hand. "So – I see things are going well, as usual!"

"Geeeeeez, Robin……." Brenda groaned, shaking her head. "Can’t Lucy find SOMETHING else to use for the background music? ANYTHING but Kathie Lee Gifford?" She pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers, closed her eyes, and then let out a long breath before looking at her assistant again. "Where’s Jax?"

"Colleen took him off to makeup." Robin glanced over her shoulder. "He should just about be……."

They both froze. Brenda’s jaw dropped slightly and her eyes glassed over as she beheld her Mr. Perfect coming out of the small dressing room. "Ohhhhhhh. Myyyyyyyyyyy. Godddddddddddd………"

His tuxedo fit like a glove, caressing his broad shoulders before falling in a straight line that emphasized his narrow hips. The dark rich color of the satin-trimmed coat provided a stark contrast to his fair coloring and the starched white shirt he wore. Even in the darkness of night and dim lighting, his aquamarine eyes sparkled with a combination of naughtiness and little-boy innocence. He moved with masculine power and grace through the maze of cables and booms and scurrying people, oozing confident sexuality with every step. In other words, Jasper Jacks had what photographers yearned for – what advertising executives dreamed of when they wrote copy – what the buying public fell for hook, line, and sinker every time they made an impulse purchase.

Jasper Jacks had IT.

IT was undefinable. IT was something that tugged at your gut and took your breath away when you saw IT in the same room. IT was something that made other men green with envy and ravishing women tongue-tied in ITS presence. IT turned ordinary men into hunks, and handsome men into legends. IT was what made women just sigh dreamily and shake their heads when men asked, "But what do you SEE in him?"

Clark Gable had IT. Errol Flynn had IT, even playing "Robin Hood" in green tights. So did Paul Newman, and Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt, and the boy you always had a crush on in high school. And Jasper Jacks had IT, too – in spades.

Brenda swallowed hard and put a nonchalant smile on her face as Jax approached her. "Wow……." She shook her head slowly and twirled her hand in a signal for him to turn around. When he did, she whistled softly. "You look………amazing!"

"Thank you." He tugged at his collar, slipping a finger beneath the starched edges. "Just between you and me, I feel stupid with all this makeup and stuff on……"

Brenda chuckled and then licked her thumb, rubbing it against the side of his neck to remove what she obviously thought was excess foundation. "Well, if it’s any consolation, you probably won’t need so much makeup tomorrow when we shoot on Barbados – in the sunshine, and all." She grinned self-consciously. "I …..uh……well, I couldn’t help but notice that great tan you’ve got today at the pool."

"YO – BRENDA!!"

Jax seriously considered punching out Vinny’s lights for interrupting the moment. The sight of her in the moonlight, with the gentle tropical breezes lifting the raven silk of her hair ever so slightly, had sent an arrow of heat to his groin. He was enjoying the feel of Brenda’s thumb against his skin entirely too much.

She turned and waved at the persistent electrician. "OK, Vinny – I know!!" Brenda smiled apologetically at Jax and picked up a vintage Pentax 35 millimeter camera. "I’m going to go take some test shots and then we’ll be starting," she explained. She was just about to leave when she turned back to him, frowned, and chewed on her lower lip. "You haven’t been blown yet, have you?"

If he hadn’t been wearing so much bloody Cover Girl cr@p, Brenda would have seen all the color drain from his face. He didn’t *think* he had a problem, but with her standing so close, he didn’t dare risk a glance down at his trousers to see if a certain part of his body was standing at attention. "Excuse me?" he finally choked.

Brenda nodded firmly. "Yep. No doubt about it. You need to be blown."

{Ohhhhh, yeah……..that would be nice. But we haven’t even known each other twenty-four hours…….} Jax laughed nervously, sliding one hand into his trouser pocket to do some covert checking. "Well, I didn’t exactly think……" Before he finished the thought, Brenda did the unthinkable.

"ROBIN!!!! CAN YOU BLOW JAX??"

He wanted to find the deepest, darkest hole in the entire ocean – no, make that the entire UNIVERSE – and crawl inside. "Ohhhhhhh……" Jax swallowed hard. "I really don’t think she should……."

"I GOTTA GO FIND MAIZE, BRENDA!!! CAN’T COLLEEN BLOW HIM?? THAT’S HER JOB, AFTER ALL………"

{Do they REALLY have to be having this conversation at the top of their lungs in front of 30 other people I’ve never met?}

Just as Jax swore eternal bloodthirsty vengeance on Sean and his descendants for involving him in this mess, a woman in a tan smock approached Brenda. "You need something, boss?" she asked.

"Cindy, thank God!" Brenda exclaimed, grabbing her by the arms. "I’ve got to go do the final test shots, but Jax here needs to be blown before we can start and Robin is busy finding Maize and Colleen is off God knows where……."

"Say no more, Bren," Cindy smiled calmly. "I’ll blow him." As Jax watched in strangled amazement, Brenda dashed away towards the linen-covered tables. He was seriously considering calling the entire mission off when he heard Cindy say, "Close your eyes."

"What?" he whimpered. {You’re going to do it out here? In front of everybody? And shouldn’t we be introduced first?}

"Close your eyes!" she repeated, reaching into the front pocket of her smock. He barely complied with her command when she opened a small compact, lifted it to a level even with his chin, and puffed softly on it, sending a cloud of powder drifting over his face. "There we go," she announced, snapping it shut. "All done."

"What……." Jax sputtered and wiped the powder from his eyes and nostrils. "What the bloody h*ll was that for?"

"I BLEW you," Cindy explained. "The best way to erase any last-minute shine is to cover it with a very fine coating of powder. And the best way to do that is to just – blow it. All over your face."

"Oh…….." Jax blinked rapidly and tried to slow his racing heart. "Right. Yeah. Blow it. Gotcha."

"JAX!!!" His ears perked up at the sound of Brenda’s voice. She was amidst the tables, waving frantically at him. "WE GOTTA GET GOING – NOW!! I WANT TO CATCH THIS MOONLIGHT BEFORE IT GETS TOO LATE!!"

"Coming!!" Jax smiled his thanks at Cindy one last time and then carefully made his way through the throng to the set.

"Now…….." Brenda tightly gripped the traditional Pentax 35 millimeter camera that hung around her neck. "Jax, I want you to stand here next to the tables," she instructed, taking him by the arm to move him into just the right spot. "You’re waiting here to wine and dine your lady friend in the moonlight……."

"My lady friend?" Brenda lifted her camera and peered through the viewfinder, only to lower it and take Jax’s arm to move him slightly to the left. "I didn’t know there was a woman model in the shot, too," he said. The multitude of strangers milling around the set was already a concern – *more* models only increased the risk and made his job that much more difficult.

Brenda turned away to squint at the lighting booms, then faced Jax again and nodded her approval. "There’s not – exactly," she explained, raising the camera again. "I mean, we never see her face – just her hand and maybe her arm." She lowered the camera and stepped forward to straighten Jax’s bow tie. "We’re going to add the blurred impression of a crowd digitally to save on payroll and cut costs. You’ll get a better idea when we get farther along in the shoot." Jax was about to speak again when Brenda backed away and cut loose with another ear-splitting command. "STANLEY – CUE THE MUSIC!!!" More lights hummed to life and he blinked in surprise when she squeezed off three shots. "AND SOMEBODY FIND MAIZE!!!"

I’d like those stumblebums to see for a fact,

Jax tried not to cringe visibly at the music’s raucous blare. "That’s good, very good……." Brenda crooned, snapping more photos. She backed away from him, motioning him forward with her free hand. "You’re here in the moonlight, surrounded by the best of everything……and everyone……" The flash of light in the corner of his eye clued Jax in to Grobl’s presence behind and to the right of him, shooting from another angle. "You’re handsome……debonair…….." The corners of his mouth lifted in a purely masculine smile. Self-assurance was something a Navy SEAL *never* lacked. "You’re waiting for your special lady to join you…….." Brenda lowered the camera, chewed on her lip, then raised the Pentax again. "Tip your head to the right a little……..now take one of the champagne flutes and lift it…..like you’re testing it to make sure it’s good enough for her…….."

All I can say is, WOWIE!, look at where I am,

"That’s right, that’s right……." Even though Jax was new to the "modeling biz," he could detect a hollow air creeping into Brenda’s compliments. Her pace slowed, and when she occasionally lowered the camera, he could see the bridge of her nose crinkle with disappointment.

"Something wrong?" he asked, lifting one golden eyebrow. {Bloody h*ll – why does it matter so much to me? Modeling– it’s a bunch of nonsense, anyway. Insignificant when compared to rescuing hostages or bringing down some dictator. So why do I feel so awful if I’m not the success she thought I’d be?}

"No – not really." Her smile was artificial. "I just……" She sighed. "It just doesn’t feel right – like it doesn’t have …… OOMPH."

"OOMPH?

"You know…….." Brenda came up to whisk a miniscule piece of lint off the lapel of his tuxedo jacket. "That *punch* that makes a sedentary, middle-aged woman who lives in the middle of nowhere want to rush out at some ungodly hour and have her travel agent book a cruise."

"But isn’t that the copywriter’s job?"

"To some extent." Brenda readjusted some settings on her camera and then smiled when a tall woman approached them. "But the best copy in the world won’t save a print campaign that doesn’t have OOMPH." She waved the woman closer to Jax. "Maize – it’s about time!!"

"Sorry I’m late, Brenda……" Jax bit back a laugh at the contrast in their attire. The woman was dressed in jeans, a tank top, and her feet were bare. Her hair was an unruly mass of curls, crowned by a pair of dark glasses. BUT – her hands and arms were coated heavily with makeup, her manicure perfect, and a glistening diamond bracelet adorned her right wrist. "I got trapped with a bunch of old ladies in the elevator on the Aloha deck."

"OK……." Brenda shook her head and grimaced. "Well, let’s get you in here – we need to take some test shots to make sure the tone’s right on your makeup and the bracelet doesn’t flare our lenses……." She waved a hand at Jax. "You can relax for a few minutes……." Then one eye narrowed and she glared over her shoulder at Robin. "……and GET STAN TO CUT THE MUSIC AGAIN, OK?????!!!!!"

Jax nodded his understanding and moved out of the camera’s range. He took the opportunity to mentally catalogue the major players in Brenda’s crew. From the familiar way they worked with each other, he seriously doubted that any of them could be a threat to Brenda’s safety. When one of the primary light bars went dark, a collective round of obscenities led him to the conclusion that there would be more delays, so he reached up to loosen his collar and un-do his bow tie.

Ten minutes later, Brenda came up to find him lounging against the railing of the ship, arms crossed. "I’m sorry about that," she murmured, shaking her head. "Some shoots it seems like we just can’t get *anything* right the first time."

"Perfectly OK with me," Jax replied, giving her a smooth smile. "A man in my business learns to enjoy the quiet times while they last." Brenda nodded and then suddenly froze. Her eyes widened and she looked him up and down. "What?" he asked. "Is something wrong?" He looked down at his bow tie. "Oh – I’m sorry about that. I’ll have it done up again in a snap…….."

"NO!!" Brenda’s sharp exclamation made his hand freeze in mid-air. "Don’t do it again – in fact………" He pulled back a little when she snatched it from around his neck. "Don’t wear it at all."

"Brenda?" The wary sound in Robin’s voice earned Brenda’s assistant a smack in the face when the petite brunette sent Jax’s tie sailing over her shoulder. She caught the scrap of black satin and eyed Brenda dubiously. "What are you doing?"

"Making some changes." Brenda, smiling with purely feline satisfaction, never took her eyes off Jax. "Tell Stan I need him down here – I want some different music."

"Different music?" Robin’s eyes widened but nevertheless she motioned for the technician handling the music to come out on deck. "But Brenda……."

"Undo a few of those shirt buttons at your collar," Brenda commanded Jax, then glanced over her shoulder. "Vinny!! Get that light bar over here by the railing!! I’m changing the set composition!!"

"Brenda?" Robin’s voice was more strident. "You *can’t* change stuff like this," she said firmly and slowly. "You should *know* that!"

Brenda turned and grinned at her with elfin devilment. "Just watch me." She lit up like a Christmas tree when Stan came up to her, grabbing his arm and whispering urgently to him. He nodded occasionally, then turned and strode quickly back to the small sound booth.

"Brenda!" Robin whispered urgently, "We have *copy* to follow! You can’t just make changes….."

"Then we’ll tell them to write NEW copy, Robin!" Brenda gushed, dancing a little in place with enthusiasm. She glanced back towards Jax again. "I want the shoes and socks off, too, by the way."

Both eyebrows rose and he swallowed hard. "Shoes and socks?" He peered around Brenda at Robin. "She’s not going any farther, is she? I mean, we DID say no nudity, right?"

A little vein in Robin’s temple was starting to throb. "Yes, we most certainly did, Mister Jacks, and I’m sure that Brenda will……"

"JUST humor me here, everyone – OK?" Brenda pleaded. She motioned at the lighting technicians, then turning to shout, "Grobl!! Back me up on this railing shot – and get me the Canon Digital 490!!!!!" She handed Robin the Pentax camera she had been using, fidgeting with restless energy until she got the equipment she wanted. "I want to send Lucy some of this video as SOON as we’re done shooting here, Robin." She covered her mouth with her hands and sighed as she stared at Jax again. "It’s going to be……..MAGIC!"

A few minutes later, the changes in the set had been made per Brenda’s instructions. Most of the tables were moved out of range, leaving only a single linen-covered table with two candles and the champagne next to the railing. The lights were lower – more intimate – more hazy and dreamlike. Jax had removed his tie, shoes, and socks and leaned against the railing, looking out at the starlit ocean, his elbows resting on the rail, his hands clasped in front of him. At a signal from Brenda, the low, rhythmic pulse of a sensual bossa nova beat filled the night.

Quiet nights of quiet stars, Quiet chords from my guitar

"Good…….no smile yet………stay focused……" Brenda spoke in hushed murmurs of encouragement as Jax stared off into space. "It’s late at night…….you’ve been dining and dancing, but now it’s time for you just you, and the heat, and your woman…….relaxing……..all night…….." When a gentle tropical breeze stirred the blonde waves over his forehead, she danced again in glee.

Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams, quiet walks by quiet streams

"Now…….." Brenda held her left hand out in front of her, gesturing directions to Jax as she balanced the digital camera in her right. "Don’t turn yet…….but you can FEEL her……..your woman……." Jax straightened slightly, his eyes smoldering with silent longing. "You can *feel* that she’s coming to you……..now………you know she’s here…….and you turn to greet her…….."

This is where I want to be, here with you so close to me

Robin stuffed her knuckle in her mouth to stop the audible gasp at the fire in Jax’s expression. When he turned away from the railing towards the camera and an approaching Maize, his eyes were hypnotic – a swirling kaleidoscope of greens and blues and grays that mirrored the colors of the Caribbean.

I, who was lost and lonely, believing life was only

"OK," Brenda whispered tersely, "now Maize – come into the frame – just far enough for Jax to take your hand…….." Maize’s arm, draped in diamonds, appeared in Brenda’s viewfinder, only to have Jax lift her hand to his lips. Just as he was about to place a kiss on the back of her knuckles, he looked up – and the raw passion and sensual hunger in his eyes sent shivers down Brenda’s spine. "And………that’s a WRAP!!!!"

A shout went up from the entire crew as Brenda squealed in happiness. She danced from technician to technician, accepting their congratulations, until she finally got to Robin. "That was – AWESOME!!" her assistant raved, giving her a hug. "It’s just…….."

Brenda pulled back and frowned at Robin’s diminishing enthusiasm. "Just……what?"

"Well, it’s a shame that we’ll have to use Lucky’s face instead of Jax’s." She looked over to the railing, where he awkwardly stood accepting praise from various members of the crew. "He has SUCH beautiful eyes!"

"Yep." Brenda smiled coyly as she handed Robin the digital camera. "And those eyes are gonna sell a LOT of cruises, my friend!!"

Robin’s jaw dropped and her smile disappeared. "WHAT???!!!"

"Robin, you saw how amazing Jax was in the shoot! You saw the way he nearly set the camera on fire!" She pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "How can we go back to using ground round when we’ve got filet mignon right here under our noses?"

Robin mirrored Brenda’s stance. "It’s called a CONTRACT, Brenda," she returned acidly, "and Lucky *has* one with Baldwin Coe, in case you’ve forgotten!!"

"One that he couldn’t POSSIBLY fulfill with that Goodyear blimp on his lip from the collagen injection!" Brenda shot back, shaking her head. "No – Lucky left us no choice, Robin. We had a deadline to meet, and so we found ourselves a different model."

"But Brenda……."

"JAX!!" Brenda cut off any of Robin’s objections when she greeted the man himself as he strolled up to them. "You were……..AMAZING!!"

"What can I say, Miss Barrett," he crooned smoothly. He took her hand in his, placing a kiss on her knuckles much the way he had done in the photo shoot. "You *inspire* me."

"Awwwww……it was nothin." Robin gave her rebellious boss a heated look before quickly vanishing from the scene. "I….uh….." Brenda stammered, suddenly awkward as Jax refused to let go of her hand. She felt prickles travel up her arm like 4^th of July sparklers under her skin. "I *really* do *owe* you for doing this for us, you know," she added in a whisper, smiling at him warmly.

He rose one eyebrow sexily. "You do?"

"Yeah." She finally pulled her hand away and clasped both of them behind her back nervously. "BIG time."

He stepped closer to her, tipping her face up to his with a knuckle beneath her chin. "Good. Because I know how you can repay me."

"You do?" she squeaked. All of that potent masculinity would do wonders to sell cruises but was frankly a little overwhelming when directed solely in *her* direction. She swallowed hard. "How?"

"I don’t think I’m quite ready for this evening to end yet." Jax winked at her and stroked the side of her face with his finger gently. "Have dinner with me, Miss Barrett."

The short man looked around nervously several times. He clutched the burlap bag tightly to his chest, anxious to get the transaction completed and be finished with the entire project. Just as he was about to turn and go back to his small stateroom, he heard a guttural growl come from the shadows behind him.

"You have the merchandise?"

"You’re late." The short man eyed the tall, dark-haired man with as much disdain as he could, considering the fact that he was scared to death. "You said you’d be here at 10:30."

"I was unavoidably detained." The dark-haired man took the bag from the shorter man and opened it, removing one thick, bulky, brick-shaped object. "Is this it?"

"Some of it." The shorter man shifted from side to side nervously. "The disks are inside the bag so you can produce as much as you want." He looked over his shoulder at the stairway leading to the deck above. "I’m sure you’ll find it to be the same high quality as the previous samples."

The dark-haired man held the stack up to the light, then smiled demonically and nodded. "Excellent." He put the stack back inside the bag and tightened the drawstring to close it. "Then I would say our negotiations are complete, wouldn’t you?"

"But what about……."

The shorter man never finished his objection. The silencer on the dark-haired man’s gun stifled the sickening sound of the bullet until it entered the man’s chest, where it tore a path to his heart and killed him instantly. Two accomplices rushed out of the shadows to catch the short man’s body before it hit the deck. At a nod from the tall, dark-haired man, they dumped the corpse over the railing, consigning it to the deep.

"Very good," the tall man murmured, grasping the bag to his chest. "And so – it begins. Whether Scorpio likes it – or not."

To be continued……..

Music credit: "If My Friends Could See Me Now," from the musical, "Sweet Charity," music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields

"Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Portuguese lyrics by Gene Lees