Jax nodded and then she saw the hint of tears in his eyes. He took a deep breath. "Brenda.......who’s Sonny?"

{Dummit. This isn’t at all good. What’s that old saying? Two steps forward and a dozen steps back?}

"What......" Brenda swallowed hard and then took a deep breath of her own. "What did I say about Sonny?"

"Not much." Jax’s words were clipped and cold. "Who is he, Brenda?"

"WAS, Jax. He WAS someone in my past." Brenda snorted softly as she plucked at some imaginary lint on the sheet. "It almost seems like a lifetime ago that I knew him." {If you only knew how true that really was.} Jax still looked upset and Brenda reached out to touch his arm. "Sonny was bad news, Jax. He’s not a part of my life anym......"

Jax pulled his arm away abruptly. "He didn’t sound like bad news the way you were crying for him, Brenda." He got up from the bed, snatching his blue silk robe from a chair. When he put it on, he tied the belt so vigorously Brenda thought it would cut him in half. He walked about ten feet away from the bed and then turned back with his hands on his hips. "You were begging him not to leave you, Brenda."

{That must have been the time Sonny got mad when I found those papers in his desk. The ones about the money…..and Benny. Sonny told me it was over between us and that he never wanted to see me again. I never should have apologized and tried so hard to patch things up between us.}

Brenda swung her legs out of the bed and reached for her own robe. "A lot of things happened between Sonny and me, Jax," she explained, trying to keep her voice calm. "Let’s just say that I know more about him now than I did then." She walked towards him slowly. "As it turns out, Sonny leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Jax backed away from her. "So he’s some guy from your past?"

"*Yes*, Jax," she replied gently. "I said that before." She ran her fingers through her hair to push it back off her face. "It may be true that I don’t remember a lot, but I’m sure that sh.......that I wasn’t a virgin when you and I first got together. You can’t possibly be jealous of every man I ever knew before I met you."

Jax sighed and then turned away from her. "It’s just all so confusing, Brenda." He turned back and she saw the faint glint of tears again. "You say you don’t remember the past, but these things keep popping up. The dog, the step-sister, now a long-lost lover......" He finally moved a little towards her but didn’t touch her. "Can’t you see how hard this is for me? How can I really believe that you’re not remembering *everything* and just stringing me along?"

Brenda saw the pain in his eyes and remembered what he told her the night before. How he had finally felt secure enough to let her in. She knew that for a powerful man like Jax to allow himself to be vulnerable was no easy feat. Chewing on her lower lip, she turned away from him.

{OK, God – I’m going to need help on this one again. YOU were the one who wanted us together, and I don’t think You would let that all slip away too easily. So if You could help me say the right thing here and give my strategy a little nudge in the right direction in Jax’s mind, it would be SOOO awesome…..}

"Brenda?" Jax came closer to her but Brenda still didn’t turn back towards him. "Did you hear what I said?"

She nodded and took a shaky breath. "Yes, Jax. I heard every word." She slowly revolved to face him. "And I think you’re right."

Jax looked like somebody knocked the wind out of him. {Wait a minute……that’s not the way she usually acts when I accuse her of something. Not even since she died. Usually she gets mad, or swears she won’t do that anymore. What’s going on?} He swallowed hard. "You do?"

Brenda nodded again and then turned to walk towards her side of the bed, untying the sash on her robe as she did. "Yep. I know that it was difficult for you to finally take the chance and make love to me last night." She turned back to face him and the robe fell open about an inch, displaying a narrow ribbon of bare flesh from the hollow of her neck to her toes. "And now here I am, talking about some man from my past, and all those old insecurities are coming back."

Jax’s heart was racing at the sight of her and he hoped his cheeks weren’t flushed. "Yeah," he replied in a strangled voice. "That’s about it."

She smiled angelically at him and the robe fell from her shoulders to puddle in a pool around her feet. "That’s why I’ve made a decision." Brenda could see desire turning Jax’s eyes to a dark shade of lapis, and she prayed for help again as she turned away from him to reach into a small night table. She heard him clear his throat loudly, and when she closed the drawer, she was holding the pair of his boxers and his T-shirt that she had started wearing during his trip. When she slowly raised her arms to slide the T-shirt on, she heard Jax mutter something under his breath. "What was that, honey?" she asked innocently from inside the shirt. "I didn’t hear you."

"I said – what kind of decision, Brenda?" {Is she doing this on purpose? What the bloody h*ll is going on?}

Brenda pulled the T-shirt down around her hips and then smiled at him before turning around to sit on the bed and don the boxers. "I really think it’s the only logical thing we *can* do, considering your doubts, Jax." She pulled up the boxers and Jax gulped silently again when her breasts jiggled with the effort. At least now she was clothed, but Jax wasn’t at all prepared for her next words to him. "I don’t think we should make love until you feel you can trust me again." She looked around the room and then crossed her arms. "In fact, I think Thomas told me that the east wing doesn’t smell like bug spray anymore." Her tone was dispassionate – definitely not vengeful or angry. "Maybe Jon and I should move out of this room and into one of the bedrooms on the other side of the house."

Jax watched her walk briskly around the end of the bed and towards the door with his mouth open. "Brenda……are you saying that to try to get even with me somehow? Is that supposed to make me feel guilty……that you don’t want me until I trust you completely?"

"No, Jax." Her face was still serene and matter-of-fact as she stood at the open door. "I’m just trying to see things from your perspective, and I think you have some valid doubts. And I think that *you’re* the only one who can work through them, so when you do….." She moved into the hallway. "……let me know."

Jax sputtered a few times but then Brenda glanced towards the clock on her side of the bed. "I’m really sorry to run out like this, honey, but I promised Lois we would get together today to go over the contracts for Mona before we sign them for L&B." She pointed over her shoulder down the hallway. "I’m just going to the kitchen to grab some coffee. I’ll probably be gone most of the day."

Brenda closed the door with a click and missed Jax’s shocked expression. But she lingered long enough outside the door and smiled when she heard him talking loudly to himself…….and he definitely wasn’t ALMOST swearing.

*****************

It was late in the afternoon when Brenda finally returned to the house. She frowned as she came through the front door to a darkened foyer. "Jax?" She dropped her purse and keys on the hallway table and glanced through the mail. After pulling out a note with her name on it, she walked towards the kitchen. "Jax? Thomas? Is anybody here?"

The kitchen was flooded with bright light, a vivid contrast to the hallway and foyer. Brenda squinted and held her hand up to shade her eyes when she finally heard a human voice. "Mrs. Brenda! You’re finally home!"

Brenda smiled and walked over towards a stool at the kitchen counter. "I thought I had been transported to the Twilight Zone there for a minute, Thomas." She grabbed some celery from an appetizer tray and munched on it. "Where is everybody?"

Thomas shrugged but Brenda thought she saw him hide a quick smile. "I really don’t know, Mrs. Brenda. I’ve been so busy preparing supper that I lost track of everyone." He stirred something on the stove and didn’t look back at her.

Brenda frowned again and opened the note addressed to her. "Well, this answers part of it," she said to Thomas. "Robin took Jon over to Lois’s house for the evening." She tapped the closed note against her lips in thought. "I wonder why Lois didn’t mention that to me earlier today….."

"Perhaps it just slipped her mind, Mrs. Brenda." Thomas shifted a pot to the back burner but when Brenda reached for another stalk of celery, he moved like lightning to slap her hand playfully. "There won’t be any left for supper if you keep that up."

She grinned at him triumphantly as she held up a celery stick she managed to liberate before he stopped her. "So…..have you seen Mr. Jacks anywhere? Is he holed up in his study on the telephone again?"

Thomas turned back towards the stove abruptly. "I believe I heard him say he was going to take a short nap before dinner, Mrs. Brenda. He’s probably in the bedroom."

"Thanks, Thomas. I’ll go that way and check." Brenda thought it was odd that Thomas didn’t turn back and give her one of his warm smiles as she left the room. But she was so anxious to see how Jax had reacted to her little ultimatum that morning that she walked briskly back to the foyer and then into the hallway that led to the bedroom. Had she lingered outside the kitchen, she would have heard Thomas happily singing an Aboriginal song about lusty swagmen and billabongs.

The hallway to their bedroom was dimly lit, but Brenda managed to make her way there. She opened the door gently in case Jax *was* actually sleeping, but the bed was empty. Brenda came into the room and closed the door behind her again, but when she turned back towards the bed, she caught her breath.

The room was lit by dozens of tiny blue candles. Blue silk sheets outfitted their bed. The patio doors on the side of the room were open just enough to allow the sound of the waves and a gentle breeze to waft over the bed. It was erotic, and sensual --- and empty.

"Jax? Are you in here?" Brenda walked gingerly towards bed but then she noticed a light coming from the bathroom.

"Brenda……I’m in here. Come on in." Jax’s voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear it.

{Okayyyyyyyy, what’s going on here? Is this a seduction or a setup for divorce papers?}

Brenda walked slowly towards the bathroom. "Jax? Are you OK?"

"Come on in and find out for yourself."

She wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Certainly not more candles. Certainly not the sound of soft, sensual guitar music. But as she pushed the door to the bathroom open, Brenda found that, and more. A gleaming silver stand with a bucket of ice and a chilling bottle of champagne stood next to the tub. And when she finally looked into the bathtub, she gasped aloud. "JAX? WHAT THE BLOODY HECK ARE YOU DOING?"

Jasper Jacks -- captain of industry, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the United States, heir to the J&J Jacks corporate fortune, chairman of some of the most prestigious and revered charitable foundations in America – was sitting in a bathtub filled with M&M’s. *Blue* M&M’s. ONLY blue M&M’s. And apparently, beneath all that fodder for tooth decay, Jax was naked as the day he was born.

He raised a champagne glass to Brenda. "Good evening, sweetie!" Then he smiled and gestured towards the tub. "Care to join me?"

A hearty chuckle rose from deep inside Brenda’s chest as she sat on the side of the tub. "I…..uh…..I’ve never seen anyone ……taking a bath in M&M’s before, Jax."

Jax sipped some champagne and then set the glass down, grabbing the sides of the tub to settle himself deeper into the noisy little candies. "Really, Brenda…..I’m *so* disappointed in you."

Brenda arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "Disappointed? And why is that?"

"Because I thought that you understood the significance of blue M&M’s."

"So I take it you’re going to explain it to me." Brenda stifled her giggle.

"Absolutely, Mrs. Jacks." Jax reached down and picked up one of the candies, holding it between his thumb and first finger like a television commercial. "The blue M&M, you see, has a definite meaning when given from one individual to another."

"And that would be?" Brenda reached down to take a handful of the candies and sifted them slowly through her fingers back into the tub.

Before she could pull her hand back, Jax grabbed her by the wrist. She looked up into his eyes and saw the playfulness had been replaced by raw emotion. "It means that the giver acted like a horse’s @ss this morning, and he sincerely hopes his beautiful wife will forgive him for being such a jealous fool."

Brenda’s rate of breathing accelerated slightly. "But what about green M&M’s? Wouldn’t they be more appropriate, considering the jealousy thing?"

Jax used his grip on her wrist to pull himself closer to her. "No – you’re getting that confused. The green ones are an aphrodisiac. The blue ones are rarer, and more contemporary – just like you." Then he gave her a deliciously naughty smile. "And besides – I’ve always been told I look better in blue – don’t you agree?"

Brenda slowly rose to her feet and began to unbutton her blouse. "Well, I think I need to do some closer investigation before I can make a decision on that one." Jax settled back into the tub and watched her as she undressed. Brenda stared into his amazing blue/green/gray eyes as she provocatively removed her blouse, skirt, and pantyhose until she stood before him in a daring teddy. When she unsnapped it and pushed the straps down her shoulders so that it fell to the bathroom floor at her feet, Jax’s eyes widened even farther. She held out a hand daintily to him. "I think I might need some help getting in the tub……"

Jax shifted towards her and the candies rattled again as he took her hand. "Absolutely, Mrs. Jacks. I wouldn’t want you to lose your footing since these are rather slippery little devils!"

When Brenda’s foot sank into the M&M’s, she squealed in delight. "JAX! This feels……" He held her hand as she put her second foot into the crackling mass of candy. "JAX!"

"You’re being very redundant, Mrs. Jacks," he teased, pulling her to sit astride his lap. "Now why don’t you find a comfortable place to sit here in the tub with me and enjoy the mood."

Brenda picked up several of the candies and fed one to Jax after popping one in her own mouth. He had barely had a chance to chew it when she leaned forward to kiss him, her breasts rubbing against his bare chest. When she pulled out of the kiss, her breathing was rapid and her eyes were glazed. "You’re crazy, do you know that Mr. Jacks?"

He traced a finger down her cheek. "About you? Guilty as charged, Mrs. Jacks," he replied in a husky voice. Then he tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. "Will you ever forgive me for the way I acted this morning?"

"There’s no need to apologize, Jax," Brenda whispered. "I told you this morning that I understood that it was hard for you to trust me again."

"But you were right, Brenda. I can’t possibly be jealous of every man you ever knew before we were together." He looked down in embarrassment. "I really still don’t understand it all myself." Then he looked back up and she saw his eyes were slightly moist. "I don’t ever remember being this jealous before." He pulled her even closer to him, running his hands up to cup her breasts before sliding them up to cradle her face. "But then – I don’t remember loving you this much before, either."

Brenda sighed in happiness as their lips met for another passionate kiss. She shifted slightly on his lap and then pulled away abruptly, her eyes registering mock surprise. "Jax! I feel something underneath me……and it definitely doesn’t have a hard candy shell!"

Jax gave her a wicked smile. "Well……I can guarantee that it won’t melt in your hands…..and probably not even in your mouth, either!"

"Welllll, why don’t we find out?" Brenda returned his suggestive grin but Jax prevented her from sliding down his chest. He grabbed her hands before they could dive into the candy between them to find the proof of his desire for her. Her eyes showed her surprise when he pushed her away a little.

"No, Brenda." He easily flipped her over onto her back so that they were both facing the bathroom ceiling, him spooning her from behind. "This time is just for you," he whispered in her ear. Brenda’s back arched against him as Jax brought his hands up under her armpits to cup her breasts. Her eyes rolled back as he caressed them until the nipples blossomed into hard magenta nubs. When his hands slid down over her stomach, Brenda raised her arms and locked them behind his head, leaving herself even more open and accessible to his attentions. He trailed kisses down the side of her neck as his fingers moved beneath the surface of the rustling candies to find her softness. When he touched the spot that was aching for his attention, Brenda practically purred in contentment.

While Jax’s fingers worked magic from inside Brenda’s body, the feel of him nipping at her shoulder and soothing it with his tongue caused her to moan loudly. "That’s right, my love," he whispered in her ear. "Let it all out. You don’t have to worry about disturbing the baby since he’s with Robin tonight."

Brenda didn’t have to be told twice. Her moans and whimpers grew louder as Jax caressed her gently, and then increased the tempo and pressure, only to pull back when he felt her nearing her peak. She dug her heels into the tub’s surface and pushed herself higher so that when she turned her head to the side, her lips met Jax’s for a sizzling kiss. Her fingers threaded into the hair at the back of his neck and when Jax’s tongue finally mimicked the motion of his fingers, the internal explosion shook her down to her toes.

When her whimpers faded and Jax felt her breathing slow, he shifted in the tub. Scooping her into his arms, he stepped out of the tub and carried her to their bed, dripping stray candies as he did. They lay in each other’s arms and it didn’t take long for passion to re-ignite. Brenda pushed Jax down onto his back and when she climbed astride his lap, she reached for him and they found their perfect fit yet again. Their cries of fulfillment drifted out the doors of the bedroom and dispersed on the cool night air.

Much later, Jax reached for a glass of champagne from the nightstand. He took a sip and then extended the glass to Brenda, who still lay in his arms. She drank from the same spot on the glass, savoring the taste of him. He returned the glass to the nightstand and then reached into a small crystal bowl of blue M&M’s that sat on the nightstand. After popping a few into his mouth, he fed a few to Brenda with a smile. "Somehow I don’t think I’ll ever look at blue M&M’s the same way after this, Mr. Jacks," she purred.

Jax chuckled. "Obviously Thomas hasn’t told you what’s on tonight’s dinner menu."

Brenda pushed herself up a little by placing a flat hand on Jax’s chest. "What do you mean?"

"Welllll," Jax drawled, "last time I heard, we were having veal breaded with a topping of ground M&M’s, green beans with melted M&M topping, and for dessert -- M&M cookies, ice cream with M&M’s and chocolate sauce, or just plain….M&M’s!!" Brenda laughed and Jax winked at her. "Of course, all of the above will include candies of every color – EXCEPT blue!"

"So he helped you with this little seduction scenario of yours?"

Jax shrugged and threw an arm over his head on the pillow. "Somebody had to help me sort all those little buggers and use the ones that were left over." He looked at Brenda in mock frustration. "You know, I’ve got half a mind to buy that candy company tomorrow and institute a policy of allowing *important* customers to just buy boxes of all one color."

Brenda glanced around them at the tiny candies that littered the blue satin sheets. "Well, it’s a good thing they live up to their name and don’t melt. Thomas would have a fit if he found blue candy stains all over the sheets."

Jax sat up a little, his eyes brightening. "Ah, but I discovered that part of that advertising is false under certain circumstances, Mrs. Jacks." He held up a finger and then Brenda pulled away from him so that Jax could sit up against the headboard. Grabbing a glass of champagne and an M&M from the bowl on the nightstand, Jax proceeded to demonstrate with mock seriousness. "You see," he said, holding the candy aloft, "normally the candy does NOT melt in your fingers. But, when dipped into a glass of champagne……" He delicately lowered the candy into his glass for a few seconds, pulled it out, shook it gently to get rid of the excess liquid, and then held it up in front of Brenda’s eyes. "……some kind of chemical reaction causes the candy shell to dissolve, thusly!" Before Brenda could object, Jax took the melting candy and rubbed it against Brenda’s shoulder, leaving a long blue mark.

"Jax!" Brenda squealed as he took the candy and drew a heart just above her left breast. Her smile began to fade, though, as he reached for another candy and drew various designs on the full center of her breast, causing her nipple to draw to a hard button. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply when he took another piece of candy and expressed his artistic creativity on her other breast.

When she managed to open her eyes, Jax saw the fire of passion ignite again. "You know," she murmured, reaching for one of the candies herself, "we’ll probably have to take a LONG shower together to get all this blue coloring off our bodies."

Jax smiled wickedly at her as she drew a heart on his upper thigh and inscribed their initials. "I’m way ahead of you, Mrs. Jacks." He leaned down to lick the candy stains off her breast, being VERY thorough in his efforts. "Mmmmm," he purred, "just as sweet as the candy itself." Brenda moaned loudly as Jax continued to draw his tongue around the outside edges of her breast, working his way inward to cleanse her of the "paint" confection.

Suddenly, Brenda pushed Jax onto his back, reaching over him for a handful of candies. "I’ve got a better idea." She took one, dipped it in the champagne, and then handed it to him. "Now, I want you to take this candy and draw a heart somewhere on your body, but don’t tell me where." She closed her eyes and sat expectantly.

Jax frowned a little but proceeded to do as Brenda instructed. "OK. Done. Now what?"

She smiled contentedly. "Now, I’m going to find the heart and clean it off for you, the same way you did for me."

With her eyes closed, Brenda didn’t see the way Jax’s eyes sparkled with desire. "That sounds like a great idea, sweetie, but don’t you need to open your eyes first?"

Brenda reached behind her and, never opening her eyes, moved further down to sit on Jax’s knees. "Well, that probably would make it easier." She felt Jax’s chest start to rise and fall more quickly as she bent towards him to whisper, "But you *know* how I love a challenge."

"Brenda.......oh, God.....Brenda!" Jax clutched at her hair as she began her quest. His back bowed off the bed with her determined inquiries.

She stopped momentarily to pull herself up to his chest and give him an open-mouthed kiss. "Don’t worry, honey," she murmured, "I’ll find it."

And thirty minutes later -- she did.

******************

"Hello?" Jax usually made it a practice not to shout into the telephone, but his patience was wearing thin. "Is somebody there?" He waited a few seconds and then slammed the phone down on the base. There was a cautious knock at the door of Jax’s study as he sighed and sat back in his desk chair. "Yes?"

Robin Scorpio stuck her head inside the door. "I take it this is a bad time?"

Jax motioned for her to come into the room. "Not at all, Robin. I’ve always got time for you."

Robin came to stand in front of his desk and sat down when he pointed towards one of the chairs. "Problems?"

Jax glanced towards the telephone before looking back at Robin. "Have you had any prank phone calls lately? Hang-ups or heavy breathers?"

Robin frowned. "Not that I can remember." Then she held up a finger. "Although now that you mention it, I seem to recall Brenda having one about three days ago." She shrugged. "Other than that, it’s been quiet."

Jax sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests. "So, what can I do for you today, Miss Scorpio?"

"Well, actually I was looking for Brenda." She looked over her shoulder at the beach through the glass doors. "Thomas thought she might either be in here or out on the beach with Jon."

"No to both," Jax replied. "She had to make a quick run to Lois’s house to straighten out some last minute details on the dates for Mona’s recording sessions and took Jon with her." He suddenly noticed that Robin looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Is there a problem?"

Robin grimaced. "Not really, other than the bureaucrats at the temp agency driving me crazy again." She leaned forward. "Have I told you recently how grateful I am that you managed to get them to let me out of my contract so you could hire me on a permanent basis?"

Jax smiled. "Several times, but that’s OK -- I always enjoy hearing it again."

Robin shook her head. "Now that I don’t have to deal with them regularly, it just makes me that much more frustrated when I have to take care of these little details so they can close my file."

"What kind of details?"

Robin sighed. "Oh, some third-string secretary flunky seems to think that there’s an irregularity with the signature on my initial contract with you and Brenda." She pulled out a paper and Jax frowned and reached out to take it from her.

"What kind of irregularity?" He scanned the document quickly. "It all looks like it’s in order to me."

"Well, remember the day you signed it? Brenda was gone somewhere and I couldn’t get her signature at the time."

"So?" He pointed to the signature. "Obviously you took care of that some time afterwards."

Robin nodded. "In the hospital, the morning after Jon was born."

Jax shrugged. "Then what seems to be the problem?"

"This anal-retentive clerk is saying that Brenda’s signature doesn’t match a signature they’ve got on file from my first meeting with the both of you." Jax arched an eyebrow. "You know -- when you first found out that Brenda was pregnant." Robin sighed. "And now they want me to get the papers signed all over again."

"For services rendered over two months ago?"

"They’re just trying to dot every "i" and cross every "t", I guess." Robin looked down into an envelope she carried and pulled out some legal size documents. "I really hate to ask you to do this, but would you mind signing it again?"

Jax grabbed the paper from her. "No problem, Robin." He signed his name with a flourish and was about to hand it back to her, but then held onto it at the last moment. "Why don’t I save you some trouble and get Brenda to sign it when she gets back from Lois’s?"

"That would be so great, Jax," Robin smiled. She rose to her feet. "You know, I don’t think I could have ever found a more wonderful family to work for. You and Brenda are great parents, and Jon is the sweetest baby I’ve ever seen in my life."

Jax smiled broadly. "Well, I’m probably prejudiced, but I do think he’s pretty terrific myself." His phone started to ring again and he glared at it. "I swear, if that’s another hang-up, I’ll……"

Robin laughed and moved towards the door. "That’s as good a cue for me to scram as I’ve ever heard! Thanks again, Jax!"

Jax nodded and waved at her as he picked up the phone with the other hand. "Hello!!"

"Well, if that’s the way you answer the phone, it’s no *wonder* we’re losing business."

Jax sighed and rested his forehead in his free hand. "Very funny, Jerry."

"You sound stressed. Something wrong with Brenda or Jon?" Jerry’s voice broke for a second. "Has Brenda gone back to her former behaviors….."

"No, no," Jax said, leaning back in his chair. "Just some prank phone calls – nothing serious." He took a deep breath but then sat forward and started pushing files around on his desk. "How are things going there? Any forward progress with the labor union problem?"

Jerry sighed. "Unfortunately, no. We’re still at a standstill in negotiations. If it wasn’t for that, the docks renovation project would already be underway."

Jax arched an eyebrow as he located the file he was searching for. He opened it and started leafing through the papers so quickly he never noticed that in the process, the contract Robin needed signed got shuffled into the open file. "Do you need me to come out there and help apply some discreet pressure, big brother?"

"Not really, Jax. Ned flew out here a few days ago and after talking with his grandfather, they’ve come up with a new strategy."

"Bribery or blackmail?" Jax asked dryly.

"Neither, actually. They gave me the name of some local big shot who supposedly has influence with the leaders of the labor unions. I’m meeting with him tomorrow."

"What’s his name?"

Jax heard papers shuffling at the other end. "Something odd – Corona, maybe?"

Jax snorted. "Is he a politician or a cigar?" He sat back and twirled the phone cord. "Are you sure you can handle this alone? Because things are going well here, and I really wouldn’t mind making the trip if you think it would help…..Brenda might even enjoy getting out of town for a few days……" He smiled gently as he began to think of the possibilities of a long weekend away with Brenda without the baby or telephone to interrupt them.

"Let’s not hit the panic button yet, Jax. I’ll meet with this guy tomorrow and then let you know." Jax sat up and closed the file on his desk – including the employment contract for Robin. "I *do* think it would be good PR, though, if you and Brenda could come out here for the big ground-breaking in a few weeks."

"We’ll be there, Jer." Jax smiled broadly. "I’m sure Brenda will love the idea – she’s never been to the East Coast, you know."

"Well, this Port Charles burg isn’t exactly the Big Apple, but Ned’s grandfather is a sideshow all by himself, I’ll tell you that!"

The door to the study opened and Brenda entered, carrying Jon. "Well, Uncle Jerry, your nephew and his mommy just got back from Aunt Lois’s and I think there’s just enough light left for the three of us to take a walk on the beach."

"You do that, Jax." Jerry’s voice was warm with emotion. "I’m glad things are working out so well for you."

Jax’s reply was delayed when Brenda came over and kissed him enthusiastically. "They are, bro," he replied, his gaze never straying from Brenda’s face. "I’d say things are d*mn near perfect."

**************

Brenda was having the most wonderful dream. She and Jax were having a picnic on the beach. Jon was about five years old and was romping happily in the shallow water while his younger sister was building a huge sand castle -- with her daddy’s help, of course. The little girl had bouncing black curls and Jax’s sparkling blue eyes, and her musical laugh echoed down the beach.

The dull thud woke Brenda immediately. She had to remind herself where she was for a few moments. After their walk on the beach, Jon had been very sleepy so Brenda had put him to bed early. When Jax gave her a lusty look and suggested they retire early themselves, Brenda nodded and he swept her up in his arms to carry her to their bedroom. Thomas left a supper tray discreetly outside the bedroom door, and they fed each other slowly and sensually, which led to another round of lovemaking.

{It was probably a noise from the beach.} They had made a habit of leaving the French doors open in their bedroom so they could hear the sounds of the ocean while they made love. Brenda was about to close her eyes and try to sleep again when she heard Jax moan softly.

"Jax?" She sat up and turned to him, touching his arm gently. "Are you OK?" When he didn’t move or make a sound, she shook him. "Jax?" Still no response.

As a cold dread chilled her, Brenda pushed herself up higher in the bed. "Jax! Wake up!" She reached up to cup the side of his face, and when her hand brushed across his forehead, she felt something warm and wet. "Jax?" Her hand was beginning to shake and she heard him moan again very softly as she touched the same spot above his eyes. When Brenda pulled her hand back, her breath caught in her chest. It was covered in blood. "JAX!!"

The hand that came down across Brenda’s mouth trapped the scream in her throat. It pushed her back onto her pillow, and just as she decided to bite her attacker, she felt the sharp point of something steel against her throat.

Trouble growled softly, but the sound of her attacker’s voice brought tears to Brenda’s eyes. "We meet again, mi amada." Miguel’s face appeared out of the shadows and he smiled demonically. "I told you I would never share you." He glanced in Jax’s direction. "I may have lost the Martinique, but I would rather see you DEAD than with any man but me!"

To be continued……

Author’s note: I can’t take credit for the sensuous combination of M&M’s and champagne. The novel by Wainscott uses green M&M’s and champagne for the love scene, but I changed them to blue candies for obvious reasons.