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Brenda was still pounding her fists on his back and kicking her feet in mid-air. "JAX! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

Jax stopped in the middle of the room. "Not yet, Brenda," he replied in a deadly serious tone.

Brenda never really feared that Jax would harm her, but his growl sent a prickle down her spine. "Jax – stop this." She stopped struggling. "I admit that I shouldn’t have been so jealous or flirted with the Torengi." She raised her upper body. "Can’t you put me down and we can discuss this calmly?"

Jax abruptly set Brenda on her feet in front of him and pulled her against his chest, making her a prisoner of his arms. "No, zira – a calm discussion is *not* exactly what I had in mind for us."

Brenda pushed at his muscular forearms but she couldn’t budge. Jax lowered his lips to the curve of her neck, alternately placing soft bites there and then soothing them with his tongue. Brenda began to feel dizzy with the passion that was mounting in her despite her resolve to remain cool. "Jax," she managed to gasp out, "what are you going to do?"

Jax raised his head and gave her a feral smile. ."I intend to do what I should have done as soon as I met you, angel," Jax hissed "I intend to show you just how truly talented a Familiar male can be!!"

Jax pulled her even closer into a kiss that almost melted every bone in Brenda’s body. His mouth moved over hers knowingly, and Brenda felt herself drowning as his musky sensual essence began to surround her. Before she could recover from the kiss, she felt Jax pull away and strip the caftan from her body, leaving her standing before him nude.

She opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Jax swung her up in his arms and carried her as far as the crystal lattice-work wall that separated the bed from the bathing pool. He continued the assault on her senses, kissing her passionately even as he placed her on her feet, her back against the wall. Pushing her against the wall and kissing her again, Jax stroked her tongue with his.

"Jax!" Brenda struggled to take an even breath, and Jax only smiled smugly and pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it towards the bed. "You must stop – I can’t breathe!" Brenda saw his eyes sparkling with violet-tinted fireworks. Jax’s fingers went to the fastening of his breeches and he lowered them to the floor slowly. His arousal was obvious and powerful. "Jax, please….can’t we talk about this?"

He walked towards her, standing inches away from her so that her bare breasts brushed against the fine dusting of hair on his chest. As Jax glanced downwards and smiled. "But zira," he said seductively, "from the looks of things, talking isn’t what you want me to do."

Brenda closed her eyes in frustration, trying desperately to fight the spell he was weaving around her. When she opened her eyes again, she didn’t see him at first. She hadn’t seen as he dropped to the floor in front of her. The lattice-work wall didn’t reach all the way to the floor behind Brenda, ending at the level of her knees. Jax scooted himself down, pushing her feet apart so that he could extend his legs through hers.

Brenda was shocked when she looked down to find him, lying on his back, his arms bent so that his hands formed a pillow of sorts beneath his head. He face looked arrogant yet eminently captivating. As she stood above him, Jax allowed his gaze to travel lazily from her eyes down the column of her throat to where it lingered on her breasts.

Brenda could feel the heat coming from his eyes. No man had ever looked at her in this way before. No man had ever made her feel his touch on her breasts just by looking at them. "Jax," she whimpered, "what are you doing?"

"Enjoying you, angel," he replied smugly. "Merely enjoying you." His gaze traveled even farther down her belly towards the center of her womanhood, where she could feel it burning through her.

She shut her eyes and shook her head. "Yes, well, *I’m* not enjoying this."

"Really, Brenda? Are you *sure* you’re not enjoying this?" Jax smiled knowingly as he touched her. "Your body tells me otherwise."

Brenda’s breaths were coming fast and hard as Jax’s fingers continued to explore her. "Jax," she finally moaned, "please don’t mistake my body’s instincts for desire."

Jax frowned and pulled himself to a sitting position beneath her. His lap was directly between her legs and his face was on an even level with her womanhood. He put his arms around her lower body and pulled himself so close to her that she could feel his breath. "You don’t desire me?"

Brenda’s eyes widened as she realized what he was in a perfect position to do. "No," she whispered, her ears turning a dark shade of rose and betraying her thoughts.

"You know, angel," he continued, "this reminds me of when we first met, doesn’t it?" Jax readjusted his position and moved his hands to grasp her and pull her closer to him. "I was chained to the wall in Corinthon’s dungeon." He gave her the softest of kisses, causing her to cry aloud. "You told me at the time that you could take what you wanted from me without freeing me, didn’t you?"

"Jax, I had no idea," Brenda groaned, but then all discussion ceased as Jax delved into his plan with a vengeance. Using his hands to keep her lower body immobile, Jax used his lips to worship her. At the height of his attentions to her, Brenda cried out loudly in ecstasy.

Jax took Brenda just to the brink of fulfillment so many times that she lost count. Just when he felt her coming close to the edge, he backed off. Brenda floated down towards earth again, only to have Jax resume his caresses, causing her passion to spiral upward again.

Shifting her weight, Jax took his right hand from behind her and moved his left hand across her back to completely encircle her. Meanwhile, he reached his right hand upwards towards Brenda’s breasts, causing her to bolt against him at the contact.

When he finally felt her coming close to the edge again, Jax increased his tempo. He loved her beyond telling, and then – when he was sure she was close to shattering – he purrrrrred, and then growllllled into her.

Brenda screamed out her release. The spasms shook her entire body and when he looked up at her, her eyes were shut, her eyelids still fluttering in the aftermath. Jax quickly rose to his feet and caught her under the arms.

The feel of Jax’s body against her immediately aroused Brenda again. He quickly threw her arms around his neck. Brenda surprised him when her hands caught his face and pulled his lips to hers for a rapacious kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and as Jax lifted her into his embrace, he made them one.

Brenda grabbed fistfuls of his sweat-dampened hair and groaned at how right it felt. Never breaking the connection or the kiss, Jax began walking towards the bed and slowly lowered both of their bodies onto it. With Brenda beneath him, Jax began to move very slowly and deliberately, building her excitement once again.

He began to mumble words again that she didn’t understand – words that were similar to the ones she had heard him say when he took her in Corinthon’s dungeon. Brenda wrapped her legs around Jax’s waist and he shifted slightly. She kissed him with abandon, darting her small tongue in and out of his mouth.

He pulled back to look at her once and she struggled to open her eyes that were heavy with passion. "Take me there again, Jax," she moaned. "Please – I want you so much." Hearing Brenda say the words inflamed him past the point of control and with a loud shout, Jax reached his pinnacle, with her following shortly thereafter.

*~*~*~*

Much later, Brenda startled and woke to find herself wrapped in Jax’s arms in the huge bed. The thunder and lightning had stopped, but a gentle rain continued to patter on the window of their room. This was the first time they had shared something as conventional as a bed since they had left Charporta, and Brenda blushed at the memories of what a first time it had been. She took one finger and traced the planes of Jax’s face and the cleft in his chin, and then tears blurred her vision of him.

She knew. She had to leave now or she would find herself hopelessly tied to him by bonds of passion and love. And she had vowed long ago, seeing how unhappy her mother was, that she would never let feelings like love or even physical desire tie her down to anyone or any place.

As she looked down into his innocent sleeping face, Brenda tried to choke back her tears. She carefully pulled her legs from beneath his and when she had finally shifted him to the other side of the bed, she leaned back and brushed the lightest of kisses across his lips.

She couldn’t let him wake and try to stop her. Brenda knew that. As she rose from the bed and found her discarded caftan on the floor, she slipped it over her head. She knew that as soon as he would look at her, she would start to melt again and she would lose all of her good intentions in his arms. He wouldn’t even have to say a word – just the look in his eyes would be enough to rob her of any common sense.

Brenda tiptoed softly around the bottom of the bed towards the bathing pool in search of her shoes. As she passed the lattice-work wall, she glanced at it. A warmth spread into her legs and lower body just at the memory of how Jax had made love to her. No – she definitely had to leave. This Familiar was entirely too talented at turning her into a wanton, needful slave to his touch. Brenda found her shoes and slipped them on, standing up again and straightening her back with determination. After all, she was a Torengi. She had to remain free – and that meant free of any physical or emotional involvement.

Brenda turned back and went into the main part of the room to find her cloak. Jax was still sleeping soundly as she turned her back to the bed and started rummaging through the pile of clothing on some pillows on the floor. She thought she had found her cloak, but then it turned out to be Jax’s, and she put it to her face, inhaling his scent for one last time. She smiled and put it down, grabbing her own cloak from beneath it. But when she turned towards the door, she bumped into an immovable object.

A very awake, very purposeful, very irresistible Familiar named Jax. She should have known that the man could move as swiftly and quietly as his alter ego, the cat. "You’re leaving me?"

He didn’t touch her, but shivers went up and down Brenda’s spine. "I have to," she replied so softly that he almost didn’t hear her.

Jax lowered his head. "It’s because of what I did earlier, isn’t it?" Brenda shook her head "no" but Jax caught her by the hands. "Because I acted like the animal inside me when I took you."

"Jax, no," Brenda protested softly, but Jax held her hands firm.

"It must be," Jax replied, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. "Otherwise you wouldn’t have chosen to leave me without even saying goodbye."

Brenda felt her resolve failing and as she saw the moisture in his eyes, she knew she was a lost cause. But she had to try. "Jax, I can’t….."

"Please, Brenda….please….." He looked over towards the bed and pulled her gently by the hands. "Please, can’t we just talk about it? And then if you still want to go, you can."

Brenda narrowed her eyes. He had said she could still leave if she wished. What harm would there be in hearing him out? "All right – but just to *talk*," she replied warily, letting him lead her to the bed. Jax folded his legs under him as he took a position in the center of the bed. Brenda sat on the edge of the bed, closer to the bottom.

Jax folded his hands primly in his lap, and then looked up at Brenda. "Zira, I have often told you of the many fine assets of the Familiar male." Brenda nodded slowly. "And as you have guessed on many occasions, humility is not one of them." She smiled, in spite of herself. Jax took a deep breath. "But we *do* speak the truth – relentlessly, no matter the cost," Jax continued. "Which means that I must tell you that I….."

"Yes?" Brenda could barely hear him as he blushed and stared down into his lap.

"I……I’m sorry," Jax blurted, grabbing for Brenda’s hands, his breathing shaky. "I never knew that a Familiar could feel such jealousy." Jax failed to include the fact that he had never seen his true mate tempted by another man before. "It was like some monster, growing inside me, until I felt that I couldn’t live another minute without taking you." He looked up at her, stroking his fingers softly over hers. "But I know now that no one creature can "take" another." He lifted a finger to track the tears that began to flow down Brenda’s cheeks. "I may have "taken" your body, but I’ll never "have" your heart and your soul unless you choose to give it to me," he said softly.

"Oh, Jax," Brenda murmured, turning her face into his open hand as it caressed her. She smiled a little. "I think we both found that the monster of jealousy turns us into less than admirable creatures."

Jax smiled but still made no move to come closer to her on the bed. "I’ll understand if you still wish to leave me, Brenda." Her eyes widened at his humble words. "But I would prefer if you would wait until morning. This is, after all, still a lawless planet where any kind of robbers could be waiting for you." He looked down at his hands, which still held hers. "I would appreciate it if you would let me at least escort you as far as the Tunnel Point – to be certain of your safety."

Brenda smiled. How could she refuse him? She still hated the thought of leaving him, and he did have a point about her continued safety. "All right. I’ll wait until morning. And you may take me as far as the Tunnel Point."

Jax returned her brilliant smile with one of his own. Then, he held up one finger and reached under one of the pillows. When he turned back to her, he had an impish grin. "Close your eyes." At Brenda’s careful look, he laughed a little. "I won’t attack you again."

Brenda crinkled the corners of her eyes suspiciously. "Then why do I need to close my eyes?"

"It’s a surprise." Jax gave her his most penitent, wide-eyed look. "Please?"

Brenda inhaled and exhaled loudly in exasperation, but then closed her eyes as he requested. She had her hands folded in her lap and she felt the bed shift as his weight left it. She frowned for just a second, but then she felt the bed dip again right in front of her as he resumed a seat.

She felt his breath on her hair. "Now – open them." As Brenda slowly opened her eyes, they grew even wider at the sight in front of her and she cried aloud in surprise. As Jax sat in front of her on the bed, he was holding up a beautiful pink and rose colored crystal, suspended from a delicate gold chain. "Oh, Jax – it’s so beautiful!"

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, my angel," he replied softly, rising from the bed and coming around to her back. He gently placed the prism around her neck and she felt his hands brush the back of her neck as he fastened it in place. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked down at it, resting on her chest just above the swell of her breasts. When Jax came back to sit in front of her again, she raised tear-filled eyes to his. "I got this for you before I went to the clothing merchant earlier," he said simply, "to replace the one that Corinthon destroyed."

"Ohhhh, Jaaax." Brenda’s words were spoken softly on the shakiest of breaths as tears ran down her cheeks. She leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his cheek, inhaling the manly scent of him as she did. She still grasped the crystal pendant in her hand as her lips found their way from his cheek to his chin, and then up to the other cheek.

Brenda pulled back for just an instant, and then leaned forward again to place a tender kiss on his lips. Jax held himself in restraint, determined that he would make Brenda take the lead this time. He placed his hands resolutely on the bed on either side of her yet not touching her. Still pressing her lips to his, Brenda opened her eyes, surprised that Jax hadn’t tried to deepen the kiss. Then she heard his voice in her mind.

{I promised you, zira. *You* determine our path.}

As tears began to gather in her eyes again, Brenda tentatively raised her hands to cup Jax’s face tenderly. When she kissed him again, her tongue shyly crept forward to trace the seam of his lips, and he opened his mouth for her with a sigh. Jax felt his blood begin to boil with passion at her simple gesture that he found infinitely sensual.

They sat on the bed kissing for several more minutes before Brenda broke the kiss. She pulled back slightly, her hands still at Jax’s face. As he opened his eyes, it was his turn to gasp at the fireworks he saw in hers. Golden topaz sparks lit her eyes as she deliberately and slowly threaded her fingers up from his face into his hair. "Brenda," he moaned, "do you know what that does to me?"

Brenda leaned forward to push him back onto the bed on his back, smiling coyly at him while stroking her fingers through his hair the entire time. As she covered his body with hers, she shifted her weight so that she could whisper in his ear, "You made me a promise, Familiar. This time it is to be *my* way." As she pulled back and continued to tease his golden locks with her fingers, he moaned in pleasure.

But nothing prepared Jax for the feel of her petite hand reaching down between them. He purrred loudly and his hands came up to pull the caftan by the hem, whisking it over her head in one movement. His fingers roamed the perfect skin on her back as she continued to tantalize him. Jax closed his eyes and arched his back as the pleasure built in him. Then, when he thought it was going to be impossible for him to allow Brenda to control the situation, she surprised him one last time by guiding him so that they were once again joined.

She shifted her weight to roll to her left side, pulling him onto his right with their bodies still locked together. She flung her right leg over his hip, causing him to catch his breath. "Make love to me, Jax," she whimpered into his ear. The crystals in the room began to vibrate with the waves of passion that rolled from the bed.

As Brenda seized his lips once more, she grasped handfuls of his thick blonde hair roughly. Jax felt his world shatter into a thousand pieces and Brenda followed soon thereafter. They remained joined as they continued to kiss until their breathing returned to some semblance of normal.

Jax finally pulled away from Brenda so that she could turn onto her right side. Laying her head on the pillow once again, she snuggled deeply into the soft mattress as Jax pulled the covers up over both of them and spooned her with his body. As was his usual fashion, he threw his left leg over her body, his left arm coming around her protectively while he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. As they both drifted into a satisfied sleep, the cat purred in contentment. The rain – the storm – and the tears – had passed into the night.

*~*~*~*

Jax woke suddenly. He immediately felt that Brenda’s side of the bed was empty. Surely she hadn’t gone back on her word and left him before the morning?

The sound of a splash drew his attention to the bathing pool on the other side of the crystal lattice. He smiled lazily as he watched Brenda in the pool, laughing as she lifted cupped handfuls of water over her head. She let the water run in rivulets down her arms and over her full breasts. When thoughts of tracing that same path caused a low rumble deep in Jax’s chest, she turned to face him.

"Good morning, zira," he purred as he moved gracefully from the bed. He walked around the lattice and came to sit on the side of the pool, his eyes sparking as he watched her.

"It *is* a wonderful morning, thanks to you, Familiar," Brenda returned in something that approximated a purr of her own.

"And why would that be?" Jax couldn’t very well hide the fact that he wanted her since he hadn’t donned clothing. When Brenda’s eyes dropped and visibly widened at the sight of him, Jax wasn’t exactly sure what her reaction would be.

To his amazement, she glided through the shallow water over to where he sat, her eyes beginning to do some sparking of their own. When she came to the place where he sat, she pushed herself up out of the water, bracing her hands on his strong thighs for leverage. Her lips were immediately drawn to his for a blistering kiss. As Brenda broke the kiss and gave him a seductive look, she began to slide back into the water. However, as she did, the feel of her wet hand reaching for him eagerly was almost more than Jax could stand. He slowly slipped into the water with her.

They lay in the shallow pool, still kissing, when Brenda finally pulled back and flipped a wayward strand of his hair off his forehead. "Now, Jax," she said, playfully caressing his chest with her damp fingers. "I thought that Familiars were supposed to be extremely intelligent." She looked up into his eyes and rubbed her lips across his. "If you can’t tell what has made this such an excellent morning, well, then….." She coyly dropped her eyelids as she continued to trace small patterns on his chest with her finger.

Jax pushed her hair behind her ears, finding the tips to be a dark shade of rose. He traced the side of her neck with the tips of his fingers until they found the crystal necklace he had given her, nestled in the valley between her breasts. "I’m glad you like my gift," he said, his hand moving from the pendant to its neighbors.

Brenda caught her breath. "I like *all* of your gifts, Jax," she replied huskily. As she wound her arms around his neck, Jax shifted their bodies slowly in the water and made love to her again with the first light of dawn beginning to peek through the windows of the room.

As they lay in each other’s arms afterwards, still in the pool, Brenda traced her finger up and down Jax’s arm. "Do you know where the next Tunnel point is?"

Jax sighed. "I sense that it is probably a day’s journey from here."

"If we leave now, will we arrive there before nightfall?"

Jax pulled back from her, turning her so that she faced him. "Did you say "WE"??"

"In spite of your many other wonderful attributes," she replied, "you’re probably right about the dangers of my traveling alone. I’ve decided to accompany you to Tron." Jax smiled broadly, and she put her hand on his chest to stop him. "You *did* say that Tron is the first Imperial planet we will encounter, didn’t you?"

"Yes, I did, angel." Jax had to fight to control the smug grin that threatened to erupt on his face. The battle had been won. Once he had Brenda on Tron, he would easily be able to take her to Meer’an with him. He would even be able to enlist the help of most of his family who were currently residing on Tron. His mother was a most formidable presence, and not easily argued against.

They rose from the pool and dressed as quickly as kisses and stray caresses would permit. Brenda almost hated to leave the beautiful crystal room that would hold so many memories for her, but she took Jax’s hand and they left the inn. They stopped briefly at the tavern for some food and then set out towards the next Tunnel Point.

They had to follow a rough pathway that wove between crystal structures on the planet, but Brenda found only beauty in their appearance. Jax took delight in seeing the expression on Brenda’s face and when she began to dart ahead and hide behind some of the crystals, Jax enjoyed the game of "finding" her as much as she did.

They had left the village far behind and were in open country when Jax suddenly grew serious and put his hand on Brenda’s shoulder. "Stop. Danger lies ahead."

Jax pushed Brenda behind him, folding her in the volumes of his cloak. "Is it some kind of poisonous creature?" she whispered, daring to put her head out from behind him.

Jax was grim. "The worst kind." He looked down at her. "The kind that walks on two legs."

Jax almost didn’t see it coming but he managed to whirl back to the front just in time to bring his foot up. A sharp sliver of a crystal landed in the dust before them. "FAMILIAR!" Shouts came from the vicinity of some large crystal outcroppings about 50 feet ahead. "We know the Torengi has rarified gems in her cloak. Give them to us or we will kill you both where you stand!!"

Jax took a long breath but was distracted when he felt Brenda moving behind him. "What are you doing?" he hissed, trying to push her deeper into the folds of his cloak.

"I’m getting out the gems," she replied calmly. "Didn’t you hear them? If we don’t give them the gems, they’ll kill us!"

"And do you really think they’ll let us live if we DO give them the gems?" Jax countered. Just as he finished speaking, another sharp crystal dart came whizzing near Jax’s face. He managed to knock it from its path with the side of his arm, but it still tore a long gash in his cloak.

"JAX!" Brenda tried to stick her head out to see his arm but he relentlessly pushed her out of the line of fire. "Is your arm cut?"

"No, zira," he answered, quickly scanning their surroundings for any type of shelter from the sharp missiles. Unfortunately, the bandits had chosen their vantage point well and Jax and Brenda were out in the open.

"Oh, Jax, I’m soooo sorry," Brenda whimpered. "If I hadn’t shown those gems in the tavern like you said, we wouldn’t be here facing death."

Jax tried not to show his real concern. As he glanced back towards where the bandits hid, he knew that death would be the least of their problems. Brenda was a beautiful woman. He knew that they would probably kill him immediately, but then save Brenda’s life so that they could first do unspeakable things to her that brought them pleasure.

The cat in Jax felt his back rise. He would never let that happen. As Jax’s eyes narrowed, he prepared to fight to the death to save the love of his life.

To be continued…..