**Warning: PG rating for possibly strong language.

Morning found them still at odds with each other. After he allowed her to use the bathroom first, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her when she emerged. He didn’t utter a word, but held his hand out with a half-smile towards the closet, indicating that he needed to lock her in there while he used the bathroom himself. Brenda walked in with a sigh, but actually welcomed the few extra moments of privacy. She quickly changed her clothes in the closet, putting on a fresh pair of denim shorts and a far-less-revealing knit top. She had barely finished dressing when she heard the lock click open, and he appeared in the doorway again.

"I need to brush my hair," she said quietly, and he sat on the bed as she took worked out the knots in her long, dark hair. She pulled it back and tied a scarf around it to keep it off her face. What she didn’t realize was that the whole time he was watching her, his feelings were on a roller-coaster.

{D*mn, does she have to take so long to brush her hair? Doesn’t she know how sexy it is when a woman brushes out her long hair? Doesn’t she realize that with each stroke, her breasts press against that top that clings to them so becomingly?}

Just as he thought he was about to explode, she finished. They went downstairs, and she re-heated some of the Eggs Benedict from the morning before. His voice roused her from her thoughts.

"Your boyfriend is really a good cook. Did he make these too?"

"Mmm-hmm," she said absently. "Yesterday. He had to leave right after that for a meeting in Manhattan." {Might as well not lie to the man. He can see right through me, anyway.} She took the dishes once he finished and carried them to the sink.

"Is that the arrangement you have with him – he cooks, you clean up?" Jax asked, trying to be civil.

Brenda sighed, keeping her back to him. "Kind of. I guess it just worked out that way." She began filling the dish pan and after adding detergent, placed some of the dirty dishes in the pan. When the soapy water hit her bruised and cut hands, she pulled them out quickly and yelped softly.

Jax was up in a minute and next to her at the sink. "What’s the matter?"

Brenda tried to stay nonchalant. "Oh, the soapy water just stung some cuts in my hand. I’m fine."

Jax took one of her hands in his. He inhaled sharply when he saw the cuts. "How did you do this? I didn’t see these yesterday."

Brenda looked down and shut off the faucet with the other hand. "I got scared last night when you locked me in the closet. I kept banging my hands on the door. I guess I didn’t realize that I was pounding that hard. The slats in the wood cut my hands." Her voice was devoid of emotion, and he was drowning in guilt.

He turned her to face him. "Why were you so scared? I asked if you were claustrophobic, and you said no. Are you?"

She was disturbed that he kept hold of her hands, stroking them gently. She couldn’t look into his eyes. "I guess I was scared that you might just decide to leave after all, and just leave me in the locked closet. I was afraid nobody would ever come and find me." Her voice was soft and low, and he felt like the lowest low-life on the face of the planet.

He tried to take an even breath so that she wouldn’t hear the guilt in his voice. "Come on. You must have a first aid kit or something. Let me put some ointment on them." She went to one of the kitchen cabinets, and when she couldn’t reach it, he walked over and grabbed it off the top shelf with ease. "You should keep it on a lower shelf," he told her, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "If you were badly hurt and you needed it, you might not be able to stand on a stool to reach it." She nodded quickly, and let him pull her to the kitchen table. When she tried to open the box, her sore fingers wouldn’t work, so he pushed her hands aside, opened it, and took one of her injured hands in his.

"I can do it myself," she said defensively, but in a quiet voice.

"I know." He looked back into her eyes, and she saw the guilt there. She realized that this was something he needed to do. He began to swab the cuts with antiseptic, and then applied an antibiotic crème. She studied him carefully while he was working on her hands. He was a complete contradiction. Here he sat – an accused murderer and fugitive from justice – treating her like some cracked piece of fine porcelain. His touch was gentle, and she found herself watching him intently. She was embarrassed when he caught her watching, and tried to think of something safe to talk about.

"You talk funny," she said finally.

He smiled up at her and continued his work, asking her with his eyes for the other hand. "You mean because I don’t take 7 sentences to answer a simple yes or no question?"

She winced as the antiseptic stung one cut, and he stopped momentarily, but she shook her head for him to go on. "No. Your accent. And the way you talk. You called this ointment, and last night you told me I had "pinched" a knife from the counter. And you say some words funny – like my name." He looked surprised that she had noticed, and she tipped her head to the side. "You’re not from around here, are you?"

He shook his head and continued to work. "Nope. I was born here in the States, but raised in Australia. My dad has an international business, and he had to work out of the Australian branch for quite a few years. So I spent my childhood there, but the Aussie accent just seems to hang on. I went to college here in America, though."

Brenda nodded as she listened. This man was so unlike any other man she had ever known. Certainly different from Sonny. It practically took a crow bar to pry information out of Sonny about his childhood, but this man volunteered it. Then, Brenda mentally gave herself a shake. {What’s the matter with you? Are you getting that thing that the psychiatrists talk about in hostage situations – where the captive begins to think the bad guy really isn’t so bad? Are you nuts? He’s a wanted murderer.} But as she looked into his eyes, that were so intent on finding any more cuts on her hands, she was beginning to find that hard to believe.

She startled when he spoke. "There, I think that’s got it." He kept holding her hands, though. "Better?"

Sitting there at the table, with him holding her soft hands in his large strong ones, she felt something growing between them. Trying to break the feeling, she nodded quickly. "Yes. Better. Thanks."

He nodded back. The tension in the room began to build. At that moment, the telephone rang. Brenda jumped again, and looked at Jax.

"Are you expecting someone to call?" He pulled her slightly towards him. "The truth, Brenda."

"My boyfriend said he might call, but usually he’s so tied up in business that he doesn’t get the chance."

Jax pulled her with him over to the kitchen phone. "All right. You’d better answer it. But no funny business. Hold the phone between us so I can hear what’s being said on both ends." She nodded quickly and picked it up with her right hand, propping it on her right shoulder. He leaned down and put his left shoulder level with hers so that he could listen, too.

"Hi, baby," a masculine voice came through the line. "Brenda, are you there? Are you OK?"

It was Sonny. Brenda let out a long breath. "Hi, honey." She tried to keep her voice level and calm. "I’m here. I was just out of breath because I was outside and had to run to catch the phone." Jax gave her the thumbs up for giving a good alibi. "I’m surprised you called. You just left yesterday, and you usually get so tied up with business that you don’t have time to call me."

"Well," Sonny’s voice sounded slick and confident, "that’s true. But it’s not every day that I find an engagement ring for my fiance, either." Jax looked at her with surprise and curiosity. "I went to Tiffany’s today, babe, and they had some knockout rings. How about coming to Manhattan to meet me and we’ll pick one? I could have Jason pick you up today."

Brenda’s hopes soared, but Jax’s grip on her elbow tightened and she could feel his body tense up. He nodded furiously "no" at her. "No, honey, I don’t think I would be very good company right now. I had a killer migraine last night, and I’ve still got a piece of it this morning. Maybe in a couple of days, how about that?" She shook her head at herself, disgusted that she was turning into such a good liar.

Jax, meanwhile, was still trying to make a connection. The man’s voice sounded so familiar. And he said he was looking at engagement rings, but Brenda had said he was just her boyfriend.

"OK, if you say so. But I was really looking forward to having you all to myself in this big suite tonight. I’m at the Plaza, you know." Sonny’s voice became low and suggestive. "I dreamed about you and me in this big bed last night, baby."

Brenda began to blush and before she could say anything, her worst fears became reality. Sonny began to describe in detail what they were doing in his dream, and what he would miss doing since she couldn’t make it to New York that night. Brenda wanted to find a hole, climb into it, and pull the hole inside after her.

Jax, meanwhile, was beginning to breathe hard. {Why does this guy sound so familiar?} And despite his chauvinistic attitude, for he knew that he DID have one, he couldn’t believe this fiance-guy. Everything that Brenda could be doing for HIM. Everything that HE would be feeling. Jax looked at Brenda, and saw her embarrassment. This phone call was the last thing they needed to be sharing at this point. Jax covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "A real great guy, your lover. I’ll bet he even lets you light his cigarette after he makes love to you. What a gentleman."

Brenda flushed even more, if that were possible. But now it was anger, and not only her modesty, that caused the blood to rise to her cheeks. "Listen, honey, I don’t think I can take much more of this. You’re driving me crazy. Maybe if I just lay down and think calm thoughts this HEADACHE," she looked pointedly at Jax with the last word, "WILL GO AWAY!"

"OK, baby, whatever you say. I love you," Sonny replied.

"I love you too, Sonny," Brenda replied. Jax suddenly inhaled, and Brenda was puzzled at his reaction to Sonny’s name. "Call me soon, OK?"

Brenda hung up the phone after Sonny said good-bye. Jax was standing with his hands on his hips, his mouth still wide open. Brenda looked at him with disgust. "You’d better close it. You’ll start catching flies that way if you don’t," she said sharply.

He shook his head at her. "Why didn’t I see it before? You’re a model. He dates a model."

"Now you’re really talking funny," Brenda said. "What on earth do you mean?"

Jax straightened and his body language was cold and distant. "Sonny Corinthos. Your boyfriend is Sonny Corinthos." He paused a beat. "Or, should I say, fiancé?"

"So? What’s the big deal if my boyfriend is Sonny Corinthos?" She sat down at the kitchen table again and folded her hands primly. "And he’s really not my fiancé yet. He just asked me to marry him yesterday."

Jax sat down with her. "And you said yes? Are you nuts or something?"

Brenda’s face was a blank. "Why? What’s so godawful wrong with Sonny Corinthos?"

Jax leaned his body in closer to hers. "He’s a mobster, Brenda. He works for organized crime."

Brenda laughed in his face. "No way! He’s in the import/export business. He told me so himself." But a niggling little doubt began working its way into her stomach.

Now it was Jax’s turn to laugh. "Import/export? That’s a rich one. Not unless he imports illegal weapons and exports crooked casinos." Jax could tell that Brenda was truly clueless about Sonny’s occupation, and he began to feel a number of different emotions. Sorry for the truth he had to make her see, angry at Sonny for lying to her – and afraid for her safety if she stayed with Sonny. "So has he ever taken you to his import/export office?"

Brenda got defensive. "No. He doesn’t have one. He works out of his penthouse because it makes it more convenient." She lifted her chin a notch. "He can spend more time with me that way."

Jax got in her face. "He doesn’t have an office, Brenda, because most landlords don’t like accepting rent checks issued by La Cosa Nostra. Does he ever let you see any of his paperwork? Or his business associates?"

Jax could see that he had Brenda questioning things about Sonny already. "No, but he says he just doesn’t want me misplacing any of the papers." At Jax’s sullen look, Brenda came to Sonny’s defense. "But he HAS taken me along with him to some of his meetings. I mean, I sit in the hotel during the day, but then I get to go out with him at night." She tapped her finger to her head. "Why , I just went to one…."

"…in Puerto Rico, in March of 1998?" Jax said softly. "And before that did you go to Lake Tahoe in November of 1997?" Jax could see that Brenda was almost shaking with the realization. He pulled his chair over closer to hers. "Those were major powwows for the mob, Brenda. I know because I’ve been investigating them for over 2 years." He saw her begin to open her mouth. "And don’t tell me it was a lucky guess. Do you want me to give you the names of the hotels, too?"

Brenda shot up out of her chair, her hand covering her mouth. She walked around the small kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Finally she turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Why are you doing this? What do you care if I’m dating the Godfather? Haven’t you got enough problems of your own?"

He got up and stood in front of her. "I care because he’s slime, Brenda. And you’re an intelligent, beautiful woman." She looked up into his eyes and was surprised to see that there were flecks of green mixed in with the blue. And they were looking into her soul. "He’s dangerous, and he’ll bring you nothing but heartache and misery. He’ll get you killed, Brenda."

This was becoming far too heavy for her taste this early in the morning. She quickly wiped a tear from her eye and turned away from him to go to the dirty dishes that still waited. "Yeah, well, I’m a big girl now and I can take care of myself." She stood for a moment facing the dishes and then whirled to face him angrily. "Look, you’re no picnic yourself, pig. Since you invaded my home yesterday, I’ve been tackled, locked in a closet, and held prisoner in my own house. I’ve got an idea," she continued sarcastically, "why don’t you just take my check book and go BUY yourself a car. I really don’t care what you do. JUST LEAVE!" She turned back to the sink, but he could see her shoulders heaving.

"Sorry, but I can’t do that," Jax said softly. He sat back down at the kitchen table and picked up a day’s old newspaper. "But thanks for breakfast anyway…. Hellcat."

The hours went slowly for Brenda, with Jax dogging her every step. She supposed she really couldn’t blame him, since she hadn’t given him too much cause to think that she wouldn’t bolt at the first opportunity. He watched television for a while, but the news bulletins were becoming fewer about his flight from justice. When they did appear, it was painful for him to watch, and she saw him shift uncomfortably on the couch.

Finally, late in the afternoon, Brenda stood up from reading a book. "I’m about to go crazy if I have to stay in this house for one more minute. And I really need to check on my horse. I was going to bring her some apples yesterday, but when I forgot them, I came back to the house and found YOU instead."

He looked at her thoughtfully, and then stood. "My legs could use a stretch." He followed her to the kitchen, where she took a handful of apples out of the refrigerator. As she came back to the swinging door, he stepped aside and made a grand gesture with his arm that she should go through first. He followed her to the front door of the cottage, and suddenly his arm snaked out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her to his side and looked seriously into her eyes.

"Don’t forget, hellcat – you can’t outrun me. You can’t hide from me. The WSB is very good at training their agents to follow a cold trail. If you try to get away from me, I’ll find you. Clear?"

She stared him down. "Crystal." She unlocked the front door, never taking her gaze from his eyes, and opened the front door with a vengeance.

They walked to the stable in silence, but she could feel him staring into her back. She walked defiantly, wondering how long she could keep up this charade. Her nerves were already frayed, and if he was going to be preaching to her about Sonny’s possible mob connections at every turn, it was going to be impossible to get along with the man. What annoyed her the most, though, was that the possibility that Sonny was doing something illegal wasn’t a new idea. She had secretly wondered about his business for some time, but was just afraid to put it into words and say it out loud. And she had no idea it was this serious and this evil.

They fed Star and gave her fresh water, and at Jax’s suggestion, Brenda even let her out to stretch her legs for a while, as they watched from a nearby fence. Brenda took a quick glance at Jax’s face, and he seemed strangely at home. "Do you ride?" she asked quietly.

He put both hands on the rail and leaned forward, watching the horse. "I did when I was a boy." He looked at her briefly. "In Australia, you know. There were wide open spaces, and I think that’s when I began dreaming of being some kind of hero and saving the world." He sighed. "I used to go riding with my older brother, and we would stop somewhere and I would tell him stories of how I was going to be this superstar-hero who would make everything right in the world." He voice quietly trailed off. "Jerry joined the WSB because I made it sound like such a heroic, glamorous thing to do with your life. I wanted to make the world a safer place, and all I ended up doing was getting my brother killed."

Brenda’s heart did a funny lurch at his sorrow. Here was a man who she barely knew, and he was pouring out his soul to her. Yet the man she had agreed to marry wouldn’t even let her in some of the rooms of his penthouse.

Brenda whistled and Star obediently was led back into the stable, but not before Jax rubbed the horse down. Brenda watched his shoulder muscles ripple beneath the chambray shirt, and then quickly tried to think of something else.

They had barely left the stable to walk back to the cottage when Jax lifted his head and stopped Brenda. At first, she wasn’t sure why they had stopped, but then she heard it too – the faint hum of a car’s engine. "Are you expecting somebody?"

Brenda froze in place. "No. Sometimes, though, people take the wrong turnoff for the highway and come down this road by mistake." As she watched, a light blue sedan came into view, and she could see an older couple in the front seat.

"Do you know them?" he asked in a whisper.

"No. They must be lost."

He watched as they began to drive up Brenda’s driveway. Brenda caught her breath as Jax pulled her against him, chest to chest. He took his chin and tipped her head up to face him. "All right, now listen. I want you to follow my lead, and follow it carefully. Do you understand?" She nodded quickly, glancing at the car as it was almost upon them. She could now see the faces of the people, and they reminded her of somebody’s grandparents. "Not only for your sake, but for theirs, got it?" She nodded again and looked back at him.

What she wasn’t prepared for was what happened next. Just as she looked back into his eyes, she saw him begin to lower his head to hers. His eyes were closing, and as she was about to open her mouth in protest, his lips closed over hers. She felt him take her two wrists and place them at the back of his neck, and then put his hands around her waist to pull her hard against him. His lips were soft, and warm, and they explored hers with great care, sliding over them sensuously. She let her breath out in a long sigh, stifled against his mouth, and he pulled her even closer. His tongue began to dart at her lips, teasing them like lightning strikes of fire. She was mortified when she moaned deep in her throat, and she felt him smile against her lips. Her hands, which he had positioned at the back of his neck, found themselves tangling in his blonde hair. He pulled her so close that she could feel what she sincerely hoped was his belt buckle. It was then that she heard the soft clearing of throats behind her.

"Ahem… excuse us," the elderly man said, holding his wife’s hand as they stood in front of the car.

Jax pulled away from the kiss, but not before he looked into Brenda’s eyes again. She saw the determination there, but she also saw a fire that she hadn’t realize that she could ignite. He took one thumb and rubbed it over her swollen lips gently, trailing it down the side of her cheek and then down her neck to grasp her shoulder with his hand. He still held her loosely in his embrace with the other hand and looked back at the man.

"Oh, sorry about that, sir," he said cordially. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, it seems the missus and I must have taken the wrong road, cause this sure ain’t the highway!" he laughed. Then he looked at Jax slyly and said, "And I think I should be the one apologizing for interrupting you!"

Jax turned a little, still holding Brenda tightly to his side but letting his other hand at her shoulder. "No problem. We didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s just that the wife here and I are newlyweds, and since we didn’t get much of a honeymoon, well… you know…." He let the statement trail, and the old man chuckled in agreement. "Honey, why don’t you tell the man how to get back to the highway."

Brenda began to give the man directions on which turns to take, but she was finding it difficult to breathe. While she spoke, Jax would lean down and run his lips through her hair. Then, she almost jumped 2 feet off the ground when he trailed the hand at her shoulder down to her waist, caressing her breast on the way there. What pained her even more was the fact that her body responded to his brief touch, and from the corner of her eye, she knew he saw it.

The man expressed his thanks and once again apologized for interrupting the young newlyweds, and Jax held Brenda tightly as they drove off. Once they were far enough away that Brenda could no longer hear the car’s engine humming, she turned to Jax angrily. "What the hell was that for?"

He didn’t answer her, but his eyes blazed and he immediately pulled her with him back into the cottage. Once they were inside and he had once again dead-bolted the door, he turned to find her with her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with anger.

"I asked you a question. Why did you do that?"

"What?" he asked innocently with a smile.

"Don’t act dumb with me, pig. The newlywed thing and the kiss," she said accusingly.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked up to face her. "We needed an explanation, and I thought that would be the easiest one." He glanced down at his clothes. "I’m not exactly dressed to look like the mailman, and you and I look nothing alike, so I couldn’t have been your brother."

She still glared at him. "That’s not all I mean, and you know it. You touched me. What makes you think you have the right to touch me?" She lowered her voice to a venomous pitch. "Besides, I thought you said last night that you weren’t a rapist – you preferred your women --- what was it you said? Oh, yes, warm and willing."

He smiled back at her and leaned down to within inches of her face. "Excuse me, love, but I got the feeling that if I had kept kissing you for just a few more minutes, you would have been there," he pulled back a little and gave her a large grin, "… and more."

That was it. She was able to take his arrogance last night, but in the light of day, her control snapped. She slapped his arrogant face with her hand, leaving angry red fingerprints on his left cheek. He looked at her for a moment, and then caught her right wrist in his left hand.

"Hellcat," he said to her in a deadly tone, "you just made a BIG mistake."

To be continued….