Jax smiled, his gaze never wavering. "Normally. But in this case, they lead to an adjoining suite. I’ve been waiting for you in there. Wanting you."

"Really?" Brenda squeaked, sinking lower in the tub.

Jax trailed his finger up and down the crevice between her breasts slowly, never breaking eye-contact with her for an instant. "Mm-hmm," he nodded slowly, his voice a caress in itself. He still held her eyes captive as he gently reached his left hand over and dipped the first finger in the champagne. Without a word, he brought the finger to trace the outline of her mouth, and then after tapping her lips lightly, he put his finger in his own mouth, sucking on it to taste the champagne.

Jax secretly was pleased when he saw Brenda’s breasts begin to rise and fall faster. He knew he was winning the game, but he also knew that he had a long way to go to make up to Brenda for the way he had treated her lately. Finally breaking eye-contact with her, he reached over and picked up one of the flutes, handing it to her. "Thirsty?" he asked in a low, quiet voice.

Brenda didn’t answer, but just took the glass from him and took a long drink, not closing her eyes or letting them stray from Jax’s face. She was inwardly glad for the cooling refreshment. Between the hot water in the tub and the passionate heat Jax’s eyes were generating in her lower body, she thought she was going to explode into instantaneous combustion any minute. She let out a shaky breath. {Change the subject, Brenda. You can’t let him win this easily.}

"Actually, I was a little thirsty," she tried to answer in an even voice. She placed the flute back on the bench, deliberately avoiding touching his body in the process. "But now I’m just enjoying this private bath with no kids and no screaming and no broken plates," she said, sinking down further into the water and resting her head against the side of the tub. She opened her eyes and tried to be as cold as possible. "So if you’ll excuse me, I think I do just that now and try to take a nap."

Jax rose his eyebrows. {She’s REALLY p*ssed. If expensive champagne and diamond jewelry don’t even make a dent, I’ve got my work cut out for me.} He stood back up and looked around the bathroom. He began to walk away from the tub, and Brenda opened one eye to watch him. Although she was doing her best to stay resolutely angry with him, she knew that as soon as he touched her, she would probably melt like a snowball in July.

Jax walked slowly to a control panel on the wall and hit a switch, dimming the lights in the bathroom. Then he touched another switch, and the mellow sounds of Kenny G began to fill the bathroom. When Jax heard the water in the tub make a small splashing noise behind him, he began to smile.

{D*mn! Soft lights, music……the man really does know how to push a girl’s buttons!} Brenda moved around restlessly in the tub, hoping that Jax didn’t notice. She opened one eye a crack again and saw him returning to the tub, so she took a deep breath and tried to think of icebergs and Antarctica so that she could keep her cool façade.

Jax stood next to the tub, staring down at the goddess he was fortunate enough to call his wife. He ran his hand through his hair once, berating himself mentally for treating her so shabbily during the past few weeks. He would make it up to her tonight or die trying.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"What!!??" Brenda’s eyes flew open and she rose higher in the round tub, grabbing for the sides. She looked at Jax as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, and then down at the tub. "Join me? In here?"

Jax nodded innocently. "Well, I enjoy a nice relaxing bath myself sometimes, and that tub is more than big enough for the both of us – if we arrange ourselves properly, that is," he added with a sly grin.

"Mmmm…..I don’t know, Jax," Brenda answered. "I mean, I certainly don’t mind if you want to share the tub with me, but I’m really just enjoying my bath. So….if you can manage to stay WAYYYY over there," she said, pointing to the opposite end of the tub, "I guess you can join me."

"Way over here, huh?" Jax asked, pointing to his end of the tub. Brenda nodded. Jax looked down at the tub, back at her, and then pursed his lips, tipping his head to the side. "Doesn’t sound too difficult to me, considering how inviting that tub looks." He waited for a few seconds, wondering how long Brenda would be able to keep up the game. He wasn’t disappointed.

She opened one eye, but when she caught him watching her, she closed it again. "I’ll be getting in now," Jax said cordially, and she just nodded and tipped her head to the side in a "Fine with me – see if I care," gesture. Jax grinned as he looked down at the floor, and then he pulled on the drawstring of his pajama pants very slowly, releasing it and allowing gravity to pull them down to the floor around his ankles.

Brenda heard the swish of the material and felt the soft breeze it made, and it took all of her willpower not to open her eyes and feast them on his magnificent nude body. {I should be getting some points somewhere in heaven for having this much restraint. This is worse than two years ago when I tried to give up sex for Lent!} She fought to keep her eyes shut, and soon was rewarded when the felt the water in the tub lap at her breasts from being displaced by Jax.

Brenda lay in one end of the tub, eyes shut, her arms propped on the sides, her legs together and stretched out straight in front of her. The tub was large enough that even a tall man like Jax could lay at the other end, his arms propped on the sides, legs outstretched in front of him, and they still didn’t touch. Jax was in agony. He could feel the heat from Brenda’s body. It had been weeks since they made love, and he thought that if he didn’t touch her soon, he would die.

There was about three minutes of silence. Brenda was about to open one eye when she heard it. "I’m sorry, Brenda."

She kept her eyes shut. "That’s OK, Jax. You’re not disturbing me at all. You’re fine where you are. If you think you jostled me or something, I didn’t feel a thing."

She heard Jax’s sigh of exasperation. "You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

Brenda’s eyes remained shut. "NNNNope."

Another sigh. "Will you at least look at me?" His voice was so anguished that Brenda was forced to open her eyes. She caught her breath at the sight of tears in his. "I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been acting lately, Brenda." Jax stared down into the tub. "I know I’ve been treating you like dirt and ignoring you and the kids for this campaign." He looked up at her again, and his sincerity touched her heart. "I love you with all my heart and soul, Brenda. I would never be unfaithful to you. You know that, don’t you?"

Brenda nodded and a small smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. "Grandma talked to you, didn’t she?"

Jax nodded sheepishly and his unkempt hair fell across his forehead. "Let’s just say that she pointed out that I’ve been no better than Carly lately – letting outside interests influence my good judgment." He sat up straighter and leaned forward towards Brenda. "I intend to change that, Bren. I won’t let Kimberly order me around anymore. I won’t put my family second to this campaign any longer. And if I don’t think an appearance is important, I’m going to pass on it. I may keep her as my campaign manager, but I’ll be the one calling the shots about which events I attend and which I decline."

"Weren’t you supposed to be giving a speech somewhere tonight?"

"I cancelled it," Jax said firmly. "I told Kimberly I couldn’t make it." He grinned. "Grandma told me she would take care of handling a replacement with Kimmy. Heaven only knows who she got." He looked at her with his most charming smile. "So….do you forgive me?"

"Well……" Brenda tipped her head to the side and pretended to think about it. "I may forgive you, but that still doesn’t mean that I’m going to pass on this heavenly opportunity for a private bath." Brenda couldn’t resist the chance to make him suffer just a little bit more. "After all, I just love the way the water feel when it flows over my breasts, and tickles my nipples." She sank lower into the tub. "Ahh…this must be heaven," she groaned, closing her eyes. She opened one again. "Don’t you love the way the water feels so silky against your skin and just makes you feel like you’ve been caressed all over, honey?"

Jax shifted uncomfortably at his end of the tub. {OK. I apologized. If she doesn’t give up soon, I’m going in after her.} Then he saw her eyes shoot open and look at him in mock horror. "Oh, my gosh, Jax! Look!"

Jax was truly puzzled. "What? What’s the matter?"

Brenda pointed at his lap. "Well, I never believed the stories until now, but I think the Loch Ness monster has joined us in this tub!" She raised one eyebrow at him wickedly and sat for a moment. "See? There….see, honey? Good old Nessie the sea serpent just kind of bobs up out of the water for a minute and then goes back under to hide." She tapped her finger to her chin. "No wonder those scientists are so mystified by the creature."

Jax had begun to smile at her game. {OK – we’re OK now. This I can handle.} "Well," he drawled slowly, "maybe if you’re so scared of Nessie, you ought to come over here by me so I can protect you from the big bad sea monster."

Brenda slowly began to slide over to Jax’s side of the tub. "Maybe that’s a good idea, honey. You know how scared I am of sea serpents." She moved into the crook of his arm so that they lay side by side.

"Better?" Jax pulled her to him and curved one arm around her, letting his fingers trail to the side of her breast and begin stroking gently.

"Mmmmm……" Brenda sank lower in the water, but then shot up. "Jax?"

"What?"

She pointed to where his lap was covered by the water. "It’s still here!"

"Well," Jax said slowly, "as you told me that you tell Jo, the best way to learn things is by investigating and discovering." He tried to give her a serious look. "Maybe you could conquer your fear of sea serpents if you explored Nessie a little."

Brenda widened her eyes in agreement, continuing the game. "That’s a good idea! I wonder why I didn’t think of that!" As she moved toward Jax’s lap, she stopped and shook her head. "Oh, Jax, I’ve got a problem, though."

"What?" Jax pretended total ignorance.

Brenda shrugged. "Well, since you didn’t tell me what kind of evening you had planned, I didn’t bring my underwater goggles." She shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Where is Jacques Cousteau and his mini-sub when you need him?’

Jax grinned at her slyly as he nuzzled the side of her neck, drawing a soft whimper from her lips. "Maybe I can think of a better way to explore this problem, Mrs. Jacks." He rolled her over to lay on top of him and after giving her a kiss that probably raised the temperature of the water around them, Brenda put her hands on his shoulders and sat up to straddle his lower body.

Jax lifted her slightly and then set her down again, watching her eyes flutter in pleasure at his slow movements. "Any discoveries yet, Madame Scientist?"

"Yes," Brenda gasped. "I think I’ve discovered that the Nessie is really quite a ……marvelous creature."

"Really?" Jax lifted her again and Brenda gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh. "Anything else?"

Jax lifted her and then settled her back onto him again and again, letting her make several more slow journeys of discovery. Then he shifted his hands slightly so that his thumbs caressed the sides of her breasts. They skimmed ever so close to the centers but didn’t quite touch the place that was aching for his attention. Brenda touched her forehead to Jax’s, her eyes still shut. "I think I’ve just about conquered my fear of sea serpents," she murmured, pressing her lips to Jax’s hungry ones.

As he sat up straighter in the tub and the water began to lap around them in waves, Brenda brought her legs forward to wrap them around his waist. Jax broke the kiss and cupped her face in his hands. "Are you sure you’ve got enough data to make your analysis, Mrs. Jacks?" he growled, shifting her yet again and flexing inside of her.

"Maybe not," Brenda moaned, winding her hands into the soft hair at the nape of Jax’s neck to hold on for dear life.

"You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do to help in your scientific efforts, won’t you?" Jax whispered raggedly, moving again so that the sensations spread even deeper into Brenda’s core.

"Just shut up and kiss me, you idiot!" Brenda scolded, pulling his face to her and stabbing her tongue into his mouth fiercely. Jax smiled momentarily, but then his hunger for her drove all thoughts of laughter from his mind. The water in the tub began to lap noisily against the sides with the ferocity of their movements. Brenda finally buried her face in Jax’s neck when she reached her peak, and Jax followed closely after her.

Brenda felt as though every bone in her body had melted in some kind of nuclear explosion. She collapsed against Jax and he slid further down into the tub, shifting her to the side of him, so that they were both covered by the steaming, fragrant water.

Jax reached up and took a flute of champagne. He put it to Brenda’s lips gently, and she sipped some of the liquid refreshment. "Mmmm…" she groaned in contentment, settling back against his chest as he put the glass to his own lips and drank from the same place. He settled the glass back on the bench and then tipped her face up to his for a champagne-flavored kiss.

"You were incredible, Mrs. Jacks," he whispered to her, trailing baby kisses across her forehead.

"Well," she drawled slowly, her eyes still shut, "it’s not often I get to explore one of the scientific mysteries of the universe."

Jax rose an eyebrow. "Nessie? One of the true mysteries of the universe?" He smiled smugly. "Well, I always knew that I was pretty hot stuff, but the entire universe?"

Brenda opened her eyes and gently pushed Jax’s face to the side with the flat of her hand against his cheek.. "No, silly. I was talking about the mystery of how you and I can create such a fire that even this bath water can’t put out."

Jax shifted her in his arms as they both basked in their togetherness. After a few more minutes, Brenda shivered ever so slightly. "Cold?"

Brenda smiled, her eyes still shut. "Well, I have been in this tub longer than you have, you know." She opened her eyes and lifted a shapely leg out of the water. "I think I’m past the prune stage and well on my way to raisin!"

Jax kissed her on the top of the head. "No problem, madam."

"I assume you have a remedy for this?" Brenda asked naughtily.

"Don’t I always?" Jax changed position and rose from the tub, getting out quickly and wrapping himself in one of the luxurious bath sheets next to the tub. As Brenda still remained motionless in the tub, resting against the side, he toweled himself off and then wrapped a fresh towel around his waist.

Taking a fresh bath sheet, he moved the champagne glasses to the floor and spread it on the bath bench. Then he stepped one foot back into the tub and scooped Brenda into his arms, lifting her out of the tub. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling her head onto his shoulder.

Jax lay Brenda on her back on the bench, quickly flipping both sides of the bath sheet up to cover her naked body. He began to briskly towel her dry, slowing his motions when he came to certain parts of her body. Brenda opened one eye. "Are you sure you’re just drying me off, Mr. Jacks?"

"Why would you think I would be doing anything else?" Jax asked innocently. Then his hands moved to dry the insides of her legs, and as he ran his hand up above her knee, Brenda’s sharp intake of breath let Jax know that she was onto his game.

After he had thoroughly dried his languid wife, Jax flipped the bath sheet open and took a fresh one, wrapping it around her and lifting her into his arms once again. He carried her to the large bed in the suite and as he lay her gently down, he gave her a kiss that was a combination of passion and exquisite tenderness. Brenda’s arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down onto the bed with her.

Jax didn’t need a second invitation. He lay on his left side as Brenda lay on her back, and while he deepened the kiss, his right hand began moving down her neck, slowly taking a temporary detour at her breasts until it began moving southward again past her navel. When it reached it destination and he began stroking her lightly, Brenda arched up off the bed.

"Jax," she whimpered breathlessly as she grabbed his shoulders, "the last time was so intense….I don’t think I can get there again…..not so soon….."

Jax gently let Brenda relax back onto the bed. Brenda’s eyes were closed and she didn’t feel anything for a moment as he pulled out of her embrace. As she opened one eye, she caught a glimpse of his blonde waves moving south of her stomach, and in the next instant, both eyes few wide open as his tongue replaced his fingers.

Brenda made unintelligible noises as Jax chuckled in a quiet, low voice. "Never say "can’t" until you’re absolutely sure, Mrs. Jacks," he growled, and then proceeded to continue his attentions to her until she thought she would explode.

As Brenda clutched the sheets, she wasn’t sure which of Jax’s actions were giving her more pleasure – his attentions to her most erogenous places, or the lack of his attention, when he left her hanging in space, waiting for him to begin a new assault on her senses. Jax continued pleasuring her until Brenda came apart again in a shattering explosion. As the spasms were still rippling through her body, Jax made them one, savoring her pleasure almost as much as she did.

As he threaded his arms under her shoulders and completely around, Brenda looked at him with passion-glazed eyes. "If you keep this up, honey, you’re going to kill me for sure," she moaned.

"Ahh, but I thought keeping it "up" was the entire purpose of this evening, wasn’t it?" Jax asked on a ragged breath.

Brenda’s eyes suddenly narrowed and she caught Jax completely unawares as she pushed at his shoulders and reversed their positions. She placed her hands flat on his chest and as she began to move, setting her own pace and rhythm, she lowered her head to his chest and began to trace the outline of his nipples with her tongue.

"Brenda," Jax moaned, burying his hands in her hair. "I love you so much."

"And I love you, too," Brenda whispered back to him, looking up to lock her eyes with his. The hunger that Jax had created in her that evening finally found release. Brenda devoured every last ounce of strength Jax had, until they both lay side by side, snuggled beneath the satin sheets of the bed, drifting gently to sleep in each others’ arms.

The digital clock next to the bed read 11:30PM when Jax opened his eyes. He trailed a finger down Brenda’s nose gently, bringing her back to consciousness. As he propped himself up on his elbow, he continued to trace little patterns lightly on her face with his finger. "So, did you really like my surprises?"

"Which one?" Brenda asked with a wicked smile. "There was one that I found VERY appealing, you know."

Jax shook his head. "Bloody hell, I’ve created a monster." He looked towards the cart of food that Room Service had delivered earlier in the evening. "What about the negligee? Would you try it on for me?"

Brenda pulled back in shock. "Now?" She put her hand flat to his forehead. "Are you sure you’re not running a fever? You want me to put clothes ON?"

Jax smiled. "Humor me." Brenda frowned in confusion, but slowly pulled her legs from beneath the sheets and swung out of the bed, scampering over to the cart to grab the gift box and head towards the bathroom. Inside, she let the soft silk of the gown slide over her head, and she slipped her feet into the matching mule slippers. After she combed her fingers through her hair and checked her appearance in the mirror, she opened the door.

Jax had put his pajama bottoms back on and lit candles all around the room. He sat smiling at the foot of the bed and when he saw her, he rose and extended his hand to her. She walked slowly to him and placed her hand in his. "You look beautiful, my love," he said softly, and then added, "May I have this dance?"

Jax reached behind him on the bed for a remote control, and after pushing a button, soft instrumental music filled the room. Brenda moved into his arms with a smile. "I thought you would never ask," she murmured, sliding one hand up and behind his neck to gently stroke the hair at the nape of his neck. As they began to sway, the mellow voice of Frank Sinatra intoned the melody.

Brenda pulled back and smiled at her husband. "You do know the way to a girl’s heart, even after all this time. Romance and passion – although not necessarily in that order!" Jax laughed and twirled her around in a circle.

As the lights faded that night in the homes around Port Charles, one light burned brightly in the penthouse suite of the Port Charles Hotel – and it wasn’t powered by electricity. It was powered by the love that Jax and Brenda re-affirmed that night for all time to come.

Jax strode into the office that Monday morning with a smile so bright that Angie thought she needed sunglasses. "*Somebody* must have had a great weekend," she said snidely, and Jax took his Wall Street Journal and tapped her gently on the head with it.

"Good Monday morning to you, too, Angie," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. As he put his hand on the double doors to his office, he stopped and then looked at Angie. "Is she in there?"

"Kimberly?" Jax nodded. "Not right now, but she’s been calling for you every five minutes since 7:30 this morning." Jax shook his head and went through the doors with Angie following behind him. "She drove the cleaning people nuts until I got here at 8."

Jax went to behind his desk and picked up a ream of pink slips of paper. "Why do I think these all are from her, too?"

As Angie opened her mouth to answer him, the phone on his desk rang. Jax looked down at it and sighed. "It’s OK. I’ll take it myself. Might as well get it over with." He sat down and Angie turned to leave but he called her back. "You might as well stay and here this. You’ll need to help with some of the arrangements."

Jax picked up the phone. "Jax here." He held the receiver away from his ear and then pulled it back. "Good morning, Kimberly. I trust you had as lovely a weekend as I did." He smirked at Angie as he held the receiver away from his ear again.

He pushed some files aside on his desk and put the receiver back against his ear, his face turning somber. "OK, that’s about enough. I think I get your point. Now you listen to me. According to my calendar, the only event I have between now and the speaking date in Newburgh at the beginning of next week is the interview they need to tape in Manhattan for ABC, correct?" He listened for just a few seconds. "Good. I’ll fly down to Manhattan on Thursday for the interview taping, but the family is coming with me. Brenda and the kids and I are going to be spending the weekend in the city. The kids are going to see Santa at Macy’s and then Brenda and I are going to see a few of the Broadway shows. Then all of us will fly together to Newburgh on Monday." He paused. "Yes, I want the entire family with me for the speaking engagement. I think it’s about time we presented a picture of family unity to the voters." Another pause. "I want them there with me and they’re coming, Kimberly. End of discussion."

Angie had to sit down before she fell down. Whatever Josie had said to Jax had certainly turned him around, and she was thrilled for Brenda’s sake. Jax spoke to Kimberly for a few more minutes, and then he hung up on her abruptly. He looked at Angie. "Are you all right?"

"More than all right," she returned, grabbing her notepad. "What do you need me to do?"

Jax started rattling off orders for her to make reservations at the Plaza for the coming weekend for the family and which tickets for Broadway shows to order. "I’d really appreciate it if you could clear your calendar and come with us," he said shyly. "Brenda and I would appreciate your babysitting services in the evenings, and I’m sure James wouldn’t mind having you there for the scenery." He smiled at her.

"I’ll be there," Angie announced, tapping her pen against her notepad for emphasis. "Anything else?"

Jax leaned back in his chair. "Yeah. Send two dozen pink roses to my wife."

Angie looked up. "Any card?"

Jax smiled wickedly. "Yeah. Sign it, "Four days until Manhattan, Brenda. Are you ready for me?"

To be continued….

Song credit: "Our Love is Here to Stay," by George and Ira Gershwin, recorded by various artists