Lois came into the living room of the suite, carrying a large tray with soft drinks and assorted sandwiches. She set it down on the table and glanced up at Brenda as she helped herself to a sandwich. "Girlfriend, you’re gonna wear a path in that expensive carpet if you don’t sit down soon."

Brenda stopped pacing in front of the couch and turned her gaze to Lois, stretching and holding her lower back. "I’m sorry, Lois. I’m just nervous. This thing has been dragging on for over a week. I just don’t know why they can’t close the file and let us go home."

Lois held up a glass of iced tea to Brenda. "I know, Bren. But you’re not worried that you’re still a suspect, are ‘ya? I mean, after that whole thing with Sonny the day of the hearin’, you’re in the clear."

Brenda came to sit next to Lois on the couch, accepting the glass of tea and taking a sip. "I know, Lois," she replied with a sigh. "But there’s still the whole thing of the sabotage that hasn’t been explained. And….I guess deep down I can’t believe the way things turned out." She shook her head.

"And…..maybe you’re not so anxious for it to be over, because then you’ll have to make good on your part of the deal with Jax?" Lois said gently, handing Brenda a small sandwich.

Brenda smiled and bumped her shoulder against Lois’s. "You know me too well, girlfriend." She looked down at her lap. "Jax took me shopping again yesterday, and I found a few new tops that fit loosely enough but don’t look like maternity tops." She looked into Lois’ eyes and the tears threatened to spill out. "But I’m so small that I still look pregnant, no matter how you try to hide it."

"And that’s a bad thing because….."

"….because what’s Jax’s family going to think when they meet me for the first time?" She put her sandwich down. "What’s Jax going to say to his son?" She put out a hand, miming Jax. "You remember Ms. Barrett, don’t you Jason? Well, guess what? I got her pregnant! But Jason, just always remember to do as I say, and not as I do!!"

Lois clucked sympathetically and put her arm around Brenda’s shoulders, but Brenda just shook her head again and put down her glass of tea. "All that keeps going through my mind is my mother’s face, saying, "Now remember, Brenda, there’s no reason for the man to buy the cow when he’s getting the cream for free!""

Just then, the doors of the suite burst open and Jax and Jerry came through with big smiles on their faces. "Great timing!" Jax shouted. "Break out the champagne, Lois!" He waved some papers in the air. "Case is closed, and we’re free to go!"

Brenda swallowed hard as Jax came to sit next to her on the couch. "It’s over? The whole thing?" Jax nodded and Lois got up and went towards the kitchen, giving Jerry a kiss on the way. Jerry fondly patted her behind as she went past him, a move that drew a smile from Jax. Brenda turned his face back towards hers. "So – details, Jax. I want details."

Jax looked down and saw the sandwiches as Jerry had a seat in a side chair. He picked up two sandwiches, handing one to Brenda and keeping one for himself. "Well," he began as Lois re-entered the room, "we were right on the money pegging Sonny as responsible for the suitcase of heroin." His eyes grew sad. "I’m sorry, love, but he was using you for the past three years as a pipeline for bringing heroin into the country."

"I just can’t believe it," Brenda sighed. "And after he kept telling me all that time how firmly he supported the anti-drug program. He kept swearing that illegal drugs was one area of the business he would never touch."

Jax cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, well he’ll be regretting his decision to get into that part of the business for a long time. He’s looking at a long time behind bars thanks to the Aussie authorities, not to mention what the English and American governments have in store for him."

Brenda took a bite of her sandwich. "OK, but what about the sabotage? I don’t think that even Sonny is stupid enough to sabotage the plane that’s carrying his valuable illegal shipment."

Jax was chewing his sandwich, so he looked towards Jerry for help. "Give the lady a gold star," Jerry said, glancing in Lois’ direction. She had a large bottle of champagne, and was just taking the foil off the top. He rose and went towards her. "When Sonny got into the drug business, he also got himself a whole new group of enemies." He looked at Brenda. "Do you ever remember him mentioning the name Moreno?"

Brenda shook her head. "No, but Sonny made it a point never to discuss business in my presence."

"Well, apparently Moreno was one of the main contenders for Sonny’s territory. He didn’t think that Sonny was cutting him a large enough portion of the profit pie, so he decided to send Sonny a message."

"How did you find all of this out?" Brenda looked at Jax. "Did Anna Devane uncover all of it?"

Jax swallowed. "Some, but you remember our friend, Mr. Rollo – the baggage clerk?" Brenda nodded. "Well, once he started talking to the police, it seems he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He saw one of the other J&J Jacks maintenance crew fiddling around with the hydraulic lines the day we took off."

"So, this other J&J Jacks guy was working for Moreno?"

"Yep." Jax sighed. "It appears that some of my employees have been making more money than *I* have lately, what with all of their extra-curricular activities." He took a sip of Brenda’s iced tea and Brenda made a face at him. "Anyway, it turns out the regular maintenance man called in sick that day and this guy was a plant for Moreno."

Lois was struggling with the champagne cork. "So, did they catch the guy?"

"They’ve got him behind bars, and they’re in the process of issuing warrants for this Moreno character and a lot of the people in Sonny’s organization." Jerry chuckled. "From a simple little case, it turns out that Jax and Brenda will be responsible for one of the biggest organized crime busts in recent history!"

"Well, I’d say that’s definitely a reason to celebrate!" Lois exclaimed, still struggling with the champagne. Jerry reached out to take the bottle from her, but then he began to wrestle with the cork, too. Jax began to chuckle as he watched his brother trying to get the cork out of the bottle.

"Here, big brother," he said sarcastically, rising from the couch. "Let an expert show you how it’s done." As he went to take the bottle from Jerry, the phone in the suite rang.

"I’ll get that since you three seem so involved in getting a simple little bottle open," Brenda said snidely, and she moved to the side of the room to answer the phone.

Lois was concerned as Jax finally popped the champagne bottle and began pouring into the glasses Jerry was holding. "Do you think somebody else should have answered that? I mean, I guess it couldn’t be Sonny anymore, but after that threat in the courtroom…..well, it just gave me the creeps," Lois said with a shiver.

Jerry put down the champagne glasses and took her in his arms. He peeked around her to where Brenda seemed engrossed in the conversation. "Well, it’s going on too long to be a simple hang-up, threatening kind of call. It’s probably some business call."

Jax glanced over his shoulder at Brenda and set down the bottle. "Now that you’ve brought it up, though…." His face was grim. "We still won’t be completely out of the woods about this threat thing from Sonny till all of his organization is behind bars. That’s why I’m so glad that Brenda agreed to come back to Malibu with us. I know we can keep her safe once she’s inside the compound."

"Keep me safe from who?" Brenda suddenly asked, as she appeared behind Jax and startled him. "Sonny?"

Jax led her back to the couch after taking a glass of champagne. "Among others." He took a sip, and then set his glass down after handing Brenda her iced tea. "Now that everything’s settled with the smuggling and the sabotage, the police gave us our walking papers this morning. I figure we can spend the rest of the day packing and getting things organized, and then we can fly out of here on a J&J Lear tomorrow morning, if my brother doesn’t mind being my co-pilot."

Jerry, who was seated in a side chair with Lois in his lap, lifted his glass to Jax. "Gladly, little brother." Then his face grew somber. "To be perfectly honest, though, I’m a little worried about Lois, too."

Lois began to cough as she had just taken a drink of champagne as Jerry spoke. She patted her chest and Jerry patted her on the back. "That’s NUTS, Jerry! Sonny’s not gonna hurt me!"

Jerry put his arm around her waist. "Maybe, but what if his people hit the office instead?" Jerry was grim. "Innocent bystanders have been injured more than once in mob hits. I would just feel a whole lot better if you were at the compound with us, too."

Jax began to grin. "Besides, Lois…..I’m beginning to sense an ulterior motive here."

Lois’s eyes began to twinkle and she put her hand on her hip. "Why, Jerry Jacks, do you have plans to have your way with me with your family nearby?"

Jerry feigned innocence. "Me?"

Lois snapped her fingers. "Darn. Cause I sure do!" They all laughed, but then Lois noticed Brenda’s quiet non-participation. "Don’t worry about it, Brenda. We can easily run L&B from the Jacks estate for a few weeks. I’ll just have Robin fax most of the paperwork out there, and we can even some meetings with talent there if need be." She glanced at Jax. "I’m sure they might have an extra room or two where we can hammer things out with the Squirrel Nut Zippers." She rose and went to stand by Brenda, who still looked glum, and perched on the arm of the couch next to her. "Come on, Brenda, don’t be down. Jax and Jerry will make sure that we’re safe and protected."

Brenda grimaced. "Maybe it’s not Sonny or his people I need protecting from." She gave Jax an acid look. "That was your WIFE on the phone before."

"Oh, Lord." Jax buried his head in his hands momentarily. "What did she want?" His eyes began to flash. "Did she upset you?"

Brenda tipped her head to the side. "Well, we don’t exactly have a mutual admiration society, you know." She took a deep breath. "She was looking for you, but when she got me, she actually apologized to me."

"Apologized? Randy?" Jerry’s brows knit in confusion.

Brenda smiled sweetly. "Yes. She told me she was very sorry but that she wasn’t about to give you up." Jax cursed under his breath and Brenda glanced at him. "She said that you were very brave, calling her bluff like that, but that she didn’t intend to sign your settlement offer because she still loves you." Brenda stared down at her lap. "She also said that she was surprised because usually you dumped your girlfriends much sooner than this – especially the young, nubile ones like myself." Brenda tapped herself on the chin. "What was that she said? Oh, yes – that it was a shame that all I could offer you was a body, and no brains to match." She smoothed her top over her swollen stomach. "Guess I don’t even have that, now."

Jax reached out to take Brenda into his arms. "Don’t let her get to you, Brenda. She’s an expert at pushing people’s buttons."

Brenda pushed him away and looked into his eyes. "How can I NOT let her get to me, Jax? She’s got you, and I don’t. And pretty soon I’m going to be as big as a house and she’ll still be slim and trim…."

"I don’t care about that, Brenda! You should know that by now!" Jax exclaimed. "And she won’t have me for long." He glanced over at Jerry, who just rose one eyebrow. "I still have my ace in the hole that I can play to get the divorce."

Brenda turned his face to her. "Then PLAY it, Jax – don’t just threaten her with it. You seem surprised that I don’t believe you when you tell me how much you love me, but then you keep talking about this "ace" you have and yet you won’t use it. How can I know what to believe?"

Jerry gave Jax a look, and Jax ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He suddenly set Brenda on the couch next to him and then reached for the telephone, punching in numbers quickly. "Addie? This is Jax. We’ll be heading back to the States tomorrow. I want you to do a few things." He paused. "Call the house and let them know we’ll be arriving tomorrow and bringing guests with us. Lois and Brenda. Mum will know who I’m talking about. Then, I want you to check the local listings and find a condo today in the Hollywood Hills. Nice, but I’m not willing to pay for the Taj Mahal. Then call the house again. Tell Miranda where it is, and tell her I want her and her things moved out of the compound and into the condo before we arrive tomorrow." He took a deep breath. "Tell her that if she’s still on the grounds when we arrive tomorrow, I’ll have her forcibly removed." Another pause. "I don’t care how unhappy she’ll be. Tell her I have important matters to discuss with her and I’ll be in touch." He glanced at Brenda. "And tell her this – I wasn’t bluffing."

Lois’s mouth dropped open when the limo pulled past the guardhouse and onto the main driveway of the estate. "Holy Buckets, Jerry! This is some set-up!"

Jerry smiled and began to point out the various parts of the estate -- the in-ground heated pool, the tennis courts, the garage where various family cars were kept, the outer buildings where the full-time staff lived, and eventually, the main house. Brenda watched the buildings going past her and listened half-heartedly as Jerry described the facilities. Jax was holding her hand, and when he caught her glancing down at her stomach, he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Jax, I was thinking this morning that maybe Lois and Brenda could use the gatehouse as a temporary base of operations until they can get back into their offices," Jerry suggested. He pointed out the window. "It’s over there, fairly far from the rest of the main buildings." He smiled. "That way, if a few of your .....clients.....get a little noisy, it won’t bother anyone."

Lois bristled. "Are you sayin’ that you don’t like the music our clients make?"

"If you want to call it music," Jerry answered, but then broke into a smile, obviously enjoying annoying Lois.

"Teasing aside, I think Jerry’s got a good idea," Jax offered. "We can have your things taken to the gatehouse."

When they pulled up to the main house, John and Jane Jacks and Jason were waiting outside. Jax emerged from the car, and he immediately put a hand back inside to help Brenda out. He held her gently around the waist and brought her to his parents. "Mum, Dad, I want you to meet Ms. Brenda Barrett." He smiled at her. "I don’t think we had a chance to do the proper introductions on Igua."

Brenda extended a hand nervously, but was immediately pulled into a bear hug by John Jacks. "Welcome, my dear! It’s so good to finally meet you!" Brenda couldn’t believe his warmth, but when she looked into Jane’s eyes, she saw the same thing reflected.

Jane opened her arms to Brenda also. "Brenda, my dear, welcome. Our home is your home." She pulled back from the embrace. "Now, let me look at you." She eyed Brenda up and down, and Brenda feared for the worst. But she was again surprised. "She’s a pretty thing, Jax, and so delicate. So help me, I can’t imagine how she ever put up with a lug like you on that island for six weeks!"

Jason was standing impatiently to the side, but finally went to hug Jax. "Welcome home, dad." He turned to Brenda, but never got to officially welcome her as Lois and Jerry came up. The party moved into the large living room of the Jacks family, where soft drinks and refreshments were waiting.

Jason finally seized a moment of relative calm. "Ms. Cerullo, I’m so glad to meet you! I didn’t get to see you when Brenda gave me a tour of L&B!" He looked excitedly at Jane Jacks. "Did I tell you, grandma, that Garbage records for them?"

"JASON JACKS!" Jane looked mortified.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Jason looked puzzled, but Brenda just had to stifle a smile and Jax rubbed her back.

Jane put her hands on her hips. "Didn’t your father teach you any manners at all?" She looked flustered and spoke gently. "No matter what we may think of the kind of artists they record, we don’t insult them by calling them garbage!"

Lois burst out laughing. "Oh, Mrs. Jacks, he wasn’t insultin’ us! Garbage is the name of a musical group that records for our label!" Laughs were shared all around, and then Jerry offered to take Lois down to see the gatehouse and Brenda was left alone with the Jacks family.

She felt like they were all staring at her, when suddenly Jason exploded again. "You know, Brenda, I am *so* excited about being a big brother! When’s the baby due?" John Jacks gave him a dirty look and Jane just buried her head in her hands, but Jax smiled at his son’s enthusiasm. "What?" Jason asked in exasperation. "What did I say *now*?"

"Nothing, Jason," Brenda smiled. "Nothing at all. The baby’s due in late October."

"Well, then, dad, now I’m sure." Jax looked at Jason with a question in his eyes, so Jason continued. "I definitely do not want to go to that fancy Air Force prep school in the fall. I want to go somewhere here in LA so I can be here when the baby’s born."

Brenda felt Jax’s body tense. "But Jason – I thought we agreed that by going to this school, you’d have the best chance of getting into the Air Force Academy when the time comes."

"I know, dad," Jason replied softly, his eyes downcast, "but….I’ve never had a little brother or sister before, and I want to be here when it’s born. I’ll miss that if I’m away at school." He looked towards Brenda and then back to Jax. "Please, dad?"

Brenda stared up into Jax’s eyes and saw that he was total putty in his son’s hands. "We’ll see, Jason." But when Brenda looked back at Jason, she saw that he, too, realized that his dad had just given in.

"Speaking of which, do you know yet if it’s gonna be a boy or girl?" Jason asked excitedly, but then interrupted Brenda as she opened her mouth to speak. "No, wait! Don’t tell me! I think I’d rather be surprised!" Brenda just looked up at Jax with a smile that warmed his heart. "Oh, and do you still have that morning sickness thing going on?" As Jane and John worked hard to stifle their laughter, Jason got defensive. "Well, I’ve been doing some research on the Net, and I read a lot about it!"

"Sometimes, but not as often," Brenda finally answered with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Jason said in excitement, "I was thinking about it and I’ve got it all figured out. See, you won’t know where the bathrooms are in the house, so if you feel the need to hurl, just give me the thumbs-up, and I’ll lead you to the nearest facility!"

Jane Jacks just shook her head at her grandson’s enthusiasm. "Thank you, Jason. I’m sure that Brenda feels much more secure now in that knowledge." She turned an eagle eye on Brenda. "You look exhausted, my dear. Why don’t you go try to get some rest before dinner?"

"I am a little tired after all those changes of time zone," Brenda admitted, "but I’m not sure where the gatehouse exactly is."

Jax stood and helped her to her feet. "I had Charles take Lois’s bags to the gatehouse, but I told him to take your things to my room." Brenda’s eyes widened, but when noone else seemed surprised, she relaxed. "I need to catch up with Dad on how the business went while we were in Australia." He looked at his son. "Jason, will you show Brenda the way to my room so she can get some rest?"

"Sure." He came to Brenda and held his arm out formally. As they left the room, he tipped his head to her confidentially. "And on the way, I’ll be sure to point out *all* the bathrooms."

Brenda’s musical laugh echoed back into the living room as she exited. As Jax watched her leave, Lady Jane grasped her husband’s hand to see the love shining out of her son’s eyes. It gratified her to see him so happy at last. She vowed there and then to do everything she could to make sure that Miranda didn’t take away that glow.

*~*~*~*

The rest of the day flew by for Brenda. She napped for a while in Jax’s bed, relishing the feel of the crisp, clean sheets against her skin. She regretted that the sheets didn’t hold his fragrance, but then she remembered that with all of the problems in Australia, he probably hadn’t slept in this bed for over 2 weeks.

Jax had come to wake her sometime after 6PM for dinner. Although she was nervous about facing the family at the dinner table again, Lady Jane was charming and insisted that Brenda sit next to her. Lois and Jerry sat next to each other and kept the conversation light and humorous. Jason insisted on sitting on Brenda’s other side, and whenever there was a lull in the conversation, he kept up a steady stream of questions about his new sibling-to-be. No – Brenda hadn’t had an ultrasound yet. No – the baby hadn’t moved yet. Yes – the first time it moved, she would be sure to let him know. No – she hadn’t picked a labor coach yet. When Jason finally asked if he could accompany her to Lamaze classes, Jax exploded.

"Jason! You are the baby’s big brother – not its father! I’M the one who’ll go to Lamaze classes with Brenda!" Brenda shot him a look, and Jax suddenly acted like the wind had been taken out of his sails. "That is….if she decides to have natural childbirth."

Around 9PM, Jerry excused himself to walk Lois back down to the gatehouse – and was thoroughly teased by Jax about his real intentions for wanting to be alone with Ms. Cerullo. Jax then turned to Brenda. "Would you mind going to bed alone for a while? I need to catch up with Dad on some paperwork and phone calls that really can’t wait."

Brenda nodded and after Jason immediately offered his assistance as guide, she slowly made her way back to Jax’s room. She spent over 30 minutes soaking in the huge marble sunken bathtub in the bathroom of Jax’s suite, and then after toweling off in front of the mirror, she looked at herself critically. Making a dour face at her slightly bubbled stomach, she donned a waltz-length lightweight cotton nightgown that came down well past her knees on her petite frame. With Jax nowhere in sight, she sighed and climbed into the king size bed, and soon was asleep, even with one lamp burning on the nightstand on his side.

She was awakened by the sound of the door closing, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him tiptoeing into the room. Since he apparently didn’t see her rouse, she decided to continue to pretend to be asleep. She heard him go into the bathroom and then after hearing the sound of the water running briefly, she heard the bathroom door open again.

Brenda felt the mattress dip under Jax’s weight, but she remained on her side, her knees drawn slightly up to her chest. She felt Jax’s breath at the nape of her neck before she felt the warmth of his body as he gently touched her shoulder. "You can stop pretending, now, love," he whispered. "I know you’re not asleep."

She rolled to her back and saw his smile. "You know me too well," she said softly, tracing the side of his cheek with her hand. Her fingers began to tremble as her hormones, which were already raging out of control with the pregnancy, set a fire in her system which only he could quench.

Jax took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Did you expect that to change, even though we haven’t been together for almost three months?" He cupped the side of her face tenderly and nuzzled the side of her neck, causing her to arch her back into his embrace. "God, Brenda," he sighed, "it seems like forever since I’ve held you."

He lowered his head to hers and kissed her thoroughly, leaving her breathless and panting softly. Her fingers tangled in his spun-gold hair as she pulled him back to kiss her again, moaning softly into his mouth. His tongue imitated what his body had been aching to do for months, and she welcomed it as she began to writhe against him. When he broke the kiss and pulled back the sheet, he surprised her when he chuckled softly. At her questioning look, he ran his finger under the neckline of the nun-like shift. "Since when have you begun wearing such modest bedroom attire?"

She blushed slightly. "Maybe since I found myself pregnant and in your house with your parents and son in the rooms next door!"

Jax slid his finger more deeply inside the neckline of the gown, tracing the swell of her breast and causing her breath to catch in her throat. "Have I told you that I purposely had the contractor build my bedroom with extra thick, soundproof walls?"

Brenda paused for a moment as the thought occurred to her that Jax had probably made love to Miranda in this very bed, but then all rational thought faded as he moved a hand to the hemline of her nightgown and began pulling it up past her thighs. "Jax, wait!" She clamped a hand down on his wrist to stop him.

His eyes widened. "What’s the matter? Surely you’re not going to tell me that you don’t want me to make love to you!"

Brenda took a deep breath. "The light, Jax." She nodded towards the small lamp on the nightstand. "Would you please turn out the light?"

His hand fell back to the sheet. "Well, this is a switch." He lifted one eyebrow. "I thought you HATED being in the dark on the island. When did your attitude change?"

Brenda cast her eyes downward. "Jax, my body.....I mean, being pregnant with your child has made some changes...." She stumbled for words. "I don’t look the same as I did on the island." She tried to look away, but he caught her chin in his fingers and turned her back to lock eyes with her.

"Brenda, I don’t ever want you to be ashamed of your body. I WANT to see the changes that my child has made in you." He leaned down to graze his open mouth across her breasts, still covered by the cotton gown. The heat of his mouth and the dampness he left behind caused her to moan. He dragged his gaze back up to her. "The sight of your naked body could never be a turn-off to me, Brenda. That will never change, no matter how many children we have." Then it was Jax’s turn to cast his eyes down shyly. "You know, you’re not the only one who’s nervous here."

She frowned. "You -- nervous? Why?"

His hand lightly skimmed her stomach and began to reach under the hem of her gown, sliding up her thigh with agonizing slowness. "I would never want to do anything to hurt you or our baby." He gently stroked the center of her femininity, making it difficult for her to concentrate on what he was saying. "It’s been a long time since I made love to you, Brenda. What if I ....I mean, I might get carried away and..….I don’t want to do anything that might be too……rough…." He looked down in embarrassment and then back into her soft brown eyes.

She took his mouth in a passionate kiss. "You would never hurt me, Jax. And you don’t have to worry. Being pregnant doesn’t turn a woman into some kind of porcelain doll." She reached down between them, finding the center of his desire and caressing it lovingly. "You are so amazing, do you know that? You’re like the softest down -- but at the same time, it’s like eiderdown covering solid steel."

"Do you still want me to turn out the light?" he said raggedly, pulling at the hem of her gown. Brenda rasped out exactly what she wanted him to do in some very guttural terms, and the amount of lighting in the room had nothing to do with it.

After the nightgown was dispensed with in quick order, Jax rolled Brenda beneath him. "Are you sure I won’t hurt you or be too heavy?" He teased at her softness, slowly taking her, carefully joining them, until she finally reached down and grasped his thighs, pulling him anxiously to her until he was completely buried inside her.

"I’m sure. Just shut up and stop worrying and make love to me," she gasped, feeling the fullness of him that she had missed for so many months. Jax set a rhythm that was slow and sensuous, until Brenda began to move restlessly under him, almost causing him to lose control himself. She urged him on faster, but he resisted her delicate hands, insisting on setting the pace. Just when she thought the fire he had ignited couldn’t burn any hotter, he reached between them and found the center of her and began to massage it gently. The embers exploded behind Brenda’s closed eyelids in glorious shades of gold and purple, and Jax’s own fulfillment followed closely behind.

"I love you, Brenda," he murmured to her later as they both lay on their sides, Jax’s nude body again spooning hers. He reached down to run his hand over her stomach. "I love our child so much." He sighed and buried his face in her hair.

Brenda closed her eyes in sated contentment, but then a few minutes later, they flew open when she felt something stirring behind her. She slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder at Jax, and a sly smile was spreading across his face. She took her hand and lifted up the sheet, and after peeking at him, she put it down so rapidly that it puffed up like a parachute. "Jax, you .....you’re already.....I mean, it’s......" His chuckle was a low rumble in his chest. "I mean......you can’t!"

He lifted the sheet to take a look for himself, and then put it down with a smile. "Obviously, my love, I can!" As he began to teased at her again with the proof of his desire, he whispered in her ear, "Do I hear any objections?"

"None at all, Mr. Jacks," Brenda sighed as the dance began again. "None at all."

To be continued......