By: Belle
The Promise: Chapter 8
The Victoria Falls Elephant Camp was situated just 25 kilometers west of
the Falls on 35,000 acres of privately owned wildlife estate. It consisted
of a main lodge, three two bedroom thatched roof chalets, a number of "bathing
ponds" and the barns where the elephants were housed. There were dining quarters
in the lodge as well as an entertainment room where guests could watch TV
or sit by a warm fire during the cold nights. However, the main activities
of the camp were definitely oriented around the four domesticated elephants
who lived there. A number of activities were offered, with the emphasis of
spending time with the elephants - either game viewing from their backs,
picnicking with them on the estate, grooming, feeding or swimming with them,
or just experiencing the pleasure of being close to such magnificent animals.
And it was this point that Brenda was worrying about as they
pulled up the long drive to the camp and parked the jeep in front of the
main lodge.
"Okay - everyone out!" Zack cried, climbing out of the front seat and swinging
open the back door to help Annie and Brenda. Brenda tried not to watch enviously
as Annie jumped into Zack’s arms and he swung her around in a tight
hug. Her eyes automatically trailed to Jax who was getting the bags out of
the back and he caught her watching him and winked. She blushed and looked
away. She made a mental promise to herself that she wouldn’t look at
him for the rest of the day… unless he was talking or teasing her in
which case she would have to - BUT other than that she would not - could
not look at him without a reason.
"You okay?"
Brenda felt a hand on her shoulder and without turning or even listening
to the voice she knew that it was Jax. Her skin could sense him. She startled
at the feel of his hand against her bare shoulder and she whipped around.
"Yeah - I’m… I’m fine. Why?" she was staring down at her hands
as she twisted them about nervously.
"well - you’re actually speaking to me again so I thought something
might be wrong." He grinned as Brenda’s eyes widened and she looked
up at him. He had caught her. She had obviously forgotten that she had sworn
in the car that she would never say another word to him.
She narrowed her eyes. "I was only trying to be polite." She answered brusquely,
cursing herself for breaking two promises in less than a second. Damn him
and those eyes.
"Yeah sure - whatever you say princess."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
Jax shrugged, and arched an eyebrow. "Because you act like one." He answered,
avoiding the truth which was that she looked like every princess in every
fairy tale he had ever imagined.
His answer severely irked her and she narrowed her eyes. "Yeah - well I may
be a princess - but you’re certainly no prince."
She tossed her hair over her shoulders and giving him one final glare, stalked
over to where Annie and Zack where staring. Much to her aggravation, she
heard Jax laughing behind her, but this time she actually controlled her
instincts and didn’t turn around. She was thinking about what he had
meant by his princess remark when she heard a loud voice.
"Welcome everyone." A tall African man who suddenly appeared on the steps
into the lodge. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a bright colored shirt.
"I am Ahkeem and I own this camp with my wife Mariah." He grinned and laughed
when he saw Jax and Zack struggling with all the bags. "Let me get someone
to help you with your bags." he instructed, snapping his fingers loudly and
then sweeping one arm towards the front door. "Please - follow me."
*******************************************************************************
Zack smiled and came up behind her - wrapping his arms around her waist and
resting his chin on top of her head. "Just be careful okay?" his voice was
very tender. "I don’t want any of those wild animals carrying you away."
He laughed.
Annie rolled her eyes and turned in his arms. "You’re the only wild
animal who could really carry me away." She joked, but when she saw that
there was still some apprehension in his eyes she sighed and nodded. "I’ll
be careful. Don’t worry."
They sat together in silence for a couple moments, just enjoying the view
and being together. In the distance, they could see the second chalet where
Jax and Brenda were staying. Annie frowned.
"What is it?" Zack asked, noticing the worried expression on her face.
Annie sighed. "I was just wondering if we made the right decision not telling
Jax and Brenda that even though they’re going to have separate rooms
they still have to share a bathroom…. I mean - God knows if either one
of them is going to survive."
Zack laughed. "Oh they’ll get over it. We offered them the out of going
home -"
"or sleeping together." Annie added.
"Exactly." Zack grinned. "And they said they would get along and stay so
I think we have to just hope for the best."
"Which would be?" Annie arched a slender eyebrow.
Zack hesitated. "That they don’t kill each other… and well - I
have faith that they won’t. You’ll see - I bet right now - Jax
is helping Brenda carrying in her suitcases and they’re already well
on their way to being great friends."
Annie just gave him a look that said she wasn’t so convinced.
"Oh I’ll get the door." Brenda volunteered, turning from where she had
been observing the scenery from the porch and holding open the door for him.
"Wow thanks." Jax muttered under his breath as he rearranged one of her duffel
bags and tried to keep her other bags from falling over.
"What did you say?" Brenda hesitated before the door.
"I say that would be great - thanks!"
Brenda just gave him a little smirk that clearly said she didn’t believe
him and opened the door.
"After you your highness." Jax held the door open with his foot and motioned
for her to go in before him.
Brenda chose to ignore the mocking tone in his voice and sauntered into the
room in front of him. "You can put the suitcases on the bed." She instructed,
collapsing in a large arm chair and taking off her sandals to rub her feet.
"Man - it sure is hot here. I’m wiped."
Jax glared at her as he mopped sweat off his forehead.
Brenda sat up. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means Princess that I have new found sympathy for those poor Egyptian
men who had to carry Cleopatra around all day on her caravan."
Brenda was clearly miffed. "Are you insinuating that I was treating you like
a servant?"
"I’m insinuating that you pack more luggage than the entire US and European
armies combined." He laughed at her hurt expression. "It’s not an insult
Brenda… it’s just well - it’s kind of amusing. And it also
proves how on the mark I was when I made up your nickname." He grinned.
"For your information every single thing in those bags is absolutely necessary."
"I’m sure." Jax grinned and nodded, humoring her and obviously keeping
back his laughter.
Brenda’s dark eyes widened and she stared at him indignantly. "They
are!" She crossed the room and started unpacking while he perched himself
on the edge of the bed and watched her with obvious amusement.
"So you’re telling me that this dress is an absolutely essential item
for a safari?" Jax held up her lavender silk evening gown and arched an eyebrow.
The dress was long with slits up to mid-thigh on both sides. It had spaghetti
straps a plunging neckline.
Brenda nodded and snatched it out of his hands. "Yes." She answered curly
and Jax bit back a smile.
"And these?" he held up a pair of strappy platinum stiletto heels. "Yes I
can certainly see how these would come in helpful when hiking through the
jungle." He grinned. "Afterall - why carry around a knife for protection
when you could just take off your shoe and stab someone with it’s heel.
Very multi-purposeful." He grabbed the long, thin heel of one of the shoes
with his hand and made a stabbing motion. Brenda bit back her laughter and
grabbed her shoes out of his hands.
"If you don’t watch out - I’m going to stab you with their heels."
Brenda teased, putting the shoes in the closet along with the 15 other pairs
of shoes she had unpacked so far. She smiled unconsciously as she listened
to him listing other "necessary" items in her room. "Okay Jax - " she said
loudly, walking out of the closet into her room. "you’re had your fun.
Now I think it’s time -"
She stopped talking when she saw him on the phone. He held a finger up and
continued talking. "So you were saying sweetheart - how did the meeting go?"
Brenda froze in the doorway. ‘Sweetheart’ - she hated the way that
sounded coming out of his mouth. Especially in reference her. His fiancee.
Gwendelyn or Guenivere or whoever Annie had said he was engaged to. A rage
that Brenda couldn’t explain filled her and she began to stomp around
the room - banging drawers and closet doors as she finished unpacking and
making it nearly impossible for Jax to talk on the phone. After a few minutes
he covered the phone with his hand and called out to her. "Brenda - I’m
going to go in my room and finish this call and then unpack. Okay?"
"Good - leave." She said angrily.
Jax was clearly confused. What had happened in the past two minutes to make
her go from laughing with him to yelling again? Women. He would never understand
them. "Is something wrong?"
Brenda stopped packing and gave him an evil stare. "Clearly. You. Now would
you please leave - I want to spend some time alone."
Jax just gave her a look and glared back at her. "Okay…. I’m going
- but don’t ask for any help moving those suitcases into the top of
your closet." Sighing heavily he shook his head and walked out of the room
- slamming the door behind him.
Brenda bit her lip - trying to hold back the tears. What was happening to
her? Why was she acting this way? He hadn’t done anything wrong - she
knew that, but she just felt so angry all of a sudden. Taking a deep breath
she ran her fingers through her dark hair. She felt so tired, and dirty and
sweaty…she needed a shower or a bath. A bath. A long, hot bubble bath
was exactly what she needed.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What the hell is going on here?" Brenda wondered to herself, opening her
eyes when she heard a loud thud, and removing her walkman just as Jax stood
up from the floor, rubbing his elbow and wincing. They both saw each other
at the same time, and Brenda screamed, jumping out of the water.
"JAX!" She screamed. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"
"I… I -" Jax tried to speak, but he couldn’t quite get the words
out. He was too paralyzed by the vision in front of him of Brenda naked and
covered with glistening bubbles. His mouth suddenly went dry.
"You - you?" Brenda was livid. "How did you even get in here?"
Jax swallowed and took a deep breath. "What do you mean how did I get in
here? I came through my door? What are you doing in MY bathroom?"
"YOUR bathroom?" Brenda repeated. "This is my bathroom. And I was taking
a bath."
"Obviously." Jax murmured and for the first time Brenda realized that she
was standing in front of him stark naked. Her cheeks turned a bright shade
of red, and she tried to climb out of the tub and grab a towel at the same
time. Her foot slipped however and went flying. Jax reached out and caught
her and time seemed to stand still as her naked body was crushed against
his bare chest. For a second neither one of them could breath. Not thinking
about what she was doing, Brenda took a deep breath, and leaned forward.
To Be Continued…..
*******************************************************************************
Annie stood on the porch of the chalet she and Zack were sharing and sighed
happily. "It is so beautiful here." She said softly, turning to face Zack
who was standing in the doorway into their room. "I can hardly wait to get
out there and start taking pictures."
*******************************************************************************
"My god - what did you pack in here? Your entire house?" Jax was panting
as he struggled with carrying all of Brenda’s suitcases and trying to
open the door to their chalet at the same time. He had already taken two
trips from the car for her other bags. Never in his life had he met a woman
who packed so many bags for a measly vacation.
*******************************************************************************
The warm water enveloped her and Brenda sighed happily as she leaned her
head against the back of the tub. She had her headphones on, and she sang
along to the Jewel song Foolish Games as she laid back. The bubbles tickled
her neck and shoulders and she smiled. This was absolute heaven. She had
been right. A bubble bath was exactly what she needed to clear her head and
start pulling herself back together. She quite simply HAD to get a grip where
Jax was concerned and the only way for her to do that was to stop thinking
about him and just smile and be polite when they were together. And fighting
was definitely out of the question. Why - the next time she saw him she was
going to say hi and then make small talk about his work or his wedding. She
could do that. How hard could it be? Having made that decision, Brenda closed
her eyes and sunk further down into the hot water.
"Finally." Jax murmured to himself as he put away his last t-shirt in the
large bureau and closed his suit case. Tossing his suitcase into the closet,
he took a deep breath and sat down on his bed. His mind immediately drifted
to Brenda and her strange behavior before in her room. He was tired from
traveling and attempting to keep up with Brenda’s mood swings. What
he needed was a long, hot shower and then maybe a short nap. He quickly stripped
off his t-shirt and shorts and strode towards the bathroom in his boxers.
Hopefully after showering he’d feel less confused about a certain brunette.
The door to the bathroom wouldn’t budge and after three tries at prying
it open, Jax stood back and hit it down the center with his shoulder. The
door went flying open and he fell onto the bathroom floor at the feet of
the large antique bathtub.
The Promise Chapter 9
A million thoughts raced through Jax’s mind as Brenda’s face moved
closer to his, and he felt himself moving toward her as well, like a magnet.
What was he doing? What about Gwen? His promise to his family and to her?
He was an engaged man. He shouldn’t be behaving this way. On the other
hand - there was something about Brenda that knocked all of his common sense
out of the water. And she was so close, and she felt so good in his arms…
and how could something that felt this good really be wrong? He swallowed,
and leaned in, tightening his grasp on her waist. As he did so, she moved
her foot and suddenly slipped - sending them both flying onto the floor and
causing Jax to smack the back of his head against the door.
"OW!" he yelled, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. The fall seemed
to throw them back to their senses, and Brenda jumped up and grabbed a towel
from the door to wrap around herself before kneeling down beside Jax and
looking at him with concern.
"Oh my god! Jax - are you all right?"
"Yeah," he murmured. "It wasn’t anything that I didn’t deserve."
"What?"
Jax sighed and arched an eyebrow. "I think that little fall was God’s
way of telling me something." He looked up at Brenda with regret in his eyes.
"Please - please don’t try to kiss me again, Princess."
His comment immediately put Brenda on the defense. "I shouldn’t try
to kiss you again?" she repeated. "What about you? If I remember - you’re
the one who seems to initiate our kisses."
Jax’s mouth fell open. "You leaned in first!"
"Did not."
"Did, too."
"Did not."
"Did -" Jax closed his eyes and let out a quick breath. "Oh, forget it. Fine.
You win. I’m too old to play these childish games." He tried to stand
up, but she blocked him and wouldn’t let him by.
"Oh, please, Jax. You love these games." She glared at him. "And don’t
imply that I’m a baby."
Jax shrugged. "Hey - you’re the one who said it. Not me."
"I… I… I"
"Hate me?" Jax finished. He grinned. "You know - you may want to think of
a new comeback because between you and me - that one is getting a little
old."
"Well, that’s just great - because between you and me - you’re
getting a little old. You and this 'I’m so superior act'." Brenda grabbed
her bathrobe off the counter and opened the door into her room. "Get over
yourself, Jax. I wouldn’t kiss you again if you were the last man on
the earth." And with that, she slammed the bathroom door, leaving a very
amused and extremely confused Jax behind her.
*******************************************************************************
"Bren? Are you here?" Knocking softly on the wooden panel outside of
Brenda’s door, Annie pushed it open with the palm of her hand and peaked
her head into the room. It was 11:45 a.m., and seeing that neither Jax nor
Brenda had showed up at the Elephant barn at 11:20 to "meet" their elephants,
Zack and Annie had come searching for them. And now Annie had found Brenda
- lying face up on her bed, listening to her walkman, singing to herself,
and looking as though the world was about to end.
Well in case you failed to notice - In case you failed to see
This is my heart - standing before you.
This is me down on my knees.
And these - foolish games are tearing me apart.
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart.
You’re breaking my heart.
"Hey, you," Annie said softly, brushing a tear off Brenda’s delicate
face and letting her fingers trail up to her friend’s dark hair. She
ran her fingers through it in a soothing motion and smiled. "What’s
going on? Zack and I waited for you and Jax at the barn for over twenty minutes,
but when neither of you showed up, we got worried…"
"Oh, Annie! I’m so sorry! I completely forgot!" Brenda sat up quickly
and wiped her face with the back of her hand.
"It’s okay - it’s okay." Annie assured her, taking Brenda’s
hand and biting her lip with worry. "Bren - what’s wrong? You look like
your entire world is about to come crashing down around you. Please - tell
me what’s going on… is it Michael?"
Brenda shook her head slowly and looked down at her hands as she traced patterns
on the comforter with her index finger. "No," she replied softly, not looking
up.
"So, then who or what is it?" Annie took a deep breath, already knowing the
answer, but waiting for Brenda to tell her on her own.
Brenda looked up and sighed. Her dark eyes filled with tears, and she swallowed.
"It’s Jax, Annie."
Annie nodded. "I know."
"You know?" Brenda looked surprised.
"Yeah." Annie was quiet for a second, and she took both of Brenda’s
hands in hers. "You know, Bren - I know Jax is engaged, but if it makes you
feel any better - I think he’s just as confused as you are. And if you
want, I could -"
"Wait. Annie, stop." Brenda took her hands away and gave Annie a strange
look. "Do you think that I have romantic feelings for Jax? Is that why you
think I’m upset?"
"Well, don’t you?"
"NO!" Brenda got up off the bed and stood in the middle of the rug, with
her hands on her hips, glaring at her best friend. "Of course, I don’t
have feelings for Jax! I’m really upset because I’ve been acting
so strange and rude to him, that I’m beginning to worry that Michael
has forever turned me against the male sex."
Annie sighed, "So you’re telling me that you’re here crying about
Jax, not because you have feelings for him, but because you’re worried
that since the two of you fight all the time, it’s some kind of sign
that Michael has forever scarred you?"
"Exactly!" Brenda nodded, taking deep breaths and obviously holding back
tears. "Like before - Jax was helping me unpack, and all of a sudden, for
well… well, for basically no reason, I started yelling at him and then
- he - well -" she burst into tears again. "He yelled at me, and well - I
just - just can’t stop." She sat back down on her bed and buried her
head in her hands.
"Oh, Bren," Annie rubbed her friend’s back. "Shhh… it’s okay.
I know it seems awful right now, but I think you may be jumping to conclusions."
She sighed, and brushed strands of hair out of Brenda’s face. "You know
you’re talking as though your fighting with Jax is all your fault, and
that is absolutely not true. He certainly hasn’t been behaving like
an angel, and you’re both so stubborn that fighting seems to come naturally
between the two of you," she grinned. "And I’m sure the fact that
you’re absolutely beautiful isn’t helping his behavior either!"
Annie laughed. "Between you and me - I think he’s showing off."
Brenda sniffed. "He thinks I’m beautiful?" She looked up, and Annie
couldn’t help but detect the twinge of hope shining through her eyes
and voice.
"Who wouldn’t?" Annie grinned and took Brenda’s hands. "Come on
- let’s get you washed up and changed. We both have dates with a couple
of elephants." Before Brenda could open her mouth, Annie gave her a look.
"And no - I’m not referring to Jax and Zack."
*******************************************************************************
"Yes, Jerry. For the seven millionth time - nothing is going on with
Annie’s friend and me, and nothing is going to go on with us," Jax sighed
heavily and ran his fingers through his thick, blond hair. Jerry had been
drilling him about Brenda for nearly thirty minutes, and Jax was ready to
kill him. He glanced at his watch. Damn - he should have been at the barn
over twenty-five minutes ago. Somehow he had to get Jerry off the phone.
He was thinking of an excuse when there was a knock on the door. "HEY, Jer
- someone is at the door, and I have to run anyway. I was supposed to meet
everyone at the barn thirty minutes ago. Talk to you later." Jax hung up
the phone before Jerry had the chance to argue. "Finally!" he murmured, walking
toward the door and half praying for, and half dreading, it being Brenda.
"JAX? You in there?"
"Yeah." Jax opened the door and looked guiltily at Zack. "Hey man - I’m
sorry I didn’t show at the barn. Why don’t you come in?"
"Thanks." Zack glanced around the room - trying to check for Brenda as
nonchalantly as possible. Seeing no sign of her, he sat down on the chair
across from the bed. "What’s going on with you, Jax? You just haven’t
seemed like yourself the past few days."
Meanwhile, Jax walked over to the bed and sat down, sighing and resting his
head in his hands. "Jerry is going on with me," he fibbed. "He’s been
calling me at least twice a day harassing me about Gwen and our wedding….."
He looked up at Zack. "Can you believe that he’s actually worried that
there’s something going on with Brenda and me?"
Zack had to be blunt. "Well, is there?"
"NO!" Jax cried, jumping off the bed and placing his hands on his hips. "What
kind of question is that, Zack?"
"A direct one. It’s not too complex, Jax. Is there or isn’t there
something going on with you and Brenda?" Zack arched an eyebrow. "And if
there isn’t something going on - are you all worked up because a part
of you wants there to be?"
Jax hesitated for a split second. "That’s absolutely ridiculous, Zack.
I mean - I’m getting married in two months! I couldn’t be happier.
I’ve just been tired, and well - Brenda seems to enjoy getting on my
nerves." He laughed and shook his head. "Pushing my buttons is apparently
an inborn talent of hers."
"Oh, it is?" Zack murmured, having noticed Jax’s second of hesitation,
but choosing not to comment on it for now. "Well, okay, man - if you say
you aren’t interested in Bren, I believe you," he grinned. "So, what
do you say we go down to the barn? Annie’s going to have a heart attack
if we don’t show up soon. And then you, my friend, will have a new
roommate."
*******************************************************************************
Brenda rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as she waited for Akheem
to bring the final elephant out of the fields. She swallowed and glanced
around the large barn where Annie, Zack, and Jax were already "bonding" with
their animals - Jumbo, Jack, and Jock. They all seemed so calm and at ease
with the huge elephants that Brenda felt like a complete baby, since she
herself could barely breathe from fear.
Across the barn, Jax was listening to Jock’s trainer lecture him about
the elephant’s eating patterns and favorite activities when he noticed
Brenda standing with her arms crossed against her chest as she rocked back
and forth on her feet. The poor woman looked scared out of her mind, and
he couldn’t help wondering why. She bit her lip, and when her eyes moved,
he followed her gaze straight to the back of the barn, where Akheem was leading
a small, gray elephant in from the fields. He saw her grip her hands and
take a few quick breaths, and he unexpectedly felt the strange urge to protect
her from whatever was making her so clearly terrified. She seemed to get
more and more apprehensive with each step the elephant took in her direction,
and when Akheem finally reached her, she stepped back.
Brenda was trying her hardest to control her panic, but it wasn’t easy.
There was only three feet between her and Ellie, and she knew that Akheem
was expecting her to at least touch the animal. After giving her a few final
instructions about eating and other activities, he walked over to Annie,
and out of the corner of her eyes Brenda could see Jax walk toward her with
Jock following him.
"Something wrong?"
Brenda glanced behind her at the sound of Jax’s voice, and for a second
their eyes met, and she could have sworn she actually saw concern in those
dark blue pools of his. She turned away quickly and sighed, "Well, um…
it’s just that I’m not really a pet lover." She laughed
self-consciously and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I had a gold fish.
ONCE." She swallowed. "He died after a day, and well - that kind of ended
my career as a pet owner."
Jax stepped up next to her and began to gently scratch Ellie behind her small
ears. "So, it’s because of a little fish that you’re afraid of
this elephant?" His voice wasn’t unkind - just interested, and …
"Who says I’m afraid of this elephant?"
Jax smiled genuinely and placed his hand over hers, which were trembling
as she tried to pat Ellie. "Your eyes." His touch somehow assured her, and
together they touched Ellie gently.
"It’s a long story," she said nervously, in reference to her elephant
fear, and then she took her hand away from underneath his.
"I’ve got all the time in the world."
She swallowed and looked down at her hands. "I, umm… well - I don’t
really want to talk about it right now."
Jax nodded. "I understand." He was quiet for a second, and then he looked
at her intensely. "Maybe some other time."
Brenda nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah - maybe… but well - you know.
I’m not scared of elephants anymore…" Her voice trailed off, and
she straightened her back trying to seem strong. She couldn’t believe
that she’d actually just admitted to Jax that she was afraid of something.
He must think she was the biggest baby in the world. There had to be some
way she could remedy this situation. Why, just look at the way he was looking
at her! All amused with that too appealing ‘I won’t believe you,
no matter what you say’ expression on his handsome face.
"Clearly!" Jax said, nodding towards the distance between her and Ellie.
"So, you don’t believe me?" Her voice had an adorable daring quality
to it, and Jax grinned.
"Can’t say that I do."
"Well, I’m not."
"If you say so." Jax shrugged and turned to walk away, biting back his laughter.
She was unbelievable. One second she was admitting a fear to him, and the
next second she was denying it…
"I’m not!" Brenda stood on her tiptoes and yelled after him.
Jax grinned. "Okay, Princess," he called over his shoulder.
"I bet you that by the end of the month, Ellie and I will be much closer
than you and Jock, and that Ellie and I will win the safari scavenger hunt
on the last day."
Jax stopped walking and turned. "Do you care to place a wager on that?"
Brenda hesitated for a split second. "I’d love to!" she declared, stepping
closer to him and holding her head high. "What’s the wager? A thousand
dollars?"
Jax gave her a devilish grin. "I think we can risk a little more than that."
He arched an eyebrow suggestively, and Brenda swallowed.
"Okay," she said softly, biting her lip and then looking him straight in
the eyes. "What do you have in mind?"
Jax’s mind raced, as he thought about what Brenda would think if he
told her what he really wanted. Suddenly an idea came to him. "If I win -
you have to do whatever I ask you to do, and if you win - I have to do the
same."
Brenda looked at him warily. "Anything?" she repeated, looking skeptical
as well as nervous.
"Anything," he reiterated. When he saw her hesitation, he grinned at her
and tilted his head. "What? Are you scared?" he teased.
Brenda bristled. "Of course, I’m not scared." Straightening her back,
she extended her hand. "Fine, Mr. Jacks. Anything, it is!" She swallowed,
as he took her hand and electricity shot through her.
Jax grinned and winked at her. "It’s a deal."
"Yeah," Brenda whispered, already cursing herself for having gotten into
this situation. "It’s a deal."
To Be Continued….