"Jax? What are you smiling about?" Brenda asked cautiously.

Jax's eyes sparkled as his grin grew even wider. He made a playful grab for her and pulled her into his lap. He placed a kiss as light as air on the base of her neck. Slowly, he began to move towards her mouth. Brenda bent her head toward him and into his kisses. By the time he reached her lips, she was actually aching for him to kiss her fully. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the kiss she knew was coming. But it never came. She waited for a few long seconds, but didn't feel anything. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She looked sideways at Jax to see what had stopped him.

Jax had pulled back and now sat staring off into space with a confusing look on his face. Brenda couldn't read it at all. His arms were still wrapped around her as they had been, but he had pulled away and was thinking pensively about something now. His eyes were no longer dark with desire, instead they were furrowed in thought.

"Jax? What's wrong?" Brenda turned to face him. He didn't answer right away and he gave no indication that he had heard her. She waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. "Jax?" Still nothing, he was completely immersed in thought now. Obviously, something had occurred to him while he was kissing her and it was concerning him enough to halt all actions. She was beginning to wonder if it had something to do with her.

Brenda knew of one way that was sure to get his attention. She leaned in close to him and kissed him straight on the lips. She put all of the passion she had felt moments before into the kiss as she felt him slowly respond and come alive. His eyes closed as he gave into the passion, as well. She deepened the kiss and allowed him easy access to her mouth. As she felt him give into the kiss fully, she suddenly pulled back.

Jax was surprised by her quick actions. "What was that for?" he asked breathlessly. "And why'd you stop?" He fought to slow his heartbeat again.

Brenda smiled at his rattled look. She knew that would work. "I had to get your attention somehow," she said.

He ran his fingers over his lips and swore he could still feel the heat of her lips against his. "You definitely did that," he responded.

"What were you thinking about before, Jax? You were so serious. Was it something I said or did?" her dark brown eyes looked into his brilliant aquamarine eyes in question and concern.

He thought back for a second. "What? No, Brenda, it wasn't anything you did. I was just thinking about something we said earlier this afternoon."

"And kissing me made you think of that?" she teased gently.

He smiled softly. "No, I've been thinking about it since we got back, but something else occurred to me while I was kissing you."

"What was it?"

"This isn't going to work," he said by way of answer.

Brenda started to panic. She didn't know what he was referring to, but she had a sinking feeling in her gut about it. "What's not going to work?"

Jax heard the panic starting to build in her voice and he turned to her, surprised. What he saw frightened him a little. She looked at him with a sort of fear in her eyes and he knew immediately she had jumped to the wrong assumption. "No, sweetie, I did not mean us," he stressed. He smiled again. "Trust me, if there is one thing that is going to work this time, it's us. I wouldn't have that any other way." He saw the relief fill her eyes.

Brenda let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She smiled at him. "Thank God. You had me worried for a minute."

"I can't believe you would ever really think that. No, I was talking about this plan we came up with for Sonny and Miranda."

"What about it?"

"It's not going to work."

"Why not?" She was confused. This afternoon, it had seemed like a great plan.

"Well, it's just that we're banking on too many assumptions. I mean, we're only hoping Miranda won't catch on, and that Sonny won't be paying attention. But I'm telling you, if Sonny gets involved in any way, he's going to figure out what's going on. That's the only good thing about him. He's got a really good sense of when people are trying to play him for a fool. And that's exactly what we're going to try to do."

"But didn't you say before that Sonny isn't interested in what they're actually doing, only that it gets done?" Brenda asked.

Jax slowly shook his head. "It's an assumption. We cannot go into this based on assumptions. We need to come up with something else, either to divert Sonny's attentions away from what Miranda and Dolway are going to be doing or to get Sonny thinking we're doing something the opposite of what we are."

Brenda began to see the problem. Basically, Sonny could always smell a rat and that meant they would have to be more careful in getting their plan to work. "So, that shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Have you ever tried diverting Sonny's attention from his money, Brenda?" Jax asked her. "He's not going to just look the other way." They fell silent for a few moments, thinking about the new developments.

Suddenly, Brenda brightened. "What if we create a diversion in one of his other companies? Then, he'll be too busy to be watching over Miranda."

"Like what?"

"Well, he's got these negotiations for the dock renovations coming up. He told me he would be working on them soon with the unions. If we can get ELQ to step in and muck up the process, Sonny will be too concerned to worry about anything else." Brenda smiled in excitement at her idea.

Jax thought about it and then began to nod his head in agreement. "That would work, but there's just one problem."

"What?"

"How do we get ELQ to step in? I mean, Ned doesn't have any pull with them since he's not the CEO. And really, ever since AJ was appointed instead of him, Ned's been on the outside of his family," Jax pointed out.

"Then, we go to AJ or Edward, themselves."

"And do what? Ask them to please help us stop the negotiations so that we can take down my wife and your husband?"

"Why not? They don't like them anymore than we do. I'm sure they'd help us."

"But you're forgetting one thing, Brenda. Edward and AJ want the negotiations over with so that they can get the dock renovations finished and opened. They're not going to willingly slow down the process." Jax stopped for a second. "But there might be a way to do it, after all."

"How?"

"There is one person in that house with more power than even Edward. If we can get them to help us, there won't be a problem getting ELQ to cooperate," Jax hinted and smiled.

Brenda began to smile, as well. Her eyes lit up as she thought about it. "Lila. Jax that's perfect! And I know she'll help me out. She's never liked Sonny, but she tolerated him for me. Once she knows that this will get him out of our life, and especially my life, for good, she'll go along with it, I know she will!" she exclaimed. She threw her arms around Jax's neck and kissed him again.

This time neither of them pulled away for a long time. When Brenda finally broke the kiss, they were both gasping for breath. Jax recovered before she did and he started again to kiss her along her neck. He was surprised when Brenda pulled away and stopped him from going any further.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, confused.

"It's just, aren't you the one who said you wanted to wait before we went too far?"

Jax leaned in to kiss her again. "Did I say that?" he murmured as his lips connected with the base of her throat again.

"Mmm…hmm," she responded softly. She turned to accept his advances fully, but as she did so, it caused his legs to shift against the table.

Jax's left ankle fell from where it was crossed over his right one propped up on the table in front of him. As his foot hit the edge of the wood, he gasped and drew back from her mouth. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his leg. He tried vainly to cover his reaction from Brenda, but she saw.

"Oh God, Jax, I'm sorry," she apologized quickly.

"No, it's okay," he said. He moved back in to kiss her again.

She held back for a second. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he breathed as he took her mouth in his again. But he wasn't. The truth was the sharp pain had turned into a dull throb, but he didn't want Brenda to know that.

Brenda felt him breathing harder than before as he kissed her. His chest would rise with a sharp breath every few seconds. It would have been funny if it had been for any other reason. She broke away from him gently and put her hand against his chest to feel his breathing, but also to stop him from advancing again. As she watched his eyes and his face carefully, she saw the flicker of pain flash in his eyes.

Jax knew he'd been discovered when Brenda stood up suddenly from his lap and left the room. He gently moved his foot into a more comfortable position, wincing against the slight turn. He was looking morosely at his foot when Brenda returned a few minutes later. She was carrying a towel and an ice pack in her hands. She still hadn't said anything to him when she sat down on the table next to his legs and carefully lifted his left foot and placed in her lap. Her hair fell across her face, concealing it from Jax's view.

Once she had removed his sock, she began to undo the splint and noticed immediately that Jax's foot was merely black and blue now. The large knot on top of his foot was gone. She also noticed he had the splint closed tighter than it had been before, meaning he hadn't been in pain when he put it on. She glanced quickly at him while she sat before him. He was studying her every move, but she knew he couldn't see her expression because of her hair. She placed the splint on the table next to her and softly touched the bruise on his foot. He flinched and she had her answer. She wrapped the ice pack in the towel and put it against his foot. She gently placed his foot back on the table and straightened up.

Jax was beginning to wonder if he was in trouble because of the way she hadn't said one word to him yet. But when he looked into her eyes, all he saw was veiled amusement. She shook her head once back and forth and then got up from the table. She sat next to him on the couch and he put his arm around her, drawing her close. He still didn't know what to think.

Then, she said four little words before she picked up the remote control and turned on the television. "I told you so."

Jax had to laugh. Apparently, his punishment was that he wasn't allowed to kiss her anymore. He laughed again as he drew her even closer. She put her head on his shoulder and he leaned his head on hers. They both turned their attention to the Meg Ryan movie on the television screen. Jax could tell it was going to be a long night now, but he just smiled and kissed the top of her head.

An hour and a half later, Brenda lifted her head from Jax's shoulder as the movie on the television ended. She had noticed about forty-five minutes into it that Jax's breathing had become deep and even, indicating he had fallen asleep. He looked serene with his head against the back of the couch where it had fallen, inclined only slightly to his left where Brenda was seated. His arm that had previously been wrapped tightly around her waist holding her close had fallen loosely to her side where his hand rested against the back of her thigh.

She glanced out the picture windows and saw that it had begun to snow outside. The heavy white flakes fell quickly, but she knew that in the New York weather, not a single flake made it to the ground in tact. This was only the first snowfall of the year and the asphalt was still too warm for it to collect at all. But from her position, so high up out of the city madness, the scene was perfect. She could see the twinkling lights of Central Park shining through the snow-filled twilight. Brenda sat for several minutes enjoying the first winter wonderland scene in front of her and feeling the warmth of the man she loved wrapped around her.

Even if he was asleep. She smiled as she turned to him again. She kissed the tips of her fingers and placed them lightly against his lips, so as not to wake him. She knew the events of the past several days, particularly the previous two, were catching up to him. What sleep he had gotten recently had been filled with pain for the most part. As carefully as she could, she eased herself off the couch. It was fast approaching eight o'clock and she realized for the first time that she was hungry. Stepping over his legs, she gently removed the melted ice pack from his foot and went into the kitchen. She found the phone number for a Chinese restaurant that was close by and delivered. Ordering a variety of things she knew Jax liked, she hung up the phone and opened a bottle of white wine that had been chilling in the wine refrigerator.

Brenda went back into the den where Jax was still in the same position on the couch and she let him be. She sat down at his desk and began to read through a file for one of her models. Forty minutes passed quickly when the doorbell rang. She ran to the door before the deliveryman could ring the bell again and wake Jax. She paid for the meal and took the food into the den with her. Setting it down on the table, she noticed Jax was stirring from his position.

Jax moved his head slowly to the right and tried not to grimace at the ache in his neck. He hadn't even realized he fell asleep. As he opened his eyes, he realized Brenda was no longer sitting next to him in his arms. That fact woke him quickly. He sat up immediately and looked for her. He smiled with pent-up relief when he saw her coming around the couch carrying two glasses of white wine in her hands. He ran a hand through his hair and stretched a little bit. He felt the slight pull in the muscle at the base of his neck when he moved his head and he winced again.

Brenda handed him his glass of wine and sat down next to him. She had noticed his pained expression and she put her glass down on the table. She put her hands on his shoulders and began to massage the muscles, feeling the knots work themselves out. A small sigh escaped Jax's lips as she continued to work on his muscles.

Jax leaned his head towards her and smiled. "That feels good," he said softly. Brenda smiled in response. When she put her hands down and picked up her glass again, he noticed the food on the table for the first time. "When did you do this?" he asked curiously.

"While you were asleep. My stomach was growling so I found the menu and ordered." She took a sip of her wine and moved closer to him on the couch. She turned so that she was sitting sideways and wrapped her legs over his. She picked up the first of the containers and handed it to Jax to begin eating.

He smiled when he realized she had ordered all of his favorite foods for him. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you." He glanced out the window and took note of the dark wintry scene. He looked at his watch to confirm what he suspected from the darkness. Brenda noticed his eyes grew wide at the lateness of the hour. "I didn't realize it was quite so late," he commented.

"How could you? You were asleep," she teased.

Jax turned to her and grinned. "For how long?"

"About an hour and a half. I think you fell asleep sometime around when Harry met Sally," she laughed, referring to the movie they had been watching. "For the second time," she clarified.

"Cute," Jax smiled. He picked up the stereo remote and turned on the CD player. A soft melody began to play in the background.

Brenda got up quickly and dimmed the lights in the room, lighting three candles on the table in front of them. She resumed her seat facing the opposite direction so that she could watch the snow out the window. "It's not the same here, you know," she observed.

"What's not?"

"The snow. It's not the same as in Port Charles. There, the snow falls and you can see it among the trees and falling on the grass. The yards fill and the ground becomes one big blanket of solid white. It's so beautiful."

"Yes, but it's pretty here, too. I mean, here, you get to see the snow before it hits the ground, lit up by the lights of New York City."

"I know, but it's still not the same," she said softly. "I wonder if it's snowing there right now."

"Want to call and find out?" he teased gently.

She put down the container of rice in her hand and smiled at him. She took the container from him, as well, and put it on the table. Jax crossed his legs at the ankles again and moved further down into the couch. He put his arms around her and pulled her close as her legs wrapped more tightly over his. She put her head into the crook of his arm and leaned against him. They sat for a long time just watching the snow together and listening to the music highlight the scene.

Some time later, Brenda felt Jax's embrace loosen around her and she knew he had fallen asleep again or was about to. She had been thinking about their time together before Miranda and wondering what they could do to make this time turn out the way they wanted it to. She smiled when she felt Jax's arm go limp around her waist.

"Jax?" she said, softly.

He shifted slightly and his hold tightened a little. "Hmm?" he responded sleepily.

She knew he was on the verge of sleep again. "Are you asleep?" she whispered.

He sat up a little straighter and adjusted his embrace with her. "What? No," he protested.

Brenda giggled softly and pulled away from him. She looked at his drooping eyes and lightly touched his cheek with her palm. "Well, maybe not, but you're about to. So, I think you should take that as your cue to go to bed, don't you? I don't want to have to carry you," she teased.

Jax moved his arms from around her waist and sat up fully. He rubbed at his eyes and then ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry," he smiled sheepishly.

"For what?"

"For being so…" he couldn't resist the urge to yawn. "Tired," he finished with another smile.

Brenda stood up and blew out the candles on the table, leaving them in almost complete darkness with the lights down so low. She held out a hand to him to help him off the couch. "I understand, Jax. It's just the past couple of days catching up with you, finally. It's not like you've been sleeping the best this week."

"True." Jax stood, with her help, and took hold of her hand. He began to slowly limp towards the bedroom with Brenda at his side. When he was wearing his blue silk pajama bottoms, he took a hold of her hand again and brought her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

When Jax finally broke the kiss, Brenda was weak in the knees and she had to grip his arms so she didn't fall. "Good night to you, too, Jax," she grinned, breathless for the umpteenth time that night.

"I love you, Brenda," he said in all seriousness. He caressed her cheek softly and then released her.

"I love you, too," she replied and stood on her toes to kiss him again. This time it was a quick, passion-filled kiss. She put her hands on his chest to stop him from wanting more. She patted him once and then began to walk out the door as he pulled back the comforter on the bed and climbed in. "Good night, Jax," she whispered as she turned off the lights.

Brenda went back into the den to clean up their dinner and put away the dishes. She sat down again on the couch when she was finished. She watched as the snow continued to fall outside. The music was still playing in the background and she turned it down even lower so it wouldn't keep Jax awake, though she doubted anything could do that right now. A few minutes later, she decided to go to bed, herself. She turned off the music and the lights and went into the bedroom.

It was nearly eleven-thirty as she put on her pajamas. She was walking back from the bathroom when the phone rang, breaking the sweet silence that had fallen through the apartment.

Chapter 17