Brenda's Dreams
Chapter Seventeen

Brenda returned to the living room and found Jax sitting on the couch, “That feels so
much better. Thank you for suggesting I remove them.”

Jax rose to his feet and reached out for her hand, which she gladly provided, “You are
very welcome,” He leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of fingers, then
straightened. “Shall we go?”

Brenda could only nod. She had been left speechless by the touch of his mouth on her
hand.

Jax smiled, led her out on to the patio and on down to the beach. He stopped when he
reached the water’s edge. He turned to face her. His fingers came up to trace her cheek
and then finally her lips. She shivered over the sudden need that his tender caresses
released inside of her.

“Beautiful Brenda,” he whispered. “Don’t be afraid of me.”

The only thing she feared from him was losing control of herself. She’d ask him to take
her back to the hotel before anything else could happen.

“Jax, I’d like to--”

His lips closed over hers, effectively shutting her up. He pulled her closer, one hand
entwined in her hair, and she nestled against him feeling she had come home. Though
his kiss was leisurely and undemanding, she sensed the firm rein he held on himself, as
though he, too, feared losing control.

“You know I want you,” he muttered into her ear, the words and his warm breath
sending quivers down her back. “But you can’t know how much.”

Could his need be equal to her own? She had never dreamed it possible to desire a man
so much. Only this particular man...no one else would do. He had ruined her for any
other .

So she had finally admitted it to herself at lat. Jax or no one.

“We need to spend time together. We need to get to know one another better,” he said
softly as his tongue traced her lips. “Give me that time, Brenda.”

“I don’t know...” Her words were a moan.

“Yes, you do. You show me how you feel when I hold you in my arms. Let me take you
back to the house. Stay with me.”

His lips, warm against her throat, traveled down, down to the tender skin above her
breasts. Desire shot through her, paralyzing her will.

“I can’t think when you kiss me,” she gasped.

He raised his head to look at her. In the moonlight his aquamarine eyes were unreadable,
but his harsh breathing gave away his need to have her.

The faint odor of the ocean mingled with the scent of his skin. Her tongue still tasted the
winelike taste of his mouth. Under her fingers, his hair felt like pure silk. She longed to
stay here and become one with him here and now, to stay with him forever.

Except it wouldn’t be forever.

Brenda eased from his embrace, putting her hands against the warmth of his chest to hold
him away. “We still haven’t discussed the record company deal yet. I suppose you need
some more time to think about it. I need some time to decide on this too. Let me sleep
on it tonight and if I decide to stay, I’ll meet you here tomorrow evening after you finish
work.”

Under her hands she felt the slowing of his heartbeat as he regained control. “Okay,
whatever you say, but just know you don’t have to sleep with me. You can have the
guest room and do whatever you want, until you return to San Francisco. No pressure, I
promise. You can set the rules.”

She thought about sharing the house with Jax and knew that she would enjoy it. But is
that all that they would share? She might be able to trust him to keep his promise but
what about trusting herself?

If she left the hotel for Jax’s house she’d be setting herself up for what was certain to
happen when they were alone together. No rule she could ever make would keep her out
of his arms.

It seemed clear to her that Jax wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship if he was
already talking about her return to San Francisco. He had offered her no commitment
beyond that. When it came time for her to return to San Francisco, she would return
alone.

Short flings never held any appeal to her, and they still didn’t. Even if she was willing to
indulge in one, the intensity of her attraction to Jax made her fear what might be a fling
to him would be much more to her. Wasn’t it foolish to ask to be hurt again? The
sensible thing to do would be to go back to San Francisco the first thing in the morning
and avoid any added pain.

She slid her hands free from his chest. “Take me back to the hotel, Jax,” she said, her
voice not quite steady. “If I decide to come and stay with you, I’ll be here tomorrow
night after you get off of work. If not, I’ll call you from San Francisco and we can
discuss the possibility of selling the record company to L and B Records.”

Jax could only nod. He hoped beyond hope he found her waiting for him after work.
Tomorrow was going to prove to be very long indeed.