Jack couldn't help but notice that Trisha was wearing no underwear. It was a good thing he hated her so much, he wasn't even remotely attracted to her. She excites me about as much as a shark gets when it sees a desert. Brielle, of course, looking adorably innocent in a t-shirt and jeans, was another matter. He couldn't wait till they were finally alone.

"We could get the purple velvet carpet for the reception, with baby pink confetti for the entrance. You will wear a wonderful pop pink gown and Jack could wear a blood red suit." Trisha rambled on. She kept swirling her blonde hair around and pulling down her already low cut top.

Brielle looked uncomfortable as she squirmed in her seat inside the limousine. Dixon Senior and his new wife Heidi had already left, but Heidi's annoying god-daughter was sticking to them like a leech.

"I'm not sure I like that." she managed while cracking a smile. Brielle honestly detested dressing up and overtly pink things. Not to mention Jack would probably jump of a cliff sooner than wear a suit the colour of blood.

"...and the table cloth would be a beautiful lacy orange with ocean blue lights and green plates..." continued Trisha completely ignoring Brielle as she hitched her short skirt even higher, before casting a covert look at Jack to make sure he was noticing.

Brielle's eyes grew wide with undisguised shock. Jack was sitting in the seat opposite them, his earphones doing little to shut out their voices. He pitied Brielle, but she had honestly brought this mess upon herself. He relished the thought of throwing Trisha out of the moving car and never coming back, before discarding it. No matter how much he wanted to do it, it would in the end lead to some horrible press. After the media damage control that had to be done by his team for the fiasco in Thailand, Sebastian and Raul would probably kill him.

He increased the volume of the metal music on his phone as he shut his eyes to relax. He chuckled as he reflected on what he'd heard. Orange, pink, green, blue and red all in the same place? There was no way the colours would harmonise.

Jack was seriously started to doubt Trisha's capabilities as a wedding planner, not that he had any faith in her in the first place. She probably wasn't even trained to be one anyway.

His eyes opened wide as her shrill voice cut through the heavy metal music in his ears. Maybe she could sing for a screamo band.

"...for the wedding I'll make sure we get the Plaza, you'll be dressed in the best custom made gown ever, you'll be like a princess and Jack will look like a king LOL, an Elizabethan theme with the corsets and elaborate hair styles will be just like the olden days, and we'll get Taylor Swift to sing and maybe even Miley Cyrus could do a duet..."

Jack's head was reeling. He wanted nothing more than to slap some tape over her mouth just to get her to stop talking for a minute. He'd expertly closed complex deals, negotiated with the toughest of opponents, obtained revenues from the unlikeliest of markets and established a billion dollar business from scratch. But there was a limit on how much more of this discussion he could take.

Thank goodness the car stopped just then, and he hurried out almost disengaging the door in his eagerness to escape. Brielle promptly followed looking relieved. Jack shot her a sympathetic look as he put his arms around her shoulders, she seemed to be in the verge of tears.

That simply wouldn't do. There was no way anyone was allowed to make Brielle cry. Jack licked his lips, it was time to get rid of Trisha.

"It was great meeting you." said Jack sweetly to Trisha. "Brielle and I will be visiting a couple of places in Frankfurt before we go back."

"Oh! I would love to show you around!" exclaimed Trisha excitedly pushing out her cleavage in his face. "OMG, I can even show you some beautiful wedding dresses---"

"Sorry, but we want to be alone." said Jack curtly, grabbing Brielle's hand. We'll meet at the airport at nine o' clock then?"

"B-but Brielle loves to spend time with me, don't you dear?---and I missed you so much Jack honey bear. " said Trisha pouting as she squeezed her arms together to enhance her curves.

"Um," Brielle bit her lip nervously. Jack sighed, he knew why Brielle was holding back upon speaking her mind to Trisha, but honestly her next answer was not something he expected out of the woman he loved.

"We can be together when we get back to California, you could stay with us." said Brielle awkwardly. Trisha looked so disappointed she added, "Maybe we could sit next to each other on the plane, if Jack exchanges seats---"

"I LOVE IT! That would be great!" exclaimed Trisha jumping up and down, her breasts bouncing, catching appreciative cat calls and hoots from a group of boys nearby. Jack didn't think he wanted to reprimand them.

Trisha sloppily kissed Brielle on both her cheeks and then tackled a very reluctant Jack into a hug. The boys nearby whistled and cheered, thinking how lucky this bloke was. Jack rolled his eyes, if only they knew.

"BUBAAYEEEEE" waved Trisha as she blew them kisses before walking off in her high heels, swaying her hips like a pendulum.

"Phew," said Brielle wiping her face on her sleeve, once Trisha had turned the corner and finally disappeared. "I thought she would never leave."

"How could you ask her to exchange seats with me?" said Jack looking bewildered. "Of all people you want to her to move in with us? Hell I haven't even formally moved in with you yet."

"Its just that I didn't want to offend her, with your dad only recently marrying her god mother, I didn't want to create any tension." said Brielle her smile faltering as she stepped back looking hurt.

"I know." said Jack his anger getting the better of him. "You don't know that woman Brielle. But I do. She can manipulate people, get them to be her puppets and make them to do what she wants. She is Claire's best friend for crying out loud. Claire and I broke up, but honestly I have no regrets, but you---you. I love---you are everything to me. If she poisons you against me, if she wrecks our relationship, damn it I need some time alone."

"Jack, stop, Jack please listen to me---" called out Brielle desperately as he ignored her. He shrugged off her hand on his arm and walked briskly across the busy street, leaving her behind.

Brielle almost collided with the incoming traffic as she attempted to cross the road herself. She wasn't paying attention as she ran after him. A car screeched to a stop almost hitting her as Brielle screamed in panic. She fell onto the road landing on her bottom.

"Shit."

Jack turned at full speed and raced towards Brielle.

In no time he had scooped her up from the ground and onto his strong arms.

"You okay?" he asked huskily kissing the top of her head and carrying her to the safety of the pavement.

"Yes. I'm sorry Jack." she said tears springing to her eyes. "Please don't hate me."

"Oh love," said Jack hoarsely cupping her face and kissing her soundly, before setting her on her feet. He glanced at his watch.

"Three minutes and 4 seconds." he said nonchalantly.

"What?" spluttered Brielle looking confused.

"That is the longest I have been angry with you." he said with a smile. "I love you so much, Brielle. It is not possible for me to hate you."

Brielle blinked several times to get rid of the excess moisture in her eyes.

"You mean it?" she asked tentatively. "Please don't break up with me---"

She couldn't finish he sentence as Jack pinned her against the wall, his mouth finding her own with a different urgency than ever before. His eyes were full of an emotion Brielle could not categorise.

"Jack?" she asked gasping for breath when they broke apart. Several passer-bys shook their heads at the pair of young lovers.

"Brielle." he said in a gruff voice, nuzzling her neck. "I love you."

Without warning he started sucking at the crevice of her neck and shoulder, almost pulling open the buttons.

"Get a room." called a few teenage boys from across the road.

Jack looked up from his ministrations, his eyes still bearing a look she had never seen on him.

"Sorry about that."

As he pulled back half-heartedly apologising for his lapse of control, she realised she missed his touch terribly. With a gasp she finally understood the feeling in Jack's eyes.

Desire.

And Brielle realised she felt it too.

"Jack?" she said cupping his face with both her hands.

"Yes?"

"We have a few hours." she said shyly.

Jack looked pleasantly surprised for a half a minute and then broke into a grin.

"Are you sure?" he asked kissing her chastely on the lips.

"Never been so sure about anything," she said smiling against his mouth.

In a flash, he had picked her up into his arms again and called a taxi to a halt. Just as they were about to get inside the car, he asked,

"Ready Ms. Dane?"

"With you, anything."

Her smile and the privilege of having her by his side was probably all he ever needed from this world.