Chapter Thirty-Nine

Sliding into the car once more, Stephanie rested her head back against the cool leather seat.  It had been a long night and it wasn’t even all that late yet.

Richie climbed in and pulled the door closed.  He patted the seat next to him.  “Sweetheart, why are you all the way over there?”  He’d had a couple glasses of wine with his dinner and was now feeling relaxed and, more particularly, horny.

Stephanie slid across the seat, crossing her left leg over her right and curling in next to him.  She rested her head on his shoulder.  “Better?”

He slid his hand up her leg, pulling it over his knee, “much.”  His fingers wandered up to her hip before slipping down to caress the smooth, tanned thigh where the hem of her dress had ridden up.  “Did I tell you just how amazing you look tonight?”

Lifting her head, she turned slightly, smiling up at him.  “You did, but you can tell me again.” Goosebumps sprouted where his fingers were trailing across her skin.  She shivered when his fingers slipped under the hem of her dress.

He returned the smile as he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.  “You took my breath away tonight” he murmured “and damn near drove me crazy with this dress.”   But it was more than just the dress.  There was no pretense with her.  She wasn’t affected by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.  She hadn’t been out to impress anyone tonight.  And, unintentionally, she had impressed everyone.  

Him most of all.  

Sliding along the seat, he propped himself in the corner, his back braced against the door, one leg stretched out along the seat.  He had been hard for her since she’d walked into the kitchen.  Now he was finally going to be able to do something about it.  Taking her hands, he pulled her against him so she rested on her hip between his legs.

Tipping her chin up, his mouth found hers in a blistering kiss.  He hadn’t felt like this over a woman since he had first met Heather.  There was an excitement in him, a fire to be with a woman he hadn’t felt without assistance in much too long.  

Letting that desire lead him, his hand slid over the slim form in his arms, his fingers slipping up under the hem of her dress.  He knew there was no way in hell she was wearing a bra under that dress, but he was dying to know if she had left her panties home too.  That he didn’t know had been eating at him all night. Every time he watched her move, he had all he could do to keep his hands to himself.  Now, he didn’t have to.

His fingers roamed further, walking up higher, up her silky smooth thigh, finally encountering a thin string across her hip.  Following it, his long fingers curled around one bare cheek.  Fuck...a thong...she was wearing a damn thong.  The fingers from his other hand drifted up the back of her thigh, sliding her dress up as he went.  

Pulling her mouth from his, she put her hands on his arms, stopping his exploring hands and fingers. She didn’t want to end up mooning all of Los Angeles or Burbank, or wherever the hell they were at the moment.  “Rich.”

His lips slid down her neck before he eased back.  “Sweetheart?”

Sprawled together on the seat they finally realized that the car had stopped.  “I think we’re at my house.”

Using his chest for leverage, she pressed away from him, straightening her dress as best as she could.  She managed to glance out the window and they were, indeed, idling in her driveway.  She started when the tap on the window came.

Richie sat up and pressed the button to lower the window.  “Yeah?”

“We’re here sir” the driver answered primly.

“Okay” Richie replied and raised the window.  He turned back to Steph.  She was gathering her wrap and purse. When she sat back he couldn’t hide the smirk.  Her nipples were stiff and pressing against the front of her dress.  Yeah he thought.  Definitely no bra.  He took a deep breath to calm himself down.  “You got everything?”

She nodded.  “Yeah.”

He put his hand on the door handle and then turned back to her.  “Can I come in?”

She looked at him for a long moment, flirting with the notion of telling him no just to see his reaction.  Instead, she simply nodded and waited.

Opening the door he stepped out and turned to help her out.  She brushed past him and his hard on raged anew.  He watched her sashay up the walk as he dug in his pocket.  He practically threw his wallet at the driver before he hurried to follow her into the house.

Nearly slamming the door behind him, he locked it and toed off his shoes.  He could hear her in the kitchen.  Coming around the corner he found her at the end of the island, toying with the empty wineglass he had left there earlier.  Plucking the glass from her fingers he set it and the wine bottle on the counter next to the sink.  He stepped in behind her and pressed his lips to the curve of her shoulder.  

Her head dropped forward and she moaned softly.  

“You okay sweetheart?”  He dragged the tip of his tongue lightly across her shoulder and up the side of her neck.

“Ohh” she closed her eyes.  “Yeah.  Did you want to-” she turned her head and his mouth found hers in a brief, torrid kiss.

He nipped her bottom lip and slid his mouth along her neck once again, teasing and tasting his way to her nape. “Did I want to what?”  She hadn’t finished her thought.  He nosed his way under her hair and debated pulling out the pins, but one glance down at her back made his decision.

“Go” she breathed and tried to finish her thought.  “Upstairs.  Did you want to go upstairs?”

He traced the first tic of her spine with his tongue.  “Here’s just fine.”  He paused and reached around in front of her, grasping her wrists lightly and spreading them until she could grasp each side of the counter.  “Don’t let go” he whispered hotly in her ear and then she felt his mouth on her back again.

She had never considered her back to be an erogenous zone, but everywhere he put his mouth had her hotter and wetter than she had been just a minute before.  By the time he got to the base of her spine, her knuckles were white in her grip on the counter and her hips moved in a restless rhythm of aching need.

“Sexy” he spoke quietly, his breath hot against her lower back. “So fuckin’ sexy.”  He skimmed his lips across the smooth, unmarred skin before he straightened.  

Leaning over her, he braced a hand on the counter and pressed his hips against hers. Slipping his free hand inside the side of her dress, he cupped her breast, teasing the pebble hard nipple with his thumb.

“God Rich” she moaned softly and pressed her hips back against him, rubbing lightly against the hard length of him trapped inside his pants.  She might not be able to use her hands, but damn it she wanted to touch him too.

His hips jerked forward at the contact and he swore colorfully in her ear.  “Fuck sweetheart, are you trying to make me come in my pants?”

She shook her head even as his mouth caressed her neck.  “You’re trying to make me come in mine.  It’s only fair.”

He smiled against her and stepped back, his hands dragging up her dress, bunching it around her waist.  “Let’s just see what we can do about that.”  He traced the thin strings that ran across her hips and formed a diamond at the top of her pretty heart-shaped ass.  He almost hated to take it off her, it looked so damned hot.  His dick knocking at his zipper changed his mind and he dragged it down her legs before he quickly undid his belt and dug in his pocket for a condom.

Stephanie shifted restlessly, hearing the rip of the condom wrapper and the distinct sound of his zipper being lowered.  And then he was there, the tip of him slid along her opening, teasing her just a little more.  She shifted her hips and he slipped just the broad head inside of her.  She tried to press her hips back, but he tightened his grip and stopped her.  “Rich” she hissed and turned her head to look at him. “Don’t stop.”

He leaned forward and as his tongue thrust into her mouth, he pressed forward, filling her everywhere all at once.  Curling his hands around her hips so she didn’t bump the edge of the counter, he pumped his hips, thrusting hard and fast.  She was so slick and hot and tight.  He could feel his release creeping up his spine, but she wasn’t quite there yet.  He slid one hand from her hip, down along the crease of her thigh to where he could feel that little pearl of nerves just begging to be touched.  

She pulled her mouth from his, crying out as her orgasm rushed over her.  She pressed back on him as she viced around him.  

“That’s it, sweetheart” he groaned as he pumped his hips into her over and over, his release pulsing into the condom as she came once again.

Her arms gave out and she slumped down onto the counter.  “God.”

Richie heaved in a breath, steadying himself so he didn’t drop on top of her.  Stepping back he reached for a napkin and disposed of the condom.  Turning back he pulled his pants up and drew his fingers up Stephanie’s spine.  “Think you can make it upstairs now?”

She turned her head and gave him a sated smile.  “Nah, here’s just fine.”

He chuckled as she tossed his words back at him and moved around the counter, taking her arms and helping her up right.  “Come on babe” he picked her up and headed toward the stairs.  “I’m sure your bed will be much more comfortable.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

She stood quietly by his side, as she had for the last hour, a smile pasted on her face.  He had introduced her to John Shanks, Rich Supa, Don Was and a myriad of others whom she would probably never remember.

Richie and Jon were talking to yet another record company so and so.  The conversation had long since lost her interest.  She understood a little, demos, new albums, drop dates, tours, but the more technical bits were beyond her.  She felt her eyes start to glaze and she would have totally zoned out if not for the continual flutter of Richie’s fingers along her spine.  He hadn’t stopped touching her since they walked in the room.  She needed some air.  His fingers slid lower on her back.

Now.

Sparing a glance across the room, she spied the doors to the garden just the other side of the bar.  Turning her head she quietly whispered “excuse me” in Richie’s ear and made her escape.

Stepping through the doors the evening air was blessedly cool on her heated skin, banking the arousal Richie’s constant touch had sparked.  Setting her purse on a small table she turned and leaned on the rail, gazing out over the now-dormant winter gardens.  It would be beautiful in full bloom, but in the middle of January, everything lay in wait for the warmer days that were to come.

Her gaze shifted to the sky.  There were no stars, too much light from the big city to be able to see any sparkle in the sky tonight.  She sighed and a thought of Mark popped into her head.  He would have given his right arm to be inside at that party right now.  He had played drums since he was old enough to hold the sticks.  Their basement had been turned into a studio of sorts and a couple times a week his brothers came over for jam sessions.  They made it out of the basement and into a few local clubs, but this, she looked over her shoulder and through the glass doors, this had been a secret dream of his.  He had always wanted to play in front of a stadium full of people.

“You would love this” Stephanie whispered into the night.  “But me?  I feel totally out of place in there.”  She stared out into the inky night for a moment longer.  Sighing, she straightened and rubbed her hands lightly up and down her arms.  She should go back, Richie was probably wondering where she had run off to.

Richie watched her from the doorway.  He couldn’t blame her for wanting to duck out of there.  He’d like nothing better himself, but his job dictated that he stay and make the required rounds before disappearing.

He once again traced the line of her dress with his eyes.  It had been a long time since a woman had rendered him breathless.  But she had done it in spades tonight with a simple cocktail dress and a smile. She was a glimmer of color, a bit of sparkle in an otherwise boring sea of black in the other room.  In his opinion, she put every other woman in that room to shame tonight.

His eyes were drawn to the long line of her back.  The lightly tanned skin was smooth and unblemished.  His fingers flexed with the need to touch her.  He moved quietly, setting down the glass of wine he had brought her and sliding in behind her.  He pressed his lips to the curve of her shoulder.

“Cold, sweetheart?”

Turning her head she gave him a shy smile.  “Not anymore.”  Somehow she had known he was there.  She hadn’t heard him come up behind her, but she had known it was him just the same.  

His fingers slid up and down her spine.  “Are you okay?”

She closed her eyes and nodded.  “I just needed some air.”

“You sure that’s all?”  He was sure there was something else going on with her.  He just wanted her to be honest with him.

She opened her eyes to look at him.  “Honestly, I was starting to feel a little like ‘one of these things is not like the other’ in there.”  She stepped away from him and his way too talented fingers.  She couldn’t think straight when he touched her like that.  Spying the wine glass on the table she picked up the glass.  “Did you bring this for me?”

He nodded.  “Yeah.”

She sipped the full-bodied red wine.  The flavors of plum and blackberry with a slightly earthy undertone blossomed on her tongue.  “Mmmm.  A very nice Malbec, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  He really wanted to drag her off to a shadowy corner and find out exactly what she wasn’t wearing under that dress.  “Can you handle about another hour?  Jon made dinner reservations after we’re done here.”

She sipped and nodded.  She could do this--would do this, for him.  “However long you need.  I’m fine.”

He picked up her purse and took her hand.  “Come on, let’s get this over with.  The faster I can get Jon to talk, the faster we can get the hell out of here.”

True to his word, an hour later they were slipping back into the limousine.  This time, Stephanie was sitting across from Dorothea, and Jon and Richie were still talking about the resumption of the tour.

“So” Dorothea started, “what did you think?  You seemed to handle yourself just fine in there tonight.”

Stephanie nearly snorted, feeling infinitely more comfortable with the couple on the opposite seat. “I handled myself, right.  Richie had to practically drag me out of the car and then I pulled a disappearing act about an hour ago.”  She smiled when she felt Richie’s fingers tighten around hers.  “I guess it wasn’t so bad, though.”

Dorothea smiled.  “Now you can understand why I go to as few of these as possible.  They are boring to the nth degree and the paprats are incorrigible.”

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement.  “It was kind of fun to get dressed up though.  I don’t get to do that very often.”

Dorothea agreed.  “Since I’m in jeans ninety-nine percent of the time it is nice to put on girl clothes once in a while.  And I love your dress by the way.”

Stephanie adjusted the hem where it rested on her thigh.  “Thanks.  I must have looked in a dozen stores before finding it in the last one.  Always in the last place you look, you know?”

“Just remember the name of the store.  You may end up going back there again and again.  The better the rapport you have with the owner, the more likely you are to keep finding little gems like that dress.”

The car slowed to a stop in front of the hotel.  “Thanks for the advice.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

They filed out of the car, and Stephanie took the offered helping hand as she stepped out. Suddenly she was nearly nose-to-nose with Jon.  Her mind went blank for a split second as he sized her up once again.  “What?”  This was really starting to bother her.

He looked over to Richie and Dorothea who had started for the door.  “I watched you tonight. You’re good for him.”

He turned from and started for the door.  That was the first, and most likely only, compliment she'd get from him.  She pulled her phone from her purse.  The girls were going to have a field day when she told them about this.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jon settled in his seat and studied the woman sitting across from him.  Her legs were crossed at the ankle, one well-manicured hand rested on her lap, the other was entwined with Richie’s and rested on his knee.  He drew his eyes from her to his wife and the black cocktail dress she wore.  

His gaze drifted back to Stephanie, taking in the dusky gold dress. It was an interesting choice.  He didn’t know many women who would forego the traditional little black dress for a night out like this.  He liked it but he also had to wonder if it was an indication of her personality or if she was looking for her own fifteen minutes.  And while he didn’t particularly care for that thought, Richie’s judgment had been less than stellar when it came to the ladies lately, so he was going to tread on the side of caution for now.

Drawing his gaze higher, he paused unashamedly at the swell of her breasts.  He could usually tell just from a glance if they were real or fake.  He had no doubt she was as real as his wife.  Finally, his gaze slid to her face.  He could see the nervousness there as she looked everywhere but at him.  If he were a betting man, and he was, he’d put his entire portfolio on her being a fan.  But Richie had failed to mention that little fact.

Reaching out his hand, he decided he’d made her squirm long enough.  “Hi.  I’m Jon.  It’s nice to meet you.”

Dragging her gaze from somewhere over his right shoulder, Stephanie glanced over at Richie.  He was chatting with Dorothea.  Her fingers tightened imperceptibly in his and she struggled not to fidget under Jon’s intense scrutiny.  Never had she had someone so blatantly size her up before.

She didn’t particularly care for it, even if it was by Jon Bon Jovi.

Swallowing back her nerves, she took a deep breath and met Jon’s steely blue gaze with her own determined one.  He may be a rock God and one that she had admired for most of her life, but right now, she was feeling less than amicable toward the man.  “Hi.”  She shook his hand. It was warm, and softer than she expected.  “I’m Stephanie.”  Narrowing her eyes, she looked him up and down as blatantly as he had her.  “Did I pass inspection?”

He didn’t miss the subtle, stubborn lifting of her chin or the slight change from green to brown in her eyes.  From the little that Richie had told him about her, he hadn’t been exactly sure what to expect.  Someone soft and vulnerable maybe?  Instead, he saw a feistiness in her.  He liked that.  She would be no shrinking violet and that might just be what his friend needed to keep him on the new path he was on.  He didn’t need his right-hand man taking any more detours.  Jon put on his most charming, endearing smile, certain it would win her over.  “You are every bit as lovely as Rich said.”

Before she could say anything Jon uttered a soft “oof.”  Dorothea had elbowed him in the stomach.  “Leave her be.”  Dorothea smiled at her and held out her hand.  “I’m Dorothea.  Pay no attention to him.  He’s been cranky all afternoon.”

Stephanie smiled, genuinely, at Jon’s wife and shook her hand lightly.  “It’s nice to meet you.  And thanks for the advice.”

Jon just grunted at his wife and pulled out his phone, checking his messages as they made their way toward the Four Seasons on Doheny Drive.

~

The tension in the back of the limo eased and Stephanie’s nerves didn’t return until they pulled up in front of the hotel.  When it came time for them to exit the car her grip tightened on Richie’s.  She was scared to death to step out of the car.  

Richie let Jon and Dorothea go ahead of them.  He turned to Stephanie.  “Are you okay, Sweetheart?”

She nodded her head “yes” even as the word “no” fell from her lips.  “Way out of my comfort zone here Rich.”  She had never in her life experienced anything like this.  Having a family photo taken was nothing compared to what waited or her outside the car door.  

She leaned forward slightly and could see a forest of legs and the flashes that never stopped.  Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard and lightly licked her lips.  Maybe she should have said no to this particular date.

Richie stroked his thumb light along her jaw.  “Sweetheart.”  When she didn’t open her eyes or respond he tried again.  He cupped her face gently in his hand.  “Sweetheart, look at me.”

She slowly blinked her eyes open.  The green and brown were swirled with nerves, anticipation and a hint of fear of the unknown.  “You are beautiful and you look amazing tonight.  All you need to do is hold my hand, smile and keep walking.”  He searched her face for a moment.  “Okay?”  He knew this wouldn’t be easy, the first time never was, but if she was going to be a part of his life, she would have to at least try to get used to the least pleasant parts.

And just like every other time she had needed that little bit of reassurance, his touch and his words had her feeling like everything would be all right and she really could do this.  Pulling her wrap around her shoulders, she took his hand and nudged him toward the door.  “Let’s go.”

Before she could change her mind he stepped from the car and reached his hand down to help her out.  There was no going back now.  She put her hand in his and could hear the shouts of “Richie” before she had cleared the door.  Standing next to him she took a quick look around.  She had never felt so out of place.  

As if sensing her returning nerves, Richie turned his head and looked down at her, “ready?”  He smiled and his dimpled winked at her.

She smiled back and squeeze his hand lightly.  That damn dimple of his got her every freaking time.

They moved toward the door slowly, pausing every so often so the photographers could get their pictures.  She focused on the door, Jon and Dorothea had made it inside already and just as she could see the finish line in her sight she heard the almost-but-not-quite derogatory comments.  “Who’s the hot little number on your arm tonight, Richie?”  The photographer’s emphasis on the word “tonight” had her cringing and she saw Richie’s smile slip for the first time since he had shown up at her door.

Sensing his unease she turned into him slightly and raised her head so her mouth brushed by his ear.  “Don’t’” she whispered.  “It’s okay.”  She didn’t want him to do something he would regret in the papers and online tomorrow.

Her warm breath ghosted across his neck, soothing the beast that wanted to lash out at the rude, gossip mongering paparazzi.  Instead, he turned his head nuzzling his lips against her forehead amidst a flurry of camera flashes.  They moved on, not stopping again for anyone until they had made it inside.