Chapter Fifty-Seven

Richie let Stephanie into the hotel room ahead of him, closing the door quietly behind them. Before she could take more than a step, he grasped her arm, tugging her back to him as he leaned back against the door.  His mouth wasn’t gentle as it came down on hers.  Nipping her lower lip, he sank into her, kissing her voraciously.  He’d been on a slow burn ever since she’d walked out in that damn short dress and a pair of killer boots.  He was a sucker for the boots.

Sliding his hands up to her shoulders, he pushed at the jacket she still wore.  He followed the supple leather as it slid down her arms and landed on the floor with a soft plop.  

Pushing them away from the door, his hands slipped from her arms to her thighs, his fingers caressing her satiny, smooth skin lightly as he pushed at the hem of her dress.  He cupped her ass as they made their way further into the room.  Bumping into a chair, he pulled his mouth from hers.  

She was standing in a pool of moonlight with just a hint of the red and blue neon that lit up the strip haloing around her.  Her head dropped back and her rich brown hair tumbled over the back of the chair.  His eyes were drawn to the long line of her neck.  His mouth followed the path his eyes had blazed, pausing to suck where her pulse beat rapidly.  He couldn’t remember having a need so intense before.  He had wanted women before - he hadn’t been a saint since his divorce - but his need for this woman bordered on insatiable.

Her chest heaved with every breath she tried to take.  God, she hadn’t been ravished so long.  There had been moments with Mark early on, but they had grown few and far between after Ben had come along..  She shuddered, the thought forgotten as Richie’s mouth traveled down her neck before coming back to reclaim her mouth. Her legs wobbled as he pushed her dress higher, gripping her hips and pulling her flush against him, pressing his erection into her. She reached out to grab the back of the chair, praying that it didn’t move as she tried to steady herself against the onslaught of sensations that threatened to overwhelm her.

He searched blindly for the zipper on her dress.  As much as he liked it on her, he wanted it off of her.

Now.

When the pretty black dress was a puddle at her feet he pulled his mouth from hers.  Just as he opened his mouth to speak, she stopped him, splaying her fingers over his lips. “Don’t” she said. Pulling the trembling digits from his lips, she opened the buttons of his shirt, loosened his belt and the top button on his pants.  She didn’t want words right now. “Don’t talk.  Just go with whatever you’re feeling right now.”  She slowly lowered the zipper on his pants and looked up at him.  “Whatever you want.”

He searched her eyes for a long moment.  Without a word, his mouth came down on hers in a brief, torrid kiss.  Struggling for the gentleness he wasn’t feeling, slid her pretty black lace panties down her thighs. Turning her away from him, he bent her over the back of the chair.  The pearly wetness he could see in the silvery light was proof enough that she wanted this as much as he did.  Crouching behind her, he nipped up the backs of her thighs, spearing his tongue into her waiting wetness.  Deftly he brought her to the edge of ecstasy.  He stood quickly, she was ready to blow and he wanted to be balls deep in her when the eruption overwhelmed her.

Searching his pockets, he shoved his pants down and protected them both.  Grabbing her hips, he drove into her with one sharp thrust.  The relief he felt was so profound he couldn’t contain his groan of pleasure.  It echoed around them and mixed with hers.  She was perfect.  Fucking perfect.  

He pulled out and slid home again, she was nearly there.  He could feel her starting to tighten around him.  Leaning over her, he slid a hand around her to cup her still covered breast, pinching the taut tip through the lace.  He nipped her shoulder, “you’re right there sweetheart, let it go.”

Stephanie couldn’t hold back the groan when he palmed her over-sensitized breasts and pinched the straining nipple.  Bracing her hands on the arms of the chair she levered herself up just a bit, angling her hips back, taking every deliciously punishing thrust he was giving her.   His teeth on her shoulder and his words in her ear sent her spiraling.  With a scream she gave him what he asked for, nearly taking him with her.

He continued to pound in to her, his thrusts became erratic as his own release threatened.  He curled his hand around her hip, stroking along the seam of her thigh, then further, nudging that bit of pink flesh that was just begging for his attention. 

Stephanie shook her head, her grasp tightening on the arms of the chair.  Before she could catch her breath, she was coming again.  She pushed back against him, tightening around him, desperate for him to come with her.

With a resonating groan, he let himself go, pumping his hips until he had nothing left to give. 

Slumped over her, Richie skimmed his lips across her shoulder.  He should move, he was probably crushing her, but he couldn’t quite find the energy yet.  Sucking in a breath, he peeled himself from her back, her skin shown like porcelain in the moonlight, broken only by the slim black band of her bra.  He couldn’t help the smile.  It had been a long time since he’d felt the need to be with a woman that badly that he couldn’t even get her all the way naked.  He shuffled to the end table for a tissue and dropped it and the condom in the trash.  Turning back, he found her still bent over the chair. 

“Sweetheart?”  He pulled his pants up to his hips and moved back over to her.

She rose slowly, pushing her hair out of her face as she stood.  She grabbed the back of the chair.  Her legs were still trembling.  She looked down.  She still had her boots on.  And her underwear was around her knees.  “Holy shit, Rich.”

“I know, Sweetheart.”  He was just as surprised at himself as she was.

She sucked in a deep breath.  “We didn’t even manage to get all our clothes off.”

His lip twitched, fighting a smile, and he stepped closer to her, his hands sliding up her back to the catch of her bra.  “We can remedy that.” 

“I just bet we can” she murmured as her bra hit the floor and she was swept up into his arms.

~

Daylight teased her eyelids.  She tried to burrow deeper into the blankets and the warmth next to her, but her bladder had other ideas.  Squinting against the sun, she peeked at the clock and eased from the bed.  Taking care of business in the bathroom she slipped back into the bedroom.  She glanced at Richie.  He had rolled on his side and curled himself around her pillow. She’d leave him to sleep.  She stretched and wandered out to the living area, picking up their clothes as she went.  Her bra, her dress, his shirt, left a trail like bread crumbs so as not to get lost going from one room to the next. 

Carrying her armload of laundry, she set everything on the chair in the bedroom.  Richie still hadn’t moved.  She smiled gently.  Last night had been amazing.   She couldn’t remember sex being like that with Mark.  They had always had a healthy sex life, but it was nothing compared to what she had with Richie.  She pursed her lips.  That was the first thought of Mark she’d had in a week.  She frowned and reached for her suitcase and sneakers.  Her hand brushed by her laptop case, reminding her of work.  Her frown deepened.  She was supposed to be considering the promotion she had been offered.  She dug her work out clothes from her suitcase.  Maybe a few miles on the treadmill would help her figure things out.

Using her key card, she opened the door to the fitness center, closing it quickly before any of the fans lining the hallway could follow her.  Scanning the room she found every treadmill in use, save one.  She frowned at the man on the machine next to it and swallowed hard.  She was going to have to pound out her miles next to Jon. 

Figures.

At one time in the not so distant past she might have relished the idea of running into him like this.  Now, she really didn’t want him to see just how much of an amateur she was.  She crossed the room slowly, hoping he might finish up before she got started. 

She snuck a peek at his machine.  No such luck.  He was only a mile into his work out.

Without a word she stepped on the machine, fiddled with the settings and started to walk.  She was more walker than runner, she could bust out five miles in an hour, but that was on a good day.  She wasn’t feeling very lucky today.

“Hey.”  He smiled at her and turned his attention back to the news program on the big screen.

She turned her head slowly.  “Morning.”  Holy Hell.  She was going to have to send the girls an email with all the sweaty details of how he looked this morning.  TaraLeigh would never forgive her if she didn’t. 

She picked up her pace, wishing she had her iPod with her.   She hadn't ever been alone with him before, there had always been a buffer.  Now, one on one, he intimidated her. 

Next to her, Jon slowed to a walk.  “Thanks for driving last night.”

“No problem” she puffed out.  “Thanks for not puking in the back seat.”

He laughed.  “You told me I couldn’t.  That was one of your rules, remember?”

She slowed and smiled.  “I didn’t think you would anyway.  Self-professed wino and all.”

He stepped off the treadmill.  “You done?”

She looked down, she had managed two and a half miles so far.  “Yeah.  I guess.”  It was better than nothing.

“Come spot me.  I want to ask you something.”

 She watched him walk toward the weights. What choice did she have but to follow?

She stood up by his head as he lay back on the bench.  “How many?”

“Three sets of fifteen.”  He pushed up the bar and lowered it to his chest.  His biceps flexed as he pumped the bar up and down. 

“What did you want to ask me?”

He got through his first fifteen and paused.  “How’s Richie doing?”  He had watched the two of them last night and as smitten as his friend was with this woman, he was still drinking more than Jon was altogether comfortable with.

She thought about what she had found Friday morning when she let herself into his room.  Thought back to the conversations they had had over the last few weeks.  He said he was doing better, but was he?

“I’m not really sure.”  She told him about the nearly empty bottle she had seen Friday morning and the tone of their conversations.

He finished his reps and set the bar down.  “Thanks.  I think maybe it’s time for a band meeting.”

He stood, grabbing his towel and bottle of water and headed to the door.  Stephanie followed in his wake, catching up to him as he pressed the button for the elevator.  Standing together in the empty car Stephanie turned to him, “would you mind if I talked to him first?”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened on their floor.  “Let me know how it goes” he told her as he disappeared into his room.