Chapter Sixty-Six

Hooking her flip flops in her fingers, Stephanie meandered down the beach.  The light breeze lifted the ends of her hair as she walked.  The tide rolled in gently, nipping at her toes before sliding away.  It was a pretty late April day.  Much too pretty to be cooped up in the house. She looked up, letting the sun warm her face.  The sky was endlessly blue with just a wisp of a cloud here and there to break up the blue.

It was a far cry from what April was like back in New York.  She’d be bundled up in a heavy, winter coat and boots still.  She smiled and did a quick spin in the sand.  Here she was barefoot and in her shirt sleeves.  There was a lot to be said for southern California.  She could understand now why Richie hadn’t looked back once he moved across the country.  She could get used to never having to shovel snow again.

New York.

Home.

Angling away from the water’s edge, she roamed to where the sand was soft and warm under her feet.  Dropping her sandals, she settled herself on the sand, resting her chin on her updrawn knees.  For long minutes she watched the surf, the roll of the waves onto the shore and back out again.  It was soothing.  Peaceful.

She sighed.  New York.

She should really go back for another visit.  She hadn’t been home since Christmas.  Hadn’t thought about home in weeks.  She was finally at a place where she was content, happy again.   She had a few friends, had her volunteer work that she loved.  And she had the most amazing man.  She burrowed her toes in the sand, wiggling the digits as the grains slid through them.  Just as her eyes landed on the black polished tips, her phone vibrated in her pocket.  Leaning back, she dug the phone out and glanced at the screen. She smiled broadly.  Her sister was calling her.

“Hey Jess, how are you?!”

“Hey yourself girlie.  I’m good.  Freezing my ass off, but good.  How are you?”

Stephanie laughed.  “I’m good.  Right now, I’m sitting on the beach in my shirt sleeves and loving every second of it.”

She heard her sister groan.

“Bitch.  It snowed here yesterday.”  There was no malice in her words, just a slight hint of jealousy.

Stephanie laughed again.  “I can honestly say, I don’t miss that.  Not. One. Bit.”

Jess was quiet for a moment.  “When are you coming home?  We miss you.”

Stephanie’s smile drifted away.  “I miss you guys too.  I was just thinking I should come home to visit when you called.  It will be soon, for sure.”

“Good” Jess replied.  “Are we going to get to meet your man at some point?”  They were all curious and anxious to meet Richie.

Steph’s smile came back.  “Of course.  He’s on tour right now, but maybe this summer when he’s home.”  She didn’t mention that he was in rehab.   If he wanted to share that information, she’d let him do it when he was ready.

They talked for a while, playing catch up on each other’s lives.  As they talked, Stephanie got the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.  The hairs on her arms stood on end and a shiver ran down her spine.  Standing, she hooked her flip flops in her fingers and talked as she walked.

She looked over her shoulder, she didn’t see anyone.  She looked ahead and could just make out a lone, tall figure standing near her car.  The closer she got to her vehicle, the better she could see who was watching her.  She stopped a few feet from the opening in the concrete and stood, rooted to the spot.

Richie.

“What?”  Stephanie had said something, but her voice had dropped to a near whisper and Jess couldn’t make out what she had said.

Stephanie gripped the phone tighter.  “Jess, I have to go.  I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Yeah” Jess said.  “Okay.  Love you.”

Stephanie ended the call, tucked her phone back into her pocket and looked up.  Richie had moved through the opening in the concrete barrier and was watching her.  He smiled and opened his arms.

“Hi.”

She smiled, dropped her flip flops to the sand and practically threw herself into his arms.  Turning her head, she buried her face in this neck, pressing her lips against his throat, hugging him tight.  “I missed you.  I missed you so much.”   Loosening her grip she stepped back and looked up at him.  “But what are you doing here?  I was supposed to come pick you up tomorrow.”

He looked down into her face.  The sun had turned her skin golden and had teased out freckles across the bridge of her nose.  The ocean breeze had blown her hair so it settled in a riot of curls around her shoulders.  She was so beautiful.  She was all he had been able to think about in the days he had been gone.  Especially after that one particularly hot and dirty phone call from a week ago.  He was glad he put in the extra time with his counselor in the last few days so he could surprise her like this.  “I missed you too, sweetheart.  And I finished up with my counselor earlier today so I checked out and here I am.”

He pulled her close again and wrapped his arms around her.  Lowering his head his mouth found hers.  His lips feathered across hers, teasing them until they parted and he could slip his tongue inside.  He groaned as he kissed her hungrily.  Thirty days without being able to touch her, to taste her, had been much too long.

His hands slid from her lower back to her bottom, dragging her closer to him.  His cock surged behind his fly as he ground against her.  He pulled his mouth from hers, his lips sliding along her jaw, nuzzling into her neck.  “Let’s get out of here.”

Stephanie nodded her assent as she tried to find her voice.  Her heart hammered in her chest and her whole body was on high alert.  “Oh-okay” she said shakily.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  The man’s mouth was as dangerous as the rest of him.  Opening her eyes she bent to retrieve her forgotten flip flops and stepped by him to get to the car.  It was then that she noticed his duffle and his guitar case.  She looked over at him.  “Did you even go home?”

He shook his head and put his things in the trunk.  His plan had been to go home first, drop his shit off, get in his car and head over to her place.  That all changed when he saw her easily recognizable car.  It was a split second decision and he didn’t regret it.  “Nope. Saw your car here on the way by and had the driver turn around and drop me off.” 

Stephanie smiled at him and got in the car.  Once they were both had their seatbelts buckled she turned to him once more.  “Your place or mine?”

The beach was the middle ground between them.  “Either” he said.  “It doesn’t matter to me.”  Just get us to a house.  Fast.

She started the car and pulled out of the lot, heading toward Burbank.

This car ride had to be the longest of her life.  She must have hit every damn red light on the streets.  And Richie’s fingers playing along her thigh weren’t helping matters at all.  Her skin was singing and if he didn’t ease up, she just might wreck the car.  She laid her hand on top of his.  She didn’t want that to happen.

Turning the final corner, her house never looked so good.  Tires squealing, she pulled into the driveway and shut the car off.   Seatbelts came off simultaneously, doors slammed in unison.  She stepped toward the back of the car and Richie almost told her to leave his things, he’d get them later.  Then he remembered his guitar.  He growled his impatience as he waited for her to pop the trunk.  Grabbing his things he followed her up the walk and into the house.   

Setting the guitar case down carefully, he dropped his duffle in the office and turned back to her.  Each step he took toward her had her backing up a step until her back was against the door.  He put a hand on either side of her head and pressed his mouth to hers.  “Remember what I said on the phone?”  One hand left the door and slid down the side of her body and down between her thighs.  The heat he found there nearly brought him to his knees.  “Remember what I said I would do to you if I was here with you then?”

Her brow furrowed as she scanned her scrambled brain, trying to figure out what he was talking about.  She rolled her hips against his hand and her eyes widened as she remembered.  She nodded her head slowly.

He made quick work of the button and zipper of her pants.  Slipping his hand inside, he stroked her over her soaked panties.  “Tell me.  What did I say?”

Her hips jerked and she nearly came right then.  She opened her mouth and nothing came out.  Licking her lips she tried again.  “You said ah-” she closed her eyes, her focus on his fingers. 

“Come on, sweetheart.”  He stilled his fingers.  “Tell me.”

She opened her eyes, blurry green stared into fiery brown.  “You said you’d spread me open and lick up every sweet drop then you’d start all over and make me give you more.”

 His smile was deliciously evil.  “And I’m a thirsty man tonight sweetheart.”

She sagged against the door.