Thirty-Five

When Allegra hesitated for what seemed like forever, he went on.  “Not right this minute, because honestly, I’m too tired to do you justice.  But I’d like to grab a few hours sleep, then take you out on a real date and show you that I do know how to treat a woman.”

She laid her hand alongside his cheek and said, “Richie, you don’t have do anything to make up for my first time – it was beyond words amazing.”  She grinned up into his face. “But there’s no way I’m going to turn down an offer like that.”

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.  “Good!  If I have listen to Jon bitch at me when I get to San Jose, I’ll at least have pleasant memories to lose myself in while he’s doing it.”

She leaned back, looking up at him.  “Yeah, how did you manage to escape the circus without him flipping out?”

“I didn’t ask, I just left.  And I’ve been ignoring his phone calls and text messages ever since, so I’m probably in the doghouse with him right now.”

“You didn’t let anyone know you were leaving?  Won’t they be worried?”

“I told Tico where I was going, and that I would hook up with them in San Jose tomorrow.  I thought he was going to beat the shit out of me, but after another stern lecture about treating you right, he said he’d keep Jon calm until I got back.”  He buried his fingers in her hair, enjoying the feel of it sifting through his fingers.  “You’ve got all of us wrapped around your little finger, Sunshine.”

She gave an unladylike snort.  “Yeah, right!  Tico – maybe.  The rest of you like to argue with me too much.”

Leaning forward, he nuzzled the underside of her jaw.  “It’s not arguing I’m interested in, baby.  We’ve done enough of that for a lifetime as far as I’m concerned.”

“Mmhmm.”  She tipped her head back to allow him better access.  “I agree, but I can’t promise to always keep my temper under control.”

“That’s okay.  I think I can handle it.  Remember the day the hotel security tapes came over and you were pissed at Jon?  You settled down pretty easily for me then.   I just stroked the back of your neck, like this.”  He cupped the back of her head in his hand and dragged his thumb across her nape. 

“Yes, you did,”  she sighed.  She dropped her head forward to rest on his shoulder, and he took that to mean it had the same effect on her now as it had then. 

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms tight around her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “I think that proves my point.”   Swallowing a yawn, he said, “Sunshine, I’ve got to get some sleep.  Do you mind if I crash in one of the bedrooms here for a little while?”

She stepped out of his embrace.  “I’m sorry, you must be exhausted!  Of course I don’t mind.  My stuff is in the brown bedroom, but sleep where ever you’re more comfortable.”

“No sense is messing up both bedrooms.  I’ll just sleep in your bed,”  he told her with a grin.  “That’s where I usually stay anyway.”

He could see the look on her face, and bet that she somehow already knew that, but she didn’t admit it.  “I can see why.  The bed’s really comfortable.  Let me just get my clothes and stuff so I can shower in the other bathroom, and I’ll leave you to it.”  She padded back toward the bedroom, and quickly gathered her clothes and toiletries. 

He stripped off his shirt and tossed it on the chair, taking note of the picture on the night stand with a smile.  It was the one he’d given her for her birthday.

“Okay, I think I’ve got everything.  Do you want me to wake you later?”

“I should get up okay, but if I’m not awake by six, come and rattle my cage.  I’d like to leave here about seven if that’s okay with you?”

“Sounds great,”  Allegra turned toward the door to leave.

 “Hey.”  He grabbed her hand before she could escape.  “Can I have a goodnight kiss?”

She smiled and her eyes lit up like a summer sky.  “I suppose so,”  she acquiesced, lifting her face to his.

He cupped her jaw to bring her closer to him.  The warm heat of his lips met hers and she made a small squeak of pleasure.  He liked being able to elicit those sounds from her.    Richie suckled at her bottom lip, urging it to separate from its mate so that he could slip his tongue in for a taste of her.  And then it was his turn to indulge in a sound of pleasure.  She tasted just as good as he remembered.

Her mouth welcomed his invasion and it wasn’t any time before he felt her tongue sliding into his mouth, seeking out his taste.  Both of them ate hungrily of one another until they no longer knew who was kissing who.

 Richie pulled back with a sharp breath, caressing her cheek as he tried to get himself under control.  “We need to slow down, baby.  Just a kiss right now, but more later, I promise.”

He groaned at the glazed look in her eyes when she blindly nodded.   Damn, she was going to make it hard to sleep.  She was going to make it hard, period.

Allegra separated herself from him, with a soft, “Sleep well, Richie.”  She left him alone with the quiet click of the door closing behind her.

♫♪♫♪

Jon tossed his phone on the bed in frustration. 

Still no word from Sambora.  Who the fuck does he think he is, just fucking up and running across the country while we’re in the middle of a fucking tour?  And what the hell for? 

Teek wouldn’t give him any details, just that he’d had to go to Jersey and take care of some business. 

Well, his ass had better back here before noon tomorrow, or I’m kicking it all the way back to Jersey again.

He flipped through the channels on the remote without actually seeing anything on the television screen.  He hated days like this.  It was too early in the tour for him to be this restless.

Throwing down the remote, he picked up the phone again and hit the number for home.  Maybe talking to Dottie and the kids would bring him down a little.

“Hello?” 

A smile stole over his face and he marveled at how little it took for her to settle him.  “Hey baby, how’s my best girl?”

“Hey yourself.  I’m surprised to hear from you already, considering we just left yesterday.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m fucking antsy as all get out.  I needed to distract myself, and you know you’re my favorite distraction.”

With a laugh, she told him, “Yeah, tell it to someone who hasn’t seen you spend days on end with that Takemine of yours.  I know damn well what your favorite distraction is.”

“Well, you’re my favorite human distraction,” he amended, plucking the strings on the aforementioned Takemine.  “How are the kids?”

“They’re good.  We went to the dog show last night.  Jakey and Romeo now want a Great Dane since we refuse to get them a pony.  They say it’s big enough to ride and can sleep in the bedroom with them.  It’s the best of both worlds.”

He let loose with a deep belly laugh.  Those were his boys, always working the angles.  “Well, you can’t fault their logic, babe.”

“Yeah, I know, but the pony won’t shed all over my furniture.  I’m seriously reconsidering our decision on that one.” 

He could hear her rustling around on the other end of the line and he imagined her folding up the paper or pouring a cup of coffee.    Or any one of the other million everyday things that he missed while he was on the road.

“Did Allegra get settled into the guest house okay?”

“I think so.  Steph and Jesse took her stuff down and showed her around while I was unknowingly shopping for a pony replacement.  I haven’t seen her yet this morning.”

He heard the unmistakable roar of the gas fireplace lighting up, and knew she was sitting in the living room in her favorite chair. 

“So what’s got you all antsy?”

Jon ran a restless hand through his hair.  “Ah, I don’t know.  Sambora took off on me and nobody will tell me what the hell is going on.  All they say is that he’ll be here in the morning.  You know what a control freak I am.  If he get snowed in back east and we can’t do this fucking show tomorrow night, I’m going to be all kinds of pissed off.  This is why we’re on the west coast in February – no snow.”

“Richie just took off, huh?  That doesn’t sound like him at all.  It must’ve been something really important for him to do a cross country run in the middle of a tour.” 

Was it his imagination or did Dottie suddenly sound a little strange?

“I wouldn’t know.  Teek just said he had business in Jersey, and he’s not answering my calls or texts.”  He decided to play his hunch.  “Dot, do you know something about this?”

“Honey, why would I know what Richie’s doing?” 

“Don’t pull that innocent shit on me, babe.  In all our years together, I’ve learned there’s not much that gets past your radar.  So what the fuck’s going on, Dottie?”

He heard her sigh echo down the phone line and knew she wasn’t going to tell him.  “He’ll be there for the show, Jon.  Trust me.”

Irritation coursed through his veins and pushed him into a fishing expedition.  “What the hell is with all the secrecy?  Did he go chasing after some bimbo he met in a bar?  Because, yeah, that would irritate me, but it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.”

His wife’s voice was as cold as he’d ever heard it when she told him, “I seriously doubt he’d go chasing across the country after some bimbo he met in a bar.”  

“It all depends on how good of a blow she gives,” was his philosophical response.  “He’s been swayed by a good set of lips before.”

“Jon, I’ve got to go.  One of the kids just broke something.  I’ll talk to you later.”   Dorothea ended the call so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to reply. 

Drawing his mouth into a grim line, he tucked his phone into his pocket and went in search of Tico. 

Yeah, she knows something.  And it better not be what I’m fucking thinking.