Chapter 60

Richie stood, feeling like an idiot, in front his door as he methodically searched his pockets.  They’d just given him the room key a few minutes ago.  Where the hell was it?  Crime in Detroit was bad, but not bad enough to blame his missing room key on.

He checked again, to make sure, but both jacket pockets were empty.

With a sigh, he methodically moved through the pockets of his jeans.  The front right pocket held his iPhone and earbuds.  Back right…wallet.  Front left… lip balm.  Back left… friggin’ empty. 

Still no room key.

Certain this week would never be over, he cursed quietly and moved his search to the outside pocket of the worn, brown leather carryon that was his faithful traveling companion. 

Television interviews, phoners, sound checks,  promos, shows, photos, meet and greets, Nikki, Ava, Heather.  He was no stranger to having a busy schedule, but it verged on unmanageable trying to juggle the band AND the initial rush of the clothing line.  Circumstances forced him to be like a puppet on a string, constantly in motion with no input as to which direction or how fast he was going.   At this pace, he was going to drop dead or lose his mind in about five minutes.  

 Sooner if I can’t find this fuckin’ key!

Richie stuffed his hand in the other side of the bag.  He was beyond tired of having no immediate control over his life.  While he appreciated and understood that everything had been scheduled to maximize exposure in a limited amount of time, he was in desperate need of an oasis in the desert of celebrity hell. 

Preferably in the form of his girlfriend.  The one whom he’d treated like shit for over a week, because he didn’t have five minutes a day to himself.  It would serve him right if she wasn’t speaking to him.  Once again, he resolved to find time for a long, intimate phone call.  She had a way of making the craziness go away, and he really needed that right now.

Finally, his fingers wrapped around the elusive piece of plastic that would grant him access to a hot shower and a comfortable bed.  Grumbling, he snatched it out of the bag and jammed it into that stupid little card reader. 

The blinking red light mocked him and the door remained firmly locked.

I’ll be goddamned!

He flipped the card over and tried again.  This time, the little green light blinked really fast, like it was on speed, but the door was still locked. 

Deep breath. Find your inner Zen. 

Reinserting the card more slowly and removing it, he was grateful beyond reason when the solid green light welcomed him with a quiet beep.

Turning the handle, he stepped over the threshold, only to feel the strap on his bag give way.  There was barely an opportunity for him to register what was happening before the bag struck the floor with a heavy thud.

“FUCK!”  His temper snapped, and the poor bag became victim to his fury, suffering a swift kick that carried it out of reach.   It felt good, but only vented a drop out of the bucket of negativity he’d been accumulating over the past few days.  He moved his attention to the door, which he heaved shut with all the might of his pent up frustration.  The reverberating crash gave him a small sense of satisfaction.

“I’m sure we’ll get there, but how about a kiss first?”

Richie’s head snapped around at the quietly amused voice.

Allegra.

He felt the tension immediately leave his body.  Those few words and her presence magically erased all traces of his anger, exchanging it with a peaceful serenity that he hadn’t known since Las Vegas.

For no reason he could explain, she’d effortlessly soothed his wrath just by being there.

It had taken Heather a couple of years to learn how to soothe him – not that it was often necessary – and she’d had to work hard to figure it out.  The end result wasn’t rocket science.  Any guy could tell you that a blowjob was surefire tension relief. 

Denise…  Well, Denise was a little self-involved.  They hadn’t been together all that long anyway.

“Hello?” Allegra gently reminded him that he had yet to speak.

Their eyes locked, and he couldn’t – didn’t want to – deny it any longer.    The woman standing before him was different than any other.   He could now admit to himself that she was the one he’d been searching for. 

Wordlessly, he eliminated the short distance that separated them, twining his arms so tightly around her that her heart beat against his chest.  He counted three heartbeats before he eased away, and his strong hands cupped her face, lips falling on hers with a stifled sigh of relief.  His tongue softly begged for entry, and when she granted it, he drank from her gratefully. 

Tongues danced in the intimate way that was uniquely theirs.  Starting out as a slow, sensual  ‘I missed you’ that intensified into a more urgent ‘I need you’.  They were both breathless when he slithered his arms back around her waist and rested their foreheads together.  

“Hi,” he murmured.  “Eventually I’m going to wonder why you’re here, but right now I’m just glad to see you.”

“I hoped that you’d like my little surprise.”

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, thankful for whatever had brought her here today.

“I’d kinda like to see you too, though,”  Leaning back, she slid the sunglasses from his face, and he saw concern flood her features.  “David was right.  You look like hell.”

He pulled away and took his sunglasses from her, tossing them on the table in frustration.  “David should keep his fuckin’ trap closed.   I’m just tired.”

Richie hated that she’d had to rely on reports from David to keep up with him.  He should’ve been the one to tell her he looked like hell, or at least felt like hell.  There was no excuse for the way he’d neglected her and no one to blame but himself. 

 He felt like a piece of shit stuck to the bottom of somebody’s shoe.

Well, it’s not going to happen again.

“Hey.” She reached for his hand, and tugged persistently until he was standing before her again. “I asked because I’m worried about you, and your schedule hasn’t exactly had room for long, chatty conversations lately.”

He tightened his grasp on her hands and met her gaze head on.  “I’m so sorry it got that way, Sunshine.    It won’t happen again.  I’ll make time for you every day.  Even if it’s just five minutes, it will be OUR five minutes with no interruptions or distractions.”

“Sweetie, I understand that you’re busy, and it’s okay.  I just wish there was something I could do.  I feel so helpless.” 

Freeing one hand, she lifted it to softly stroke the shadows under his eyes.  “You know… I’ve been up since really early this morning and was thinking I might take a nap.  Will you come with me and rest for a while?”

A slight notion niggled at the back of his mind, and he wondered how accommodating she would be.  “Darlin’ if you’re in the bed with me, resting is NOT what I’m going to be doing.”

“I can’t say that I’m disappointed to hear that.”  She gave him a seductive smile.  “But why don’t you come lie down and let me take care of you for a change?”

Richie knew she meant well, but the last thing he needed was someone else telling him what to do.  No, what he needed was at the far end of the spectrum.

He bent his head and put his lips beside her ear.  The warmth of his breath caused her to shiver when he murmured, “You wanted to help.  I’ve got a way for you to do that.”

“I’m listening,” she whispered, reaching up to bury her fingers in the hair at his nape.

“Do you trust me?  I mean REALLY trust me?”

She nodded slowly, and he could see a combination of uncertainty and confusion swirling in her Sicilian blue irises.

“I have an overwhelming need to be in control right now.”  He stroked her cheek gently.  “Will you submit to that control?” 

She drew in a surprised breath, and he felt her shiver again.  This was obviously something she hadn’t been expecting, but then again, neither had he.

It had been a long time since he’d wanted to dip his toe into the slightly darker end of the sexual pool.  He prayed it wouldn’t scare her, but the thought of regaining control – even if it was one tiny area of his life – was entirely too heady for him to ignore.   Add in the idea of this strong woman letting down every barrier and wholly trusting him with her body, and the lure became almost intoxicating.

“I would never hurt you,” his low voice rumbled in her ear, after sensing her hesitation.  “It’s all about enhancing the pleasure.  If you’re uncomfortable with what we’re doing at any point, just tell me to stop, and I will.”

He kissed her neck softly, in reassurance.  The sweet berry smell that he’d come to associate with Allegra assuaged his nostrils.  Her sweetness mixed with his darkness.  He growled softly at the thought.

Richie drew back, and watched her tongue dart out, wetting her lips enticingly.   

“Okay.”

“Okay what, baby?”  He anxiously her searched her face for visual confirmation to the words she was saying.  She was agreeing, wasn’t she?  Brown eyes riveted to blue, waiting.

Allegra didn’t look away, just brushed the hair from his forehead and said with quiet confidence, “I’ll submit to you.”

Alpha male testosterone flooded every cell in his body at her acquiescence.   His cock became hard enough to pound nails and he ached to bend her over the couch and take her without another thought. 

No.

He reigned in the idea with a firm hand.  A dominant role may seem selfish, but for him, it was the carte blanche to guide his lover into an intimate self-exploration.  He took the trust she was placing in him very seriously, and gratefully accepted sole responsibility for her satisfaction.

Gently capturing her wrists he brought them together and locked the fingers of one hand around them, holding her in place.  “There are only three rules.”

Staring at her lightly bound wrists in fascination, she nodded.  Instinctively, he knew that she was already aroused by the idea.  He’d bet anything her panties were already wet.

Richie tipped up her chin so that she could see the determination on his face.   “One:  the only words you’re permitted to say are yes, no and please.  Two:  anything I instruct you to do, you will do immediately and without question.  Three:  you will not cum until I say so.” 

Allegra’s face flushed and her eyes dilated.  He’d been right.  She was as excited by this as he was.

“Do you understand?”  He gripped her wrists a little tighter.

“Yes.”

He slipped his free hand up into her hair and his lips hovered close to hers.  “Is this still okay?” he breathed, giving her one more opportunity to back out, now that she’d heard the ground rules. 

“Yes,” was her whispered reply.

“Good. “  His mouth claimed hers, tongue diving inside for one deep drink before separating from her.    “Now go to the bedroom, get naked and wait for me.”