Chapter 80

Veronica finally managed to lift one arm to hug Jon and play with his hair. “Not that I’m in any hurry to move, but....the guys will all be waiting for us.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

She chuckled. “Come on. Go have a shower. The sooner we get going the sooner we’ll get to Richie’s and a comfortable bed.”

Jon groaned, squeezed her and sighed. “Okay, okay.” Sitting up, he kissed her, lifted her from his lap back onto the table. “If I have to. Although...that bed sounds....enticing.” He stood, removed the remnants of his clothes and stepped towards the bathroom. Halting in the doorway he raised a brow at her. “Want to join me?”

Veronica closed her eyes. “I think I’ve had about all I can take for tonight.”

Chuckles followed him into the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later with a damp washcloth for her.

“Thanks. If this is going to keep happening, I’m going to have to start carrying a change of clothes.” She sighed and started to clean herself up.

“Put some things in my stage wardrobe, then you’ll have it.”

She took that comment to mean that she could expect these post show encounters to be recurring events. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “Mmmmm.”

It didn’t take Veronica very long to realize that the washcloth wasn’t going to cut it. She couldn’t spend the next hour or so cooped up in a van with Richie and David, smelling like sex. Very quickly, she started shedding clothes. She’d have enough time for a quick shower if she didn’t get her hair wet.

Jon pouted as she passed him on his way out of the bathroom. “Oh sure now you want to shower!”

Veronica just grabbed his shower gel and wrinkled her nose at him.

She was out in minutes and by the time he was dressed and had dried his hair she was also dressed and ready to go.

The guys were already in the van waiting for them.

“Ronnie, I put your stuff in the van for you.” Matt called out from another van.

“Thanks Matty. Have a good break. See you in a few days.” Veronica waved at him. Matt waved back.

Climbing in, she sat in the middle bench that had been left empty for them and slid over to the window. When Jon took the seat beside her, and the van started moving, she kicked off her shoes, and lifted her legs onto his lap. She shifted and settled more comfortably against the side of the van and leaned her head against the seat as Jon started caressing her legs. “Cantarme por favor (sing for me please)Papa.”

Tico snorted. “Your boyfriend’s the singer, get him to sing for you.”

“But I want you to. I love your voice.” She ignored his designation for Jon.

“And you don’t like mine?” Jon’s hand stilled and he pouted.

Veronica shrugged. “I hear yours all the time. Tico’s is like a special, unexpected treat.”

“Awww, thanks nina.”

With Tico’s gravelly voice crooning a Cuban lullaby and Jon’s warm hand stroking her legs, Veronica drifted off to sleep. A little over an hour later the van drove through the gates to Richie’s house.

“Wake up sugar, we’re here.” Jon brushed her hair from her face and murmured in her ear.

“Mmmmm?” She frowned and grumbled at being awakened.

“Come on honey, just a few minutes and we’ll find you a nice comfortable bed.” He leaned closer and brushed his lips over her cheek. “Do you want me to carry you in?”

Veronica was stunned at her initial response – which was to say yes just so that she could feel his arms holding her tight. But she wasn’t a child and she wasn’t injured. Even as tired as she was, she was fully capable of walking.

Sighing, she sat up, shook her head and stretched. “No, I’m awake, I can walk.” She climbed out and leaned against the side of the van to wait while the luggage was unloaded.

Jon handed Veronica her laptop bag, picked up her suitcase along with his own and motioned for her to follow Richie into the house.

She glanced around the entry way, but couldn’t have described it if anyone had asked. The tour would have to wait until after she’d gotten at least five hours of sleep so that she could appreciate what she was seeing. At the moment she was too tired to focus on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other and not tripping on the staircase. When Richie gestured to a door, she mumbled a good night, entered the room, set down her laptop and started turning down the bed. She barely noticed when Jon came in with her suitcase.

Jon wasn’t sure she was even aware he was there as she rummaged through her bag for her toiletries and a nightgown and walked by him towards the ensuite bathroom. When she emerged he realized that he must be as tired as she was – or she’d really worn him out - the sight of her in the red lace nightgown caused only a mild stir of interest in his body. He smirked as he watched her lay her clothes in her suitcase. Even exhausted and half asleep she was neat.

Veronica slid between the cool sheets and burrowed into a pillow with a sigh. Jon gave himself a mental shake, stripped off his clothes, shut off the light and joined her, curling his body around hers. “Please be here when I wake up.” He kissed her neck.

“Mmmmm.” Slender fingers laced with his at her waist, pulling him closer. At the same time she shifted backwards to nestle against his warmth.

He didn’t know whether that was a yes, no or maybe, but he figured he was going to just have to hope for the best and wait and see – she was already asleep. With a sigh, he hugged her even closer and followed suit.




Veronica awoke slowly, blinked and looked around the room. It took a minute to remember where she was. Rustling of the sheet was the only warning she got before a hand slid over her stomach as Jon turned towards her in his sleep. That was another change for her. Normally it took several weeks of sleeping with someone before she didn’t wake every time the other person moved. But with Jon, from their first night together in Vancouver she’d slept soundly the whole night through. She didn’t notice when he moved or when his body brushed hers, or even his soft snores when he laid on his back. At first she chalked it up to the emotional exhaustion surrounding her revelations of the events surrounding the baby’s death, then, later, the tiredness brought on by the long hours she’d been working. Was that it? Or was her body and her subconscious so comfortable with him that his nearness was just accepted as a natural part of her life, awake or asleep?

Turning her head to look at him, she lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair off of his forehead, letting her fingers trail along the side of his face as she retreated, feeling the scratch of his early morning stubble. The hand on her stomach moved to her side and squeezed.

Veronica raised her gaze to meet his. For long minutes they just looked at each other. The atmosphere was quiet and intimate, one that she didn’t want to admit to and he didn’t want to disturb.

Jon felt his heart swell when he felt her gentle touch, opened his eyes and found her still beside him. He was afraid to move, almost afraid to breathe and risk chasing her away. Finally, he couldn’t resist any longer. His hand stroked up and down her side and he kissed her shoulder. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Her voice was as soft as his had been.