Chapter 84

Jon’s frustration was nearing boiling point. The only thing that kept him from exploding was his concern. His frustration stemmed from the feeling that Veronica still had walls up against him. She let him in, but only so far, not all the way. The emotional intimacy just wasn’t there. There were flashes of it, so he knew it could be, but every time they got close, she’d pull back. Granted, there really wasn’t the opportunity for the ‘how was your day’ conversations since they spent most of their time together, and she didn’t want any PDAs in front of outsiders, but where were the little touches and gestures that indicated shared feelings? They may not be hormonal teenagers anymore, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t hug and kiss and cuddle from time to time did it? He’d give a great deal to just hear an endearment on her lips.

Even in their hotel room, when his work was done for the day, and his phone finally stopped ringing, and all he wanted to do was veg in front of the T.V. for awhile, he had a hard time getting her to relax with him. When she did sit with him, her laptop would come with her as she was always doing research on one thing or another, but at least she didn’t pull away when he put his arm around her and nuzzled her ear or kissed her neck. In fact, more than just accepting his gentle caresses, she would, after only a few minutes, return them, quickly ramping up his desire and her own and they’d end up in bed.

A frown creased his forehead. That was another thing. While the sex was...intense and extremely satisfying, he found himself yearning for slower, gentler lovemaking as well. Any time he tried to slow things down, she’d touch him or kiss him or murmur what she wanted him to do to her – or her to him - to break through his control. And she knew just how to do it. She knew all his weaknesses. The only time she cuddled against him of her own accord was in bed when their passion was spent and they were too exhausted to do anything more than sleep.

He snorted at his own thoughts. He was acting like a lovesick.....woman! Next he’d be complaining that they didn’t talk enough about their feelings! The truth was they didn’t talk about their feelings – for each other – at all. And that was where his concern came in. They talked about the shows and her promotion plans and what she needed from him and the guys, what was working and what wasn’t, but not about what was important for them as individuals, or them as a couple. Something was going on with her job. The tension he could sense in her after one of Vince’s phone calls convinced him of that, but she wouldn’t talk to him about it. She just said everything was fine.

They also didn’t talk about plans for after the tour.....or the issues with his family. The issues weren’t with all of his family. She got along quite well with his brothers. From the first day in Newark, Veronica and Matt fell right back into the teasing, older sister/younger brother relationship that they’d had twenty years ago. And when Tony stopped by in L.A., he and Veronica greeted each other like the old friends that they were, spent some time catching up on each other’s lives, then Veronica discussed video ideas that she had for him to produce. By the time Tony left he was calling her ‘sis’ like Matt did and promised to talk to Obie about the projects they’d agreed upon. No, the family issues were with his kids...and his mother. The one that concerned him the most – the only one that he was determined to fix - was the one with his kids. He needed Veronica to be comfortable around them, even better if she could become friends with them. He didn’t care if she ever became friends with his mother, and in fact, would understand if she didn’t want anything to do with her. His mother had so far been quiet and followed his wishes, but he knew that wouldn’t last forever. She wouldn’t give up that easily. If he managed to keep Veronica in his life, a confrontation would be inevitable, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He had confidence that Veronica could hold her own against his mother, but it would upset her and the Bongiovi’s had caused her enough pain.



His kids were never too far from his thoughts and he once again racked his brain for ideas to get Veronica to spend some time with them. He was truly convinced that time and proximity were all that were needed to overcome her discomfort. Now he just had to convince her of that. Every time he tried to get her to go home with him she said she was too busy. Since she was working so hard for him, he couldn’t really complain, but he didn’t want to wait until after the tour to see if he was right.

They had a couple days off before the show in Nashville, and Jon decided to try again. “Nica, come to Jersey with me for a couple days. Please?”

She didn’t even look up from packing her suitcase. They’d been over this several times in the last week. “I told you I can’t....”

“Dammit Ronnie, I’m not asking for much.”

No, just for me to open myself up to more pain. But that wasn’t why she wouldn’t go. And she didn’t want to fight with him about this again. She turned to face him. “Jon, I’m not saying no just to be obstinate or to avoid your kids. Nashville is my show! It has to be a success. Not just a success, but a big one! If it isn’t it’s on me! I need every bit of those days to work my contacts and do what I can to make sure they come out and give you a fair review.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

He did. “Okay, okay. I get it.” He sighed and thought for a moment. “Then I’ll come to Nashville with you.”

“I thought you were going to see your kids.” Her eyes narrowed.

“I was, but I can come with you and help. Maybe give some special interviews or something.”

Amethyst eyes flashed. “NO! Jon, don’t you dare!”

Blue eyes widened in surprise at her tone. “What? I just want to help you.”

“Don’t you ever put me before your kids! EVER! They need to be your first priority Jon, not me.”

“Yes ma’am, I hear you, loud and clear.” He smiled a little sadly. She would have been a good mother.





“So how are things going?” Lori asked after the waitress served their drinks and left.

Veronica sighed and took a sip before answering. “Okay, I guess.”

“What’s the problem?” Naomi heard the hesitation in her friend’s voice.

The girls had gathered at their favourite restaurant for dinner and to get caught up. Veronica had slept in, but spent the afternoon making the rounds, touching base with her media contacts.....and answering Vince’s questions.

“Vince is being a pain in the ass. He’s calling every few days to see how things are going.”

Tricia frowned. “What’s up with him?”

“He’s not happy that I’ve let Jon’s staff take over sitting in on the interviews while I’m working on Dubai. He keeps asking me if I need some help, and you know what that means.”

The three other girls nodded. Lori grimaced. “Uh huh, if you can’t do the job, he’ll find someone who can.”

“What crawled up his ass?” Naomi wondered. “He’s not usually like that. He was always one of your biggest fans.”

“I think it’s a couple of things. When he complied with Jon’s request to send me on the road with them, he didn’t know about Dubai. No rock band has ever played the Middle East. It’s a big coup for the label and I think Keith’s pissed that I got the gig and not him.”

“Aaah.” They’d heard about Keith. He was a colleague of Veronica’s on the rock side and had his nose so far up Vince’s ass that he knew a fart was coming before Vince did. And Vince liked it.

“So, his pet’s pissed and they’re watching for any signs that you can’t do the job, waiting for you to fail so that they can say that Keith should have done it.” Tricia summarized.

“Yep. At least, that’s what I think.” Veronica agreed.

“What does Jon say?” Lori asked.

Veronica hesitated. “I haven’t told him.”

“Why not? I thought you two were together.”

“We are, but if I tell him, he’ll want to call Vince and ‘fix it’. This is professional, not personal, and I can’t have my boyfriend calling my boss to complain about how I’m being treated. I need to deal with this myself. Dubai’s in a month, and it should get better after that.”

The other three nodded in agreement. They understood how hard she’d worked to get where she was and that she’d want to do it on her own.

“How are things with Jon on the personal front?” Naomi waggled her brows.

Veronica smiled. “Fine.”

“Are you talking about the future?”

Veronica hesitated. “Not really.” She saw them exchange a look. “Oh, he wants to. He even has his assistant sending me info on the Soul and his charity events and told me that tour or no, I was in charge of his schedule.”

“Well that certainly sounds like he’s thinking long term. So....you aren’t?” Tricia studied her friend’s face. “Or are you still being a coward?”

“She’s still being a coward.” Lori answered.

“No I’m not!”

“Oh no? So...you’ve let him into your heart then, and not just your bed? You’ve made plans to spend some time with his kids and try to accept them?”

“No, but...”

“Then you’re still being a coward.” Lori interrupted.

“No, I’m not!” Veronica insisted. “What you’re talking about is very difficult for me. It’s going to take some time, and I’ve been too busy to even think about it. Just let me get Dubai over with, then I can start to think about how to approach his kids.”

Lori wouldn’t let her off the hook. “And after Dubai it will be ‘wait until after the tour’, and then it will be something else.”

Veronica was torn between anger and tears. “Why are you pressuring me? It has to be when I’m ready, or it will never work!”

“True, but that doesn’t mean that you just sit back and wait until you magically feel ready. You have to try Veronica! And I’m pressuring you because I love you and I want you to be happy.”

When Veronica just sat silent, a stubborn, mutinous expression on her face, Naomi leaned over to squeeze her hand. “You know, better than most, that life is what you make of it. You can’t just sit by and hope happiness comes your way or that you will just one day miraculously feel ready to let those kids be a part of your life. You have to work at it. You have to at least try, and I don’t think you’ve done that.”

Veronica sighed. “You sound like Jon.”

“Sorry honey, but we’re on his side on this one. And remember, what you do or don’t do affects him too. How long are you going to punish him for the past?”

“I’m not!”

“Aren’t you?”

Chapter 83

“I don’t want to hear any more excuses Ronnie! You’re coming with us and that’s final.” Jon continued the argument that had started right after breakfast.

“Excuse me?” Icicles dripped from her voice at his command.

“Don’t get all prickly. I know that sounded like an order, and you don’t like me giving you orders, but I’m just trying to look after you when you won’t look after yourself. Just like you do for me. Now, where’s your swimsuit?” She was constantly forcing ginseng tea on him and when they had back to back shows she nagged him to limit how much he talked, even to the point of asking Richie to answer the bulk of the questions during the interviews. If it had been anyone else he would have yelled at her to stop smothering him and treating him like a child, but he knew she remembered the Slippery/New Jersey tour complete with steroid shots and what had happened to his voice and his health, so he swallowed his annoyance and let her fuss.

“Jon, I can’t! I’m not being obstinate, and I’m not being a stick in the mud. I really have too much work to do.” Veronica tried to make him understand. The phone call that she’d gotten from Vince that morning, wanting a meeting since she was in town, had made it clear to her that there was no time for play, no matter how much she wanted to go.

"Jesus! And everyone says I’m bad! Bring your fucking laptop and phone then. You can work on the beach as well as you can here.”

“But...”

“Where’s your damn swimsuit?” He started rummaging through her suitcase. “You’re white as a fucking sheet, you need some sun.” His hand lifted out a box and set it aside, not noticing Veronica’s expression. The box rolled, the lid fell off, and the contents spilled out. Jon did a double take, reached out and picked it up to examine it. When he glanced at Veronica, she looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole. He crooked a brow.

Veronica groaned. “Lori put that in my suitcase without me knowing. She said that if I didn’t want to give you another chance, I was going to need it.” She stepped towards him, holding out a hand. “Here, give it to me, I’ll throw it away.”

Jon held it out of her reach. “I don’t think so. I think we’ll keep it....for some fun, later.” He read the description. “Hey, it’s got two speeds – slow burn and blastoff! Oh yeah...we’re definitely keeping this. Remind me to thank Lori when I see her again.”

She snorted, but didn’t try to take the vibrator from him. She’d just wait until he was out of the room, then hide it until she could get rid of it. “Pervert.”

“Thank you.” He went back to searching through her suitcase. “What colour am I looking for anyway? Oh, this must be it.” He held up a black one piece suit. “No bikini?” His lower lip came out in a full pout.

Her eyes rolled. “Not with me. When I use the pools at the hotels it’s to swim lengths, not get a tan. But Jon, I’m serious. I don’t have time to go to the beach today.”

Four steps brought him to her side. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. “You’re coming. I insist. I’ll carry you if I have to. Now, you can go put this on yourself, or I can put it on for you.” He held up her swimsuit. “But if I do it, we’ll be very late leaving, and then you’ll be pissy that your schedule’s been messed up.”

“Arrgh! There’s just no dealing with you today!” She grabbed the suit and headed for the bathroom. It wasn’t that she was too prudish to change in front of him – there was no point to modesty, he’d seen her all many times - but she understood what he meant by making them late and she didn’t want to risk it. She needed to get work done.

Jon watched her go, picked up the vibrator again and shoved it deep into one of his bags where he figured she wouldn’t find it, and put the empty box back in hers. Despite how it seemed sometimes – and what she thought sometimes – he did know her and how her mind worked pretty well. It was whether or no he used that knowledge that could be a bone of contention. In the instance, it suited his purpose to use it.





At the label’s office, Veronica got the guys set up with one of her colleagues to record the radio spots and left them to it while she went down to meet with Vince.

When the guys finished they found her at the front desk discussing the tour itinerary with the receptionist. At the sound of their approach she turned. “All done? Everything go okay?”

“Yeah. Bob said to let him know where you want them sent and when.” Jon studied her face, a frown creasing his forehead at the lines of tension around her eyes and mouth. “Everything okay?”

“Yep. Everything’s fine.”

Jon didn’t buy it. Her smile was her professional one that didn’t quite warm her eyes. And the shadows in those beautiful eyes confirmed his opinion. Something was going on.

“So we’re ready to hit the beach then?” Richie looked hopeful.

“You guys are free for the rest of the day and tomorrow.” Veronica confirmed, then took a deep breath, knowing what Jon’s reaction was going to be to her next statement. “You go ahead, and have fun. I’ll take a cab back to your place when I’m finished here.”

“You’re finished here now, Ronnie.” Jon’s frown deepened. “We talked about this, this morning. I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”

As he stepped towards her, she backed away, her hands lifting to hold him off. “Jon no! Don’t you dare!”

Instead of picking her up, like he’d threatened, he reached for her laptop bag, and slung it over his shoulder. Turning towards the door, he caught Richie’s eye and jerked his thumb in her direction. “Igor! Bring her.”

“Yes Master.” Richie bowed to Jon. Before Veronica could evade him, long arms reached out to grab her.

Very quickly, she found herself hanging over his shoulder, staring at his ass. “Jughead put me down!”

“Master says you come, so you come.”

Tico smiled at the obviously startled receptionist. “If Vince wants to know where she is tell him we kidnapped her. She can be reached by phone if you need her.”

The receptionist nodded absently and fought not to laugh out loud at Richie’s antics. He even limped as he walked towards the door! “Have fun.”Although from what she was seeing she figured that wasn’t going to be a problem. Originally a small town girl, she’d come to L.A. three years ago, and to say she had some culture shock, would be putting it mildly. At this point though, nothing surprised her, not even rock stars acting like Quasimodo and carrying out women over their shoulder!




At the beach Richie chose, Veronica gave up arguing and set down her laptop on the blanket Jon spread out for her. While she was removing the shorts and shirt she’d put on over her swimsuit, she looked curiously at the bag Jon set down nearby before taking off his own shirt.

“Supplies.” He answered the question he saw in her eyes. “Towels and stuff.” His eyes darkened and he was glad for the loose fit of his board shorts as his gaze roamed over her. Any thought that the dark one-piece wouldn’t do her justice faded in seconds. The suit was cut high on her hips and low in the top and the black made her skin glow like the finest pearls. Rummaging through the bag, he handed her the sunblock.

Veronica smoothed the lotion over her arms, legs and face before handing the bottle back to Jon and turning her back to him. Without having to be asked, he brushed her hair aside, poured lotion into his hands and ran them over her exposed skin, taking his time and making sure he didn’t miss even a tiny spot.

When she turned around she found the other three with their backs to her waiting their turn. At her raised brow David shrugged.

“Why should we do each other’s backs when we can have a beautiful woman run her hands over us?”

“I’ll make sure I tell Lexi that.” Jon growled. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear that you’re looking for beautiful women to run their hands over your body.”

“Better than me asking a man to do it.”

“Relax Kidd, no one’s trying to poach your woman.” Tico assured him.

Jon just grunted and laid down.

Veronica shook her head at all of them and continued applying lotion. “What are you guys? Fifteen?” She looked down at Jon. “And since when are you so possessive?” He’d never been the jealous type before – at least not like this. If another guy bothered her or tried to put the moves on her he’d step in – if she signalled she needed help, but he’d never jumped at a teasing comment before, especially coming from one of the ‘family’.

“Since I found out that you need to keep a close eye on the things you care about or you lose them. I lost you once, I won’t let that happen again.”

Veronica blinked away sudden tears. Her hands, currently on Tico’s shoulders, trembled. He turned his head and winked at her.

The other guys were not so sentimental, or sensitive. “Awwwwwww.”

Jon gave them the finger and ignored them.





A little while later, Veronica was going through her e-mails. “Jon, why is your assistant sending me info on events you’ve agreed to attend for the Soul and the charities you’re involved with?”

“Because you’re in charge of my schedule.”

“But these are for after the tour.”

He shrugged. “So? Tour or not, you’re still in charge of my schedule.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

Chapter 82

When Jon arrived downstairs, he found Richie in the kitchen. “Hey man.”

“Hey. Do you want eggs or waffles?”

“Homemade waffles or Eggo’s?”

“Homemade. I’ve got syrup or strawberry sauce.”

“I’ll go for the waffles...and strawberries.” Jon poured himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Teek and Lemma haven’t come down yet and Ronnie’s out by the pool.” Richie glanced at his friend. “I’m surprised to see you two. I figured you’d be....sleeping in...this morning.”

Jon grimaced. “So did I.”

“What happened?”

“Romeo called. Kind of spoiled the mood.”

Richie winced and turned back to his cooking, letting the subject die.




After breakfast...or rather brunch, Jon wandered outside and stood watching Veronica where she sat in a lounge chair, laptop open on her thighs, coffee mug on the table beside her. She was staring off into the distance, deep in thought. The tense line of her shoulders made him frown. While he watched she sighed and returned her attention to the computer screen.

He sat on the chair beside her and studied her profile. “Have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

Jon sighed at her one word answer and the tone that didn’t invite conversation. “You’re still mad.”

“I’m not mad.” Veronica didn’t look up.

“Come on Ronnie, I just want...”

“I know what you want Jon,” she interrupted him. “I just can’t give it to you right now.” Her hands lifted from the keyboard and clenched. “To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to.”

“You don’t know that! You’ve only been around them for a few days. That’s not long enough to know. You haven’t even really tried! You promised you’d try Ronnie ! I get that it’s hard for you, but the more you’re around them the easier it will be. If you’d just spend some time with them I know you’d see that I’m right.”

Veronica set aside her laptop and stood up in a rush. “Dammit Jon! Will you back the fuck off! I don’t need you on my case too!” Swiping up her mug she stormed inside.


Jon watched her go, stunned at her outburst. “Too?” He followed her, catching up with her in the kitchen where she was pouring herself a fresh cup of coffee. He didn’t even notice Richie standing nearby. “Too? Who else is pressuring you? Someone on my staff? Is it Vince? Is he hassling you about Dubai? Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No!” She waved her hand. That was the last thing she needed! “I can deal with Vince. What I can’t deal with is the two of you at the same time.” She sighed. “I know I promised you that I would try, and I will. Just...not right today.”

“But....”

“Jon stop it!” It was an effort to bring her temper under control. She didn’t completely succeed. “Look, I know that you’re used to getting what you want, when you want it, but this me Jon, not one of your staff. Professionally, I will do my best to get you what you need. Personally....I won’t jump just because you say so! I will try....but it’s got be on my schedule, when    feel ready. And right now I’ve got too much else going on to be able to cope with getting to know your kids and the feelings that evokes for me! If you can’t accept that, then maybe we better end this right now.”

Once again she stomped away. Finally realizing that Richie was in the room Jon noticed the smirk on the guitarist’s face. “What?”

Richie shook his head. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You’re a masochist. A world full of obliging, easy going women that would fight for the opportunity to give you whatever you want, and you keep going for the ones who aren’t impressed with your fame or fortune and don’t swoon and fall in with your plans at a flash of those baby blues or that smile or a shake of your ass.”

Jon shrugged. “Anything worth having is worth working for.”

“Oh, I agree, I just find it fascinating that you put yourself through that, especially considering the instant compliance that you demand from the other staff members.”

“She’s not a staff member. She’s my girlfriend that happens to be helping us with promotions this tour. I don’t want the woman sharing my life to feel like she has to agree with me all the time. Where’s the challenge in that? I’d prefer that she have her own thoughts and opinions. Disagreements get the blood flowing...keeps things from getting boring.”

Richie snorted. “Well, with you and Ronnie I don’t think there’s any danger of boredom ever being a problem.”

Jon just grinned. “I know. That’s just one of the reasons why I love her.”

Richie watched him follow his love out the door and wondered if Jon even realized what he’d said.....and hoped that he didn’t share his feelings with Ronnie just yet. He didn’t think she was ready to hear that.

Jon retraced his steps to the patio. He could hear Veronica’s voice before he could see her. She was on the phone. From what he could gather from her side of the conversation it had something to do with sales numbers. He didn’t want to disturb her when she was working, but he needed to assure her that he had no intention of ending their relationship – he wasn’t about to let her get away that easily. Walking up beside her, he smoothed a hand over her hair and let it rest on her shoulder while he bent and kissed her neck. “I’m sorry.”

Veronica heard his low murmur and reached up with her free hand to squeeze his in acknowledgement.





A little while later the other men came out to join them. Tico and David arrived first and settled into chairs. After greeting Veronica, they talked quietly with Jon, leaving her to her work.

“Hey boss? Can we go to the beach tomorrow?” Richie asked as he joined them.

Jon shrugged. “I don’t care what you do.”

Richie smirked. “Sorry, I guess I should have been clearer. Hey boss lady, can we go to the beach tomorrow?”

Jon snorted. Veronica’s lips twitched and she gave Richie a considering glance. “Well, I need you guys to record some radio spots for the last week of this leg as well as Dubai and Europe. It should only take a couple hours. We could go in this afternoon and do them or tomorrow sometime or the next day. The rest of the time is yours. It’s up to you when you want to do them.”

After much discussion, it was decided that they would do the spots the next morning, and head for the beach afterwards. Then they would still have another day to relax before the next show.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit. Gotta go pick up Ava.” Richie stood up. “Rosa’s in the kitchen or just help yourself.”





That night after dinner, they were all sitting in the living room watching T.V. Ava and Veronica were sitting side by side on the couch, their heads close together, each with an ear bud, as they compared iPods and favourite songs.

“Doesn’t look like she has a problem with pre-teen girls.” Richie murmured as they watched the two girls smiling and laughing together.

“No it’s just young, blonde haired, blue eyed boys that bother her.” Jon replied, the frustration clear in his voice.

“Daddy, Ronnie’s even got your solo stuff on hers!”

“Does she have mine?” Jon asked, sure he knew the answer.

Ava scrolled through the playlist. “Nope. Sorry Uncle Jon.”

Jon turned his gaze on Veronica and crooked a brow.

She shrugged. “I haven’t exactly had a lot of free time to go surfing around iTunes, you know. I focused on the band’s catalogue first.”

“But you managed to find time to download Sambora’s.”

“I’ve always like Richie’s voice, you know that. I wanted to see what he’d created.”

“Another voice you like better than mine? First Tico, now Richie.”

“Are you pouting?” She laughed, then looked closer at him. “Are you jealous?” A chagrined expression crossed his face. “Seriously? Come on Jon, you know I love your voice. My God! How many times did I beg you to sing me for me?”

“That was twenty years ago. Last night you wanted Tico to sing you to sleep.”

Veronica exchanged a glance with Ava, who rolled her eyes. “Tell you what Jon, tonight you can sing me to sleep.”

He sniffed theatrically. “Maybe. If you ask me nicely.”

Veronica caught his eye and winked. She knew what he meant by ‘nicely’. “I think I can do that.”

Chapter 81

Veronica turned onto her side to face him, raising her hand to once again stroke his cheek. A shiver ran through her body and goosebumps pebbled her skin as his calloused fingertips skimmed over her bare upper arm and shoulder and across the tops of her breasts where they swelled above the red lace of her nightgown. Her hand drifted down to his chest to copy his movements.

Their heads shifted instinctively, making it easy for their mouths to meet. Gentle brushes, slow licks, light nibbles and soft sucks were exchanged. When his hand fondled a breast, thumb rubbing over her nipple, Veronica sighed and moaned softly. The thought crossed her mind that it felt so good she could stay right where she was, doing exactly what she was doing, forever.

As soon as her mind finished the thought, warning bells went off in her head. The situation had too much......gentleness, too much.......emotion, too much.....connection, it was just....too much. She needed to refocus the feelings back to strictly the physical. With a low growl, Veronica pushed against his chest until he was lying on his back, and straddled him, never breaking the kiss.

Jon’s breath hissed through his teeth as her body undulated against his, her pelvis rubbing against his half hard shaft, making it swell. The slide of silk against his sensitive flesh was a welcome friction.

Veronica lifted her head, met his gaze and grinned. “Are you fully......awake...yet?”

“I’m getting there.” His response was a gravelly rumble.

“Mmmm. Maybe this will help.” She murmured in his ear, then sucked on his lobe briefly before licking and kissing a path down his neck. When she reached his Adam’s apple, she paused to nibble, smirking inwardly as his head tipped back to give her easier access and he groaned. She continued her path to his other ear. Her hips never stopped rocking against him...over him. She dipped her tongue into his ear. “Can you feel how wet I am?”

He assumed that was a rhetorical question. Of course he could feel it! He’d never known her to wear panties to bed, and today was no different, so every movement of her hips slid her moist flesh over his now fully erect hard on. “Can you feel how big you’ve made me?”

“Mmmmmm. Yes.” She swivelled her hips again.

His hands rose to run up and down her silk covered back. “I know how you can feel it even better.”

“Yeah? How?” Her voice was teasing.

Gripping her head, he held her still while his mouth ravaged hers, his tongue stabbing deeply. By the time he released her they were both breathing hard. “Put me inside you Nica.”

Unable to wait any longer herself, Veronica reached down to grasp him firmly. Jon held his breath as she positioned him, then shifted back, sat up and slowly impaled herself. They both moaned at the feel of him stretching her.

A contented sigh escaped her lips. “You know Johnny, I think you’re right. I can feel it better this way.” She flexed her internal muscles to squeeze him.

“Fuck Nica!”

“Exactly!” Her chuckle was cut off as he bucked his hips and reached deeper yet. “Oooh yes Johnny!” She started to move on him slowly, rocking one minute, then raising up slightly the next.

Jon lay still and watched her. My God she’s beautiful in her passion! Violet eyes glowed as she looked down at him, her face was flushed, her pleasure visible with every movement. Her fingers curled into his chest and clenched in his fur. Wanting to drive her even higher, he reached out to play with her nipples, rubbing and squeezing and tugging on them through the lace covering them. Next he grasped the material at her sides and slowly pulled, first one side, then the other, scraping the lace across the sensitive peaks.

She shuddered and quickly stripped off the nightgown. Setting her hands behind her on his thighs she leaned back. “Touch me Johnny! I want to feel your hands on my body!”

Never one to turn down an opportunity to touch her, he obliged, cupping and kneading her breasts, stroking down her sides, over her abdomen, hips and thighs....everything he could reach, over and over and over again.

Moaning, she increased the speed of her movements until she was all but slamming down in him. “Yes....yes....ooooh Johnny, yes!”

He could feel her tightening around him. His hips lifted to meet her, driving deeper, taking her higher.

“Oh God! Yes! Mmmmmm. Johnny!” Suddenly, she grabbed one of his hands and pressed it where she was now desperate to feel him.

If he could have made his facial muscles move he would have smiled, but they were locked. Responding to her unspoken request, he ran his fingertips over the swollen folds surrounding him, the flicked and lightly rubbed the nub at the top of her cleft.

“Mmmmm....yes! Oh God....oh God...oh God...yes yes yes yes yes yes Johnny!” His name came out on a scream.

Feeling and seeing her climax over take her, Jon let go and joined her in oblivion, catching her, and settling her on his chest when she collapsed on him.



For long minutes the only sound in the room was the panting of their breath as they struggled to suck in much needed oxygen. Even after their breathing returned to normal, neither spoke, both loathe to break the mood. Jon caressed her back with long strokes of his hands. Veronica toyed with his chest hair and pressed a kiss to the sweaty skin of his shoulder.

Jon blew out a breath. “Now that’s the way to start the day!”

Veronica chuckled. “Mmmm. Except now I want to go back to sleep.”

“So go ahead. We don’t have to be anywhere today. We can be as lazy as we want. Besides, we’ve earned it.”

“Mmmm. But I still have work to do. I need to go into the L.A. office and pick up some stuff, I need to send some e-mails and touch base with my contacts in Dubai, check the latest sales numbers, analyze promotion success...”

He tipped her head towards his and pressed his lips to hers. “But you don’t have to do any of that right now. You can relax here with me for awhile.”

She sighed and settled back down onto his chest. “I guess. For a little while anyway.”

“Good.” He hugged her briefly, then resumed stroking her back.

She was dozing when his cell phone rang. Muttering a curse, he reached out to grab it from the night stand, glanced at the window and opened it. “Hey little man.”

Veronica tensed. Her relaxed mood vanished as if someone had dumped cold water over her. Forgot about them for a few minutes, didn’t you?

“Yeah? You did? That’s great! I’m really proud of you! That deserves some ice cream when I get home.” He snickered. “I’ll ask her if she’ll make some for you. I’ll see what I can do about that too.”

Veronica lifted off of him and moved to the edge of the bed. When Jon frowned and reached for her, she pointed towards the bathroom, rose and walked away.

Jon watched her go, sighed and refocused on his conversation with Romeo. Dammit! By the time he hung up he could hear the shower running. While he waited for her he tried to think of some way to help her accept and get comfortable with the kids – let’s be honest...Romeo. Other than getting her to spend more time with him, he came up empty. The sound of the door opening had him glancing up. “Romeo called to tell me that he tied his shoes all by himself today. They’re only Velcro, but still.. For his reward, instead of ice cream he asked if you would make cookies for him.”

“Sure.”

“And deliver them yourself on our next break.” He finished, eyeing her carefully.

Veronica hesitated. “We’ll see.” She continued dressing.

“That’s a standard, pat non-answer, Nica.” The frustration was evident in his voice.

“Well, that’s the only answer I’m prepared to give you right now.”

“Come on Nica....”

“Jon, stop! Don’t push! I’ve got a lot on my plate right now!”

He sighed. “I know, I just want you to spend some time with them. Is that really so much to ask?”

She didn’t answer, just reached for her laptop bag.

He sat up. “Where are you going? I thought we were going to relax for awhile.”

“I’ve got work to do. Since I’m awake I might as well get to it.”

As the door closed behind her, Jon flopped back onto the bed and punched a pillow. “Fuck!”

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.