Chapter 19

Elena turned to look out the window. All outward indications would show that she was enjoying the scenery and not paying attention to Richie. In truth, her hand slowly crept across the console to lay casually on his lap, her fingers tapping to the music blasting from his speakers.

The trip was short and sweet. A highway skip to the next town, the windows down to catch the sea breeze off the air. Richie tried desperately to watch the road as her fingers lightly tapped and traced circles along the inside of his thigh. He wasn't sure where she would move to next, for fuck's sake. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate? The squabbling in the back seat wasn't helping either. "Could you guys give it a rest?" he said sharply as Kate drove one more nail into Jonny's ego.

"Whats eating you Asshole?” Jon laughed, ducking the next swing from Kate’s side of the car.

"Elena," Kate said with snort.

Elena's hand slid away for a moment, as she reached up to brush a lock of hair from her face. "Whaaaaaaa Katy?

"See,” she pointed at her friend’s sneaky hand. “Elena's eating at Richie." She said proudly and hiccuped.

"Am not, having taken a bite outta him yet." She grinned as she looked back at Kate.

"Give her time, Richie, give her time." She leaned up in between the bucket seats. "She'll swallow you whole," she snickered and sat back again.

Richie choked on his own drool and stepped on the gas. That was not an image he needed in his head as he flew through a yellow light and made a hard right onto their street.

Elena smiled at the look on his face, her hand sliding up to tangle in his hair. "We about there handsome?"

"Next house on the left," he managed and put the car into park. Who the fuck cared if the car was straight? He opened his door and left it gaping wide as he rounded the hood to open Elena's. "Here we are."

Elena twisted, boots landing next to his as she stood. Making sure a thigh, hip and the stretchy silver of her shirt brushed against him as she smiled. "Goodie."

Richie slammed the door and leaned his forehead on the cool metal for a second. When he looked up Jonny was staring at him across the top. "What?"

Jon shrugged, "You ok man?"

"I don't remember the last time I was this hard and was still wearing clothes," Richie said gruffly.

Elena began to walk to the door, the breeze lifting her hair around her shoulders with each twitch of her hips. Stopping mid way she looked back over her shoulder, eyes dark with promise she turned back to the door.

"Dude, you got it bad then. What is it bout Teensy there?" Jon looked up at her, all silk and slender with the moonlight glowing off her. He just didn’t get it.

"If I knew I'd be able to control it." He turned to Elena and nearly swallowed his tongue. "Okay, I did my best, but you need to fend for yourselves." With long strides he caught up with her and swung her up, into his arms. "See you guys in the morning," Richie said and unlocked the door.

Elena pressed a smirk tipped kiss to his jawline, "In a hurry for a ride, Pony?"

Jon grinned. He was used to splitting off with a woman far earlier in the night. Generally he was eventually going to get naked with the girl, though. "Not a problem," he murmured though he needn’t have bothered. Richie hadn’t heard a word he said after scooping up the little Elena. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Kate, "Come on, let’s find that tequila."

Deciding she definitely needed some additional liquid courage if Richie and Elena were going to disappear she nodded and followed him.

Jon walked up to the door and opened it for her, stepping to the side he swept his arm inwards, "Ladies first."

Suddenly nervous she un-tucked the small charm she wore under her shirt and worried it over her bottom lip. The glittery silver chain fell into the hollow of her breasts on display in a halter top that suddenly felt very revealing. Somehow the club and the amusement park felt far less intimate than the bachelor pad she was walking into.

He watched the twinkling silver sway against her generous breasts, the chain nestling just where he wanted to taste. Swallowing hard he cleared his throat. “Um tequila, right? Now were did we stash that bottle?" Opening cabinets he kept turning around, his eyes focused on that tiny chain.

"What?" she asked and caught his eyes drifting low.

"Pretty necklace, Kate. What’s the charm mean?" Jon grinned over his shoulder, reaching to the back of the cabinet over the fridge. "Aha, here it is." He poured a healthy amount into two glasses and walked over to hand her one.

"Thanks," she accepted the drink and dropped the charm back under her halter top. "It's Saint Michael," she said and took a sip letting the burn distract her from the man in front of her.

"Ah, the patron saint of lost souls.” He took a sip of the fiery liquid and nearly gasped as it burned its way down his throat before settling into his belly with a radiating heat. “Perfect charm for a doctor."

"So the good Italian boy knows his saints," she said and flattened her hand where the charm burned almost as hot as the tequila. Kate's eyebrow winged into her bangs when he heard the first thump from the next room. "Oh Sugar we are going to need some music."

"Problem Katy?" He knocked back the rest of the glass. "Stereo’s right there next to Assholes door."

The amusement in his crystal blue eyes annoyed her. As much as Elena flirted, she rarely brought a man home with her. "Well I'm not going over there." She flicked his hand. "Go on."

He laughed outright at that and walked to the stereo, setting it to a good station he jacked the volume just enough to still be able to hold a conversation. He turned to Kate, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he pounded the wall just to startle the occupants inside.

"Fuck off, asshole!" Richie shouted from behind the door.

Jon wandered back to Kate and gestured to the couch. "Have a seat.” Shrugging off his jacket he felt the itchy coat of sweat on his back. “If you don’t mind I’m gonna go shower the stage sweat off really quick."

"Sure," she settled into the surprisingly comfortable couch. "Me and Teq will be fine."

"Be right back, I won’t leave ya alone with the gruesome twosome’s sound machine."

Kate berated herself for watching, but enjoyed the slow and confident stroll as Jon headed down the hall, flipping his t-shirt over his head just before he rounded the corner. She shut her eyes, but it was too late. The image of surprisingly broad shoulders tapered into slim fitting jeans was burned into her memory. She settled down further and took another swallow. What the hell had she gotten herself into?