Chapter 38

She twisted slightly and tried to looked backwards, feeling more like a silver lame potato sack than a girl. "So that’s where the hell it got off to... you STOLE my license?" She reached down and smacked his ass hard, giggling when he shook it in her face.

Swallowing a laugh, he clapped a hand on her silver toned ass. "You left it behind, baby. You were too quick to try and get out of your pants for me, remember?"

She winced slightly and grew quiet. Well, that was true. It was hard to believe, given her background. She’d never done even considered going home with a man on the first meeting, let alone no actual date. Usually a guy had to wine and dine her for weeks to even get to second base. Richie’s crooked smile had her screaming around the bases so fast she was out of the park and starting over again before her next coherent thought. She sighed slightly and murmured, "I recall someone helping me outta those jeans and throwing them across the room."

He eased her down off his shoulder and settled her on the grass in front of her apartment. Dragging her in, he laughed. "It's a joke, sweetheart. And believe me, even with the rather regretful title that Jon has given me over the years it's never been as intense as it was with you."

She tilted her head and looked up at him the night shadowing his face to her view. "Well, joke or not, it was truth.” Her fingers smoothed down his cheek, still not quite able to believe he was there in front of her. “I did move quick.” She shook her head. “I can't explain why because usually…well, with the exception of you I NEVER go that far, that fast." His words caught in her mind and began to nibble at her awareness, "regretful title?"

Richie winced. "I keep forgetting you're not a fan." He sighed. "I'm sure you'll hear it from someone," he paused calling himself ten different kinds of a fool. "Jonny is Captain Kidd and I'm King of Swing."

She blinked then started to laugh, "Moptop, well that fits him no doubt about it. Yours is Swing because of how you play, right?" She tilted her head just waiting to see how honest he'd be.

"No baby, I wish I could say otherwise. I never found a girl that was important enough to stop playing the field for."

She nervously swiped her tongue over her suddenly dry lips. "That's not exactly an explanation Richie."

"You're not that innocent, Elena.” He refused to go into detail. There were just some things she didn’t need to know about his life before her. Because that’s what it was…B.E.—Before Elena. “I’ve lived the rock star life for awhile. A long while,” he amended, “and it's gotten old. But when you're young and stupid that's what you do. Believe me, you don't want the particulars." He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest. "I won't give you the particulars either. Just know that I've got something to work for in a relationship for the first time in a long time."

Her lips curved into a sly smile, choosing her words to startle more than anything. "So…no more revolving door?” At his absolute stillness she decided to go with complete honesty as well. “After we left Asbury—although it killed me—I couldn't help but find out all I could about the two of you." A blush rode high on her cheeks and she was glad, so very glad, at the darkness that hid it.

He grinned down at her, leaning in. "I don't know if I should be pleased or scared shitless that you researched me." A wicked grin left her eyes sparkling in the dark and he decided he was in deep trouble in a lot of ways.

"Ahh,” she traced her finger along his lower lip, her grin going wider as he nipped the tip. “Be afraid, that will keep you on your toes." She shivered slightly in the night air. "How about we go where it’s less chilly Richie?"

He slid his arm around her shoulders and dragged her into him. "Let's hope Kate and Jon didn't kill each other while I was begging for mercy."

She shook her head and gave a short laugh, "Kate just came off duty, so he’s probably only half dead."

He followed her inside and stopped dead in his tracks. Chevy Chase was on the TV, playing full blast, in a car doing his level best to look like he knew what he was doing and Jon and Kate were settled against each other yet again. At least they had all of their clothes on this time, but equally unconscious. "They really gravitate to couches don't they?"

Elena turned and studied the pair quietly. "Yeah they do and they look so darned comfortable.” She tucked herself into Richie’s warm chest. “I wonder what happened to land her back in his arms. She swore the next time she saw either of you she'd…umm, do something drastic with a scalpel." She gave a soft laugh then moved to her bedroom door. "We'll have more privacy in here and won’t wake them"

He followed her inside, giving one more glance over his shoulder. "You sure she left the scalpel at work?"

"Probably,” she said easily enough. “She wasn't expecting you was, she?" At Richie’s startled look, she grinned then pointed to a spot near the bed. "YOU stay right there. I'm going to get out of this party gear.” At his fallen face she laughed. “Won’t be but a moment."

She turned to her dresser, pulling a couple items out before she slipped into the bathroom. Taking a few minutes to shower the party from her body, she quickly toweled off pulling her hair high into a pony tail. Debating the signal she was about to send, she slipped into a skimpy tank top and over sized, grey sweat pants. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought as she scrubbed the remnants of her makeup away. Time to let him see the real her. She opened the door, her heart squeezing at that long, tall man on her little bed. She’d imagined this a dozen times. "I’m back."