Chapter 69

Jon opened the door, holding it wide for her. His brow arched as she stood there. Okay then…polite didn’t work. He shook his head, crawling into the car. When she didn’t follow, he stuck his head back out. "Will you just get in the limo?" When she just folded her arms over her truly stupendous breasts, he smirked. “Afraid?”

"I'm not afraid of a friggin' limo," she muttered. The inside smelled of leather and money in that completely over the top way that seemed to be Jon’s signature. For the love of God there was a bar in the damn thing. Not to mention the two wide, four seater bench seats that flanked the front and back of the car. Laughing despite herself, she pushed him off the one that faced forward, stretching out. "Get over there where you won't get into trouble."

He sighed hugely, but slid onto the other bench. At least the view was nice. Crossing his boots at the ankle, he dropped his feet next to hers. "Sure thing.” He locked his fingers behind his neck. “So tell me about this group we're going hear?"

She wrestled with his feet for a minute, until the tips of her boots and his were side by side. "My buckles are cooler.” When he flipped her off, she couldn’t stop the laugh. "Donnie’s had a few different people in the band over the years, but he, Lenny and Joanie are always at the core of it." She didn't add in that one of the regulars, for a time, had been herself. That year before med school had been a whirlwind in a lot of ways. The Black Cat was home to a number of…lessons that went beyond school.

She wasn't sure what made her hold that back, but she forced herself to relax, telling him about the band, the music and the little bar they always played in. "It's always busting at the seams for the first performance, but then at the end of the night it gets serious."

"Sounds like my kind of place." He reached into the bar and helped himself to a couple of Corona's, holding one out to her. "Well considering we probably want second set, where would you like to eat? Speak now or take a chance on whatever I come up with."

She took the beer, tipping it to her lips letting the Mexican brew cool her throat. Even with him across from her, he felt too close. She licked her lips and settled back again. "Hmm, considering I totally forgot to eat lunch today I could go for anything. Thai maybe?"

Thanking God for the long leather jacket, Jon reached back and pressed the intercom. "Stop at the best Thai place you know." Noting the drivers nod he removed his hand from the button and turned back around. Her lips were pursed around the bottle giving him another moment to pray. How the hell was he going to keep his hands off of her? He lifted his own bottle, hoping the coolness would help. Reaching out he held his bottle for a beat. "Bet I can eat mine spicier than yours, Katy."

She reached over and clinked her bottle with his. "You're on, wimp."

He hid his smirk behind the rim of the bottle. He'd been a lot of places and ate some pretty odd shit on the road, spicy was nothing. "So what’s the bet?"

Always a challenge when it came to him. "Well, normally I'd bet trauma room one against anything, but that's not going to work for you." She steepled her fingers around her bottle. "Hmmm…"

He drained his beer, his gaze roaming from her burgundy lips to the deep green of her eyes. "I have an idea."

"That sounds ominous. Have them a lot?"

"Scary as it sounds, I do." He tucked his bottle back into the cooler. "Here’s the deal…If I win, I get to choose our next outing, no matter what or where. If you win—you get to choose what we do or where we go."

“What makes you think there will be another,” she tripped over that blasted date word and let her grin turn wry, “outing.” When he just grinned, she rolled her eyes. Deciding the soft curls suited him far more than the fried, crazy ones, she grinned back at him. "You're on." She finished her beer. "You're so going to lose."

"You’re so wrong." He leaned back, his gaze intent on hers, waiting for her to look away. He learned right then and there, to never try staring her down. Not with something long and cylindrical in her hands anyway.

Twenty minutes later they were seated at a tiny table in the back of the busy restaurant about ten blocks from The Black Cat. She was starting to rethink the bet when Jon ordered wasabi for the duck sauce on the table to munch on the fried Chinese noodles. Questioned herself even further when he plunked a healthy portion into the center of it and stirred.

"Why do I get the idea your true nickname is asbestos mouth?" she asked as he scooped up a huge dollop on one noodle.

He arched a brow her way and took another bite, without so much as sip of his beer. "Nervous?”

She tipped the edge of a noodle in the more green than orange sauce. Gasping, she grabbed her water. "Let me change that to Nitro."

He took another big bite and forced himself to not grin. "Awww come on Katy, it’s just a bit of wasabi."

"Kind of like just a little bit of torture," she muttered and gamely filled a noodle and bit down. Fire exploded in her mouth and instantly made her eyes tear. "No problem."

Man he was going regret this later and he knew it. He was already feeling like someone had set a torch to his insides, but he couldn't let her see that. With studied casualness he reached out and speared another large mouthful and crammed it in. Chewing slowly he offered up a sigh, "Damn that’s good."

They both teared their way through the noodles and ordered when the small Asian girl came over. "I'll have the spicy peanut sauce over chicken."

Jon looked at the tiny waitress and grinned. "Beef with Sriracha chilli sauce, extra hot please, and a side of sticky rice."

The girl bowed and retreated to the back. Trying not to gulp down her third water in five minutes, Kate sat back. She supposed it would be cheating to ask for a pitcher of milk. "So, when's the tour start up again?"

He swallowed, then took a small sip of water before talking. "We start back right at the beginning of December in Germany, then Denmark, Sweden, Finland before landing back in the USA right before Christmas.” At her wide eyed stare, he laughed. “No rest for the wicked.”

She licked her burning lips and tried to concentrate on words. Holy sweet fuck her mouth was on fire. “I thought my schedule was bad.”

“We’re still building our name and getting it out there is all that matters right now.”

“I can understand that.” She shrugged off her jacket, sweat popping up everywhere. Cripes, how was she going to make it through the spicy dinner on top of the flame in the center of her gut.

“I have a feeling I'm going be dealing with a morose guitar player the entire time too."

"Yeah well try living with Elena," she said with equal compassion. "Man, I'd love to see half of those places. I thought about doing the Doctors Without Borders after med school, but I gotta say...I like my creature comforts. I don't think I could do the third world countries. But Denmark? Germany? Now that could be some interesting sights to see." She reached over the table. "Chocolate. Swiss Chocolate...Now that you can send me back," she said with a laugh.

Crossing his arms, leaning his elbows on the table he leaned forward. Most girls would ask for a trinket, not Katy. "I'll make sure of it."

"Wow, that was presumptuous of me, huh?" She popped a naked noodle in her mouth and crunched thoughtfully. "Do you even get to see any part of those cool cities?"

He gave her a look that spoke volumes, "Yeah we do. The intriguing airport, the stunning interiors of a hotel room, and last but definitely not least, the awe inspiring concert halls."

She snorted and flicked a noodle at him. "Funny guy." Leaning back as their food arrived she rubbed her hands. "A little of each?"

"Sure thing." He didn’t tell her the sauce he had chosen was like swallowing pure fire, he'd let her find that out on her own. With a friendly gesture he slid his plate over and let her take a portion and did the same with hers. Pulling it back in front of him he picked a bite before grinning. "Enjoy."

Taking a bite of the peanut sauce with perfectly fried chicken she groaned. "Wow, talk about great pick from the driver. Guess you'll need to tip him big for this find.” The best part of it was the location. They could literally walk to The Black Cat. She flipped over a long red chili from Jon's dinner and speared a piece of broccoli, slathering it in the peanut sauce.

He watched her eat, her pure enjoyment kicking him low and hard. He wanted to be on the receiving end of that kind of single minded focus. Taking another bite of his beef he nodded. "So, when’re you going try the beef?”

"I'm getting there," she muttered and winced when she saw the seeds from the chili also in the sauce. That was going to hurt, she decided and forked up a slice of beef, carrot and water chestnut, only hesitating a moment before popping it into her mouth.

He chewed slowly and waited for it, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "So how is it?" He took another large bite, and gave her a sigh of appreciation. "Awesome, right?"

She couldn't taste a damn thing, her tongue was currently numb from the tip to the middle as heat took over every other flavor. "Delicious," she mumbled as she swallowed. She wasn't going to cough. Nope...not going to...her throat kicked and sputtered against the chili's. "Good God," she gasped and grabbed her water. "You win," she said through strangled vocal chords.

He slid his glass over to her. "Musta been the seeds." Pushing his plate away, he grinned. "Well, I'm full.”

"Full my ass," she said and forked up slice of her chicken. "Sneaky bastard," she held it out for him to taste. "Have some normal food so I don't drink you under the table."

He reached out and took the chicken, scraping his teeth over the tines of the fork. Her eyes went dark emerald and he swallowed a laugh. His Katy was fighting it, but she wanted him. "Not spicy enough, girl."

"You're full of it." She stood and tugged his hair as she passed. "Let me run to the ladies real quick and we'll get out of here."

He motioned to the waitress and settled the bill as he waited, finally taking a chance to inhale a bit of water for himself. He made a note to pick up plenty of heartburn medication the way home. He was going pay for that, but it was worth every single ache it was going give him.

Kate pushed her hair away from her face as she washed up after emptying a three ton bladder. She was having more fun than she'd expected. As soon as she'd taken sex off the table, Jon had relaxed. She could see the lurking male rumbling every once in a while, but for the most part he was playing well with the platonic role she'd slotted him into.

If she'd been capable of more than that, she'd have eagerly tossed him into her bed after tonight's not-date. Sex and laughter were far too handy when it came to attraction for her. It was certainly how she'd ended up in James' bed. But it never lasted, nor did the roving eye of a musician.

She headed back into the restaurant, meeting up with Jon at the door. "What's my half?"

His gaze flickered over her as his brow arched, "Never agreed to let you pay anything.” When she opened her mouth to argue he held up a hand. “I hardly ever get to take anyone out these days, let me at least pay for a meal."

Blowing him raspberries, she let it go. He'd burned her mouth to hell and back, it was the least he could do. "Well, looks like a little whisky is the only way to ease my poor abused tongue. Johnny Walker Red, me and you have a date."

He reached out and grabbed a hand. No need to let on that she’d actually said the word date. "Point the way, it’s a nice night to walk."

"Thata way," she said and pointed to the left. Leaving her hand in his, she walked with him in companionable silence for a block or so before she bumped his hip. "Got some squirrely girlfriend that's goin’ to stalk my house and call me in the middle of the night for taking you out on a Friday night?"

He just tipped his head back with a laugh. “One or two.”

“Thought so,” she said smugly.

Chapter 68

Elena nodded. "You heard me, Pony, just you." She wasn’t sure why he doubted her now, of all times. Hadn’t she shown him enough? He was all she could ever dream of wanting.

He snagged her hand again, dragging it over the table until he could nip at the water soft skin at her wrist. "You had me from day one, love." Even if I was too stupid to admit it.

Something told her that it was important to show him just how important he was. She kept her eyes steady on him, her tone sure. "Then I have everything, don’t I?"

He tipped his head to the side. If anyone had told him he’d have handed his heart over this fast, he would have laughed in their face. But here—this woman, it was as if she’d been made just for him. "You could have it all."

She gripped his hands. "Have all of what? What more do I need? A great guy that cares, that keeps me warm and safe—I have all of that in you. What else would a girl need? Money? Hell, that’s just paper. You could have taken me to Coney Island for the day, you know it doesn’t matter WHERE we are, just that we’re together." She stood and walked over to him and slid onto his lap. "I have all I want right here. I don’t need anything else."

He looped his arms around her waist and leaned in. "Money and fame comes and goes but you have me." he laid his lips on hers and slowly brushed back and forth. "Forever," he breathed into her.

Her tongue teased his upper lip, drawing in the heat that seemed to radiate off over inch of him. "That's all I want—forever."

He tucked her into him, wrapping his arms around her as he rested his cheek against her hair. The sun was settling toward the horizon while the foam and the waves broke higher into the stony coast. Was he out of his mind for asking this so soon? "Want to walk off our feast?"

She stood and reached for his hand. "The sunset and my favorite guy sounds just about perfect."



Richie kicked off his thongs and ran down the incline. Her laugh was wild and free as he dragged her over the uneven hills until they finally hit the packed, sea drenched sand. Settling into a slow stroll, the tide tickled their toes. "I couldn't have asked for a better moment," he said crouching down to dig a rock out of the sediment before skipping it along the waves.

She watched the intense look on his face as he aimed just so. Stones had to skip a certain way it seemed, just a bounce or two wouldn't do for her guy. "You’re something else, Richie Sambora. Did you know that?"

“So all the people in my life tell me," he said with an absent smile. He turned back to her, still crouched. "As long as that something else, ends in forever."

She tilted her head as he mentioned forever again. It was almost as if he needed reassurance or was afraid she didn't mean what she said. Somewhere deep inside of her, she recognized a hurt young man beneath the funny goofy exterior of the man she loved. A man who needed to believe there WAS a forever. "Pony, it will always be forever with me. Forever and a day. You'll get sick of me, I promise. I told you once, and I meant it—you'll have to find a way to get rid of me, because I am NOT going go on my own."

He looked up at her, face earnest, brown eyes sparkling down at him. Hoping he wasn't making a mistake, he tucked his hand in his jacket and caught the small box with the tip of his finger. He folded it into his palm letting his hand dangle over his knee. "I didn't think that a night in an amusement park would bring me such a gift, but God often has a plan for us that we'll never understand."

"God or fate, it doesn’t matter to me, just as long as it includes you.”

"I almost let you go once. I won't make that mistake ever again, Elena Masters...here and now, I promise that one thing. I've learned something over the course of my two weeks without you. I just can't live without you," he said softly, hating that he heard his own voice crack.

She knelt in front of him, unmindful of the surf wetting her skirt. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her lips against his tenderly. "You don't have to.” His silky hair shifted around her arms as they kneeled eye to eye. “I can't do it without you either, so I guess we're just stuck with each other."

"Marry me, Elena," he said against her mouth before he could stop himself. "Marry me and make me forget what it's like to be alone. I love you. I know it's fast and it's crazy, but I love you.” It was as simple and as pure as that. He couldn’t even fathom another day without her.

Her mind played back over the letter she had written and posted that day, and the words she'd written were truer now, than ever. When it was right it was just totally right. The proposal surprised her, no doubt about it. It was impulsive, spontaneous and all of the things she was. A soft laugh played out over the night as she looked into the warm brown eyes she adored more than life. " Sometimes it’s just right, we both know it. From two days to twenty years, it won’t matter. I’ll love you the same. So yes Pony, my answer is yes."

Before she could change her mind he dragged her in. "Yes?" He crushed his mouth to hers. "You said yes?"

She giggled. "Is all that loud music doing things to your hearing already? Yes silly, Yes, yes, a thousand times—YES!" She couldn’t quite get enough of his mouth, of the happiness that had to be floating around her like a cloud. "Yes—a million more times, yes."

"Well hot damn!" His head tip back as he gave a quick shout out to the sky. "Whoohoo!" he looked at her once more, hugging her so tightly he was afraid he'd crush her. Easing back a little, he detangled himself enough to open his palm in front of her eyes. "I guess I get to give you this, then."

Her eyes widened as she looked at the tiny box in his hand, then back up to him, "Is that?"

"What else would it be, love?"

A brow quirked upwards as she grinned, her look speaking volumes. "Knowing you, Richie, it could be anything." She giggled. "But considering the question, I'll guess something round."

He opened the box and curled his fingers into his palm for a minute to stop the shakes. Fuck, he'd never done this before. The ring was so delicate, and he so wasn't. He managed to get it out and pushed it over her first knuckle, sighing as it slid down over her next knuckle without a hitch.

She couldn’t stop the soft gasp as she got her first look at the ring. It was simple and totally Richie. Not too small, but big enough to be noticed—it had to be at least a 2 carat oval diamond, perfectly cut, with small heart shaped baguette diamonds on each side. Speechless, she studied the ring, amazed at its beauty as well as his taste.

Turning her eyes back to him, her eyes welled up even more when he blinked away a few of his own tears. “Pony, it’s…” she sucked in a shuddering breath. “It’s..." A tear escaped, tracing a path along her cheek as she stumbled over words. "It’s beautiful."

He leaned in and kissed her tear away. "Pales in comparison, love."

She wrapped arms around his neck and leaned in for a tender kiss that swiftly heated. "Thank you, for loving me, and letting me love you."

"Forever and a day won't be long enough," he said against her mouth just before kissing her again.