Chapter 75

((Sorry bout the delay folks but laptied died and i had to spend a lil time pulling the stories from my various sources so i could edit again :)

Without further ado....

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Jon casually reached over and placed his arm around her waist, more for comfort and to anchor her back to the present than anything else. He picked a topic that had to at least get her attention back to the table for a moment. "So Katie, heard from the runaway yet?"

Kate blinked rapidly as the curtain of her past swept away and the dust motes of history settled back where they belonged. She just gave him an eyebrow raise at the arm around her hips. "What do you think you're doin', Sugar?"

A mega watt smile hit his lips as he winked. No way would he admit to hating her attention being elsewhere. Choosing his words he gave a lighthearted reply. "Talking to a friend and drinking wine. What about you?"

"Uh huh," she said but didn't remove his arm. It suited her purposes for that particular moment. Perhaps James would keep clear if he believed she was on a date. Ignoring his question, she shrugged. "No word from Elena. She's probably hip deep in sand and sex."

Jon snorted and started to laugh, "Yeah, knowing Richie, that's about how its gonna be going. So babe, wanna sit here in the corner all night or do you wanna dance?"

Leaning back she grinned. "You dance to slow smokey jazz, Jon? I'm surprised. I thought you'd be too white to dance."

He leaned forward until he was nose to nose with her. "Baby I dance to everything."

Her head tilted of its own volition and she could nearly taste the warm, rich red on his lips. The wine shined there between them and she ached to taste, to feel alive again. She watched him swipe his lower lip and groaned, pulling back. Struggling to find the light, teasing facade they'd worn all evening, she grinned. "I don't know Sugar, you're with the big boys tonight."

His grin reached out at the same time he stood and took her hand. "Well only one way for you to find out baby, and that’s experience it first hand." He pulled her over to the corner the dance area was in and pulled her tight and let the music guide the way as his hips began to grind and swivel to the music. "Its all about feeling the music Katie," He whispered as his head dipped close to her ear. "It’s all about the music."

His scent wrapped around her, soap and spice with an airy cleanness that invited her closer. When his hands slid into the ass pockets of her jeans and dragged her in, she felt the first pull of longing.

Memories of their time together was so shadowy, she didn't have anything to go on but the present. And when his hips undulated low and slow she let the music take her. Her arms rose to his shoulders as they flowed into one luscious shimmy against the tide of bass and rhythm guitar.

She felt the bump of his lips against her ear, but there was no words, just a low sound of pleasure and the puff of breath on her skin as he rocked closer. And as the rhythm increased, so did their bodies.

He bit back a groan of pleasure and offered up a silent prayer that his body wouldn't betray him, a prayer that wasn't getting any answer; yet he couldn't pull away, and didn’t want too. Their bodies just seemed to fit and it was all he could do to not pull her into a kiss. He held her tighter, and allowed himself the small pleasure of nuzzling her neck with his nose, inhaling her scent and feeling as if it had drugged him. She was everything he could ever want, and she wanted to be friends. There had to be a way to change that, and he'd find it.he needed was time, Sambora and his friend zone shit wasn't gonna do it for him. His hips swayed closer as he dipped her slowly and pulled her back up and into his chest. "You dance divinely Katie."

She slid her fingertips up to his lips. "Don't ruin it by talking," she said and let the drumbeat pulse though her. He was surprisingly firm everywhere. She'd expected the leanness to be one of inactivity, but not the sinewy muscles both in his arms and chest, abs and the distracting ass that bunched with each undulating rush of adrenaline. She felt the slim line of sweat trickling down her spine. Hoping the cotton of her shirt was thick enough to hide the aching tips of her nipples she pulled a hand out of her back pocket. She gasped when his firm grip transferred to her hip, down her thigh as the beat grew tribal.

The dance floor was a crush of people, creating more friction and more sweat as they were forced to crowd closer. She felt his nose bump along her neck and she tipped her head back instinctively.

A soft groan whispered over his lips as her neck was thrown into light and shadow by her movements. Instinct drove him as his tongue flicked out and tasted the sweat that had her pale skin gleaming. His lips slowly slid from neck to ear as he exhaled softly. That small taste had his soul clamouring for more and his logic forcing back the rising desire. Slow and easy would win this race, not his all too eager cock, damn it all, and even as he thought the thought, his lips made one more slow pass over the fragile column of her neck. She was sugar and spice, and damn near lethal with it all, and he wanted more God help him. He tugged her closer, his hands splaying over those curvy hips as a softly uttered groan left him, his lips unable to stop their gentle slide over her skin.

She gasped. Her skin felt hot and tight, each time his hips pushed against hers she came closer to the point of no return. She'd had the argument with herself, until she was blue with it, but here in the middle of the heat of him, it didn't seem to matter that their lives didn't mesh.

Here it didn't matter that he'd be gone within a month. And when his tongue flicked behind her ear, she'd nearly lost it. But the cold light of reality made her decision for her as the house lights went up and she heard James' voice.

"We'll be back in five, folks. We have a visitor in the house and I need to drag her ass up here to play."

He kept his arms around her as the lights came up, a soft growl whispering over his lips. His brows wrinkled at teh look on Kate's face when the guy on stage talked about a visitor. She didn't look happy, not at all. "He’s talking bout you aint he Kate?"

"Fuck," she said with a voice just a hair too shaky for her taste. "He wouldn't," she said more to herself than Jon. But sure enough, she heard the whoops and hollars as James pushed through the dispersing crowd.

"Hiya Killer," came his smooth bass voice. Large arms tugged her from Jon's grasp. Lifting her a full six inches off the floor, he folded her into a hug. "It's been far too long since you've graced my stage with your voice or your brass."

Jon's brow arched nearly to his hairline as he watched the interplay between the two. Closing his eyes a moment he dipped deep inside and pulled on his charisma, letting his stage presence fill his eyes as he put a work smile on. "Well sweetheart, wanna introduce me to your friend?"

"Dammit, James, put me down." She pushed back on him, letting the sharp toe of her boot connect with his shin.

James let her slide down his body, remembering the curve of her, the sheer sexuality of her. For a little white girl, she had surprising moves and more blues in her soul than half of the men he worked with. Too bad she was so independent.

He gave a quick grunt as knee went for his jewels. "Hey now, darlin', don't go for the hot spot. You liked it once upon a time."

Kate hissed and took a step back from him. "Jon, this is James Dupris." She gestured to Jon. "James this is my friend, Jon Bon Jovi."

"What's goin' on with you, Kats. You bring a scrawny glam boy in my club? Have you no shame?"

Jon reached out and pulled Kate into his chest, his hands wrapping around her in a seeming show of possession, his lips dipping to her neck for a moment. "Honey you never told me you knew James Dupris, how bad of you. I might just have to punish you for that later." The ass wanted glam? He'd get it, only not the way he expected.

Hard blue eyes swept over the bigger man, a half smirk gracing his lips. "Glam as I might be, She’s with me now not you, so must be something I have that does it right eh Dupris?"

Kate nearly growled. No way was she going to be in the middle of some testosterone laden tug of war. Extricating herself, she smiled slow and smooth. "Boys, boys, we're attracting far too many eyes." She glanced at James her voice whisper soft."I'm not getting up on that stage."

"Sure you are, Kats. I'll only taunt you into it." His gaze flicked from her all too cool gaze to Jon. "I used to be able to taunt you into damn near anything."

Jon backed up a pace, holding his hands up to Kate in an I give salute. "Katie if you wanna play go ahead, or we could leave to the next spot we were planning on hitting. I was looking forward to that other club you mentioned? Totally up to you though."

"What you don't have it anymore, Killer? Lost your mojo to the medicine that stole your soul?"

Kate's back went up. "What, you think you can guilt me into the set, James? That only works on the groupies you feed into."

His fingertip slid down her arm. "Groupies never replaced you, Kats. Never could. I'm a weak man when it comes to the flesh. If only you'd have given me more, I may not have strayed."

Kate's jaw dropped. Fury and the quiet gleam of battle rose in her cheeks and flashed in her eyes, " You son of a bi-"

Jon reached out with lightning reflexes and pulled Kate into his arms feeling the ice of his rage rising and knew it would glitter in his eyes like a warning. "Only a stupid man would cheat on someone like Katie here." Turning Kate too him he offered her a swift understanding smile. "Baby lets go someplace a bit more befitting your class. Anywhere you wanna go, ok?"

"Ahh, I see you've been tamed by a boy. Never could handle a real man, could you, Kats." James crossed his massive arms over his chest. "I see now that all my tutoring was wasted. That fine body of yours used to shiver beneath my touch both on and off the stage. Now you go for this milquetoast? Momma Beth would be shamed."

Kate nearly shook with the need to lash out. Momma Beth had been the croon to the band before she passed. The owner of the bar before Clarence took over. "Don't you dare bring Momma Beth into this. Just because you can't control me any longer and your pathetic groupies don't excite you anymore, doesn't mean you can come over here and act like the ass I know you are." She let her voice raise and carry. One thing he and Momma had taught her was range. "I'm too good for your stage," she said with her chin held high.

Jon chuckled softly and watched without saying a word. Damn she didn't need protecting one bit. She was glorious with the fire in her hair and eyes. The respect he had felt for her grew a few more notches as he watched her dress down the man making a mockery of them both. "So shall we pretty Katie?"

She laced her fingers in his. "He's twice the man you could even imagine being," she murmured. "And where you've got age creeping higher, he's got the lust and the fire of youth. Everything you fear, Dupris." Turning on her heel she heard James' booming laugh as they headed for the exit.

"White girl, gave me a fine dressing down. She got soul in those hips and pipes," he said to the room to save face. "Too bad, the Dupris just never could tame her. Poor glam boy, he never tame that shrew."

Kate stalled at the mouth of the stairs, then felt Jon's lightly reassuring touch at the small of her back and clattered down the stairs to the door and out into the fresh air.

"Remind me to never piss you off Kate." Jon's voice was droll as a devilish glint sparkled in his eyes. "You’re fucking dangerous babe."

"All that talent wasted on an egotistical ass with a mixture of a God complex and fear of growing old. The women he fucks get younger every year and I didn't see it until I'd already made the mistake," she growled. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I was stupid to think James could control himself with a younger man on my arm."

Jon pulled her into a hug, a gentle smile in his eyes and on his lips, "Its not a problem Katie, gave me a good insight into how you handle things. I admire how you did it. Just never let me be on the wrong end of your anger ok?"

She hugged him back, reluctantly at first, then harder. "Well, don't piss me off like that and we'll be fine. Nothing a woman hates more than her mistakes shoved down her throat with a smirk."

He nodded swiftly, a soft laugh echoing out as they exited the building. "Duly noted Dr. Katie."

"And dammit, I'm hungry. I hate that, I get angry and the only thing that will calm me down is a pizza." She slid her arm around his waist, letting him curl an arm around her shoulders. "You wanna grab a pie, Sugar?"

"Sounds like a plan Katie, a most excellent plan." Turning to the right he began to walk back down the street to the small pizzaria he had noted earlier, his arm still firmly wrapped around her waist.