119 -Anything You Need

[9:07 PM]RICH:  I need an earlier flight.  Tomorrow?  Can you get away that quick?

Jon confessing that he had been attacked and potentially left for dead by that piece of fuck Daniel was doing a number on him.  Unconscious for damn near an hour and the stubborn ass wouldn’t go to the doctor, as usual.

Richie shuddered.  If something devastating had happened while he and Jon were on the outs, the guilt would likely put him in a grave next to his friend. 

He needed to get to New York.  What he was going to do, other than be there, he didn’t know.  But he had to be there. 

[9:08 PM]DENNY: Ya, kids are with their dad.  What’s wrong?

Texts were too damn slow and, if he were honest, he could stand to hear a voice of reason accusing him of overreacting.  He tapped the third button down in his contact list.

“Richie, what’s wrong?”

Answering on the first ring, her immediate concern went a long way toward quieting his distress. 

“Jon was hurt today.  They’re not sure if the guy was trying to kill him or not.  I need to see him for myself to make sure he’s really okay and not just bluffing his way through it.”

Superman wasn’t just a tattoo, it was an intentional manifestation of Jon’s self-esteem– Man of Steel.  Richie had been forced to prove him wrong more than once.

“Honey, don’t you think his fiancée would know if he weren’t okay?” Denny asked calmly.  “I assume you talked to him.  How did he sound?”

“Fine, but you know how he is.”

“I do.”  Denny was an integral enough part of the machine to be considered ‘family’.  That meant she was exposed the unvarnished, unpublicized lives of Bon Jovi.  She knew their strengths, weaknesses, flaws and assets as well as anyone.  “Did you tell him you wanted to come out early?  What did he say about it?”

“No, I didn’t tell him.”  Richie was a little annoyed at having to explain himself.  “I just want to be there in case he needs somebody.”

Her voice was gentle when suggesting, “I think he’s got somebody.  It’s not the Bachelor’s Club anymore, Rich.”

Talk about fuckin’ cold. 

“I guess you’re right,” he muttered, wanting no more than to end the call before it got any colder.  Reminders about his single status, he didn’t need.  “Gotta go Den.  I’ll see you at the radio station.”

Tomorrow morning was a guest appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s morning show for the fashion line.  Whenever it was possible, she accompanied him to these kinds of things and gave him a head’s up on any topics she felt may arise, or likely questions that may be asked.   

“Richie…”

“What?”  The sharpness in voice wasn’t what he wanted to project, but it got away from him before he could moderate his tone.  “You made your point.  I’ll go out and help Tony just like you told me to.  On Thursday.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“My feelings aren’t hurt.”  No more than a little, anyway.  And not even so much because Jon didn’t need him, but because it amplified his loneliness.  A loneliness that wasn’t going to be assuaged tonight.  Ava was at Heather’s and the quietness of the house was on the verge of smothering him.

“Liar,” she chided.  “We’ve been together too long for that.”

“It doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t,” he sighed, acknowledging that he wasn’t a good enough liar to get one by her.  Dishonesty wasn’t something that came naturally to him, or that he’d bothered to learn.  “The truth is the truth.”

“Yeah, it is.  Another truth is that I never said he doesn’t need you.   The day that happens is nowhere on the horizon, but right now you don’t have to make a three-thousand mile sprint to be assured he’s well.  I thought you loved Petey?  Don’t you trust her to take care of him?”

Of course he trusted her.  Under that slightly scary Goth exterior beat the heart of a sweet, dark angel.   Just because she wasn’t his angel didn’t mean he didn’t trust her.  “She’s an amazing woman.  I’m sure she’ll take fantastic care of him.”

“Then there you have it.”  Problem solved, Denny was back to being all business again.  “I’ll see you at the station.  Be there by eight, okay?  Do you need a wake-up call or can you manage to drag your butt out of bed in time?”

Richie’s fingers curled around the phone.  Once he hung up the phone, there wouldn’t be any human contact until he saw her tomorrow morning.  He would be here, by himself, looking for something to occupy his time and mind. 

That didn’t work in your favor last night, did it?

“You eaten yet?” he asked impulsively.  “I haven’t eaten.  Bauducco’s sounds good.  I can have it delivered by the time you get here."

The usually chatty assistant was quiet.  “I’m already in sweats and it’s a half-hour drive over there.  I’m sorry, Rich, but I don’t think so.” 

If he was left to his own devices, he would end up making another regrettable phone call.  Or worse.  It made him needy enough to resort to bribery.

“You know you love their pizza.”  It was one of the few pizza places in Westlake that delivered, and they’d partaken of the Pollo Alfredo pizza on a regular basis there for a while, when they were working out of his house every evening.  Denny loved the Pollo Alfredo.

“You’re the devil,” she groaned.  “No, I haven’t eaten, but I’m also feeling exceptionally lazy.”

She was weakening.  He could feel it.  All he had to do was act like it was a done deal and she would let him get away with it.  She always did.

“That settles it.  My loneliness trumps your laziness.  I’ll get carryout and come over to your place.  Split an eggplant parmigiana sandwich, too?”

“I’m going to regret this,” she muttered under her breath, but ultimately agreed.  “Fine.  But bring cheesecake too.”

“Your wish is my command, darlin’.  Be there in about forty-five minutes.”

“I might fall asleep,” she warned him.  “Knock loud or call if I don’t answer right away.  And be careful.”

Richie placed the order and hung up with a grin.  Tonight he wasn’t gonna be lonely.  Tonight he was gonna figure out what the hell Denny meant by her cryptic comments at lunch.

☠ ☢ ☠

“I’m starting to believe you.”

The soft words burrowed their way through the fuzzy pink cloud that blanketed her mind.  Petey vaguely registered that she was lying on her back half-naked, knees wide-spread and…  in the center, there was the most delicious sensuality blooming  under, what felt like, the heat of a warm summer rain.

“Mmnnnh.”  Her hips swiveled, reflexively seeking out the source of her pleasure.

“I think you do always want me.”

“OhmyGod!”  Her eyes flew open as her hips bucked up off the bed to meet…  she looked down to find wicked eyes glinting over the well-groomed tuft of hair on her mound… his mouth.  A mouth that had just sucked her clit hard enough to leave a hickey.

“You okay, Baby?” he breathed against the sensitive flesh, his index finger acting as place-keeper for his tongue.  “I just got thirsty and wanted a little drink.”

The light in the room was dim, indicating that it was morning, but just barely.  She reached down to thread her fingers through his unruly mop of hair.  “Mmmm…. I’m starting to think you like morning sex.”

“I’m a quick learner.”  That beautifully talented tongue dove back in for another sip before he grinned like the Cheshire cat with a mouth full of cream.  “You’re a lot nicer when there’s an orgasm at the end of your wake-up call.”

“Goddddd!”  A second hand came to join the first, hard fingers flexing against his scalp as he did his best to suck every drop of moisture from the flooded basin of her sex.  “I knew you were brilliant,” she panted.  “I just didn’t know the full extent of it.”

His hum of approval vibrated spots that were already tingly and tensed the inner muscles of her thighs.  “Talk to me, Baby.”  The grey light of the early hour glinted off of his slickened lips, and a thick finger sought out the source of the flood.  “Tell me what you want.”

“That feels…  goo-“ The word dropped off into a moan when he added a second finger to pillage the tender, hidden flesh.  “Don’t  know,” she mumbled even as she guided his mouth back to its abandoned business.  “Mouth is soooo nice.”  Sweeping strokes of his broad tongue had her sucking the air through her teeth and grinding herself unashamedly against his face.  “But I love your thick, hard cock, too.  The way you fill me…”

“Christ,” he mumbled into her overheated flesh, and the mattress swayed as he rocked his erection into it.  “You’re killing me.”

Petey tugged on his shoulders, encouraging him to snake his way up until he hovered over her.  “Then kill me back,” She pulled his face down to hers for a sweltering mating of tongues.  “Give it to me…  Please?”

A contented sigh billowed noisily out of her lungs when he joined them together with no more fanfare than a loud, desirous rumble.  After that, there was no more talking. 

There was only the cacophony of lasciviousness as their bodies found the increasingly familiar rhythm that would take them to the place in Heaven that was uniquely theirs.  The place where sweat was sexy and the bodily sounds were melodious as they cried their release into one another’s mouths and found completion.

“Good morning,” he groaned, rolling back to his side of the bed.

“Mm.”  Petey stretched languidly and curled on her side so she could watch him.  “I take it you’re feeling better?”

His chuckle was sinful and, if they hadn’t just finished what they finished, she would think it was seductive as well.  Flipping his head over so that he could look at her, Jon confirmed with an arrogant grin, “I’m feelin’ pretty damn good.”  The thick, wide hand, that always dwarfed hers, knit their fingers tightly together and squeezed.  “Ready to pick out some wedding rings today?”

“Oh, you know…”  A put-upon eye roll accompanied a careless shrug.  “I guess.”

His lips could barely pucker against hers for the amusement stretching them wide.  “Yeah, me too.”