Chapter 64

He stepped from the bathroom wrapping the towel around his waist quickly. He sighed when he saw that Sabrina was firmly asleep. Fuck if she wasn't more pissed than she let on at the arena. He'd hoped for a little more loving once they hit the hotel, but she'd sweetly kissed his cheek, skipped to the shower then lay down to sleep. Claimed that being a *10* had worn her out.

He'd fuckin' get Jonny and the boys back for this one. He didn't like his loving interrupted, not by a long shot. Hell he'd tried to get her to see he had her covered the whole time, After 27 or more years in the biz, he'd learned how to have sex and keep the girl covered, but telling her that? Well it hadn't helped on fucking bit. She'd told him that one firmly yet very sweetly. His past was his past, but she didn't wanna hear how he used it in the here and now. He chuckled as her words kept swimming in his head,

"Seriously, that you had sex so often, and learned all you could do to a woman? I don't mind the experiencing it, I do mind the hearing about said exploits. Not every woman wants to hear how she's woman 1000 or whatever the number is love. Keep it to yourself."

That he could and would do. The question he had now was how to wake her the fuck up and get a little midnight loving. He didn't want go to bed with her angry.

Walking to the dresser he picked his phone up and threw off a quick text. Yer collective asses are mine. Thanks for the dry spell. R. Let them worry over how he'd pay them back, sometimes the anticipation was better than the payback itself.

Setting it down he glanced over at Bri's phone. He hadn't checked it in a couple of days. He knew there would be at least twenty calls from the ex there. Fuck if he wasn't a persistent shit. Hitting the power button he turned to glance at Bri while he waited. Maybe if he ran his tongue.....

The tiny beep startled him from his thoughts and he flipped the phone open, answering it quickly. "Yeah? Speak?"

"Um Is Bri there? " The voice was feminine and a bit skittish sounding.

He winced. Fuck it wasn't the asshole. Why hadn't he thought to check the damned display? "Uh, who is this?"

She pulled the phone from her ear with a frown. That voice sounded familiar. Who the hell was answering Sabrina's phone? It couldn't be voice mail, they never asked questions. "This is Britt, who's this?"

He heard the uncertainty, and wondered if this girl had been hired by the psycho ex to figure out if Bri was still with him. "Bri's boyfriend Dar.. Uhh Britt.. What can I do for you?"

"I was trying to get in contact with Bri because Geena isn't picking up her phone. I wanted to ask her where she got those photos of Hawaii, those pictures haven't surfaced anywhere else on the web, so it made me curious."

He leaned against the dresser and chuckled, "You usually get pictures of Hawaii IN Hawaii Darlin'. Unless you steal them off the web. G the theify type?"

"Well no but she said she wasn't going to Hawaii either, said she didn't have the cash. And now she won't answer any questions in the posts, or her phone. Way strange if you ask me. And how did she get such good pics from the shows? She had to be like sitting on top of the band, " Britt rattled on.

"With a really good camera?" Richie rolled his eyes. This girl just had to be the epitome of blonde, and he didn't mean hair color. "Anything else I can help ya with Darlin?"

Britt grew silent. Just the way he said Darlin' caught her attention finally. "Wait , You ain't ? Oh My GOD!! It is you!!" She practically screamed into the phone.

He pulled the phone away from his ear and shook his head. Fuck that screech was loud enough to wake Jon from four rooms away. Bringing it back to his mouth he shot off. "Who am I? I'm me. Who are YOU?"

"You're .. You're Richie Sambora!!"

"Well ya got me there. You know who I am. Now ya better start talking, cuz if you're calling for Jared, you'll be next on my little list Darlin'."

"Jared? heck no he is a asshole we all know that. God what are you doing on Bri's phone? " Brittnay asked exitedly. "You know Bri? Where is she? OH MY GOD! She hasn't said a word!"

Oh hell, that was right, her phone was full of fan girls. Figuring it was a bit too late to back off now, he tried to do what he did best, backpeddle. "So you wanted Bri? I'll see if shes awake." Fuck fuck fuck genius, admit to shit why don'tcha man? "I mean let me see if shes available."

"Awake? Where is she? " Britt exclaimed breathlessly.

He went silent. No fuckin' way was he telling this girl she was in his bed, he'd done enough as it was. He walked over to the bed, his finger poking at Bri, phone in hand and not muted, "Bri you gotta wake up. Bri? Come on I know your angry, but BRI!!"

He tried to not listen to the squealing that started up, loud enough he could hear it with the phone dangling in his hand. "BRI!" He hissed at her again, Fuck if that girl wasn't hysterical.

She turned over, her eyes flicking open as she muttered, "Still mad here."

"Uhh Phone." He shoved the phone into her hand and hustled out of the room before she figured out exactly what he'd done.

Bri's eyes widened curiously as she glanced at the small travel clock on the beside table. Who the hell would be calling her phone at one a.m.? She knew it wouldn't be Jared, hell Richie would have never given her the phone if it was him. Bringing the phone to her ear she started, "Umm hello?"

"Bri what the heck is goin' on? Are you with Richie Oh MY GOD Girl! Talk to me! Tell me all about it?? Give me DEETS!" Brittnay rambled as she demanded answers.

Oh shit it was Britt, if anyone was ditzy, it was Britt. If anyone was rabidly Jovi, it was Britt. Like a bulldog with a bone was their Britt. To top things off Britt had some pretty odd ideas about the Bon Jovi Band. Ideas no one could dissuade her of. And if there was ANYONE she didn't want to confide in,especially when she was half asleep and not on her game, well it would be Britt, who without a doubt would beg borrow or steal to get a piece of Jovi.

"Uhh, what do you want me to say Britt?"

She cut a glance at Richie was he walked back in, mouthing, "you just had to answer THIS one?"

Richie shot her a how was I supposed to know look.

"What is going on? This is why Geena hasn't answered me isn't it . She's there too! Who'd she end up with? Jon? Come on Bri, fess up!"

"Geena's at home, probably busy with work Britt. She's not here in San Jose. Just me. And yeah, I'm with Richie at the moment." She winced as the high pitched squeal echoed out of the phone.

"NO I am not gonna fuckin' ask to see the moose." She glanced at Richie and choked on a laugh as he undid the towel around his waist. "NO I'm not gonna give you an exact measurement."

She listened a moment, "I so will NOT do that either."

"How's come she ain't there , I can't believe you're with Richie and ok at least that explains all the good pics Geena posted of Hawaii."

"Why is it so hard to believe?" She shut up, she didn't want to tell Britt that much, it would be all over Topix and every other rabid fan site she knew. She'd have to change her name or vanish. Her and Geena both. And all if Britt knew how serious it was.

"I mean, think Britt, they're rock stars. Girl in every port. Yeah even at their age." She glanced up and shrugged apologetically at Richie. "No I don't think it will last."

"Oh don't give me THAT one Sabrina!!! Fuck he called her G!!!! That say's he knows you both pretty damned good!"

She winced at her friend's words, then looked up at Richie, his startled glance speaking volumes. She'd hurt him dammit. Taking a deep breath she hurriedly spoke, "Look I gotta go Britt.See ya when I see ya."

She flipped the phone closed and tossed it to the dresser. "Baby, I didn't... you just don't...." She sighed as she watched him pull the towel closed. "Rich baby..."

Richie was stunned at her revolution , he knew she had to throw her off but to say that? Did she truly mean that it was just a fling? He turned away and walked to the window and gazing out at the night skies as the questions circled his brain ravenously.

She slipped from the bed and hurried too him, her arms wrapping around him from behind, slipping low to cup him easily. "It's .. Hell its Britt.... She's .. well imagine the worst fan you've ever seen and multiply by 100 okay? If she got the hint that we are as serious as we are.. it would be all over the web.. Every girl that even knew me or G's names would be begging for shit.. wanting a piece of you or the guys."

She sighed into his back as he remained silent. "I didn't want her ruining what we have building in her zealous desire to get a piece of any of you. I fell in love with Rich, and in loving him, I wanna protect the Richie parts too. Our relationship should be just for you and me right? I mean," She sighed again. One day there would have to be newsmen and photographers and an outing of the relationship, but it could be done right, and not in the steam pits of fandom. "I dunno if I'm making sense here..."

Richie turned around to face her sliding his arms around her. Did she just say she loved me? A breath of exasperation escaped him as he sighed. "Yea I know this is the part that sucks about being who I am," he admitted. He finally smiled as he took the chance, "And I love you too."

She tilted her head up, a breath of relief slipping through her that the sadness was absent from his eyes. "I"m being greedy I guess. I just wanna keep you to myself. Well this part of you at least. You get up on stage and shake it worse than Jon behind that guitar. You growl and point and, I get that, its your job to seduce them." She pressed a kiss to his chest, "But the real you, the grumbly heater that snuggles so good? Loves so wonderfully, him I wanna keep to myself, for now."

"I'm tired of my private life being in the news." He admitted slowly, "Sure when I was younger it was a thrill to see myself in the rags with whatever person. But being older, I'm learning to enjoy my privacy too." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her nose "I like just having you to myself to Darlin' . But what are you gonna do about her? She is bound to go running to someone. Probably did as soon as you hung up on her."

Her lips quirked into a smirk . "I am gonna lie my ass off, as long as you understand that's what I'm doing."

"Just make sure you give me a heads up when you lie," Richie pouted as he nuzzled her hair, "Damn near gave me a stroke when you did it this time."

"Well, I'm not going to lie flat out, not really. I'm just going to artfully dodge thetruth." She flicked a tongue over his chest slightly, her breath whispering out over his skin. “Richard?"

"Yes Darlin"

"Let's go to bed hmm?"

"Done being mad? "Richie teased.

She nipped at his nipple then laughed, "After scaring you like that on the phone? Oh yeah."

Richie smirked as the worries over how to not go to bed vanished. "Ok darlin lets go to bed, just not gonna be doing much sleeping as yet."

She laughed with delight, "If you hadn't said that I would have gotten mad all over again."

He scooped her up and started for the bed. Life was good, she was here, and he had the entire night to show her how much she meant to him.