Chapter 28

Tessa found herself half on, and half off of Jon when the morning sun finally burned through her eyelids. She popped up on the bed and scrambled to find her purse. “Oh my God, what time is it?”

Jon stretched and grabbed his watch off the bedside table then rolled into his pillow. “It’s just seven, babe.”

“Oh,” she sighed and dropped back on the bed. “Thank God.”

Jon snagged her around the waist and dragged her into him, curling around her again. “Good, then you can stay in bed for a bit longer.”

“I do have to go; I have to run home and change. I can’t wear the pirate outfit to work today.”

“When do you have to be there?” he asked, trailing kisses down her neck, letting his fingers slide low on her belly.

“We open at nine,” she managed to say just as his finger slid down inside of her. His morning erection pushed along her bottom and she was the first to reach into the drawer for the stash of condoms. She moved to roll over, but he held her still and instinctively she curled her knee up into her chest and sighed when he sunk into her.

His fingers found her breast, tugging on the still soft pink tip and pleased when it stiffened under his touch he started a soft and sure rhythm. His mouth lowered to her ear, knowing just where to touch her to bring her quickly to pleasure. There was nothing quite so perfect about morning sex with a warm and willing woman and with Tessa it made what could have been an awkward morning easy and so right.

She arched back, curling her fingers into his hair as he thrust into her with a steady and slow pace. She was close, but she needed the friction, the touch…something else to...with an impatient groan she pushed back on him.

He felt her restlessness and answered in kind. He wanted to just empty himself inside of her, but he lowered his fingers to where they were joined. He could feel his cock sliding in and out of her and he bit down against the need to cum. He growled low into her ear when he found her slick clit and pressed down and around until she cried out.

He hoped to God, she was ready to finish because he couldn’t hold back any longer. The pulse of his orgasm drained him more in a quick morning romp than it had in the hours of loving from the night before. He slumped onto his back and managed to loosely circle his arm around her waist as he dragged in a breath.

She heaved in a breath. “Holy shit,” she said on a gasp.

“Oh thank God, you too?”

“Oh man, I don’t want to move.”

“Call in.”

She laughed. “It’s my store.”

“Dammit.”

Tessa laughed and dug deep into her reservoir of responsibility and dragged herself to a seated position. “You are dangerous,” she managed to say as she stumbled out of his bed and into the bathroom, grabbing her clothes on the way.

She gave a startled gasp at her hair and the leftover smudge of makeup ringing her eyes. Finger combing her hair and teeth she felt marginally more human when she opened the door.

He was tugging on jeans and yawning when she returned. “I’m sorry to drag you out of bed.”

“I have to get up anyway. I’ve got tons of things to do before my flight tonight.”

Her gut clenched and she stilled. “You’re leaving?”

Jon turned to her, unsure of his steps here. “I have to go back down to Nashville for a few days with Richie. We’ve got some things to finalize before the holiday.”

Disappointment ran deep, but she choked it back. Of course he had things to do and of course the moment would be over once the morning came. She’d known that, in her head she’d known that. She hoped her smile was natural. “Busy rockstar mode again?”

Instinctively he went to her, cupping her face in his hands. “I’m a busy man, Tessa but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you again.”

She swallowed back the lump in her throat. “You do?” she asked and cursed herself for the lame hope that had to be shining in her eyes.

He smiled and lowered his mouth to hers for a soft, easy kiss. “I do, very much.”

“I-“ she began then swallowed again and took a breath. “I’d like that.”

He dropped his hand to her waist and let her walk ahead of him and down the stairs. They were quiet as they put on their coats and she checked her purse for her phone. She flipped open her phone and winced when she read the time and the three messages from Nichole. She tucked it back into her purse. She’d deal with that when she got home.

Jon snagged his keys to the BMW and shuffled her outside and into the car. He glanced at the clock and swore. “Sorry, you’re gonna be late if I drive you to your car, why don’t I just drive you to your house then back to the shop.”

Her brain reeled. Logically that was best, but she wasn’t sure she could take him in her house after the utter destruction he caused in her brain the night before and well into the morning. Then add in the intense morning sex, could she really have memories of him in her space?

After a moment, she nodded. “Okay, that sounds like a plan if you don’t mind.”

He settled back into the seat and found a Christmas station on the radio. “Are you heading anywhere for Christmas?”

She was looking out the window and blinked at the sound of his voice. “Christmas?”

He smiled. “Do you go to see family?”

“Oh,” she smiled and shook her head. “No, my parents both died a few years ago, one right after the other. I guess they just couldn’t stand to be apart. I usually celebrate with Nichole and her family.”

“You don’t have any sisters and brothers?”

“I have one sister in England, she and her husband aren’t exactly the, ‘oh my God, we need to get together for the holidays!’ sort.”

Jon frowned. “I can’t imagine that.”

Tessa shrugged. “Eh, I have Nichole and her mom treats me like one of her own.”

Jon sifted his hand through her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Big, noisy Christmases are what it’s all about.”

She tried not to let the pity in his eyes get to her. It was simply fact, nothing that he needed to feel sorry for her about. “My family has always been low key, even when my folks were alive. We had a nice, quiet Christmas with little to no fuss.” She pointed to a road on the left. “Right here’s my street.”

Jon pulled into her driveway and smiled at the little bungalow she owned. It was a raised ranch, very much in the style of his childhood. Grass, dotted with half melted snow dominated her property with a few out of season stumps of plants. A wreath of gold bows and red holly decorated her front door with an old style lamp hanging from her porch, in a similar style.

She got out of the car before he could open her door for her and she smiled up at him. “I may not have much family, but I love Christmas. Wait until you see the tree inside.”

Jon followed her into the house and laughed at the immense tree in her living room. It took up an entire corner of the room, it was real with a deep green tone that spoke of Evergreen and was covered in what could only be family ornaments and cheerful colored lights.

“The remote is on the chair if you want to watch some TV. I’ll run upstairs and grab a shower and change and I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

Jon laughed, “So does that mean a true ten, or a girl, ten.”

Tessa grabbed a fistful of shirt and dragged him down for a kiss, glad that he was back to teasing after the near pitying look she got in the car when they spoke of family. “True ten, smart guy,” she said and released him, taking the stairs two at a time.

Jon wandered into the kitchen and made himself busy with her coffee machine, pleased to find whole beans in her freezer and a well used grinder on her counter. Within a few minutes he had a pot brewing and a bagel down to toast. He rummaged in her fridge and found cream cheese and had an impromptu breakfast ready for her when she came back down the stairs.

She was jamming earrings into her ears when she came into the room and stopped. “Did you make coffee, you beautiful man?”

He pushed his hair out of his face. Appreciating the line of her skirt and knee high boots with spiked heels he managed to swallow down on his bite of bagel. She wore a dove grey turtleneck sweater and some sort of chunky jewelry to finish the package. She was quick to get ready and didn’t suffer for it either. “I did and a bagel too.”

“It’s official, I’m keeping you,” she said when he offered her a bite. She crunched the mouthful and smiled up at him, wiping the corner of his mouth where some cream cheese dared to stick. She tucked her thumb into her mouth and licked it clean.

His eyes heated. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to eat around you anymore without sporting a hard on.”

Tessa laughed. “Thank you, it was just what I needed," she said and snagged the half eaten bite out of his hand.

Jon picked up the other half and they each fixed a travel mug of coffee, both of them taking it light with a good dose of sugar. Tessa tried hard not to think about the domesticity aspect of the morning ritual and focused on the fact that she just liked being with him.

They were bundled and back out the door and into Jon’s car fast enough that the heat still settled in the car when they backed out of her driveway. They made it to the store with five minutes to spare and Tessa sighed in relief. She leaned over and cupped his face giving him a quick kiss and climbed out of his car.

Jon followed her out of the car and snagged her as she rounded the car. He took the mug from her hand and put it on the roof of his car. “I’m not going to see you for a few days, that kiss ain’t gonna hold me.”

Tessa gripped his forearms as he took her mouth in a deep and hungry kiss. With a groan she went on tip-toe and wrapped her arms around his neck and just let herself enjoy the fall. He kissed her with the freshness of a new touch and yet part of it felt as if they’d been doing it for half of their lives. His tongue tangled with hers for a moment before he nipped his way out of the kiss.

“I want to see you when I get home, Tessa.” He watched her green eyes swim then focus as she pulled herself together.

She pressed her lips together as if to hold in the taste of him. “I want to see you too.”

“I’m not sure when I’m coming back in, depends on the studio and well…the creative process. Sometimes Richie and I get it in one try and sometimes we fight our way through the lyrics.” He dug out his phone. “Can I have your number so I can call you?”

She rattled off her number and tried not to think about the fact that she just gave her number to Jon Bon Jovi. And her stomach did a delicious roll when he took her phone and entered his own number.

“See if you can find it,” he said and snapped her phone shut. His hand lingered along her wrist and he laced his fingers with hers. “I’ll try and stop in before I leave.” Then he dipped to kiss her again, lingering for a moment before he pulled back. “See ya.”

Tessa snagged her coffee off his roof and just stood silently as he got in and waved.

“Oh sweet shit!”

Tessa whirled and saw Nichole standing by her car. She swallowed with a little difficulty and tried for a smile. “Morning,” she said as steadily as possible and unlocked the gate and the front door.

“Morning? That’s all you have to say?”

“Sorry I’m running late?”

“Jon Bon Jovi just kissed you within an inch of your life and you think you can just say Morning!”