Chapter 56

When the plane touched down a few hours later Jon shook Tessa awake. Her witchy green eyes were sleepy and soft leaving him little choice but to lean in for a kiss. She sighed into him stretching as she wound herself around him.

“Where’s Richie,” she asked against his mouth.

“Already on the tarmac.”

She uncurled her legs, but instead of standing she wound them around his waist and pulled him into her. His knee dropped onto the seat and he groaned when she slowly undulated against his zipper.

He propped himself up with a hand to each armrest and let himself enjoy her touch. When her clever fingers found his waist and snuggled under his shirt he felt his jeans tighten. “Don’t start what you can’t finish,” he said into her throat.

“Who says I’m not going to finish?”

“Not here you’re not.”

Her fingers slid forward and toyed with his belt. “I could.”

He hissed when she snaked a finger into his jeans and swiped over the sensitive head ready to bust out of the zipper. He stood and she quickly retreated to grab onto his shoulder.

“That wasn’t nice.”

Her thighs flexed around his hips, letting her come flush with his chest. From her slim waist to the press of her breasts against his chest he felt every inch of her. And God, did he want her. It was ridiculous to want this much, this fast. The heat of her touch stoked him beyond reason and certainly beyond responsibilities.

His hands lowered to cup her ass, letting his fingers inch along the seam of her jeans. Watching her green eyes go from the unfocused sleep to the gleam of lust had him ready to dump her back into the seat and ram into her until neither one of them could see straight.

But there were people right outside waiting for them. Waiting for him even at this time of night. “Come home with me,” he said quietly. He didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want their time together to come to a close. For reality to rear its ugly head so soon.

Her fingertips teased the silky strands at his nape and he saw regret replace the heat. “I have to work tomorrow and I have a million things to do for the festival. It starts tomorrow you know.”

Jon sighed, pressing his forehead to hers. “Stupid reality,” he said sounding like his four year old.

She scissored her legs one more time and he enjoyed the play of her muscles, missing her immediately when she put one foot down, then the other. She stepped away from him, turning to gather her things.

The nape of her neck teased him as she bent forward and he caught her hip with one hand, dragging her back to him. With his other, he brushed his knuckles over the collar of her t-shirt up into the soft, stiff hairs that stacked up the back where her hair grew thick and full.

Dropping a kiss dead center he groaned when she eased back, covering his hand with hers at her hip, pushing back against him until the curve of her ass met his straining cock. She relaxed against his chest and her other hand rose to trace the curve of his jaw and ended up in his hair once again.

His kiss became open mouthed when the need to taste her on his tongue replaced sense. He tugged her collar wider, tasting the soft skin where neck met shoulder and back up to the spot that made her shiver every time. He tugged on her ear and his hand lowered slowly over shoulder to the soft curve of her breast down to her other hip where he pulled her tighter against him.

“Did you wake her up yet, man? I want to-“ Richie shut up as he peered into the plane and caught Jon and Tessa in a lock that would do any TV love scene proud.

Well shit. He backed out but knew the image would stay with him for a long time. He’d never seen Jon that into a woman in his life on or off screen.

Jon dropped his hands and took a step back. His cock leaped forward wanting, no needing to stay where it was, nestled against her where it could be lost in the heat that was Tessa. He tugged his shirt lower on his obvious hard on and prayed that the Jersey cold was enough to get him under control.

She turned back to him and he saw the heat warring with responsibilities in those amazing eyes of hers. Greed urged him to exploit the heat, to take her home and drive the passion back up into that stratospheric level that burned them within an inch of sanity. He could if he pushed her.

He fisted his hands and made himself turn away from her, to walk to the door. Turning back to her he hoped his smile was easy. “C’mon let me get you home.”

Tessa swallowed audibly and with shaky hands she gathered her bags again following him out the door. Knowing she would have done anything at that moment to have him inside of her, the weight of him on her and his scent surrounding her left her shattered. Would she be able to survive emotions this intense on a daily basis? It couldn’t stay this intense. It wasn’t human for God’s sake.

Jon lifted her overnighter off her shoulder and transferred it to his own, following her down the stairs. She could feel his eyes on her neck, his touch still there like a brand. Could he turn it off so easily? Or did he ache just like her?

Richie’s intrusion had probably been the only thing that kept her jeans on for fuck’s sake. She was drenched from his simple touch and the equally simple kiss. Her body seemed to feed off of his contact, revving like his sports car in fourth gear.

She climbed into the limo before he could touch her. She just couldn’t take it right now without ripping his clothes off and mating like an animal. She’d had her fill of him in the few days they’d had in Nashville. She’s been sure of it…at the time. Now she felt like that first night all over again. The want blurred in with the love that had blindsided her.

The ride was subdued, with conversation stilted with talk of Christmas and everyone’s plans. She couldn’t concentrate on the conversation so only smiled and kept her answers brief. Finally Richie and Jon turned their talk to family and what they’d gotten for each of the kids.

She smiled and started to relax as Jon described the latest boyhood gadget that Jesse wanted. The number of game consoles that could be purchased each Christmas never ceased to amaze her. She tried to keep up with the books that went with the hot games that showed the hows and the whys of the moves along with various cheat codes that no gamer could be without.

Talking drew to a close as her house came into view. She leaned forward and kissed Richie’s cheek. “Merry Christmas if I don’t get to see you.”

“You too darlin’. It was a pleasure.” Richie pulled her into a hug and she breathed in the musky scent of man and a sexy spice she couldn’t name.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” Jon said and slid out of the car. She followed him, gripping her bag and purse.

She stopped him at the door of the limo, not shutting the door all the way. She knew her weakness and his name was Jon in neon flashing lights. “Let me say good night here.”

Jon’s blue eyes were shiny in the dim light of the street lamps. “Don’t trust me?”

“Don’t trust myself not to beg you come in and make love to me until I can’t walk tomorrow.” She laughed at herself, “As if I can barely walk now anyway.”

He tugged on the ends of her hair that were starting to flip from the moisture of the south and the extreme temperature change of New Jersey. “Sleeping without you will be a trick, you know.”

“I think I have a clue,” or seven she thought darkly. “Tomorrow will be chaos but I promise to call you when I can.”

“I’ll be at the Festival, so I’ll definitely see you there.”

She pressed her hand to his chest, letting her fingertips find the open snaps within the leather jacket to find the hair and the heat.

He caught her lips in a soft kiss, pulling back almost immediately. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He ducked back into the car and she backed away, wanting to run into her house and scream. Damn the responsibilities, damn the Christmas Festival and the people that counted on her. Every part of her wanted desperately to go back to her bubble in Nashville.

She got to her door and fished out her keys waving to him as she let herself in. She leaned against the door, letting the dark house creep around her as dropped her bags and flicked on her lights.

The rosy glow of her Christmas tree and its twinkling lights couldn’t even dent the loneliness that settled on her shoulders like a lead coat. She glanced at the clock and winced, knowing that the four am alarm would be felt in every bone of her body.

She stripped out of her clothes and dropped into her bed, setting her alarm as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. When the alarm went off four hours later she took great pleasure in pounding on the snooze bar for each hour she’d watched the green digits turn.

With the fourth bash she flicked the off button and dragged herself into the shower to begin her day.